Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Brazil - Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rainfall have claimed the lives of at least 19 people in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A landslide buried 11 people in Francisco de Morato city in Sao Paulo. Four people died in a mudslide in Mairipora with at least eight people having gone missing in the area. Similarly, two people drowned in floodwaters in Guarulhos and another two in Cajamar. The seevere weather also interrupted flights for six hours at the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.

Pakistan - Four children and a woman died after a roof caved in due to heavy rains in Sheerani district in Balochistan. Three people died in Mastung and Loralai districts. One person died due to lightning strike in Dalbandin district. The Meteorological office has forecast more rain across Balochistan over the weekend.

Louisiana, USA - Flooding in Monroe, Louisiana has claimed life of a 7-year-old child and flooded more than 1,000 homes. Over 23 inches of rain had fallen near Monroe, Louisiana, through Friday morning. Several evacuation shelters have been opened. The Ouachita River has risen to 39.5 feet prompting a flood warning at Monroe from Friday afternoon until further notice.

Disease

Dengue Fever in Sudan

According to the Sudanese Ministry of Health, a total of 523 suspected dengue fever cases, including 104 deaths, were reported in Sudan between 29 August (when the outbreak started) and 18 December.

In Darfur, 473 suspected cases-including 99 deaths-were reported in 27 localities. In Kordofan, 44 suspected cases-including four deaths-were reported in the eight localities of Abyei, Keilak, Babanousa (West Kordofan), Reif Ashargi, Kadugli, Habila, Lagawa (South Kordofan) and Shiekan (North Kordofan). In Kassala state, six suspected cases-including one death-were reported in the state capital Kassala town.

More Dengue Fever Cases In Penang, Malaysia

A total of 146 cases of dengue fever were reported in Penang between Dec 27 and Jan 2, up by 24 cases or 19.7 per cent from the previous week.

Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said there was an increase of 2,589 cases or 85.6 per cent last year from the 3,141 cases in 2014.

Pakistan - Water Borne Diseases

Four more children died in Civil Hospital Mithi on Tuesday, after an outbreak of water borne diseases which has claimed the lives of at least 16 children in the last six days.

More than one hundred ailing children, meanwhile, have been admitted to different hospitals in the drought-hit Thar district.

Parents of children brought in to Civil Hospital Mithi told Dawn.com that health personnel were responding with indifference to their children's plight.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits San Juan, Argentina.

5.0 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 Earthquake hits the Mid-Indian ridge.

5.3 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.2 Earthquake hits El Salvador.

5.2 Earthquake hits off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Mid-Indian ridge.

Record-Breaking 408 Earthquakes Hit Bay Area City

A whopping 408 earthquakes have hit San Ramon, California, in the past two weeks, including 11 in one 24-hour stretch.

This record-breaking earthquake swarm is nothing to fear, however, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Periods of tectonic unrest are common in the area and probably don't presage a larger quake, the USGS said.

Most of the quakes affecting this Bay Area city are tiny. The one that kicked off the swarm at 8:50 a.m. Pacific Time on Oct. 13 was a mere magnitude 0.8. People don't usually feel earthquakes until they reach a magnitude of 2.5; quakes between magnitude 2.5 and 5.4 can be felt but rarely cause much damage.

The quakes are hitting on the north end of the Pleasanton Fault in the Calaveras Fault zone, according to the USGS. Swarms of small earthquakes are common in this fault system. In fact, in 1990, a swarm of 351 earthquakes struck over a 42-day period. The largest quake in that swarm was a magnitude 4.2, a level unlikely to cause serious damage.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Storm Olaf is located about 1290 mi...2080 km ENE of Hilo Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...45 mph...75 km/h. Present movement...ENE or 65 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - A snowstorm in Babusar, Pakistan has claimed the lifone of a person. At least 70 tourists have been evacuated from Naran valley. The earliest snowfall in 40 years has dumped three feet of snow on one town in less than 24 hours. The snowfall has also damaged the power lines and some small bridges.

Louisiana, USA - Parts of Louisiana were under water early Monday as severe thunderstorms moved into the Gulf Coast area after drenching Texas over the weekend.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 Earthquake hits the Prince Edward Islands.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Bouvet Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Depression Nora is located about 450 mi...725 km se of Hilo Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...W or 280 degrees at 6 mph...9 km/h.

