Heavy Rain, Floods, Hail, Lightning, Landslides, High Winds

Events from 2007
Events from 2005

2006 -

12/31 -
TEXAS - Storms caused by the same weather system that was bringing another blizzard to Colorado pounded much of Texas on Friday as high winds, lightning and flash floods left a trail of damaged property, splintered trees and downed power lines across the eastern half of the state. Hardest hit appeared to be Limestone County, where one man was killed near Groesbeck when a tornado touched down. Between 25 and 50 buildings across Limestone County could be destroyed. "Many houses completely imploded." "This was a very, very powerful upper-level system. It was affecting weather all the way from Houston all the way to Denver." The storms were caused by a cold front interacting with a strong low-pressure system. That, coupled with plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, produced an ideal recipe for severe weather. "It was a huge upper-level low." "Plus, the brunt of the storm is still yet to hit our areas."

GAZA, PALESTINE - The Gaza Strip, home to 1.2 million Palestinians, has faced an UNPRECEDENTED RAINFALL this week that has resulting in flooding in many places. With all major bridges having been obliterated by the Israeli bombing of infrastructure this summer, the floods have literally cut off the nothern half of the Gaza Strip from the South. Completely surrounded by Israeli military forces and electrified fences, the residents of Gaza have no other route by which to bypass the flood. Gaza residents had been using makeshift dirt roads through the canyon and the (normally) shallow river that runs from east to west across the middle of the Strip. But the rains have rendered those tracks impassable. Waters have been steadily rising in central Gaza since the winter rains, heavier than usual, began several days ago.

BRITAIN - A young woman has been killed after storms wreaked havoc across Britain on Friday night. The 18-year-old woman was inside a mobile home in Cheadle, Staffordshire, when a 60ft high tree crashed on to its roof. The gale force conditions have also delayed the investigation into a helicopter crash in Morecambe Bay. Six men died in the accident at a Centrica gas rig on Wednesday evening and another man is missing presumed dead. Rescuers called off the search for the missing man after forecasters predicted high winds over the next few days. Further stormy weather and 75mph winds are predicted to hit on New Year's Eve.

12/29 -
CONGO - Weeks of flooding and landslides have left thousands of people homeless in Democratic Republic of Congo's Eastern Kasai province. Landslides are common in the region but this year's rainy season has been particularly heavy, with downpours almost every day since November. More than 6000 people have been made homeless following the latest wave of flooding and landslides this week.

SOUTH AFRICA - A heavy storm with hailstones “the size of eggs" pounded the town of Indwe in the Chris Hani district municipality in the Transkei this week, causing damage to property estimated at about R2-million. The storm, which lasted for only five minutes, felled telephone poles and street lights, smashed window panes, and damaged vehicles. Two houses in the town had their roofs blown away and about 700 others had all their window panes broken. “The extremely heavy downpour, accompanied by strong winds gusting at about 120km/h hit the area at about 2.05pm on Tuesday with hailstones the size of eggs." Such a storm had never happened in the area before. “This is VERY UNUSUAL – it was a FREAK."

12/28 -
FLORIDA - Tornadoes are RARE during a Florida winter. Even rarer are Florida tornadoes as powerful as those that hit both coasts Monday. Blame it on the El Nino dominating this winter's weather. During an El Nino, when water in the Pacific Ocean warms a few degrees above normal, winds shift high in the atmosphere and winter storms can bring rain, powerful thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes to Florida. The twisters that hit in Pasco, DeLand and Daytona Beach were potent tornadoes seldom seen in Florida. Winds topped 120 mph, the third most powerful category on a six-level scale that measures tornadoes. Most Florida tornadoes are small twisters that hit and run quickly during summer thunderstorms, their winds rarely topping 75 mph.

12/27 -
MALAYSIA's floods crisis worsened today with more downpours that forced five relief centres to reopen in southern Johor state. Nearly 63,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. The death toll from the worst floods in decades stands at eight. Electricity authorities shut down power to Kota Tinggi, one of the worst-affected districts in Johor, as floodwaters rose from 30cm to 60cm last night. Major roads in the state remain closed. Crocodiles were menacing flood victims and stealing chickens from backyard coops, and pythons and cobras had also been spotted in abandoned houses.

INDONESIA - Torrential rains caused mudslides and floods in Indonesia's Aceh and North Sumatra provinces on Monday, killing at least 87 people as tens of thousands of others fled for higher ground. Rescue crews reaching remote villages fear mass graves of villagers buried under dirt, following a week of torrential rains in the region. Aerial views showed families trapped on the roofs of their homes and many houses were completely submerged in flood-ravaged parts of Sumatra.
A landslide Sunday night hit the remote highland sub-district of Muara Sipongi in North Sumatra province, which was struck by an earthquake a week ago. 27 of those who had escaped the deadly earthquake but returned to their homes were killed, and six remained missing when the landslide buried dozens of houses on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. "We have to stop evacuation efforts because it rained very hard in the area. It is still raining now." Residents had visited their homes after last week's quake despite warnings that it was still dangerous. The landslide was triggered by floods that over the past week have killed at least 70 other people and displaced around 300,000 in Aceh and neighbouring North Sumatra. Four people were killed and hundreds of homes damaged when the earthquake hit Muara Sipongi on December 18. The quake damaged 860 homes.

12/26 -
INDONESIA - A big rescue operation is under way in Indonesia to help survivors of flash floods in northern Sumatra. At least 80 people have died following heavy rains in recent days and hundreds more are still missing. In the worst-affected districts of Aceh and North Sumatra, whole villages have been inundated, with residents left stranded on higher ground. More than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes across northern Sumatra. Tens of thousands are now living in government shelters. Rain has now stopped falling over the affected regions.

MALAYSIA - THE WORST FLOODS IN 37 YEARS have displaced nearly 100,000 people amid food shortages, looting and criticism of the government's handling of the crisis. Malaysian weathermen warned the floods, which hit the southern states, could spread to the central and northeastern parts of the country if the UNUSUALLY heavy monsoon rains persisted. The floods, which followed this week's HEAVIEST RAINFALL IN A CENTURY, submerged buildings and cut off roads.

FLORIDA - A string of twisters swept through Florida on Christmas Day, leaving behind a path of damage and destruction. A tornado west of Lake City touched down shortly after eight am, cutting about a 500-yard wide path for about seven miles in a north-northeast direction. So far there's only one report of a minor injury, but 3-5 million in damages. A separate twister with winds as high as 120 miles an hour flipped over 50 planes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. The winds even tore the wings right off some of the planes. Gusts also tossed campers around and destroyed homes in DeLand, in West Volusia County. Near Tampa, more than two dozen homes are damaged and at least one is a complete loss from yet another tornado touchdown. Several people were hospitalized with minor injuries across the counties. (photos)

12/22 -
AUSTRALIA - about 1000 homes and other property were damaged in a FREAK hailstorm that lashed the northern New South Wales city of Armidale. A state of emergency has been declared for the city following the storm that hammered its eastern quarter for about 20 minutes yesterday afternoon. The storm left a trail of destruction in its wake, with homes unroofed, windows smashed, cars damaged, trees stripped of foliage and glass from broken windows strewn about the streets. The sheer weight of the hail collapsed the roof of a large agricultural exhibition centre.
SWEDEN - The recent torrential rain in southwestern Sweden almost caused a large loss of life on Wednesday night after a stretch of one of the country’s major roads collapsed , taking cars and trucks with it. It happened on one of Sweden’s busiest highways Wednesday night at around 7 o’clock, when a newly built stretch, around 400 metres long, collapsed. Dozens of cars and trucks fell in a pile of mud and rocks. A rescue worker at the scene said that it was a miracle that noone was killed. Police say that more than 30 people were injured. The collapse was caused by the recent downpours in the area. The road is next to the Taske River and thousands of Telia sonera telephone subscribers were cut off as fibre optic cables flew into the river. It’s expected to be some time before the road can be open again with the 15,000 vehicles that use the road diverted 50 to 60 kilometres along smaller roads. The landslide also hit a nearby railway line and a 300 metre section of track fell into the Taske river just minutes after a train had passed the spot.
PHILIPPINES - Bacolod and Talisay cities were placed under states of calamity Wednesday after flooding caused 2,167 families to evacuate, destroyed 112 houses, and damaged 3,356 others when heavy rains that poured after midnight were exacerbated by high tide. In Bacolod City, residents in several barangays were rescued from rising waters, flooded streets caused many cars to stall and in Barangay Mandalagan, where water was estimated to be as high as 5 feet at one point, a house floated down a road hitting a vehicle stuck in the water. The heavy rains were brought on by tropical depression Tomas and lasted for about three hours from midnight to past 3 a.m. It was not just a massive drainage problem that caused the flooding. "It was an UNUSUAL weather condition exacerbated by high tide and environmental changes."
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - Heavy rain swamped New Orleans' streets Thursday, backing up traffic as pumping stations struggled to keep up. Pumping stations, closely watched since the catastrophic flooding after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, were working, officials said. But the rain lasted so long, they couldn't keep up. The same storm that dumped snow across the West brought about 6.6 inches of rain to the New Orleans area through midday Thursday. The community of Larose, about 60 miles south of New Orleans, got an estimated 10 to 12 inches of rain. (photo)
FOG -
12/22 -
BRITAIN - Thick fog caused the cancellation of flights at London's Heathrow Airport for a fourth successive day Friday, forcing thousands of frustrated passengers to scrap or delay their Christmas travel plans. Hundreds of flights have been canceled since the fog rolled in Tuesday, affecting an estimated 40,000 people. About 160,000 people transit through Heathrow on a typical day, but nearly 200,000 are expected to travel through the airport Friday. At Heathrow the fog was expected to continue through the weekend, causing more potential delays for passengers making connecting flights. Visibility on Thursday had reached a low of 115 meters (377 feet), well below the 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) generally considered disruptive for flights. Heathrow - built on flat, grassy land and surrounded by reservoirs and canals - is particularly vulnerable to fog. Long, cool nights and calm winds have led forecasters to warn that the fog could linger into the weekend. The awful airline delays are the result of severe weather conditions. Since that is not the airline’s fault, they cannot be held liable for most of the problems that follow. But whether any of their procedures to deal with extraordinary events have exacerbated travellers’ misery is another question. The duration of the heavy fog is certainly UNUSUAL.
WIND -
12/22 -
CANADA - About 25,000 homes and businesses on B.C.'s South Coast lost power in the wake of another windstorm that blew through the area overnight and early Thursday morning. Gusts of up to 90 km/h did the most damage on Vancouver Island. Much of the South Coast, including Greater Vancouver, was spared the worst of the storm. "That low pressure area that was approaching the coast overnight moved northward. It's actually moved well up near the Queen Charlotte Islands now. The strongest winds are up there, and over north Vancouver Island." Meanwhile, there's more to come. While the immediate forecast in southwestern B.C. is for sunshine, a series of storms are lined up in the Pacific.
12/21 -
MALAYSIA - More than 21,000 people have been evacuated in Malaysia's southern Johor state after continuous rains, causing what officials say are the WORST FLOODS IN YEARS & THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IN A CENTURY. Officials said Wednesday the situation remained critical. Heavy rain since Sunday caused rivers to overflow into villages and towns and much of the state has been brought to a standstill. “We always prepare ourselves to face the worst scenario during the monsoon season, but this year it is really bad, the worst in my experience.” A total of 126 villages with 4767 families were affected by the northeastern monsoon rains, which had inundated villages, highways and residential areas in eight of Johor's nine districts.
The flood havoc seen in Johor and other states is the result of a new weather phenomenon. And while people in Johor can look forward to improving conditions by tomorrow, those in Pahang, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and the Klang Valley should remain on the lookout, possibly up to Sunday. The heavy rainfall was brought by strong winds from the South China Sea and the western part of the Pacific Ocean, the after-effect of Typhoon Utor which hit the Philippines recently. “This is certainly not your traditional monsoon rains. This is a new phenomenon.” The station at Senai recorded 623mm of rainfall since December 1.
IRELAND - A senior Council Engineer has warned that the flooding problem is escalating in Mayo and could potentially result in the closure of the county’s main arteries. Stating that the level of rainfall in recent weeks was ABNORMAL by any standards, he cautioned that the county is now in a “touch and go situation”. Should the bad weather continue, “there is a chance that high tides could hit Westport and Ballina." The level of rainfall in the first two weeks of December was far greater than the entire month of December 2005 and , if severe weather conditions continue, the county could be virtually marooned.
RUSSIA - Four Russian geologists were killed in a massive rock slide in the Russian Far East and one body trapped under rubble and ice had not yet been recovered. The workers died in a region near the Chinese border when several tonnes of rock slid down. Three bodies were pulled out, but the body of the fourth worker remained under the rubble. "The rescuers can see his legs sticking out from under the rubble. But he is frozen solid with ice," as the local temperature had dipped to -20C.
12/20 -
SINGAPORE - Singapore on Tuesday was hit by the THIRD HIGHEST RAINFALL RECORDED IN 75 YEARS. Although heavy rainfall is expected during this period, Tuesday's rainfall was exceptionally high. The 24-hour rainfall recorded was 366 mm. This amount of rainfall recorded in one day exceeds even the average amount of 284 mm recorded for the whole month of December in previous years. The highest amount of rainfall recorded over 24 hours in Singapore was 512 mm, in 1978. The second highest rainfall recorded was 467 mm, in 1969.
TEXAS - last week three weather ingredients started to merge. As expected, a cold front dipped into North Texas on Monday, bringing cool air near the surface. Topping that is a layer of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. A third ingredient - an upper-level disturbance from Arizona and New Mexico - is topping the other two layers with cold air aloft. This UNUSUAL CONFLUENCE of three systems will trigger widespread showers and thunderstorms through today.

FLORIDA - A downpour on the 14th deluged Palm Beach with 7.63 inches of rain. It was DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS RAINFALL RECORD of 3.75 inches in 1955.
WIND-
MONTANA - Montana's WIND RECORD was blown away last week. A wind gauge on Snowslip Mountain, just east of the Continental Divide along Highway 2, clocked a gust of 164 mph Wednesday, the 13th. That's akin to a hurricane. A category 5 storm carries sustained winds of more than 155 mph. And it blew away the old state record of 143 mph set in 2002.
WASHINGTON, OREGON - Floods, landslides, winds, downed trees - the storm on the 14th was one for the record books. It was fierce and fatal: Evergreens snapped like twigs. Roadways turned into rivers. Four people died and a million and a half others were left in the cold and dark. Forecasters saw it coming, even predicted aspects of it days in advance, yet some byproducts of it were so surreal - flash floods and sinkholes, landslides and gale-force gusts - that no Doppler radar or wind gauge or statistic on a TV screen could ever fully explain it. After a wild, wind-driven tempest blasted in off the Pacific to pummel Puget Sound overnight Thursday, about 1.5 million homes and businesses in the region remained without power. Locals called it ONE OF THE WORST STORMS IN MEMORY, politicians declared it a disaster and meteorologists confirmed it was a blast for the record books. "This (kind of storm) is generally considered one in every 10 years." Winds gusted to a RECORD 69 mph about 1 a.m. at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, breaking the old mark of 65 mph set in 1993. Winds were clocked at 90 mph near Westport on the coast, while in the mountains, Chinook Pass clocked winds of 113 mph.
More than two inches of rain- 2.17 inches - was recorded at the National Weather Service office in Seattle. That BROKE THE RECORD of about an inch-and-a-quarter (1.24 inches) set on December 14th in 2002.
CANADA - Wind gusts at Race Rocks, off the Island's southwest tip, reached a RECORD 158 kilometres an hour as the third intense wind storm in a week plowed a trail of destruction through southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland on the 15th. Friday morning's storm knocked out power to thousands of residents, toppled trees, and damaged buildings and cars. In the last three storms the wind has gathered over the North Pacific, whooshed across the ocean, gathered speed in the funnel of Juan de Fuca Strait and then whacked Vancouver Island with its full force. "There are tremendous wind speeds and three in one week is UNUSUAL." The wind is coming straight across the cold North Pacific and hitting land, rather than taking the more common route of dipping south and picking up tropical moisture. The storms are cutting a swath straight across Vancouver Island instead of the more usual pattern of tracking to the north coast around Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlottes. "The fact we got three blasts in a row is pretty annoying and UNUSUAL."
12/19 -
SOUTH AFRICA - The pilot of a light aircraft was killed when he flew into a block of flats in Yeoville, central Johannesburg, during a storm on Monday night. Lightning struck, there was a sound of low rumbling and the aircraft flew into the ground floor of the building, said two men who watched in horror from an outside corridor on the second floor of the block. Most of the wreckage was inside the basement parking garage, with a wing and part of the aircraft body sticking out. Residents were asleep in the building when the plane crashed into it. The pilot, who was believed to be the only person in the plane, was killed on impact. Nobody on the ground was injured although the occupants of a flat which was hit were shaken. Police suspect the heavy storm caused the crash.
AZORES - A small tornado hit the village of Lagoa on the Atlantic island of Sao Miguel, Azores on Monday, causing damage to several buildings. No injuries were reported. "The damage is quite extensive, the roof of a factory was blown off, the windows of schools were broken and many houses and cars were seriously damaged. There was severe weather instability which caused extremely strong winds.This is a RARE PHENOMENON." Poor weather was forecast for the rest of Monday and this morning. The Azores islands lie about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) off Portugal.
BAHRAIN - FREAK rains lashed Bahrain Sunday bringing the country to a virtual standstill over 48 hours. A total of 113.6mm of rain have fallen since the beginning of the month until noon Sunday and met-men predict more of the same until Wednesday. Many Bahraini families were trapped in their flooded homes. Hundreds of homes have flooded all across the country. Saturday and Sunday were unstable - with heavy rains all around the country and wind speeds of 35 knots. "Those winds have caused a sharp drop in Bahrain's temperature from 22.5C to 10 degrees. Near record rainfall has been recorded this month, with the highest being 96.2mm in December 1974. This month's average is 13.9mm."
FIJI - The Weather Bureau is predicting more heavy rain and storms today following an overnight deluge that caused flash flooding in the central division. A report on property damage was being compiled.
WIND -
12/19 -
AUSTRALIA - Wind gusts recorded during the violent storms that swept through the northern end of the Sunshine Coast on Saturday were equivalent to the destructive gales of a category three cyclone, according to weather experts. A storm cell which passed over Double Island Point recorded gusts just a whisker below 200km/h. The sky was so black it was like midnight. Cyclone Tracy, which levelled Darwin 30 years ago, packed winds of up to 250km/h, while Cyclone Larry devastated Innisfail in March with gusts of up to 290km/h. “We’ve had fewer thunderstorms this season with less humidity around, but boy, it sure came together on Saturday."
12/18 -
AUSTRALIA - Fruit and vegetable crops have been wiped out in wild storms that lashed south-east Queensland at the weekend. Small crop growers in the Cooroy district and areas near Childers were assessing millions of dollars worth of the damage to their farms after severe hail storms struck on Saturday. Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 200km/h brought down trees and power lines, damaged buildings and ripped roofs from homes. Initial reports indicated that mango, lychee, pineapple, avocado, pumpkin, ginger, passionfruit and stonefruit crops were among those affected by the hail and wind. Golf ball-sized hailstones caused "incredible destruction" not only to crops, but to infrastructure such as sheds, farm equipment, netting and sprinkler systems. "This is a considerable setback as lychee trees, to take one example, take four years to mature enough to fruit again."
QATAR - there are all indications that Qatar has received its HIGHEST-EVER RAINFALL during the current season. Long time residents told the newspaper that they had never witnessed such a heavy rain in Qatar during the last four decades. The season's RECORD RAIN rain has virtually thrown the life out-of-gear in the Industrial area. With the minimum temperature dipping to a RECORD 10 degree Celsius and rain continuing to lash across the area, workers at several camps fell sick. The roads leading to many labour camps have gone under water. Many streets are still lying under water, making vehicular traffic extremely difficult.
NEW ZEALAND - Two South African families who immigrated to New Zealand lost three of their children in a freak landslide as they played in a river at a popular picnic spot, it was reported on Sunday. The parents watched helplessly on Friday evening as two children were hit by tonnes of rock in the Pohangina River, near Palmerston North. "The kids were not actually buried under all the gravel. It seemed like it was more like a shockwave; it must have come down very close to the kids. Maybe [the shockwave threw] them away, the pressure of the air ... A lot of stuff came down, so it might have been a few rocks hitting here and there."
U.S. WEST COAST - After weeks of relentless, record rain, hurricane-force winds, floods and heavy mountain snows, scientists are starting to wonder when El Nino will show up and provide a break in the ugly weather that's been pummeling the Pacific Northwest. A week ago, the National Weather Service said that this winter's El Nino was intensifying, and it predicted that it would last longer than expected next spring. So far, however, there's been no sign of the weather phenomenon, which usually brings milder and drier conditions to the Northwest, wetter and cooler ones to the Southwest and warmer and drier winter weather to the nation's northern tier. The nasty weather in the Pacific Northwest has left climate experts hesitant to predict that the worst is over and quietly speculating that some other meteorological force may be at work. "It could be something we haven't picked up on is happening." In the tropics, this year's El Nino was unfolding "according to script" with a warming ocean, a shift in the trade winds and drought in Southeast Asia. But the shift in rainfall patterns hasn't moved east, and the Pacific Ocean off the West Coast of the United States hasn't warmed as expected in a typical El Nino. "There are lots of puzzles when it comes to El Nino. The last six weeks have been exactly opposite of what El Nino looks like."
BIG WAVES -
12/18 -
HAWAII - a RARE winter south swell - The surf should start building sometime last night or early today and may reach advisory levels. Wave faces are expected to be in the 5- to 7-foot range with the possibility of occasional 8-foot sets at the height of the swell. The waves should peak tomorrow afternoon and slowly decrease through Wednesday. But another smaller swell may come in Thursday into the weekend. If the swell arrives as expected, it will mark just the fourth time since 1980 for winter surf on south shores. Similar south swells also have happened in 1993 and 2004. "It's UNUSUAL in December, it's more usual for our early south swells to appear around March or February instead of right in the middle of winter." And mother nature is not leaving out the north and east shores. A northwest swell could come in Tuesday night and strong tradewinds are bringing a wind swell to east shores, prompting a high-surf advisory.
12/17 -
RUSSIA - A cyclone that swept the Leningrad Region overnight on the 14th hit 197 settlements of a total of about 30,000 people. The windstorm damaged 14 electro-transmission lines, halted the work of 268 transformer stations and cut off electricity to 33 boiler rooms. The cyclone caused a flood in St. Petersburg and was moving toward Arkhangelsk. It was the 301st flood in St. Petersburg since the city foundation.
12/15 -
INDONESIA - Landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island killed 17 people today, most of them worshippers in a mosque. Workers were searching for 11 more people missing after the landslides struck two villages in the remote area of western Sumatra. There had been heavy rain in the mountainous area that had left the ground very unstable. The nearest town to the landslides is Solok, about 900km northwest of Jakarta. The rainy season has just started in parts of Indonesia making landslides more likely.
FLORIDA - West Palm Beach received about 6 inches of rain before noon Thursday, breaking a 51-YEAR-OLD RAINFALL RECORD of 3.75 inches for the date, set in 1955. The squally weather is the result of a low-pressure trough combined with flows of moisture from the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, flowing toward Florida. "All those ingredients are coming together to produce this rain. It's a RATHER UNUSUAL wet pattern for this time of year."
12/14 -
SCOTLAND - rain still falling - Severe flood warnings were the order of the day in Scotland yesterday as more than 40 days of gales and rain showed little sign of letting up. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency said that there was “serious danger to life and property” from the rivers Lyon and Tay in Perthshire, and the River Teith at Callander. There were also nine flood warnings and twenty-two flood watches in place elsewhere. Scotland has suffered the WETTEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD, and there is more bad weather to come. Worst hit has been Glasgow, which has endured the HIGHEST LEVELS OF RAINFALL ON RECORD SINCE THE FIRST WORLD WAR. The city recorded 342mm of rain last month, double the expected average, while Scotland was drenched by 244mm of rain, significantly higher than the average 166mm November total. Continuing torrential downpours have already delivered 141.5mm of rain this month, about 91 per cent of the total average for December. “It has rained every day in Scotland for more than 40 days and so far every day in December has brought wet weather. It’s not going to get any better.”
CALIFORNIA - The wet weather caused sewer lines to break and flooded roadways across the Bay Area Tuesday, but it didn't deter people from catching a glimpse of Mother Nature's awesome power: Giant waves. RECORD RAINFALL pounded San Mateo County early Tuesday morning, causing high surf advisories along the coast. The huge waves peaked at 17 feet Tuesday. The city has seen around 12 water main breaks in the past month or so.
12/13 -
U.S. NW - After a brief break Tuesday in the weather across the Pacific Northwest, another powerful storm will blast into the region. The incoming storm will be packing hurricane-strength wind gusts that will spread rain along the coast and heavy snow in the mountains of Washington and Oregon. The wintry weather is hampering search efforts for three climbers on Mt. Hood, Oregon's tallest peak. Conditions on the mountain were deadly, with high winds, heavy snow and hard ice. Strong coastal winds and rain on Monday blasted the Pacific Northwest and northwestern California as the latest storm in the parade of Pacific storms slammed onshore. Winds gusted to 83 mph at Mount Hebo, Ore., and near Westport, Wash., while gusts of 70 to 80 mph brought down multiple utility poles near Clallam Bay, Washington. By tonight local rainfall totals will reach 6 inches, winds near the coast will peak at 60 to 80 mph, high waves will batter the shore and 1 to 3 feet of snow will fall in the Cascades. The train of storms will not end on Thursday as another, more powerful storm targets the region.
SOUTH AFRICA - Three people, including a three-month-old baby, have died and more than 700 have been left homeless after severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. The South African Weather Service said it had been the sixth consecutive weekend it had rained in the province - and the trend is likely to continue.
SWEDEN - One of the WARMEST DECEMBERS SINCE RECORDS STARTED being taken here has meant lots of rain in the south, rather than the usual snow. There’s been severe flooding in southwestern Sweden, with landslides, trains delays and traffic problems as a result. (photo)
12/12 -
CONGO - Thousands of people have been displaced by about a week of heavy flooding in northwestern Congo. About 600 houses have been destroyed in the town of Bumba following a month of heavy rains, leaving about 3,600 people without shelter. Many houses were washed away, while some in low-lying areas were completely inundated. While seasonal flooding is common in the area, this year has been much heavier than normal. "This year the houses are under water, other years it was only the rice fields that were flooded."
SCOTLAND - Almost half of the rainfall expected for the Glasgow area for December fell last night and early today. The downpour put hundreds of homes at risk of flooding and disrupted road and rail travel – and there is more on the way, along with winds of up to 50mph. It was the second successive weekend west Scotland had been lashed by rain. 46mm (almost 2in) of rain fell in the 24 hours. "The Glasgow area normally gets around 107mm (41/4in) for all December, so it means almost half fell during the past 24 hours. That's been a lot of rain. It is going to continue right through to the weekend, with heavy periods of rain and showers. It will also be windy and Wednesday night will be particularly bad. Glasgow can expect gale force winds of 40 to 50mph." The severe weather disrupted train and ferry services yesterday with the entire country – other than Grampian – on flood alert. The torrential rain is a repeat of November's weather, which normally brings 105mm of rain. But last month Glasgow had 300mm (almost 12in) – the HIGHEST FIGURE IN 100 YEARS.
WIND -
12/12 -
CANADA - Strong winds gusting up to 115 km/h have left 190,000 people without power on B.C.'s South Coast on Monday. The force of the storm whipped around branches, uprooted trees and knocked down power lines. A B.C. Hydro spokeswoman said the severity of the storm caught the utility by surprise. "We didn't expect the winds to be as strong."
12/11 -
SCOTLAND - severe weather warnings were issued across Scotland yesterday, with rain and winds of up to 60mph hitting the west coast. Rain in west, central and southern Scotland was UNUSUALLY HEAVY, with about two inches falling in Tyndrum, Stirlingshire, Glasgow and parts of Ayrshire. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency had 15 flood watches in place and it expected the River Lyon in Perthshire to burst its banks last night. The highest winds hit Orkney and other islands, but on the east coast, the weather remained relatively calm. A forecaster at the Met Office in Aberdeen said that WEATHER PATTERNS WERE BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT and more gales and rain were expected later in the week.
KENYA & SOMALIA - ATTACKS BY CROCODILES and snakes, disease from overflowing latrines, and hunger are some of the problems plaguing hundreds of thousands of flood victims in parts of northeast Kenya and Somalia after the heaviest rains there in years. The heavy rains have cut roads linking Dadaab, a three-camp complex for 160,000 Somali refugees who have sought shelter from the conflict and drought in their country, but 100,000 of them have been displaced and have trouble feeding themselves because cooking pots were lost while firewood is scarce. The floods in the south-central area have exacerbated the problem by washing away roads and bridges. Parts of the Garissa-Dadaab road, the only one connecting the remote camp to Nairobi, has been washed away. Marooned villages in the area are reporting little or no food left, no access to clean water, and sanitation problems which have prompted fears of a cholera outbreak. Overall, the WORST FLOODING IN YEARS is threatening up to 1.8 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

12/10 -
SOMALIA, KENYA, ETHIOPIA - New efforts are under way to reach about 100,000 Somali refugees in three camps cut off by flooding in north-eastern Kenya. Hundreds of thousands more people are on the move in southern Somalia, trying to escape severe flooding there. The floods, coming so quickly after a long drought, have combined with years of conflict to make this ONE OF THE WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISES IN THE WORLD. A Red Cross water engineer described the humanitarian situation in Somalia as "horrendous". "When you fly over the region, all you can see is water and the tips of some roofs. In addition to the lack of food and shelter, the terrible smell of rotting debris makes it even more difficult to cope with the floods." Floods have already killed more than 250 people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. (photo)
BRITAIN - there is more stormy weather to come at the start of this week. On the 7th a FREAK tornado ripped into houses while cars were swept away in a swollen river and thousands of homes were left without power. One woman saw the wall of her house "peeled away as if by a can-opener" and another spoke of an "evil black cloud" that snuffed out a previously bright sky. Trees were torn up, roofs ripped off and a double-decker bus was sucked into the air. One said the twister was more terrifying than cyclones she had seen in her native Queensland. "The air was humming and vibrating. It was as if something evil was in the air. There was a feeling of impending doom. Then there was a massive rumble and my windows blew in." A bus was blown into the air - "It was literally lifted off the ground and crashed down again. All the windows were blown out. Bricks were falling down pulverising the road." In north Wales, 60mph winds and high tides caused havoc as the River Dee burst its banks, flooding homes in Llangollen. And in Shrewsbury, Christmas shoppers returned to their cars to find them under water. The car park was flooded after the River Severn burst its banks following hours of torrential rain. A 350ft oil tanker was left stranded and drifting towards cliffs off Seaford, East Sussex, after it broke free from a tug in force 10 gales. A stricken lifeboat crew had to be winched to safety after becoming stranded on the tanker, which they had anchored. The boat then broke free from its mooring again and smashed into cliffs at Seaford Head. In Hampshire, three cars were swept down river as they crossed a ford at Headley, near Basingstoke. Two of the drivers scrambled to safety but one was marooned on the roof of her car. By the time rescuers arrived, the vehicles had been swept 100 metres downstream. More than 2,000 homes in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were left in darkness after 70mph gales ripped electricity pylons from the ground. The freak weather was caused in the morning by a build-up of energy in the air which sparked heavy thunderstorms and gusty winds. It developed just hours after the Daily Express revealed THIS MONTH IS LIKELY TO BE THE STORMIEST DECEMBER IN 50 YEARS. "Our concerns now are the system coming on Sunday night to Monday."
QATAR - this December is all set to create another record for Doha with the HIGHEST RAINFALL IN THE PAST 42 YEARS, following incessant rains on the 7th. The total rainfall received this month till date has been 25mm, which is a record over the past 42 years. The country normally receives an average of 13mm rains in December every year.
CALIFORNIA - The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather advisory Friday warning of high seas and high winds this weekend and possibly through next week. Waves of 15 to 22 feet are predicted, with sustained winds from 17 to 35 mph — “and possible gale force gusts much higher.” Beachgoers were strongly advised to stay away from the water and to avoid standing or climbing on rocks near the shoreline because of the dangerous and unpredictable force of breaking waves. “Rogue waves, or sneaker waves, are larger and more powerful waves that are mixed in with the average-size breaking surf. These powerful sneaker waves can suddenly crash onto people walking on the beach, standing on rocks or even standing on man-made jetties or break walls. These waves have the potential to pull people into the dangerous surf, hold them under the surface of the water or throw them onto nearby rocks. Sneaker waves can be generated by offshore storms or by the combination of two or more smaller waves traveling at the same speed and direction.”
12/8 -
ENGLAND - A small FREAK tornado hit a residential street in north London injuring six people and damaging homes and vehicles. The tornado struck the Kensall Rise area of northwest London and tore roofs off several houses and demolished sections of walls sending tiles, bricks and furniture flying through the streets. Live television showed a trail of destruction with trees uprooted and cars damaged by falling debris. Tornados are VERY RARE in Britain.
About 24 of the homes affected by the tornado which swept through north-west London will have to be demolished, while others remain too dangerous to enter. Up to 150 homes were damaged. "At the moment we are expecting further severe weather so we are not going to send any contractors in to shore up until we are sure the weather is not going to create further mayhem." Initial estimates suggested damage would be in the millions of pounds rather than tens of millions as caused by the tornado which struck an area of Birmingham in 2005. The last tornado which caused significant damage in London was in December 1954. (photos)
MALAYSIA - Strong winds “like a whitish cyclone” hit three housing areas, damaging 163 houses in an afternoon storm at Jelapang. The lashing rains on Wednesday started at about 4.30pm and the strong winds that followed tore off the roofs of their homes. There were no casualties. “It was white, like a smokescreen, outside my gate and it was impossible to see my neighbour’s house. One man said he saw a white form twirling horizontally from the direction of the mountains before retreating back to where it came 10 minutes later. FREAK storms were said to be a natural occurrence in this area. “They happen every year but this is the worst."
U.S. - the last front which slipped through the North Bay on the west coast on its way south and east played all sorts of havoc on its relentless march to the Atlantic seaboard. The front was noteworthy for the amazing variety of very troublesome weather that it brought to widely disparate parts of the country — beginning on Monday the 27th when football fans nationwide were treated to the UNUSUAL spectacle of snow blanketing the field in normally non-snowy Seattle. The cold and snow blasted through the Rockies and into the Plains, where deepening low pressure scooped up large quantities of warm, moist air from the south and threw it back over the frigid air on the backside of the storm which originated in northwestern Canada. Snowfalls in Oklahoma and Missouri set RECORDS FOR BOTH DEPTH AND UNSEASONAL EARLINESS as up to 18 inches of the white stuff were dumped in several locations, preceded by varying amounts of sleet and freezing rain which just added to the misery. Snow and ice extended all the way from Texas to Michigan. Ahead of the front, severe weather outbreaks of thunderstorms and tornadoes brought destruction to Alabama and Mississippi as the cold air clashed violently with unstable warm air to the east. Strong southerly winds forced Gulf air well up the eastern seaboard. The resulting temperatures in the 70s were more than a little disconcerting for someone seeking the cold and snow which should enhance the Christmastime ambiance in that part of the U.S. At the Jersey shore, wind and waves combined for a surreal scene, with the mild air making the scene more reminiscent of a September tropical storm than an early December cold frontal passage. Today the first in a succession of Pacific storms begins to affect the west coast with some moderate rain and wind which may extend into Saturday.
12/7 -
HAITI - at least three dead in Haiti flooding. Heavy rains started falling on November 22 and more than 18,700 people have been affected. The rains have caused severe destruction and bridges have been washed away and roads have been cut off, leaving many communities isolated, and livestock and crops have been lost.
12/6 -
PAKISTAN - Three days of heavy rains and snow have triggered mudslides that have blocked two key roads in Pakistan's earthquake-hit portion of Kashmir, obstructing relief operations. Harsh winter weather threatens to cut off more than 300,000 survivors of last year's earthquake. Meanwhile, diarrhea and pneumonia have killed six children in a village near the regional capital, Muzaffarabad, in the past two days. Most quake survivors have at least temporary shelter, but only a small proportion has been able to rebuild homes since the disaster. This year's early onset of winter has increased concerns for their welfare in the months ahead. Last winter, relatively mild weather and a massive relief effort staved off feared mass casualties among those made homeless by the quake. More rain and snow is expected in the quake zone in the next two days. Elsewhere in Pakistan, at least nine people have died in rain-related deaths in the southern city of Karachi and the northwestern city of Peshawar. The deaths were mostly due to electrocution or the collapse of buildings.
12/5 -
AMERICAN SAMOA - There has been extensive flooding in American Samoa today with around 100 millimetres of rain falling in a two hour period this morning. A trough extends from Tuvalu to Samoa and to the Cook islands to the south. It is almost stationary and the territory has been told to brace for continuous wet weather for the next few days.
INDIA - The 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which connects Kashmir with the rest of the country, was on Monday closed for the traffic after landslides triggered by heavy rains blocked it on Monday afternoon stranding over 100 vehicles.
OHIO - Business and home owners in Findlay were cleaning up from what city officials say was ONE OF THE WORST FLOODS IN RECENT MEMORY. Several main streets were closed over the weekend after the Blanchard River rose about 3.7 feet above flood level on Saturday. It was back below flood level by Sunday night. It was the fifth highest that the river has ever crested.
12/4 -
SCOTLAND - Floodgates in Perth were slammed shut last night as the town was battered by torrential rain and high winds and officials warned that the severe weather posed a “serious danger to life and property.” In Dundee high winds forced the closure of the Tay Road Bridge to all traffic last night. The bridge was closed at 11.10pm after it was lashed by gusts of wind travelling at speeds of up to 88mph. The sudden storms were caused by a deep Atlantic depression. Forecasters said 25 to 50mm of rain could fall over the next few days, with up to 75mm possible in total.
IRELAND - The weekend's torrential rain and high winds caused the death of one man, left 15,000 homes without electricity and up to 15,000 people were affected by flight cancellations and diversions at Dublin airport. A man died after being washed into the sea in Ardglass, County Down, on Saturday night. He was walking along the pier at Ardglass harbour when a high wave struck him and carried him into the sea. Gusts of up to 120km/h toppled trees and disrupted power lines and the effect of the extreme weather was widespread. Crossmolina, County Mayo, was one of the areas most seriously affected by flooding. Homes were evacuated there when the River Deel burst its banks, with damage estimated at €1 million.
MALAYSIA - Is Kelantan ready for the next "Bah Merah" (Red Flood)? This month marks the anniversary of the great deluge which, according to the state flood chronicles, has struck every 40 years since 1926. The second surge was in 1967 and saw about 537,000 or 84 per cent of the state population badly affected. Some 125,000 were evacuated while 38 people drowned. And equally worrying was the prediction by Meteorological Department officials of another big flood to affect the east coast states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang by year’s end. However, it is not known whether the magnitude will be anywhere near the Red Flood or the one in 2004, where 12 people were killed and more than 11,000 displaced. The latter cost more than RM10 million in damage to property, livestock and crops. The authorities have been bracing for the start of the monsoon season which normally starts in November. 540mm of rain was expected to fall in the coming weeks, and it would only take three days of downpours to flood Kelantan. Massive floods are the annual norm in Kelantan during the peak of the monsoon season.
MIDDLE EAST, QATAR - A car stuck in a huge waterlogged area is the last thing one would expect to see in desert-dry Middle East. But that is precisely what has happened over the last couple of days and has dampened the mood at the 15th Asian Games here. The opening day of the Games Friday witnessed a RECORD DOWNPOUR and the weather department has forecast more showers and windy conditions over the next few days. Spectators, who had been waiting for the spectacular Opening Ceremony braved the weather enduring the chilly conditions, a phenomenon not common in these parts. Since the city is not geared to handle flood situations, the record rainfall paralysed normal life and tankers were called upon to drain out the waterlogged streets and residential complexes. Locals say that the city - and the country - on an average receives about four to five decent showers per year, but never in quick succession.
12/3 -
BRAZIL - Flooding and mudslides triggered by heavy rains in southeastern Brazil have killed six people and damaged hundreds of homes. Three members of a family were killed Friday in a landslide in the city of Teresopolis, 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro. More than 300 people had their houses damaged or destroyed in Rio de Janeiro state alone. In Minas Gerais state, a 10-year-old boy on his way to school was killed by a mudslide, and other several hundred had to leave their houses because of the heavy rains. Nearly 30 cities declared state of emergency after the rain storms began on Tuesday across the southeast. Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city, came to a near standstill Wednesday after torrential storms flooded highways and caused huge traffic jams, making it nearly impossible for thousands to reach their homes or jobs.
> SCOTLAND - Stormy weather is wreaking havoc across the country - and things are set to get worse. High winds and lashing rain have caused chaos in Scotland, but that is only the beginning. Fearsome storms with gusts of up to 80mph are predicted over the weekend and into next week. The poor conditions have already caused a spate of road accidents across the country. 70mph winds are quite likely and even as much as 80mph. "I've been waiting for confirmation that Glasgow has had its WETTEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD. In terms of wind, the autumn hasn't been exceptionally unusual but rainwise it's been a bit STRANGE. The frequency of these storms is getting to be a little UNUSUAL. We've had a very wild spell of weather here and I'm afraid it will continue to be so."
PENNSYLVANIA - Friday's weather, which included severe thunderstorms that brought heavy rains, high winds and tornado warnings to Westmoreland and Indiana counties, rocked the Mon Valley with all the fury of a spring-time weather system. But the UNUSUAL weather occurred in December, puzzling some residents and weather experts.
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11/30 -
AUSTRALIA - An apiarist (bee keeper) thinks the STRANGE behaviour of his bees means heavy rain is on the way to break a drought in central Australia. The bees have put breeding on hold and have started storing food in their hives in Alice Springs. He says the bees are also using wax to seal their hives as they did in 1987-88 and 1999 when heavy, substantial rains swamped the Alice Springs area.
11/29 -
SPAIN - Several towns in the province of Pontevedra are under several feet of water following more than 24 hours of intense rainfall. The worst affected towns are Vilagarcía de Arousa, Violanova de Arousa, Meis, Cambados, Sanxenxo and Ribadumia, where emergency services are working to deal with hundreds of flooded homes, underground car parks and businesses. More than half the streets of Vilagarcía de Arousa are under water, and the electricity supply has been cut off. Main roads are closed in O Grove, Poio, and Meis Meaño, while there are also partial closures around Cambados, Sanxenxo and Noalla. It is estimated that in the 24 hour period starting at 8pm on Sunday, 57 litres per square metre fell in the provincial capital.
11/28 -
MALAWI - Floods in southern Malawi swept away two women who are feared dead. The Mwanza River burst its banks, causing severe flooding in several villages in the southern Lower Shire Valley district of Chikwawa. The flooding took villagers by surprise as there had not been rain in the area. "It must have rained in the neighboring district of Mwanza or across the border in Mozambique." The women were tending their gardens when they were encircled by water and swept down the raging river. Floods caused by heavy rain in East Africa has affected up to 1.8 million people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
SOMALIA - Floods killed at least seven people, including five children, Sunday as the fourth week of heavy rains pounded Somalia, bringing the death toll to at least 96.
OREGON - the past month was a November to remember, with a RECORD 11.61 inches of RAIN recorded at Portland International Airport. And that is with four days to go in the month. The previous November record was set in 1942, with 11.57 inches.
UNITED KINGDOM - Experts warned people to brace themselves for more freak weather after a tornado wreaked havoc over the weekend. Horses were flung in the air, parts of roofs were ripped from buildings and vehicles thrown across the ground as the twister caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage in just four minutes. And it was predicted that FREAK WEATHER could become more common as climate change takes hold. The tornado struck in Boarhunt, a few miles north of Fareham. It was one of a series of freak weather conditions across the area over the weekend that saw thunder and lightning, strong gales and torrential rain. The conditions were caused by warm air over the sea hitting colder air inland. (photos)
11/27 -
WASHINGTON - This is Longview's RAINIEST NOVEMBER, at least since 1931, when people started keeping track. Thursday night's rainfall, which brought the monthly total to 15.04 inches by 4 p.m. Friday, also made it the SECOND-WETTEST OF ANY MONTH ON RECORD. The only rainier month was December 1933, which brought 20.13 inches of precipitation. About 6.7 inches of rain fall in a typical November.
PANAMA - Heavy rains and flooding in Panama have left at least eight people dead and damaged hundreds of homes. The rains, which began Monday and were predicted to last until Saturday, have caused rivers to overflow and bridges to collapse, cutting off several communities northwest of the capital of Panama City. The dead included two men killed in a landslide, two men who drowned, a couple killed when a tree fell on their house, and a pregnant woman who suffered a spike in her blood pressure but failed to receive medical attention because her community had been cut off. More than 200 houses have been destroyed and nearly 700 others damaged.
SCOTLAND - Flood warnings were issued for parts of Scotland last night after days of heavy rain threatened to burst river banks. In addition to surface water from more than a week of wet weather, rivers could burst their banks, flooding low-lying areas. Forecasters also said strong winds across much of Britain were likely to make rush travelling hazardous this morning.
FIJI - A family of five made it out of their home at Lakena Hill just before it was shoved by a landslide that resulted from heavy rain. Heavy rain on Friday night around the country caused flooding.
JAMAICA - Several Portland residents remain trapped in their communities following last week’s flooding in the parish, which left a number of roads blocked by mud and other debris. Motorists also remain trapped.
11/24 -
MONTENEGRO - A massive landslide in Montenegro's Tara River Canyon has clogged the waterway and caused flooding in Montenegro, prompting authorities to begin evacuating villagers late Thursday. The landslide earlier Thursday in the central county of Mojkovac — about 90 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of the capital, Podgorica — created a natural dam of mud, earth and collapsed trees that completely cut off the flow of the Tara River. "The sight is horrible. Tara is no longer flowing." Police did not know what caused the landslide, but an "entire hill had collapsed into the river."
BULGARIA - An old landslide that reactivated has left the central Bulgarian village of Momino without water supplies. The landslide has crushed part of the village's sewage system and destroyed a section of the pumping station. The landslide is very big and it would take hundreds of thousands of levs to fix. It started reactivating as early as June of 2005, but there haven't been attempts to stabilize it yet.
MALAYASIA - Barely a week after a landslide in Puchong, another has occurred in Bukit Serdang. Part of a road slid down a hillside affecting 30 residents in seven double-storey terrace houses. "Four months ago we noticed fine cracks on the floor but didn’t think much of it," a resident said. (photo)

