Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Durban, South Africa - Heavy rains and floods have been reported around Durban after extreme rainfall on Friday night. In one incident, a man (49) died after he was crushed by a retaining wall that collapsed at his house in Westville. The heavy downpour also flooded the lower level of the Pavilion Shopping Centre.
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.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone 11p (Winston), located approximately 90 nm west-northwest of Suva, Fiji, is tracking westward at 16 knots.
Tropical cyclone 13s (Uriah), located approximately 1080 nm south-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking south-southeastward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Fiji - Tropical Cyclone Winston has made landfall on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. The storm, which is the most powerful ever to hit the island nation, was tracked moving through the narrow waterway ocean in between the country's main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. The capital city, Suva, is without electricity. Tropical Cyclone Winston was packing winds of 180 mph with gusts over 220 mph -- the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane -- according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre. It is the strongest storm on record to make a direct hit on the main islands, which are home to a majority of Fiji's 900,000 people and are smaller than Connecticut.
South Africa - Harding - Three more people have died in lightning strikes in KwaZulu-Natal, bringing to 10 the number of people killed in one week, the provincial co-operative governance and traditional affairs department said on Saturday.
Texas, USA - Volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue are picking up their search efforts for two children lost during a major flood along the Blanco River.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Georgia, USA - A tornado touched down at an Army post in southeast Georgia at about 4:55 p.m Wednesday evening, Fort Stewart emergency officials confirmed. The storm damaged numerous houses, displacing forty to fifty people.
South Africa - Heavy rainfall accompanied with hail claimed the life of an elderly woman and damaged houses in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The hailstorm caused damage in Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff on Wednesday night.
Lassa Fever – Nigeria - Update
The National IHR Focal Point of Nigeria has notified WHO of different outbreaks of Lassa fever occurring in the country.
Between August 2015 and 23 January 2016, 159 suspected cases of Lassa fever, including 82 deaths, were reported across 19 states. Investigations are ongoing and a retrospective review of cases is currently being performed; therefore, these figures are subject to change.
Zika virus infection – Dominican Republic
On 23 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Dominican Republic notified PAHO/WHO of 10 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus infection.
Typhoid in South Africa - Update
The small outbreak of typhoid fever that was reported in Gauging has now spread to the Western Cape. Three cases of typhoid fever have been reported in the Western Cape, the provincial health department said on Thursday.
Typhoid in Johannesburg, South Africa
The Gauteng Health Department has confirmed four cases of typhoid fever in Johannesburg, which has claimed the life of one person.
Two cases were identified at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, while the other two were picked up at Edenvale Hospital. A 27-year-old Malawian woman died last week Sunday. It’s understood she had travelled to her home country for the holiday period last month - and returned to South Africa through Mozambique.
Meningitis Outbreak in Ghana
Two people have died after being infected with Pneumococcal Meningitis in the Offinso Municipality of the Ashanti region.
A week after the disease killed nine people in the Brong Ahafo region, five others died in Bole in the Northern region.
About 22 people have been confirmed dead out of the 57 reported cases since the beginning of the outbreak of the disease in the Northern and Brong Ahafo Regions.
Wildfires - Australia
A baby kangaroo is on the slow road to recovery after surviving a ferocious bushfire in Western Australia.
Wildfires - South Africa
A deadly blaze aboard a train sparked a wildfire in Cape Town Thursday, as strong winds and high temperatures also sent flames ripping through vineyards in South Africa's prime winelands.
A body was found in one of two burnt-out carriages on the commuter train after it made an emergency stop near Fish Hoek village on Cape Town's southern peninsula, police said.
Water-bombing helicopters and fire crews were battling to prevent the blaze reaching nearby houses.
Helicopters were also in action in the Cape's scenic winelands, where fires have raged in the Simonsberg area since Tuesday.
Several farms have lost part of their grape crops, just as the harvesting season gets under way.
Wildfires - South Africa
A fire in the Elgin area in the Western Cape has swept over more than 3,000 hectares of vegetation. Several structures have also been destroyed. The fire broke out on Saturday and has yet to be brought under control.
Wildfires - Australia
A fast-moving bushfire poses a possible risk to lives and homes in Western Australia’s South West.
A watch and act alert has been issued in the Shire of Boddington in Taree Forest Block as more than 50 firefighters work to contain the out of control blaze. People in an area bounded by Siding Road, Hotham River, Pinjarra-Williams Road, George Road and Pindalup Road have been advised to leave or prepare to actively defend their homes.
