Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical cyclone 14p (Yalo), located approximately 327 nm southwest of Papeete, Tahiti, and is tracked southeastward at 10 knots.

NewsBytes:

Freak Waves - In Hawaii, a pair of gigantic, back-to-back swells generated waves large enough to overtake beach parks, wash across roadways and damage oceanfront properties. In an unprecedented move, state officials shut down a 12-mile stretch of Kamehameha Highway, on the north shore of Oahu, in response to ocean surges that washed over the roadway. In addition to flooding, several areas experienced severe coastal erosion. A 30-foot stretch of beach on the north shore of Oahu reportedly disappeared overnight. Despite numerous beaches being closed, lifeguards were kept busy, rescuing dozens of people and issuing hundreds of warnings. In Los Angeles a large wave swept four people off a Los Angeles County jetty as high surf pounded much of the California coast, leaving one man dead and his three companions seriously injured.

Tornadoes, USA - Whipping northward at interstate speeds, multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms raced from the Carolinas to New England on Wednesday and early Thursday. The springlike round of severe weather - which extended unusually far north for February - took one life in South Carolina and at least four in Virginia, making Wednesday the latter state’s deadliest tornado day since the notorious Super Outbreak of April 27, 2011. Three people, including a two-year-old boy, were killed in hard-hit Waverly, VA, and another man died in Appomattox County.

Bangladesh - Severe weather in Bangladesh has claimed the lives of 10 people and injured at least 25 students. Six people died when a trawler capsized in Dhaleshwari River in Naraynganj. In Narsinghdi, two sisters died when a wall collapsed on them during the storm. Two other people died in Moulvibazar.

South Africa - In Diepsloot near Fourways, Johannesburg, a primary schoolgirl was swept away by flash floods while trying to cross a low level bridge between Extension 1 and 7. Severe thunderstorms lashed northern Johannesburg yesterday afternoon.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Storm Grace is located about 685 mi...1100 km WSW of the Cape Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds...50 mph...85 km/h. Present movement...W or 275 degrees at 16 mph...26 km/h.

Typhoon Kilo is located 369 nm north-northwest of Wake Island, and is tracking west-northwestward at 14 knots.

Tropical Depression Etau is located approximately 166 nm west-southwest of Iwo To, and is tracking northward at 11 knots.

Tropical Storm Jimena is located about 615 mi...990 km NE of Honolulu Hawaii and about 560 mi...900 km NE of Hilo Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...50 mph...85 km/h. Present movement...NW or 315 degrees at 9 mph...15 km/h.

Hurricane Linda is located about 440 mi...705 km SSW of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds...85 mph...140 km/h. Present movement...NW or 315 degrees at 14 mph...22 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Bangladesh - As the flood situation continued to deteriorate in different parts of the country, it has brought misery to northern districts leaving a million people marooned and damaging crops, houses and other infrastructure. Many of the flood victims have taken shelter on the nearby primary schools and flood control embankment and were passing their days miserably with their belongings including domestic animals and poultry birds for want of food and drinking water and fodder.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

India - The death toll in the recent floods in Gujarat, India has risen to at least 81 people with thousands of pilgrims being airlifted from the Uttarakhand region. Choppers airlifted nearly 8,500 people from the Hindu shrine of Badrinath and the Sikh pilgrimage Hemkund Sahib, located in Chamoli district.

Bangladesh - At least 23 people have died in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that lashed southeastern Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people were marooned on higher ground as flood waters submerged areas around Cox's Bazar and the hilly district of Bandarban.

Philippines - At least 25,000 persons in 15 villages of Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao province have been displaced by floods, which in some areas were as bad as neck deep, officials said. Mayor Ramdatu Angas said the local government has declared a state of calamity in the entire town as flood water from the Ala River has been rising due to the torrential rain in the mountains of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Cyclone Mahasen - After Effects

Cyclone Mahasen has spared Bangladesh from the worst extent of deaths and damage although it left 48 killed in its wake. This time there was early warning and most of the deaths occurred as victims ignored do's and don'ts issued by local authorities. More than 49,000 thatched houses were destroyed.

Indonesia - Monsoon set to break over Andamans under 'Mahasen' effect. The onset of the rains is expected to be normal this year, with raging cyclone Mahasen having played a big role facilitating it. The cyclone has churned up the seas and is trailed by strong band of southwesterly flows from South of the Equator.