11/23 -
CANADA - There's still no indication when the boil-water advisory for nearly a million residents of Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Burnaby might be lifted, following torrential rains last week.
IRAQ - Flooding in Kurdish areas in Iraq has killed at least 20 people. Thousands of houses have been destroyed in Dahuk, Arbil and Sulaimaniyah and at least 18,000 people have been displaced. Aid workers say that much of the infrastructure, including bridges and schools, has been demolished, livestock killed and fruit trees destroyed.
11/22 -
VIETNAM - Heavy rain with hailstones and cold winds hit Hanoi on the afternoon of Nov. 20, causing large-scale flooding in the capital city. Hailstones had an average diameter of 2 cm, breaking through glass windows and plastic roofs of houses. It was said that such a large-scale hail has not occurred in Hanoi for a long time. (photo)
FREAK hailstorms and whirlwinds killed at least 14 people on Tuesday in northern Vietnam's popular Halong Bay tourist area. At least 12 Vietnamese people drowned when the storms hit early on Tuesday morning. "Whirlwinds and hail sank three tourist boats and one barge in the bay." On land, one person was killed by a falling crane and another when his home collapsed in strong winds. The storm came so quickly at 07:00 that no one had time to prepare. "This has never happened here before. It came so suddenly."
11/21 -
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - Flood victims, who were badly affected by masses of silt that covered their homes, destroyed their properties and livestock on Friday after heavy torrential rains, blocked St Lucien Road in Diego Martin to prevent the touring Minister of Works and Transport from leaving the area. Some houses were covered in as much as three feet of silt. In Le Platte Village in Maraval a five-foot deep drain was completely filled with boulders which rained down from the hills of Maraval. The boulders had come down with the flood waters from the Maraval hills and blocked off several streets and even destroyed houses. “First time in decades this ever happen. It is such a sad sight and so much cleaning up to do. Everybody is frustrated." “All my livestock that I was rearing gone with the floods, all my chicken and ducks. Everything in my house destroyed. I don’t even have a glass to drink water from. What am I to do?
SOMALIA & KENYA - One Somali refugee in Kenya told the BBC he and others were living in trees and were attacked by wild animals (hyenas and snakes). The United Nations food agency has launched a series of airlifts and food drops for more than one million people hit by floods in Somalia and Kenya. The floods have knocked out bridges and made roads impassable, so food can only be delivered by air. The floods in the Horn of Africa follow last year's droughts in the region. That left the earth unable to absorb the heavy rains, leading to flash floods in Ethiopia, as well as Somalia and Kenya. The UN has said the floods could be the WORST IN THE REGION FOR 50 YEARS. On Friday, the UN warned that a dam on the Tana, south of Garissa, was close to bursting. In Somalia, crocodiles killed at least nine people after floodwaters swept them into villages. At least 80 people in the region have died in the last three weeks. The Shabelle and Juba rivers have both flooded their banks, affecting towns and villages in a swathe of territory stretching hundreds of kilometres.
KENYA, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA - UN aid agencies warned Friday that the "grave" humanitarian situation in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia was set to get worse with more heavy rains on the way. The rainy season, THE HEAVIEST FOR 10 YEARS, was predicted to last well beyond October, when it usually ends, and continue until at least the end of the year. Between 1.5 and 1.8 million people were affected.
AFGHANISTAN - Flash-flooding in a remote province in northwstern Afghanistan has killed at least 15 people, left scores missing and stranded thousands more. NATO forces pledged to send aid. Heavy rain lashed Badghis province's Balamurghad and Ghormach district on Thursday. The rains inundated many villages surrounded by mountains with little access to main towns.
MALAYSIA - Fourteen families were evacuated from their homes in Puchong following a landslide. A 75-metre-wide stretch of land behind their homes slid 25 metres down. For years, residents have been living in fear following minor soil erosion and crack marks seen in their backyard drains. Numerous complaints have been made before and the residents were assured that the earth was stable. (PHOTO)
SRI LANKA - At least 52 people were killed and 88,000 displaced during the last two weeks in landslips and flooding caused by continuous torrential rains experienced on the island. Floods had been reported in many parts of the country with low lying areas going under several feet of water. Main highways between the northwestern Kurunegala and north central Anuradhapura, the Bandaragama-Kalutara in the western province are impassable due to flooding.
COLUMBIA - A bolt of lightning killed five people at a football match in north-eastern Colombia and left another 28 injured.
UNITED KINGDOM - Gusts of up to 70 miles per hour struck in Scotland, northern parts of England and parts of Wales on Sunday. And much of the bad weather was expected to continue there during the day on Monday. Carlisle was one of the worst affected areas. It was completely cut off, with no safe roads in or out, after the storms caused severe flooding. The start of the winter storms has sparked fears of a repeat of the mass destruction to many parts of the UK caused in January 2005 by severe weather.
CANADA - Two million people were advised to boil their water on Thursday after high levels of silt ended up in two reservoirs that supply the region. As of Friday, the Greater Vancouver Regional District had lifted the boil-water advisory for about half the population of the Lower Mainland, but the other million residents of Vancouver, the North Shore and Burnaby are still being warned to avoid drinking tap water. The advisory was issued after brown, murky water showed up in the water supply in the aftermath of the powerful storm that hit B.C.'s south coast last week. Tap water in all the affected areas has been brown and cloudy since the storm and could cause gastrointestinal illness. The turbidity at the Seymour and Capilano reservoirs was continuing to drop, but another major storm could again muddy the waters.
CANADA - Officials in the region described the levels of discolouration from suspended silt as "UNPRECEDENTED" and said they couldn't guarantee that home filtration systems would prevent illness from drinking the water. The Greater Vancouver area has recently endured record rainfall, destructive winds and flooding.
JAPAN - Central Japan was hit by heavy rain and strong gusts of wind for much of Sunday. An Air Canada Boeing 767 from Shanghai to Vancouver was forced to make an emergency landing at Narita International Airport near Tokyo due to turbulence over Japan. Four cabin attendants were injured. The most serious one cut a finger of her right hand. Earlier in the evening, a Japan Airlines flight from the western city of Kobe to Haneda airport in Tokyo experienced severe turbulence, injuring one passenger and one cabin attendant. Two people were killed in a boating accident when a pleasure boat and a fishing boat collided inside Yokohama Bay.
OKINAWA - Three Marines were injured, 21 cars were tossed about and several buildings were damaged when a FREAK gust of wind hit Camp Schwab on Saturday afternoon. The severe gust occurred when a well-developed thunderstorm passed over Northern Okinawa about 1 p.m. Four fishing boats at the Henoko Fishing Port also received minor damage. (PHOTOS)
11/17 -
KENYA - Heavy rains and flooding are causing havoc in Dadaab refugee camps in north-east Kenya and further exacerbating an already precarious humanitarian situation. "What was supposed to be the short rainy season has turned into a widespread disaster affecting more than 100,000 people. Food storage facilities have been flooded, latrines have collapsed and a significant number of shelters, including one wing of the hospital in Ifo camp, have crumbled."
MONTANA - Glacier National Park’s RECORD RAINFALLS of up to 11 inches were reported in the park during the first week of November, and that rain, combined with melting snow, caused a deluge that swept culverts out of some sections of the Going-To-The-Sun road, buried other sections, blew out a horse bridge and caused lakes to top their banks. The full extent of the damage remains unknown. [Some estimates are almost 5 million dollars.] Weather has stopped road crews. Surveying much the damage will likely have to wait until spring. Photos make the damage look severe. Some show the Sun Road looking more like a waterway, with a waterfall running over the Many Glacier Hotel access bridge and the McDonald Creek overlook partially submerged. Other photos show parts of Going-To-The-Sun Road with both lanes completely washed out and covered with rocks and other debris.
WASHINGTON - a climatologist at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is confounded by all this rain. "It's been two FREAK weeks. It's truly remarkable. It's epic. I'm rooting for the record." So what's going on? Why is it raining so much? "It's to the point that any reason why is probably unknowable." Rain so drenching and relentless it becomes irrational. With almost a foot of rain, it's already the WETTEST NOVEMBER EVER. Since Nov. 1, the heavens have dumped 19 billion gallons on Seattle. Just the first two weeks add up to the sixth wettest month in 115 years of record-keeping. If 3-plus inches fall in the next 15 days, it will be the soggiest month of all time, besting the 15.3-inch monsoon that was December 1933.
MAINE - ONE OF THE WETTEST FALLS ON RECORD is raising concerns about possible flooding in Maine. Rainfall in October was almost twice the normal amount, and the soggy weather has persisted into November. Groundwater levels have risen, creating the kind of sloppy, muddy conditions usually associated with early spring's mud season. From January through October, Portland recorded a total of 52 inches of precipitation, the third highest level on record for that period in Maine. If wet weather continues through the end of the year, the record of nearly 66.5 inches set last year could be broken.
NORTH CAROLINA - Eleven are dead after a tornado hit on Thursday, 21 injured, 4 missing. Dozens of homes were destroyed, trees and power lines were downed in Riegelwood, N.C., leaving 13,000 people without power. There were "houses on top of cars and cars on top of houses." Over the last two days there were numerous reports of damage in Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and North Carolina.
The deadly tornado ripped a mile-long swath through rural Columbus County. The tornado was spawned from a severe thunderstorm that moved northwest off the Atlantic Ocean. "Possibly within 15 minutes, it went from a rotating thunderstorm into an intense tornado." (photo)
11/16 -
CANADA - High winds, pounding rains, a tsunami warning and a growing flood threat combined yesterday to give British Columbia a remarkably extreme weather day. While the threat of a huge wave striking the coast failed to materialize, winds intensified, roaring down the mountains along Howe Sound, just north of Vancouver and disrupting marine traffic in the Strait of Georgia. Before the morning was over, seven provincial highways would be blocked by debris; power lines had toppled leaving an estimated 200,000 in eight communities without electricity; ferry sailings had been cancelled; a steel building frame under construction in Vancouver had collapsed; five rivers on Vancouver Island were near flood levels and people living on two streets in West Vancouver had been evacuated from their homes because of falling trees. The storm, which lasted for several hours, was pushed by an intense frontal system over the Pacific, which created southeast winds of up to 120 kilometres an hour. Total rainfall for the day was forecast at from 80-110 mm. There were long-range warnings that more storms will soon follow. The U.S. National Weather Service says a strong Pacific storm is approaching that will bring more hazardous weather ashore early next week.
Storms battered the U.S. mid-South on Wednesday. One man died when an F-5 tornado ripped through Greensburg, Louisiana. Homes were peeled apart and debris scattered for miles in the tiny community northwest of New Orleans. Another tornado ripped through Southern Mississippi. A neighborhood in Lamar county - just west of Hattiesburg - was left in splinters. Six people were taken to the hospital. None of their injuries were considered life threatening. In Tennessee tractor trailer rigs turned over on I-40 and had to be set back upright one by one, at times backing up traffic for miles. In Montgomery, Alabama, residents battled pounding rains and intense wind. They dodged pulled-up trees and sought shelter from ripped-open roofs. The morning headlines in Texas also included more high winds.
11/15 -
COLUMBIA - A landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a mountainside adobe home in western Colombia on Tuesday, killing five children as they slept.
KENYA - Two refugees are dead and more than 78,000 people have been uprooted by flooding that engulfed refugee camps in eastern Kenya over recent days as rising waters destroyed hundreds of homes in the mainly Somali camps near Dadaab. The sudden flooding has brought a major setback to operations to settle thousands of Somali refugees who fled to Kenya in recent months to escape the conflict in their homeland. Among the fatalities reported November 13 was a three-year-old child who was caught when waters swept across the low-lying region, completely engulfing thousands of refugee shelters and leaving hundreds of huts uninhabitable.
SOMALIA - Floods caused by torrential rain in parts of southern Somalia have killed more than 23 people and displaced thousands over the past five days.
OREGON - Early storms have already brought falling trees, debris flows and landslides, and experts say the danger continues as the soggy soil will keep moving. "The incidents of storms early on has brought the water table up and weakened the soil and instabilities have already been triggered. So it's no longer a case of waiting for January or February, it here and it's stretched this landslide season out to perhaps six months."
11/14 -
KENYA - At least six people have been killed since Saturday following heavy flooding across the country. The fatalities bring the death toll to 21 since October, when the first damaging effects of the UNUSUALLY heavy rains were reported.
SOUTH AFRICA - Downpours cause epic flooding across KZN. Torrential downpours caused havoc across KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, dumping 88mm of rain in Durban. In central Durban, business owners were shocked by damage caused by the rain and subsequent flooding. "This was quite normal seasonal rainfall and it happens quite frequently. Durban experiences tropical rainfall, which can come down in buckets. However, it is UNUSUAL to get it as heavy as we have experienced."
SRI LANKA - Nearly 20 persons are feared dead caught in a landslide Sunday around 7:00 pm on the double track Gampola highway in Pusselawa area circa 150 km from Colombo. A landslide occurred for the fourth time on Sunday in Hatton town and the up-country train services were affected due to landslide on Hatton-Kotagolla railway tracks disrupting travel from Hatton to Colombo and Kandy. Meanwhile, only three feet of water remain to reach the maximum capacity in the Moussekella reservoirs, which may spill over, flooding the areas below, engineers at the dam site warned. (photos)
UNITED KINGDOM - 'Monsoon' weather in UK on the increase says leading insurance broker. The increasing frequency of FREAK WEATHER conditions in Britain has led to a rash of motor accidents caused by drivers failing to respond quickly to sudden downpours. Leading high street insurance broker, Swinton, is advising UK drivers, most of whom are not used to extreme weather conditions, to take extra care. The move comes as Swinton reports an 8 per cent rise in motor accident claims during the recent round of tropical-like deluges. Monsoon-type rain is a particular problem, with sudden torrential downpours causing localised flooding and with it, a flood of claims. Gusting winds are also a problem at this time of year, bringing down trees and power lines. “Monsoon rain conditions are now a reality in the UK. They can occur with frightening immediacy." In recent months torrential rain and heavy thunderstorms have raged across the UK. Extensive flash flooding was reported across the regions, with Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wales and the northwest particularly badly hit.
11/12 -
SOMALIA - Thousands fled a Somali town near the border with Ethiopia on Saturday as floodwaters submerged buildings. No casualties were immediately reported in the town of about 40,000 people, 170km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, after the Shabelle river burst its banks late on Friday. At least 47 people drowned and thousands were left homeless on Wednesday when the same river and the Juba, which both snake through Somalia, burst their banks after heavy rains. "I have never witnessed such a catastrophe. The whole town is moving out. I am not sure how many have died so far." Large swathes of farmland were submerged and food stocks washed away after torrential rain pounded the Horn of Africa country for several days, swelling the Shabelle and the Juba river further south. The rivers snake through the most agriculturally productive regions in Somalia. Aid workers expect the death toll to rise as thousands of poor farming families sleep out in the cold and get exposed to malaria and water-borne diseases.
WASHINGTON - Rain has pushed levees near breaking point: RECORD HIGH RIVER LEVELS causing concern. Weakened by age, and never designed to last for this many decades, the levees that keep King County's rivers from flooding are being worn away by record high river levels. Many of the county-maintained 119 miles of levees were built decades ago of sand and topsoil, with little if any superstructure holding them in place. They don't meet current building standards. "We don't come out of events like this without seeing problems or new damage." And another strong weather system is expected to hit Western Washington tonight.
11/10 -
NEW ZEALAND - Winds of up to 150km/h lashed Auckland yesterday, causing chaos that led to hundreds of emergency calls to police and the Fire Service, disrupted travel and closed the Sky Tower. The rain and winds were caused by an intense low which swept over Waikato and past the Coromandel Peninsula. Around 200 Auckland households are still without power this morning after the violent storm. The Coastguard was kept busy, dealing with reports of 10 yachts seen aground or drifting. Conditions were so bad that little could be done in most cases as it was not worth risking lives to save boats. Coastguard staff said they saw waterspouts forming over the Waitemata Harbour. A fierce storm also brought snow to low levels throughout the South Island on Wednesday night. In Queenstown, weather forecasters said the SNOWFALL WAS THE HEAVIEST AND LOWEST FOR NOVEMBER IN 45 YEARS of record-keeping.
CANADA - Toronto weather experts say this fall has been the "SECOND MOST MISERABLE FALL ON RECORD," with rain and cloud making September and October the most gloomy since 1970. Although the average temperature was about normal (12.2C), the lack of sunshine and the continual rain made what is normally a spectacular time of year into a boring, drab couple of months. "We've been in a funk for two months and this is uncharacteristic of this time of year." During September and October, there were only 272 hours of sunshine, 131 in September and 141 in October. According to recent averages, they'd normally see 391 hours - 208 in September and 173 in October. Back in 1970, there were only 253 hours of sunshine, making that the dullest fall on record. Records on sunshine totals have been kept since 1957. September and October recorded about 40 per cent more rainfall than normal. There were 17 wet days in September and 18 in October. That total of 35 wet days was much higher than the normal 22.
11/9 -
SOMALIA - At least 47 people drowned and thousands were left homeless after two rivers that snake through Somalia burst their banks after heavy rains.

