‘Historic’ storm hurls huge waves and 191-mph winds at Hawaii; rare snow hits Maui

 Simulation of storm battering Hawaii on Feb. 10. (VentuSky.com)

An extremely powerful winter storm is pulling away from Hawaii after unleashing damaging winds, massive waves, coastal flooding, and snow in unusual places.

The storm, which the National Weather Service office in Honolulu described as “historic,” began pounding the islands Friday. Hawaii News Now reported a 66-year old California man died in the rough surf off northwest Maui on Friday.

“[Forecasters] are calling this an unprecedented event and we concur that we rarely if ever have seen the combination of record high onshore waves, coupled with gale force winds,” said Sam Lemmo, administrator of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

The storm’s most extreme blow was generated on the Big Island’s towering peak of Mauna Kea where a 191-mph wind gust blasted the mountain summit at 4:40 p.m. local time Sunday.

“That’s the strongest wind gust I’ve ever seen up there,” said Jon Jelsema, senior forecaster at the Weather Service office in Honolulu. “We tend to get a gust maybe to 150 mph once a winter or so, but never 191 mph.”

The visitor station on the 13,308 foot mountain is closed until Tuesday “due to the predicted continuation of severe weather,” according to the station’s website. The road is shut down whenever visibility drops below 50 feet, or winds gust to 65 mph or greater.

Hawaii saw a mixed bag of bizarre precipitation over the weekend as well. Several inches of snow fell on Haleakalā, a shield volcano in East Maui – something Jelsema describes as “very unusual.”

 https://twitter.com/reelnewshawaii/status/1094760641158471681

Snow is much more common on the high peaks of the Big Island, at Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

The storm even deposited a coating of snow at Maui’s Polipoli State Park at an elevation of just 6,200 feet according to Hawaii’s DLNR.

“[P]erhaps [for] the first time ever, snow has fallen in a Hawai‘i State Park,” the DLNR posted to its Facebook page Sunday. “Polipoli State Park on Maui is blanketed with snow. It could also be the lowest elevation snow ever recorded in the state.”

The vigorous storm triggered rare severe thunderstorm warning for southern Kauai Saturday night.

Wind gusts up to 67 mph were clocked in the oceanside town of Port Allen in Kauai. The community resides on the south side of the island, protected from the harshest conditions streaming in out of the northeast.

Wave heights approached 40 feet just north of Kauai on Sunday.

The National Weather Service had hoisted a high surf warning Thursday in anticipation of the event. It warned of “giant disorganized waves” that “could cause unprecedented coastal flooding Saturday night through Sunday.” Jelsema said his office had received numerous reports of road closures due to the coastal inundation.

“The sea state kind of looks like the water in a washing machine” he said. “You have a mix of swell – which is generated in many different areas of the Pacific – combining with wind waves. One wave follows the next at pretty big intervals.”

Due to strong winds over the weekend, just over 2,400 customers across Hawaii were without power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. That’s down from a peak of nearly 27,000.

The harsh conditions will begin to subside late Monday. The wind advisory in effect for the Big Island expires at noon local time. A high wind warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. local for the Big Island summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, where gusts may still top 140 mph before tapering down.

Source:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/02/11/historic-storm-hu...

https://watchers.news/2019/02/10/hailstorm-destroys-150-homes-injur...

Hailstorm destroys 150 homes, injures 40 people in 60 seconds, India

February 10, 2019 at 18:41 UTC

A fast-moving hailstorm destroyed as many as 150 pucca homes and injured around 40 people in Alivardipur village near Hindon floodplains of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India on February 7, 2019.

The rain started around 13:50 local time, followed by 60-seconds-long hailstorm around 15:40 and another storm accompanied by high-speed wind. As many as 15 homes were destroyed and over 1 000 people rendered homeless.

Local police said they received first reports of collapsed homes around 19:30 local time.

"Multiple teams of policemen, ambulances, and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Initially, the police team found 10 - 12 injured people and rushed them to various hospitals in Noida and Greater Noida. The rest were taken to hospitals later."

Residents said they started rescue operation soon after several residents were crushed underneath the piles of bricks.

Local authorities said those affected by the storm are not entitled to any compensation or rehabilitation because all those homes were built illegally.

The ground started burning on an outback cattle station, per previous Zetatalk this is more Hot Earth   

A remote cattle station in the Northern Territory is experiencing an unusual problem with its stock yards.

The ground is on fire and it is proving very difficult to put out.  "We doused it with water, but then later that afternoon it started in another spot.  "We let it be to see what would happen, and since then there's now another 10 or so spots that have started up and they're slowly spreading."

Melting the thermometer

Mr Martin said the family melted a thermometer while trying to work out how hot the soil was.

"We tried digging [some of] this up with a shovel, but the ground is too hard, it's just baked hard," he said.  "We stuck a candy-thermometer in — we could only dig down about 2 inches and it read about 200 degrees Celsius within 30 seconds, and then it just melted the glass."

He said he called a geologist and also rang Bushfires NT to ask if anyone knew what was going on, or if they had seen anything like this before.  "Hopefully someone can get back to us with some information about what's happening out here," he said.

"Pouring water onto it doesn't seem to be doing anything."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-02-13/why-is-the-ground-burn...

Hot Earth per Zetatalk :  http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/zetatalk-newsletter-as-of-...

BRUTAL bombardment with very large hail during yesterday's severe hailstorm in Istanbul, Turkey! Hail up to 9 cm in diameter reported! Video: Meteor Turkey

Record-breaking 2019 continues: Moscow suffers record snowfall: California city of 100,000 cut off from record snow: 100,000 without power

Photo newsinfo.inquirer.net

2019 is only 45 days old but we have had record heat, record cold, record rainfall and record snowfall all over the planet and weather records are being broken on an almost daily basis.
The newest area to suffer a record-breaking weather event is Moscow, the capital of Russia.
According to France 24, seven centimetres (2.8 inches) of snow fell overnight, according to the national meteorological service, with drifts reaching up to 45 centimetres (18 inches).
The Moscow meteorological service said the snowfall beat a record set in 1995 and amounted to almost a third of the average monthly figure, according to news agencies.
City authorities said they sent out more than 60,000 people to shovel the snow.
Some 10,000 snow ploughs and 2,000 trucks were dispatched, they added.
The heavy snowfall hit the whole of central Russia but ended in Moscow by nightfall.

Meanwhile, in the US, the California city of Redding, which averages about 3 inches of snow per year, received upwards of a foot of new snow from Nadia, effectively shutting down the city of nearly 100,000.
Roads were impassable and much of the city's homes and businesses lost power as inches of heavy snow weighed down power lines.
"We've been here since 2002 and we've had snow maybe four times, but nothing like this," local resident Chris Belcastro told SF Gate.

According to the Weather Channel, the heavy snow caused numerous power outages; up and down the West Coast, more than 100,000 homes and businesses were in the dark because of Storm Nadia, according to PowerOutage.us.

Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2019/02/record-breaking-2019-continues-...

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/14/australia/australia-flinders-riv...

Australian river swells to 37 miles wide due to flooding, creates its own weather system

Satellite imagery shows the massive flooding that has hit northeast Australia in 2019.

