Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Oman - Severe weather in Oman has claimed the lives of at least three people. Two people due to flooding rivers in Al-Muthabi and Al-Rustaq. Another person died of a lightning strike in Al-Muthaibi. Torrential rain has lashed Oman for the past three days.

USA - A slow-moving storm continued to dump drenching rain over portions of the South on Wednesday, leading to dangerous and life-threatening flooding across the region. Evacuations were underway in Louisiana, where the governor declared a state of emergency and authorized the state's National Guard to assist with rescues from heavy flooding. Thousands of people were without power, several school systems closed and dozens of roads were blocked off Wednesday in Texas and Louisiana due to the storm.

England - Severe flooding has caused widespread disruption across parts of central England, with rail passengers stranded and many schools shut. British Transport Police formed human barriers in front of the main concourse at London Euston after trains between Rugby and Milton Keynes were cancelled. Passengers were warned people could be killed as some had fallen from earlier trains on Wednesday. A total of 46 flood warnings are in place across England and Wales.

Kenya - Flash floods floods in Kapsoya in Eldoret in Kenya have wreaked havoc on local residents, driving many from heir homes trying to avoid being swept away by the floodwaters.

Angola - At least 24 people, many of them children dies with dozens more missing after a flash flood swept through a market in the southern city of Lubango. The Capitao river was swollen with more than 24 hours of torrential rains.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical cyclone 11p (Winston), located approximately 474 nm south-southwest of Suva, Fiji, is tracking east-southeastward at 13 knots.

Tropical cyclone 12p (Tatiana), located approximately 386 nm east-northeast of Brisbane, Australia, is tracking south-southwestward at 17 knots.

Tropical cyclone 13s (Uriah), located approximately 295 nm west-southwest of Cocos Island, Australia, is tracking west-southwestward at 11 knots.

NewsBytes:

UK - The Thames River burst its banks yesterday as heavy rain hit the UK, and there are 16 flood alerts put in place on the river by the Environment Agency. Parts of the UK are set to plummet to temperatures as low as -15C over the next few days, with some expecting considerable amounts of snow and flooding. Britain is set for up to four inches of snow over a freezing Valentine's Day weekend, as cold showers are set to hit both the north and south of the country. The Met Office has issued yellow warning for snow and ice in the north of England and Scotland, and said that are a lot colder than normal for the time of year. Severe weather warnings have also been issued for large parts of northern Scotland warning drivers to take care in potentially hazardous conditions and to expect travel disruption.

Kenya - Three people died in Kajiado County on Friday night after flash floods wreaked havoc in the region. In the first incident, a man and his wife who were travelling in their personal car were swept away by flood waters at Kisaju area. Rescuers are still working to recover the body of the man. In a second incident, a Swedish tourist was swept away by raging flood waters at Kandisi area in Ongata Rongai. His body was recovered Saturday morning. Several rivers in Kajiado County have burst their banks following heavy rainfall in the region. Several goats and sheep were swept away by the flash floods ; houses and flower farms were also destroyed by the flooding. The heavy rains have also affected other parts of the country with Nairobi City, parts of central Kenya and the South Rift being most affected.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical cyclone 06p (Ula), is located approximately 317 nm west of Suva, Fiji, and is tracking southwestward at 06 knots.

Tropical Storm Pali is located about 1380 mi...2225 km SW of Honolulu Hawaii and about 660 mi...1060 km SSW of Johnston Island with maximum sustained winds...60 mph...95 km/h. Present movement...WNW or 300 degrees at 5 mph...7 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Albania - Two days of heavy rain in Albania has caused flash floods, river overflow and landslides in several parts of the country, including the counties of Tirana, Durrës, Lezhë, Shkodër and Dibër.

Kenya - Update - 3 Months of Flooding Leaves 112 Dead and Over 100,000 Displaced.

Disease

Malaria in Kenya

Kerio Valley town, Marakwet East constituency has once more recorded a high number of malaria infections, with hospitals complaining about overcrowding due to the outbreak.

More than 100 people have undergone laboratory tests with results indicating that they had been infected with malaria.

There are not enough medical personnel and drugs to address the outbreak of the disease. The local hospital only has a total of 27 beds.(sic) Local officials have asked the Government to speedily assist with the outbreak.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Britain - Heavy rain brought more flooding and road disruptions to Lancashire at the weekend. The Met Office has issued a yellow alert because downpours are expected to return tomorrow.