Kathmandu - Cyclone Mahasen brings rain in Himalayas. It seems the Mahasen Cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has had a slight affect in the weather pattern of the Kathmandu Valley as the temperature has remained below normal for the past few days.

Avalanche on Mount Saipal, Nepal

At least seven people are reported to be missing in an avalanche in the Mount Saipal region of far-western Nepal. The avalanche hit a yarsagumba collectors group of nine people on Mt Saipal. Two people survived and reported the tragedy to locals at Kanda VDC.

Landslide in the Democratic Republic Congo

At least 47 people are missing following a landslide in in Rubaya in North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). A rescue team has been working in the landslide zone but no survivors or bodies have been found.

Guangdong Hit as Deadly Floods Sweep Southern China - Update.

Flooding and landslides across nine southern Chinese provinces have killed more than 50 people and left 14 missing.

Guangdong was hardest hit, reporting 36 deaths after days of heavy rain. Six people have died in Jiangxi.

And further bad weather is forecast for Guangdong, with warnings of heavy wind and rain causing more flooding in the next few days.

Teams of relief workers have been sent to oversee the recovery efforts in the hardest hit areas, officials said.

Heavy rainstorms in Guangdong reportedly caused widespread flooding in the province's mountainous areas and affected nine cities including the provincial capital, Guangzhou.

Nearly 900,000 people had been affected across the state, with floods destroying 2,675 houses.

Storms and Floods

Tropical cyclone Mahasen

Bangladesh rides out the weakened storm. Cyclone Mahasen weakened Thursday afternoon into a tropical storm and then dissipated, causing far less damage than had been feared as it passed over Bangladesh and spared Burma almost entirely. Category 1 Mahasen struck the southern coast of Bangladesh on Thursday, lashing remote fishing villages with heavy rain and fierce winds that flattened mud and straw huts, killing 12 people. Cyclone-induced rains have had much of the Bangladesh capital city knee-deep in water since Thursday morning.

Tropical storm Alvin was located about about 770 mi [1240 km] SW of Manzanillo, Mexico. Alvin is in a hostile environment. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, but Alvin could degenerate into a trough of low pressure at any time.

Severe Storms in China

Big storms in China have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of houses. 12 people are missing. At least nine provinces have had storms and some flooding and landslides since Tuesday. Guangdong province has been hit the hardest with 19 deaths and 11 missing people. Guangdong's weather service said some areas received more than 8 inches (21 centimetres) of rain in nine hours on Thursday. It forecasts more rain in the coming days and warns of mudslides.

Storms and Floods

Hail and Tornadoes in Texas, USA

Six people are confirmed dead and as many as 100 injured as grape-fruit sized hail and tornadoes hit. One tornado ripped through a picturesque lakeside North Texas town, resulting in multiple fatalities and destroying or damaging homes. The death toll could climb higher as at least fourteen people are unaccounted for. Three tornadoes have been reported to have struck. The twisters damaged areas 5km east of Granbury that have about 110 homes. Another tornado hit the small town of Millsap, about 80km west of Fort Worth. Roof damage was reported to several houses and a barn was destroyed, but no injuries were reported. Hail as large as grapefruit also pelted the area around Mineral Wells.

Tropical cyclone Mahasen

Mahasen hit Bangladesh's southern coast, killing at least five. Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Myanmar [Burma] were ordered Wednesday to move to safety as the cyclone barrelled towards low-lying coastal areas. A U.N. agency is warning that more than 4 million people could be in danger. Cyclone Mahasen buffeted Bangladesh's low-lying coast on Thursday, bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, as tens of thousands of people huddled in shelters. Winds of up to 100 kph (60 mph) lashed the coast and whipped up waves, with an expected 2.1 metres (seven foot) storm surge and heavy rain likely to cause widespread flooding.

Tropical storm Alvin forms about 700 mi (1125 km) S of Manzanillo, Mexico. Alvin is the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific season and is expected to become a hurricane by Friday.

Severe Storms in England

Up to 3 inches of snow fell in Princetown in Dartmoor, Devon, Rhayader in Powys, and Newcastle-on-Clun in Shropshire – while Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, had 3 inches of rain in the 24 hours. The southern coast was hit hardest last night with police in Devon and Cornwall reporting slates coming off roofs and trees blocking roads, as rain lashed across much of the country. In Devon and Cornwall hundreds of homes were left without electricity. Residents were also bracing themselves for floods – with 14 separate alerts in place across the two counties.