SPAIN - this week's persistent heavy rains are causing a number of problems in Murcia and across Andalucía, where serious weather alerts remain in place. Torrential rains have been causing problems in the Murcia region; particularly in the town of Lorca, where a number of potholes have begun to open up in many town centre roads, a wall also collapsed and lumps of masonry have been falling from a number of buildings. In Marbella, dozens of homes, carparks, basements, residential estates and sporting installations were flooded, with similar scenes in the nearby towns of Mijas, Estepona, Coín, Alhaurín de la Torre and Campillos, while there was a power cut in the village of Zalea, near Pizarra. (photo)
11/8 -
WASHINGTON - RECORD RAINFALL that brought heavy flooding to the Northwest, killing at least one person, causing evacuations and damaging roads and houses, began to ease Tuesday, as high waters continued to threaten some areas. Rainfall records were set Monday across western Washington, including 8.22 inches at Stampede Pass, which broke an all-time rain record of 7.29 inches set on Nov. 19, 1962. Milder storms were expected later in the week but nothing as powerful as the storm that caused the flooding. "It's something that happens once every 10 years." Three luxury homes in Gleneden Beach were on the brink of crumbling into the Pacific. On Tuesday morning, rock-loaded bulldozers and dump trucks tried to create a break to protect the homes from the high surf.
The flooding may be THE WORST IN 50 YEARS. Flooding, mudslides and rockslides have closed mountain passes and roads at dozens of spots in Western Washington.
SPAIN - heavy rains in many areas of Spain on Tuesday hit hard in Valencia, Murcia and Andalucía, but especially on the Costa del Sol. There was flooding in Málaga city, where a normally dry river bed in the provincial capital swept ten parked cars down to the beach. The western part of the province was worst hit, most of all in Mijas, which saw rainfall of 157 litres per square metre. The rain across Málaga province yesterday has been described the WETTEST DAY IN THE PROVINCE SINCE 1989.
11/7 -
JAPAN - At least nine people have been killed and more than 10 injured when a tornado swept through the town of Saroma in northern Japan. Officials said several other people were still missing in the area, on the island of Hokkaido. The tornado hit around lunchtime, sweeping through a tunnel construction site and other areas, leaving a number of workers dead and injured. Police said workers were buried under prefabricated buildings that had collapsed at the site. Local government officials said ten buildings collapsed elsewhere in the town. Small tornadoes happen from time to time in Japan - there are about twenty each year - but this one appears to have resulted in an unexpectedly high death toll.
CANADA - A flood watch is in effect as a RECORD RAINSTORM hits British Columbia, forcing an evacuation in Chilliwack on Monday. Emergency officials in BC say they are seeing SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE RAIN EVER RECORDED. Southern B.C. has seen between 250 and 300 millimetres of rain since Thursday.
WASHINGTON - A warm, windy Pacific storm dumped heavy rain Monday on Western Washington, killing an elk hunter and prompting warnings of RECORD FLOODING on a handful of rivers. National Guardsmen were dispatched to rescue some northwest Washington residents believed cut off by rising waters. More than six inches of rain fell in 24 hours in some areas. The governor declared a state of emergency for 18 counties. Some 200 to 225 elk hunters were evacuated from 60 to 70 hunting camps. A number of rivers jumped their banks Monday, sending water over farmland, flooding some rural homes and closing many roads. A large mudslide near Skykomish, northeast of Seattle, blocked eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 2, a major east-west route across Washington, while a mudslide earlier Monday near Tacoma delayed an Amtrak passenger train. The warm, moisture-laden storms that began during the weekend were expected to lash the region through Wednesday.
PORTUGAL - Heavy rains flooded several villages in central and southern Portugal, forcing hundreds out of their homes during the weekend and on Monday. On Sunday night rivers and creeks overflowed, isolating the village of Reguengos de Alivela and flooding over 80 houses. Residents in the small village of Burgau had to climb onto the rooftops of houses and be rescued by firefighters in a helicopter as waters from a local creek rose up to two meters (6.5 feet) high. Heavy rain fell at the weekend, flooding hundreds of houses and shops from central to southern regions as well as strong winds knocked down trees, electricity poles, cut off roads and interrupted the movement of trains. Weather services forecast heavy rain until today.
IRAQ - Rescue and recovery workers in the autonomous northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan were on Monday searching for survivors after three days of torrential rain prompted flooding in which at least 20 people are believed to have died. Sunday's flooding also caused extensive damage to property and to infrastructure in the region. In one incident, a house collapsed killing 11 of the 13 people inside, while a separate building collapse killed a woman and three men. The flooding damaged walls in schools and mosques and swept away vehicles including cars and bulldozers, while two children were reported killed Friday after the roof of their home caved in. Suspension bridges into one Kurdish village were destroyed, making it difficult for emergency aid to reach those affected.
11/6 -
INDIA - Six persons were killed and 63 injured when lightning struck a fireworks factory. It triggered a big blaze and series of explosions near Sivakasi, the country's fireworks hub. The explosions razed to the ground about 40 colony houses located near the fireworks factory at the remote Singampatti village, about 80km from Madurai. Many of the injured were trapped under the debris as the manufacturing sheds and houses collapsed. The crackers went on exploding for more than four hours.
11/5 -
INDIA - The death toll in the cyclone and floods in coastal Andhra Pradesh mounted to 29 as some districts continued to receive rains for the sixth consecutive day Friday. While the cyclone had weakened into low-pressure areas and crossed the coast four days ago, the trough and another low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal continue to result in heavy rains in south coastal Andhra Pradesh. Hundreds of villages and several towns in Krishna, Prakasam, Guntur, East and West Godavari districts were still inundated. Continuing rains are hampering relief and rescue operations. The road and rail traffic continued to be affected by the rains in the region. Officials said 11, 325 houses were fully damaged and 28,242 houses partly damaged in the rains. About 200,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas and put in 525 relief camps. According to a tentative assessment, agriculture crops on 350,000 hectares were inundated. The loss is estimated to be Rs.5 billion. This is the third time this season that the state suffered loss of life and widespread damage to crops and property due to floods. Earlier, 150 people were killed and crops and property worth over Rs.20 billion was damaged due to floods in August and September.
THE NETHERLANDS - In a drama that transfixed the Netherlands, four women on horseback led about 100 horses to safety on Friday from a flood-washed temporary islet where they were stranded for three days. Nineteen horses had drowned or died of exposure since Tuesday night, when a storm surge pushed sea water into an area outside the dikes of Marrum, northeast of Amsterdam.
11/3 -
HAWAII - Heavy rains are creating problems - The downpour is creating a nightmare for drivers, especially those who use the Pali Highway. "We've never experienced mud or erosion before and it's just raining cats and dogs for the last 24 hours and the ground is saturated at this point." Heavy rains in a short amount of time caused part of the hill to slide onto the road, blocking all Honolulu-bound lanes and stretching to the other side of the highway. Officials are concerned that at any time, the hillside will give way and more mud, water and debris will come crashing down.
TURKEY - Ten more people, including seven children, have died in flash floods sweeping Turkey's impoverished southeast region, bringing the total death toll so far to 32, officials said on Thursday. The region was seeing its WORST FLOODING IN HALF A CENTURY. The new deaths occurred in the town of Batman on Wednesday evening, as rivers swelled by torrential rains flooded streets and toppled buildings, triggering a major rescue operation. More heavy rain is predicted for Turkey in the coming days.
11/2 -
TURKEY - Flooding from torrential rains killed 22 people across Turkey, including 14 who died when a minibus carrying wedding guests was swept away. Dozens of others were missing. Heavy rain and flooding were also affecting Istanbul and the Mediterranean coast.
11/1 -
ETHIOPIA - hit by new deadly floods. At least 67 people were killed and 300,000 affected after floods hit Ethiopia, for the second time this year, after the Shabelle river burst its banks due to torrential rains. There are also unconfirmed reports that crocodiles have killed two people in the floods.
TURKEY - Heavy rains across much of Turkey have disrupted traffic and brought widespread flooding in many regions Tuesday. Parts of Istanbul were cut off by rising waters and many shops and workplaces were flooded out. Many roads across the city were cut, disrupting traffic and causing lengthy delays. High winds compounded the traffic snarls, as many of Istanbul’s ferry services had to be cancelled during the storms.
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10/30 -
INDIA - Torrential rain paralysed normal life in several parts of Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai and Nagapattinam districts, while the death toll in rain-related incidents since the onset of north-east monsoon rose to 35 on Sunday. Rain inundated most low-lying areas of the state capital and over 65,000 people have been shifted to safer places. Most of the deaths occurred due to house collapse incidents. The majority of the fishermen, who ventured into the sea braving heavy rains, have returned.
SOMALIA - Heavy rain in Mogadishu left 17 dead in the Somali capital overnight, bringing the death toll to 27 as a result of floods across the shattered African nation in the past week. The victims, mainly children and the elderly, died after their mud-walled houses collapsed under heavy rain that pummelled several Mogadishu districts late on Saturday, leaving hundreds homeless and destroying property of unknown value. Residents said that at least 61 houses were destroyed by the heavy seven-hour downpour. In August, thousands of Mogadishu residents were forced to flee to higher ground by flooding which destroyed dozens of makeshift homes. Last week, heavy rains also killed at least 10 people in the country's southern Gedo region, which was recently hit by a scorching drought that put millions on people on the verge of starvation.
WIND -
10/30 -
NORTHEASTERN U.S. STATES - Hundreds of thousands of people in the northeastern United States lacked power Sunday as utility crews scrambled to clear power lines of tree branches toppled by a windstorm. Heavy rains and winds clocked at 80 kilometres per hour knocked over power lines in Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York state on Saturday. The area most seriously affected was Long Island, N.Y., where nearly 230,000 people were left without electricity. Crews had managed to restore power to many of those by Sunday afternoon, but then winds knocked down more wires.
10/29 -
UNITED KINGDOM - Hours of heavy rain saw the WORST FLOODING IN YEARS hit Sutherland Thursday, bringing the county to a grinding halt. "River levels have risen quickly due to the persistent rain and more is forecast."
ETHIOPIA - A river burst its banks in southeastern Ethiopia following heavy rains in highland Ethiopia, killing 15 people and displacing more than 2,000. Flooding typically occurs in Ethiopia's lowlands after heavy rains in the June-September season drench the highlands.
SRI LANKA - At least six people have been killed by torrential rain and flooding in the southern and western parts of the country.
10/26 -
PORTUGAL - A river burst its banks and swept a packed school bus off the road Wednesday after a night of heavy storms that authorities said caused the death of one person. A bus taking 52 children aged between seven and 14 to a school in central Portugal was knocked into a ditch by the current from a river that flooded surrounding countryside. Emergency workers up to their waists in fast-flowing, muddy water formed a human chain and pulled the children and three adults from the bus. In nearby Pombal, an elderly bedridden woman died when her home flooded. A woman in the same area was evacuated by helicopter after flood waters reached the first floor of her rural home. The fire department was also helping rescue stranded livestock. A school in the same area was evacuated midmorning when another swollen river burst its banks and flood levels started to rise. Three towns in central Portugal were on flood alert as river levels rose and dams approached their limits. The Civil Protection Service said it responded to 679 incidents of flooding, 335 fallen trees and 19 landslides. Dozens of roads were reported closed, mostly in central and northern areas. Trains stopped running on part of the country's main north-south rail line between Lisbon and Porto because of flooding. Trains in the southern Algarve region also ground to a halt after a tree fell on a power line and cut the electricity supply. On Monday, a German couple died in the Madeira Islands when their car was swept from a cliff and into the sea by a mudslide that occurred after days of heavy rain.
CANADA - A state of emergency has been called in a small northwestern Newfoundland community amid safety concerns, after an unexplainable landslide dumped soil into the ocean. A team of engineers was brought into Daniel's Harbour to assess the risk after a landslide last Friday morning. "As of yet, there is no idea what precipitated the landslide. It was not raining." The landslide sent between 20,000 and 30,000 cubic metres of soil, which amounts to about 2,000 dump-truck loads, into the ocean. "There were houses on the edge of the cliffside and now I guess they are even closer to the cliffside." (photo)
10/25 -
GUATEMALA - At least six persons died Tuesday, including a child, from a landslide off a mountain that buried a village of the La Democracia municipality. Pouring rains over the last few days provoked the landslide, leaving another six people injured and eight not accounted for, all belonging to the same family. The rains also provoked road interruptions, making it difficult to reach several communities in the border with Mexico. The rise of at least seven rivers in the south of the country flooded 40 villages, leaving 10 thousand homeless.
SOUTH KOREA - People in Kangwon Province yesterday suffered damage from heavy rain and strong winds in weather that was UNUSUAL for this time of year. Heavy rain warnings and alerts were issued in the province. Hyangnobong peak received 252 millimeters of rainfall; Misiryong, 260 millimeters; Sokcho, 201 millimeters; and Kosong, 87 millimeters. The rainfall was the LARGEST RECORDED FOR THE LATTER PART OF OCTOBER in the regions. Winds with a speed of 20 meters per second also struck the region, and strong wind warnings were issued. Trees and signboards on many streets were blown down. A dozen fishing vessels that were docked at harbors broke loose and many sank. High wave warnings were issued for western and eastern coastal areas, and mountainous regions in the central peninsula had gusts of wind, hailstones, thunder and lightning. Other parts of the nation also had 20-100 millimeters of rain, a great amount for autumn, from Sunday through yesterday. The rainfall relieved a drought that has lasted more than two months. "Although the mercury fell, [the temperature] is still higher than that of average years, as it has been too high this fall. But people are advised to limit their risk of catching a cold due to the sudden large temperature changes," a weatherman said.
10/24 -
INDIA - a week-end cyclonic storm and hail damaged 172 houses and ravaged farms and paddy fields belonging to 150 families in Aizawl district. 12 houses in and around Aizawl city were completely flattened, while the majority of the houses were badly damaged. Paddy crops belonging to 83 shifting cultivators' families were destroyed in nearby Phulpui village just ahead of the harvest time in November. Farms or gardens where flowers like anthurium, beans and vegetables, belonging to 66 families in nearby Durtlang village were also extensively damaged. Paddy fields were also damaged at Bungkawn. The cyclonic storm took the people by surprise as no warning was given by the MET office and the storm was UNLIKELY considering the time of the year.
10/23 -
MACQUARIE ISLAND - Erosion and heavy spring rains have caused a large landslip on Macquarie Island, in the Southern Ocean about 1500 kilometres south-east of Tasmania, killing penguins in an important colony. The fragile sub-Antarctic world heritage area has been overrun with more than 100,000 rabbits in recent years, which are stripping the island bare of its plants. About 500 square metres of soil gave way due to the combination of heavy spring rains and severe erosion caused by the rabbits. "The landslide... has come down onto an area where the penguins roost, and are active. These are large penguins, so the topsoil has come down the slope and landed on the flat surface near the ocean. The penguins have chicks in place next to the adults and a number of penguins were killed by the landslide.We can't tell how many because it's on the edge of the rookeries."
10/19 -
LOUISIANA - the Governor has declared a state of emergency for 11 parishes in northern Louisiana hit hard by stormy weather this week. The National Weather Service says the region received the most rain it's gotten in a single storm since Tropical Storm Allison in 1989. More than 200 homes were flooded or otherwise damaged in the storm. One of the hardest-hit areas was Grayson, a town in north-central Louisiana's Caldwell Parish. The weather service says the town received 17 inches of rain.
WIND -
10/19 -
AUSTRALIA - Residents of the Geelong suburb of Corio are repairing their homes after a FREAK storm ripped through the area on Tuesday night, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage. Metal sheets from a carport were blown hundreds of metres away, trees uprooted and roofs damaged by a five-minute wind gust of over 100 km/h just after 10pm. The State Emergency Service described the weather event as a "mini-tornado" or a "dry microburst". Tuesday night's low pressure system was UNUSUAL because cool changes in spring usually bring good rainfall.
WIND -
10/18 -
UNITED KINGDOM - Hurricane strength winds struck Castlepoint at the weekend in a RARE three-day battering that took out power supplies and downed trees at the coastal resort. Localised storm winds started blowing in the area very late on Thursday night and only twice lulled for two hours at a time before easing overnight on Sunday. The sustained period of the windstorm was "UNCOMMON" despite the location being prone to briefer bouts of high winds. The winds in the period blew almost constantly at about 60km/h from very early Friday and reached "storm force gusting above hurricane strength" gales clocked at over 150km/h on Saturday.
10/17 -
TEXAS - At least 4 dead in flooding - Heavy thunderstorms brought torrential rains, flooding and tornadoes to Southeast Texas Monday, killing four people, ripping roofs off mobile homes, and trapping rush-hour drivers on flooded, tangled freeways. As much as 10 inches of rain fell in the Houston-Galveston area. Several tornadoes touched down.
In Louisiana, three people were hurt early Monday when strong winds blew through the fishing community of Leeville, 90 miles south of New Orleans
10/16 -
A landslide killed a child on France's Reunion Island. A child was killed Sunday when part of a cliff collapsed onto a highway on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion. A rock weighing 40-50 kilograms (88-110 pounds) fell onto the highway, crushing the back half of the car in which the child was traveling. In March, two people were killed when part of the cliff broke off onto the same highway.
10/15 -
CHINA - Flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains in south-western China have left at least 20 people dead or missing and 11 others injured. Heavy downpours from October 6 to 12 in the mountainous Honghe prefecture of Yunnan province triggered the flooding and landslides.
MALAYSIA - Heavy rains triggered a landslide that submerged an entire village in eastern Malaysia while a tree fell onto a railway car carrying foreign and local tourists, but no one was hurt in either incident. The monsoon rains had loosened soil on hillsides. Around 100 villagers from Sepanggar in eastern Sabah state were evacuated after elders sounded the alarm when they spotted trees swaying on a nearby hillside. Within minutes, as many as 15 houses were crushed by a mudslide. All the villagers managed to get out of their houses before the early Thursday morning mudslide. Meanwhile, 40 passengers, including 29 foreign tourists, had to walk for an hour to the nearest train station after a tree fell on their railcar in southwestern Sabah Thursday.
10/13 -
KENYA - Five Kenyan toddlers died on Thursday after being buried alive in a landslide at a heavily populated slum area near Kenya's main port. The victims, all under the age of five, were playing in a gorge near Mombasa's Mburukenge slum when the earth above them collapsed, sending a surge of mud down the slope. "We think the landslide was caused by recent heavy rains."
MALAYSIA - Landslide destroys 17 squatter houses - A total of 17 houses and a surau in Kampung Lok Bunu were destroyed by a landslide, Thursday. No one was hurt in the incident at the squatter settlement as the residents saw the hillslope collapsing at about 8am and escaped the danger in time. The landslide at the settlement of about 70 houses occupied by 107 families was the second in five years. The first in 2001 claimed three lives. The squatters were advised to move to a safer site to avoid a similar incident as the weather lately had been unpredictable.
ALASKA - Heavy rains, flooding and mudslides have isolated several Alaskan cities. While some 200 residents once evacuated are now being allowed home, the southern Alaskan city of Valdez is now isolated, as the only highway connecting it with the outside world has been washed out. Floodwaters so severely damaged a 66-mile stretch of highway that it could be closed for up to a week. In two days the area received between eight and ten inches of rain - with more than six inches of rain falling in one 24 hour period, prompting mudslides and flash flooding. The city of Cordova - south of Valdez - saw at least 22 inches of rain in only a few days. High water cut off the main highway into town and the Cordova airport is also flooded. The area also saw severe flooding in August. Seward and parts of the Kenai Peninsula also reported flooding.
10/12 -
THAILAND - Flooding level in Nakhon Sawan is the HIGHEST IN 60 YEARS, Nakhon Sawan became the latest province submerged on Wednesday after nightlong heavy rains as 17 provinces have been inundated and almost two million people affected. Most parts of Nakhon Sawan are under water, with the water level in the province now reaching two metres. The situation could worsen, as Weather Department predicted more heavy rains for the following weeks.
Bangkok is bracing for floods to hit the city as the Chao Phraya river that flows through the capital has hit a RECORD-HIGH level 220 kilometres away. Bangkokians got a preview Tuesday night as torrential rains caused widespread flooding and paralyzed rush-hour traffic as water levels reached 70 to 80 centimetres at some major intersections. Before the high waters of the Chao Phraya, which drains most of north and central Thailand, hit an already soaked Bangkok, attempts were made to divert the high volume of water to fields and 2,000 rai of land owned by the royal family. 39 people have died since August 27 as a result of the inundations.
10/11 -
THAILAND - many thousands of freehold farmlands belonging to local residents have been submerged since Monday afternoon only to save Bangkok from flooding. The move has remarkably reduced a large volume of overflow to the capital thanks to the great sacrifice by the King and his subjects in Ayutthaya, one of the hardest-hit in the flood woes. The king granted royal permission for the Royal Irrigation Department to divert excess waters overflow the Chao Phraya River basin to his vast plots of land in this central province to help absorb the deluge before it can flood Bangkok. Bangkok is expected to survive the critical period as high tide reaches its peak in the coming few days. As of Monday, the official death toll reported by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reached 39, while more than two million people have been made homeless or are otherwise suffering from severe effects of the flooding.
THAILAND & MYANMAR are suffering their WORST MONSOON FLOODS IN 11 YEARS.
GREECE - Flash floods caused by heavy rain swept through dozens of northern Greek villages for a second day on Tuesday damaging hundreds of homes, washing away roads and bridges and forcing rescue teams to airlift isolated villagers. The government declared a state of emergency for devastated regions in central and northern Greece. The heaviest damage was recorded near the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest, which received more rain in the 24-hour period from Sunday than it regularly does in the whole month of October. Sections of national highways and bridges were washed away, effectively isolating dozens of villages and towns in the nearby Halkidiki area. Rail lines connecting the central Greek cities of Larisa and Volos were also washed away by the flood waters. The floods in northern Greece come just two months after the region suffered its worst-ever spate of fires which destroyed about 50,000 hectares of forests.
NEW MEXICO - A fast-moving storm dumped hail on Las Cruces and several parts of Dona Ana County overnight Monday. In less than a half-hour, the area was covered in a blanket of ice. The last time it hailed in the area was on Sept. 14. The hail, bigger than the size of a dime, created a slushy mess overnight along several streets. Hail has been known for creating dangerous road conditions. October is typically a month when severe weather is common, but forecasters said hail storms just three weeks apart is UNUSUAL.
10/10 -
THAILAND - Floods in Thailand have killed 32 people and sickened 138,000 others, many suffering from waterborne bacteria or parasites from wading through waist-deep water. Flooding has hit 43 of Thailand's 76 provinces since August, the height of the rainy season. Of the flood-hit provinces, 22 remain inundated by heavy rains related to Typhoon Xangsane.
GREECE - Torrential rains over the weekend flooded vast areas of northern Greece, causing much damage and widespread power outages. The worst-affected areas included the villages of Melissourgos, Stavro, and Olympiada, as well as locations along the Thessaloniki-Kavala stretch of the national highway.
CHINA - Four more bodies were recovered early Monday in a landslide in northwest China, bringing the death toll to 11, with one person still missing. The landslide occurred at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Gaolou Village in Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province, when more than 50,000 cubic meters of mud and rock destroyed 94 houses, burying 13 villagers. Villagers nearby have been evacuated to safety. It rained heavily for ten days in the hilly area a week before the landslide.
MALAYSIA - Heavy rains triggered a landslide at the back of a row of low-cost flats in Section 10, Wangsa Maju, forcing about 600 residents to flee their homes.
10/9 -
FLORIDA - Extremely strong winds, pelting rain and a tornado blew through Central Florida Saturday night. More than 75 people in Apopka are homeless due to a roof collapse and are getting help from the Red Cross. The severe storm was UNUSUAL for autumn. It was caused by a cold front from the north colliding with warm air with the south over Central Florida.
UTAH - RECORD RAIN - Some parts of Utah received more rain on Friday than they do normally in six to 12 months.
10/8 -
CHINA - A landslide trapped 12 villagers and destroyed almost 100 homes in a rural community in northwest China.
VIRGINIA - Up to 9 inches of rain soaked parts of Virginia, forcing the evacuation Saturday of a six-block section of Richmond and causing scattered flooding in the southeastern part of the state. The bodies of two fishermen who went out at the height of the storm were recovered. The two were caught in seas of up to 5 feet and winds gusting to 50 mph when they attempted to pull gill nets. Some of the heaviest tidal flooding since Hurricane Isabel blew through the area, is creating dangerous conditions on many highways and streets throughout Hampton Roads. Smithfield and Isle of Wight County were especially hard hit as a persistant Nor'easter continued pushing water into the bays and rivers. In Norfolk and Porrtsmouth, areas which normally are affected by tidal flooding, were especially hard hit, with many major thoroughfares completely obstructed by high water.
10/6 -
THAILAND - Flood barriers in Muang district were unable to stop the Chao Phya River from bursting its banks yesterday, leaving 350 residences under 2.5 metres of water in less than an hour. The Chao Phya River destroyed a one-kilometre stretch of flood barriers made of sandbags in Phrom Buri district and submerged 500 homes in Pak Bang market area under 1.5-metres of water in less than two hours. From September 5 to October 4, nine districts were flooded, affecting 33,291 people. The province also had a high suicide attempt rate of 467 cases this year - with 42 succeeding. The worst hit area, Bang Rakham, had 107 villages submerged for 30 days and 29,516 residents affected. Many locals were highly stressed due to crop damage from flooding. Meanwhile, the permanent secretary for Public Health ordered health officials to be alert to water-borne diseases including leptospirosis, cholera, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, measles, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis and athlete's foot, the latter being responsible for 45 per cent of the 106,218 flood-affected patients. Since September 29 over 5,268 patients had fallen ill from flood-borne diseases - with 2,600 cases on Wednesday alone.
NEW ZEALAND - An intense FREAK thunderstorm, which dumped 65mm in 90 minutes on the Mauriceville area north of Masterton on Tuesday night, had farmers, council workers and rail engineers reeling at the intensity of the rain and resulting damage. Streams transformed into torrents so strong a skinned sheep was discovered impaled on a fence, the railway line was left hanging in mid air when base metal was sluiced away and in other parts submerged under silt, and hillsides were stripped bare of pasture and crops. The railway was undermined after a tiny stream was transformed into a raging torrent, and rushed across the Mauriceville Road just north of the township. It flattened fences, drowned sheep and sluiced out the metal under the railway line, depositing it across paddocks. The torrent also smashed the huge culvert it's supposed to pass through. The thunderstorm, which hit northern Wairarapa, is part of a low-pressure system stormy pattern that had been predicted to hit the North Island early in October. The thunderstorms hit parts of Auckland on Sunday and have continued through the week in several areas, but especially on the east coast. There's more rain to come too, because of a low pressure system in the Tasman Sea which will be crossing the North Island bringing with it several rain bands.
10/2 -
NIGERIA - Hundreds of people in northern Nigeria have been made homeless after a dam burst in Zamfara state. Torrential rain had brought the water level behind the dam to critical level, forcing it to burst. A wall of water swept through villages below the dam, close to the state capital Gusau. "The body of water was just like the pictures of tsunami that we've seen. It had enough force and speed to sweep people off their feet and into the river." Despite the force of the water, "all those missing were later found safe and alive."
NEW ZEALAND - a major storm hit Auckland. There were reports of roofs lifting, houses flooding, powerlines arcing and trees coming down following an electrical storm across West Auckland and a mini tornado in Ranui. Landslips were reported in Swanson and Scenic Drive.
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9/29 -
AZERBAIJAN - Heavy rain kills two in Azerbaijani region.
SOUTH AFRICA - At least six die in RECORD TORRENTS OF RAIN in Transkei. Port Edward had 133,2mm of rain on Tuesday, a new record after the previous high of 83.2mm recorded on September 22, 1993. Mthatha‘s 63,7mm was also a new record after the 57,3mm recorded on September 26, 1987.
Heavy rain causes chaos in South Trinidad & Tobago - Rivers overflowed their banks and caused massive flooding throughout low lying areas in South Trinidad yesterday following three hours of heavy rain.
UNITED KINGDOM - Yarmouth has seen four FREAK storms in a month. Roads were turned into rivers and homes were awash after a month's rainfall fell in just a few hours on Monday morning. The town's infrastructure was pushed to the very limit by the “one in 100 year downpour” - roads were closed, businesses were forced to shut, schools were closed, and traffic came to a virtual standstill.
NEW YORK - A waterspout was spotted in Long Island Sound off Bridgeport Wednesday afternoon, prompting a mariners' warning from the National Weather Service. It was certainly a RARE site out on Long Island Sound. A "Fair Weather Waterspout" touched down north of Port Jefferson. The spout lasted close to a half hour with varying intensities. Not only is the "occurrence" rare for the area, but it also lasted much longer than the typical fair weather spout.
LANDSLIDES -
9/28 -
INDONESIA'S president has declared a landslide disaster zone over part of East Java swamped by a mudspill, and ordered that four affected villages be abandoned. “Around 400 hectares of the affected area flooded with mud is now declared a “disaster area' and not fit for habitation. Almost 3000 households from four villages will be resettled." For four months, steaming mud has been spewing from the earth near an exploratory gas well. Experts have warned they cannot predict when the outpouring might end.
PENNSYLVANIA - Private train rerouted due to massive landslide - A major landslide covered two of the three Norfolk Southern railway tracks in Kilbuck Township.
NEW YORK - A boat advisory remains in effect after landslide - Boaters are still required to avoid a section of the Hudson River effected by a landslide, which occurred more than a week ago.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Landslide severs Highlands Highway - the dilapidated Mendi to Tari section of the Highlands Highway has been further affected by a landslide.
9/28 -
SOUTH AFRICA - N2 caves in after 188mm of rain - Heavy rain is also wreaking havoc in parts of the Eastern Cape, causing accidents, washing away roads and threatening the homes of shack dwellers.
NEPAL - Heavy rain cripples life in eastern Nepal - Incessant rainfall for the last four days has crippled life in the eastern districts, with air service and shuttle service along the highways also being affected. Transportation to and from Biratnagar Sub-metropolis has been disrupted while the ground floor of many houses in the city were flooded due to lack of proper sewage system. Huge swathes of arable land along with settlements in Bahedabela, Musaraniya, Depura, Rupaitha and other VDCs in the district have been inundated. In Udayapur, transportation service to and from the district headquarters Gaighat came to a complete halt due to flooding of Triyuga river. Similarly, landslides triggered by continuous rainfall at many places along the Mechi and Koshi Highways have further disrupted traffic movement. Rainfall throughout the country that has outlived the usual monsoon end date of September 23, was set to end for this year on Wednesday, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. The incessant downpour in the country was caused by an abnormal weather system in Jharkhand and Bihar. However, the system is moving towards northeast and monsoon should end in the country.
INDIA - Heavy rainfall lashed most parts of Kerala and Lakshadweep, even as the South West monsoon continued to be vigorous in the region.
9/26 -
AUSTRALIA - Thousands of dollars damage was caused when violent wind storms lashed the Lithgow district and Blue Mountains on Sunday. The gales were part of an extreme weather front that affected much of south eastern NSW, leaving a trail of destruction and bringing an ominously early start to the bushfire season. Wind gusts were reported by the Weather Bureau to have been up to 100 kph, bringing THE MOST EXTREME WIND EXPERIENCE IN RECENT YEARS. This prompted the Rural Fire Service to declare the region's first total fire ban for the year, a situation normally encountered in peak Summer rather than early Spring.
UNITED KINGDOM - Hundreds of people yesterday battled flash floods after drainage systems in two coastal towns were "overwhelmed" by torrential rain. More than 90 properties, including schools and businesses, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and Lowestoft, Suffolk were affected. Floods were said to be several feet deep in places in Great Yarmouth, which was the worst hit area, and police said a number of roads were blocked.
KENTUCKY - Heavy flooding rain, 8.95 inches of rain over 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, was probably a 200-year rain. Heavy rain last November was a 300-year rain. Both are RARE in themselves, but to get both in the span of one year, as well as other smaller rain events that have also caused flooding - that is something that stormwater systems are just not designed to handle. "They usually don't go to the extent of designing for anything more than a 50- to 100-year storm. It's just not economically possible to do that."
9/25 -
LOUISIANA - Three tornadoes touched down across the Teche Area last Thursday, damaging several homes. Tornadic activity is UNUSUAL in this time of year. "Usually, you don't see tornadoes like this in September, unless there's a tropical storm or a hurricane coming. However, this entire month has been active. It's acting like a later season than it really is. We're experiencing a weather pattern like you usually see in November or December." Tornadoes are most common in fall or spring months.
9/24 -
US - High winds, heavy rain and tornadoes pounded parts of the U.S. Midwest and South, leaving at least eight people dead, stranding people in cars, forcing others from their homes and leaving thousands without power.
BANGLADESH - A landslide triggered by days of heavy rain killed two children and injured six other members of their family in southern Bangladesh.
INDIA - With two days of incessant rain and more forecast for the next 48 hours Kolkata came to a complete halt on Friday. The city has so far recorded 218.44 mm rainfall. Three people died of electrocution in the southern fringes of the city and three of a family were killed in a wall collapse. Elsewhere in the state, 22 people died and nearly 70,000 houses were damaged.
PHILIPPINES - At least eight minibus passengers were killed and thirteen others were missing when their vehicle was hit by a landslide and fell into a ravine during heavy rains.
CYPRUS - A FREAK storm led to traffic hell on the Nicosia-Limassol highway when three trucks collided on the rain-slicked slippery roads. Miraculously no one was hurt in the incident but the ensuing chaos closed the arterial until roughly 3pm. The head of the Weather Services, could not say how much ain had fallen in the sudden downpour, which radio reports said was ‘torrential’. “Clouds have rolled in from the west, with unstable conditions prevailing until Monday.” When asked whether rain was normal for this time of year, he said it was difficult to say as, “general weather patterns have been somewhat UNUSUAL over the past two years”.
9/21 -
IRELAND - Severe flooding occurred in parts of counties Monaghan and Cavan as a result of heavy rainfall yesterday evening. More serious flooding was reported in the Clones and Ballybay areas of Co Monaghan. Many areas of farmland were under water. Residents in Cork city are being advised to take precautions to protect their property against flooding following warnings of a high tide and storm conditions.
VIETNAM - Flash floods and whirlwinds have killed six people, injured six others and left several missing and almost 4,000 families homeless after raging over the country for 10 days since Sept. 9. Almost 4,000 homes were submerged and over 2,000 hectares of crops destroyed. Roads, bridges and irrigation works also suffered huge damages.
MINNESOTA - Tornado funnel near Minneapolis was spotted too late to sound warning sirens, a 10 year-old girl died. The suddenness of Saturday's fatal storm was UNUSUALLY RARE. "It went from nothing, to looking like a large tornado on the ground, in the span of four minutes." Saturday's storms were particularly tricky because they were part of a line of many individual storms, rather than the classic, enormous, self-contained "super cells" whose powerful updrafts and rotations are more readily detected on radar.
9/20 -
INDIA - Storms caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal have killed more than 40 people in eastern India and Bangladesh and left hundreds of fishermen missing at sea. Thousands of people have been left homeless. Most of the deaths came in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where heavy rains and strong winds caused flash floods. More than 31 people have been killed since Monday night, most from drowning and house collapses. In Bangladesh, three fishermen drowned and more than 100 were unaccounted for and feared dead after they were caught in rough seas and strong winds on Tuesday night.
9/19 -
INDIA - the unexpected deluge in Barmer district (part of the Great Indian Desert or Thar Desert) not only “killed hundreds and destroyed property worth crores”, conservation of a variety of rare plants in the region is in peril. The waterlogged sandy stretches are squeezing life out of Barmer’s diverse fauna. The flood has also washed away fertile layers of soil and “unidentified” microbes — making the land fallow. The deluge, which broke a two-year drought cycle, occurred from August 21-August 24. Barmer and Jaisalmer received 600 mm of rain in four days, as against an annual average of 200 mm (and even less over the past few years). Thousands of desert-specific plants were destroyed. The water drained the nutrient content of the soil, reducing fertility. Scientists say crops like bajra, guar, moth, moong and vegetable will not be able to grow for a few years. The report has suggested several measures to tide over the catastrophe — like setting up a Germ Plasma Bank, Seed Bank, a nursery of desert plants to meet emergencies and save the gene-pool.
9/18 -
INDIA - With Orissa experiencing heavy rains when yet another low pressure area formed over Bay of Bengal, lightning killed at least 74 cows at Chhatipur village in Khurda district. One cowherd tending the cattle was injured while other two with him had a miraculous escape. The thunderbolt struck a herd of over 300 cattle grazing in an open field near the village killing 74 of them and injuring 113 other cows.
BANGLADESH - At least six people were killed as lightning struck a tea shop beside a highway near the beach resort of Cox's Bazar in southern Bangladesh, police and witnesses said Sunday. Three others were seriously injured in the incident which occurred Saturday night. The dead and the injured were local farmers drinking tea at the shop during a tropical storm.
9/17 -
THAILAND - Residents of a village in Chiang Rai's Theong district have been warned of a possible landslide after a 500-metre-long crack developed on a nearby hill. It was first noticed after heavy rainfall a few weeks ago but has grown since. The hillside could collapse onto the village if there was any more heavy rainfall. Meanwhile the flood situation in Ayutthaya province threatens to become more serious due to the rising level of the Chao Phya River. Residents of Phak Hai and Sena districts were warned to prepare for flooding that is expected to peak in the next few days. Bang Rakam district of Phitsanulok province remained submerged yesterday, with 5,652 households in seven subdistricts affected by the flooding.
ITALY - Heavy rainstorms with copious quantities of water have created much flooding in the countryside. Where the bad weather meant violent storms, damage has been done to plants, greenhouses and farming outfits. As a result, all the agricultural operations have been affected, including grape harvests, which have been slowed down throughout Italy. "The bad weather hasn't spared any region and everywhere has been affected by some damage or problems for agricultural companies involved in harvesting or in ploughing fields. The losses are impossible to estimate accurately at the moment, and are continually rising, partly as a result of rivers flooding and torrents of water. The alarm raised by the civil protection services spread quickly throughout the countryside, where the water was not absorbed by the parched land because it fell so heavily. Thus it tended to flow away immediately, taking the top layer of soil with it and creating the conditions for landslides and avalanches". As much as 7.1 per cent of the country, a total of over 21,000 square kilometres, is considered to be at risk of landslides and flooding. In addition, those in the farming industry are currently extremely worried about hail and the irreversible damage it could do to fruit and vegetables still in the fields, such as apples and pears. Between drought and bad weather, this summer the industry has had losses and damage worth over a billion euro.
AFRICA - A particularly extreme rainy season has led to flash floods killing almost 1,000 people and displacing 120,000 in the Horn of Africa, since the beginning of August, as flood waters swept across parched earth across Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan. Nearly 200,000 people in Ethiopia have been affected. Rising water levels of Kenya's lake Turkana have reduced its ability to act as a buffer to overflowing rivers, and is losing its ability to take in water from rivers flowing into it. Dams and levees in Ethiopia could give way in the coming weeks. "Thousands of people are in need of urgent humanitarian relief as entire communities have been displaced, disrupted, bereaved, and have lost vital livestock and farmland." Flooding has also affected thousands in West Africa, with 30,000 people in Niger and 20,000 in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
9/15 -
ILLINOIS - More than four inches of rain fell on Morris, causing stereet and basement flooding. Rainfall of this magnitude is MOST UNUSUAL for the month of September, which is usually the dry time of the year. "We probably have had in Morris this month more rain than we've had during the entire month the last two to three Septembers. September is typically a pretty dry month. This is VERY UNUSUAL. Four inches of rainfall is unusual at any time. Matter-of-fact, 3.5 inches of rainfall causes significant flooding." Meteorologists blamed the precipitation on the tail end of a weather system that hung around since last Friday, scattering heavy rain throughout northeast Illinois. This morning was Morris's turn, as the system dumped nearly five inches of rain in little more than two hours.
ETHIOPIA - At least eight people, including a family of seven, were killed in a fierce rainstorm that pounded eastern Ethiopia as floods continued to ravage the country. The new fatalities brought the nationwide toll from UNUSUALLY heavy seasonal rains and flash floods since last month to at least 647 and came in Dire Dawa, which is still recovering from deadly August flooding. This week devastating floods continued to wreak havoc across Ethiopia, affecting 357,000 people. Large areas of cropped land are swamped by the flood as unusually heavy seasonal rains had expanded Lake Tana, the region's largest body of water, by 50 metres. Forecasters have warned the country will likely face further flood threats from the rains that are expected to continue until the end of the wet season in September. Ethiopia, home to some 70 million people, has faced heavy floods and droughts in recent years along with other countries in the Horn of Africa which have endured cycles of deadly weather for decades.
9/14 -
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO - residents were affected by flash flooding yesterday, as early-afternoon thunder showers created rising panic among residents in the central and eastern areas. Rains started around 1:30pm and continued steadily for almost two hours. Heavy rain caused part of a hillside to collapse, pushing two parked vehicles to the opposite side of the road.
VIETNAM - Landslides are threatening 4,500 households on the banks of the Tien and Hau Rivers in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap. Serious landslides destroyed over 1,300 m of road in Dong Thap’s Thanh Binh District last week. Some landslides eroded up to 100m of shoreline, damaging over 30ha of farmland owned by 300 households in Tan Binh Village.
SPAIN - Heavy rains Wednesday continued to spark flooding in eastern Spain, where rail and road traffic suffered interruptions or delays. The previous day, a 83-year-old woman was killed on the Balearic Island of Majorca when a rainstorm caused a wall of her home to collapse and she was swept away by the current. Heavy rains were expected to continue in 10 out of Spain's 17 autonomous regions. The worst situation was reported in northeastern Catalonia, where Barcelona underground stations were inundated and local and long- distance train services suffered interruptions and delays.
RAIN-
9/13 -
AUSTRALIA - The Sunshine Coast received almost twice its monthly average rainfall in just one soaking 24-hour period Moday. Mother Nature served up gale-force winds of up to 110km/h along with the drenching rains across most of the Coast, while on Sunday areas of Noosa copped an UNSEASONAL hail storm. The average September rainfall is 45.8mm but that figure was blown out of the water in just one day when Maleny scored 62mm, Maroochydore 82mm and Nambour 66mm to 3pm. “It is QUITE an UNUSUAL WEATHER PATTERN for this time of year. Usually you get dry, gusty and hot conditions, but this is more like a June weather pattern and it’s a bit like Melbourne weather. It’s also definitely cooler than usual and we got close to our record coldest temperature for September on Sunday."
9/11 -
NEPAL - At least eleven people including two children have been killed in flood, landslide and lightning in various parts of Nepal. In Kabilas area in Chitawan district, due to flood caused by incessant rain, some 300 houses were swept away. Two people were killed by lightning and one killed by landslide in Hetauda in Makawanpur district in central Nepal.
PHILIPPINES - Yet another natural calamity hit the Province of Misamis Oriental early morning Sunday, this time killing three persons with two kids still missing. This is the fourth natural calamity that hit the Province of Misamis Oriental during the rainy months of August and September. The first was a cloudburst at Balingasag that killed an entire family of four. This was followed by big waves and strong winds that killed a mother and her son at Liberatad. The third natural calamity was another cloudburst at Lagonglong that has affected hundreds of families and agricultural crops. Meanwhile, heavy rains and strong winds started late Friday night causing the river along San Roque Village Relocation Site, Barangay Dayawan, Villanueva to rise up and overflow. At around 1 a.m. morning Sunday, there was then massive flooding in the areas near the river.
MAINE - Line squall causes outages throughout central Maine. A fast-moving, rain-carrying, lightning-fueled squall line racing through central Maine left a lot of people in the dark Saturday night. Part of the storm appeared as a funnel cloud. "It looked like a finger sticking out of the sky." Other people called police reporting the same UNUSUAL weather phenomenon.
9/10 -
NEPAL - Landslide kills one, highways blocked. At least one person was killed in a landslide following incessant rainfall in Chitwan Saturday. Umdi River in Chitwan has swept away some parts of Bharatpur. Several areas in Narayangarh bazaar have been waterlogged due to incessant rain. Likewise, rain has also affected life in Makawanpur district while rescue operations have been hampered. More than 30 people have been killed by floods and landslide over the last few weeks around the country.
Floods caused by dammed rivers - In Myagdi, two more houses were buried while more than 25 families of 12 households have been displaced by landslides that occurred at Torakhet of Bhakimli VDC-9 on Wednesday morning. The landslide is still continuing and additional rainfall may bury the entire village. Five houses had been swept away in the same place a week ago.
BHUTAN - A massive landslide after two days of incessant rain has cut off the Pasakha industrial estate from its town where most of the residential areas are located. Though the initial slide could not stop vehicles from crossing the stretch, another slide about half an hour later completely blocked the road. “A huge portion of the mountain slope came crashing down.” According to the residents, the slides continued for more than three hours bringing along huge chunks of rock and loose soil. Residents said that landslides were common in that area during monsoon.
INDIA - Uttar Pradesh is facing a climatic paradox. While several districts in one part of the state are inundated by floods, another part of the state faces a severe drought. Such FREAK weather conditions have never been experienced at least in the past two decades. The floods have claimed more than 50 lives in UP so far. Lakhs of people have been marooned in hundreds of villages in central UP districts like Barabanki and Bahraich where dams have been breached by high velocity water currents. A senior Irrigation Department official said that the main reason for this was the water released from Nepal into Indian territory.
ARIZONA - RECORD RAINFALL claims a life - A man was swept to his death in a South Side wash that flooded when more than an inch of rain drenched Tucson on Thursday morning. The 1.14 inches of rain recorded at Tucson International Airport set a record for rainfall on Sept. 7 and makes this year's monsoon the eighth-wettest on record, with 9.83 inches since June 15. The storms closed streets and brought down utility poles.
The storm was a strange one - Thursday's rain came mostly between 6 and 9 a.m., ATYPICAL for a monsoon storm. Summer rains normally are spurred by rising heat in the late afternoon, but this storm was caused by a weather system from Utah and Nevada.
9/8 -
MEXICO - A landslide buried buses and cars on a highway in the central state of Puebla and killed at least four travelers and injured at least 11 Thursday, a day after a separate avalanche left 10 villagers dead in northern Mexico. It was not clear if they expected to find more victims, or exactly what caused the landslide. A landslide Wednesday that authorities said was triggered by heavy rains killed 10 people, mostly children, and injured three others when five homes were buried by mud in the remote indigenous village of Chalchihuitillo.
AUSTRALIA - The gale force winds and record flooding rain that hit Sydney Wednesday night have left one man dead and the city's transport system struggling to resume normal services. The storm fatality was a man believed to have fallen from a yacht in storm-lashed Sydney Harbour who was pulled unconscious from the water. 90.6mm of rain deluged metropolitan Sydney city between 9pm and 5am. The western suburbs and, significantly, the Warragamba catchment area, reported heavy falls, some exceeding the average for the whole of September.
9/7 -
VIETNAM - Deluge leaves Hanoi submerged. Heavy rains lashed Hanoi Tuesday, inundating streets and bringing traffic to a halt. The HIGHEST EVER RAINFALL IN THE LAST 5 YEARS, lasting from noon to 2 pm, submerged streets in more than a half-meter of water. Van Ho and Long Bien precincts recorded 101.5 and 82 millimeters respectively. Hundreds of vehicles were stalled. More rains were forecast in the north over the next 3-4 days.
NORTH CAROLINA - Thick thunderstorms aggravated flood conditions in eastern North Carolina on Tuesday night, and forecasters projected that the Northeast Cape Fear River could swell more than it did when Tropical Storm Ernesto hit last week. "This is basically Ernesto over again. It's not a pretty forecast." Some areas already had seen 6 inches of rain from the latest storms. Computer models projected that the Northeast Cape Fear could crest over 17 feet by Friday - more than 7 feet above flood levels. The river flowed at just 2 feet last Thursday, before Ernesto squeezed up to a foot of rain over the region.
INDIANA - The National Weather Service says an area in southeast Rockford received about six inches of rain during afternoon storms Wednesday. Powerful floodwaters submerged parts of Rockford and the chilly water trapped people in their homes and set off one dramatic rescue after another. At the intersection of 14th Street and Tenth Avenue, the water rose to about five feet. Many long-time residents call the surprise afternoon flooding UNPRECEDENTED. People were forced to abandon cars, watch possessions float by or wait on porches as boats were dispatched to carry them to safety.
KANSAS - As shifting weather patterns carry Kansas from summer to fall, they can create conditions for the kind of severe weather - tornadoes and large hail - more typically seen in spring. Historically, that second season peaks during the last 10 days of August and the first 10 days of September. But computer models suggest the entire period will pass this year without storms capable of tornadoes and large hail. "We may not even have a second season." The weather pattern that typically brings tornadoes and large hail to Kansas this time of year, called the "northwest flow" because the storm fronts swoop down from the northern Rockies into northwest Kansas, shows no signs of setting up for the foreseeable future. A calm second season would be consistent with the rest of this year's warm-weather months, forecasters say. To date, there have only been 13 tornadoes reported in the 26 counties of southeast Kansas included in the Wichita office's coverage area. That compares to 40 last year and 53 in 2004. Since 1950, when the service began keeping tornado statistics, the southeast quarter of Kansas has averaged about 17 tornadoes a year. For the past nine years, however, the region averaged nearly 33 a year - almost double the average.
ALASKA - Juneau sets RECORD for spring, summer days of rain. Juneauites are used to getting hammered with rain, after all it is a rainforest, but this year has been ridiculous. Measurable precipitation was recorded on 109 of 153 days from April through August. That surpasses the record of 106 days set in the spring and summer of 1973. Rivers and streams have overflowed and gardens have been ruined by oversaturation. 30.18 inches fell from April though August, just spring and summer in 1961 recorded a trace more rain than that.
DUBAI - A heavy sandstorm hit the UAE on Tuesday afternoon, causing visibility to plunge to as little as 50 metres. Driving conditions became hazardous when the wall of sand struck Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and other parts of the country from about 3pm onwards. Forecasters said the storm was just the latest offbeat weather event after weeks of meteorological instability in the eastern parts of the UAE. Winds blowing from the south east to the north west gusted at up to 40 knots, churning up sand and dust. The weather system that caused the winds was moving across the UAE from east to west. "The storm was caused by winds coming down from thundery clouds a downdraft. It was quite a severe one because the winds were reaching high levels... This year, August and first week of September have been full of activity [in the eastern areas] we've NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF THING DAY AFTER DAY BEFORE." There were daily reports of heavy clouds in eastern mountainous parts of the UAE, and on Tuesday those conditions reached the west coast. Drivers said they were shocked by the speed with which the sandstorm descended and cut visibility. As well as the sandstorms there were also unsettled conditions on the east coast, with meteorologists at Fujairah reporting thunderstorms. The storms were accompanied by heavy rains, causing heavy water flow through wadis and farmland.
9/6 -
PENNSYLVANIA - "This truly has been a HIGHLY UNUSUAL summer for the number of storms." Ernesto was the 13th notable storm this summer in the area. This summer was ONE OF THE WETTEST IN RECENT YEARS with 25 percent more precipitation (16.7 inches) than normal for the period.
9/5 -
KASHMIR is facing its WORST EVER FLOOD CRISIS IN TWO DECADES with hundreds of villages and parts of capital Srinagar completely marooned. At least 14 people have died in Jammu after three days of incessant rains and freak floods. Over half a million people have moved to safer places to survive the floodwaters and the Army has been called in to undertake rescue missions in parts of Kashmir. The rising waters of Chenab River are eating away at farmlands every year. “We can only watch helplessly. The water rises and takes away our fields, this loss has become a annual feature for us now.” The rising Chenab in Akhnoor, near Jammu, has already affected 15 villages where agriculture is the only source of income. Many high altitude areas, including parts of the National highway, have also received heavy snowfall over the past three days.
9/4 -
AUSTRALIA - RECORD RAINFALL has lashed north Queensland over the past 48 hours, causing road closures on a major highway. More than 270mm was dumped on the town of Cardwell, 150km south of Cairns, in the 48 hours to 9am today – nearly eight times the September average of 36mm. Neighbouring Ingham, south of the Cardwell Range, recorded about 166mm over 48 hours. The downpour has smashed rainfall records in both towns. Cardwell's previous 24-hour rainfall record was 97mm set in 1926, a figure broken twice in the past two days. But it fell in the wrong areas to help the severe drought in the state's south. Cairns Bureau of Meteorology said the rainfall was “PHENOMENAL”, adding that it was unseasonal. This weekend's heavy rain wrought havoc on the Bruce Highway at the Cardwell range, with three landslips in 24 hours blocking both lanes of traffic. The rainfall had been caused by the combination of an upper level low and a low pressure trough coming together around Cardwell, causing heavy, slow moving rain.
INDIA - Flooding triggered by monsoon rains in the past few days have left 1.5 million people homeless and damaged thousands of acres of paddy crop in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. Over 20,000 people were evacuated after hundreds of villages were cut off. Army troops were evacuating more villagers from coastal districts with the authorities braced for more rain. “We are bothered about the fresh formation of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal and are closely monitoring its movement."
In Nepal, at least 50 people died last week in flash floods. Thousands of people have been evacuated to dry areas while officials are braced for any outbreak of diseases. Landslides and flash floods have also affected thousands of people in Pakistan.
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8/31 -
NIGER - Torrential rains have left at least 17,000 people homeless in the north and south of Niger, according to authorities who have appealed for urgent assistance. The remote desert town Bilma in Agadez region, 1,500 km northeast of the capital Niamey has been hardest hit. In this town alone, some 3,400 people from 675 families have been driven from their homes or watched them destroyed by flooding. Bilma has received some 63 mm of rain in recent days - EQUIVALENT TO THE TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED THERE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. Another 700 people have left their homes in Ingal and Tabelot, also in the northeast region. In the south of Niger, heavy rains have also displaced 2,177 people around the major town Zinder in the southeast, and 2,261 near Madaoua, and 1,372 at Dogon Doutchi, both in the southwest. The government said it has started trying to relocate people to administrative buildings, but warns the majority are still without shelter.
Widespread flooding has also been reported in neighbouring northern Burkina Faso. Reports last week estimated at least 6,000 people there had left their homes. Flooding has also been reported in Liberia and parts of southern Senegal.
THAILAND - Continuous rainfall had led to landslides damaging five homes and 2,000 rai of forest in Nan's Thung Chang and Chalermprakiat districts, prompting officials to evacuate locals to temporary shelters. The discovery of a 700 metre-long and 50-metre-wide crack in the ground in Chiang Klang district's Ban Kok village prompted local officials to evacuate 152 residents to temporary shelters in the Phu Wae National Park. In neighbouring Chiang Mai, the Mae Rim River had overflowed and inundated 70 houses. The weather bureau has warned of heavy rains over the next few days.
NEPAL - Heavy rain that has flooded western Nepal villages and left thousands homeless is not expected to relent for at least three weeks. Flooding in the southwest and landslides in the mountainous northwest have already killed at least 39 people and several more are reported missing.
8/30 -
PENNSYLVANIA - Emergency crews in Venango County have spent the day cleaning up busy roadways, after hundreds of residents were evacuated from their homes because of flood waters. Many neighbors in the Borough of Polk watched in disbelief after heavy rain and flooding destroyed much of the area. The water began covering main roadways early Tuesday morning, leaving many vehicles with no place to go. Neighbors say they`ve never seen flooding like this. Most homes in the area received quite a bit of flood damage in their basements, and some also had first-floor damage. A garage was lifted off its base due to the high water. Also, a nearby gas pump in the path of the water was lifted out of the ground.
NEPAL - At least 14 more people are confirmed dead in the spate of flooding and landslides in various districts in the past two days due to incessant rain. While scores are still missing, over 10,000 have been displaced in Bardiya district alone. Five houses were swept away and over 100 houses have been completely damaged in Balyalta village which has been scarred by over 50 landslides. Around 300 head of cattle were also swept away by the landslide. Over 300,000 people of 11 VDCs in the Rajapur Tappu area in the district have also been affected by flooding. In Nawalparasi, over three dozen families have been displaced while around 150 houses in Rampur and Khadauna VDCs are on the verge of collapse due to flooding. Over 3,200 bigha of standing paddy in the district has been inundated.
8/29 -
INDIA - How do those used to drought every year now battle with a deluge? Over 100 people are now dead around Barmer in floods. Barmer is normally a desert, but in what seems to be a FREAK happening, it's flooded. Floods in the area have brought to forefront all the issues they are familiar with as a nation in such circumstances; administrative delay in response, inadequate relief, and the colossal loss of human life and property. But what can't be stressed enough is the mad irony of a land thirsting for water now devastated in deluge.
NEPAL - Hundreds feared dead in Nepal’s WORST LANDSLIDE IN A DECADE. Fears are mounting that a massive landslide on Saturday night in the western Nepalese district of Achham could have killed up to 500 people. News of the disaster caused by heavy rain was reported only yesterday because of the area’s remoteness and lack of telephones. A survivor from Balyalta village reported that 80 of the village’s 94 homes were swept away in the landslide. “More than 500 residents have simply gone.” “This landslide in Achham district is the worst of the past decade. It is an appalling tragedy. I think it is the result of our greed, of our ways of stripping this mountain region of its natural resources, not realising that in doing so we are bound to suffer consequences like the thing that just happened.” Locals lament that the outsiders who exploit their natural resources never suffer. One bitterly said: “They come, loot and vanish, leaving the local poor and innocent to experience the full wrath of nature.”
8/28 -
INDIA - At least 93 people were killed and dozens more are missing in massive floods caused by monsoon rains that have swamped the normally drought-prone desert state of Rajasthan. State officials, citing the numbers of people still missing, said the death toll could reach as high as 300. Government officials announced yesterday that 51 bodies had been recovered from Barmer, where vast swathes of land remained under water. Navy divers and army troops had been called in to rescue around 200 people who had taken shelter atop houses, vehicles and sand dunes after the UNUSUALLY heavy rains in the desert region. The army had flown nearly 3500 people by helicopter to higher ground. Around 47,000 animals had also been found dead. Earlier this month, more than ten million people were affected by floods in four states. Western Gujarat state faced the brunt with its diamond-polishing hub of Surat remaining under water for five days.
GERMANY - Lightning injured 25 people, several of them critically, at an air show and a soccer match in western Germany on Sunday. At least 20 people were hurt, 10 of them seriously, when a bolt of lightning hit a crowd at the air show in St Augustin, near Bonn. Two of the victims were in critical condition. Another five people suffered life-threatening burns during a thunderstorm in Gelsenkirchen. Lightning struck the tree under which the group was sheltering during a local league soccer game.
NEW ZEALAND - A suspected tornado hurled a family's steel trampoline 10m on to a neighbour's house in Tauranga on Saturday night. Residents in Papamoa were left wondering if they lived in tornado country after the FREAK winds left the trampoline hanging 2m in the air from the neighbour's roof. "When we came out the wind was still blowing a gale but then it became quite still. It was very strange." Small tornadoes in the North Island happen more often than most people thought. "They are reasonably common. It's not often we get a big one but there are quite a few little ones. It is quite possible it was a small tornado."
MALDIVES - Some houses in Laamu atoll Maamendhoo Island have been damaged because of heavy rains that have caused flooding throughout the island. Heavy rain on Thursday caused the water level to rise to one and a half feet. Some 15 houses in the center of the island were completely flooded because the ground level at the middle of the island is lower.
NORTH DAKOTA - DEVILS LAKE - Hundreds of families displaced. Traumatized children. Landowners losing everything and sickened from the stress. It sounds like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but these symptoms are appearing in North Dakota. A popular lake often used for recreation is rising ominously and spreading, drowning homes and lucrative fields of crops. Devils Lake, west of Grand Forks in the north-central part of the state, has risen about 26 feet since 1993. If it keeps rising, and the area's "wet cycle" continues, as some meteorologists predict, the lake could rise an additional 11 feet by 2012. "With Katrina or Rita, the storm came and left. In this case, the flood comes and stays. It's never over." 75,000 arces are already underwater. Much of the rest of the state, however, is in a record drought.
SUDAN - In recent weeks, rising waters have swept away homes and businesses, reportedly killing several people along the Nile River in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Those who live and work near the Nile have done their best to shore up the river banks with dark red sand and go about their lives as normal. In fifty years of fishing the Nile waters, some have never seen flooding this bad. 'The current is so strong it tangles my net. I don't get fish. I get trees, thorns, branches and mud.' Hundreds of fishermen are facing the same dilemma. The river has risen to within metres of busy Nile street and passengers in cars and buses gape at billboards and trees, which barely poke above the water. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera have emerged as a real threat.
8/27 -
RUSSIA - A woman was killed and 14 people hurt in a hailstorm and downpour in southern Russia. The hailstorm hit the Stavropol Territory, near the North Caucasus, Thursday night, with hail reaching 2 cm (0.78 inches) in diameter. Electricity transmission lines were damaged, killing a 39-year-old woman, and 14 people have asked for medical help. Roofs and windows were damaged in 1,675 houses.
INDIA - Moderate to heavy rain lashed many parts of north India for the third consecutive day on Saturday, causing mercury to dip by a few degrees. Heavy rains lashed Shimla (36 mm) during the day and the residents experienced a cold day as the mercury dropped to 19.8 degrees celsius. Una in HP was the wettest town receiving a heavy rainfall at 71 mm. The weather forecast for the region is that moderate to rather heavy rain or thunder showers are likely to occur at many places in HP and at a few places in Punjab and Haryana over the next two days.
THAILAND - Over 550 villagers were evacuated by helicopters after heavy rains caused a landslide in a village in the northern province of Nan Saturday morning. About 360 villagers were evacuated form Nam Phi Village in Tambon Thung Chang of Thung Chang district after landslide destroyed three houses. Later, helicopters flew in to evacuate 192 more villagers from Ban Nam Phao Village.
NEPAL - A landslide in a mountainous western Nepal village killed at least 10 people and injured three others on Saturday.
NORWAY - skeptical meteorologists needed convincing that a tornado had been seen in a field in Østfold County on Thursday afternoon. Tornadoes are EXCEEDINGLY RARE in Norway and the meteorologist on duty at Storm Weather Center need convincing after checking that conditions in Østfold did not seem to be conducive to the phenomenon. But a woman forwarded a picture taken with her mobile phone, and it was no longer in doubt. "I noticed a strange cloud with a kind of gray clump under it. Suddenly the 'clump' began to move and then formed a point. I was so shocked that it was a minor miracle that I managed to take a picture with my mobile phone." Tornadoes are rarely powerful in Norway and as a rule just last for a few minutes. Another person managed to photograph the formation of twin tornadoes while walking in Ustedalsfjorden near Geilo on July 23.
8/25 -
ETHIOPIA - Floods in western Ethiopia's Gambella region killed two people and displaced more than 6,000 when the Baro River burst its banks on Wednesday, and residents were being resettled in safe areas to protect them from more potential flooding. "This river used to fill by the end of August and beginning of September, but this time the river started to overflow before the expected time. It started to fill from mid-June. It is now becoming a threat even to Gambella town." Heavy rainfall since the end of July has caused most big rivers in Ethiopia to swell and weather forecasts indicate more rains, which could lead to more flooding.
BRITAIN - FREAK flooding was THE WORST IN 50 YEARS. The great mop-up went into action at the weekend after torrential rain flooded Great Yarmouth and Caister who appeared to have been the heaviest hit with homes and businesses inundated with flash floods, some livelihoods put at risk and families being forced to move into B&Bs. Floods destroyed the ground floor of a pub - the fourth time it has flooded in the space of a week. The flooding was the result of exceptionally heavy storms. Initial investigations suggest that the sewage system became overwhelmed by this UNPRECEDENTED rainfall. “We are getting more and more FREAK weather like flash flooding and the drains simply can't take that amount of water. I have been in properties affected by flooding and it's devastating - it really is a horrendous situation to be in."
MIDWESTERN U.S. -
INDIANA - severe thunderstorm swept in from Lake Michigan late Wednesday with high winds and large hail, moving docks, scattering lumber across railroad tracks and leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power. "It was intense. I've never seen anything like it."
MINNESOTA - A line of thunderstorms moved through the state Thursday morning, dropping large hail on several cities in the southern metro area. In New Prague, dented vehicles were common in the city of about 4,600 about 30 miles south of Minneapolis. Hail the size of golf balls was reported shortly before 9 a.m. near Norwood, in the southwestern corner of the metro area. Half an hour later pea-sized hail was reported in Chanhassen. Thursday evening tornadoes pummeled southern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. Hail the size of softballs and grapefruit fell, damaging hundreds of cars, trees and roofs. "It looks like a war zone." The storms were the result of a "one-two punch" - first a warm front moving through and then a cold front.
WISCONSIN - Strong storms overnight knocked down a barn, toppled a gas pump and dumped golfball-sized hail in parts of Wisconsin. A brief tornado touched down in Sauk County, but no damage was associated with it.