A river has gone from thin and dry to 37 miles (60 kilometers) wide in a matter of weeks as a result of floods in northeast Australia, satellite imagery shows. 

Images released by NASA show the change to the Flinders River -- one of Australia's longest waterways -- over the past month, with flooding there at its worst in more than half a century. 

Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland

The #FlindersRiver is experiencing its most significant flooding in more than 50 years with major flooding to continue well into next week. Flood plumes spill into the Gulf of Carpentaria as seen from Japan's Himawari-8 satellite: http://ow.ly/JHox50lgL7N 

11:48 PM - Feb 12, 2019

CNN meteorologists analyzed the image and said it appeared the river had swelled 60 kilometers wide at some points. 

The river is now so big it's creating its own weather system. 

The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said extra moisture from the flooding helped create a thunderstorm early Thursday. 

Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland

A flood so vast it creates its own weather! The extra moisture from the flooding in #NWQld helped this thunderstorm form this morning. It can be seen following the path of the flood waters very closely, thankfully falls were isolated. More images: http://ow.ly/eCEI30nH35y  #BigWet

6:20 PM - Feb 13, 2019

Australia's billion-dollar beef industry is expected to sustain heavy losses due to the storms. About 500,000 cattle are believed to have died in the flooding, estimated to be to be worth about $213 million (AU$300 million), CNN affiliate Seven News reported. 

Many of the cattle carcasses remain, and will pose a health hazard if not buried or burned. 

Istanbul mesmerizes under a blanket of fog - TURKEY

FEBRUARY 19 2019

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/photo-istanbul-mesmerizes-under-a-...

WOW!!!!! This was the view of the #BA492 flight with intense turbulence during approach #Gibraltar airport this morning 25th February! video via; FlightAlerts #aviationlovers #severeweather #ExtremeWeather   Posted by Weather Meteo World

https://www.euronews.com/2019/02/25/dramatic-video-shows-british-ai...;

Wind topples communications tower on Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine 25 Feb2019

https://www.wcvb.com/article/wind-topples-communications-tower-suga...

https://www.facebook.com/MeteorologistKeithCarson/photos/a.43817869...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/25/bomb-cyclone-...

'Bomb cyclone' strikes: 550,000 still powerless from fierce winds

The optical phenomenon might look otherworldly, but there's a perfectly logical explanation. 

Ferocious winds from a potent "bomb cyclone" roared across the eastern United States, and 550,000 homes and businesses were still without power Monday. 

At midday, nearly 80 million people were under high-wind warnings or advisories across parts of 14 states, according to the National Weather Service. At least 1,200 flights were canceled Monday, according to FlightAware.

Wind gusts of up to 81 mph were reported from the storm, toppling trees and power lines. Giant chunks of ice spilled over the banks of the Niagara River across from Buffalo on Sunday, creating bizarre, 30-foot-tall ice mounds. At one point early Monday, 650,000 were without power.

The storm was the same system that earlier had brought snow to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, record snow to Flagstaff, Arizona, a blizzard and bitter cold to the upper Midwest and floods and deadly tornadoes in the South. It is called a bomb cyclone because it rapidly intensified after a dramatic drop in atmospheric pressure.

More: What is a bomb cyclone? Winter hurricane explained.

Over the weekend, a woman was killed when a tornado hit Mississippi, and a man died when he drove into floodwaters in Tennessee, officials said.

Knoxville was among the hardest hit cities in Tennessee when a record-setting amount of rain and devastating floods swamped the state. "There were no areas of Knoxville that weren't affected," Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay said.

A landslide also closed a key highway between Clarksville and Nashville for at least the next week.

More: Tornado tears through Columbus, Mississippi, leads to first tornado...

In northern Alabama, residents used boats Monday to reach flooded-out neighborhoods; crews searched for two people believed to be missing on waterways; and schools were shut down after days of torrential rains.

Two Alabama towns near Birmingham imposed curfews Monday because of flooding. 

In Columbus, Mississippi, residents continued to recover from an EF3 tornado Saturday that smashed into a commercial district in the city, located about 130 miles northeast of Jackson. One person was killed; a dozen others sustained injuries.

The north-central U.S. also dug out Monday from a blizzard that dumped heavy snow across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

A whiteout near Neenah, Wisconsin, on Sunday led to a 130-car pileup that killed one person and injured 71 others. "I've been in the law enforcement business – this is my 27th year," Winnebago County Deputy Todd Christopherson said. "... That was the worst conditions I've ever seen."

The winter has been relentless all month in the region: The 45 inches of snow that's fallen in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, makes February 2019 the city's snowiest month on record.

In the northern Plains on Monday, brutal cold was the story: In Cando, North Dakota, the temperature was 33 degrees below zero with wind chills of 48 below, WeatherBug reported. 

The wind chill dipped to 20 below zero in winter-weary Minneapolis. 

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2019-02-26/major-moorland-fire-in...

Major moorland fire in Marsden, West Yorkshire

VIDEO: Two men rescued after floods sweep away cars in Jerusalem area
ISRAEL

Published: 02.28.19

Vehicles carried into stream in Arazim Valley near the capital as heavy rainfall reported across country; one of the two has to be pulled from water.

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5471435,00.html

It was a man on a wet tin roof: In a dramatic rescue operation, two people whose cars were swept by a flooded river near Jerusalem were saved and brought to safety Thursday.

The men were stranded after heavy rains caused the Arazim Valley near the capital to flood.

The rescue operation at Arazim Valley (

Jerusalem saw 30 millimeters of rain in less than three hours, and some 107 millimeters since the current storm system started Wednesday. Floods blocked one of the main highways in the city and some small roads in the lower regions around Jerusalem.

Another Arctic Blast hits US..in the negatives ALL THE WAY INTO MEXICO???

A brutal Arctic air mass is about to take over the United States [has begun]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/03/01/brutal-arctic-air...

Temperatures as much as 30 to 50 degrees below normal are entering the Northern Plains as we close out the workweek. Through the weekend, brutal conditions you might expect in a frigid January overtake the central portion of the country, from the Mexican to the Canadian borders.

Heading into the first full week of March, Arctic air takes up residence in the East as well. When it’s all done, most of the contiguous United States will endure a punishing blow of frigid air from this Arctic blast. Records for cold are likely to be most numerous in the north-central United States but will extend from coast to coast.

More here

Source

Township ‘wiped off map’ as winemaker watches life’s work destroyed on live television

A false sense of security created by cooler temperatures has left residents of Victorian towns in the direct line of fire as it spreads.

Victoria Bushfires: Local homes destroyed in blaze

Incredible vision from the fire front shows how painstakingly difficult fighting a raging bushfire can be.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade shared footage from Garfield North, 68km southeast of the Melbourne CBD, where the Bunyip State Park fire raged out of control.

“This is what firefighters faced on the ground,” the MFB wrote.

Strong, swirling winds carried thick smoke across the path of the blaze as it jumped from tree to tree.

It was more of the same today, despite cooler temperatures. A fire is burning close to the town of Dargo, 350km east of Melbourne where a separate fire is threatening homes and businesses. Residents in Black Snake Creek, Cowa, Dargo, Hawkhurst, Miowera and Peter the Swede have been told it’s too late to leave and they must take shelter.