Mudslide in Wrexham, Wales

Heavy rain has caused flooding and a mudslide in Wrexham. About 3ft (90cm) of mud was swept down a hillside road at Minera. There were 13 flood alerts in place across Wales today.

Deadly Landslide in Fujian, China

A landslide in Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province has claimed the lives of three people, including two children. Torrential rainfall caused the landslide at the Qianpu Flea Market in Xiamen early today.

Storms and Floods

Sri Lanka Floods

Heavy torrential rains over the past few days have left 90,000 people affected by floods in Sri Lanka's Western province around the capital Colombo, but there was no cyclone threat, authorities said.

Bangladesh

Cyclone injures 100 people in B'baria. A devastating cyclone damaged more than hundreds of houses and injured more than 100 people in the district Wednesday while lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least four people.

Other News:

Heavy sandstorm in Al Qasseem, Saudi Arabia has turned day into night. The sandstorm reduced visibility and brought traffic to a standstill.

A state of disaster is declared due to flooding in 19 counties in Michigan, USA.

Cyclonic storms with lightning and rains have claimed the lives of at least seven people in Tripura, India. At least 20 people were injured by lightning strikes.

At least three people died when a house collapsed due to heavy rain in Hunan Province, China.

Storms and Floods

NewsBytes:

Heavy rainfalls have caused flash floods in Singapore.

Avalanche on Mount Shirouma in Japan over the weekend claimed three lives. A fourth person has also been recovered from Mt Fuji in Japan. Two other climbers are still reported to be missing in the avalanche in Nagano prefecture.

"Nor’wester" claims five lives including two children in Tangail, Sirajganj and Gaibandha area of Bangladesh. Severe local storms during the pre-monsoon season in March, April and May in Bangladesh is called "Nor'wester" locally.

Disease

Nipah Virus in Bangladesh

24 cases of Nipah virus infection have been reported in Bangladesh since the beginning of 2013, of which 21 cases have died.

Nipah virus is an emerging zoonotic infection which causes encephalitis and respiratory illness in people.

Bird Flu Found in German Turkeys

Germany has reported new cases of a low pathogenic bird flu virus at two turkey farms in the northwestern part of the country, the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) said on Monday.

German authorities reported to the OIE that 10 infected turkeys were found last week in Badbergen, Lower Saxony, leading to the culling of 7,920 animals.

Storms and Floods

Tornado in Bangladesh

A tornado has claimed 20 lives in Bangladesh, injuring more than 500 others.

The tornado overturned a bus, damaged houses and buildings and uprooted trees and destroyed crops. Affected areas are Sadar, Bijoynagar and Akhaura Upazilas of Brahmanbaria districts.

Heavy snow and rainfall in England

The Met Office has issued amber warning for heavy rain in south-west England and snow in Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are currently 12 flood warnings in the South West of England.

A woman is said to be trapped in a landslide in Looe, Cornwall.

Other News:

Sandstorms have shut four Seaports in Egypt. The Egypt Meteorological Authority (EMA) recorded wind speed at 35 km/hr.

Nine districts of Tak, Thailand have been declared as drought disaster zones.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.7 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

6.4 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.8 Earthquake hits the north Pacific Ocean.

5.5 Earthquake hits the India-Bangladesh border.

5.2 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits Fiji.

Global Warming

Bangladesh: After the floods Comes the Hunger

With the effects of global warming becoming more evident, once welcome floods in Bangladesh now bring hardship and hunger.

Life on the floodplains in Bangladesh can be a perilous existence. On islands along the Brahmaputra river, in Gaibandha province, unseasonable flooding has destroyed crops, spreading hunger and poor nutrition. Changing rainfall patterns are making the floods more violent, more frequent and less predictable.

 

After the floods, all that is left is mud. Attempts to re-sow crops are unlikely to be successful as the growing season has passed.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Patty has formed in the Atlantic east of the Bahamas, but forecasters expect the storm to be short-lived.

A violent tropical storm pounded coastal districts in southeast Bangladesh Thursday, killing at least 26 people. More than 1,500 fishermen who were fishing in the deep sea are still missing. At least 1500 mud, tin and straw-built houses were also levelled in the storms, leaving more than 100 000 people in need of aid.

 

 

Floods

Death toll in the Bangladesh floods rises to over 100, with more than 250 000 people stranded by the rising waters.