ARIZONA - A rain-driven flash flood swept through the outskirts of Phoenix Thursday, trapping the occupants of two cars perched on the edge of a swollen wash.
8/24 -
SOUTH AFRICA - The Southern Cape has again been hit by flooding. The Great Brak River near Mossel Bay has broken its banks in several places following heavy overnight rain. The weather office has warned of more rain in the next 24 hours. Cold and wet conditions are also expected over the western high ground of the Eastern Cape. This follows the major floods in the Southern and Eastern Cape almost a month ago which caused a number of deaths and extensive damage. Early indications are that flood damage in Nelson Mandela Bay could total as much as R120 million.
MUD -
8/24 -
INDONESIA - Thousands of people on the Indonesian island of Java have been forced from their homes by tonnes of hot mud and gas. The sludge, which has been spewing out of the ground for more than two months, is the result of a crack in a gas drilling project near Indonesia's second city, Surabaya. Despite attempts by government officials and the company involved, so far nothing has managed to contain the flow. The mud now covers around 20 square kilometres. Climb up a bank of earth at the outskirts of Shiring village and you see it - a lake of mud stretching for kilometre after kilometre. A white plume of gas marks the spot where it all started; a crack in the earth spewing out steaming sludge. "The mud came up to our chest, we didn't have time to save anything from the house, we just ran to save our lives." The government is anxious to keep the sludge away from any other residential areas and is putting its faith into a series of dams meant to contain the growing lake. Trucks carrying mounds of earth to build these new barriers rumble up and down the main highway every couple of minutes, but the dams have not always proved effective. Earlier this month, a barrier around the village of Shiring burst, causing a second wave of refugees. The rainy season is due to begin in two months time, and plans to build a stronger, concrete barrier to cope with it have not convinced many of the experts brought in to find a solution. Heavy rainfall, they say, could break through the barrier in a matter of hours. Pressure from environmentalists has so far prevented them from using the river to divert tonnes of sludge into the Java Sea. (photos)
8/23 -
UKRAINE - A Russian airliner that crashed in eastern Ukraine yesterday killing all 170 passengers and crew on board was probably struck by lightning as it encountered heavy turbulence, a preliminary investigation suggested last night. The Tu-154 was flying from the Black Sea resort of Anapa to St Petersburg when it went down in open countryside about 30 miles north of the city of Donetsk. More than a quarter of the aircraft's passengers were children. Aviation experts said the aircraft could survive a lightning strike, but flight instruments may have been knocked out, disorienting the pilot. "So far this crash is a mystery because the Tupolev is robust and every aircraft has a weather radar. The big question is: how the hell did the pilot get in the middle of a thunderstorm?"
ALASKA - So far this month, Anchorage has received 4.23 inches of rainfall. But in a typical August, Anchorage usually sees just 2.93 inches for the entire month. Over the past week, rain has poured into cracks on city streets causing potholes to pop up around town. All the creeks and streams in Anchorage are running very high - but most are able to handle the high water runoff. Campbell Creek is officially half a foot above flood stage, something hydrologists say is a RARE occurrence.
TONGA - A FREAK tornado struck three vessels linked together, in a search and rescue mission in Ha'apai last Friday that nearly ended in tragedy for 35 crewmen on board. The ship "Nai'a" was on a whale-watching trip to Ha'apai when they first got caught up in a storm while anchored at Luanamo Island, Ha'apai, on August 10. "The weather was not anything that the weather forecast predicted." The wind swelled to 15 knots and swung them right around onto a reef, where the "Nai'a" stayed stuck until August 17. A government boat the "MV Hifofua" went over with a barge to rescue the "Nai'a". After several attempts they finally managed to pull the "Nai'a" up and off the reef and began towing the boat, with both vessels chained to the barge that had gone in close to the reef to enable the rescue. After surviving seven days on the reef, the captain said that they thought everything was all over and done with, and they did not expect to get hit by another FREAK storm with 40-50 knots wind, "that came out of nowhere," early on Friday morning August 18. The barge was taking on so much water that it began to sink pulling "Nai'a" with it.They cut off the barge that was chained to both the "Hifofua" and the "Nai'a" so as to save the crew, and the barge sank - but that saved about 30 crew that were onboard both boats and the five on the barge.
8/22 -
CAMBODIA - At least eight people have been killed by heavy floods in Cambodia as the Mekong River burst its banks due to heavy seasonal rains. Some victims were swept away as they tried to find food for their animals and themselves. The floods have damaged roads and destroyed thousands of hectares of rice paddies and other crops.
INDIA - Heavy rains and floods have killed 33 people in the western Indian state of Rajasthan over the last three days. Over 1500 villages and several towns had been cut off by the rising waters, schools and colleges ordered shut in the lake city of Udaipur, and electricity and telephone networks disrupted across the region. The rains were THE HEAVIEST IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES, officials in the desert state said. Floods have killed nearly 400 people in western and southern India in recent weeks, and displaced up to four million people.
8/21 -
HUNGARY - At least two people were killed and 100 injured when a sudden storm hit Hungary's capital, Budapest, as tens of thousands watched a firework display. The two people killed were hit by a falling tree and two others were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and two suffered serious injuries. Hundreds panicked when the rainstorm broke and several people had to be rescued after being thrown overboard when two ships collided on the Danube. Torrential rain and winds of up to 100km/h (62mph) tore down trees, smashed cars and windows and ripped tiles off rooftops. Water surged through the city streets close to the river. Witnesses spoke of panic on the bridges spanning the river. "We were in water up to the knees."
ETHIOPIA has rescued thousands marooned by flash floods that have killed nearly 900 people this month, but tens of thousands remain homeless as more rivers spilled over across the nation. Officials fear the death toll could still rise rapidly as bad weather and poor access hamper relief efforts. The floods have hit large areas throughout the Horn of Africa nation, displacing about 48,000 people, according to UN estimates. Ethiopia has warned that more rivers are overflowing, and its major dams are near to rupturing.
INDIA - Sunday saw 51 major state highways closed to traffic in 11 districts as extensive rains caused major damage to arterial roads connecting towns and villages across the state, resulting in collateral damage of hundreds of crores to business and trade, apart from snapping communication between people across the broken road divide. The large-scale damage has prompted them to do a rethink on design aspects of roads. “We get some funds for immediate repair from the calamity relief fund. But extensive rains like this year’s leave no access to habitation. Keeping this in mind, we are putting on the drawing board a plan to design roads in a way that they remain above water, come what may. For example, some 100 odd villages in central and south Gujarat get cut-off as all access routes get submerged. We intend to study hydrological environment of these to design all weather roads." But even as he sounds confident, for the people on the road it seems far-fetched. “The road in front of Karelibaug mental hospital was built only about four months back. And see what has happened of it. It did not survive even a single rainy season.” "It’s a record rainy season for Kutch and has left our vehicles useless outside city.”
BRITAIN - the biggest insurers are threatening to stop cover to thousands of homes in flood-prone parts of the country unless the Government abandons proposals to cut its spending on flood defences. Recent leaks from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reveal that, this year, the Government will cut £15m from its annual spending on flood defences. These cuts come in spite of warnings that the number of homes estimated to be at risk to flooding has more than doubled in the past four years. Senior insurance industry sources have also warned that any cut in flood defence spending could have an impact across the UK housing industry - and will certainly jeopardise the Government's plans to build thousands of low-cost homes on flood plains across the south east of England. The row follows flash floods in East Sussex last week, which led to raw sewage sweeping through the streets of Eastbourne. It also follows mounting concerns that the Thames Barrier could be breached if sea levels continue to rise.
8/20 -
VIETNAM - Flooding, landslides and lightning have killed at least 13 people since Friday night in northern Vietnam, bringing the nationwide death toll in a week of torrential rain to 40.
UNITED KINGDOM - Five archaeologists were ripped from terra firma by a FREAK tornado that whipped its way through Lincolnshire Thursday. The archaeologists and archaeology students, working at a sand and gravel pit at Baston, were sheltering from the thunderstorm in a temporary canteen when the building was picked up and tossed 70 feet by the wind. The thunderstorm also left 6,000 homes without power across the region.
PAKISTAN - Widespread flooding hit Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, on Thursday amid heavy rainfall, and at least five people were electrocuted.
8/18 -
ARIZONA - The rain total is 7.84 inches since the monsoon began June 15. The total makes the 2006 monsoon the SECOND-WETTEST MONSOON TO DATE in Tucson and there's plenty more rain on the way. This season's storms aren't unusual when compared to past years, save for last month's flooding. Heavy mountain runoff from those storms caused massive rockslides in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area that demolished portions of a road and washed out other portions, closing most of the canyon within the Coronado National Forest to the public. At the same time, more than 12 inches of rain fell south of Sierra Vista, causing millions of dollars in damage to roads and recreation areas of the Coronado National Memorial, which abuts the Mexican border. It left much of the area inaccessible and closed indefinitely. "The National Weather Service is calling this flood A THOUSAND-YEAR EVENT."
ETHIOPIA - An estimated 20,000 people are believed to have lost their homes and livestock by the two weeks of flooding eastern and southern Ethiopia. Heavy rains are expected for the next week according to local weather forecasts, as neighbouring Kenya and Sudan also battle with the effects of flash floods.
BELGUIM - More rain has already fallen in the first half of August than in June and July combined. After the RECORD WARMTH in July, the month of August is set to become a record month in terms of rainfall. More than a 100lr of rain per square metre has been recorded on average across the country in the first half of August. Normally, just 75lr of rainfall is recorded in August. In some regions, such as along the eastern coast and the Waasland, more than 200lr have been recorded. Beveren, for example, has recorded 232lr of rain.
UGANDA - A housewife and her two daughters were on Friday crushed to death in their sleep by a landslide that destroyed their home in Soono parish, Bumbo sub-county, Manafwa district. Tonnes of soil rolled down with stones from the slopes of Tasso hill at midnight, within the encroached section of the Mt. Elgon National Park. Four other homes and about six acres of maize were destroyed. The landslide also killed livestock and destroyed beans, coffee and onion gardens. The residents were reluctant to acquire land in the lowland areas for fear of diseases like malaria and were too poor to afford land elsewhere. It was the second landslide in three years in the area, the first having been in 2003.
NEW ZEALAND - Families rushed from their homes Wednesday as several thousand tons of hillside broke loose above an upscale Wellington neighbourhood, burying one building to its second floor level and smashing through windows. There were no reports of any injuries and the seaside street was closed to traffic. The five-storey building on the New Zealand capital's waterfront was threatened by a "substantial subsidence" of soil, after part of the hillside slipped and slammed into the rear of the building. Soil and rock had crashed through the building's windows. Further subsidence was likely from the loosened hillside. Apartments and houses on either side of the landslide and above it were evacuated in the upscale suburb of Oriental Bay. The landslide came after the WETTEST WINTER IN THE REGION SINCE 1972, according to rainfall figures.
VIETNAM - The death toll from floods and landslides in Vietnam has climbed to at least 26, with several children among the victims.
8/17 -
ETHIOPIA - 364 people have died in southern Ethiopia as flooding around the Omo river continues to spread. Thousands of people are stranded in the south and a helicopter and boats are being used in rescue efforts. Food from the government has begun to arrive. At least 800 people are feared dead this month from rivers bursting their banks in several parts of the country. In the far north, thousands of people in Tigray province are battling floods along the Tegere river. The situation in the south is 'getting out of control.' "We are preparing ourselves for up to 1,000 dead bodies from this flood alone." Weather forecasters say heavier than usual rains are expected in the coming weeks across much of Ethiopia.
CAMBODIA - Heavy rain has submerged parts of two major highways in southwestern Cambodia, halting traffic between the capital Phnom Penh and two coastal regions. Nonstop rain over the past three days has left parts of the highway linking Phnom Penh to the southern port city of Sihanoukville submerged under two meters (6.5 feet) of water, said Sun Kheam, a deputy district police chief in the area. Flooding was due in part to a river that burst its banks and spilled onto the highway
INDIA - Gujarat inundated again after heavy rain; 40,000 are evacuated - At least 40,000 people from low-lying areas in Ahmedabad and nearby towns and villages were shifted to safe places following flash floods in the Sabarmati river on Wednesday evening. “We have shifted people from Ahmedabad and about 40 villages as the inflow of water in the river near the Vasna barrage (in the city) is above 200,000 cusecs." “In a span of 20 days, Kheda is facing its fourth heavy floods and the entire district has been literally turned into wetland. Such a situation has never been experienced by this region before.”
8/15 -
INDIA - RECORD RAIN - Eleven people were killed and more than 12 went missing following heavy rains since Sunday night. Bhopal received 29 cm of rain in a span of five hours, a RECORD UNHEARD OF IN THE PAST 70 YEARS. Power supply to many areas of the state capital has been snapped. The Meteorological office said more rainfall is expected as a depression in Bay of Bengal is advancing in the north-east direction. In the next 48 hours, Bhopal is likely to get more heavy rains.
8/14 -
PHILIPPINES - The death toll from flashfloods and landslides that struck Aurora town, Zamboanga del Sur province early Monday due to heavy rains has risen to six. Almost 40 others were injured. Three buses were affected by the disaster, including one that was swept down a ravine by mud flows. The bus was on its way to Iligan City from Pagadian when the accident happened. The bus was thrown downhill several meters away from the highway, and was covered with mud.
NEW ZEALAND - Christchurch residents flee massive slip - A landslip forced three people to flee a Christchurch home as hundreds of tonnes of rock and rubble stormed into two properties yesterday. There were issues with the security of the whole cliff face and other properties near where the slip occurred, but neighbouring residents were in no immediate danger. The slip was probably the result of recent wet weather. A geological and engineering services director said he had been investigating several slips around Canterbury in the past few weeks caused by the recent bad weather. "There's been a lot of landslips because it's been UNUSUALLY wet around Christchurch, the same as the rest of the country. These are RARE events and they happen for sometimes no particular reason. There's always a risk living by a cliff."
8/13 -
INDIA - Authorities in western India warned residents that they could be hit by more floods, even as the waters receded in other areas battered by this year's monsoon. Water was rising fast in the Mahi River of Gujarat state, threatening to flood four districts. Across India, the rains have killed at least 651 people this year, with most drowning in floods, being crushed by landslides or collapsed houses, or by getting electrocuted. Rescue workers recovered nine bodies in Surat, a diamond trading hub in Gujarat that was hit hard by this week's flooding. More than 80 percent of the city, home to about 3 million people, remains flooded. Hundreds of thousands people were staying in relief camps in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, that has witnessed widespread losses in the flooding.
ETHIOPIA - Flooding has killed 261 in Ethiopia as the weather worsens. Five people have drowned and hundreds been displaced in northern Ethiopia since midweek after swollen rivers burst their banks. The flooding in northern Amhara and Tigray regions, which started Wednesday, comes less than a week after flash floods killed 256 in an eastern township of the country.
PHILIPPINES - Flooding has worsened, affecting 58 villages. The deluge, brought about by the heavy rains of typhoons "Inday" and "Juan," affected 8,001 families involving 38,935 people.
8/11 -
PAKISTAN - Landslides becoming a deadly threat in quake-hit Hazara - Monsoon heavy rains continued in Hazara division, like the other parts of the country, and massive land-sliding in the areas badly disturbed the communication infrastructure. Most of key roads had been blocked and the people are facing great difficulties because of shortage of food and other necessary commodities. Several villages are moving downward due to land-sliding and the people of these villages are in panic, trying to shift to other safe places. They demanded of the government and relief agencies to use heavy machinery to clear the blocked roads as soon possible, so that the food and aid could be moved to the stranded people of the area. Besides the massive land-sliding, heavy rains destroyed crops on a thousand Kanals of land and food scarcity would be emerging in the coming days.
INDIA - Troops stepped up rescue efforts in Surat as India's diamond-cutting city faced being totally swamped by flooding that has hit millions across west and south India. A fleet of helicopters plucking people from rooftops and dropping relief supplies filled the skyline as waters overflowing from the nearby Ukai dam surged into the city of 3.5 million people. Ninety percent of the city was under water. 10 million people were "seriously affected" by floods in the rain-soaked state. More than 5,200 Surat residents had been saved from "imminent death." Floodwaters left millions in the state stranded on the roofs of homes, hotels, police stations and barns. "We don't have any food or drinking water," the university vice chancellor was pleading in his last words from Surat before communications collapsed Wednesday. The national flood-related death toll has risen by nearly 200 in the past eight days to about 575 since the monsoon hit the country in mid-May. Swollen rivers swamped thousands of villages and towns across India's south and west yesterday, forcing 4.5 million from their homes as rescuers struggled to deliver food and water.
KENYA - Flash flood hits drought-stricken district - Four people were confirmed dead on Thursday after flash floods hit Kenya's drought-stricken northern Marsabit district. Hundreds of families had been displaced while at least 600 goats had been swept away. According to the Kenya meteorological department, the flash flood was caused by a southward movement of the inter-tropical convergence zone system, causing the heavy rains that have pounded southern Ethiopia to fall around Marsabit. The system, the department added, had moved back, meaning that more floods were unlikely and the northeastern areas would remain dry and in drought in August.
8/10 -
SOMALIA - Flooding - Floods displaced hundreds of people and destroyed at least 5,000 hectares of farmland in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region around Jowhar, the regional capital, when the Shabelle river burst its banks last week. "Some of the villagers were about to harvest [crops] when the river broke its banks." Heavy rainfall in neighbouring Ethiopia has caused the rivers downstream in Somalia to swell, causing the flooding. The Shabelle's water levels were still rising, leading to fears of more flooding.
8/8 -
INDIA - INCESSANT MONSOON RAINS, FLOODING - A boat capsized in a rain-swollen river near the Indian capital on Sunday, killing at least six people, as incessant monsoon rains triggered fresh floods across western India, halting rail and road traffic in Mumbai and stranding tens of thousands of people in the region. Heavy rains triggered fresh floods in Maharashtra, disrupting the western state's transport network and forcing the evacuation of thousands of families from marooned villages. Some 13,000 people were evacuated in Nanded district, where floods inundated about 25 villages. In southern Andhra Pradesh state, where heavy rain has wreaked havoc for days, authorities revised the official death toll up to 63 since the deluge which began Thursday. More than 130,000 people who were evacuated from their homes over the past week are still living in relief camps. The reported nationwide death toll from this year's monsoon deluge is at least 382, the actual toll is likely much higher than the one reported. Most drowned in floods, were crushed when poorly built houses collapsed, or were electrocuted when raging waters exposed live wires.
PAKISTAN - FLOODING - Among the 144 flooding casualties were 41 people who died Saturday when a road bridge collapsed in heavy rain in Mardan city, tossing dozens of people into a flooded stream. Rains, flooding and mudslides have left 16,000 homes either destroyed or partially damaged in the North West Frontier province. No deaths were reported on Monday, but more rains and flooding are forecast in the coming days and government officials have been ordered prepare for possible flood situations.
CANADA - TORNADOES - People are reeling as they try to pick up the pieces after tornadoes pounded eastern Manitoba on the weekend, killing a woman, injuring at least 20 others and wrecking homes and farms. The storm on Aug. 5 spawned at least three twisters, including one that took the life of a 64-year-old Winnipeg woman in the resort community of Gull Lake, northeast of the city. Police said that she was walking with her husband when the tornado hit, picking her up and hurling her through the air. The storm wrecked farms and cottages across a wide swath of eastern Manitoba, injuring at least 20 people in the Lac du Bonnet and Pointe du Bois areas. "In Manitoba, we know we get tornadoes...We get so many a year, but we've never had one like this. I think this has been the first death we've seen from a tornado since 1977, so this is unbelievable." Environment Canada is studying the storm, which actually produced at least three tornadoes. The damage track was up to 200 metres wide.
AUSTRALIA - FREAK TORNADO - The hamlet of Australind, about 150km south of Perth, has been declared a disaster area after a freak tornado flattened houses, upended trees and blacked out 1000 homes. With the damage bill expected to run into millions of dollars, Australind was coming to terms with the wind storm that put two people in hospital and destroyed dozens of homes.
8/7 -
ETHIOPIA - FLOODING - Rescuers have been digging through mud and debris, looking for some 300 people still missing after floods in Ethiopia. Almost 200 people are thought to have died after a river burst its banks and floodwaters swept through the city of Dire Dawa in the east of the country. Hundreds of homes were destroyed when the Dechatu river flooded on Saturday. Floodwaters damaged telephone and electricity lines and cut off the main road to Addis Ababa, further complicating the rescue efforts. The floods also swept away vehicles and livestock, and destroyed markets and shops. Over the past two years flooding has afflicted several areas of eastern and southern Ethiopia, killing hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands. (photo)
PAKISTAN - FLOODING - The death toll from Monsoon deluge and flooding is up to more than 150 in the last three weeks in Pakistan while flash floods have affected thousands of homes, mostly in northern areas. For the third consecutive day, flash floods and rains claimed 50 more lives. 700 houses were completely collapsed while 2,800 houses were partially damaged as a result of flash floods in various areas of North-West Frontier Province. Landslides and floods triggered by monsoon rains are creating thousands of new refugees in parts of Pakistan that were devastated by last October’s earthquake. More than 6,000 quake survivors have fled dangerous areas and nearly 20,000 more are set to seek refuge in camps.
NEPAL - LANDSLIDE - At least 10 people were killed when landslide struck a remote village in northern Nepal early Thursday morning, near the Tibetan border, with rescue operations hampered by rain and the inaccessibility of the area. About six hours walk away from the nearest town, the only other way the village can be accessed is by helicopter. It took nearly a week for news of the incident to reach the capital. This is the second incident of landslides killing a large number of villagers in less than three weeks. Last month, a landslide in another remote village in Kaski district in western Nepal killed at least 19 villagers.
TEXAS - FLOODING - More than 15 inches of rain - nearly twice the annual average - has fallen in El Paso since July 27. Recovery and cleanup efforts were under way Sunday as this desert city slowly dried out from more than a week of flooding storms. The deluge sent mud and rocks cascading into some parts of the city, destroying as many as 300 homes and causing an estimated $100 million in damage. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assured residents that an earthen dam that had threatened to burst in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and flood downtown El Paso last week would hold. The flood risk will continue until at least Thursday, when forecasters expect the chance of rain to finally end.
WIND -
8/7 -
CANADA - "Is it just us, or is it a lot windier?" Despite an abundance of anecdotal evidence — including last week's storms in Toronto — to support a resounding `yes,' wind remains the `ignored statistic' in weather study. Winds and other forces of nature account for 70 per cent or more of power outages. We have seen the wind this year hauling down massive tree limbs, crushing cars, killing campers and being widely unpredictable and dangerous. A July 17 wind, which brought down hundreds of kilometres of power lines and felled 1,000 hydro poles across Ontario, inflicted the most damage to Hydro One's system since the ice storm of 1998. In 20 minutes, "perfectly sound limbs were coming off perfectly sound trees," that night in Toronto. "The writing is on the wall." Half the number of "calms" — times when the wind didn't blow at all — were recorded at Pearson Airport in Toronto from 2001 to 2005 than in the early '60s, but it's not clear why. For all the awe that wind inspires and the havoc it brings, wind records are not much studied, which makes it impossible for climatologists to state confidently, that yes, wind patterns are changing. "There is no serious publication that can say wind patterns have changed."
8/6 -
U.S. - During the second half of July, lightning has proven particularly deadly across the U.S. - Lightning has killed at least 27 people this year, with more than half of those fatalities (14) occurring since July 15. In addition, there were three fatalities during the last half of July where lightning is the suspected cause of death. This is more than double the number of fatalities seen in recent years for the last half of July. In the past 30 years, lightning has killed about 2,000 people across the U.S. with an average of 66 people each year. In addition, hundreds of people are injured each year. "In the past two weeks, we've seen an alarming increase in the number of lightning deaths in this country." In three separate incidents, four of the fatalities this year have involved teenagers playing soccer. Three fatalities were golf-related, two were related to camping and two were people killed while on riding lawn mowers. Males have accounted for 22 of the fatalities, and five have been female. New Jersey and Colorado have each had three fatalities; Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan have each had two fatalities. Single fatalities have occurred in Nebraska, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York, Montana and Arizona.
MASSACHUSETTS - RARE ‘derecho’ topples trees, tower - Damage to many sections of Worcester County on Wednesday afternoon was caused by a rare weather event that last occurred in the area more than 10 years ago. A derecho is a widespread “family of downburst clusters” that is part of a very fast-moving, long-lived windstorm. Derechos travel a long distance in a short amount of time. The last derecho to hit the area was on July 15, 1995, when winds of 93 mph were recorded in Otis, and an estimated 1 million trees were blown down in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York.
COLORADO - MASSIVE MUDSLIDE in Telluride - An avalanche of mud and rock closed Colorado Avenue east of town Monday night, after rains loosed massive amounts of mud in Royer Creek Basin. The slide began above Tomboy Road and slid down Royer Creek between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Monday, flowing all the way to the San Miguel River before stopping, dragging huge boulders and huge trees with it. “One of the problems with the slide is it took Royer Creek out of its banks and moved it west of where the creek is supposed to go.” "This was a 100- to 300-year event. Evidently there was a four point failure up in Royer Creek Basin above Tomboy that created this debris flow. It was a VERY RARE event."
8/4 -
NORTH KOREA - Up to 10,000 North Koreans were believed dead or missing in what Pyongyang’s official media is describing as the WORST FLOODING IN A CENTURY. Two weeks of heavy rainfall sent rainwater sweeping down deforested hillsides, unleashing rivers of mud on farms and villages. Malaria was now spreading in southern regions.
INDIA - Heavy rains and floods in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday collapsed houses, killing three people, and shut an airport. Nearly 5,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas around the coastal district of Srikakulam in the north of the state, and navy helicopters and boats have been sent to rescue those stranded by flood waters. The stormy weather was expected to last for another two days, with wind speeds of up to 60 kph expected.
NEPAL - At least 10 people, including five from a family, were killed in a landslide following torrential rain in a village in Rasuwa district in Nepal in the early morning on Thursday.
BELIZE - The month of July has brought UNUSUAL weather that has raised concerned for the National Emergency Management Organisation. An area of high pressure in the atmosphere over the Western Caribbean has kept conditions favorable for shower development. The result has been a series of tropical waves that have caused intense rainfall as it passed over the Belize. Many rivers across the country have reached flood stage due to the above average rainfall that has caused soil to saturate and low lying areas to be consumed by water. The Orange Walk district has already reached 75% above normal rainfall, joined by the Belize, Cayo and Stann-Creek districts which have also received more rainfall than usual. With the Mopan rivers in the Cayo district still rising, waters are expected to reach Belize district by next week therefore residents can expect more flooding.
PHILIPPINES - Despite threats to their lives, residents of Pallar Village, Western Bicutan, Taguig City, refused to heed the order to evacuate issued by the local government. On Monday officials had declared the area a danger zone after a landslide left 23 houses in knee-deep mud. A 20-meter perimeter wall is threatening to fall over the houses after the landslide undermined its foundation. Part of the wall has already collapsed. The wall encloses McKinley Hills Village, a high-end property owned by Megaworld Corp. It is showing cracks in places and there is a strong possibility that it would collapse. Floodwaters rushing in at the height of the storm weakened the wall.
RUSSIA - Torrential flooding in Russia's Far East could destroy an oil and gas pipeline in one of the country's most ambitious energy projects. About 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) are under threat from floodwaters, which could endanger human lives as well as lead to an environmental disaster. "The volume of simultaneous bursts of flooding in the zone of the pipeline's route may amount to 500,000 cubic meters." 70,000 cu m of torrential flood waters is enough to damage an underground pipeline. A report suggested suspending the construction of the pipeline while an environmental report is conducted to identify ways to reduce the risk of pollution.
IOWA - A RECORD RAINFALL of six-point-nine inches fell Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The rainfall total broke a 53-year-old RECORD for daily precipitation, and left downed trees and ponds of water.

UTAH - A supercell unleashed crushing blasts of wind, intense rain and hail, crashing thunder and lances of lightning, whipping up some $13.2 million in damage on Tuesday. "It was a very expensive 12 minutes." The supercell tore a diagonal swath through Provo from the west end. Trees were on their sides all over the city, with roots grotesquely torn out of the ground.
TEXAS - some parts of El Paso, particularly the west side, have been inundated by almost of a foot of rain in the last five days. A massive storm all but shut down El Paso on Tuesday and caused widespread flooding, saturated mountainsides and collapsed rock walls. The normally placid Rio Grande was moving at twice its normal speed, although it receded Tuesday night. The state declared El Paso a disaster area.
8/3 -
MEXICO - MUDSLIDE - Eleven people were killed when part of a rain-sodden mountain collapsed and buried two houses in a remote Mazatec Indian hamlet in south-eastern Mexico. Heavy rains have pounded northern, central and south-eastern Mexico in recent weeks, washing out roads and raising fears of flash-flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas.
8/1 -
NEW ZEALAND - July's wet weather was due to an UNUSUAL cluster of weather patterns. Parts of the Wairarapa and Wanganui had their WETTEST JULY ON RECORD after being hit by three rain-making low pressure systems on July 4-7, 12-16 and 19-22. Another low-pressure system was expected to cross central New Zealand later this week.
IRELAND - A number of houses are thought to have been damaged by a freak storm in Glengoole, around 8km from Killenaule in Co Tipperary. The storm, which has been described as a mini-tornado, struck at around 2am. Some houses had slates and tiles ripped from their roofs, while others suffered structural damage.
COLORADO - Powerful thunderstorms Sunday flooded several residents’ basements with up to 2 feet of water and mud after a mudslide on Smuggler Mountain blocked nearby drainage pipes. Homeowners reported hearing basement windows explode from water pressure. Some said the rainfall was the heaviest seen in nearly 40 years in Aspen. “It was like someone was pouring a bucket, but a million of them.”
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7/30 -
INDIANA - Thursday night's rainfall set a few records; not only did they break a RECORD FOR MOST RAINFALL EVER ON JULY 27TH, but with four days left in the month, it was ALREADY THE RAINIEST JULY EVER in South Bend.
LOUISIANA - Heavy rain in Shreveport Thursday smashed the RECORD FOR RAINFALL FOR JULY 27TH. Thursday's torrents dropped 3.21 inches at the official reporting site out by Shreveport Regional Airport. That was well over an inch more than the old record of 1.83 inches, set in 1928. On a typical July 27, the city would see just over 1/10 inch of rain. Up to the downpour Thursday, Shreveport had been 8.21 inches under its normal rainfall for the calendar year. Since Jan. 1, the area has seen 26.17 inches of rain, but the normal rainfall would be 31.28 inches.
OHIO - Hundreds evacuated from Ohio flooding. Fast-rising water gushed into homes, condominiums and apartments early Friday, chasing people to rooftops to await boat rescues as 10 inches of rain raised the Grand River 11 feet above flood level.
UNITED KINGDOM - Royston suffered flash floods this week in the BIGGEST THUNDERSTORM TO HIT THE TOWN SINCE ITS RECORDS BEGAN in 1972. Residents were forced out of their homes on Wednesday night, July 26, as flood waters rose. Neighbours banded together to help as 3in of rain - double the average monthly rainfall for July — hit the town in just two hours. "The storm started at about 7pm and we had torrential rain and hailstones for a couple of hours."
INDIA - More than 6,000 people have been evacuated to safer places as heavy rains lashed south, north and central Gujarat on Saturday inundating low-lying areas. The Purna river was above the danger mark, forcing authorities to evacuate at least 5,200 people on its downstream in the Navsari district. More than 600 people were shifted in the Broach district while 400 were evacuated in Vadodara as swirling waters of the Bhukhi river entered villages. As the weather bureau predicted more rains during the next two days, State authorities have alerted people in the downstream of at least 20 medium irrigation dams threatening to overflow if the rains continued unabated. Near eight other dams, people were advised to remain prepared for evacuation in case of an emergency.
7/28 -
PAKISTAN - MUDSLIDES CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE KUNHAR RIVER and inundated two villages in northern Pakistan, killing a woman and two children overnight Wednesday during torrential rains. Rescuers on Thursday were searching for at least five more people. Kunhar River washed away more than 100 mostly mud houses in Kashtra and Gul Deri villages, located in a valley, after changing its course. The latest deaths brings the toll from heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan to at least 26. Thousands of people are at risk of landslides in parts of NWFP and Pakistan-administered Kashmir where ground has become highly unstable following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake last year. Meanwhile, reports from another northern town of Gilgit said at least three children were injured Thursday in flashfloods and mudslides in the Jotal area. Landslides also badly damaged nearly a kilometre stretch of the Karakorum Highway in Gilgit that links Pakistan to China, causing a serious disruption in traffic flow.
LOUISIANA - New data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirms fears that rain from hurricanes and tropical storms could flood some New Orleans neighborhoods with up to 5 feet of water when new floodgates are closed at the mouths of three major drainage canals. The floodgates are designed to prevent storm surges from Lake Pontchartrain from backing up into the canals, preventing the surge flooding that inundated most of the city during Hurricane Katrina. But the floodgates also would prevent rainfall from draining through canals into the lake. When plans to install the floodgates were announced in January, Corps officials acknowledged the possibility of flooding caused by heavy rains, but never said how bad it could be. The gates would be closed if a 5-foot storm surge threatened the city, which has happened only three times since 1959. The flooding problem is complicated by the city's diminished system of drainage pumps. Some pumps are still under repair after Katrina; others need to be positioned to move water out of canals and over closed floodgates. The "delay threatens to re-flood our metro area and kill our recovery."
EASTERN U.S. - the region has had three major floods in less than two years after nearly 50 years of no flooding. Officials fear another storm could pose flooding troubles from upstate New York to Washington. They recommended re-drawing outdated flood plain maps, requiring municipalities to have all-encompassing flood mitigation plans and strengthening the flood warning system.
ARIZONA - The monsoon storm that boomed and flashed across the Valley on Tuesday night was the BIGGEST IN FIVE YEARS, quenching a bone-dry region as it toppled utility poles, uprooted trees, flooded streets and left thousands without power. The storm dumped nearly 3 inches of rain in the southeast Valley and left behind a promise of more to come. So far this season, 1.17 inches of rain has fallen at the airport, compared with 1.13 inches for the entire monsoon season in 2001 and 1.10 inches in 2004. High pressure over Nevada and Utah is driving an eastern flow of moisture with disturbances rotating through the flow. Tropical moisture pulled in from the south is setting up conditions for more storms like Tuesday's. The moisture is coming from Tropical Storm Emilia, which is moving up the western coast of Baja California. Tuesday night's mayhem was a combination of at least three storms. The storms were intense, with lightning illuminating the night sky every few seconds. At least 5,400 lightning strikes hit the ground, 10 to 15 percent of the normal annual total. "This is UNUSUAL. It's a significant number, and one of the biggest days I've seen (in five years of watching monsoon storms)."
7/27 -
NEW ZEALAND - RAINFALL RECORDS BROKEN - Lower North Island farmers are having to delve far back in their memories to recall a winter as wet as this. In some parts of South Wairarapa and on a belt of hills north and south of Wanganui in particular, RAINFALL RECORDS are being broken with more than 400 millimetres in July so far. Right through the region, pastures are waterlogged and the hills are scarred with slips. It has come at a bad time – lambing and calving is three to four weeks away on most farms and quality feed is needed. The rain has prevented frosts from lowering soil temperatures and the grass is plentiful – but the ground is so soft that for every mouthful the sheep and cattle get, their feet destroy four more. Large numbers of lambs failed to survive to weaning last year, a puzzling phenomenon with no obvious cause. The forecast is for warm and dry weather over the next two months, though it must be said that this month's drenching was not predicted.
7/26 -
PAKISTAN - Over 20 people died as monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides in many parts of the country and Azad Kashmir on Monday. While the rain was heaviest in Islamabad, a mudslide killed at least 12 people, including eight children, living in tents in Muzaffarabad. Punjab and the NWFP were also lashed by torrential rains. The areas affected by the Oct 8, 2005 earthquake remain vulnerable to landslides. The rains wrought havoc on the country’s communications links, electricity networks and transport systems. Six people lost their lives when their houses on the banks of sewage-filled Nullah Leh, in spate since the onset of the monsoon, collapsed as torrential rains hit Rawalpindi and flood waters inundated the low-lying areas.
7/24 -
JAPAN - Torrential rain continued to lash southern Kyushu on Sunday, SETTING RECORDS in places and causing mudslides and rivers to overflow in some areas. Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures were hit particularly hard, and authorities were trying to rescue trapped residents and restore utilities. According to the Fukuoka district meteorological observatory, between midnight Tuesday and 3 p.m. Sunday, total rainfall in Ebino, Miyazaki Prefecture, reached 1,264 millimeters--greatly exceeding the average total July rainfall of 827 millimeters. In the same period, 1,237 millimeters of rain drenched Satsumacho, Kagoshima Prefecture, while 900 millimeters fell in Kumamura, Kumamoto Prefecture. The seasonal rain front is expected to remain over northern Kyushu, with thunderstorms and heavy isolated showers forecast in the area until about noon today.
PHILIPPINES - The northern fringes of the metropolis of Manila is expected to go under water due to torrential rains and tidal surges in Manila Bay. The Camanava section [Caloocan City, Malabon City and Navotas] is expected to bear the brunt of the rainy season especially with water flowing inland. “What compounded the situation is the high tide this week and the continuous downpour.”
MAURITANIA - At least seven people were killed and 19 injured in severe storms and flooding that hit Mauritania at the weekend. The deaths occurred when high winds and flooding buffeted the town of Boutilimit, 150km inland from the coastal capital Nouakchott. Buildings were damaged in the town and surrounding villages.
ENGLAND - A ferocious storm swept the south coast on Saturday leaving chaos in its wake. The FREAK squall moved so quickly it turned day into night within seconds and caught thousands of sunbathers and scores of sailors by surprise. The thunder and lightning storm left roads and businesses flooded, blocked sewage drains, swept yachts crashing onto rocks and capsized smaller boats. It arrived off the Dorset coast at 11.30am on Saturday and took just 30 minutes to pass through the Bournemouth and Poole. Sailors reported the windspeed changing from a gentle 10mph to 55mph at a stroke. "I've never seen anything like it, it was like an eclipse and a monsoon rolled into one. One minute people were sunbathing on the sand and the next they were fleeing for cover, it was like a scene out of a disaster movie. " On the sea, coastguards were inundated with calls to capsized boats and vessels that had run aground in the storm.
7/23 -
NORTH KOREA - Hundreds are dead or missing in North Korea after days of heavy rain and entire villages have been swept away. Torrential rain has swept through the Korean Peninsula in recent days, causing flooding and landslides both sides of the border. This is the first confirmation from Pyongyang that the severe weather has led to human casualties. On Wednesday, state news agency KCNA said flooding had caused "tremendous" economic losses. Tens of thousands of houses have been destroyed and infrastructure such as roads and bridges has been badly hit, the agency said. The worst damage was in central and eastern parts of the country. South Korea has also been hit by the seasonal storms, with around 60 people dead or missing after days of rain.
JAPAN - Flooding and mudslides left three people dead Saturday after RECORD RAIN hit Kyushu, sending the rain-related death toll over the last week to 23 in nine prefectures. The Meteorological Agency issued alerts over possible "major disasters," referring to landslides and other problems in Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures. Nine weather observation spots in Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures in Kyushu recorded their MOST-EVER RAINFALL FOR A 24-HOUR PERIOD. In Akune, Kagoshima Prefecture, more than 540 mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to Saturday evening. The Meteorological Agency forecast that heavy rain would continue in the Kyushu region through today.
NEW HAMPSHIRE - The aftermath of last week’s storm has body shops along the Seacoast backed up until fall, after hail pummeled vehicles out of commission and into local garages for repairs. Body shops are dealing first with shattered windows and waterlogged interiors before moving on to those cars and trucks that need repairing or replacing roofs, hoods and trunks. “This was a mini disaster affecting a 5- to 10-mile area.” The average insurance claim was placed at $7,500. 35 to 40 percent of the vehicles would likely be total losses. The hail was described as tangerine- or baseball-sized, it had caused so many dents in some vehicles, it “just destroyed” their roofs and hoods. “We’re talking a hundred, two hundred hail dents. So many it just makes the roof or trunk or hood flimsy.”
7/21 -
PENNSYLVANIA - Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power, some without a place to sleep, after severe thunderstorms, complete with gusting winds and hail storms, swept through Chester, Berks and Montgomery counties Tuesday night. It was THE WORST SUMMER STORM TO EVER HIT the PECO service territory. It left 15 percent of PECO’s customer base, or more than 365,000 customers without power - 219,000 of whom were still without power as of Wednesday afternoon. "What we were faced with, we basically had two storm systems that converged over our service area and created some extensive damages." They recorded 5,400 lightning strikes from 6 to 10 p.m. and winds up to 71 mph which resulted in fallen tree branches and downed power lines. Falling trees also caused two deaths in Chester County on Tuesday.

MISSOURI - A violent storm with winds reaching up to 128 kilometres per hour ripped through the American Midwest on Wednesday, leaving approximately 450,000 people in St. Louis without electricity. Temperatures soared to a scorching 38 C as city workers began to assess the considerable damage caused by the storm. "This is ONE OF THE WORST STORMS WE CAN ALL REMEMBER to hit the city of St. Louis in recent years." Violent winds carried a section of the airport roof from the main terminal and dropped it onto Interstate 70. The storm blew the windows out of a hotel and baseball stadium press box, injuring more than 30 people. Three St. Louis area buildings also partially collapsed in the storm. Heavy rain and hail also struck neighbouring Illinois. High winds and lightning downed power lines, leaving approximately 120,000 people in the state without power.
WISCONSIN - Heavy rains and damaging winds were accompanied by booming thunder and frequent lightning early Thursday morning throughout much of Green and Lafayette counties and southern Wisconsin. Throughout much of the rest of the state trees were uprooted as inches of rain and large hail fell early Thursday morning. The storms left thousands without power. At about 6:15 a.m., one man had two bolts of lightning strike in his front yard. "I saw a flash, and then it was really bizarre. There was a constant roar, and then a sudden bang that shook the whole house." He walked out his front door to discover two black burn marks in his yard with smoke rising from them. He checked one of the holes left by the lightning and discovered a small concretion. The other strike point had a similar orb in it. "It was hot to the touch, so I couldn't pick it up right away. They looked like two pieces of cement."
NEW ZEALAND - Yesterday's heavy rain, on already-saturated soils, flooded roads and pushed some rivers to alert levels. Yesterday's deluge brought down yet more landslips, causing road and rail delays. The ground had not dried out from recent heavy rains.
NEW ZEALAND - engineers and geologists are assessing the potential risk of a hillside collapsing onto a number of houses in the Wellington suburb of Eastbourne. Twenty five residents were evacuated from their homes Thursday night after bad weather caused concern the surrounding hill may give way. One house has already become a casualty slipping three metres down the hill. High winds and rain have also affected other parts of the lower North Island. Wairarapa has received an astonishing amount of rain this month. During July the region has had almost 300mm of rain, which is about a third of its annual rainfall. The heavy rain is causing heartache for farmers whose properties are already waterlogged and others whose farms are still underwater from the last flood.
7/20 -
CAMEROON - A landslide killed 4 people when it swept away a blockhouse. The landslide was due to heavy rains that fell Monday night.