Cyprus - Cyprus was hit by heavy rain on Saturday causing floods in the Larnaca district and in the lower regions of Troodos. No fatalities were reported, although numerous people had to be rescued by the emergency services.

Kenya - Floods have left a trail of damage in various regions. Two people have drowned in Migori County as floods continue to wreak havoc. Numerous homes were flooded, leaving more than 300 hundred families displaced.

Disease

Cholera outbreak threatens huge refugee camp - Kenya

Kenya's cholera epidemic has reached the world's largest refugee camp and doctors worry the outbreak could spread even further.

Seven people have died in Dadaab, in northern Kenya near the border with Somalia, since the outbreak was declared in November, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said in a statement.

In the last three weeks, more than 300 patients have been admitted to treatment centers, and 30 percent of those patients were children under 12, according to MSF.

Lack of proper sanitation and education of the population are among the main challenges in halting infections. The are are not enough pit latrines in the camp for the size of its population, and people often allow their children play in the mud or in flood water.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Storm Sandra is located about 115 mi...180 km SSE of Cabo San Lucas Mexico with maximum sustained winds...40 mph...65 km/h. Present movement...N or 360 degrees at 2 mph...4 km/h.

Tropical cyclone (tc) 04p (Tuni), located approximately 157 nm west of Pago Pago, American Samoa and is tracking east-southeastward at 11 knots.

NewsBytes:

USA - At least three people have died in fast-moving floodwaters in Texas as freezing rain and flooding pummelled the state and other parts of the central U.S. on Friday, with forecasters warning that the chilling weather would worsen over the holiday weekend. Forecasters issued flash-flood watches and warnings from northern Texas up to St. Louis, with up to 4 inches of rain reported in some places as the storm slowly moved to the northeast. Freezing rain and strong winds have been blamed for several fatal accidents in Kansas and Texas since Thursday.

Kenya - At least 4,040 families in Tana River county have been displaced by floods after River Tana burst its banks and flooded their homes. No casualties have been reported. Some victims said they have lost household property, food and livestock.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Typhoon 27w (In-Fa), located approximately 233 nm northeast of Yap, is tracking west-northwestward at 17 knots.

Tropical Storm Rick is located about 485 mi...780 km SSW of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds...40 mph...65 km/h. Present movement...WNW or 285 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.

Tropical cyclone 03s (Three), located approximately 214 nm south-southwest of Diego Garcia, is tracking westward at 06 knots.

NewsBytes:

Kenya - More than 2,500 families have been displaced by floods in Tana River county after the River Tana overflowed. This brings to 10,000 the number of people affected by floods in the county.

Kenya - Floodwaters wreaked havoc in Narok town, blocking the Nairobi-Narok highway and many streets for most of Wednesday. At least 10 people have died in Narok South due to floods since the rains began this month.

El Niño Peaks at Record Level in Pacific

The intensity of El Niño peaked at a record level during the second week of November, leaving scientists wondering how much warmer the tropical Pacific could become during the current outbreak.

Analysis by the U.S. agency NOAA revealed a stretch between South America and Indonesia reaching a weekly average temperature of 3.0 degrees Celsius (5.4 F) above normal — a record.

Despite the peak, the current El Niño has yet to wield the same impacts of previous outbreaks in 1982-83 and 1997-98.

The ability to predict the effects of El Niño on worldwide weather patterns has greatly improved in recent years, but the warming is still likely to inflict considerable damage and even fatalities, according to the U.N.

“This event is playing out in uncharted territory. Our planet has altered dramatically because of climate change, the general trend towards a warmer global ocean, the loss of Arctic sea ice and of over a million square kilometer of summer snow cover in the northern hemisphere,” said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

He told a news conference that the naturally occurring El Niño and current manmade global warming may interact and modify each other in ways never before observed.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Invest 99E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Kenya - Over 700 families in Mulot, Narok County are counting losses following heavy rains that pounded the area causing massive landslides and destroying crops in their farms. Over 1,900 households have also been displaced and over 1,800 livestock lost.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Cyclone Chapala (tc) 04a, located approximately 90 nm west of Mukalla, Yemen, is tracking northwestward at 03 knots.