Tropical Storm Koppu is located approximately 757 nm south-southeast of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan and is tracking westward at 11 knots.

Tropical Storm Champi is located approximately 614 nm east of Saipan, and is tracking west-northwestward at 20 knots.

Invest 96E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - A landslide in Pakistan's Gulsitan-e-Jauhar area in Karachi has claimed the lives of at least 13 people including seven children on Tuesday. The landslide buried three shanties built on mud and sand.

Romania - Authorities say more than 20 people have been rescued after flash floods swept through a town in eastern Romania, submerging cars and flooding a railway embankment. Authorities said Tuesday that 23 cars were flooded in Corbu, a small town on the Black Sea coast, late Monday.

El Niño

El Niño is expected to be more beast than "little boy" this year — a forecast about the weather pattern that becomes clear in newly released maps of the waters around the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Post Tropical Storm Hilda is located about 275 mi...440 km S of Hilo Hawaii and about 400 mi...645 km SSE of Honolulu Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...30 mph...45 km/h. Present movement...WSW or 250 degrees at 14 mph...22 km/h.

Tropical Storm 15w (Molave), located approximately 873 nm east of Misawa, Japan, and is tracking east-northeastward at 22 knots.

Tropical Depression 16w (Sixteen), located approximately 297 nm east-southeast of Andersen AFB, is tracking westward at 05 knots.

Tropical Depression 17w (Seventeen), located approximately 326 nm southwest of Wake Island, is tracking northward at 05 knots.

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

NewsBytes:

Britain - Brighton has been hit by flooding following heavy rain today, hitting the city's station and shops. Floods did temporarily disrupt trains elsewhere in Sussex, with services halted between Eastbourne and London, along with services between Lewes and Wivelsfield. Kent was also affected by the flooding.

Myanmar - Myanmar was evacuating parts of Hakha on Wednesday after mudslides wiped away hundreds of houses and torrential rain threatened further damage in the worst floods to hit the country in decades. The government in Hakha, the capital of impoverished Chin state in northwest Myanmar, was moving nearly 4,000 people to safety after landslides caused by rains destroyed 375 houses. At least 103 people have been killed and more than one million "critically affected" by the flooding, according to the government. Five out of six townships in Hakha, population 50,000, had been hit by landslides and another 900 houses were in danger of being damaged. Myanmar has halted all rice exports.

Pakistan — Update - The floods across Pakistan have over the past month left at least 202 people dead and injured 157 others affecting nearly 1.5 million people.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.3 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.3 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.2 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Kuril islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Liaoning, China.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Storm Guillermo is located about 485 mi...780 km E of Hilo Hawaii and about 680 mi...1095 km ESE of Honolulu Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...70 mph...110 km/h. Present movement...NW or 325 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.

Super Typhoon 13w (Soudelor), located approximately 750 nm southeast of Kadena AB, is tracking west-northwestward at 13 knots.

Tropical Depression 14w (Fourteen), located approximately 240 nm south of Yokosuka, Japan, is tracking west-northwestward at 06 knots.

Tropical Cyclone (tc) 01p (onO), located approximately 443 nm north-northeast of Port Vila, Vanuatu, is tracking southwestward at 04 knots.

Invest 95L remains an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic that has the potential for tropical development.

Invest 92E remains an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan Update - The death toll from flash floods triggered by seasonal monsoon rains in various parts of Pakistan has risen to 118 and floodwater has inundated vast areas, leaving tens of thousands homeless, authorities said Monday. The National Disaster Management Authority said the flooding has affected more than 800,000 people in 2,275 villages. About 2,900 houses have collapsed or are partially damaged.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Depression Eight-E is located about 1525 mi...2450 km WSW of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...W or 270 degrees at 13 mph...20 km/h.

Invest 91E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development.

Invest 94L is an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic that has the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan Update - The nationwide death toll from this month's flash floods in various parts of Pakistan rose to 81 on Tuesday as floodwater inundated hundreds of villages, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. The floods have affected 300,000 people in the two weeks since deluges hit the northern city of Chitral and the eastern Punjab province.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical Depression Halola is located 19 nm northeast of Sasebo, Japan and is tracking north-northeastward at 11 knots.