A staff member at the Dargo Hotel told the Herald Sun: “It’s like (the fire) is trying to surround us.”

RAIN, WINDS TO HIT VICTORIAN FIRE AREAS

Sweeping heavy rain and thunderstorms could both help and hinder fire crews battling blazes across Victoria.

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for East Gippsland and North East districts — and could provide much relief to firefighters battling the blaze in Dargo.

The storm will bring strong winds and heavy rains and could lead to flash flooding in some areas.

But those battling the Bunyip fire may not see any relief until early on Wednesday morning, with the cool change predicted to arrive then. With the storms comesthe danger of dry lightning which could cause flare ups in areas already affected by the fire — and crews will be on high alert overnight.

Jinks Creek Winery in Tonimbuk was destroyed after a bushfire. 

BUSHFIRES THREATEN MORE HOMES

Emergency warnings are being updated by the minute as dozens of fires burn across Victoria.

There is currently a Watch and Act alert in place for a bushfire 1.6km south west of Dargo and two other located north west of Dargo.

The fire closest to Dargo has slowed, according to Vic Emergency.

Further warnings have been issued for Billabong, Black Snake Creek, Budgee Budgee, Cowa, Crooked River, Gibbs, Hawkhurst, Howittville, Maguires, Miowera, Peter the Swede, Shepherdson, Talbotville, Waterford, Winchester, Wongungarra.

A bushfire continues to burn out of control 6.5km southeast of Licola. The fire is active on all edges, and has already burnt about 17,000 hectares.

Ground crews and machinery are working to build firewalls to protect the township from the encroaching flames. Licola Road has been shut off to all unauthorised people.

Helicopters drop water on a bushfire near Yiinnar in Gippsland. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

A watch and act warning is active for people in Crookayan, Glencairn, Glenfalloch, Licola, Licola North, Sargood and Worrowing.

Firefighters in five vehicles are also responding to a small building fire in Carrums Down.

The fire are Bunyip State park is still burning out of control, travelling in a Westerly direction towards Beenak, Gembrook, Mount Burnett, Nar Nar Goon North, Pakenham Upper, Whites Corner.

These towns have been issued with a Watch and Act alert, and those who have left their homes have been told not to return.

Earlier today a Watch and Act alert was also issued for the areas around Avenel and Tarcome, with the advice that a fire was travelling towards Wicketts Hill Road.

Full information about the affected areas can be obtained by listening to local radio and viewing the Vic Emergency website.

Active warnings faced by Victorians as firefighters battle blazes across the state. 

ENTIRE TOWNSHIP ‘WIPED OFF THE MAP’

An entire township has been all but “wiped out” by devastating bushfires in Victoria’s southeast.

Tonimbuk, which borders Bunyip State Park, was in the direct path of a massive fire that swept through over the weekend.

A map of the area from the Country Fire Authority shows a large section of black over the township.

Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight is from Tonimbuk, 70km from the Melbourne CBD. He told 3AW radio this morning that he spent the weekend trying to protect the family property but “the place has just been wiped clean”.

Network 10 journalist Candice Wyatt tweeted: “It’s believed the township of Tonimbuk has been all but wiped off the map”.

The township of Tonimbuk has been devastated. Picture: CFASource:Supplied

At the last census, Tonimbuk was home to 208 people. Winemaker Andrew Clarke is among them.

As bushfires ripped through the region, he could do nothing but stare at a screen in horror and disbelief at what he was watching on live TV.

He was sat at a cafe with other relieved locals, who had managed to escape the inferno engulfing their homes when he saw the aerial footage of his Tonimbuk vineyard explode into a ball of flames.

The Jinks Creek Winery was not just his life’s work. It was his family home and also home to his horses.

Scaffolding collapse in London, UK today due to strong winds! Report: Sara Mouhoun 3/7/2019  Severe Weather Europe

Fractures, bruises & cuts: 30+ injured in severe turbulence on Turkish Airlines flight to New York  Published time: 10 Mar, 2019 02:24

https://www.rt.com/news/453439-injuries-turbulence-turkey-flight/

https://www.stlucianewsonline.com/pedestrian-escapes-death-by-secon...

Pedestrian escapes death by seconds — after building collapses

(FOX NEWS) — Stunning video shows a man in London narrowly escape being crushed by falling bricks as a howling wind caused a café’s roof to collapse Sunday.

CCTV footage shows the passerby strolling past Stokey Vintage Café on Stoke Newington High Street just moments before a mass of bricks and rubble tumbled to the ground.

“While the boys were fundraising this happened across the road,” the Hackney Wick FC soccer club shared on Twitter with the CCTV video. “A reminder that you can be taken at any time so be thankful for surviving another day.”

Petulia Mattioli, who had walked past the building minutes before the incident, told the Evening Standard that she had stopped at the café windows for a few seconds before crossing the road.

“You never realize how death is real until you face it…I was lucky,” she said. Mattioli is seen in the CCTV footage crossing the road before the man strolls past.

The London Fire Brigade said no one was injured in the building collapse, but that clean up took about two hours.

Demet Sahin, who jointly runs the cafe, told the Standard the rubble also missed her brother Turgay, who was standing outside.

“We are very sad about what happened,” she said. “My brother was outside when it happened, and he cannot sleep. He is very much shaken about what happened. He still can’t talk about it. This has been very traumatic for him.”

According to the BBC, a weather warning was in place for wind across southern England and Wales this weekend, when gusts of up to 65 mph swept across the country.

The Met Office said similar conditions are expected to continue throughout the week.

https://www.facebook.com/CBM.Weatherman/photos/pcb.2158853700847835...

Tropical Cyclone Idai is the deadliest weather disaster of 2019 killing 111 and impacting nearly 150,000 in Mozambique and Malawi

RSOE Alertmap

Flooding from a system that developed into Tropical Cyclone Idai has killed 111 people in Mozambique and Malawi, making it the deadliest weather disaster of 2019, according to The Weather Channel.
The initial system killed at least 66 people due to flooding in Mozambique, Agence France-Presse reported.
Flooding has also destroyed more than 5,700 homes and impacted more than 140,000 people in the southern African country.
Flooding from the storm has already inundated nearly 650 square miles, destroyed 18 hospitals, 938 classrooms and injured more than 100 people.
The number of people killed in floods in southern Malawi has risen to 56, an official said on Wednesday, with the country now also on alert for an approaching tropical cyclone.
Almost 83,000 people have been displaced by since storms that began more than a week ago caused rivers to break their banks, leaving villages underwater, and knocked out power and water supplies in some areas.
Chipiliro Khamula, the spokesman for Malawi's Department of Disaster Management, said 56 deaths had been recorded as of Tuesday, as well as 577 injuries.
"Most of the displaced families are living in camps," Khamula said.
"So far, a total of 187 camps have been established in the affected districts."
Now Malawi has been put on alert for more rain and flooding on Thursday when Tropical Cyclone Idai is expected to make landfall through Beira, in neighbouring Mozambique, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services said.
The cyclone will dump heavy rains and winds over Mozambique, before moving to southern Malawi and later Zimbabwe, the department's director, Jolam Nkhokwe, said.
Regions of Mozambique have also already been affected by flooding.
Malawi's President Arthur Peter Mutharika, who declared a state of disaster in southern Malawi late on Friday, cancelled trips to the northern region of Malawi to attend to the flooding.

https://www.newstimes.com/news/us/article/Tornado-destroy-10-homes-...

