Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storm systems.

Although the Atlantic hurricane season doesn't formally begin until June 1, recent history has shown the tropics can begin to awaken in May. Meanwhile, the Eastern Pacific hurricane season is just two weeks away with an official start date of May 15. The Eastern Pacific has an earlier start to hurricane season because sea-surface temperatures in that ocean basin tend to be warmer than the Atlantic's waters this early in the year, providing just enough heat to fuel any tropical storms and hurricanes that are able to develop.

NewsBytes:

Canada - Two firefighters are missing and around 1,000 people are stranded after floods in the Charlevoix region of Quebec Province, Canada. Intense rainfall caused the Rivière du Gouffre to break its banks, flooding roads and damaging bridges. Around 1,000 residents in areas of the Baie Saint-Paul community have been left isolated as a result. Some have been forced to evacuate their homes. Videos on social media showed motorhomes from a nearby campsite being dragged away by the raging river and crashing into a bridge near the town.

Uganda - Heavy rain had triggered flooding and landslides in 3 districts of Uganda since 24 April 2023. Homes have been destroyed and at least 6 people have died, with 3 others reported missing. Uganda Red Cross and local media reported heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Kasese, Mbale and Rukungiri districts. On 24 April one person died and 3 were reported missing after flooding from the overflowing Muhokya River in Muhokya Sub-county in Kasese District. The Kyanzutsu and Nyamwamba rivers also broke their banks around this time, damaging homes in Mahango and Kyanjuki. Uganda Red Cross reported 1 person died and 2 were injured after a landslide in Bughendero in Buhurira Sub-county in Kasese District on 01 May 2023. A home was severely damaged or destroyed and 7 family members were displaced. In Mbale District, one person died and several homes were damaged after floods in Bushikori parish on 26 April 2023. In Rukungiri District, 3 people died after flooding from the Rushaya River in Bwambara Sub-county on 29 April, according to local media reports. Around 7 others were also swept away by the floods but managed to survive.

Kenya - Floods continue to cause hardship for communities in Kenya, where authorities report flooding has impacted around 5,000 families in the west and northeast of the country over the last week. In recent days flooding has impacted areas of Mandera County in the northeast of the country, close to the border with Somalia. Kenya Red Cross reported over 2,000 families were impacted after flooding began around 21 April. At the beginning of April, flooding cut roads in areas around Kutulo. Heavy rain since 23 April has caused several rivers to overflow in Kisumu County in the west of Kenya. On 24 April heavy rain caused the Maenya River to break its banks, flooding areas of Kolwa Central and displacing over 600 families. Local government and media later reported other areas were affected in Kisumu West and Kisumu East, with a total of 725 families displaced.