NEPAL - At least three members of a family were killed when a landslide, triggered by incessant rainfall, buried their house in Taplejung district on Tuesday. At least five houses were swept away by a landslide at Olangchungola in the district Wednesday. That landslide area is still out of contact due to the remoteness of the village.
JAPAN - Mudslides and swelling rivers triggered by heavy rain led to seven deaths and at least eleven people missing in central and western Japan early Wednesday. Four people in Nagano Prefecture, two people in Shimane Prefecture, and one in Yamanashi Prefecture were reported dead in rain-triggered accidents. Three people in Nagano Prefecture, two people in Shimane Prefecture, two in Fukui Prefecture, two in Kyoto Prefecture, one in Okayama Prefecture and one Gifu Prefecture went missing. Heavy rain could cause more mudslides and floods in the central and western part of the country.
7/19 -
JAPAN - Heavy rain drenched wide areas of Japan on Monday, with downpours causing a mudslide and a train derailment in Shimane Prefecture and prompting Ishikawa Prefecture to order more than 10,000 people in Kaga to evacuate. In Unnan, Shimane Prefecture, heavy rain triggered a mudslide that crushed a home, burying two people. In Kaga, the front dumped 200 mm of rain from 6 a.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday, threatening to cause the city's rivers to flood the surrounding areas. The seasonal rain front is engulfing large areas of the country, stretching from the eastern area surrounding Tokyo to the Hokuriku region to the Sanin coast in western Japan facing the Sea of Japan.
CANADA - Two people died, several were injured and thousands remained without power Tuesday evening after severe storms cut a wide swath of damage across eastern Ontario and Quebec late Monday. Thunder storms accompanied by high winds downed trees and hydro lines and blocked or washed out highways. Several communities declared states of emergency.
INDIA - Nagpur received a rainfall of 155 mm in three hours by Monday evening, second only to the 304 mm rains on July 14, 1994, and it amounted to 70 per cent of the average July rainfall. People residing in 70 low-lying localities were in panic, after water gushed into their homes and offices following the rains.
7/17 -
THAILAND - Authorities are on 24-hour alert to help flood-affected people in the southern provinces of Trang, Satun, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani. High waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand have prompted authorities to warn vessels to exercise caution. Meanwhile, continual heavy rainfall has caused flooding in some areas of Trang. Low-lying Kwuankhan-Khok Lor and Rassada roads in Nakhon Trang municipality were submerged under 30-50 centimetres of water. Since Tuesday the Palian, Kantang, Wang Wiset, Muang and Na Yong districts have suffered floods that inundated houses and farmland.
SOUTH KOREA - issued a national crisis warning today as torrential rain caused flooding in parts of the country, killing 13 people and leaving 18 missing, with some of them presumed dead. The orange alert issued for the capital, Seoul, and its surrounding regions and for the eastern province of Kangwon was prompted by a "high likelihood of large-scale disasters" from heavy rain. More than 50 cm of rainfall in eastern South Korea since Friday. The rain was triggered in part by last week's Typhoon Ewiniar. The severe weather is forecast to continue over the next few days. North Korea also reported heavy rains in the central and eastern provinces since last week, with upwards of 14 cm of rain in three hours in some parts.
KASHMIR - Four members of a family were killed by a landslide in Tatira, Kohistan district, and three youths fell prey to roof collapse in Danga as torrential rains wrecked havoc in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir on Friday. Due to recent rainfalls and landslides, a boulder hit a house in Tatira near Bisham in Kohistan district. Meanwhile, torrential rain and land-sliding continued in the earth-quake affected areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, blocking roads and causing hardships to quake victims living in tent villages. In different areas of Muzaffarabad, rainwater entered houses and tents housing quake victims. A number of tents were uprooted. To make things worse, power shutdown has been continuing in several areas of Neelum Valley for the last week.
NEPAL - Villagers and security personnel frantically dug under mounds of mud to locate several people still missing Sunday, a day after 17 bodies were found from the landslide-ravaged area. Six members of a single family and their two guests were among the 17 people killed outright as the village was engulfed by a landslide Friday midnight triggered by incessant rain in the country’s Kaski district since last week. Scores of cattle died and dozens of houses were destroyed as the entire village of Dhansingh was buried under mud. At least 14 people are still missing.
CHINA - Lightning strikes killed 82 people across China in June. The death toll was recorded across 20 provinces, with 22 people killed in the eastern province of Jiangsu alone. The death toll marked an increase on June 2005, but no figures were provided. Heavy summer storms have battered wide swaths of China this year, with meteorological disasters killing at least 349 people and causing economic losses of about $2.53 billion in June. The capital, Beijing, has been hit by severe electrical storms for successive nights, cutting power to several hundred households.
NORTH DAKOTA - A straight-line wind of 100 mph forced tiny Coleharbor to its knees Wednesday night and townspeople tried to find their feet Thursday after the WORST DISASTER IN THE TOWN'S 101-YEAR HISTORY. There was severe to total damage to all 50 some homes and three businesses in town. Sheet metal, lumber and shredded power poles tore through the community in a few minutes at about 7:30 p.m. The structural toll will easily be in excess of millions, but there is no human toll to count. It appeared that three separate storms converged over Coleharbor. The damage was caused by straight-line winds, with the possibility of a powerful microburst of downward air from the storm. The damage was too prevailing from west to east and too widespread to be caused by a tornado, which would have left a distinct swath. Four main electrical transmission poles and two-thirds of the town’s distribution poles were damaged.
CONNECTICUT - Officials confirm a tornado struck on Wednesday. "The event was ESPECIALLY FREAKISH because of the relatively lengthy 15-mile path of the twister." The tornado took form in Rockland County, N.Y., crossed the Hudson River, swept through the Sleepy Hollow, Hawthorne and North Castle, N.Y., before striking the northwest corner of Greenwich. The tornado skirted the rest of Greenwich and Stamford, and dissolved as a water spout off the coast of Norwalk. "Here in the Northeast, to see something 10 miles in length is EXTREMELY RARE. Less than 10 percent of the tornadoes in our region exhibit that type of feature." "The way the storm reacted and what it did are pretty amazing." They estimated the total damage tally at several million dollars.
It was the MOST POWERFUL TORNADO TO EVER HIT WESTCHESTER COUNTY in New York state. It hit about 4 p.m. Wednesday with winds that at times exceeded 150 miles per hour, making it stronger than many of the tornadoes that sweep through the Midwest. The powerful twister was only the eighth to hit Westchester since 1950. The tornado not only attained a ferocity that less than 10 percent of tornadoes reach — the F2 level — but also followed an UNUSUAL PATH. Most F2 tornadoes travel no more than half a mile; the one on Wednesday night left a track across two states that extended for nearly 20 miles. “We never see tornadoes that cross over an entire county.” The twister was so ferocious that it tore down thousands of trees, demolished buildings, and tossed a police cruiser into the air.
7/14 -
NEW YORK - Wednesday was Rochester's RAINIEST JULY 12TH ON RECORD and it stranded motorists around Monroe County, overflowed creeks, flooded basements and even created sinkholes behind some Irondequoit homes. Rochester received more than 3 inches of rain, beating the previous high for July 12 — just under an inch in 1910. Also, the afternoon downpour edged PAST THE DAILY RECORD FOR JULY that has lasted since the National Weather Service began keeping those records in 1897.
OHIO, INDIANA, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA - At least one person died in Ohio after up to nine inches of rain brought flooding to Indiana and Ohio. In northeast Ohio, dive teams unsuccessfully searched a creek for a missing swimmer. A tornado north of New York City partly collapsed a commercial building and ripped the roof off a hotel.In North Dakota, high winds damaged more than two dozen buildings.
NEW MEXICO - coping with a single, relatively RARE 50-year storm is hard enough - but when two hit in successive weeks, it strains even the most-prepared, best-managed local governments. In two downpours in successive weeks, the cities of Rio Rancho and Placitas have been hammered by gully washers. Damages include demolished roads and disrupted utility services, as water and sewer lines and buried electrical and phone lines have been exposed or damaged. For months, New Mexicans were warned about parched forests and grasslands and the potential for raging infernos. The past couple of weeks, however, had many heading for high ground as they have seen deluge after afternoon deluge, as the monsoon season has kicked into high gear, causing myriad problems.
7/13 -
KOREA - Heavy rainfall brought flooding and disruption to Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas Wednesday, bringing the city to a halt in the midst of chaos. In Koyang City, Kyonggi Province, the situation was worse after nearly 398 millimeters of rain fell from morning until 9:30 p.m., the LARGEST AMOUNT OF RAINFALL SINCE 1993. The rains caused serious flooding problems in the city, inundating over 500 houses. Although the rainstorm is expected to weaken by midday today, meteorologists are warning people to brace themselves for some more bad weather this coming weekend, influenced by the approaching Typhoon Bilis.
CHILE - at least 12 people were dead or missing in southern Chile in swollen rivers and landslides set off by heavy rains. Landslides buried an estimated 10 people last night in the southern town of Chiguayante, near the coastal city of Concepcion. Some 28,000 people were driven from their homes in the south, due to heavy rain and swollen rivers.

NEW ENGLAND AREA - An outbreak of severe weather in New England Tuesday kept SKYWARN nets in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire busy fielding reports of high winds, large hail one to three inches in diameter, flooding and even possible tornadoes. More severe weather was forecast for Wednesday. "We haven't had a severe weather outbreak like this in quite some time." High winds along Massachusetts' North Shore in the Marblehead area toppled trees and tore some two dozen boats from their moorings and piled them on top of each other. Several windows and a skylight were sucked out of houses. (photos)
7/12 -
INDIA - a staggering 152% departure from the normal rainfall in Lucknow where they have received 429.3 mm. ‘Normal’ rainfall from June 1 - July 11 for Lucknow is 170.4 mm. 176 mm of this 429.3 mm has fallen from July 9 till July 11. The city has been consistently been thickly overcast for last three days and even after conversion into rain, the clouds are not clearing up. Waterlogging in residential areas is rising with each downpour. There are full three months of monsoon period ahead.
CAMBODIA - The onset of summer has brought torrential monsoon rains and floods to Cambodia. The Asian monsoon occurs because of the temperature difference between the land and the Indian Ocean. During the summer, the land gets hotter than the ocean. Hot air over the land rises, and cool, moisture-rich air from the ocean rushes in to take its place. The monsoon season typically runs from June to September.
PAKISTAN - Torrential rains triggered flooding that washed away homes in a village in northwestern Pakistan, killing 13 people and injuring about 300.
NEW HAMPSHIRE - Exeter is reeling after a one, two punch delivered by back-to-back severe thunderstorms that rolled through the area Tuesday afternoon. There was even a partial roof collapse at a Walgreen’s. Golf-ball sized ice balls pummeled the area. It is VERY RARE to see hail that size, or at that intensity, anywhere in the United States. Hundreds and hundreds of cars were damaged with dents or broken windows. “It was like all hell broke loose. You couldn’t even shout to someone the hail was coming down so loud. And then the trees started swirling around, and it looked like a tornado coming through."
CANADA - Summer thunderstorms in Calgary are not unusual, but the damage that's been unleashed on southern Alberta by violent weather systems recently is UNUSUAL, meteorologists said. "When it gets to golf(ball)-size hail, that is PRETTY UNUSUAL."
7/10 -
INDIA - Incessant heavy rain over the past 24 hours caused flash floods in several tributaries of the Sutlej. The Beas and the Saketi Khud were in spate following heavy rain, which damaged 24 houses in the Mewa and Bamsen areas. Some houses were endangered due to the sinking of land in Sarakaghat and the Chamba-Tissa road was blocked after a landslide near Rajpur. Landslides blocked several roads in interior areas, disrupting vehicular traffic. The water level in the Sutlej went up to an alarming level after a cloudburst on the Kinner Kailash range around 1 pm brought in a huge amount of slushy water into the river through many channels. Life was thrown out of gear in the Kangra valley following heavy rain since Saturday night.
7/9 -
NEW ZEALAND - Heavy rain hits the East Coast again. The Gisborne East Coast region was deluged with rain again Thursday night, adding to what has been ONE OF THE WETTEST WINTERS IN THE REGION FOR MANY YEARS.
ENGLAND - Floods and trees block 70 roads. A freak deluge saw an entire month's worth of rain fall in just two hours.
7/7 -
JAPAN - Six buildings, including a factory, were destroyed Thursday morning after a mountain slope in Kamitondacho, Wakayama Prefecture, collapsed due to heavy rain. More than 200 millimeters of rain had fallen between midnight Tuesday and Thursday morning. Four residents from three households in the area were evacuated. A landslide detection sensor had been installed after a crack was discovered on the slope in May. The prefectural government planned to set up a safety fence around the slope by mid-July. The crack was 46 centimeters wide.
ENGLAND - Severe storms caused chaos in Coventry Thursday. The city was hit by torrential rain leaving roads, shops and homes flooded. 20.6 millimetres of rain - nearly an inch - fell in the Coventry area between 10am and 11am. "This is pretty extreme - and a third of the total rainfall we would expect for the whole of July." Similar flash flooding in other areas of the country.
CYPRUS - A woman was killed and three people injured as a violent storm struck Nicosia early yesterday afternoon. The freak incident took place as violent winds tossed around market awnings and their metal supports, hurling debris in various directions. The centre of Nicosia looked like a war zone following the downpour, with felled trees scattered across main roads, some of them resting on cars. “I have never seen anything like this before in Cyprus. I was shocked.” The UNUSUAL weather was a direct result of a weather system that affected the north and west of Greece and Turkey, as well as east and central Europe. “The axis of the system moved weakened towards Cyprus and created irregularities in the atmosphere. It is these irregularities that are causing low pressure and sudden downpours."
7/6 -
INDIA - Heavy rain continued for the fifth consecutive day in Mumbai. Schools were closed for a third day on Wednesday in Mumbai, as the national death toll since the monsoon rains began in June passed 250. Three people died of electrocution on Monday in a nearby village, while three others drowned in a well and one died when a tree under which he took shelter collapsed. There were no new reports of rain-related deaths on Wednesday. In the eastern state of Orissa, officials said least 20 people were killed on Tuesday, mostly in landslides or drownings. Nine deaths were reported elsewhere in the country. They included six in southern Karnataka state, where a landslide destroyed two homes. In Mumbai, city officials urged people to stay home as meteorologists predicted three more days of heavy rain.

NEBRASKA, KANSAS - it's RARE that it's half-way through the year and there are still no reports of tornados for Central Nebraska or North Central Kansas. This is the first time in 56 years, since 1950, that all 30 counties served by the National Weather Service office in Hastings has not had a confirmed tornado during the first 6 months of the year. From January to July, Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas usually report up to 30 tornadoes. The closest central Nebraska and North Central Kansas has come to not having any reported tornados in the first 6 months of the year goes back to 1966 and 1981 when just one tornado hit between the six month period both years.
7/5 -
INDIA - Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides across eastern India again Tuesday, killing as many as 32 people and disrupting life in the financial capital, Mumbai for the second day in a row.
UZBEKISTAN - A landslide in the mountains of the Bostandyk district hit a group of picnickers from the capital Tashkent on Sunday, killing seven of them and injuring another two. The group had ignored a warning by a local nature preservation inspector about the danger of a landslide.
SCOTLAND - flash floods hit the Lothians over the weekend and have left businesses reeling from extensive damage to their property. Traders have shut up shop for several days in the worst-hit areas after major thunderstorms wreaked havoc during ONE OF THE WESTTEST JULY DAYS ON RECORD. The same amount of rain fell on Sunday as in all the days in July of last year put together. A staggering 12mm - half an inch - of rain fell in just one hour, between midday and 1pm. Such a large amount of rainfall in such a short period of time was EXTREMELY RARE. "It's a predicted consequence of climate change that there will be more frequent instances such as these. The amount of rainfall in such a short period is PARTICULARLY UNUSUAL - I would estimate a once in every five years occurrence. " Forecasters said there is an increasing risk of further thundery outbreaks this week. A plume of hot, humid air is moving up from the Continent. June, in contrast, was exceptionally dry.

ITALY - in the prefecture of Vibo Valentia, violent flooding killed four people on Monday, including a 16-month child, and injured about fifty. Over two hundred people were displaced.
NEW YORK - After assessing a large part of Broome County, officials have counted 800 homes destroyed in the recent flooding and 300 that were severely damaged.
7/4 -
TURKEY - At least nine people, including three children, have died in flooding caused by heavy rain in northern and eastern Turkey over the past two days. Houses were wrecked by strong river currents triggered by storms that are expected to last for the rest of the week. The floods have shut down many roads and railway lines in the region, though electricity supplies have largely been restored. There are still two villages that can't be reached.
INDIA - Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai for the third consecutive day on Monday. Monsoon rains flooded homes, submerged rail lines and forced hundreds of thousands of people to wade through muddy streets in India's financial capital. Weather officials forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the next 48 hours.
PAKISTAN - At least 10 people have died and 15 others missing after a landslide struck three houses near a beautiful Pakistani hilly resort in North-West Frontier Province. Locals said that some 27 people were buried under the rubble of houses after they were hit by a heavy landslide caused by heavy rains and floods in Gail village. According to police sources, the flooding of rainwater caused the powerhouse dam to break.
UKRAINE - heavy rain led to a dam breaking in Crimea on Saturday night. Seven villages have been flooded and 477 hectares of agricultural land affected. Two women have been found dead in one of the sink villages.
7/3 -
CHINA - Storms in southwest China have killed 11 people, adding to a trail of havoc from heavy rains lashing parts of the country. Thousands of villagers in Zhaotong, in the Yunnan province, have been hit by heavy rains, hail storms, flash floods and landslides since June 20. Nine residents were seriously injured and six were still missing. The deaths in Yunnan are the latest from a string of local but devastating storms and flash floods across south and southwest China that have killed about 200 people since late May. A week ago, flash floods killed 18 with another 18 missing in the central province of Hunan. Storms in the southwestern province of Sichuan last week unleashed floods and mudslides which killed 14. Meteorological authorities have warned people to expect more heavy storms in coming days.
THAILAND - torrential downpours yesterday caused severe flooding across five districts in eastern Trat province and claimed the life of at least one child. Floodwaters inundated 10 tambons and 25 villages and damaged at least 350 houses, affecting about 2,000 people in the province. In Sanho tambon, three villages were flooded and more than 1,500 rai of paddy fields destroyed. Officials were forced to use a bulldozer to dig a ditch to drain away floodwaters in the worst affected areas where water was up to 1.2 meters deep. Flash floods also destroyed roads, bridges and houses in parts of Koh Kut sub-district. “We expect heavy to very heavy rain for the next one to two days." They have forecast waves as high as three meters in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand and said small craft should remain ashore.
7/2 -
CUBA - With about 200 millimeters of rain, 26 percent above the historic average, June 2006 is going in the books as THE WETTEST IN THE LAST DECADE in the eastern Cuban province of Las Tunas. Ironically, until recently the area had been struck by the longest and most intense drought in years. From January to date, the area has received 416 millimeters of rainfall, which is 88.8 percent of that stage and 40 percent of the annual average, with June alone having contributed 30 percent of the annual figure.
HONDURAS - Floods caused by heavy rains over the last three weeks have left four people dead, forced 1,500 others from their homes and caused more than $8 million in damage to Honduran croplands. Bridges have been wiped out in some villages, leaving at least 5,000 residents stranded. Forecasters were calling for more rain over the next few days.
LAGOS - Torrential rain brought Nigeria's main city of Lagos virtually to a standstill on Friday as streets, flooded with more than 50cm of water in places, blocked traffic. A cloudburst over the commercial capital of 16-million people was followed by ceaseless rain, inundating residential and business districts alike, notably Victoria Island, which lies below sea level. Bridges between the islands of central Lagos and the mainland were also blocked by cars, many of which had their electrical systems short-circuited by the downpour.
PHILIPPINES - Civil defense and disaster officials asked villagers to flee from the "danger zone" in Barangay Magsaysay, Kibawe, Bukidnon in the wake of reports of the Mines GeoSciences Bureau that a landslide is imminent in the area if the rains continue. Several traverse cracks with different lengths and widths have affected an area of almost six hectares covering the entire population of Magsaysay. "The villagers in this area must look for another place now to avert loss of lives."
MASSACHUSETTS - This May and June MADE HISTORY in Massachusetts. In Boston, 22.57 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, as of Friday morning. That's the most since the National Weather Service starting keeping records for the city in 1872. "Boston has moved down to the tropics. This is more what you'd expect of Havana." The heavy rain this year has caused an explosion of beetles, slugs and fungi, hurting crops.
NEW JERSEY - Northeastern U.S. residents are weary after the 3rd deluge in 3 years. Even as they cleaned up the muck left behind by some of the Northeast's worst flooding in decades, some riverside residents wondered how long it would be before they would be at it again. Life along the swollen Delaware River was frustrating as thousands were evacuated, roads and bridges were closed, utilities were crippled and tens of millions of dollars in flood damage mounted up. It was at times bizarre with a 4-foot alligator left behind in a Trenton apartment and footlong carp flopping around on the streets. Buildings along the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers were among those battered worst by this week's flooding, which forced tens of thousands to evacuate and left at least 20 people dead in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and Virginia. Storms flooded many of the same homes and businesses in 2004 and 2005. "I feel for these people, I really do. But the science side of me says, 'OK, how much of a hint do you need to get?' "
OREGON - a cloudburst gushed about two inches of rain in half an hour, transforming Ruckles Creek from barely a trickle to a torrent which broke a bridge, bent irrigation pipes, wrecked barbed wire fences and floated half-ton hay bales. "We've never had a storm like this one," said person who has lived in the Keating Valley since 1980. "I've never seen it rain that hard." The storm also spawned gales that snapped several trees, spewed lightning bolts that knocked out power to 370 homes, and triggered a debris flows that slowed traffic on Highway 86. Lightning caused fuses to open on Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative lines. "It was just the most amazing lightning storm I've seen in years."
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6/30 -
EASTERN U.S. - The rainfall total for a five-day period is staggering. Storms dumped a foot of rain in four days. That's more than the rainfall total for the first five months of the year at National Airport. And it dwarfs precipitation from some recent hurricanes. Tropical Storm Isabel, which hit in September 2003, dumped two to four inches of rain across Maryland and Washington.
CHINA - Flooding in a mountainous area of southern China killed at least 30 people and destroyed more than 2,400 homes.
PAKISTAN - Early monsoon rains threaten quake reconstruction and relief efforts. Already, many of Pakistan's quake-affected areas have been hit by rains which signal the full force of the monsoon may only be days away. "The rains have come early in many areas. Smaller roads are blocked, and because the hillsides are already damaged by the earthquake, landslides will inevitably take place in larger numbers this year."
GERMANY - A FREAK storm that hit parts of south-western Germany, bringing with it hailstones almost as big as tennis balls, killed one farmer and injured more than 100 people, damaged cars and put holes in roofs. The farmer, trying to herd his cows into a shed, was swept away by a swollen stream on Wednesday evening after the thunderstorm caused a sudden rise in water levels. (photos)
Less than 24 hours later, a similar hailstorm, with somewhat smaller hailstones, hit the same area of the Black Forest, knocking a man off a roof as he was repairing damage from the Wednesday evening storm. He was in critical condition. The downpour again flooded building basements. The summer storms, attributed by meteorologists to sharp changes of temperature, caused millions of euros in damage. The extremes were marked by a temperature reading of minus one degree Celsius at dawn on Friday on Germany's North Sea coast and reports of 40 degrees in the shade, just 1,200km away in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Spots baked by the sun had reached temperatures of 60 degrees in Bosnia this week. The previous seven days had been THE HOTTEST FOR A CENTURY.
6/29 -
EASTERN U.S. - THE WORST FLOODING IN THE EASTERN U.S FOR DECADES, triggered by days of torrential downpours, has killed at least nine people and forced thousands to flee their homes. With roads washed out and waters rising, authorities declared emergencies across large swathes of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Travel along the heavily trafficked Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to New York was hard-hit. Up to 200,000 people in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area were ordered to evacuate their homes today as the Susquehanna River rose to dangerous levels. The river neared a 12.4m flood stage level that threatened to put UNPRECEDENTED strain on the area's flood control system. The Coast Guard used helicopters to rescue up to 70 people stranded on rooftops in the city, which had not seen a similar emergency since 1972 when a tropical storm swept through the area. New York's Governor said it was BY FAR THE WORST FLOODING HE HAD SEEN IN 12 YEARS as governor. "This is is a very low-lying area that has flooded in the past. The afternoon commute ... is already devastating. This is going to be the largest flood we've had maybe since 1955." Major rivers across the region were threatening to crest at dramatic levels.
FLORIDA - Several homes in Central Florida were damaged by fires caused by some of the 16,000 lightning strikes associated with Tuesday's passing storms.

MONTANA - A series of small landslides cut off visitor access to Yellowstone National Park from Gardiner for over three hours Tuesday.
MALAYSIA - An eight-year-old girl was killed when tonnes of soil slammed into a wooden house in a landslide on Monday night at Sepanggar. Eight families at Kampung Bundu in Karambunai, the site where the girl was killed , have been told to move out. Their homes are located just 50 metres below a stretch of road that collapsed after heavy rains triggered the landslide on Monday. The 16-hour downpour on Sunday evening caused massive floods in districts surrounding the city and at 41 villages in Beaufort.