High winds blow train off of bridge in New Mexico

Associated Press

Updated 7:56 pm EDT, Wednesday, March 13, 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A tornado that ripped roofs from buildings and injured five people in a tiny New Mexico town has left a trail of debris that authorities said Wednesday they would wait to clear because of high winds still sweeping through the region.

The tornado touched down outside of Dexter on Tuesday evening before quickly barreling into the town about 18 miles (or 29 kilometers) south of Roswell, where the injured were taken to a hospital. They had suffered non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.

Chaves County Sheriff Mike Herrington said the tornado "took out" about 10 homes on one street in the town of about 5,000 people. A dairy was forced to put down about 150 cows that were injured, he added.

Schools are expected to be closed for the remainder of the week, and all entries into the town have been closed as 60 to 70 mph winds continue to stir scrap and other tornado wreckage.

The strength of the tornado has not yet been determined by a team the National Weather Service sent to the area, meteorologist Chuck Jones said.

The tornado came amid a strong storm system that was not expected to relent as it moved toward the northeast, Jones said. "It's deepening and strengthening very quickly," he said.

About 200 miles (or 322 kilometers) northeast of Dexter, authorities said high winds had derailed a train on the high desert plains near Logan, a town of about 1,000 residents. New Mexico State Police photos of the derailment showed shattered train cars scattered across a mostly dry riverbed.

There were no reported injuries in the derailment, state police said.

In total, about 40,000 Xcel Energy customers in the region that spans much of eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle were without electricity, the company said.

In Dexter, Herrington said he believed there would have been more tornado injuries had more people been home when it touched down. But luckily, it occurred at a time when many people were at work or returning home from work, he said.

A severe weather warning was issued earlier in the afternoon for hail, lightning, high winds and multiple tornadoes, with authorities urging residents to stay off roads and shelter animals.

Another tornado also touched down in nearby Hagerman on Tuesday, destroying the city's water system, the Roswell Daily Record reported .

MOZAMBIQUE CYCLONE TO BLAME FOR STAGE 4 LOAD SHEDDING, SAYS ESKOM
SOUTH AFRICA

The power utility says the two lines that supply power from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique are offline as a result of the tropical cyclone.

https://ewn.co.za/2019/03/16/mozambique-cyclone-to-blame-for-stage-...

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom says the cyclone in Mozambique has contributed significantly to load shedding being escalated from stage 3 to stage 4 this afternoon.

ESKOM ESCALATES LOAD SHEDDING TO STAGE 4 - SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 17 2019

Eskom said it’s due to the loss of an additional 900 MW from the Mozambique imports.

https://ewn.co.za/2019/03/16/eskom-escalates-load-shedding-to-stage...

OHANNESBURG - Eskom has escalated load shedding to stage four.

Due to the loss of an additional 900 MW from the Mozambique imports, loadshedding will move up to stage 4 from 12 noon

The power utility said it’s due to the loss of an additional 900 MW from the Mozambique imports.

Earlier, Eskom announced stage 3 load shedding.

The power outages will move up to stage 4 from 12 noon

WHAT STAGE 4 LOAD SHEDDING MEANS FOR YOU

Eskom will need to shed more than 4,000MW to keep the national grid from collapsing.

What this means is the state-owned power utility starts additional, unscheduled power cuts wherever it needs to and outside of its schedules.

This also means your area can be hit by blackouts at any time without any warning. The country hasn’t reached this stage since 2008.

Stage four load shedding is the final option for Eskom to prevent a national blackout.

'AT LEAST 100 MISSING' IN ZIMBABWE AFTER CYCLONE
https://ewn.co.za/2019/03/16/at-least-100-missing-in-zimbabwe-after...

HARARE - At least 100 people are missing in parts of eastern Zimbabwe hit by the peripheral effects of tropical cyclone Idai which has lashed Mozambique, a local lawmaker said Saturday.

NEBRASKA : "worst disaster in state history."

Much of Nebraska was inundated with flood waters, with the governor describing it as the worst disaster in state history.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said farmers will suffer the most, calling it the “the most widespread destruction we have ever seen in our state’s history,” CBS News reported.

source

Massive damage to agricultural sector, 36 percent of roads damaged, more than 60 people dead, Iran

Heavy rain and floods affecting Iran since March 19, 2019 caused massive damage to the country's agricultural sector, damaged 36% of the entire road network and left at least 62 people dead, as of April 4, 2019.

According to information provided by official sources, flooding has caused at least 47 trillion rials (about $350 million USD) to the country's agricultural sector.

While the government assures flood-affected farmers that all losses will be compensated, speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, said the new year budget would not suffice to cover the damages.

36% of the country's entire road network has been damaged, 84 bridges and nearly 2 200 rural roads washed away.

"Across 15 provinces, 141 rivers burst their banks and around 400 landslides were reported," a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Organisation, told state TV.

About 1 900 cities and villages have been affected in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces.

At least 62 people have been killed so far and 86 000 people moved to emergency shelters.

Authorities say they are dealing with extreme flooding and heavy rainfall which at times equaled more than half of the annual average within 24 hours. 

Golestan Province, for example, received 70% of its annual rainfall in just one day. This is unprecedented for the past 300 years, IFRC said.

Seoul declares national disaster as winds fan giant forest fire - SOUTH KOREA

Posted at Apr 05 2019

https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/05/19/seoul-declares-national-...

SEOUL, South Korea - A giant forest fire swept across swathes of South Korea Friday, as authorities declared a rare national disaster, deploying 900 fire engines and tens of thousands of personnel to bring it under control.

Apocalyptic images on television and social media showed walls of flame lighting up the night, buildings ablaze, and clouds of smoke billowing across hillsides during the day.

The fire broke out late Thursday alongside a road in the town of Goseong, in the far northeast of the country and only around 45 kilometers from the border with the nuclear-armed North.

Fanned by strong winds, it quickly spread through the mountainous area, incinerating 400 homes and 500 hectares of land, according to the government. CONTINUE...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last night, April 8.2019

https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/videos/322744595096975/Uzp...
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=322744595096975

*World Weather* Flash floods in Botanical gardens of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last night, April 8. 189 mm of rainfall reported in 4h.

Spring and Winter blending together in US recently.

Blizzard Hits Central U.S. a Day After States Bask in Spring Sunshine

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/us/denver-weather.html

Iran leader approves tapping sovereign fund for flood relief

https://www.thesundaily.my/world/iran-leader-approves-tapping-sover...

Snow falls in Western Australia’s Stirling Ranges in April for the first time in 49 years

A white Easter? Dozens are hiking up to Bluff Knoll this long weekend to catch a glimpse of the extremely rare April snowfall.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/snow-falls-in-wester...