The fire, sparked by lightning, was reported at 10.30am on Sunday.
Smoke pall from more than 50 Tasmanian fires
Residents in parts of northern and western Tasmania have been warned of the dangers of smoke from dozens of bushfires.
More than 50 fires, sparked by lightning last week, are burning across the region, with most not threatening communities, the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) said on Sunday.
People with respiratory ailments should stay indoors with doors and windows closed, the TFS said.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone 06p (Ula), is located approximately 249 nm east-southeast of Noumea, New Caledonia, and is tracking southward at 11 knots.
Tropical Storm Pali is located about 660 mi...1060 km SSW of Johnston Island and about 1380 mi...2225 km SW of Honolulu Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...65 mph...100 km/h. Present movement...ENE or 65 degrees at 3 mph...6 km/h.
NewsBytes:
South Africa - At least five people have been injured after hailstorm collapsed a section of the roof at Key West Shopping Centre in Krugersdorp, west of Gauteng, South Africa Saturday afternoon. Hailstones the size of baseballs battered the area.
Microcephaly – Brazil
On 8 December 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil provided PAHO/WHO with an update regarding the unusual increase in the number of cases of microcephaly among newborns in the northeast of Brazil.
As of 5 December, 1,761 suspected cases of microcephaly, including 19 deaths, have been identified. The cases are distributed across 422 municipalities of 14 federal units. Pernambuco and ParaÃba are the most affected states with 804 and 316 cases, respectively. Fatal cases were reported in Rio Grande do Norte (7), Sergipe (4), Bahia (2), Rio de Janeiro (2), Ceará (1), Maranhão (1), ParaÃba (1) and Piauà (1).
Cholera – Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has notified WHO of ongoing outbreaks of cholera across the country. Although the overall trend is decreasing, there are still areas reporting a high number of cases.
Since the beginning of the year, 19,705 cases have been reported in DRC. As of 29 November, the following provinces had reported cases: South Kivu (4,906), ex-Katanga (4,565), Maniema (3,971), North Kivu (3,294) and ex-Oriental (2,969). A high number of cases are still reported in the province of South Kivu where the situation is particularly worrying because of the presence of camps hosting refugees from Burundi. Furthermore, there are concerns that the epidemic in Maniema could spread to other provinces of the country as observed during the 2011 cholera epidemic when areas of Kinshasa were also affected.
Foot-and-mouth outbreak hits Limpopo, South Africa
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in the Limpopo province.
The department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that laboratory tests had confirmed the outbreak and had also identified the virus as the SAT 3 strain. "The outbreak occurred in the Matiane community, in the Thulamela local municipality of the Vhembe District which is within the FMD protection zone of South Africa, where vaccination for FMD is routinely conducted," the department said in a Times Live report.
The areas is reportedly close to the Kruger National Park where infected buffalo were a constant source of the infection. The department speculated that the drought in the area may be causing cattle and buffalo to come into increased contact due to limited grazing and water sources.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
KZN, South Africa - Paramedics treated eleven people who were injured during a storm in Tugela Ferry in central KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night. Medics had to use 4x4 ambulances to cross swollen rivers to get to the injured. Several dwellings in the rural area had collapsed during the heavy rainfall. Some houses had flood damage, while others, including mud houses and formal brick houses, were completely destroyed by the storm.
Oregon, USA - Monday was the wettest calendar day in recorded history in Portland, and the rain is expected to stick around for days. Nearly 2.7 inches of rain was recorded on Monday which tied a record for one day, from 12:01 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. The previous record was set on Nov. 19, 1996. More rain is forecast for Monday night, and the record was expected to be broken.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
India - The heaviest rainfall in over a century caused massive flooding across Tamil Nadu, driving thousands from their homes, shutting auto factories and paralysing the airport in capital Chennai. The national weather office predicted three more days of torrential downpours in the southern state of nearly 70 million people. No deaths were reported and the extent of damage would only become clear when the floodwaters recede. Air and rail traffic has ground to a halt.
South Africa - A heat wave has claimed the lives of two people in a shopping mall in Cape Town. Two people died in Khayelitsha Shopping Mall as the mercury reached 34°C.
Wildfires - South Africa
Billows of thick smoke covered large swathes of sky from Simon’s Town to Atlantis in the Cape Province as fire and rescue teams battled at least 60 vegetation fires on Thursday. Fire and rescue said the city council’s fire teams responded to 60 vegetation fires, adding that approximately 240 firefighters were out from the 30 various stations.