WIND -
6/29 -
S andstorms could be carrying close to 20 kinds of microbes that pose a health hazard, according to research released by the Environmental Protection Administration. Researchers found that when a sandstorm hit Taiwan earlier this year, the number of germs and funguses in the atmosphere rose by five to six times that of regular days. Some microbes, shrouded by sand grains from the ultraviolet solar rays that would otherwise kill them, could travel thousands of kilometers. Taiwan, Japan and Korea are on the pathway of sandstorms. The duration of such storms can last from merely a few hours to close to a week. The average size of the germs carried by the sandstorms ranges from 2.5 micrometers (one-millionth of a meter) to 10 micrometers, which are not easily filtered out by nose hairs.
PENNSYLVANIA - The National Weather Service now expects much of eastern Pennsylvania to be hit with major flooding today from rivers, streams and creeks. The flooding has the potential to put the Schuylkill River at its HIGHEST LEVEL IN PHILADELPHIA IN 145 YEARS. In Philadelphia, the flood stage is 11 feet. It could rise to 15.5 feet by Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. Its highest recorded level is 17 feet. A crest at that predicted level would top levels seen by Hurricane Agnes and Floyd.
HAIL -
6/28 -
WISCONSIN - Severe storms that lumbered through Columbia County on Sunday afternoon flattened farm fields with an hour-and-a-half barrage of hail and dumped up to six inches of rain on parts of the county. Hail accumulated like winter precipitation in front of houses, reaching depths of a foot and a half. Hail was still piled in low-lying areas over 24 hours after the storm struck. "I've never seen anything like it. We were in the house and we had to scream in each other's ears to communicate." The county even had to dispatch its snow plows to clear the roads of accumulated hail, which reached six inches deep on some roads. The storms normally would not have inflicted as much damage as they did, but their snail's pace made them dangerous. In what would have been a brief hailstorm and downpour in a typical storm, a large amount of precipitation was concentrated over a small area for an hour and a half.
PHILIPPINES - The Baguio City Weather Bureau said that hail accompanying last Saturday’s downpour in Baguio and Benguet was NOT AN ORDINARY OCCURENCE, although it is likely to happen again due to the continuing warming of the environment.
6/27 -
JAPAN - Heavy rain pounded Kyushu on Monday, causing mudslides, killing one person and injuring five others in Kumamoto Prefecture. The Meteorological Agency warned that the downpour, which has so far hit Kumamoto the hardest, would likely continue through this morning and the danger of landslides COULD RISE TO A LEVEL UNSEEN IN YEARS. Also in Yamato, a 74-year-old woman was trapped inside a house hit by a mudslide, but was rescued. Mudslides have reported in at least 85 locations in Kyushu between Thursday, when it started raining, through Monday evening.
INDONESIA - Floods triggered by heavy rain killed 22 people in central Indonesia, the second such disaster in the sprawling nation in less than a week.
WASHINGTON D.C. - Waves of heavy showers and thunderstorms drenched Washington and the surrounding mid-Atlantic on Sunday, triggering flash flooding that swelled streams over their banks and shut roads throughout the region. Washington up through Baltimore received between five and seven inches of rain ... and most of it was in about a six-hour period. The heavy rainfall in a such a short time-frame was UNUSUAL for Washington, DESTROYING A SINGLE-DAY RECORD for June 25 that goes back to 1870.
Another wave of tropical moisture is likely to move northward through the area today, potentially dropping 2-4" more rain, with locally higher amounts. Some areas may experience 5-day rainfall totals of over one foot. Flash flooding potential. NEW DAILY RAINFALL RECORD at Dulles Airport of 5.94 on Sunday.
MASSACHUSETTS - As of 8 p.m. Sunday, Boston had seen 22.26 inches of rainfall in May and June, the MOST IN A TWO-MONTH PERIOD SINCE RECORD KEEPING BEGAN in 1872. The previous record for any consecutive, two-month rainfall was set in 1955 , when Tropical Storm Dianne dumped nearly half of the 21.37 inches of rain that fell in July and August of that year. This month is the third wettest June on record so far, with 9.78 inches of rainfall as of Sunday night, while last month was the second wettest May on record, with 12.48 inches of precipitation. The poor weather was due to a system described as "a frontal boundary draped across Southern New England," which is hosting warm, moist air along with waves of energy. The weather pattern has stagnated, resulting in days of rain. In addition, the temperature in Boston Sunday afternoon was 66 degrees, 13 degrees cooler than normal, because the wind was coming from the ocean.
WIND -
6/27 -
NEW YORK - A tornado-like storm ripped through the Red Oaks Mill section of LaGrange Sunday night, felling heavy trees, ripping up fences and bringing down electrical wires in the span of a few minutes. When it was done, it left a path of destruction that destroyed several backyards, made roads impassable and required LaGrange firefighters to seek help from the Arlington and New Hackensack fire departments, as well as state police and the Sheriff's Office. Town and county highway departments were removing entire trees from the surrounding roads late Sunday night, and meteorologists were left scratching their heads over what happened. "It's BIZARRE because there's nothing on our radar to indicate any tornado rotation or anything like that...There's nothing in the county that even indicates that.'' "By indications of damage on the ground, some kind of high-velocity wind event caused significant damage here.''
INDIANA - A 'tornado' touched down in southwest Tippecanoe County Sunday afternoon. The storm "was something like a tornado, but not in the classic sense." "The National Weather Service said that the phenomenon was a category of tornado, but acted more like a water spout except that it did not contain water and it happened over dry land. It was VERY UNUSUAL. There were fast moving winds going up and coming down at the same time side-by-side." Land spouts form from different cloud types than normal tornadoes and are not as visible on radar. The first sign of a land spout is often the debris scattering on the ground, leading to the impression that it forms from the ground up, rather than from the cloud down. National Weather Service meteorologists said the tornado also was UNUSUAL because it was isolated and not part of a larger storm system.
6/26 -
INDIA - At least six houses and some livestock were swept away by the swollen waters of two irrigation canals after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in two villages of Chamba district on Sunday.
ALASKA - A new storm system heading for Alaska's Interior prompted the National Weather Service to issue flash flood watches Sunday for the Alaska and Richardson highways with the possibility that river levels could rise again later this week. "Just belt after belt after belt of showers coming through." The system has been sitting over the Gulf of Alaska for at least a week gathering moisture. A shift in upper level winds over the weekend began pushing the system north, over Prince William Sound and along the Canada-Alaska border. Delta Junction and the surrounding area had NEAR-RECORD RAINFALL that caused road damage. Similar scenarios will likely play out during the next few days, except the ground and rivers are already saturated from last weeks rain. The Interior usually begins seeing frequent rain showers in late June and early July. But the large amounts of rain are UNUSUAL. "This is not totally unexpected. But certainly the magnitude of the rain is a little more than we would expect this time of year."
MARYLAND - residents say the rain is THE WORST IN OVER 30 YEARS with water rising up several feet. "It was as bad as Hurricane Agnes in '72, only there it rained a couple days to get up that high." Thunderstorms were predicted to last into early this week.
6/25 -
PHILIPPINES - another landslide may hit the area of Barangay Magsaysay, Kibawi town, Bukidnon. Inspection showed that there were big cracks found in Barangay Magsaysay as well as structures being destroyed due to UNUSUAL EARTH MOVEMENTS. There were six houses that were badly damaged by the ground collapse. Also damaged were facilities such as the barangay health center, newly improved barangay road, barangay hall, basketball court, solar dryer, and electric posts and a drainage system. Black and white photos showed a big crack at the barangay health center, the almost sinking Magsaysay Elementary School, destroyed houses, and traverse cracks affecting barangays roads. Several traverse cracks, with variable dimensions, were noted to have affected an area of about 5-6 hectares encompassing the entire poblacion of Barangay Magsaysay, Puroks 1-3, and part of Sitio Lumbayan, where about 97 households are residing. Meanwhile,officlals have already evacuated hundreds of affected families.
HUNGARY - Sudden storms flooded villages and disrupted rail traffic in N Hungary on Friday, damaging overhead power lines and creating up to two hours of delays in train schedules. One such storm was a sudden cloudburst that hit Nograd county, N Hungary, flooding streets in six villages with half-a-metre water and causing brooks and creeks to overflow, washing away local bridges.
6/23 -
LIGHTNING - Next time you find yourself talking on your mobile phone in the middle of a thunderstorm you may want to cut the conversation short. UK doctors have warned of the danger of lightning strikes when using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather. The metal in the phone directs the current into the body. There are, on average, about 1,800 thunderstorms in progress at any one time around the world with 100 lightning strikes every second. "If you're struck by lightning on its own it will flash over your body but if you're holding a phone it will internalise and cause much worse injuries. "
COLORADO - A motorcyclist was struck by lightning and killed Wednesday afternoon while traveling on U.S. 36 in Westminster (between Denver and Boulder). Witnesses said they saw a bright flash that sent the yellow sport-bike veering into a concrete median. The lightning left a crater in the asphalt about 12 inches by 8 inches wide and 6 inches deep and sent chunks of asphalt hurtling across the highway. It was the second fatal lightning strike this month in the north metro area. On June 11, a man was electrocuted by lightning as he walked through the parking lot. Lightning striking a moving vehicle is RARE but not unheard of, an expert said. There have been several cases in recent years of motorcyclists and motorists being struck. Colorado ranks third in the nation behind Texas and Florida for fatal lightning strikes. Between 1995 and 2004, there were 31 lightning-related deaths in Colorado.
FOG -
6/23 -
AUSTRALIA - Flights across Australia have been delayed for the second day as early morning fog in Sydney and Canberra exacerbated hold ups from yesterday's UNSEASONAL WEATHER PATTERNS. Flights out of Sydney were held back as Qantas worked to prevent a repeat of yesterday's chaos when planes, unable to land in the New South Wales capital, were stranded in other cities and regional airports. Passengers in Sydney meanwhile competed for limited seats on planes going out when the fog lifted. "Yesterday the weather was SO COMPLETELY OUT OF LEFT FIELD, the airport didn't open until 1pm."
6/22 -
INDONESIA - Rescuers scoured mud-filled homes for bodies as the death toll from landslides and floods on eastern Sulawesi island in Indonesia rose to 188 people. Nearly 150 people are missing. A search-and-rescue operation has been underway in South Sulawesi province after two days of heavy rain at the beginning of the week. Sinjai regency was the worst-hit area after flooding early on Tuesday.
ROMANIA - Eight people were killed and several others declared missing after a river burst its banks overnight in northern Romania. The Tibes River in the county of Bistrita burst its banks sending torrents of water into a nearby village. The water also knocked out power and telephone lines and blocked roads in the area. Storms overnight in the county of Arad in western Romania also flooded several villages, leading to evacuations. Meteorologists warn that heavy rain and hail will follow the next couple of days and that flood risk levels will be exceeded in several areas.
WIND -
6/22 -
SCOTLAND - Gales with 90mph winds were set to batter the country and there were flooding fears as 4in of rain was forecast. "It is UNUSUAL weather for this time of year, especially the high winds... It is being caused by an area of low pressure that's making its way across the country. "
6/21 -
INDONESIA - Landslides and floods on Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island have killed 100 people and the toll could rise. Many others are still missing, after two days of heavy rain caused major flooding in South Sulawesi province. Many people are feared buried under the mud, and a rescue operation is under way to try to find them. More heavy rains are expected in the next few days. Flash floods and landslides usually happen earlier in the year, at the height of the monsoon season. More than 120 people lost their lives in two separate landslides on Java in January.
PHILIPPINES - Three people died, five were injured and two remained missing after a hillside collapsed and buried six houses in Barangay Napnapan in Pantukan, Compostela. A heavy downpour overnight caused the soil collapse at 9:30 a.m.
INDIA - Occasional storms and intermittent drizzles may have delayed the actual monsoon by 20 days. These rains were mistaken as the pre-monsoon rains, but in fact, they were caused by cyclonic conditions created in the Indian ocean. These cyclonic rains often hamper the development of the monsoon in the desired areas. These rain storms followed by extremely humid conditions were not favourable either for the crops or for human health. Drought-like conditions will occur if the monsoon fails to proceed by the end of June 30 or first week of July.
WISCONSIN - The tornado that struck western Washington County Sunday afternoon, creating nearly $4 million in damage, was caused by an UNUSUAL, "PERPLEXING" set of weather conditions that gave residents little more than two minutes to seek shelter. "It wasn't a classic textbook event. This one is perplexing us." The storm was not part of a squall line or widespread severe weather outbreak. The weather service issued a tornado warning at 2:27 p.m. after radar indicated that a thunderstorm "capable of producing a tornado" was just west of Hartford. At 2:28 p.m., the city's tornado warning sirens were activated. At 2:29 p.m., a Hartford police officer saw a funnel cloud touch down. Little more than a minute later, 157 homes and businesses were damaged.
6/20 -
SOUTH KOREA - The crew of an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 managed to land safely after the aircraft was damaged flying through a hailstorm on June 9. Hailstones that the South Korean airline says “looked 5cm [2in] wide” ripped off the nose cone, caused a 20cm-wide hole in one of the engine cowlings and cracked the windshield. The crew were unable to execute an automatic landing, but brought the aircraft down manually after two attempts despite their restricted vision due to the windshield damage. (damage photo)
TEXAS, LOUISIANA - A deluge of more than 10 inches of rain Monday along parts of the Gulf Coast forced the evacuation of a Louisiana nursing home and stranded motorists on roads flooded up to waist-deep in southeast Texas, where National Guard troops were on standby for more storms. Rain from a second storm had begun to fall in Houston late Monday afternoon. In Sulphur, La., rain measured as much as 9 1/2 inches of rain.
NORTH CAROLINA - It's nearly a week since the remnants of tropical storm Alberto passed through North Carolina, but runoff is still pushing downstream rivers to flood levels. Alberto was downgraded to a tropical depression when it hit the state on Wednesday. Some areas reported nearly eight inches of rain. In the next few days, rivers began to rise downstream from the areas that took a direct hit from the storm.
6/19 -
CHINA - A landslide in a village in the south-western Chinese province of Sichuan has killed 11 people and injured six. The landslide happened overnight in a remote region near the Tibetan border. The village of Shiji was hit by almost 100 cubic metres of rocks which destroyed 12 houses and damaged 40 others, cutting off power, water and road links. In recent weeks southern China has been hit by heavy rain.
PAKISTAN - While seasonal landslides are a common threat in northern Pakistan, last October's earthquake has made the terrain more susceptible to rains and tremors. As a result, this year's landslides are more widespread and more frequent, making dangerous terrain - narrow roads with steep drops - even worse. Monsoon season is under way June to September. "There is no doubt the earthquake has destabilized many of these mountainous areas and thereby increased the frequency ... of these landslides." Rock falls and mounds of earth bigger than buses have been blocking roads and stalling recovery efforts. The migration of returnees from camps around the region has become a logistical nightmare. In many cases, reluctant returnees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi find themselves living in impromptu setups by the side of the road with no support, no transport home, no food or water and nowhere else to go. "Many express a fear of the mountains, lack of resources and infrastructure, a fear of shifting from the earthquake, a fear of another earthquake. Here in Mansehra, we still receive aftershocks and bolt out of the building. In the mountains they are much stronger and still quite frightening."
6/18 -
MAINE - The RECORD AMOUNT OF RAIN that hit southern Maine this spring is credited with holding down the region's mosquito populations. While rain is generally good for mosquitoes, too much rain washes away their larvae. Scientists say that happened this spring in parts of southern Maine. Northern and central Maine are reporting a bumper crop of mosquitoes.
6/16 -
INDIA - More than 250,000 people have been displaced by floodwaters in India's north-east where at least 13 people have died since the monsoon hit a fortnight ago. Incessant rains caused fresh flooding in Assam state yesterday, forcing 92,000 people to flee their homes. "Breaches in embankments and rising levels of all major rivers have led to floodwaters inundating fresh areas."
JAPAN - Heavy seasonal rains triggered mudslides in southern Japan, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people Thursday. About 370 people were evacuated from three towns on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo, after nearby mudslides. In Naha, about 40 residents were evacuated Monday from their three-story hillside condominium that was on the verge of collapse after the heavy rain opened up a chasm in the ground nearby. In Kagoshima, a minor mudslide occurred after heavy rain washed off layers of ash from recent eruptions at the nearby Sakurajima volcano.
Officials say the rainfall to date is more than double the amount received in a normal year. Strong winds, heavy rains, lightning and thunder have been filling Okinawa’s reservoirs this rainy season, and spawned floods as well. More than 500 millimeters of rain has fallen on the capital city of Naha since the season began May 14th. A high pressure front across the northern part of Japan has collided with a strong front on the Pacific Ocean, trapping the stationary rain front over Okinawa the past week. The deep low pressure front created heavy rains that simply wouldn’t stop. Okinawa City and the Goya area report more than 515 millimeters (20¼ inches) over the past two weeks. The strong rains have made the ground very unstable in many areas, creating the potential for more rising water levels and flooding, soil erosion and mudslides.
6/15 -
BANGLADESH - Heavy monsoon rains and flash floods have inundated homes and crops in northeastern Bangladesh, stranding more than 200,000 people. Many villagers, along with their cattle, were sheltering on higher ground or in concrete school buildings. Floodwaters also submerged roads, rail tracks and ferry terminals, disrupting transportation.
IDAHO - the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for many areas of the Treasure Valley on Tuesday. Some were given a flash-flood watch, while others still were under threat of tornados - events rarely seen in Idaho. "Here in Idaho we don't see this kind of weather pattern very often - FAIRLY RARE for Idaho." It took three events to create the storms - a strong jet stream, moist air mass and low pressure. The combination caused rapid storm development, which created rain and quarter-sized hail. It also set the stage for some RATHER UNUSUAL WEATHER for this part of the country. "Once they develop, we're seeing these storms last a long time. They start to rotate." An F2 tornado hit 10 days ago in the Northern Idaho town of Bear - winds reached between 113 and 157 miles per hour. It was the STRONGEST TWISTER TO HIT IDAHO IN 50 YEARS.
6/14 -
CHINA - More flash floods caused by heavy rains left at least 19 people dead and 31 others missing in southwest China. Sudden downpours hit the province yesterday and continued for four hours causing several flash floods in the mountainous region of Guizhou province. A number of houses were also reported to have been washed away. The deaths come after at least 93 people were reported to have died over the past two weeks in torrential rains that have battered southern China. Some 12 million people have been affected by rains, floods and landslides.
BRITAIN - Hailstones the size of golf balls rained down on Coventry as a FREAK STORM hit the city Monday afternoon. Weather experts said they had seen NOTHING LIKE IT IN 40 YEARS. One said the hailstones were the largest he had seen since he began recording the weather in 1967. "They were an inch across, which is getting on for golfball-sized. They are the biggest hailstones I have ever recorded by a long, long way. For this region they were phenomenal." The storm, just after 4pm, lasted about 15 minutes and the huge volume of rain which followed caused flash flooding in some parts of the city. (photo)
OREGON - homes, windows, trees, backyards, crops and dozens, if not hundreds, of vehicles were smashed, dented and damaged by a barrage of large golf ball-sized hailstones - some up to two inches in diameter - Monday afternoon. Long-time residents said they had never seen a storm like this one. At least two cell-phone companies had service interruptions for several hours after the event. Three boaters reported being stranded on Ochoco Reservoir due to high, 6- to 8-foot waves. Strong winds also downed trees. A spotter reported 1.5 inches of rain in 20 minutes as flooding damaged area fences and roads in the WORST STORM SEEN BY THE OBSERVER IN 20 YEARS.
6/13-
SOUTH AFRICA - After torrential overnight rain, more cold, wet and windy weather is expected in Cape Town over the next two days as a cut-off low pressure system makes its way across the city. Forecasters say this "RATHER UNUSUAL" low pressure system brings cold and cloudy weather with a possibility of thunderstorms on high ground.
6/12-
UTAH - An UNUSUAL bout of June thunderstorms plagued much of northern Utah during the past three days - but dry, hot weather is on the return. Tree limbs were reported down, there was damage to outside patio furniture and flying trampolines were reported. At least six consecutive hours of continuous thunder and lightning were noted across Utah Valley on Friday evening. Strong wind gusts and large hail occurred in or near many towns on Friday.
NEW ZEALAND - Galeforce winds are battering the North Island and heavy snow has paralysed much of the South Island as wintry weather swept the country overnight. Powerlines were arcing in high wind. While gale conditions weren't particularly unusual for the Bay of Plenty, the weather situation for the country as a whole was OUT OF THE ORDINARY. "Nationwide it is an UNUSUAL SITUATION. It is not often we get storms that affect the whole country." Heavy rain is forecast for later today bringing flooding.
LANDSLIDE -
6/12-
CALIFORNIA - A landslide blocking Highway 140 near El Portal and the Yosemite National Park's western entrance could take more than a year to clear, leading officials to consider building an alternate road or bridge. To complicate matters, the 600-foot wide slide is still moving. "Everyday, we've got rocks as big as Volkswagens coming down." The Ferguson Slide started with chunks of rock and dirt falling onto the freeway in April. By the third week of May, 2 million to 3 million cubic yards of the mountainside had slid over a 600-yard section of the highway. Rock and sediment is still slipping downhill and 300 million cubic yards of the material could still fall, blocking the Merced River and potentially cause flooding.
6/11-
TAIWAN - Days of torrential rain have caused flooding and landslides across Taiwan that washed away homes, cut roads and yesterday derailed a train, stranding hundreds of people. Television footage showed collapsed houses in mountainous areas that had been partially washed away by mudslides. Mudslides blocked roads and left hundreds stranded in mountain areas.
CHINA - nine hours of torrential rain caused a series of landslides in Wuzhou, a city in the Guangxi region. Around 15,000 people had to leave the city as nearly 2,000 houses collapsed. More heavy rain has been predicted in southern China, and local governments are preparing for mudslides and landslides.
Heavy and persistent rain has once again lashed through Hong Kong, breaking up roads, disrupting school classes and adding to the workload of workers still trying to repair the damage caused by last week's heavy downpour. Exactly one week ago on Friday, torrential rain drew a red rainstorm warning. Friday's rain drew a black rainstorm warning in the morning. The Hong Kong Observatory said Friday thunderstorms and heavy rain were likely to continue for the next two days and it will not be until Tuesday that residents might get to see a clear sky. The areas that were worst affected last week were hit once again. The New Territories received the most rainfall, with more than 200 millimeters in Sai Kung and 180mm in Tuen Mun. The the rest of Hong Kong saw 100mm.
INDIA - Hundreds of people in the Bihar capital are struggling to cope with water logging caused by three days of continuous heavy rains. Patna recorded more than 22 centimetres of rainfall in past 36 hours alone - A NEW RECORD in the last 20 years. Meanwhile, an 11-year-old girl in Rajendra Nagar, another posh locality, reportedly drowned in the floodwater. Dead animals were also seen floating in the water. The monsoons arrived a week before they were expected.
WIND -
6/11-
IDAHO - The tornado that knocked down 5,000 acres of forest land outside Council last Sunday may have been even more UNUSUAL than initially suspected. Weather experts believe the tornado may have had wind speeds between 112 and 157 mph, making it an F-2 tornado. The tornado hit the tiny community Bear on Sunday morning and spanned 12 miles in length and up to half a mile in width.
NEW MEXICO - Microbursts hit Gallup Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to neighborhoods with wind speeds of 100 mph. They died down within two miles after lasting only a matter of minutes. After more than 30 years in the utility business, a superintendent said, "This is probably one of the worst incidents I've dealt with." The microbursts reportedly hit just around the close of regular business hours Tuesday, knocking down three power line poles on the west end of town. At approximately the same time, another microburst hit the east end of town, knocking down a couple of poles at first and eventually downing six, almost seven. The power line poles are 20 inches in diameter, and buried more than six-and-a-half feet deep. The bursts also destroyed one set of stalls and damaged the roof on another at Red Rock Park.
6/9 -
CHINA - The bank of a rain-swollen river collapsed early Thursday in southern China, flooding 11 villages filled with sleeping people, causing an unknown number of deaths and injuries. Some 3,500 families lived in the villages, parts of which were covered in as much as two metres of water. The river bank collapse in Fujian province comes amid what the government says is the WORST SUMMER FLOODING IN PARTS OF CHINA IN THREEE DECADES. At least 55 people have been killed and 12 are missing in Fujian and two other provinces since late May from heavy rains that have caused floods and landslides and washed away part of a rail-link between Beijing and Hong Kong. Across southern China, at least 378,000 people have already been evacuated from the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Guizhou due to floods prompted by an UNUSUALLY HEAVY seasonal monsoon. China suffers hundreds of deaths every year in floods set off during the June-to-August rainy season, although the season's first storm arrived UNUSUALLY EARLY this year.
MASSACHUSETTS - the storm that formed Tuesday off the coast of North Carolina followed a track similar to many WINTER storms. A spring nor'easter delivered a potent one-two punch to SouthCoast, dumping more than 5 inches of rain, flooding streets and soaking basements. "It has been brutal." Coupled with the torrential rains were sustained winds of 24 mph out of the northeast. At one point, rain fell at the rate of a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch per hour. "It's a classic WINTER storm system. If this was January or February, we would be talking about a heck of a lot of snow." "This is not like a summer storm." The rains added to the already heavy rainfall totals that have fallen on SouthCoast recently. In New Bedford, for example, the total rainfall for May was 7.49 inches, almost 4 inches above the norm. It was the second-wettest May since record-keeping began. As of Wednesday, the total rainfall to date in New Bedford for June was nearly 7 inches, 6 inches above the norm. It is already the seventh wettest June on record. And more rain appears to be in the forecast for the next few days. "It's not doing what it's supposed to be doing. The summer weather pattern hasn't locked in yet." Some see it as "precursor of things to come. "It should be a warning to people along the Northeast coast", as hurricane season started June 1. "Our time has come. We just have a bad pattern here that I don't like. This is a tropical storm wannabe. It did everything it could to be a hurricane — the moisture, the weather pattern, the jet stream."
6/8 -
ARIZONA - is experiencing an UNUSUAL dust and thunderstorm pattern. The National Weather Service predicts on-and-off cloudy, humid weather to continue through Friday. That pattern will give way to more traditional dry weather by the weekend. "To be seeing this type of weather in June is HIGHLY UNUSUAL. This hasn’t been seen in a number of years.” Traditionally, the Arizona monsoon of regular thunder and dust storms begins in early-to-mid July.
WIND -
6/8 -
HAWAII - the tradewinds have temporarily stopped altogether. They had been sputtering lately. They normally act like a natural air conditioner for Hawaii and with summer almost here, the return of the tradewinds would be a welcome relief. "Usually in the summertime, the tradewinds are usually at its steadiest. The fact that the winds are light and we lost the tradewinds altogether is PRETTY UNUSUAL." The light tradewinds are predicted to fade even more in the next few days, but are expected to pick up by Saturday. From the heavy rains that pounded the isles earlier this year to the UNUSUALLY LIGHT tradewinds now, "it's been a year of extremes." In March, we had persistent low pressure and it just stayed there on the west of the isles that brought a lot of rain. What we're seeing now is a weakening of the trades and the ridge of high pressure that is UNUSUALLY CLOSE to us for this time of year." This type of weather is normally seen during the winter season. "The lows in the front are further south than they normally are for this time of year. The ridge that produces the tradewinds are also further to the south." At some point, normal tradewinds should return. "The weather has been very extreme. Either it is too wet or too dry." "Sometimes, we're watering twice a day, which is UNUSUAL for this time of year."
WIND -
6/7 -
SLOVAKIA - Forest managers were assessing the damage Tuesday caused by a windstorm that flattened at least 7,000 trees in Slovakia's High Tatras National Park. Rugged terrain and bad weather in the area affected by last Friday's storm, around the Strbske Pleso resort, was hindering efforts to obtain a complete damage report. The toll from wind gusts was the highest since a freak windstorm in November 2004 toppled 120 square kilometres of conifer trees in the region. The catastrophic storm two years ago devastated the park in northern Slovakia, which includes a small but dramatic range of Alps-like mountains, and was partly blamed on the area's monoculture of spruce trees.
6/6 -
AUSTRALIA - More rain fell in Sydney in the first six days of June than for the entire autumn period as the city received a wet introduction to winter.The rainfall was especially strong in the 24 hours to 9am today, with nearly 50mm falling across the metropolitan area. However, while the city and its surrounds have been buffeted by strong winds and rain, the state's dams and catchment areas failed to receive much-needed rainfall. Yesterday's maximum temperature of 12.2C marked Sydney's coldest day since August 2004.
CANADA - Southern New Brunswick is mopping up after a soggy weekend that saw RECORD RAINFALL amounts and flooding throughout the region. They have already exceeded the normal rainfall amount for the entire month of June. The rain is still falling in most parts of the province. Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton all set TWO-DAY RAINFALL RECORDS on the weekend.
HUNGARY - All rivers and streams in north Hungary continued to rise on Monday following heavy rainfall in the Carpathian Basin over the past few days. Flood control workers were alerted on a total length of 1,992 kilometres of dikes along the country's major rivers. A third-degree (highest non-emergency) flood alert is in effect along the Hernad, Sajo and Takta rivers in northeast Hungary. The Hernad rose to an ALL-TIME HIGH of 415 centimetres at Hidasnemeti on the Slovak border and was expected to crest at 430 centimetres Monday.
FLOODING -
6/5 -
ITALY - The waters are rising around Venice. Each year the floods worsen and last longer. Carpets of slime coat St Mark's Square. Statues and church walls are coated with filth. The city is drowning. Venice has been sinking by about 10cm a century for the past few hundred years. But in the 20th century it sank 20cm because water was pumped from natural underground reservoirs, causing the subsoil to compact. In addition, the water level in the Venice lagoon has risen by about 5cm. In 1900, St Mark's Square flooded 10 times a year; now the figure is around 60. 'I love Venice and certainly do not want to see it lost. However, if we do not curb the rise in carbon dioxide emissions then there is no point in trying to save Venice. We should be worrying if we can save London or Paris.' The Italian government recently backed a £3bn plan that would involve building barriers between the lagoon around Venice and the sea. The barriers would be raised when abnormally high tides were due. But this plan is based on predictions that there will be a sea rise of 15-26cm this century. And that poses serious worries for climate experts. Most sea-level forecasts now envisage rises that will reach up to a metre by 2100. If such rises occur, Venice will receive precious little protection from the proposed barriers, thus wasting £3bn.
6/4 -
INDIA - The death toll from lightning strikes and powerful storms rose to 105 today as annual summer monsoon rains tore through India earlier than usual. Twenty-two people have died in the past two days in western Maharashtra state, in addition to the 19 killed since the beginning of this week. India's far-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh has sounded a flood alert after 478 millimetres of rain fell in two districts.
6/2 -
MALAYSIA - a landslide occurring near the capital of Kuala Lumpur has claimed at least two lives and left more than 160 people homeless. In the incident which took place in Hulu Klang of Selangor state, a retaining wall built on a hill slope collapsed suddenly Wednesday afternoon after rain, bringing down tons of mud on three longhouses. Rescuers did not rule out the possibility that more people could be trapped beneath the debris. More than 160 people in 43 homes living in the three longhouses have been left homeless by the landslide. The landslide also sparked a short-circuit that set off a fire in the longhouses. This is the third time in 13 years that a landslide has claimed lives in Hulu Klang.
FIJI - RECORD LEVELS OF RAIN fell in Nadi, causing flash flooding. The downpour on the 1st alone was measured at 96 millimetres, which is more than the average rainfall for a month in the Nadi area.
CANADA - Police are investigating the death of a man in Quebec's Mauricie Region, where initial reports suggested the man was hit by lightning. About 100 millimetres of rain pounded the La Tuque area in a few hours on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Several roads serving the city of about 11,000 were washed out, including part of the main route along the St-Maurice River. Some residents were evacuated by helicopter after flooding cut off access to their homes.
INDIA - Flooding caused by monsoon rains has killed at least 16 people in the past three days in western India. Early monsoon rains across the state of Maharashtra have caused houses to collapse, blocked roads and forced people into relief camps.
Mumbai was on alert for very heavy rains on Thursday, almost a year after a sharp cloudburst crippled the metropolis for days and killed hundreds of people in the city. Weather officials have warned of heavy showers in the next 30 hours, saying the monsoon rains, vital for the economy, have reached Mumbai 10 days ahead of schedule. A brief spell of rains on Wednesday brought parts of the city to a halt. Some roads were submerged and trains were delayed. "The first rains and already our infrastructure cannot cope. What will happen in the next two months?"
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5/30 -
BELIZE - this year the rainy season started one week early and its first downpours have been daily deluges of water. Localized flooding has SET UNPRECEDENTED RECORDS throughout the country, especially in the southern districts. For the past week, most of the country has been underwater, following a daily dose of several inches of rain. It is expected to be ONE OF THE WETTEST RAINY SEASONS IN RECENT MEMORY. The rains are apparently the result of a late cold front and an early tropical wave in the Caribbean. Both systems merged and created heavy rains and thunderstorms. Over the past four to five days, Belize City received about 8 inches of rainfall. The Philip Goldson International Airport had a total of 7.7 inches of rainfall. At the Melinda forecaster station, a total of 15.6 inches of rainfall was recorded and the Pomona Valley received the highest amount of rain, 18.6 inches. Normally, the country would receive between 2-3 inches of rainfall at the start of the rainy season.
COLUMBIA - For the past few weeks, heavy rains have battered many parts of Colombia. Country-wide, people have had to leave their homes as rivers overflow and landslides sweep away everything in their path. The most vulnerable are people living in the poorest areas, in makeshift houses often built on unsafe land – areas where many displaced families are forced to live.
5/28 -
RUSSIA - A landslide has occurred in the village of Tilichki in the Koryak autonomous district of Kamchatka. A number of auxiliary buildings were damaged, but no one was hurt. Three houses are located at the foothills of a mount, from where the landslide came down. The landslide stopped a few meters away from the houses. More landslides are possible because of rain and cracks in the soil, which were caused by the April 21 earthquake. Reconstructions go on in the disaster zone, but minor tremors have not ceased. Experts said the tremors may continue for about one year. Over 80 tremors occurred in the Olyutor district over the past month. Ice drift in local rivers is another problem, as it may cause ice jams and floods. The water level in the Pakhacha River had risen 70 centimeters higher than the critical mark, and the river burst the banks and endangered the Sredniye Pakhachi village.
AUSTRALIA - Reconstruction of the cyclone ravaged far north Queensland town of Innisfail has been held up for weeks because of wet weather. It's been so slow that even after nine weeks teams of workers are still cleaning up, rather than rebuilding. Saturday was the first time the sun has been shining on consecutive days since Larry crashed into the coast nine weeks ago. They have had 55 days of straight rain, tropical rain, heavy drenching rain, that has prevented repair work from happening. The stunted growth of the sugar cane is incredible. Sugar cane needs lots of sunshine, and it doesn't need rain at this time of the year. So that product is going to be stunted when it's harvested later in the year, in about June or July. Banana trees were flattened. The bananas will come on season in October, November. People in Melbourne will be paying as much as $10 a kilo for their bananas.
UNUSUALLY EARLY WEATHER -
5/28 -
INDIA - The SouthWest Monsoon has set in over Kerala bringing in heavy rains in many parts of the state. The monsoon has arrived days ahead of schedule, and is now advancing to Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu.
5/25 -
IRELAND - The West of Ireland experienced some of its WORST SUMMER WEATHER IN LIVING MEMORY last week as incessant rain poured down on the region. The dip in temperatures, which accompanied the rain, also prompted homeowners to stock up on winter fuels. Some of the rainfall statistics are truly astounding. The usual monthly averages have simply gone out the window with records set to be broken long before the month of May has even come to an end. One of the worst-hit areas is the South Mayo town of Claremorris where an incredible 31 milimetres of rainfall fell on Sunday alone, which is almost half the normal average for the entire month. Meanwhile, at Ireland-West Airport, a total of 23.8 milimetres of rainfall was recorded in a six-hour period on Thursday night, May 18. The high rainfall was almost replicated again on Sunday when 21.5 milimetres of rain fell throughout the day. It is going to be downcast, cold and wet for the foreseeable future.
SOUTH AFRICA - Heavy downpours caused widespread devastation in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday, leaving many homeless and causing major damage. A number of townships and informal settlements had to be evacuated, with rain at one stage falling at about 30mm an hour. Several roads had to be closed off to traffic due to flooding. The rains also caused multiple power failures across the city.
THAILAND - The devastating floods in the North wreaked havoc over a wider area yesterday, cracking a reservoir in the northern province of Phrae and destroying an earth dam in the northwestern province of Tak, while the death toll climbed to 51. Villagers from more than 900 households in tambon Pong Daeng in Tak's Muang district had to be evacuated when about one million cubic metres of water rushed out of the earthen dam to inundate thousands of rai of rice paddies. Many cattle were lost in the deluge. Many people are still missing or stranded. The Laplae and Tha Pla districts of Uttaradit province have suffered extensive damage caused by mudslides. Villagers were still in panic. ''No one expected such rapid and harsh floods. We were unprepared and could only try to save our own lives.'' Floodwaters in some areas reached three metres, with strong currents. As much as 330mm of rain had fallen in a day, the LARGEST AMOUNT IN 38 YEARS.
5/24 -
THAILAND - At least 27 people were killed and 61 others missing as floods swept through northern Thailand. "We are worried that 100 people may have died." Flash floods and mudslides triggered by torrential rains have hit five mountainous northern Thai provinces – Uttaradit, Nan, Phrae, Lampang and Sukhothai – since early yesterday. About 1200 people had been evacuated so far, while more than 75,000 had suffered damage either to their homes or their farms. In Uttaradit province, waters rose as high as 4m in what the government has said was the WORST FLOODING IN OVER 20 YEARS.
It is the WORST FLOODING IN 60 YEARS to hit northern Thailand.
SOUTH AFRICA - Several hundred people have been evacuated from flooded homes in Port Elizabeth and accommodated in community halls and police stations. On Tuesday morning heavy rain flooded shops and houses and turned roads into streams. Shortly after noon, 120mm had fallen since the skies opened around 3am. However the downpour has brought hope to the drought-stricken city where severe water rationing has been in place.
UNITED KINGDOM - there's no end in sight for the rain that just keeps falling. There will be some longer spells of rain and it will be quite windy at times. They won't be seeing any sunny weather in the foreseeable future. "It's the kind of weather you'd expect in autumn, so it's UNUSUAL but not unheard of. It's not record-breaking in terms of rainfall, but it's not normally weather we'd see at this time of year." Experts say that it is also UNUSUAL for Yorkshire weather to be so varied during May, with highs of a sunny 21C dropping to around 14C over the past 10 days.
People living along a number of rivers in northern England are bracing themselves for flooding, despite ongoing concerns about drought in the South East. The River Ouse in central York has already burst its banks, and riverside pathways have flooded.
FOG -
5/24 -
CHINA - Sea traffic was halted and nearly 1,000 vessels were forced to return to port and dock yesterday as dense fog rolled over the city's port areas, dangerously lowering visibility. The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau issued a yellow fog alert at 5:20am, citing visibility under 500 meters. Actual visibility in the Yangshan Deep-Water Port, Nanhui and Fengxian districts fell below 50 meters. The fog was caused by high humidity after the rain on Monday. Fog also shrouded downtown Xujiahui area, with visibility of only 700 meters.
Heavy fog abruptly blanketing the area caused pileups of 27 motor vehicles on an expressway linking Beijing with Shenyang, killing eight people and injuring nine others on Tuesday morning. The fog hit around 6 a.m. with a visibility of only 20 meters.
WIND -
5/24 -
Worldwide, an estimated $48 billion in losses is attributed to sandstorms every year, with $6.5 billion of this occurring in China. This year’s sandstorms in China are considered more severe than in previous years. Not only are they increasing in frequency and having more serious impacts on air quality, but they are also occurring earlier in the season and affecting a wider area. The timing of the first sandstorm moved up by a week in 2006, and the sandstorm-affected area has extended beyond 3 million square kilometers. Due to its lack of rainfall and overall surface dryness in the spring, Beijing experiences sandstorms every March and April. For about 40 days every year, the pollutants cannot be diffused, as the city’s location makes it a natural receptacle for accumulating sand and dust. As of late April, northern China had encountered eight severe sandstorms this year alone.
5/23 -
NETHERLANDS - The roof of a business premises was destroyed and a goods lorry was overturned when a whirlwind hit Delflaan in the town of Noordwijkerhout on the Sunday night. Several cars and homes were also damaged. There were no injuries during the FREAK weather.
NEW ZEALAND - There have been landslips and surface flooding in the Whangarei District and further north, following two days of heavy rain. Up to 120 milimetres of rain has come down in east coast areas, including Whangarei, in the last 36 hours and some rivers are running high. The rain has now eased to showers, but more heavy rain is forecast for Friday.
CANADA - More rain is adding to flood fears in southeastern British Columbia. Hundreds of homes in southeastern British Columbia remain on evacuation alert as officials warned that local water supplies could be contaminated.
CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO – Commuters awoke Monday morning to something they seldom see this time of year: RECORD-SETTING RAINFALL and strong winds. As of 10 a.m., Lindbergh Field had recorded nearly an inch of rain – .77 of an inch, more than doubling the record for the date. The previous high rainfall total for May 22, set in 1921, was .36 of an inch. Winds were expected to reach up to 25 mph. “It's not unusual for us to get rain in May. It is UNUSUAL for us to get it this late, and this much.” Heavy rain was to blame for a roof partially collapsing at an apartment building. San Diego's weather should return to its usual May pattern today, patchy morning clouds and fog, followed by sunny skies and temperatures in the mid- to high 70s
ARIZONA - A cold front moved from the Pacific Ocean into the Valley and out again on Monday, kicking up high winds and enough dust to set off pollution alarms. It also concerned wildland firefighters, as two of three fires around the state grew larger because of the wind. "It could stay under 100 on Tuesday, but on Wednesday it will heat back up with temperatures in the 103-106 range." The cold front was "dramatic," weather like Monday's is UNUSUAL. "In recent years, the trend has been that once hot weather gets here, it stays here. We normally don't get weather patterns through here in May. Usually, this time of year is the setup for the monsoon," when increasingly hot temperatures trigger the state's summer rainy season.
NEW HAMPSHIRE - A fast-moving storm that eyewitnesses said "twisted down from the sky" in Hampton Falls crossed over Interstate 95, flipping over a pickup truck and tossing its cap 150 feet into nearby woods. As the storm arrived, observers a few miles north saw a strange, wedge-shaped cloud. It was not a classic "twister," but a conical, black mass pointing forward and down from the lead edge of the main storm. A few minutes later, those observers saw two waterspouts moving over the ocean. Tornadoes here are few and far between. "Having a similar event, a 'downburst' or 'microburst' as we call them, a couple times a summer is not unusual. The only thing that is UNUSUAL about this is that the weather has been so cool. A tornado is most likely to happen when it's hot. If it were a tornado, it certainly would be UNUSUAL."
Officials estimate more than five-thousand homes in New Hampshire have been damaged by last week's flooding.
5/22 -
CANADA - After 9 straight days of rain, there is flooding near Cowansville, 80 kilometres southeast of Montreal. The high water has forced the evacuation of at least 100 people. This is QUITE UNUSUAL WEATHER for that part of the Quebec. The southeastern region of the province has received more than 140 millimetres of rain so far in May.
UNITED KINGDOM - Gale force winds at speeds of more than 50mph hammered the South Wales coastline Friday. And forecasters say even more rain and gusts of wind are on the way. The unseasonal weather is here to stay - and it could even last all the way to Monday, May 29. 'It's very unsettled at the moment. The reason it's so wet and windy is that we've got low pressure over Scotland - much lower than we'd expect for this time of year. Parts of Wales have been struck by strong winds, up to gale force, with gusts in places.'
5/19 -
COLUMBIA - A landslide triggered by heavy rains damaged a gas pipeline and cut off gas supplies to more than 756,000 families in Colombia's capital city, a gas company spokesman said on Wednesday. The landslip destroyed around 140 meters of the pipeline in Cundinamarca.
After four months of heavy rain, Colombia is fighting widespread flooding.
TURKEY - A landslide triggered by heavy rains buried eight hillside homes in eastern Turkey Wednesday, officials said. Four people were reported missing. The landslide hit the village of Yukari Karaguney in Kars province.
NORWAY - Norway can look forward to over a week of unstable weather, with an unpredictable mix of sunshine, clouds and rain. The temperature is likely to be just as variable across the country, and a return of the period of high summer seen last week is not in sight, according to the Meteorological Institute. "Low pressure along the coast of northern Norway and over southern Norway will lead to a quite unstable situation in the first part of this period (the coming week)." Rain is predicted to be an intermittent but constant factor over the next few days.
5/18 -
IRELAND - Buncrana, Co Donegal, was hit Tuesday by a mini tornado which lifted wooden hoardings more than 50ft in the air. Two cars and two vans were damaged by flying debris. Slates were torn off roofs and wooden facings torn from buildings when the tornado struck at 7:10pm. Trees at Ardravan Square were totally flattened as the high-speed winds swirled around the shopping area. The wind appeared during a heavy downpour. Residents and shoppers alike were terrified as flying timber embedded itself in the rear of a car. One observer commented they never saw anything like it in their life. The tornado only lasted seconds, but left a trail of debris in its wake. (audio / video link)
U.S. - Driving rains that caused the worst flooding in New England since the 1930s finally eased up Tuesday, but washed-out roads and the danger of dam breaks prevented many people from returning home. More than a foot of rain fell across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and southern Maine between Friday and Tuesday, with up to 17 inches in some places. Police reported one death, a 59-year-old man whose body was found in a submerged car north of Boston. Dams kept a tenuous hold against cresting rivers, and evacuees left behind water-filled basements. Some were stranded on rooftops. The damage will reach tens of millions of dollars in Massachusetts alone. And scattered showers are forecast for the weekend. Major rivers remained above flood stage. The month is only half over, but it already ranks as THE WETTEST MAY ON RECORD in Concord, N.H., and Portland, Maine.
WIND -
5/18 -
CHINA - Beijing residents woke up Wednesday morning to yet another sandstorm coating the city in a film of dust - and a warning that more could come. Influenced by strong cyclones, sandstorms swept over central and southern Mongolia, and central Inner Mongolia on Tuesday afternoon, with a northwest current bringing the dust to Beijing. The 14th sandstorm to hit Beijing this year caused the air quality index to reach hazardous level five - the worst rating - between midday Tuesday and midday Wednesday. The current sandstorm was also the second in Beijing this month, following the first on May 1. Beijing experienced 2.4 sandstorms on average in May over the last five years. As of Tuesday, Beijing had recorded just 72 blue sky days this year, 13 less than the corresponding period last year.
ARIZONA - Weather that resembled July or August rolled into the Valley late Tuesday afternoon, with wind, dust and even some thunder, lightning and rain. And this is May, not a month associated with the summer monsoon. "This is VERY UNUSUAL." The heavy winds caused a sheet-metal roof to blow off a structure and hit an electrical line, cutting power to thousands of homes and starting a small brush fire.
CANADA - In Ontario last Thursday a FREAK three-hour dust storm hit. Some wondered if The Wizard of Oz was being re-made and instead of Kansas, Bradford was picked to shoot the opening scene. The storm tore newly planted seeds from some fields, parts of roofs blew off barns and traffic along Hwy. 400 slowed to a crawl as nervous motorists drove through the black dust clouds. During the storm's peak, visibility was nil. "Bradford was completely obscured. This is a phenomenon that happens every few years."
5/17 -
- ALL OF THESE ARE CONNECTED TO THE SAME SYSTEM MOVING EAST -
U.S. - Record rainfall — THREE MONTHS' WORTH OF DOWNPOUR IN LESS THAN A WEEK — has brought to parts of New England the worst levels of flooding in 70 years. Rain fell yesterday for the fifth consecutive day. The Spicket River in Methuen, Mass., overflowed its banks, and fears that the Spicket River Dam would give way forced evacuations for miles. In Merrimack, N.H., more than 60 homes were almost completely underwater. In some cases, rescuers could see only parts of rooftops. In nearby New Market, N.H., overturned cars sat in intersections and firefighters worked feverishly to sandbag a crack in that town's dam. "It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. We've never had water this high here." In Haverhill, Mass., the main sewage line broke, sending more than 150 million gallons of sewage into the river. The sewage poses the most serious risk. "It's a nightmare." Meteorologists blamed the storm on a powerful high pressure system to the north in Canada that was keeping it from moving east. "It didn't move anywhere. It stayed there for three to four days." The storm is now finally moving out, but not before reminding people of the biblical tale of a torrential rain that fell for 40 days and 40 nights.
Experts blamed a convergence of UNUSUAL weather patterns Monday for the concentration of heavy rainfall in southern Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. A high-pressure system over Canada's Maritime Provinces stalled and effectively blocked a weaker low-pressure system over the Ohio River Valley area that was trying to move into Maine. Normally, high- and low-pressure systems gradually move west to east, but in this case, the systems came to a standstill. Air around the high-pressure system was flowing in a clockwise direction, while air around the low-pressure system was flowing counterclockwise. "It is not unprecedented for this to happen, but it is UNUSUAL." "The moisture came from far out on the Atlantic Ocean. " "Stuck weather systems caused the rain to focus in on one spot. It is definitely a RARE event." Weather patterns like this one will become more common with global warming.
FLORIDA - Spring storms pounded South Florida for a second day Tuesday with high gusting winds, rain and golf ball-size hail, flooded streets and power outages. The National Weather Service in Miami said the region should brace for more severe weather, including isolated tornadoes, brought on by a cold front that moved into the area on Monday.
BAHAMAS - Residents of Williams Town and Russell Town were left in shock yesterday evening after several of them reported seeing a FREAK wind storm believed to be a tornado in the area. The storm touched down shortly after 4:00 p.m. leaving extensive roof damage to at least one home in its wake. The activity experienced in Grand Bahama was the result of severe thunder storms in South Florida. Thunder storms were expected to continue to develop across the area through Tuesday as a cold front approached the area.
UNITED KINGDOM - the weather is going to turn "very unsettled", with 60mph winds and more than 1.2in (30mm) of rain a possibility in some areas as two Atlantic depressions track across the country over the next three days. Western and southern areas are likely to experience the worst of the weather, with the strongest winds and most persistent heavy rain spreading in through Thursday and Friday, which could cause travel disruption. Consumers were being urged to save water amid fears of the worst water crisis in a century, despite weather forecasters predicting heavy rain for the rest of the week. Extended dry periods like this are QUITE RARE. "The reality is that we have had 19 consecutive months of below-average rainfall."
5/16 -
NEW ENGLAND - Deluged by the WORST FLOODING IN 70 YEARS - Across northeastern Massachusetts, thousands of people fled submerged neighborhoods during the region's worst flooding in nearly seven decades. More than a foot of rain fell during the weekend in some areas. Although more rain was expected today, the worst of the flooding was thought to be over. But predicted thunderstorms could bring flash floods and high winds that could cause power disruptions. In New Hampshire, more than 600 roads were damaged, destroyed or under water. In Maine, flooding washed out dozens of roads and bridges, and threatened a pair of dams.
The most surprising thing about the current storm is not its power and duration, but its cause – what might be called the lack of usual suspects. “Historically, our major floods in New Hampshire have been either from hurricanes, or nor’easters, or from winter storms. I just don’t think there’s any precedence for this one in the last 50, 75, 100 years.” The current storm was caused by high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west, which happens often and usually isn’t a problem. “The fact that everything kind of stalled for almost 72 hours, that doesn’t happen very often. The resulting precipitation was channeled into a very specific area. VERY UNUSUAL.” So unusual, in fact, that on Monday afternoon it appeared that Nashua and several other communities in New Hampshire could break all-time records for most rain in a month – records that were only set last October. “To set an all-time monthly record twice in a single year, that would be very interesting.”
The deluge that's washing out roads and flooding homes is a historic event. The intense storm has BROKEN ALL KINDS OF 48- and 72-HOUR RAINFALL RECORDS. An unusual weather pattern is to blame for as much as a foot of rain falling in places. A high pressure system parked in northeastern Canada blocked a low pressure system to New Hampshire's west, creating a funnel that drew tropical moisture into the region. The storm pattern is ESPECIALLY UNUSUAL in May. Normally major rain storms hit in October, as one did last year. "This is comparable to the great New England historical weather events, the 1938 hurricane and the 1936 winter floods." The weather pattern usually only lasts a few hours, not days. The low pressure system is slowing moving east, pushing out the heavier rain but bringing with it showers over the next few days.
5/15 -
NEW HAMPSHIRE - torrential rainfall for a second day throughout most of New Hampshire prompted evacuations and washed out roads. Flood warnings have been posted. Authorities are evacuating areas along the Maine-New Hampshire border downstream from the Milton Pond Dam. The earthen portions of the dam on either side of its main concrete structure were eroding and could fail, unleashing a ten-foot wall of water. Eight shelters have been opened across the state for evacuees. Forecasters were predicting 12 to 15 inches of rain by the end of the storm in parts of southern New Hampshire. "It continues to change and the situation continues to worsen." "It's very powerful. It's definitely a deluge of water we have not seen in recent years." Many roads have been closed in the capital, and a sink hole opened up. In Hooksett a dam was reportedly cracking.
MASSACHUSETTS - Heavy rain forced evacuations in several communities in northeastern Massachusetts where swollen rivers spilled onto city streets, basements flooded and residents endured a dreary and soggy Mother's Day. The torrential rain hasn't let up since Friday. Forecasters predicted the rain to continue through Tuesday and dump at least 5 more inches across eastern Massachusetts. "This is the tip of the iceberg. It's going to get worse." By Sunday evening, Andover, Georgetown and Peabody had picked up 10 inches of rain over a period of a day-and-a-half.
Maine was also seeing torrential rain.
CONNECTICUTT - More rain in the next two days could cause flooding along the Yantic River. More than 3 inches of rain fell in the area Thursday and Friday, and the river temporarily rose to a flood level of 9.7 feet Saturday morning.
SOUTH CAROLINA - The strong jet stream moving through the region created strong thunderstorms with large hail and damaging wind gusts. Up to 2.75-inch hail was reported in Marion County, that's about the size of a baseball. In Quinby (Florence County) and Northeast Richland County, golfball-sized hail has been reported, as well as downed trees. A tornado or funnel cloud was spotted in Berkeley and Charleston counties. There were more reports of possible tornadoes on Sunday, although none of those has been confirmed.
TEXAS - A strong line of storms moved through portions of Texas Sunday, causing flash flooding and at least one tornado. Hail the size of ping-pong balls smashed windows in Kerrville. To the east, Austin and San Antonio escaped the worst of the storms. Storms also pounded Houston, dropping as much as one inch in 15 minutes.
5/14 -
INDIA - Heavy rains that lashed the city of Bangalore during the past three days have left two persons dead and ten injured. Hundreds of trees have reportedly been uprooted. About 50 electric poles have reportedly fallen flat, resulting in power shutdown in several areas. Rainfall on Friday is said to be the HIGHEST FOR A DAY IN MAY IN 20 YEARS. The record of a day in May 20 years ago was 50 mm. On Friday, May 12, the rainfall was 85 mm. On Friday afternoon, the sun was very bright and harsh. But by 4 pm there was a sudden cloudburst and it rained nonstop for three hours.
U.S.- a sprawling area of low pressure is spinning rain or clouds over more than half of the country - A stationary low settled over the Midwest and has created an UNUSUAL weather pattern that looks more like a hurricane than Midwest storms. Typical weather for this area moves in a straight line from the southwest to the northeast, but this low has created clockwise rotating storms. "That upper low-pressure system over the Great Lakes is going to sit and spin until next week." Caught in the spin are those who look at the calendar, see that it's May and assume it's spring, then go outside and discover the weather is doing a convincing imitation of a raw autumn. There's enough rain ahead to lead the weather service to issue flood advisories for the next five days. On Friday, Indianapolis, Indiana set an UNUSUAL WEATHER RECORD - for the lowest maximum temperature. The old record was 52 degrees in 1952, but Friday saw a new record of 48. The normal high temperature for this time of year is 73 degrees.
WISCONSIN - rain and high speed winds whipped through the area Thursday. "This was an UNUSUAL storm for this time of the year. We typically see these types of systems in the fall rather than in the spring. It was a strong low pressure system that gained strength as it moved into southern lower Michigan and into Wisconsin with a lot of clouds and precipitation." Snowflakes were seen in abundance in northern Wisconsin.
MICHIGAN - There were reports of wires and trees down all across West Michigan on Thursday.
MAINE - Three days of rain have fallen on southern Maine this week and rain should continue for several more days. The forecast from the National Weather Service calls for rain through Tuesday. Already this month, more than 5 inches of rain have fallen in Portland, or about four times the average for early May. The rain has been accompanied by cool temperatures that aren't expected to subside until the skies clear. Just three weeks ago, the ground in southern Maine was so dry that fires were a major concern. But under Friday's driving rain, April seemed like a distant memory.
WIND -
5/14 -
BRITAIN - A FREAK wind has destroyed Britain's oldest sycamore tree, which stood in the grounds of a Lothians college for nearly 450 years. A sudden swirling wind swept on to the estate from the south during otherwise hot and calm weather early on Thursday evening and sent the 95-foot sycamore crashing to the ground. Nobody was hurt by the tree, which was known to be rotting inside.
UPCOMING WEATHER SEASON -
5/14 -
CHINA - Meteorologists in China warn that the country faces extreme weather this summer, potentially adding misery to the lives of millions of people who are already coping with either droughts or floods. State media have been told that China could be hit by nine typhoons, and generally the weather will be hotter and stormier than usual. The Beijing area is currently suffering its seventh successive year of drought, and experts say the outlook for substantial rain is gloomy. Less than half an inch of rain has fallen on the Chinese capital in the past four months. That's down 63 per cent from the same period last year and reservoirs in the city are drying up. Meanwhile, drought in the north, northeast and southwest of the country is affecting more than 16 million hectares of farmland and threatening water supplies to more than 14 million people. Since mid-April, 10 people have been killed and around 4.5 million people have been affected by floods in central, eastern and southern China.
5/12 -
PHILIPPINES - A FREAK tornado hit a farming area north of the Philippine capital Manila, killing a 50 year-old woman and leaving about 400 people homeless on Wednesday. The tornado struck two farming villages in the area when residents were preparing to sleep. "The people there were caught by complete surprise. The whirlwind stayed for almost half an hour, leaving a swathe of destruction, toppling power lines and posts and nearly flattening residential areas." Around 70 homes were destroyed and power was cut for three hours. Philippine meteorologists said the freak tornado was caused by severe thunderstorms due to abrupt temperature changes at the onset of the rainy season. A mild 4.2 earthquake also rattled the central Philippines on Wednesday, interrupting power supplies on some islands. Separately, the weather bureau has raised typhoon warnings on the country's eastern flank.
GEORGIA - Nearly 80% of vineyards in the Gurjaani and Sagarajo districts in eastern Georgia were destroyed by hail on Wednesday night. The hail also damaged homesteads. The Lagodekhi and Akhmeti districts suffered large damages on Tuesday. Locals said they HAD NOT SEEN SUCH HAIL FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS in eastern Georgia.
5/11 -
TEXAS - Three people were killed and at least ten injured when tornadoes moved through north Texas yesterday. At least one tornado touched down near the town of Anna, north of Dallas. Severe weather was also reported in nearby Westminster.
RUSSIA - A cyclone will bring squall and heavy precipitation to Kamchatka from Sakhalin. A storm warning is announced for all operational services in the region and vessels sailing off the coast of the peninsula. The impact of the cyclone will be felt on the south-western and south-eastern coasts of Kamchatka this afternoon. The wind velocity will reach 15-20 meters. The impact of the cyclone will be strong on the peninsula till May 13, specialists believe.
WIND -
5/10 -
NORTH DAKOTA - Swirling wind swept a trampoline into the air and over a fence as a 4-year-old girl was jumping on it, knocking her unconscious and breaking her arm and pelvis. Witnesses reported the trampoline was lifted as high as 25 feet. "One man saw the whirlwind, then he saw the trampoline fly up into his view. He said it was as high as the trees." The trampoline landed partly on a highway with the girl pinned underneath. The swirling wind might have been a "dust devil," a localized, spinning pocket of air. Such meteorological oddities can occur when air heated by the ground rises rapidly through the cool air above it. Dust devils as large as 10 feet wide and 13 miles tall have been documented.
5/9 -
SURINAME - Hundreds of people in Suriname's remote central lowlands have fled their homes for higher ground after heavy rains hammered their thatched-hut villages. Some villages were beneath two metres (6.5 feet) of muddy water. It was not known if anyone was killed in the flooding, but rivers were rising and displaced villagers needed to be evacuated. "It is the first time this has happened to us and we need help quickly." May is the beginning of the rainy season in Suriname, a former Dutch colony of about 440,000 people on the northeastern shoulder of South America.
AFRICA - Drought has put more than 11 million people across east Africa at risk of starvation, 3.5 million of them in Kenya, where recent heavy rains have exacerbated already dire conditions. The long awaited rain in April, instead of helping, has caused flooding that swept away homesteads and livestock. The situation remains difficult in Ethiopia because it is not simply a problem of too little or too much rain but the main problem is the weather patterns have become increasingly extreme and erratic. “Pastoralists work in seasons. Their life is organized around seasonality. This extreme weather has destabilized their whole system. If a lot of water comes in a very short time, they have no system to store it. They haven’t the resources, money or time to adapt to this UNPRECEDENTED level of unpredictability.”
TEXAS - on the 4th, Texas was hit by baseball sized hail, torrential rains, flooding, 60 mile-an-hour winds, and eleven counties under severe thunderstorm warnings. “On the surface, what we saw on May 4th is not unusual. This is the time of year when we can expect severe weather. Usually, these M.C.S. (Mesoscale Convective System) storms will develop over west and north Texas then move east or southeast. But a COUPLE OF UNUSUAL THINGS HAPPENED on May 4th. A storm from the north took an unusually southern route, and then collided with a storm from the southwest. The southwestern line basically fueled the explosion of the northern line as it entered Bexar County.” What many people may not realize is that this storm was 60,000 feet tall. Typically, an airplane would travel at an altitude of about 30,000 feet. The storm that hit Bexar County was twice that high. “That’s SIMPLY REMARKABLE and so much taller than typical storms we see in south Texas.”
BANGLADESH - Sixteen people were killed and over 200 others injured as a tropical storm swept through parts of northern and western Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka on Sunday evening. Most of the people died in lightning, tree falls and wall collapses. The wind speed of the hour-long storm was around 76 km per hour, which damaged hundreds of houses and badly damaged paddy crops, which were almost ready for harvesting. Tthe storm uprooted trees and flattened many electric poles, resulting in blackout in some parts of the district.
5/7 -
TEXAS - Hail already has pelted the San Antonio area three times this week, and there's the possibility of more to come. The threat of storms will hang over the city through the weekend and into next week. "This is the hardest rain I've seen in years, and I was involved in the '98 flood," said the Assistant Fire Chief, of Friday's storms. (photos)
CHINA - Chinese weather specialists used chemicals to engineer Beijing’s heaviest rainfall of the year, helping to relieve drought and rinse dust from China’s capital. Technicians with the Beijing Weather Modification Office fired seven rocket shells containing 163 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide over the city’s skies Thursday. The reaction that occurred brought as much as 11.2 millimetres of rain, the heaviest rainfall this year, helping to “alleviate drought, add soil moisture and remove dust from the air for better air quality.” Though unusual in many parts of the world, China has been tinkering with artificial rainmaking for decades, using it frequently in the drought-plagued north. Last month, another artificial rainfall was generated to clear Beijing after the city suffered some of the fiercest dust storms this decade.
SCOTLAND - Five footballers were struck by lightning as Scotland was battered by a massive thunderstorm on Thursday. One player was still in hospital after being left shaking in agony. "It seemed like hundreds of bolts of lightning struck the pitch. Everyone fell, there was a big white flash and you could feel the electricity around you." A bolt also struck a car by the pitch. The driver was inside but was unhurt. Flash flooding led to the closure of several roads. Weather forecasters said the conditions had been caused by a "Spanish plume", which carried warm air north.
NORWAY - The sun finally came out over southern Norway this week, with a vengeance. Heavy snowfall from the winter is melting quickly, and raising fears of flooding. Spring runoff is filling mountain reservoirs and rivers so quickly that officials are worried. It has been an unusually long and snow-filled winter in Norway.
5/5 -
TAJIKISTAN - Mudslides have left 30,000 people without water and killed at least one person. The biggest mudslide, which followed heavy rain, took place about 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of the capital Dushanbe, damaging water pipes relied on by tens of thousands of people.
KENYA - Flooding caused by heavy rainfall in Kenya has displaced thousands, submerged homes and killed several people in various parts of the country during the past week. The worst-affected areas were the Indian Ocean coastal region and Nyanza and Western provinces. In the port city of Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, torrential rains over the past five days left hundreds of families homeless after their homes were submerged. Flooding also hit Wajir District, one of the regions most severely affected by the recent drought. An estimated 10,000 people in Wajir moved out of their dwellings when seasonal rivers breached their banks and flowed into villages following heavy rainfall. Flooding had also destroyed hundreds of hectares of food crops, especially in Kenya's western and coastal regions.
OKLAHOMA - Strong storms with heavy rains flooded areas around Tulsa and left thousands without power Thursday morning. Street flooding is reported in Broken Arrow and Jenks as up to five inches of rain fell during just a few hours and some people had to be rescued from their cars. About 65-hundred homes were also without power. Up to nine-thousand lost electricity at one point during the storms. More rain was expected in the area.
MISSOURI - One man died Wednesday when a van in which he and seven other people were riding was swept off a low-water bridge as heavy rains caused flash flooding.
5/4 -
ITALY - There are at least fifty people who can't yet go back to their homes in Ischia after the landslide on Sunday which cost the lives of 4 members of the Buono family. There will be at least twenty people who have to give up their homes, since they are located in places at too high of a risk.
SPAIN - An overnight cloudburst which fell in the area of Antequera, Málaga province, has been calculated to have caused 1.5 million € worth of damage. Roads were flooded and there were mudslides in some areas. The village most affected was Cuevas Bajas where 40 litres per square metre fell at 2am causing a local river to burst its banks. Crops and greenhouses were affected in the area.
WIND -
5/4 -
OREGON - An UNUSUAL weather pattern halted the Yaquina Bay regatta. On Saturday, a bizarre squall arrived, drastically changing weather conditions from sunny, blue skies at 1:50 p.m. - when average wind speeds were clocked at 7 miles per hour - to cold, grey conditions at 2 p.m., when sheets of rain and mist were driven by winds averaging 22 mph - bringing an abrupt wind speed increase of at least 15 mph within a span of only 10 minutes. The uncharacteristic storm blew in from the north rather than the south, where central coast residents usually look for systems of cold, wet weather; and was accompanied by a slight increase in barometric pressure, divergent from the usual barometric drop that often portends an incoming storm. Between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on that strange afternoon, Yaquina Bay Yacht Club members and visiting regatta participants found themselves executing rescue maneuvers in the bay as six of the eight 15-foot Coronado boats entered in the race were blasted by the sudden winds and capsized in the bay, while other sailboats not participating in the day's races were blown off course on the west side of the Yaquina Bay Bridge east of the bar. Because they're designed to roll over and then right themselves, on Saturday several of the Coronado boats capsized and righted themselves, only to roll over again and again in the unexpected storm.
5/2 -
KASHMIR - Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir say they are evacuating people from 17 villages in the quake-hit area before the start of the rainy season which begins in July. An estimated 2,000 families will be relocated from 15 villages in the Jhelum valley and two in the Neelum valley. The October earthquake has loosened the ground and rain might cause landslides. There are plans to relocate another 7,000 to 8,000 quake-affected families still living in tents.
NEW ZEALAND - Communities throughout the country need to brace themselves for the consequences of a volatile climate, with smaller floods expected more often. Recent flooding is the impact of a volatile climate and there has been a significant change in flooding in New Zealand. "What used to happen was a small number of very large floods like the Manawatu floods which was $120 million in terms of insurance losses. What we are getting now is an increased frequency of small quite serious and localised flooding events.' Floods are more frequent and in UNUSUAL places. "The assumption that it would never flood here, is gone now." Infrastructure is starting to break down because the soil is very wet and never really gets the time to dry out - so water and sewerage are cracking to a greater extent.
A new severe weather warning has been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula as the region cleans up after three days of torrential rain and flooding. There was potential for localised flash flooding and surface flooding. Rain which began in the region on Thursday didn't stop until Saturday night and left an estimated $1 million worth of damage to roads. The coastal settlement of Hahei at one stage got 170mm of rain in four hours. Slips near some holiday homes were being investigated to check whether or not they had made surrounding land unstable for the homes.
ROMANIA is struggling to prevent a humanitarian disaster after floods around the Danube river this month left at least 4,000 homeless. Large swathes of land and hundreds of houses along the river, Europe’s second-longest, remain under water after weeks of flooding and 14,000 Romanians are still displaced, living in improvised shelters, military tents or with relatives. About 30% won’t have a place to return to after waters recede. Many waterlogged dykes could still give way because of the prolonged water pressure.
5/1 -
CHINA - Hail and rainstorms have killed 12 people and caused huge economic losses in east China's Shandong Province since last week. The natural disasters hit the province's five cities of Heze, Linyi, Zaozhuang, Jining and Liaocheng from Wednesday to Friday.
2.18 million people have been affected by the disasters, 12 of whom died and 58 others were seriously injured. The hail and rainstorms destroyed 3,243 houses and brought harm to 155,000 hectares of farmland, resulting in a direct economic loss of 271 million U.S. dollars.
ITALY - Four people died in a landslide on the island of Ischia off Naples. A hill collapsed in five places, but only one house was caught up in the landslide in the area, which is thinly populated. Heavy rains fell all over the region Saturday. Ischia experienced violent thunderstorms, which flooded businesses and restaurants, and bad weather continued Sunday morning, hampering the work of rescuers and raising fears of new landslides.
LOUISIANA - Tornadoes and waterspouts were reported as part of a line of big storms that dumped up to 2 inches of rain late Saturday and early Sunday in southeast Louisiana, but overall damage was spotty. Street flooding was widespread Sunday night in East Baton Rouge Rouge Parish and wakes from large vehicles pushed water into some houses. Three to six inches of water were reported in some homes in one subdivision. Power lines were damaged in both the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas.
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4/30 -
TEXAS - Storms battered eastern Texas with wind up to 100 mph and hail the size of baseballs, damaging buildings and slamming parked airplanes into one another at an airport. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged, and some areas still lacked power Saturday afternoon.
NEW ZEALAND - Several houses in Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula have been declared uninhabitable following torrential rain. The Coromandel town of Pauanui is cut off by road and floodwaters forced primary schools on Auckland's North Shore and on the Hauraki Plains to shut for the day. About 175mm of rain fell in the seaside resort of Hahei over a three-hour period. The deluge triggered a dozen major slips and flooded about a dozen holiday homes. Some said it is THE WORST RAIN DAMAGE THEY HAVE SEEN IN 47 YEARS at the seaside settlement. Elsewhere, surface flooding from the rain and a high tide forced the closure of the only road into Pauanui.
SANDSTORMS -
4/28 -
SAUDI ARABIA - A severe sandstorm that blasted the capital Monday shut down the Gitex Computer and Information Technology show soon after it opened on its second day. More than 600 companies from 15 countries were participating in the show. The Riyadh Exhibition Center, located in an open area in Olaya district, faced the full brunt of the storm for more than an hour. At least one stall collapsed, while exhibits were hurled to the ground. As the wind and sand raged, security personnel at the site struggled to force visitors from the building. The people pushed back to remain inside while others from outside fought their way to get in. Finally, the organizers had to call it a day. Elsewhere in the capital, visibility had been greatly reduced and motorists were driving cautiously causing traffic jams along the city’s main arteries. Several trees were uprooted, blocking roads in many parts of the city.
KOREA - an additional five joint sandstorm observatories between Korea and China will be established until the end of this year in places where such storms start and along their paths such as Manchuria and the border areas between North Korea and China. Some six observatories will be also set up in inland areas of Gangwon and Gyeongsang Province, which have been blind spots in observing sandstorms. The KMA announced it will double the number of forecasts about sandstorm density on the Korean Peninsula and their expected paths to four times a day and increase the number of forecasters specializing in sandstorm movement analysis from the current one to three.
In Korea there were on average 3.6 days of spring sandstorms between 1971 and 2000. But the figure could double this year, which has already seen four such storms. Chinese meteorologists say cold air in Siberia and the Mongolian Plateau is more active than in the past and thus increasing the number of sandstorms. There was only one sandstorm in the springs of 1986 and 1987, but 21 days in 1995 and 31 days in 2001, indicating that the uninvited guest is visiting the nation with increasing frequency.