Locals couldn’t have anticipated this: Snowboarding in Western Australia in April?

The state’s southwest had more than a Good Friday, with residents waking up to record snowfall. As predicted in news.com.au’s weekend weather forecast, the Stirling Ranges have seen snow just in time for Easter — and for the first time in 49 years.

While snow this time of year is extremely rare, the Stirling Ranges have broken April records this weekend with residents enjoying the earliest recorded snow event in a calendar year in the state’s history.

The last recorded fall before this time was April 20, 1970, according to Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) records.

And the frost could potentially spread across the Wheatbelt by Sunday morning.

The unseasonal weather has seen Perth residents snow boarding in their yards and making their way to the 1099-metre tall bluffs to get their own snaps for social media. And those who couldn’t make the trek, anticipated the traffic if they tried.

What The Traffic Will Look Like Tomorrow Evening When Half Of #Perth Decides To Head Down To #BluffKnoll To See The 'Snow'... #PerthTraffic pic.twitter.com/7mYF1RZLAB

— Weather WA (@weather_wa) April 17, 2019

BOM forecaster Matt Boterhoven told the ABC snow was an extremely rare occurrence in April.

“It’s exceptional. We’ve only recorded once, in the last 100 years, snow as early as this on top of the Stirling Ranges,” he said.

“It’s related to a very strong cold air mass moving over the southwest of the state, so when conditions get below freezing and there’s precipitation, snow can form on top of Stirling Ranges.”

GOOD FRIDAY RECORD BREAKER! ❄️

Today’s snowfall on Bluff Knoll was the earliest ever recorded in WA.

The previous record was April 20, 1970.

There’s a chance of more snow on the highest peaks of the Stirling Range overnight
Pictures: Davis Redman, Chris Black, Kate Hutcheon pic.twitter.com/KYBbJU8wwn

— David Graham (@Logisticsau) April 19, 2019

"Fingers nearly snapped off, but I’m an official member of the WA Bluff Knoll Ski Club," one social media user proudly posted. Source: Twitter @jackwschmidtSource:Twitter

The cold snap also saw Albany and the Great Southern hit by hail at 1pm on Friday.

With temps predicted to peak at 13C and 18C over the next couple of days, locals can expect Friday’s cold front to stick around until Monday.

Evolution of the Saharan dust ‘outbreak’ across Europe
By SWE | 23 April 2019

http://www.severe-weather.eu/mcd/evolution-of-the-saharan-dust-outb...

The following sequence of model maps in 6-hour intervals covers the interval from April 23 at 06h UTC to April 25 at 00h UTC. Note the ‘tongue’ of dust pushing across France into the British Isles and Ireland at the beginning of the interval extend into the northern Atlantic and reach Iceland by late on April 24 and then push further into the Strait of Denmark towards Greenland. Meanwhile dust pushes across central into eastern Europe as far as the Baltic states, Poland and Ukraine and as far north as southern Sweden.

Large dust loads persist over the central Mediterranean: the southern coast of the Mediterranean in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, across Malta and south Italy, into Greece and western Turkey.

While Saharan dust events are not rare, particularly across the Mediterranean and southern Europe, the current one is very extensive and is producing major dust loads.

SAHARA Red Dust : http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sahara-red-dust

The UK has already had more wildfires in 2019 than any year on record

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2200502-the-uk-has-already-had...

The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already.

The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.

Researchers told New Scientist that the figures, collated by the European Forest Fire Information System, were evidence that climate change had already heightened the risk of wildfires in the UK.

More than 100 firefighters battled wildfires over the Easter weekend across Illkley Moor and Marsden Moor in West Yorkshire. Another fire broke out on moorland near Marsden on Tuesday afternoon, requiring ten fire engines to attend.

Fires throughout the year

There were also wildfires in Cornwall, Dorset, Derbyshire, Northern Ireland, the Peak District, Rotherham, Wiltshire and Wales, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Scotland was affected by fires across the Highlands, including a large one that posed a “serious risk” to the Moray windfarm.

The spate of blazes follows a series of major wildfires during the hot, dry weather of 2018, including the Saddleworth Moor fire near Manchester, which burned for five days and made pollution levels spike.

Paul Hedley, national wildfires lead for the NFCC, said it was “really significant” that the number of large wildfires in 2019 had already overtaken 2018’s tally so early in the year.

The big change he has observed is that the wildfires are no longer confined to the traditional season of fires from late March to late September. “What seemed to happen last year and is happening this year, is we are not talking about a wildfire season – we are getting significant wildfires happening throughout the year,” says Hedley.

The scale and duration of the wildfires was a huge stretch on fire and rescue service resources, Hedley adds.

Spring is the point in the year when flammability peaks, with the most dead leaf and woody matter available to burn, says Thomas Smith of the London School of Economics, in the UK.

Layered on top of that seasonal risk has been fire-friendly weather and an increased risk of ignition through accidents, such as a barbeque in the case of the West Yorkshire blazes, or arson.

“Both the fires in February and over this Easter weekend coincided with long warm dry periods with steady easterly winds – fire weather – and also with ignition risk from school holidays,” says Smith.

Weather that is conducive to wildfires has become more likely in recent decades, with the average length of warm spells increasing from 5.3 to 13.2 days in recent years.

“I would argue that those statistics suggest that we are already experiencing climate change and that it has already led to increasing wildfire risk,” Smith adds. He says the past two years have been the worst for UK wildfires that he can remember.

The total area burned in 2019 so far is 17,199 hectares, almost on a par with the highs of 2018 and 2011, but with eight months of the year left to go.

The rural nature of most UK wildfires means relatively little property is damaged compared to the multibillion-dollar cost of Californian wildfires. But they draw fire engines away from towns and cities, increasing fire risk there, and can cause health problems by causing pollution levels to rise, as happened in Greater Manchester last year.

Hail apocalypse: 13 killed and over 100 injured as hailstorm ravages three villages in Uganda   By  Strange Sounds - Apr 24, 2019

13 people have been killed and 100 others have been injured following a heavy rain and hail storm in Buyende district, Uganda. The unusual weather ravaged the villages of Kabugudo, Nabweyo, and Nakabembe between 8:00 pm and 10:30pm on Sunday, April 21, 2019. Most of the deceased were swept away by floods into nearby swamps where they drowned.

The storm swept away 300 homes and residents have found refuge at Kidera health centre IV. Survivors were transferred either to Kidera health centre IV or Kamuli general hospital respectively.

A victim explains she decided to lock herself in her house. However, in no time, she saw her rooftop shaking and on her way out, it felt on her head.