Invest 98E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Spain - Severe flooding in Spain has claimed the lives at least four people. Four elderly residents died near the Sio River, which burst its banks and inundated a retirement home in the town of Agramunt.

Saudi Arabia - A heavy flash flood has claimed the lives of at least six people in Saudi Arabia as meteorologists predicted eight years of rain in just two days over the Arabian Sea associated with tropical cyclone Chapala.

Kenya - Three residents of the Talek area, near the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok county, Kenya, died on Monday after being swept away by floods.

Disease

Cholera – Kenya

Twenty people have been infected with cholera in Nakuru and Baringo counties, Nakuru public health official Samuel King'ori has said.

He said the new cases have been reported in Rongai and Mogotio constituencies.

Mysterious disease threatens snake populations across the United States

A new disease in snakes has been quietly spreading across the U.S. The disease known as Snake Fungal Disease (SFD) is believed to be caused by a fungus called Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola and so far has been found in 15 states in the eastern half of the U.S. The disease has been discovered as far west as Minnesota, but biologists suspect that SFD is more widespread in the U.S. than is currently documented.

A strange skin disease affecting snakes have been known to wildlife biologists since the mid-2000s, but “over the past few years, the number of snakes with the disease appears to be increasing,” says Jeffrey Lorch, a microbiologist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Centre in Madison, Wisconsin, who recently developed a rapid molecular test for the fungus. The disease affects different species of snakes differently; however, snakes with SFD commonly have crusty-looking scales, scabs, nodules under the skin, or experience premature moulting. Some may also have nodules in deeper tissues and swelling of the face.

The disease was first documented in 2006 in New Hampshire, where there was a 50% decline in a population of timber rattlesnakes due to the disease.

Storms and Floods

Flooding in USA

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in North Dakota forcing evacuations of 1,300 people. The flooding has closed state Highway 18 at Neche and near Cavalier.

Heavy rains also caused flooding in Washington County, Virginia.

Tornado in Ontario, Canada

Environment Canada has confirmed that an EF2 tornado touched down in Glenarm, 12 km west of Fenelon Falls. The EF2 tornado had wind speeds between 180 and 200 km/hour.

Floods Wreak Havoc in Kenya

Raging floods in Kenya as a result of heavy rains pounding most parts of the country have left a trail of destruction death and displacement in their wake.

The Kenyan government and aid agencies are currently grappling with the challenge of providing relief support for thousands of families displaced by the floods which are not showing any signs of easing.

Over 200 people have been confirmed killed by the raging floods with Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central and North Eastern emerging as the most affected provinces.

Several major roads have been closed or rendered impassable due to collapsing bridges and the general wear caused by the floods.

The Kenya Meteorological Department predicted last week that the heavy rains would continue for the next two to three weeks and called on families in flood prone areas to move to higher grounds.

Disease

Novel Coronavirus - Saudi Arabia

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has reached Tunisia, killing one man and infecting two of his relatives, while Saudi Arabia has reported another death and three new cases.

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert has expressed concern that guest workers in the Middle East could carry the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to India and the Philippines.

Wild poliovirus in the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing an outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). A four-month-old girl near Dadaab, Kenya, developed symptoms of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) on 30 April 2013. Two healthy contacts of the child tested positive for WPV1. They are the first laboratory confirmed cases in Kenya since July 2011. Investigation into this outbreak is ongoing.

In addition, a case of WPV1 in Banadir, Somalia was confirmed on 9 May 2013.

Storms and Floods

Flash Floods - Kenya

Flash floods in Kenya's Migori county have killed at least 10 people. The flash floods washed away bridges on rivers Nyasare and Onyinjo.

Tropical cyclone in Burma

A tropical cyclone is expected to hit Arakan State in west Burma.

The Cyclone is expected to make landfall on Tuesday night and is predicted to affect Bangladesh, India and Burma.

Other News:

An EF0 tornado touched down in the area of Washington Street in Stoughton, Massachusetts, USA. There were no reports of injuries.

Fredericksburg, Texas was struck by exceptionally large hailstones yesterday.

Storms and Floods

Landslide in Yiyang, China

Landslide in Zhaojiatang village, in Heshan district, Yiyang city in Hunan Province in China has claimedthe lives of two people.