CHINA - Two people died and widespread damage reported following last week's sandstorm in northern China. The deaths were confirmed in the southern parts of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one of the worse-hit areas of the giant sandstorm. The sandstorm was the worst so far this spring with an estimated 300,000 tons of dust dumped. It was the 8th sandstorm this year.
TAIWAN - last week was hit by its third sandstorm this year - a sandstorm that originated in Mongolia.
4/28 -
CANADA - People who live in the western Manitoba community of Red Deer Lake are still in shock over flooding that led to the community's hurried evacuation on the weekend. Water levels in the lake rose to more than 60 centimetres OVER THE PREVIOUS RECORD, set in 1979. The evacuation was ordered after high winds on the weekend whipped up waves on the lake. They may be out of their homes for months. "At first, it was a few weeks, and then now they're talking months, just for the water to go down and then the clean-up, because there's sewage and everything else flowing around."
IDAHO - everyone anywhere near the Big and Little Wood rivers were urged to take stock of what their vulnerability might and take action now, before high water comes in a few weeks. “This is going to be the year we’re going to see high water where we haven’t seen it for years. We’re going to see high water and the questions are to what degree and for how long.” In late May and early June the high country begins to let go of its snowpack. The equivalent of three feet of water, or more, sits everywhere in the snowy hills around Blaine county. At this time of year, that’s AWFULLY RARE. The Little Wood Reservoir above the city of Carey holds 32,000 acre-feet of water. “There’s enough water in the snow above it to fill it five times." “Our worst-case scenario is a warm rainstorm. That would bring most of the water down in a hurry.” When that’s happened, Blaine County has seen its highest water on record, but it’s happened only a few times in the last hundred years.
VIETNAM - The number of tropical storms are predicted to be less than average this year while the number of thunderstorms, whirlwinds and hail storms are predicted to increase, according to the National Centre for Meteorological Forecasting. The centre also said there would be four or five heat spells in the North and Central regions from May to July. Since the beginning of the dry season this year, low water levels in rivers and streams in the northern area of the country have reached theLOWEST RECORDED LEVELS FOR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS. The drought has affected agricultural production. Meanwhile, heavy rains have occurred in central and southern regions, resulting in higher water levels than the average levels for the last three years. Whirlwinds, hail storms and thunder storms have already occurred in many localities, causing significant damage to properties and farms. Several people are also reported to have been injured by these severe weather conditions.
ROMANIA - Thousands of Romanians who fled areas flooded by the Danube River are now facing crowded conditions in tent communities and dwindling food supplies. With waters still rising after about two weeks of flooding, hundreds have taken refuge in tents on a hill overlooking the village of Chiselet. Food is running low, they say, and there are no toilets, forcing them to use a nearby field. It is a situation seen along the length of Romania's southern border, where the Danube — Europe's second-largest river — has reached record levels in the past weeks due to melting snow and heavy rains. About 148 communities have been affected by flooding, and more than 15,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
CHINA - China's water reservoirs are struggling to cope with higher-than-average rainfall this year. More rainfall has been reported in major rivers in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2005. Water in the main branches of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Huaihe River, China's three major rivers, saw a 10 to 30 percent increase in the first three months, over the same period last year. Large reservoirs in 21 provinces and regions, especially in Northwest China's Qinghai, and Northeast China's Jilin and Liaoning, have reported higher water levels than last year.
NEW ZEALAND - Otago emergency services are breathing sighs of relief as river levels drop and flooding recedes after torrential overnight rain closed roads and schools and left Oamaru isolated. Some residents had to be rescued by helicopter. Flooding and slips were affecting many areas between Dunedin and Waitati, and Mosgiel and Milton, and motorists were advised to take extreme care. In what was described as a "VERY UNUSUAL WEATHER EVENT", about 24mm of rain fell on the city in 15 minutes. The deluge was a "ONE-IN-150 YEAR, or even a ONE-IN-300 YEAR, EVENT" for the city. Flash flooding stretched the city's drainage system, causing damage to many homes and shops, with the Leith Stream reaching its biggest flows since the 1991 floods.
4/27 -
KUWAIT - A scene the likes of which only happen in the movie “The Wizard of Oz” occurred Monday night in Kuwait. At approximately 8:00 pm April 24, gale force winds picked up all around Kuwait in a bizarre turn of the weather. According to eye witnesses, an extremely strong wind blew past the palm trees heading out toward the waters of the Gulf, picking up three men at a coffee shop right outside of a Ruby Tuesday Restaurant. The winds carried the three men around 50 feet in the air, over the wall that separates the coffee shop from Aqua Park, and directly into the water park, where two of the men hit their heads upon impact, dying immediately. The third was confirmed alive and well, with cuts and bruises. Witnesses had noticed that the wind had begun to pick up, but no one was expecting what happened next. They said that suddenly a dusty wind came across the parking lot, taking everything not nailed down with it, and blew across the pavement, and past the restaurant, at which time the rain began. The strangest thing, they said, was that the rain didn’t last for long, and suddenly stopped, just as quickly as it had begun, giving people an eerie sense of uneasiness.
EUROPE - Hundreds of Romanians were fleeing their homes in impoverished rural areas today as rescue teams struggled to reinforce dikes holding back the swollen Danube river. In Romania, the worst hit country with tens of thousands of hectares submerged, 4000 people have moved to high ground since Monday after earthen dikes near poor southern villages collapsed, putting the total of evacuees at 9520. "There is still a risk that more dikes will fall as pressure remains very high with water two metres above flooding levels at some places." Heavy rain and melting snow have swollen waterways and inundated vast tracts of land in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary this month, making thousands of people homeless. In Hungary "the rivers are retreating slowly. It could take another 10-12 days and meanwhile the dikes are getting soaked."
BANGLADESH - Eight persons, four of them of a family, drowned and seven others remained missing as a mechanized boat sank in Jamuna river on Monday during a storm. The storm swept through 10 northeastern and northern districts Monday afternoon. Monday's storm hit 10 districts where paddy crops, which were being readied for harvest, were damaged heavily. Hundreds of thatched houses were flattened and many trees and electric poles were uprooted, disrupting the power supply in several districts. A farmer was killed by the storm in northwestern Rangpur district and many people were injured by collapsed houses.
KANSAS - The storm system that brought hail as big as softballs, lemons, and tennis balls Monday only brought sporadic rain to a region that badly needs it. The National Weather Service' s official reporting site next to Mid-Continent Airport recorded just .69 of an inch of rain Sunday night and Monday. That leaves Wichita still nearly 3.5 inches below normal for the year.
4/26 -
CALIFORNIA - After two days of recovery attempts, workers reached the body of a man who was killed when a huge hole opened beneath his house. Authorities identified the victim as a 32-year-old schoolteacher, whose wife is pregnant. He was relaxing in his living room about 9:30 p.m. Friday when he heard creaking noises, sprang up and began to move across the room just as the floor opened beneath him. He fell into a sink hole that opened and was trapped by rubble that landed on top of him. One of his dogs is believed to have perished with him. Workers trying to extricate his body were forced to retreat because the ground remained unstable through the weekend. It expanded beyond some of the load-bearing walls of the home, leading the recovery team to consider demolishing it. A second sinkhole opened up about 50 feet away from the house. A mine collapse is one likely cause of the strange episode. This area in the Sierra Nevada foothills was heavily mined for gold in the late 1800s. No maps exist of these mines, and there has apparently been no concerted effort to seal old mine shafts in the area. "There may be absolutely no surface evidence that it's there, and it could be five feet below the surface."
The 10-by-10-foot sinkhole continued growing deeper and wider for days. By Sunday night, the pit bottomed out at 20 feet deep, with a diameter that had more than doubled to 30 feet. "If you want to speculate, this house (in Placer County) probably had a void that's been opening up under the slab, and maybe this latest bout of rainy weather could have been the straw that broke the camel's back."
4/25 -
NAMIBIA - Streets in the three coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Luederitz turned into flowing rivers as UNUSUALLY heavy rain poured down for the most part of last week. Downpours brought more rain in four days than the average annual rainfall for the area. Since town planners did not make provision for heavy rain in towns on the edge of the arid Namib Desert, the infrastructure cannot drain or channel excessive water away from buildings. Many roads in Luederitz suffered severe damage, while the lagoon and some residential areas had to be evacuated. Repairing the flood damage has been stalled by fears of more rain on the way, as forecast by the weather bureau.
INDIA - At least 50 houses suffered cracks and 50 temporary dwellings collapsed to the ground when a landfill caved in at Kolkata's eastern outskirts Sunday. Hundreds of people of Kuchupota village in adjoining South 24 Parganas district were rendered homeless as the Dhapa dumping ground suddenly caved in. The landslide was emitting black sludge and causing cracks in the adjacent roads and houses, the reports said. Panic-stricken residents of the area were living in the open.
NEW YORK - RECORD-BREAKING RAINFALLS from Long Island to Central Park swamped streets, knocked out power, delayed air travelers, flooded a city hotel and washed out a bluff on the North Shore. The storm dumped up to 6 inches in Nassau and Suffolk and 3.5 inches in Central Park, setting 24-hour rainfall records in several areas, including LaGuardia Airport and Islip Town. "It's UNUSUAL. With a rain event like this you don't usually get so many inches in a short amount of time."
DELAWARE - This weekend's rainfall brought New Castle County more than 2 inches of precipitation, BREAKING A RECORD for April 22 and giving the city an above-normal total for the month. The county, however, remains about 2 inches under its normal rainfall of 12.78 inches for the year so far.
4/24 -
CONNECTICUTT - RECORD HEAVY RAINS pummeled the Westport area Sunday, flooding roadways and basements and possibly contributing to a one-car accident that killed a 1-year-old baby. Bridgeport’s Sikorsky Airport reported a record 5.28 inches fell in a 24-hour period. Some longtime residents said the rain was the heaviest in their memory.
KENYA - Timbwoiyo village in Central Baringo was quiet and peaceful until two weeks ago, when residents were warned that conditions were ripe for potentially deadly landslides. With the ground already soggy and more rains on the way, the village on the slopes of the Tugen Hills is no longer habitable. The small farming village had hoped for a bumper harvest this season with the onset of the long rains, but it now huge gullies have formed all over the land, which experts describe as earthquake fault lines. The fault lines have also caused cracks on the walls and floors of some of the houses, forcing the owners to vacate them. Houses are falling apart and the land slowly sinking. The movements normally occur in the night with rumblings, shaking and moving of furniture in the houses. They witnessed the same phenomena in 1961 and 1997. "The first incident was worse since we lost our crops and animals after the land sunk, leaving many houses damaged." A hot spring erupted at one farm. Everything went on smoothly afterwards until the 1997 El-Nino rains wreaked havoc in the area. "It was bad because the ground was shaking, houses collapsed but luckily no lives were lost." Geologists in Rift Valley province have yet to go there to assess the situation, but sources at the Geology department confirmed that the area is prone to fault lines. "Surface fault rupture occurs when an earthquake breaks the earth’s surface. Such ruptures cause localised but intense devastation like what is about to occur in Timboiywo." Although the Government has yet to conduct any studies in the area, it would be wise for the locals to move out before disaster strikes. It is expected that the situation will worsen by June if the rains continue to pound the area.
BULGARIA - the waters of the Danube were still rising and had, in one place, reached a record high. In the north-western town of Ruse, the country's most important port on the Danube, the river was 9.11 metres high - 23cm ABOVE THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH registered in 1970. The river had risen 10cm in just 24 hours. Luckily for Hungary, the waters have begun to subside.
4/23 -
SINGAPORE - rain here has been UNUSUALLY heavy. The Bedok and Eunos areas recorded 375mm to 468mm of rain from April 1 to 16. This is roughly four times the average rainfall. On the afternoon of April 14, there was 110mm of rainfall in just 90 minutes. Statistically speaking, the tropical storm that unleashed all that water is SO RARE THAT IT IS PREDICTED TO HAPPEN ONLY ONCE IN 10 YEARS. The rain has been a bit too much for some car owners. The recent spell of wet weather has wreaked havoc around town, flooding some areas in waist-deep waters. They are still a long way from the start of the year-end monsoon season.
UTAH - Nearly two months of incessant rain and snow (150 percent of normal across northern Utah) have taken their toll on hillsides along the Wasatch Front. The soil is wet and soft, and in some cases, moving. Officials with the Utah Geological Survey and the National Weather Service warned Friday that, in addition to potential flooding, landslides pose what they call "a moderate threat" along bench areas from Weber to Utah, and are an even bigger danger in pre-existing slide areas. "What we're seeing in terms of movement is that most of the historical landslides have already reactivated this year. There were four damaging landslides in Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties in 1998, and all four have now reactivated. That gives us an indication of where we're at in terms of landslide potential." The Utah Geological Survey currently is monitoring 50 slide areas in northern Utah. Unlike California, where a heavy rainstorm can trigger the collapse of a hillside, Utah slides are more the result of long-term precipitation, with the critical period spanning from March 1 to June 1. As things stand, state geologists are looking at SOME OF THE MOST UNSTABLE SLOPES THEY'VE SEEN SINCE 1999.
UTAH - Large amounts of snowpack still remain in the mountains above the Wasatch Front. Much of it should have melted weeks ago, which has residents and experts a little worried about the potential for flooding. In fact, the dangers have already arisen. "We have a large snow pack that's delayed it's melt, and we are in the third week of April. [It] should have melted… three weeks ago." The hot spots include just about all of the rivers in the Cache Valley, the Weber River, City Creek, Emigration Canyon and the Jordan River.
TEXAS - A severe thunderstorm roared through San Marcos on Thursday, dumping hail as large as softballs. For 15 minutes, hail pounded vehicles, leaving behind broken glass and dents. "It sounded like a war zone." The storm left behind large piles of large ice bills and debris. Witnesses said at one point visibility was reduced to a few feet. "At first it was just golf-ball sized. Then it kept getting bigger. Then, you just couldn't see out the window at all."
CANADA - A few areas in eastern Saskatchewan have been hit with flood advisories. Thanks to a large amount of snow and water the past week in places like Norquay and towards Swan River, Manitoba, rivers are reaching RECORD FLOWS NOT SEEN IN OVER 30 YEARS. Fishing Lake, near Foam Lake, has risen to new levels, but isn't expected to peak until May. As for areas in northern Saskatchewan, the waters are beginning to decrease.
4/21 -
INDONESIA - Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rain have killed at least 23 people in Indonesia. The worst-hit district was that of Bendungan in the east of the main island of Java. Water in some areas had risen as high as two metres (6.6 ft). At least 24 people died in landslides and floods caused by heavy rains in eastern Indonesia in February.
ROMANIA, BULGARIA - Torrential rain has worsened flooding along the River Danube in parts of Romania and Bulgaria, where thousands of people have fled their homes. Some of the heaviest rainfall on Thursday was reported in north-western Bulgaria's Vratsa district. Roads and bridges in the region were damaged and the lower floors of houses in the villages of Vladimirovo and Banitsa were flooded. More than half the houses bordering the Danube in the Bulgarian port of Nikopol were reported to be flooded.
IDAHO - The WETTEST SPRING IN RECENT MEMORY has forced Washington County Road and Bridge crews to close several roads as hillsides give way and gravel surfaces turn to mud. The bottom of Hog Creek Road literally fell out, and an isolated mini-cloudburst at the end of last week pushed Rock Creek to a “massive flow” that ripped over road surfaces, washing out the beds creating a “sloppy juice” of water and mud. Weiser River Road remains open, but a big section has sunk and a “whole hill has sloughed out” covering parts of the Weiser River Trail and endangering the stability of the road surface.
TEXAS - Thunderstorms began sweeping in about 6 p.m. Thursday, but more severe storms with high winds and hail were raking counties to the south and southwest. “As more storms develop throughout the evening, the concern is there for additional heavy rainfall.”
4/20 -
MALAYSIA - The unpredictable weather in recent times has hit Kuala Lumpur badly. Thunderstorms have uprooted more than 100 trees and damaged about 30 vehicles and houses in the past one month alone. Falling trees not only damaged vehicles, homes and utility lines but also obstructed traffic in certain areas. The local authority has placed extra personnel on standby at problematic areas to tackle problems resulting from the FREAK weather. “During these four months, the rainy season has been unpredictable. Freak thunderstorms occur at anytime of the day."
ETHIOPIA - authorities and relief agencies have rushed help to thousands of displaced people in the eastern parts of the country after the Awash River flooded its banks, washing away villages and killing hundreds of livestock. "The rains came in from the highlands to the lowlands in a very abrupt way, so that it took people by surprise." The rains are still continuing in some areas of the region. The floods have displaced at least 10,000 people.
ROMANIA - At least 10,000 southern Romanian citizens from 129 towns in 12 districts were evacuated because of a Danube River dam breakage. The river has reached its highest level in more than 100 years, and might go still higher with the rain and melting water affecting more than 620 miles of the nation. There are thousands of people sheltered in schools, hospitals and mayors´ offices, and the army and police continue evacuations. Local weather services predicted rain for today, and according to a provisional report, 700 houses are still under water, 184 houses were destroyed, another 120 are in danger, and more than 3,000 farms are flooded.
BULGARIA - Storm winds, rain falling in torrents and battering hail hit the region of Bulgaria's Vratsa on Wednesday. The storm pounded the northwest place in the evening, soaking ground floors and damaging the asphalt on some roads. In the village of Banitsa the hail was so strong that it piled up in a 20-centimeter deep ice layer, according to reports. It was not immediately clear whether any people were hurt.
SOUTH AFRICA - An estimated 200 people have been left destitute following a heavy hail storm in the Northern Cape. According to residents at Ganspan near Jan Kempdorp, shanties and trees were razed to the ground by the hail, which came from all directions. Strong winds also caused damage and the storm affected sections of Taung in the North West.
CANADA - A state of emergency was declared early Wednesday on Newfoundland's Baie Verte Peninsula after heavy rain caused flooding that blocked the main road into three communities.
OREGON - The wild weather that blew through Brookings Saturday, left even longtime residents scratching their heads trying to figure out what hit them. From just before 6 a.m. to near noon, a strong weather cell blew in from the south and delivered a solid blow with rain, hail, wind and lightning to the South Coast. The anemometer near Humbug Mountain measured gusts as high as 98 mph. Horizontal rain hit between 10 and 11 a.m. "There was a huge, huge blast that just hit us. My house just shuddered. It lasted about three seconds, but just really hit hard." The fact that lightning hit wasn't that unusual, but the timing of the storm was. "Lightning most commonly is on the coast in the winter season because the ocean surface is warm and when the cold air comes across that warm surface, you get a lot of instability." What caused Saturday's wild weather was an UNUSUALLY cold weather front for this time of year. The band of cold air aloft spawned high wind, rain, hail, water spouts, which were reported near North Bend, and a lot of lightning and thunder. Last weekend's FREAKY storm probably marks the end of the last of the real strong winter storms and the return of more normal weather patterns.
4/19 -
KENYA - Falling rocks are making life unbearable in Kimobo village in Nandi South District. The village, which is located on the slopes of the Kimobo hills, has experienced myriad rockslides that have killed two villagers, destroyed several houses and claimed hundreds of their livestock and poultry recently. Nightfall spells doom, fear and heightened trepidation forcing the villagers to sleep in turns as others keep vigil. The rains have aggravated the situation, which has led to rampant soil erosion, causing the rocks to lean precariously towards the village. "The past five months have seen an increase in the incidents of the rocks killing livestock and injuring people. This has forced some villagers to abandon their homes and seek alternative residential areas."
4/18 -
BOLIVIA - More than a quarter-million Bolivians are still struggling to recover from unprecedented rains and hailstorms that caused severe flooding in January and February. Unusually heavy rains have continued into the spring, making recovery from the winter’s floods even more difficult. “It has been a devastating disaster. Many families lost everything – their crops, their livestock, even their homes were destroyed. Some communities were partially buried in mud eight feet deep. Recovery will take many months."
IDAHO - The Governor has declared a statewide flooding disaster emergency. In his statement, he said the state faces danger to public safety and property which is likely to be beyond the control of Idaho's county governments.
INDIA - Powerful rainstorms accompanied by lightning and hail left at least 20 people dead and many others injured in southern India. Heavy downpours and gusty winds lashed Andhra Pradesh state Sunday evening, toppling trees and power lines. Across the state at least 15 people were killed when they were struck by lightning. Five other people died when they were struck by flying debris or inundated by flash floods that followed the downpours. The hailstorms and rain also caused extensive damage to crops in several parts of the state. The tropical storms that lashed the coastal state were caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.
4/17 -
COLUMBIA - mudslides in western Colombia have killed at least 29 people, with at least eight more unaccounted for. Rescuers have been hampered by heavy rains, new mudslides and attacks by some of Colombia's armed factions. Rivers of mud have swept away homes and parts of the main road to the Pacific coast, leaving the area cut off. A journalist covering the disaster was swept away by a new landslide on Thursday and is still missing. His cameraman was rescued from the mud suffering from serious injuries. The village of Bendiciones, which is about 350km (220 miles) south-west of the capital Bogota, is reported to have been completely destroyed by landslides. The huge pre-dawn mudslide Wednesday was triggered when the rain-swollen Dagua River overflowed its banks,and it devastated an area of Valle Del Cauca province, between Cali and Buenaventura, Colombia's Pacific port. Since then, numerous mudslides have blocked key roads and forced the evacuation of a thousand people from Buenaventura.
SERBIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA - have all suffered from flooding caused by melting snow and steady rainfall. Emergency teams in the Balkans are shoring up flood defences along the River Danube and its tributaries, but many homes have already been swamped. The Danube has reached its HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 1895 (111 YEARS) in Romania, where some farmland and forest areas have been deliberately flooded to protect towns. The Danube is now flowing at nearly 16,000 cubic metres a second, more than twice the normal volume in April. In Belgrade the level of the Danube there reached 8.45m, some 40cm MORE THAN THE HIGHEST LEVEL EVER RECORDED, and it was expected to continue rising. Hundreds of people have been moved from flood-hit homes in Romania and Serbia. Flood defences have been weakened in many places by nearly a week of high waters. The Sava, Tisa and Tamis rivers have also reached dangerous levels.
INDIANA - Two waves of storms roared through the Indianapolis area Friday night, packing golfball-size hail, strong winds and heavy rainfall that damaged cars, broke windows, ripped off roofs and downed power lines and trees.
WISCONSIN - The National Weather Service tracked hail reports from the state's southwestern corner in a fairly straight line northeast to the Milwaukee area Thursday. The largest confirmed hailstone fell near Lake Mills. It had a diameter of 4.25 inches. The lightning was intense - "it looked like spiders crawling across the sky."
SANDSTORMS -
4/17 -
CHINA - A sandstorm struck the Chinese capital today, covering homes, streets and cars in brown dust and leaving the skies a murky yellow as it suffers its worst pollution in years. Desertification of China's west and Mongolian steppes has made the spring sand storms worse in recent years, reaching as far away as South Korea and Japan. Cold, windy weather, a glut of construction sites and poor plant cover around Beijing have also contributed. So far in 2006, Beijing has notched up 13 days of the worst measure of pollution, more than last year's total and the highest in six years. Hospitals have also dealt with a sharp increase in patients with respiratory diseases.
4/14 -
COLUMBIA - Landslides in south-west Colombia have left at least eight people dead. Dozens are reported missing after mud swept through the Buenaventura region, on the Pacific coast, among them eight soldiers who were at a checkpoint. The area has been cut off from the rest of the country. The mudslides were triggered by heavy rains which started on Tuesday night and led to several rivers bursting their banks in the early hours of Wednesday. Dozens of homes were swept away by water and mud, and more than 1,000 people are reported to have been affected. In this year's wet season more than 40 people have been killed and thousands left homeless by floods and mudslides, which have also destroyed thousands of hectares of crops. The rainy season began in March and is forecast to continue until June.
BOLIVIA - A string of powerful rainstorms brought on widespread flooding throughout Bolivia from the final week of January through April.
CALIFORNIA - the body of an elderly man was found beneath a mudslide just north of San Francisco. He was buried under tonnes of rock, dirt and trees early yesterday while he cleared a drain behind his Northern California house. A relentless series of storms has drenched the region for more than a month, breaching levees, dangerously filling waterways, and causing hillsides to slip. A duplex that had been evacuated because a hillside in the city of Rio Vista was giving way crashed down the steep incline. Elsewhere, landslides closed roads. While a break in the storms had caused the threat of flooding to ebb, waterlogged hillsides and earthen levees remain at risk of giving way.
A day after Santa Cruz County declared a state of emergency asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to help reimburse the cost of storm damaged roadways, more rain pounded the Santa Cruz Mountains, causing additional slipouts overnight. A slide about 600 by 300 feet looms over eight to 10 houses in the Santa Cruz Mountains at East Zayante Road. "The rains that happened Tuesday night were so severe in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I think they got 4 inches of rain and another 4 inches yesterday, which really caused us to reach the tipping point because the soil was getting so saturated." Emergency officials continue to monitor numerous homes and roadways threatened by landslides. As of yesterday morning, there were eight closed roads and 14 with limited access in Santa Cruz County alone. A massive landslide estimated at about three acres has isolated about 10 homes on Two Bar Road off of Highway 9, blocking residents from traveling to and from the area. In addition, a landslide that began moving in 1995 slid further a few days ago at Amesti Road in the south county, breaking two houses in half. Highway 1 at Lucia was temporarily shut down after rocks and mud fell on the roadway late Wednesday night for the third time in about a week.
IOWA, ILLINOIS - One person died Thursday night after a slew of tornadoes ripped through eastern Iowa and toppled the victim's mobile home in Nichols. The tornadoes left some neighborhoods in disarray as heavy winds and hail destroyed cars, crushed homes and cut off power to thousands of Iowans. The weather service reported tornadoes in Tama, Linn, Muscatine and Johnson counties, with much of the damage occurring in Iowa City. Officials were keeping an eye out for more tornadoes in east-central Iowa. The storms swept through northern Illinois, knocking down trees and power lines and prompting tornado warnings. At least one tornado was spotted on the ground in Mercer County.
MALAYSIA - A 16-month-old toddler had a miraculous escape when a large tree uprooted during a FREAK storm yesterday and literally brought the heavy zinc roof down on her. This was the first time a storm had wreaked such damage in the area. "Before this, we only had flash floods to contend with."
FOG -
4/14 -
ILLINOIS - Two rush-hour pileups Thursday morning on a fogbound U.S. highway just north of the town of Muddy left 10 people injured. The crashes involved 28 vehicles and occurred about 7 a.m. on U.S. 45, when thick fog cut visibility to zero. Twenty-two vehicles, including three semitrailers, were involved in the chain-reaction wreck on the two northbound lanes, with six other vehicles crashing into each other going southbound.
JAPAN - A container ship and a freighter collided yesterday morning in foggy conditions at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, damaging the container ship and forcing all its 25 Filipino crew to evacuate in lifeboats. Visibility was less than 200m at the time.
DUST STORMS -
4/14 -
A large dust storm whipped out of the Gobi Desert on April 10.
4/13 -
SERBIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA - The Danube river rose to its HIGHEST LEVELS IN DECADES overnight, driving people from their homes in northern Serbia and Romania and swamping Bulgaria's main river ports. In Serbia, the Danube and Sava rivers were still rising near the capital Belgrade, while the towns of Titel, Zabalj and Zrenjanin were threatened by the Tisa river. "We are really entering a dramatic phase in the next few days."
TENNESSEE - the traditional spring tornado season of April through June clearly is off to a fast start. Twelve people in Sumner and Warren counties died in Friday's storms. Five days earlier, tornadoes in West Tennessee killed at least 24 people. The United States had not seen this many tornadoes by this time of year since 1999. An "abnormally warm" winter kept temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico warm, increasing the likelihood of deadly storms. Improved radar and computer models mean forecasters can predict tornadoes up to three days out. Tornado warnings now arrive, on average, 15-16 minutes before touchdown, but the information doesn't help answer the question on the minds of many: Should Tennessee expect more damage in 2006? There have been five "outbreaks" of severe weather in the past month. "With this kind of start, you'd have to anticipate a strong May. For now, as far as what we see, this may continue through that part of the year." However, there were far fewer tornadoes in May 2005 than in either 2003 or 2004.
CALIFORNIA - Rivers are flooding, reservoirs are spilling over, levees are crumbling and the hillsides in Northern California are soaked and slipping. Blame it on La Nina or global warning, whatever the cause, wave after wave of rain storms have roared ashore from the Pacific Ocean and drenched the state since the end of February. Weather forecasters say April could end before a dry spell moves in. Homes built on hilltops, into hillsides and at the foot of hills are in danger of being tossed off the hill, slipping from their foundations, or buried by mudslides. Conditions have worsened since landslide conditions first emerged earlier this year. Earthquakes can certainly trigger landslides, and the Big One now would be calamitous.
DUST STORMS-
4/12 -
Dust blew over the Korean Peninisula toward the Sea of Japan in early April.
Dust from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan mixed over the Arabian Sea in early April.
A dust storm struck north central Texas on April 6.
4/11 -
CALIFORNIA - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Monday in seven northern and central California counties, saying the region's rainiest March on record and more rain on the horizon put people and property in "extreme peril." Many reservoirs in California's Central Valley are groaning at full capacity, and at least 10 more days of rain are forecast for the region. State water officials fear the heavy rain could weaken some levees to the point of failure. They took advantage of a weekend lull in the storms to patch some weak spots in the system but were still concerned. Schwarzenegger wrote that "extreme peril to the safety of persons and property" afflicted the counties of Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Merced, San Joaquin, San Mateo and Stanislaus.
PHILIPPINES - Residents of at least 17 villages in Bicol that have been classified as most landslide-prone have been asked to relocate as soon as possible. Landslides could happen anytime, especially during heavy rain. Local officials have already been informed of the dangers the communities are facing and have been advised to relocate the residents. The 17 villages are among the 82 barangays identified last year as landslide-prone.
SERBIA - The Danube River has been rising in northern Serbia, flooding villages and farmfields and authorities said the water crest is expected in mid-week. The Danube water mark Monday reached 23.9 feet (7.3 meters) at Novi Sad, Serbia's second major city 45 miles northwest of Belgrade, and is expected to go up to 24.3 feet (7.4 meters). This would be 1.24 feet (.38 meters) lower that in 1965, when the authorities registered the Danube's highest water level. At Smederevo, on the Danube some 25 miles southeast of Belgrade, flood waters reached 24.9 feet (7.6 meters). The Danube water level at Belgrade was 23.4 feet (7.14 meters), and vacation homes close to river's banks were flooded.
BRITAIN - a tornado left a trail of destruction across the area of Middleton. Residents in the Heath estate, Alkrington, were left terrified at the weekend after winds of up 112mph ripped a huge wooden roof off a row of garages, hurling debris 35ft over houses. The force of the winds even bent a metal lamppost over. "A tornado is not something you expect in Middleton. It is a miracle no one was hurt." Met Office experts are now warning that Manchester could see more extreme weather. "When you get cold weather fronts moving north to south across the country it is quite natural to get areas of intense activity. These strong gusts of wind, or mini tornados affect even more localised areas because they develop and decay very rapidly. They are often triggered by hot weather and it is quite possible we could see more in the summer if we have very hot days - although they are relatively RARE."
BANGLADESH - Seven persons were killed and over 1,000 others injured as a tornado and a tropical storm hit parts of western, northern and central Bangladesh Saturday. Many houses were flattened by the short-lived tornado that lashed the sub-district. The tornado badly damaged crops on land. Two persons were killed and over 200 others injured in Ullapara sub-district of western Sirajganj district Saturday afternoon as a tropical storm swept through the sub-district damaging innumerable thatched houses.
PAKISTAN - Heavy rains hit Pakistan's earthquake-devastated northern region, triggering landslides and disrupting return of survivors to their mountain villages on Sunday. The showers came as some 300,000 people prepared to return to their villages after spending the winter in tents encampments. The roads running from Muzaffarabad to two main valleys in Kashmir, Neelum and Jhelum, had been blocked by landslides caused by heavy rains. Authorities are alarmed at the potential for diseases in several spontaneous camps that have sprung up in the quake zone and want them to be closed as early as possible. But many survivors living in these camps are reluctant to leave saying that rains would aggravate their plight in the remote mountainous areas. "The rains will cut off our villages from Muzaffarabad and we will literally be lying helpless on the mountains."
THAILAND - Several areas in the Northeast, East and Central Plains regions have been told to brace for heavy downpours, strong winds and hail storms during the Songkran festival. The cold air mass would nudge its way over the Northeast, East and Central regions during April 14-17, increasing precipitation. The upper part of the country and Bangkok were being hit by unpredictable weather patterns which would bring rain and strong winds today. Hail storms wreaked havoc in some localities in the East and North at the weekend. In Sa Kaeo, more than 30 houses in Prasongsuk village of Aranyaprathet district were destroyed by hail on Friday. The storm also caused a power blackout and uprooted trees.
COLUMBIA - Six women were killed and 43 people injured when the roof of a Roman Catholic church collapsed during Palm Sunday mass in a small Colombian town. The roof fell in as the building was battered by high winds and rain just as worshipers prepared to take communion in the church in the town of Bituima, near the Colombian capital Bogota in the Andes mountains.
CALIFORNIA - Amador County residents are being asked to conserve water after an earthen water canal there collapsed because of the heavy rains. Officials say a landslide beneath the 23-mile-long Amador Water Canal caused a 200-foot section to collapse. The canal supplies water from the Mokelumne River to a treatment plant that serves Jackson, Sutter Creek, Amador City, Ione and Drytown.
HAWAII - One hundred miles is the difference between a dry month and Hawai'i's WETTEST MARCH IN 55 YEARS. "If it had been a little farther to the west of Kaua'i, about 100 miles, (people) would have been asking, 'Where's the rain?" The low-pressure system created a block in the atmosphere that helped spin up last month's destructive series of storms. The atmospheric block, created by the system anchored 200 miles west of Kaua'i, also resulted in an ABNORMALLY LOW total of five days of trade winds in March. Winds last month were mostly out of the southeast, south and occasionally southwest. "We had 22 days of flash-flood warnings, five days of trades. The why is the anchored low pressure to the west just kept spinning up different episodes. We counted seven or eight episodes and in some cases, an episode would last four days." The low-pressure system itself is not unusual. The phenomenon is that it didn't move. "What's UNUSUAL is you're talking six weeks where the pattern was essentially fixed." "Usually with blocking patterns, it's a week, maybe two at the outside. The next time the atmosphere goes into the whole block, which could be later this year, the low could be way over the western Pacific or over the Mainland so we won't get wet." For the scientists, this was a very interesting event. "A lot of interesting weather happened in the Islands — the tornado on Lana'i, big hail on the Big Island, thunderstorms, all the flash flooding, especially FLOODING IN PLACES WHERE THERE'S NEVER BEEN FLOODING BEFORE. The March rainfall totals of 36.13 and 30.08 inches at Kaua'i's Lihu'e Airport and Port Allen, respectively, was 10 times greater than the average rainfall. It's also fascinating that parts of Kaua'i got 10 times more rain while the Big Island's Hamakua Coast had very little. "Places like Honoka'a, from Hamakua up to Kamuela, had less than 2 inches of rain in March, which was way below normal." "You've got this incredible extreme in a matter of a few hundred miles between a very dry March and 10 times the amount of rain."
4/9 -
U.S. - At least 11 people have been killed in the US after the latest front of tornadoes and violent storms swept across the central state of Tennessee. It is the second deadly tornado outbreak in the state this week. The suburbs of Nashville were the hardest hit, with at least eight deaths reported in the north-east of the city. The storms uprooted trees, overturned cars and knocked out power to thousands of homes. The number of tornadoes in the U.S. HAS RISEN DRAMATICALLY IN THE FIRST PART OF 2006, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. At the end of March, an estimated 286 tornadoes had hit the US, compared with an average of 70 for the same three-month period over the past three years.
TENNESSEE’s next bout of severe weather could be just days away. The threat of severe weather outbreaks every few days will “continue for the next couple of weeks, but the frequency will seem to come less.” “In the near future, you will probably see severe weather outbreaks again on Wednesday and another one probably a week from Saturday (April 15).” March and early April are the busiest times of the year for tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. Weather experts say tornadoes can occur any time of day but are more likely to appear between 3 and 9 p.m. This tornado season, storms have been largely absent from the Plains states, the traditional area associated with the violent weather systems, and have struck farther east. As the season progresses, “it appears that the system will shift back to the West. The result is, they will be less widespread than what you’ve been getting (in Tennessee), and hopefully with fewer tornadoes.”
CALIFORNIA - Just one week into the month of April, the Bay Area has surpassed its average rainfall total for the whole month. The average rainfall in the Bay Area in April is 1.47 inches. As of the afternoon of the 7th, the Bay Area had received 1.97 inches, and the rain keeps falling. According to weather service records, which go back to 1921, the wettest April was in 1958, when the Bay Area received 5.47 inches. The driest April on record was in 1964, when the Bay Area received just 0.01 inch. "It is UNUSUAL for the rainy season to extend into daylight savings time. Typically our rainy season coordinates pretty well with Pacific Standard Time."
Sodden California is also stumbling toward the wettest year on record, with water managers closely watching stressed levees as a seemingly endless string of storms continues to dump water into the state's rivers. In Ukiah, the current rainfall level is unseen since 1998 - when there were about 73 inches of rain - and in 1983, when Ukiah saw 69 inches. Central California was suffering the brunt of the seemingly endless rain. "This is a wet year. If someone wants to see what a wet year looks like, this is it. 1983 was the wettest year on record (for the state). We're just below that." This much rain this late in the spring is UNUSUAL. The Consumnes River, the only undammed river on the Sierra's western slope, crested at 13.4 feet Tuesday evening, the first time since 1958 the river has reached flood stage in April. That "gives you an idea of the magnitude and quirkiness of this event." The biggest concern is the San Joaquin River basin - where, unlike the Sacramento River system, levees were not stressed by the big storms that socked the state to the north in late December and early January, and so are untested.
4/7 -
CANADA - In Manitoba the unexpected run-off coming into the city of Winnipeg has forced water levels on the Red River very close to levels seen during the summer of 2005, when heavy rains battered Winnipeg. The province has upgraded expected river flow by as much as 30 centimetres. A second crest – heading north from the United States – is expected to hit the city over the weekend of April 14. If the area receives significant rainfall next week, the second crest could be higher than anticipated as well.
4/6 -
AUSTRALIA - Floodwaters have inundated up to a quarter of the outback town of Katherine and 600 residents have been evacuated as a swollen river threatens to compound the situation. The Northern Territory town is on high alert, and it is believed water levels have already reached the roof line of several homes. Authorities are concerned the swollen Katherine River may break its banks in the town tonight. At 6pm (CST), the river was 18.95 metres high – just five centimetres below the bridge – and slowly rising. It is Katherine's second major flood in just eight years. Four people were killed, half the population had to flee their homes and all businesses in the shopping area were flooded when the Katherine River rose to a record 20.3 metres in January 1998. Several other parts of the Northern Territory were also experiencing flooding after heavy monsoonal rains. Tourists have been evacuated from Kakadu National Park and Daly River, which is expected to be inundated with water from Katherine over the next week.
ISRAEL - RARE April weather has brought two heavy rainfalls throughout most of Israel and has boosted this year's rainfall up to 100 percent of the annual average in some areas. Following heavy rain last Saturday night and Sunday, another storm system Wednesday dumped large amounts of rain, particularly in the Galilee and in the south. Haifa and Teel Aviv already have received their average annual rainfall, and the amount in the Galilee ranges between 76 and 93 percent. Jerusalem has received 86 percent.
The heavy rains that fell across Israel caused the Irron River to overflow on Wednesday leading to heavy flooding in Wadi Ara for the second time this week. In the course of three hours, 130 mm of rain fell in the area. It was an event that occurs every hundred years, and so the local infrastructure was not equipped to deal with it. Earlier in the week, five people were killed as a result of floods in Wadi Ara, in the Jordan Valley road north of the Dead Sea, and near the security fence around Kalkilya. Meanwhile on Wednesday, locals and officials in the Western Galilee were working to repair the heavy damage caused by the "mini-tornado" that struck the region on Tuesday. Western Galilee agriculture, including both crops and greenhouses, was hit especially hard. Avocado, litchi and banana crops were severely damaged at Moshav Avdon. An avocado grower on the moshav related that he had never seen anything like this; he noted that all the leaves were shorn off of his trees by the hail. (PHOTO)
YEMEN - The death toll from flash floods that have swamped Yemen in the last two days has risen to 25. The heavy rains also destroyed 60 homes and caused considerable damage to scores of others. Livestock and roads were also affected. Geologists have repeatedly warned of possible landslides during the rainy season, which usually lasts from March to September. More heavy rains are expected in several governorates.
CHINA - exceptionally RARE weather occurred in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on April 4. Darkness enshrouded the city at noon for some 20 minutes and the vehicles on the road had to turn on lights. Lightning was accompanied by peals of thunder. (PHOTOS)
NEW YORK - Wet weather has the RARE birds flocking - The floods that deluged East Yorkshire during ONE OF THE WETTEST SPRING MONTHS ON RECORD have proved to be more than just nice weather for ducks – they have also seen a boom in bitterns. Recent flooding at the RSPB's Blacktoft Sands nature reserve could be an unexpected bonus for the rare reedbed birds. The reserve was awash at the weekend as exceptionally high rainfall coincided with the spring tides, bringing an abundance of water on to the reserve – so much so that the whole site was covered and had to be closed to visitors.
4/5 -
CENTRAL EUROPE - Rising floodwaters have continued to cause chaos across central Europe, with more heavy rain expected next week. The river Danube climbed to RECORD LEVELS in Budapest. In Austria, an 18-month-old boy was found dead on Tuesday as rising water in rivers caused a second dam to break. At least a dozen people have lost their lives in recent floods in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia. In Slovakia, 200 towns and villages have been affected by the flooding, but the water level appears to be stabilizing. Southern Poland has also been hit, but officials from across the region say the flooding has so far not been as serious as in 2002. ( PHOTOS)
AUSTRALIA - South-east Queensland is today bracing for more storms, after a man was struck by lightning and wild weather cut power and ripped the roof from at least one house. The weather bureau has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the south-east of the state, with large hail, damaging wind and heavy rainfall. More thunderstorms were forecast to develop in the afternoon and evening.
ISRAEL - A tornado has hit northern Israel, a RARE sight in the Holy Land. Residents caught it on videotape, showing the characteristic wide cloud at the top tapering into a funnel racing along the ground. Residents reported damage, including a car that was thrown through the air. The FREAK storm also brought high winds, rain and golf-ball-sized hailstones. About 70 people were taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries, most of them hit by flying objects. Heavy storms raged across the Western Galilee. "To use military terminology, this is an escalation in terms of weather and a VERY RARE occurrence in Israel. This is an example of how extreme the weather in Israel has become." Western Galilee farmers who had been smiling in recent days, grateful for the much needed rain, lost a large part of their crops due to Tuesday's heavy hail. Strong south-western winds blew at up to 50-70 kph. "In southern Israel sandstorms reduced visibility to under one meter." A sandstorm covered roads in the Ovdat valley in 20 centimeters of sand. Drivers along the Arava highway were warned to take precautions due to similar sandstorms. In the southern resort city of Eilat, winds caused waves in Eilat Bay to reach over three meters in height. Five people were killed Sunday in the northern Israel due to flooding. Today the forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms from the north to the central Negev. Temperatures will drop and there is a fear of dangerous flooding. The rain is expected to continue on Thursday.
BANGLADESH - experienced a heavy torrential rain Tuesday afternoon after a long spell of sultry and humid weather that created a drought-like situation in many places in the country. After a long stint of exceptionally dry weather, which started relatively early this year, the powerful shower has brought a sigh of relief, at least for the moment, for most people, especially the farmers who were fearing heavy losses in crops. This is the first rainfall in the country since the beginning of summer. They expect to have further rains within the next two to three days as the sky was still cloudy and there was considerable humidity in the weather. Expert sources said due to global warming, the world has been going through climatic changes over the last few years. As a result, the climatic pattern in Bangladesh has also undergone a sea change over the last few years, which has pushed the country towards extreme weather conditions.
CALIFORNIA - Two levees broke Tuesday in California's chief agricultural region, flooding a trailer park, threatening other homes in Merced and inundating farmland near Sacramento. There were no immediate reports of any injuries across the Central Valley. The breaks occurred as rain continued to fall across Northern California, with some residents evacuating their homes near San Francisco because of the threat of landslides and forecasters predicting continued wet weather for two more weeks. Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Rafael and Santa Rosa all broke rainy-day records last month. Sacramento had 5.29 inches of rain in March, 2.49 inches more than average. The rain also is melting snow in the mountains, swelling streams in the Central Valley. Southern California received heavy rain Tuesday. In Los Angeles, part of the roof of a RiteAid drugstore collapsed because of an apparent buildup of rainwater.
Sacramento braced for more heavy rain and localized flooding Tuesday as a RARE series of powerful April storms plowed through the area. Just three days into the month, the city is already splashing through half its average rainfall for the entire month of April. It comes on top of the wettest March since 1995. Forecasters predict wet weather for the next 10 days, and they're scratching their heads to put a name on the phenomenon. "There's definitely something WEIRD going on," said a National Weather Service forecaster in Sacramento. The rain caused a mud and rock slide on Highway 50 Monday. The slide carried an estimated 100 tons of material, covering about 150 yards of the road. "Another 200 tons of rock face is splitting about 125 feet up." Friday brings another storm that will linger through the weekend. Forecasters said the main culprit is a southern shift in the jet stream drawing tropical moisture all the way across the Pacific. The tropical connection normally weakens in April. But this year it's still so strong that forecasters predict a 40 percent chance for above-average April rain. The storms threaten Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's emergency effort to fix 24 levee erosion sites. Crews have been unable to inspect many sites because they're underwater.
CANADA - Parts of southern Manitoba are underwater after the combination of rain, warm weather and melting snow caused major flooding on Monday. So far, the unexpected flooding has washed away 32 roads in RM Franklin. Water from the RM Franklin area eventually drains to the Roseau River, the Roseau in turn drains to the Red River – which is where the real concern lies. The Red River south of the border is expected to rise six metres above the flood stage. Because of this, students in Fargo, North Dakota have been excused from class in order to help with the sandbagging. The excessive flooding in the United States is expected to impact southern Manitoba as well.
4/4 -
MIDWESTERN U.S. - The death toll has risen to 27 from thunderstorms packing at least 63 tornadoes and hail as big as grapefruits which ripped through eight US midwestern states, injuring scores and destroying hundreds of homes. Tennessee was hit hardest, but severe thunderstorms, many producing tornadoes, also struck parts of Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Tennessee officials estimated 1200 buildings were damaged in one county alone. About a half-dozen tornadoes struck Arkansas and one destroyed nearly half of the town of Marmaduke. In mid-March, tornadoes spun off by another huge storm system killed nine people in Missouri and injured dozens in Illinois. Initial reports indicated that system was responsible for more than 100 twisters in five states from Oklahoma to Illinois.
Do giant hailstones ever kill anyone? Yes, but it's very rare. Hailstorms have caused only a handful of deaths in the United States over the last 100 years or so; most of those killed were children. A Texas farmer perished on account of hail in 1930, and babies had their skulls broken by balls of ice in 1979 and 1981. Hailstone deaths in other countries are somewhat more common. A few years ago, the Chinese government reported that at least seven people in Zhengzhou died in a storm of "egg-sized" hail. Dozens more ended up in the hospital. In Bangladesh, a giant storm of "grapefruit-sized" hail killed almost a hundred people in 1986. Some of the stones weighed more than 2 pounds. Individual hailstorms have killed dozens of horses and hundreds of chickens at a time in the United States. (Size and frequency trade off as a general rule: The bigger the hailstones, the fewer of them there are.) Grapefruit-sized hail is 4 inches in diameter.
HAWAII - Despite an almost two-day stint of sunshine over some parts of the state, they continue to feel the effects of more than a month of steady rain, including mudslides striking days after the rain stopped. Some areas got stormy weather again on Sunday.
CALIFORNIA - Last month's relentless rain will continue into April, with storms expected to hit the Bay Area Monday morning and then again Thursday evening. Today may also see hail and strong, gusty winds. The storms are a product of a persistent weather pattern that is "just not shifting or breaking down." Many stable weather patterns - whether they bring inclement or sunny weather - can stick around from a week to 14 days. To have a stable weather pattern persist for more than a month is "PRETTY UNUSUAL." But it seems likely this bout of rainy weather will stick around "at least through the middle of April."
INDIA - Three persons died and several others were injured, some of them seriously, in a cyclone in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district in the wee hours today. The cyclone hit the district town Nongstoin at 1:30 am and caused extensive damage to electric supply, communication lines, government offices and quarters, private properties and the civil hospital. A hailstorm also hit the area at noon and uprooted trees obstructing roads at some places.
4/3 -
INDONESIA - Following four days of heavy rain in parts of South Sulawesi, major flooding claimed the lives of four children and damaged thousands of houses and public facilities as well as hundreds of hectares of rice fields. Residents were caught largely unprepared for the flooding on Wednesday, because a relatively light rain fell on Tuesday, accompanied by strong winds. "Flooding occurs here each year, but this time was the worst because the main roads were submerged and the floodwater reached over 1.5 meters."
ISRAEL - The heavy rains that have fallen on Israel since Saturday night have caused the flooding of many of Israel's highways and the deaths of at least five people.
CZECH REPUBLIC - A further 4,000 people were ordered late Sunday to evacuate homes in the southern Czech Republic, joining thousands who've fled since more than 20 rivers around the country started flooding last week. The spring floods, fed by a rapid snow melt in the mountains, have killed at least five people and caused millions of dollars in property damage. The latest evacuation included four towns threatened after a dyke broke at the confluence of the Dyje and Jevisovka rivers. The area is about 200 kilometres southeast of Prague near the Czech-Austrian border. Some of the most serious floods have affected towns and farms along the Dyje, including the city of Znojmo where about 2,300 were evacuated last week. Also Sunday, hundreds of people fled the flooding Morava River in and around Olomouc, the country's fourth-largest city.
CANADA - Spring flooding forced dozens of residents of the Quebec town of Beauceville from their homes on the weekend. More than 60 residents had to evacuate homes and businesses Saturday night after an ice jam about a kilometre north of the town caused the Chaudiere River to break its banks. "The last two days it was too warm out. The water level had to go up." The area floods nearly every spring but some residents say this is the worst in several years.
HAWAII - residents awoke to sun this weekend after more than 40 days of downpours that left a wake of havoc across the islands and BROKE RECORDS FOR RAIN at the wettest place on Earth. Nearly 92 inches - or about 7 1/2 feet - of rain were recorded during March at Mount Waialeale, considered the rainiest spot on the planet. The previous record was about 90 inches in April 1971. Even the normally dry Honolulu Airport received more rain in the first three months of 2006 than in all of 2005. The near biblical downfall left the islands disheveled with debris, flooded homes, and led to a sewage spill in the water off Waikiki. The spate of rain that began on Feb. 19 has been "like living in a hurricane".
IOWA - For the second time in three days, severe thunderstorms, funnel clouds and tornadoes have been reported across Iowa. Severe storms late Saturday afternoon - which included high winds, lightning, heavy rain and pea-sized hail - followed similar weather early Thursday evening. Large storm outbreaks across Iowa can be common at this time of year, but the National Weather Service says it is UNUSUAL to have two similar severe storm events occurring only a few days apart.
U.S. MIDWEST - violent spring storms packing tornadoes raked wide sections of the central US killing at least 14 people, most in Tennessee. Many residents were attending Sunday evening worship services at area churches when the storms hit and officials were having trouble locating everyone.
FOG -
4/3 -
TAIWAN - Heavy fog forced Kinmen's Shangyi Airport to cancel almost all flights to and from Taiwan yesterday, stranding over 1,000 passengers. The airport was all misty since early morning as visibility was less than 500 meters, much worse than the minimum requirement of 1,200 meters. The fog did not clear up until 4: 47 p.m.
4/2 -
IOWA - Severe thunderstorms swept through Iowa Thursday night bringing high winds, heavy rain, golf ball-sized hail and reports of tornadoes. Tornado touchdowns were reported near Creston in southwest Iowa and DeSoto in central Iowa. An intense low pressure system that moved out of Kansas into Nebraska brought warm, moist air into Iowa. The storms, with winds reaching up to 80 miles per hour in some parts of the state, mark the beginning of the severe weather season. "A larger outbreak like this is not necessarily unusual, but it is certainly starting a bit early."
MIDWESTERN U.S. - Authorities are making damage assessments in the wake of a severe storm system that raked the Midwest on Friday. A tornado ripped through central Indiana and at least 20 homes were damaged. In Michigan, there's word of damage to homes and barns along a seven-mile area. Earlier, the same storm system drenched parts of North Dakota. The National Weather Service is predicting major flooding in the Grand Forks area in the coming days.
MONTANA - Wednesday and Thursday were the RAINIEST CONSECUTIVE MARCH DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF RECORD-KEEPING at Billings Logan International Airport. Rainfall both days broke records. The March 29 record fell Wednesday with a total of 1.13 inches; the old record of half an inch was set in 1977. Wednesday was also the RAINIEST DAY EVER RECORDED IN MARCH. It beat the 0.95 inches that fell on March 22, 1973. The March 30 precipitation record succumbed Thursday morning when Billings had received 0.75 inches. The previous record for the day was 0.32 inches set in 1981. The two-day total brought Billings the second-wettest March on record. Total for the month is at 2.63 inches. A 2.70-inch record set in 1954 still stands. Most mountain snow is still pretty well intact and shows no sign of an early melt.
HAWAII - A powerful thunderstorm swamped parts of Oahu, with torrential rains flooding neighborhoods across Honolulu.
The MOST UNUSUAL WEATHER IN ANYONE'S MEMORY may end this weekend, with thunder, lightning and rain, and even snow on Hawai'i's highest mountains. Thursday's drenching may be the beginning of the end of a series of thunderstorms that have pounded the state for 40 days. The National Weather Service sees an "easing off" from current conditions heading into today, the second day of April. On O'ahu, the rain caused a landslide on Round Top Drive above Kala'i'opua Place, the sixth landslide in eight days in that area. The La Niña affecting Hawai'i's weather is slightly off from the typical December-through-February time frame. "It is affecting the rather UNUSUAL POSITION of the jet stream, a branch of which has been swooping down over the Hawaiian Islands. Along the path of this jet stream branch, individual packages of energy have been traveling at Hawai'i almost once every day."
CZECH REPUBLIC - this winter, the MOST SEVERE ONE IN 35 YEARS, meteorologists and other prognostics assured the people that it was not extreme weather, that the amount of snow was normal too and that nothing dangerous could be expected later when the snow would start melting. However reality was as usual different from their optimistic prognoses and major flooding is threatening the southern parts of the country. People should re-consider the terms '10-year' or '100-year' water. They have lost their original meaning as the country has suffered from floods repeatedly over the interval of several years. "What if the phenomenon that is still being considered only 'the ups and downs of the weather' becomes standard? I do not dare to make a prognosis. I only have some dark intuition, which the experts probably had this winter, too, when they were comforting the public with their optimistic forecasts."
THAILAND - The Meteorological Department forecasts the possibility of scattered thunderstorms during the next two days, influenced by a westerly trough covering the upper part of the country. A tropical storm hit Bangkok Thursday night, causing heavy downpours, gusty winds and uprooted and fallen trees in the capital. The northern, northeastern, eastern, and central regions faced thunderstorms and hail in some areas Friday before the weather returns to normal summer on Saturday. However, it warned people should beware of heavy winds and severe thunderstorms for the time being. The weather department also advised farmers outside irrigation zones to grow drought-resistant plants with short life spans during the summer.
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3/31 -
CENTRAL EUROPE - Emergency crews are working with soldiers to reinforce river banks in the southern Czech Republic as flood waters rise, forcing thousands from their homes. The worst hit area in the Czech Republic was near the town of Znojmo, 200km south east of Prague, where 10,000 people were evacuated from low lying areas along the Dyje River near the border with Austria. Residents in the German states of Bavaria and Saxony were also bracing for flood waters as weather forecasters predicted rain for much of the region through the weekend. About a thousand people were evacuated overnight from the eastern German town of Bad Schandau, close to the river Elbe in Saxony. Other communities were readying to leave their homes.
CALIFORNIA - San Francisco set a NEW ALL-TIME RECORD FOR RAINY DAYS IN MARCH yesterday, the 24th day this month with rainfall, beating the old March record of 23 rainy days set in 1904. It's supposed to rain today, which would be rainy day No. 25. If it rains a little more than half an inch by midnight, it will be the rainiest March EVER in the city. Oakland has also BEATEN ITS OLD RECORD for wet March days. It's had 21 rainy days this month, trumping the old record of 20 set in 1983. San Jose is still a day short of breaking its record of 21 rainy March days, set in 1983. It probably won't rain forever, but the cycle of annoying little storms isn't going to change any time soon. "We are not seeing any shift or break in the pattern. Usually the jet stream kind of wiggles around the globe. Right now it's not wiggling. It's bringing this string of storms across the ocean from Japan." "The rainfall is way above average and it's UNUSUAL that it has extended this far into spring. But each rainstorm has been a pretty average rainstorm."
The ground began to slide under some of Northern California’s priciest and most picturesque homes Wednesday night. A record stretch of rainy days has left the soil saturated in Marin County. A chunk of earth let loose in Sausalito around 7:30 p.m. Officials said the homes surrounding the slide area would be evaluated for structural damage. The slide comes just days after Marin County SET A RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS IN THE MONTH OF MARCH. As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported 21 days of rain, breaking a 31-year-old record of 18. With rains expected to continue this week, that toll, and the danger of additional slides will likely continue to grow.
SOUTH AFRICA - Northern Cape farmers beneath the Spitskop dam want the region to be declared a disaster area due to flood conditions that have stopped all farm production for almost a month. Further flooding is expected within the next few days. The floods have caused damage to crops, arable land (due to erosion), irrigation systems and structures. One farm has lost 286ha of lucerne. The concern is that many of the farmers will not be able to rebuild farms and keep their workers. Many farmers in the region had made preparations for the flood conditions, but the water levels rose to beyond "known" flood levels. Farmers in the area produce mainly cash crops such as lucerne and maize. The Taung area in the North West province - upstream from the Spitskop dam - has already been declared a disaster area.
NEW ZEALAND - a FREAK accident in the Waioeka Gorge saw a Gisborne driver plummet into the river when he was hit by a landslide. The driver walked away with minor injuries after his car was thrown about 20 metres into the Waioeka River on Wednesday afternoon. The man was travelling towards Opotiki about 2:15pm when the slip came down, picked up his car and threw it clear over the guard rail, down the bank and into the river. (photos)
PHILIPPINES - The municipal council declared the town of Penablanca, Cagayan under a state of calamity on Tuesday as local officials continued to evacuate 128 families in two villages found to be prone to erosion and landslides. Last week, policemen started relocating 48 families in Buyun and 80 families in Sitio Dabba in Sisim. The villages are at the foot of a hill whose limestone cover has started to erode. Some sections of the villages were observed to be sinking. A landslide in Buyun, a village built on a rolling-to-steep slope, covered about a hectare of land. Trees in the area have slid about three meters. Residents have also heard rumbling sounds. Monitoring confirmed signs of weak soil foundation and saw cracks in several areas in the villages. The village of Taytay in Baggao town was also being observed for signs of landslides and erosion. They are also monitoring a section of the zigzag road in San Jose Village in the town.
3/30 -
CALIFORNIA - The skies over the Sacramento region went FREAKY Tuesday with thunderstorm and flood watches and sudden blasts of hail here and there, thanks to an offshore Pacific storm. The offshore storm was expected to lose steam as it pushed onshore and should serve up a dry reprieve until Friday. The water-water-everywhere theme continues with yet another storm rolling in by Friday evening, followed by - surprise - another storm Sunday afternoon. The normal rainfall for March is 2.80 inches. The total so far is 4.61 inches. The string of storms are not classic "pineapple expresses," storms that suck up tropical moisture from the Hawaiian islands and then whirl it onto the West Coast. Most of the steady rain those bring is falling in Southern California, unlike the thunderstorms and off-and-on rain pattern in the Sacramento area. Bay Area dwellers are about to suffer through the RAINIEST MARCH SINCE 1904, when it rained for 23 days.
Meteorologists are marveling at the pattern's rare persistence. An unusual meshwork of atmospheric highs and lows is clamped down over the Pacific. Storms have been spoiling holidays in Hawaii for days on end, while a south-tilted jet stream has been pumping buckets of moisture into Northern California. Dreary, wet weather seems certain to persist across Northern California until at least the middle of next week, with one storm after another interrupted by only the briefest hints of spring sunshine. Sooner or later, something always perturbs this kind of pattern, which will allow the storm track to move back to the Pacific Northwest where people are more used to this kind of daily soaking. For now, though, all that the meteorologists can see are systems feeding off each other, citing atmospheric phenomena all over the globe including high pressure over Canada, which blocks Pacific storm systems from moving east, and a series of tropical cyclones over Australia, which is "helping to anchor the long wave pattern." "Think of the atmosphere like a river. There's a big current of air that flows around from the west to the east, and there are these buckles in it, areas that loop northward and other areas that loop southward." One such loop is a persistent trough of low pressure over the West Coast, and a high-pressure ridge to the north. As storms develop in the Gulf of Alaska, they ride up and down the ridge, skimming over Washington and Oregon for the most part but pummeling Northern California. "Once this patterns breaks down, it will be much more likely for the pattern to be drier in April, and maybe drier than normal." "There's no physical reasoning for me to say what I'm saying, but I would just anticipate, as the sun is moving north, for the jet stream to follow, and then we would think the storm track will move father north." Total rainfall, as measured in downtown San Francisco, has been 7.88 inches so far this month, exceeded only six times since the Gold Rush. Snowpack is about 25 percent above average in the Sierra. Last month had almost three weeks without any rain at all.
THAILAND - On Tuesday night, storms and windshowers hit northern and northeastern parts of the country, and Bangkok. The weather bureau predicts more FREAK storms such as that one. Meteorologists said such storms could be expected from time to time until the end of the dry season, each storm lasting about an hour. The bureau said a westerly wind from Burma would spread to northern Thailand and cause thunderstorms, winds and hail over some areas from tomorrow to Sunday.
COLUMBIA - The number of dead Colombian citizens from the first winter rains in 2006 has reached 34, with 50 injured from landslides, flooding rivers and other damages caused by the strong rain. More than 37,000 Colombians, some 7,000 families, are affected by the rains that started in mid March. The rain has so far produced 57 mudslides, 16 storms, 32 floods, and four avalanches, with rain continuing in some regions for more than 72 hours. Prevention and rescue organizations have named 132 high risk zones, in which there are 10,000 families, and decreed an orange alert in 15 of the 32 departments of Colombia. Valle del Cauca remains on yellow alert, as does Antioquia, where several landslides took place, leaving 3 houses destroyed and 20 seriously damaged. At least 200 people were affected by floods.
3/29 -
CZECH REPUBLIC - Authorities reinforced the main river in Prague on Tuesday as rising waters from the Vltava river threatened to flood low-lying parts of the historic city, including its zoo. Barriers were erected to prevent water spilling into streets. Rivers across the central European country were rising fast due to rain and unusually warm weather which melted deep snow which fell over the winter. The water flowing into Prague was three times the average for spring, and estimates are it could rise by another about 75 percent in the coming days. Weather forecasters said there would be more rain throughout the week. Prague suffered its worst flooding in centuries in the summer of 2002.
3/28 -
AUSTRALIA - Mid-north residents are cleaning up after the WORST FLASH FLOODING IN MORE THAN 60 YEARS. About 100mm of rain fell in less than four hours in and around Spalding and Jamestown. "There is more than 50 tonnes of rock and mud on the netball courts that have to be removed by hand because we can't get any machinery in there. Several hundreds of tonnes of debris is on the main road as well, so everyone is working together to clean up this mess."
Flooding has reached RECORD LEVELS on some remote cattle properties in north-west Queensland. Heavy rains from ex-tropical cyclone Larry last week led to the Leichhardt River bursting its banks and isolating several stations in the region. "It's a massive flood."
HAWAII - Fears of flooding face Windward Oahu residents as the wet weather keeps falling. Island residents continue to deal with torrential rains; trying to dry out, and at the same time, getting ready for more wet weather.
The turnaround from December's record-low rainfall has been an unusually wet March in Hawai'i as the storm watch continues with no end in sight. Boulders from a hillside littered Kailua Road yesterday morning, blocking one Kailua-bound lane from about 10 a.m. to noon. Heavy rains also caused boulders to fall elsewhere on O'ahu. "It's got to end sometime. This is wild. I've never experienced this kind of weather event or episode to my recollection. This kind of persistent trough is VERY, VERY RARE. Like a one-in-a-hundred-years kind of thing." The weather service was reviewing data to confirm if this has been the wettest March on record in Hawai'i. It already is the WETTEST MONTH EVER in Lihu'e, Kaua'i. From March 1 through 8 p.m. Sunday, Lihu'e had recorded 32.95 inches of rain. The previous high for the entire month of March was 3.03 inches. Honolulu International Airport had recorded 10.28 inches for the month as of 4 p.m. Sunday. 1.64 inches is the average March rainfall at the airport. "So far, February was wetter than normal and we're coming up to 40 days of excessive rains."
SOUTH AFRICA - Several families have been left homeless after their homes flooded and collapsed at Qho and Qhonyana village in Taung in the North West due to heavy rain. Taung residents are now starting to panic. Since the rain started about three months ago, six people drowned and 1040 families have been left homeless. Heavy floods have also destroyed bridges, burying them underwater, making it impossible in some villages for children to attend school. The last heavy floods to hit Taung were about 18 years ago. At the beginning of March, when the first floods fell on the area, the North West government promised to promptly supply food and shelter. However, communities say they are still waiting.
The situation in most villages of Taung in the North West remains critical following continuous torrential rain in the area. Most bridges in the villages are underwater. The floods, which hit the area for almost three months, have reportedly left some of the villages isolated and inaccessible. Rains the night of the 24th - measuring about 30mm - caused extensive damage at Qho village where several houses mostly built of mud have collapsed. More rain is still expected in the area.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Traffic on the Puerto Plata-Navarrete highway has become chaotic in the last days, due to new mudslides affecting the route from the heavy rains. A 300 meter section of the Maimón–La Colorada road has been washed out by torrents and debris falling from the hills located on both sides of the route. Along the old highway numerous potholes and sunk pavements can also be observed, which makes the transit of vehicles in the zone markedly difficult.