Video:  http://strangesounds.org/2019/04/uganda-hail-storm-video.html

Source

State of emergency for Canada with some water levels expected once every 1,000 years and the worst is yet to come in unprecedented flooding

Flooding in Calgary and Toronto...Credit london.ctvnews.ca

Flood-weary communities in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec are preparing for a critical weekend as rising water levels force thousands to evacuate their homes. Rain is expected in Ontario's cottage country, stretching east into Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Montreal, Ottawa and many smaller communities have declared states of emergency, prompting the federal government to deploy hundreds of soldiers to help with sandbagging and other relief operations. "We're all just putting our shoulder to the wheel in the most effective way, to make sure that the personnel and the resources are available to fight the immediate disaster," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said. But worried residents are watching as water levels rise fast, with little respite in sight. "We are watching the next system, possibly Wednesday into Thursday another huge system that will be sweeping across southern and central Ontario and southern Quebec," Gerald Cheng from Environment Canada told CTV Toronto. The worst is yet to come for Ottawa according to Patrick Nadeau, executive director of Ottawa Riverkeeper, which works to protect the Ottawa River and its tributaries. "What we're seeing for the Ottawa area right now is that the peak is set to come around Monday or Tuesday," he told CTV News Channel. The city issued a state of emergency on Thursday. "Those levels could be over half a metre from what we're seeing right now." Despite a night that gave Ottawa a break from the rain, water levels around the capital region are expected to rise half a metre higher than they did during a 2017 flood that was thought to have been a once-in-a-century event. Brian Streatton, engineering manager at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, told CTV News Channel that the river is the highest it's ever been. "People that live along the Ottawa River from Ottawa down to Montreal are getting flooding at the highest level we've ever seen," he said.

"There was a high snowpack this year throughout the entire Ottawa River watershed and we've had some major precipitation events over the last couple of weeks." Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement forecasting up to 35 millimetres of rain in the Ottawa region. Four hundred soldiers have been deployed to help battle the flood water. A large focus is being put on the Constance Bay area, which is considered one of the worst-hit areas. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Constance Bay on Saturday morning, where he spoke with local volunteers. Trudeau and his two sons helped with sandbagging. Dozens of volunteers, including players from the Ottawa 67's hockey team, also helped with the flood relief. Others donated food to help those in need. A morning report from the board that monitors levels in the Ottawa River near Constance Bay says water levels are just shy of their 2017 levels and are forecast to rise another 47 centimetres. At a measuring spot near Parliament Hill, where paths and parking lots along the river are already underwater, the board forecasts a rise of another 75 centimetres before water levels peak on May 1. Nadeau says flooding like this is becoming the new normal, adding that better coordination is needed. "We need sustained investment in our conservation authorities that help to plan for these disasters." Increased winds also hampered sandbagging efforts, causing waves to crash over walls protecting homes. Ontario Provincial Police are discouraging motor boats from going close to shore, after reports of wake causing additional damage to nearby homes. Officials announced Saturday night that the Chaudiere Bridge over the Ottawa River would be closed as of 6 a.m. on Sunday,due to flooding and high waters. The Ottawa River is expected to rise another 55 centimetres by Tuesday. Efforts are also underway to protect the Britannia Water Treatment plant, which purifies water for more than half of Ottawa. If flood waters block the road leading to the plantdeliveries of purifying chemicals will be threatening safe water supplies, officials said. There are also flood warnings in several other areas of Ontario, which includes the province's cottage country. Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith asked cottage owners not to come to their properties to check for the damage this weekend because there are a lot of roads closed. "Don't try and be a hero," he said. Bracebridge saw some snow overnight and about 34 mm of rain at nearby Muskoka airport. Smith said the late-season snow is a welcome sight as it acts as a "sponge" for rising floodwaters that now mark a "historical event." Property owners have been advised to wait until the emergency passes before checking on cottages.

Quebec: Rainfall warnings have been issued for the southern half of Quebec, with some areas expected to see another 60 mm of rain. Water at the Chute-Bell dam, built in 1915, has reached levels expected once every 1,000 years, but Hydro-Quebec said it's confident the structure is solid. Provincial police were patrolling homes and cottages along the Rouge River, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, where 75 people were forced to evacuate over fears the flood waters could overwhelm the dam. Meanwhile, soldiers with the Canadian Armed Forces were dispatched to reinforce a dyke in Pointe-Calumet, northwest of Montreal, that was threatening to give way. Quebec authorities said that as of Saturday morning, 3,056 homes across the province were flooded and 2,736 were surrounded by water. About 2,000 people have so far been forced from their homes. Just in the city of Rigaud, near the Ontario border, 685 people have left their houses where a mandatory evacuation order is in place. Officials say by Sunday, water levels could surpass those seen two years ago. Montreal and 13 other municipalities have declared states of emergency in Quebec. Flood waters in Gatineau are expected to take weeks to recede. Some 1,800 homes there are in the flood zone, with about 4,000 people at risk. Around 750 have asked for help. Quebec's Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said Saturday about 50 landslides have been reported across the province. "The situation is changing hour by hour," Stephanie Picard, spokesperson for Canadian Red Cross, told CTV News Channel. The Red Cross has 10 centres across Quebec to help those affected by the floods, she said. "Last night (Friday) we provided safe shelter for close to 500 people who had no other option but to turn to the Red Cross to have a safe place to sleep," she said. In Montreal, the Galipeault Bridge, which connects Ile-Perrot to Montreal's West Island, is closed until further notice due to rising water. In Rigaud and Point-Fortune, residents have been defying mandatory evacuation orders. According to Rigaud Fire Chief Daniel Boyer, only 10 out of 170 homes had been evacuated as of Saturday.

New Brunswick: Meanwhile, the Saint John River has been receding in Fredericton, where parts of the downtown core were underwater this week. Geoffrey Downey, a spokesperson for New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, said while it's raining across much of the province on Saturday, officials aren't expecting a lot of precipitation. The Red Cross has registered 940 evacuees from 330 households in New Brunswick as of Friday afternoon. Red Cross officials in New Brunswick said Friday 70 per cent of the people asking for flood assistance this year also asked last year. Premier Blaine Higgs told reporters that with two floods in as many years it's clear climate change is affecting flooding frequency, and his new Conservative government will take this into account in future planning. The latest forecast predicts waters will slowly recede in most areas over the next five days.

Manitoba: In southern Manitoba, the rising Red River has forced some road closures and a small number of evacuations near St. Jean Baptiste but earlier predictions for major flooding between the U.S. border and Winnipeg haven't come to pass.

xx

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/losing-flooding-cyclone-hit-...

A woman crosses a flooded street in the aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba [Mike Hutchings/Reuters]

Rescuers raced to help people caught in fast-rising floodwaters in Mozambique's cyclone-hit city of Pemba on Sunday, as houses collapsed in one neighbourhood and heavy rain raised fears of worse to come.

More than 160,000 people have been affected in the largely rural region, many left exposed and hungry.

"Help us, we are losing everything!" residents of the northern city shouted at passing cars as the rushing waters flooded their homes. Women and girls with buckets and pots tried to scoop away the torrent. But in vain - the water poured into doorways.

In the worst-affected neighbourhood of Natite, homes have begun to collapse, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a tweet.

"We are unfortunately expecting devastating floods," it said.

Photos of destruction after Cyclone Kenneth ravages Mozambique

Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai ripped into central Mozambique and killed more than 600 people in the flooding. The new storm's remnants could dump twice as much rain as Idai, the UN said.

As much as 250 millimetres, or about one-quarter of the average annual rainfall for the region, has been forecast over the next few days.

"I have never seen such rains in my life," said one Pemba resident, 35-year-old Michael Fernando.

This was the first time in recorded history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season, again raising concerns about climate change.