Avalanche at Everest base camp

An avalanche above the second base camp of Mount Everest has killed one climber at an altitude of 7 000 meters.

Other News:

Flash floods in Mombasa, Kenya cut water supply to residents.

Heavy rainfall caused a 25-metre high landslide which damaged several cars near the Bukit Nanas monorail station in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Malaysia.

Storms and Floods

Landslide in Kiambu County, Kenya

A landslide in Kenya's Kiambu county has killed three girls. The landslide occurred after heavy rainfall and has also blocked access to Kijabe Mission Hospital in Kiambu district.

Flash flooding in Houston, Texas, USA

Recent floods in Houston, TX has caused huge power outages. Several roads are closed in Harris County and Fort Bent County.

Other USA News:

An emergency declaration for flooding in North Dakota has been approved by President Obama.

A disaster has been declared for Kansas following a recent snowstorm.

Storms and Floods

Flooding in Balkh, Afghanistan

Flooding in Balkh, Afghanistan has claimed the lives of thirteen people including two children.

The flooding occurred in the Sholgara and Kashandi districts in northern Balkh province in Afghanistan. The floods also washed away two schools and a clinic.

Flooding in Quezon city, Philippines

At least 300 families have been evacuated due to flooding in Quezon city, Philippines.

Floodwater also submerged more than 200 houses. Rescue teams are working in the Peacock Street area.

Other News:

Severe thunderstorm in south-east Queensland has injured one person.

Over 10000 families affected by floods in Murang'a county, Kenya.

Pre-monsoon rains are expected to lash India's drought-struck western parts over the next two to three days, bringing succour to thousands of farmers.

Storms and Floods

Landslide in Western Kenya

Landslide in Olutrot village in Narok county destroyed several houses and buried two children.

Floods have also displaced about 1,920 people in Garissa after the Tana river burst its banks.

Flash flooding in southeast Iowa, USA

Heavy rainfall has caused flash flooding in southeast Iowa. Flash flood warnings have been issued to affected areas.

Tornado in Qixing, China

Tornado in the Qixing district of China has injured at least six people. The tornado also damaged twenty-two houses.

Hailstorms in Odisha, India

Hailstorms in Balasore area of Odisha have injured at least three people. Electricity and telecommunication facilities have also been disrupted.

Storms and Floods

Storms in Thailand

More than 150 houses, rice barns and mills, and animal farms in Surin were destroyed after a tropical storm hit this northeastern province Tuesday evening.

Tropical waves wreaked havoc on Thai coastal villages. The fierce tropical storm in the Gulf of Thailand stranded more than 70 fishing boats in this seaboard province ashore due to huge waves, about four metres high.

Other News:

An avalanche in Dalvík, a village in Iceland has injured one skier.

Floods damage 6000 hectares of crops in Extremadura, Spain.

Floods continue across Kenya. 8 people reported to have died in recent floods in the North Rift.

The US National Weather Service has confirmed that at least 21 tornadoes tore across 6 states over the southern U.S. last Wednesday and Thursday. Of the 21 tornadoes 9 were in Alabama, 4 in Missouri, 4 in Arkansas, 2 in Georgia, 1 in Mississippi, and 1 in Louisiana.

Storms and Floods

Floods in Argentina - Update

Flash flooding has affected at least 350,000 people. The government in Argentina has declared three days of national mourning after flash floods killed 54 people. One of the heaviest storms ever recorded moved through the province hitting both the capital, Buenos Aires, and the city of La Plata. At least 48 people were killed in La Plata and six others in Buenos Aires. The provincial governor said La Plata had "never seen anything like it".

More than a quarter of a million people were without power in Buenos Aires by Wednesday. Thousands of cars were carried away by the floodwaters and hundreds of families had to be evacuated from their homes.

The city authorities said it was the heaviest April rainfall in a century.

Landslide in China

A landslide in Tongxin County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in China has claimed the lives of at least five people and injured two others.

The landslide occurred at 9:27 am Thursday morning when villagers were digging in a hill for a kind of fossil used as traditional Chinese medicine.

Other News

Kenya: Passenger train services along the Nairobi-Mombasa railway line have been suspended after a bridge was swept away by raging floods near Mtito-Andei Township. Police and leaders said the flash floods have cut off rail services for the last two days. Heavy rains have been pounding many parts of the East African nation, causing floods and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.