GERMANY - A RARE tornado wreaked havoc in the northern German city of Hamburg yesterday, tearing the roofs off houses, overturning cars and killing two people. In June 2004, two small villages in eastern Germany suffered extensive damage when a tornado tore through them.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - A FREAK tornado destroyed 23 houses and left more than a thousand people without shelter in Hauna village on the Sepik River 13 days ago on March 14. The storm struck at 8:30pm - it lasted only three minutes but the damage was extensive. Witnesses said houses were ripped off the ground and into the air for several seconds before they came crashing to the ground. Some claimed to have seen young children being lifted off the ground. There was only one casualty reported out of the 2,000-odd villagers – an elderly woman who suffered some cuts and bruises when her house fell on her. The storm also flooded several houses, destroyed food gardens and other properties.
3/26 -
HAWAII has been hit with UNUSUAL WEATHER lately. A heavy dose of wintry weather has caught people by surprise. "Every other day it seems to be like thunderstorms and lightning. At home, thunder was shaking my house and I've never seen it like this before." "In normal times, it would come for a day or two, then move out," said the National Weather Service. "For a number of reasons, globally this winter, the pattern has remained static, and this low-pressure system is not moving out." The persistent low-pressure system northwest of the islands is causing the STRANGE conditions. "It is creating more instability in the atmosphere, allowing the thunderstorms to grow to sizes and heights that we don't normally see in Hawaii." The conditions will stay around until next week.
HAWAII - There was more than just the rumble of thunder that rolled through the state Thursday night. A tornado tore thru the island of Lana'i. A shack was smashed to smithereens, and the force of the winds broke up a fence anchored in concrete and tore apart trailers at a construction site. Thunderstorms are not too common, but tornadoes are RARE here in the islands. Hawaii only gets one per year statewide on average.
A brief hailstorm blanketed parts of South Kona with pea-size pieces of ice. Strong winds were blowing the ice particles nearly horizontally, embedding them in the screens on windows. Hail was reported in several Big Island communities. A mile from Captain Cook, in Kealakekua, hailstones the size of quarters were reported. High winds knocked down electric lines and television cables The UNUSUAL event was preceded Thursday night by a thunder and lightning storm out to sea in the direction of Maui where the tornado touched down. At daybreak, Kona weather seemed normal, but at about 9:30 a.m. a sudden dark cloud formed. Residents found themselves in a swirling fog, and winds pushed rain and hail nearly horizontal. "In 20 minutes the whole thing was over." At about 4:25 p.m., a replay happened on the other side of the island in Puna. The National Weather Service said hailstones the size of nickels fell near Mountain View, south of Hilo.
3/24 -
HAWAII - The heavy rains caused a landslide that covered part of Round Top Drive Thursday morning. It's the second day in a row that the rains have created problems for the area. It happened at about 6:30 a.m. in the same area where a landslide covered the roadway on Wednesday. The landslide on Thursday covered about a 200-foot stretch of road. The earth piled up as high as 12 feet in one spot. State Department of Land and Natural Resources teams had surveyed the area on Wednesday. They said it didn't appear that there would be any imminent threat of another landslide.
3/23 -
HAWAII - Heavy rains soaked much of Oahu on Tuesday night. The storm caused landslides on Round Top Drive and in Manoa. Tons of mud slid down the hill at about 4 a.m. and covered an area 100 feet long and 7 feet high in certain parts. The landslide blocked the lanes in both directions. There were no homes in the area and no one was injured. It took 22 truckloads to remove the mud. More rains are expected to drench the islands in the next couple of days. All of the islands are under a flash flood watch through tonight. The unstable weather spawned a waterspout off Kaneohe on Tuesday afternoon that touched down near Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
3/22 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - A family of six was killed when a landslip buried their house in the Obura-Wonenara district in the Eastern Highlands Province last week. The family members were buried alive while asleep when the landslip swamped their house. Landslips and floods caused by continuous heavy rains also left 500 people from the Ungai-Bena district homeless. Villages in Obura were severely affected and had been forced to leave their homes. Heavy rain also washed away three bridges, many food gardens and coffee trees.
HAWAII - The constant deluge is taking an emotional toll on residents. Many are at wits' end after the fifth time heavy rains have slammed some homes during the recent storms. Though Oahu received a break from the heavy rain Monday, many residents mostly on the Windward side remain frustrated after most or all their furniture and personal items were damaged. And more rain is predicted to arrive later this week. Kauai is expected to receive the brunt of a thunderstorm, and a flash-flood watch could be in effect today and Thursday.
3/21 -
COLUMBIA - Seven young hikers were found dead and four others were missing after their scouting expedition was swept away by a mudslide triggered by a flash flood in central Colombia. Two young boys and an adult guide were rescued. The youths were on an expedition on Saturday with two guides near the snowcapped Nevado del Ruiz volcano close to their home city of Manizales, 165km west of Bogota. The groups were in a steep canyon after Chinchina River swelled several metres, carrying a crushing load of earth that swept away the scouts as they were bathing and practicing tying knots. "It wasn't raining where they were. They had no idea what was coming from upstream."
INDIA - The 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway was on Monday closed for traffic after landslides caused by heavy and incessant overnight rains. Two-way traffic on the highway, the economic lifeline of Kashmir valley, had just been restored on Sunday after remaining affected for most of the past week. Landslides are a common occurrence on the highway at this time of the year due to rain.
TEXAS - Continuous severe thunderstorms have dropped more than ten inches of rain in Dallas County since Friday. Storms dumped 8.64 inches of rain in Garland and 5.82 inches in Benbrook, as well as more than 6 inches in Wylie, Cleburne, and Cooper. Flooding Sunday damaged mobile homes, apartments and homes. One woman died when storms swept her car off the road into Turtle Creek Sunday in North Dallas. Rescue crews managed only to save her friend. (links to videos of damage and photos)
3/20 -
KENYA - East Africa's long-running drought has devastated livestock and wildlife in Kenya, but now a spurt of rains is killing animals too. Hungry animals ate too much when rains finally fell on parched lands in recent days. "Once the grass sprouted, the animals fed excessively and many died owing to bloat."
3/19 -
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - More than 30,000 people are cut off from basic services after a landslip swept away the Mongi bridge in the Pindiu area. “There are more than 30,000 people in Hube and the Burum-Kuat LLG who are cut off from basic services because of the continuous rain, landslide and the destruction of Mongi bridge.” They cannot reach the Pindiu airstrip to collect medical and school supplies.
GREECE - In what is seen as the WORST FLOODING IN MORE THAN 40 YEARS, more than 30,000 hectares of land in the Evros region were submerged by water Thursday, causing residents to flee their homes. Homes, warehouses, roads and farmland disappeared under floodwater. More flooding also occurred further west in the Serres region where the overflowing Strimonas River, which enters Greece from Bulgaria, has covered more than 400 hectares of farmland, causing tens of thousands of euros in damage. Conditions have reached a critical point. “The situation is getting worse as it goes. As the water level rises, so does our anxiety.” Volunteers were handing out bottles of water to residents as drinking water supplies were cut off. The local train network stopped operating. Along with severe damage to crops, authorities estimate that the toll on livestock is also heavy. Stables, many of which still had animals in them, have been swept away by the floodwaters. Heavy rainfall and melting snow are blamed for the flooding along with the entry of massive amounts of water from neighboring Bulgaria. Three of the four reserves that supply Athens with water are currently overflowing. Officials from the Athens Water Company estimate that there is enough water now to supply the capital for the next five years.
INDIA - Hailstorm, rain and strong winds unleashed their combined fury on the State capital and southern parts of the State on Thursday evening. A hail of woes came crashing down on Bhopal residents as a power shutdown threw life out of gear as electricity wires broke under branches of trees that fell. The hailstorm left a trail of destruction of the standing crops. The calamity hit the State while it was still smarting under the destruction of last week's hailstorm. High velocity winds and lightning preceded heavy rains and bouts of hailstorm that continued for about an hour in the evening. The wind velocity was so high that trees were uprooted in parts of the City.
HAWAII - Devastating rain, up to an inch an hour in some spots, brought more misery to Kauai Thursday, flooding homes and businesses on the South Shore and closing roads from Hanalei to Kekaha. Ground search-and-rescue operations were expected to resume on the North Shore, where the Ka Loko Dam above Kilauea burst on Tuesday. Two bodies have been recovered, and five people are still missing from the breach's torrential flood. Other dams on Kauai remain under a close watch but appeared to be holding. On the North Shore, police will be stationed along Kuhio Highway 24 hours a day for months to direct traffic along the stretch of road damaged by Tuesday's dam breach. Only one lane could be reopened due to erosion on the shoulders of the road.
CALIFORNIA - Part of the Bay Area experienced a rare cloudburst on Thursday when a thunderstorm converged with a frontal system during the early evening. The isolated thunderstorm cell swooped down from the north and got caught up with a funnel system from the south to produce the downpour. "It was a FREAK occurrence. It probably won't happen again (today), but I wouldn't write it off completely. We seem to have had lots of FREAK OCCURRENCES lately." "Such heavy rain is UNUSUAL. It happens, but only about every five years or so."
WIND -
3/19 -
CANADA - Ontario's Point Pelee National Park has lost its point. The southernmost tip of Canada is in the park, near the town of Leamington. There have always been several hundred metres of sand jutting out from the mainland. But park officials say recent high winds have washed away the sand point and all that remains is a platform. The park advertises itself as "the southernmost tip of Canada's mainland, which is at the same latitude as northern California." A no-swimming sign that used to mark the southernmost point washed up on a beach in Madison, Ohio, about 100 kilometres across Lake Erie. Officials say the sand patterns at the point change frequently.
The tip - an 800-metre sand spit jutting out - was swallowed by Lake Erie some time between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Wind blasted Point Pelee National Park, a triangular peninsula about 50 kilometres southeast of Windsor, Ont., and whipped up waves that erased the point. "It's the second time the spit has vanished in two years; this year, it was the combined result of Ontario's RECORD-BREAKING mild winter, which brought no ice cover to Lake Erie, and extreme winds that whipped north from the United States during a sudden storm. Monday night's FREAK storm, part of the fierce tornado system that killed 10 people in the United States on Monday, ate the spit completely. Before its disappearance two years ago, the spit hadn't done its vanishing act for 10 years. "It's happening a lot more frequently, and in the last two years it's the WORST WE'VE EVER SEEN." Of greater concern to scientists is the persistent erosion that has chipped away at the shores of Lake Erie.
3/17 -
HAWAII - Rain continued to fall yesterday, with Kaua'i, the Big Island and O'ahu getting most of it. The National Weather Service calls for more rain until at least the weekend. A series of upper-level, low-pressure systems that have been hitting the Islands since February have resulted in rainfall that is between two to six times the normal amounts. The total inches of rain across the hardest-hit areas in the last three weeks is equivalent to the normal rainfall in those areas for the first three months of the year. "For most places on Kaua'i, it's three months of rain in three weeks. It's UNUSUAL to have such a prolonged wet period but it's not like it's never happened before." From Feb. 18 to March 15, Kaua'i's Hanalei River had 34.82 inches of rain. O'ahu's Wilson Tunnel had 39.12 inches. On the Big Island, Mountain View had 37.78 inches. The normal rainfall in March for Hanalei is 13.4 inches; for Wilson Tunnel, 11.5 inches; and for Mountain View, 19.6 inches. That's the result of four high-level, low-pressure systems developing just to the northwest of the state, bringing unstable conditions and tapping into an abundant moisture supply to the south. The systems arrived Feb. 19-24, March 1-3 and March 8 through Friday, with the latest onslaught ongoing.
FLOODING -
3/16 -
HAWAII - Tuesday a storm dumped 5 to 6 inches of rain on Kauai in 24 hours. Days of heavy rain broke through an 1890s-era plantation dam in the island's rugged northern hills. The rush of flood water Tuesday swept away two homes and covered the only highway along the northern coast. Searchers found one person dead and were looking for at least seven others, some of them children who hadn't been seen since the deluge. Rain hampered the search and road-clearing efforts, and officials were worried Wednesday that other old earthen dams in the area may have been catastrophically weakened by days of heavy rain. One dam in particular was also in imminent danger of collapsing. "The entire island is kind of flooding in different parts. We're just hoping and praying for the rain to pass and the skies to clear." Authorities estimated that about 1,400 acre-feet of water poured out of the reservoir, enough water to cover 1,400 acres a foot deep, or more than 60 million cubic feet. The water cut off access to thousands of rural houses and luxury condominiums along Kauai's north shore. "Sounded like a 747 jet crashing here in the valley, all the trees popping and snapping and everything. It was just a horrendous sound, and it never quit." "To my knowledge, there was no warning whatsoever." Nearly all of Hawaii's dams were built early in the past century before federal standards existed or the advent of the state's program for assessing dam and levee safety. "I would characterize this as a growing crisis on Kauai." (photo)
Devastated - that is how residents in Kilauea on Kauai’s North Shore said they felt early Tuesday after a 70-foot high, 200-foot wide "tsunami" wave that sounded like thunder, came crashing down from the mountain around 5 a.m., washing through homes and dragging between three and eight people away. The "thunder," which residents say kept getting louder until they could hear nothing else, was actually more than 300 million gallons of fresh water that raced toward the tiny beachside community from the mountain after several weeks of heavy rain caused the 116-year-old