In Simon’s Town, a vegetation fire that started on Wednesday had come down the Simon’s Town side of the mountain and destroyed some properties, with a number of residents forced to evacuate their homes. Thirteen structures were affected damaged or destroyed.
Wildfires - Indonesia
Russian Beriev Be-200 Amphibious aircraft were fighting wildfires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday. The forest fires have been creeping closer to Gunung Leuser National Park that is home to many exotic animals, such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, orangutangs, rhinos, and black gibbons. The planes were leased from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) on October 21 following an official request by the government in Jakarta.
Worst Drought On Record For Parts of South Africa
South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province is currently suffering from its most parching drought in over a century.
The country’s weather agency says the prolonged dry spell is due to a worsening El Niño, and follows the driest period since at least 1900.
It was also the third-driest season for South Africa as a whole since the country was in the midst of the Great Depression during the early 1930s.
Starving cattle have become traffic hazards around Durban, where motorists are dodging livestock that have resorted to grazing next to roadways. The automobile association says that what little rain has fallen simply flowed off the pavement to create narrow corridors of fresh vegetation that attract the animals.
Wildfires - Oklahoma, USA
Several grass fires were raging all over Oklahoma on Wednesday as wind gusts up to 50-60 mph swirled across the plains, making it tough for crews to stop the flames
Wildfires, South Africa
Severe heat wave and drought conditions in Guateng province led to several unseasonal wildfires, including a fire that burned several thousand acres in the Cradle of Humankind.
In the Free State province three motorists died when their vehicle was engulfed in a wildfire near Vredefort while near Thabazimbi, a game lodge was destroyed.
South Africa drought — Two more provinces declaring as disaster areas
Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa will be declared drought disaster areas this week or next, risk management in the department of agriculture said on Wednesday.
South Africa is facing its worst drought since 1982, with more than 2.7 million households facing water shortages across the country.
The government has already allocated $26m to KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to mitigate the impact of the drought. Desperation for water has turned violent in Jozini. Community members rampaged, barricading roads with burning tyres and boulders and stoning motorists on Wednesday morning.
The South African Weather Service has forecast that an El Nino weather system will bring drought conditions in coming months.
The maize-growing Free State and North West provinces have already been designated disaster areas for agriculture.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm Olaf is located about 1030 mi...1660 km ENE of Honolulu Hawaii and about 890 mi...1435 km ENE of Hilo Hawaii with maximum sustained winds...70 mph...110 km/h. Present movement...NE or 40 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.
NewsBytes:
South Africa - A lightning storm in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa has claimed the lives of two women.
Middle East - Stormy weather in Israel has claimed the life of one person and left thousands without power. A 20-year old worker died in Pardes Hanna when a wall collapsed at a construction site because of the strong winds. The Airport Authority briefly closed Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv due to the weather conditions. Similarly, severe weather in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria has claimed the lives of six people, including two children.
Texas, USA - Heavy rains fuelled by the meeting of two storm systems, one the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, pounded southeastern Texas, triggering flash floods in Houston.
Wildfires - Limpopo, South Africa
Limpopo wildfires have flattened 70 000 hectares of land, killing domestic and wild animals and destroying a number of properties, including two guest lodges, Working on Fire said on Sunday.
Many animals, both domestic and wild, have been killed in the fires that broke out late on Friday across towns in the Waterberg district, including in Mokopane, Modimolle, Mookgophong, Thabazimbi and Vaalwater.
Three residences, two guest lodges, one farmhouse and three vehicles were destroyed.
At first firefighters were battling about 20 blazes, but by Saturday morning this had been reduced to 10. The cause of two of the fires – lightning – had been established.
Disease Outbreak in Cape Town Prison - South Africa
Nearly 5,000 Pollsmoor Prison inmates are being moved to other prisons in the Western Cape following an outbreak of a highly infectious disease that has killed two prisoners.
The inmates died two weeks ago from a disease carried by rodents. It's believed a rat infestation at the facility is to blame for the outbreak.
Earlier this month, Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron released a damning report about what he called inhumane conditions at the prison.
The Department of Correctional Services' Simphiwe Xako said, “We are to contain the outbreak of leptospirosis and we are moving the offenders to various facilities around the province.” The evacuation is expected to take six to eight weeks.
Diphtheria - South Africa
The outbreak of diphtheria in KwaZulu-Natal, which has claimed the lives of four people, appears to be under control, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). i5 cases of diphtheria were identified by public health services in KZN, the majority of which are children under the age of 15.