Rescue workers evacuated at least 130 people to centres elsewhere in the city on Sunday, mostly by boat, said Salviano Abreu, spokesman for OCHA.

In Macomia district, Cyclone Kenneth flattened more than 35,000 homes [Saviano Abreu/ OCHA via AFP]

Some Pemba residents tried to pile up tyres and sandbags outside their homes to keep the rising water out, while elsewhere small, rapid rivers formed, carving trenches into the streets.

Children took refuge in a bus that appeared to be stuck as vehicles struggled on the streets. One woman stood, seemingly stunned, as the rain pounded down. 

"We will keep moving until we get somewhere safe," one man said, as people fled carrying belongings in plastic bags.

In the city's Mahate neighbourhood, a large crack had formed in the ground, prompting OCHA to warn of landslides.

There was no immediate word on the extent of flooding outside Pemba.

Authorities have said at least five people died after Kenneth roared in Thursday evening with the force of a Category 4 hurricane, stunning residents of a region where such a storm had not been recorded in the modern era.

More than 35,000 homes in parts of Mozambique's northernmost Cabo Delgado were partially or fully destroyed by the storm.

Images shared by OCHA showed rows of wooden houses, separated by sandy paths, that had been almost completely flattened. Only a few structures and the occasional coconut tree were left standing.

"Not a single house is standing any more," Abreu told reporters.

Source

Tropical cyclone Fani is expected to reach Super Cyclonic Storm status, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane with more than 100 million people in its path.

On April 30, at 3:40 a.m. EDT (0740 UTC) the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite provided a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Fani in the Northern Indian Ocean showing powerful thunderstorms around the centre of circulation. Credit: NASA/NRL

Tropical cyclone Fani is gathering strength in the Bay of Bengal and is already equivalent to a category 3 hurricane as it barrels toward the eastern Indian coastline with more than 100 million people in its path.

According to Accuweather, additional strengthening is expected into Thursday as Fani could bring winds in excess of 213 km/h (132 mph), equal to a Category 4 hurricane.
There is a chance that Fani could briefly become a Super Cyclonic Storm, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, during this time.
Fani is expected to remain a powerful and dangerous cyclone as it approaches and makes landfall along the coast of eastern India between Thursday night and Friday.
Residents from northern Andhra Pradesh to Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar are at risk for impacts from the approaching cyclone. 

According to the IMD, only 14 severe tropical cyclones have formed in the month of April since 1891 and only 1 of them ever made landfall, Cyclone Fani will be the second 

INDIA Cyclone Fani 5-3-2019

Blending Seasons:  The difference a day makes. Oberstdorf / Scheibenhaus, Germany. May 4th vs 5th. Via @iMeteo.sk

BOLOGNA - ITALY Bad weather in May gives no respite. 5-13-2019

Flooding and flooding of rivers are creating serious problems in Romagna, in particular in the Cesenate where two people have been rescued. And severe discomforts are reported, with landslides and floods of watercourses in the Bolognese and Modena area. Homes evacuated, schools closed and the red alert extended until Tuesday when the rain stops but the rivers could still overflow.

The river Savio has broken its banks in several places, several bridges in Cesena have been closed to traffic. Traffic on the Rimini-Bologna railway network, between Cesena and Forlì, was interrupted from 7.50 this morning until 7.00 pm: the flood has almost submerged a viaduct of the line. Train movement gradually resumes and it is expected that tomorrow the situation, barring unforeseen events during the night, will return to normal.

https://bologna.repubblica.it/cronaca/2019/05/13/news/secchia_e_pan...

The Sacramento office of the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of the Sierra range starting tomorrow into early Friday morning. The 2.5 feet of snow is impressive for this time in May.

Windstorm leaves several sheep dead after collapsed wall in the Sultanate of OMAN, May 19.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2246588238720455&set=a....

Israel hit by extreme heatwave and worst is yet to come

05.22.19

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5513342,00.html

Unseasonably hot temperatures - predicted to stay above 40 degrees celsius in some parts of the country throughout the weekend - coincide with Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, prompting the authorities to advise the public to refrain from lighting traditional bonfires

Israel on Wednesday is expected to be hit by an extreme heatwave that will reign supreme throughout the country over the coming weekend.

According to Meteo-Tech meteorological company, while in northern and central Israel the weather will be very hot, in the south of the country (and in the Sea of Galilee region) the temperatures will reach extreme heights.

Tel Aviv beach amid heatwave

In the northern city of Haifa, the temperatures will range from 36 degrees celsius during the day Sunday to 25 degrees at night. In Tel Aviv, the weather will be slightly cooler with a range of 32 degrees during the day and 25 degrees at night. In the southern city of Be’er Sheva, temperatures will range from 40 degrees throughout the day to 26 degrees at night. In Jerusalem, the temperatures will also be high, reaching 35 degrees celsius during the day and falling to 26 degrees overnight.

The unseasonable heatwave coincides with the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, which prompted the Fire and Rescue Services to restrict the bonfires that traditionally accompany the celebrations. For instance, fires are not allowed to be lit in any forests, even in areas designated for such activity.

The Health Ministry urged the public to take precautionary measures since such extreme weather entails health risks. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority urged the public to refrain from prolonged walking outside at least until Friday evening.

On Friday, the heatwave is expected to peak, with temperatures in southern Israel - especially the Arava region - becoming scorching and could reach up to 48 degrees.

ISRAEL

Netanyahu calls for international help as huge fires force evacuation of 3,500
MAY 23 2019

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-calls-for-international-hel...

Public Security Minister directs rescue services to prepare for national emergency amid searing heatwave; officials ready to vacate thousands more as 800 blazes ravage country

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the Foreign Ministry to reach out to nearby countries for “immediate” assistance in putting out the hundreds of fires that were ravaging the country Thursday evening, destroying dozens of houses and forcing the evacuation of some 3,500 from their homes.

Effects of a fire in the central town of Mevo Modiim on May 23, 2019

Netanyahu did not specify which countries Israel would approach, but a senior Fire Department official said earlier they could turn to Cyprus, Greece and Croatia for help.
Hours earlier, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan held a situational assessment and instructed fire authorities to prepare for the possibility that a national emergency be declared, with Friday’s temperatures expected to eclipse 100° F throughout the country.

officials were expecting Friday to be even worse as the heatwave reached its peak. Temperatures hit 37° C (99° F) in Tel Aviv, 43° C (110° F) in Beersheba in the Negev and 50° C (122° F) in the Arava region.
The largest fire was in the Ben Shemen Forest and around the 250-member community of Mevo Modiim in central Israel.

A police official told Channel 13 news that the blaze had largely destroyed the town established by singer and rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in 1975.

Meanwhile, residents of nearby Gimzo evacuated Torah scrolls from the community synagogue as the flames approached.
In addition to Mevo Modiin and Gizmo, a fire service spokesman said that Israelis had been evacuated from the central towns of Tarum, Neot Kedumim, Kfar Daniel, Kfar Uriya, Karmia and Harel. He added that forces were preparing to evacuate thousands of more Israelis, including ones in the central towns of Shilat, Kfar Ruth and Lapid.
Due to Thursday’s weather, Israel Railways announced it was limiting service in some areas as the heat was causing train tracks to expand.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EGYPT
Heat wave causes fire at Sharm al-Sheikh old market

Thu, May. 23, 2019

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/70732/Heat-wave-causes-fire-at-...

