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

Major Sandstorm Headed to the United Arab Emirates

A major sandstorm is expected to hit the UAE this weekend. The storm is expected to create a visibility of less than 500 meters.

The sandstorm was expected to erupt in Iraq and travel through Kuwait to hit the UAE on Friday, gripping the country for two days. Wind speeds of 25-35 knots are expected. In Saudi Arabia, too, a government met centre warned that the kingdom would be hit by extreme climatic conditions over the coming three days. On an average, the UAE faces between 8 and 10 severe sandstorms each year. In many cases these sandstorms can last for several hours or sometimes even the whole day, bring traffic to a standstill, forcing places of work and school to close and significantly increasing the number of hospitalizations.

Tropical Cyclone Twenty-one was located approximately 200 nm south-southwest of Diego Garcia in the South Indian Ocean.

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.

Environment

Commuters have been struggling though sandstorms which have swept through northwestern China. Lanzhou City in Gansu Province and Yinchuan City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region were among those affected.