Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical storm 17w (Atsani), located approximately 316 nm north of Ujelang, is tracking west-northwestward at 02 knots.

Tropical storm 16w (Goni), located approximately 64 nm east of Rota, is tracking northwestward at 12 knots

Invest 94E remmains an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Britain - Flood warnings have been issued for parts of Staffordshire and Lancashire as heavy rain continues to cause disruption across swaths of the UK.

Niger - At least four people have died and more than 20,000 have been affected by floods in Niger caused by weeks of heavy rain.

Disease

Meningitis in Niger - Update

The meningococcal disease outbreak in the Africa Meningitis Belt country of Niger has peaked, according to officials at the World Health Organization. To date, 8,234 people have contracted the serious bacterial disease with 545, or 6.6% of those infected losing their lives.

According to a Reuters report today, the spread of the disease peaked in the week to May 10, when there were 2,189 cases and 132 deaths. In the last week of the month there were 264 cases and 8 deaths.

Niger sits in what is called the “meningitis belt” that stretches across sub-Saharan Africa. PATH, the global health international nonprofit organization says about 450 million people are living in the “meningitis belt” are at risk of contracting meningococcus type A, the strain most commonly found in the region.

Storms and Storms

Tropical Storm Kristy is expected to create life-threatening surf and rip currents off the coast of southern Baja California and southwest Mexico over the next few days.

Floods could wipe out most of Niger's main rice harvest this year as rain-swollen rivers rose to 50-year highs across West Africa, spreading devastation. At least 81 people have been killed in Niger since annual rains caused flooding along the banks of the Niger River, raising its waters to their highest levels since the 1920s.

Super typhoon Sanba is headed for Okinawa and South Korea. The tropical cyclone is currently classed as a super typhoon. The previous super typhoon Bolaven caused widespread damage and fatalities across Japan and the Koreas earlier this year. Sanba is expected to approach Okinawa late Saturday or early Sunday local time before trudging on toward South Korea, according to projections from regional weather agencies. It is forecast to gradually weaken as it moves north.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storm Isaac enters the Caribbean and heads for the Dominican Republic. Haiti issues hurricane warning.

Typhoon Igme hits Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain.

Thousands of people have been displaced by flash floods in Niger.

Fresh floods have hit the Black Sea region in southern Russia where 171 people died in floods last month. 4 people have been reported dead.

 

Plague

Good rains and the resultant growth of vegetation in the Sahara have led to an increase in locust populations. Farmers in Niger and Mali are at high risk from large locust swarms that are moving southward from Algeria and Libya. The ravenous insects can decimate the food crops of entire communities.

Drought

Severe drought affects large area across Senegal, Niger, Chad and Mali. Children close to the edge of malnutrition wail for food. Aid agencies have not declared an emergency as the level of malnutrition is only 14%, one percentage point below the threshold.

Drought

Famine and drought in Niger affect more than 300 000 children who are receiving treatment for severe malnutrition.