Invest 90E is an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific that has the potential for tropical development

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - At least 30 people have been killed in Chitral since Sunday, when flash floods hit the region, affecting some 300,000 people. There has been extensive damage to roads and crops.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 Earthquake hits offshore Tarapaca, Chile.

5.4 Earthquake hits Java, Indonesia.

5.3 Earthquake hits central Peru.

5.1 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Atacama, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Typhoon Halola is located about 234 nm east-southeast of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan and is tracking west-northwestward at 08 knots.

Tropical depression 12w (twelve), located approximately 255 nm northeast of Manila, Philippines, is tracking east-southeastward at 03 knots.

Tropical Depression Felicia is located about 495 mi...795 km WSW of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...NW or 310 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - Torrential rain and landslides in Azad Kashmir have killed at least nine people, emergency officials said on Thursday. This year's monsoon floods in Pakistan have claimed lives of at least 22 and washed away more than 200 buildings.

Central Asia - Floods across Central Asia over this past week are highlighting the perils of failing to adopt robust water-management measures and put adequate early-warning systems in place. Tajikistan has been the worst hit, with abnormally high temperatures causing rapid snow and glacier melts. The country is 93 percent covered by high mountains, making it particularly vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and at least a dozen people killed.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Typhoon Halola is located about 609 nm east-southeast of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan and is tracking west-northwestward at 11 knots.

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

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - At least three people have died in flash floods in Chitral, Pakistan prompting the local authority to declare flood emergency in the area. About 285,000 people have been displaced by the storms and flooding.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Bougainville Region, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical storm 09w (Chan-Hom), located approximately 450 nm southeast of Kadena AB, is tracking northwestward at 11 knots.

Tropical storm 10w (Linfa), located approximately 251 nm southwest of Taipei, Taiwan, is tracking northward at 03 knots.

Tropical storm 11w (Nangka), located approximately 238 nm east of Saipan, is tracking westward at 08 knots.

Invest 96E strengthens to become Tropical Depression Four-E located about 925 mi E of Hilo Hawaii and about 1120 mi E of Honolulu Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...NW or 315 degrees at 17 mph...28 km/h.

Invest 91C remains an area of disturbed weather in the East Pacific which have the potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have claimed the lives of at least eight people in different areas of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. At least 16 people have been rescued after floodwaters swept them away. Terrified residents were seen sitting on roofs as floodwaters surged through the streets in Rawalpindi.

Scotland - Cars were submerged in water and shops were forced to close in Aberdeen yesterday after heavy rain. The flooding has caused problems on the roads all across the city and flooded the airport terminal.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.7 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.6 Earthquake hits the Macquarie Islands.

5.4 Earthquake hits Pakistan.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Scotia Sea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Flores Sea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Invest 90C in the central Pacific is an area of disturbed weather with potential for tropical development.

NewsBytes:

Pakistan - Flash floods in a mountainous district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan have claimed the lives of at least 10 people. A madrassa and several buildings were also destroyed.

Environment

Deadly Heatwave in Pakistan - Update

The death toll from the ongoing heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has passed 700, as mortuaries reached capacity. At least 744 people died in Karachi and 38 in other areas. Officials have been criticised for not doing enough to tackle the crisis.

On Tuesday as temperatures reached 45C (113F), Pakistan's PM called for emergency measures and the army was deploying to help set up heat stroke centres. There is anger among local residents at the authorities because power cuts have restricted the use of air-conditioning units and fans. Matters have been made worse by the widespread abstention from water during daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadan. 612 people had died in the main government-run hospitals in the city of Karachi during the past four days. Another 80 are reported to have died in private hospitals.

Thousands of people are being treated in the Sindh province, and some of them are in serious condition. Many of the victims are elderly people from low-income families. Hot weather is not unusual during summer months in Pakistan, but prolonged power cuts seem to have made matters worse. Sporadic angry protests have taken place in parts of Karachi, with some people blaming the government and Karachi's main power utility, K-Electric, for failing to avoid deaths.

The body's normal core temperature is 37-38C. If it heats up to 39-40C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down and fatigue sets in. At 40-41C heat exhaustion is likely - and above 41C the body starts to shut down. Chemical processes start to be affected, the cells inside the body deteriorate and there is a risk of multiple organ failure. The body cannot even sweat at this point because blood flow to the skin stops, making it feel cold and clammy. Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and if not treated immediately, chances of survival can be slim.