CAIRO - 23 May 2019: Civil defense forces have managed to manage a fire that broke out at the old market in Sharm al-Sheikh due to an extreme heat wave that hit its highest peak on Thursday.

Eye witnesses said the flames extended to reach a number of shops before the fire department put the situation under control

Flames extended to reach a number of shops before the fire department put the situation under control

Rain bomb captured in Queensland, Australia, by farmer Peter Thompson

So here’s something you rarely get to see… a freaking rain bomb, or the technical term “microburst“! 

Basically, it happens when hot, dry air rises and mixes with heavy rain-bearing clouds.

Most of the water droplets in the clouds evaporate, causing a swift cooling of the air around them where it then starts to sink. The falling air pulls the remaining raindrops with it, creating one hell of a downpour.

http://canyouactually.com/this-incredibly-rare-rain-bomb-falling-fr...

Source

Cold blast hits Australia's east coast as temperatures are forecast to plunge as low as -4C with SNOW in four states – and the icy weather is here to stay all week

• Canberra predicted to have subzero minimum temperature of -4C on Friday
• Snow has fallen in four states as Antarctic blast of cold air sweeps the east coast
• Blizzard conditions forecast for the Alps, motorists advised to put tyre chains on 
• Sydney and Melbourne for cold, windy and at times wet weather 

A cold blast of wintry weather is set to hit Australia's east coast with antarctic winds bringing snow to at least four eastern states by Wednesday. 

A wet and windy day was forecast for much of the southeast of the nation with snow and hail in alpine areas caused by a cold front sweeping across the country.

A low pressure trough is also affecting Tasmania and southern parts of Victoria with both states experiencing snowfalls overnight.

Victoria's Mount Baw Baw had decent snowfalls on Monday morning and there is more to come over the next few days

One operator in Mount Hotham said on Twitter on Sunday that they had received 25cm, and advised people to fit tyre chains to all vehicles. 

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster for New South Wales Zhi-Weng Chua said snow was expected from today through to Wednesday in elevated areas of NSW and the ACT including the Snowy Mountains and Tablelands districts to about 1000m.

'A strong low-pressure system south of Tasmania is bringing air from the Antarctic region up to New South Wales,' he said. 

A Weatherzone forecast model shows cold air sweeping over southeastern Australia for Wednesday. A low pressure system south of Tasmania is sucking Antarctic air as far north as New South Wales

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7077917/More-5-million-lef...

More than FIVE MILLION are left without power across Ohio after 'rapid-fire' tornadoes ripped roofs from homes, with 51 twisters touching down across eight states overnight

• Tornadoes first touched down in the city of Trotwood, just outside Dayton, at about 11pm on Monday night 
• National Weather Service described tornado as 'extremely dangerous' and told residents to remain in shelters 
• Photos showed widespread damage with severely damaged homes and buildings and downed power lines
• There were reports of houses being cut in half and others were completely flattened during the storms 
• As of Tuesday morning, five million people are without power in Ohio alone, according to local authorities  

More than five million people have been left without power in Ohio alone after 51 tornadoes were reported across eight states overnight. 

Residents of Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, are still not in the clear as severe weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday.

A rapid-fire line of apparent tornadoes tore across Indiana and Ohio and were packed so closely together that one crossed the path carved by another.

The storms strew debris so thick that at one point, highway crews had to use snowplows to clear Interstate 75.

At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana through central Ohio suffered damage, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), though authorities working through the night had reported no fatalities as of early Tuesday. 

There were at least 35 people in and around Dayton who went to hospitals with injuries, most of them minor, according to Elizabeth Long, a spokeswoman for the Kettering Health Network.

'We've had injuries ranging form lacerations to bumps and bruises from folks being thrown around in their houses due to the storms,' she said.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck also confirmed that 'there's been no real serious injuries' despite the significant damage in the area. 

More than five million people have been left without power in Ohio alone after 51 tornadoes were reported across eight states overnight. This aerial photo shows damage at the Westbrooke Village Apartment complex in Trotwood, Ohio

Residents of Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, are still not in the clear as severe weather is forecast to continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday. This photo shows another aerial view of the Westbrooke Village Apartment building in Trotwood, Ohio 

The sheriff asked residents to avoid any areas with damage from the storms. 

'There are multiple locations that have sustained extensive damage and the roads in those areas need to be kept clear so that emergency personnel can get through to help those in need,' a statement reads. 

According to the sheriff, there are also 'potentially dangerous situations with power lines down, unstable trees and possible gas leaks'.

Dayton Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne also said that it was 'pretty miraculous' that there have been only minor injuries. 

Payne attributed the good news to people heeding early warnings. Residents say sirens started going off around 10.30pm Monday ahead of the storm.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley urged residents to check on neighbors, especially those who are housebound.

The power response will require a 'multi-day restoration effort,' utility Dayton Power & Light said in an early morning tweet. The company said 64,000 of its customers alone were without power.

In a tweet, the city of Dayton urged residents to conserve water after the storms cut power to water plants and pump stations. 

'Due to the widespread power outages we are asking all Dayton and Montgomery County customers to conserve water,' the city tweeted.

'We have lost power to both water plants and pump stations. First Responders are performing search and rescue operations and debris clearing.'

City Manager Shelley Dickstein later issued a boil advisory for residents. The advisory affects 'all water customers in Dayton and Montgomery County'.

The city also said that generators are being rushed in.  

Multiple schools in the area were closed or had delayed starts Tuesday.

Towns just outside Dayton, Ohio, took some of the heaviest hits. 

In Vandalia, about 10 miles directly north of Dayton, Francis Dutmers and his wife were headed for the basement and safety Monday night when the storm hit with 'a very loud roar'.

'I just got down on all fours and covered my head with my hands,' said Dutmers, who said the winds blew out windows around his house, filled rooms with storm debris, and took down most of his trees. 

But he and his wife were not injured and the house is still livable, he said. 

The NWS tweeted Monday night that a 'large and dangerous tornado' hit near Trotwood, Ohio, eight miles northwest of Dayton. 

Several apartment buildings were damaged or destroyed. Emergency crews started going door-to-door in the middle of the night and into Tuesday morning to help anyone trapped by debris in Indiana and Ohio. 

Police scanners indicated that dozens of people trapped in their homes and needed help. 

Madison County Emergency Management spokesman Todd Harmeson said least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton and the nearby community of Huntsville. 

Seven people were reported injured in the storm in Pendleton. No fatalities were reported in the area.

Madison County authorities said roads in Pendleton, about 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis, are blocked with trees, downed power lines and utility poles. 

Pendleton High School is open as a shelter.

The NWS said a survey team will investigate damage in Madison County and possibly in Henry County. Another team may survey damage in Tippecanoe County. 

Crop Catastrophe In The Midwest – Latest USDA Crop Progress Report Indicates That A Nightmare Scenario Is Upon Us
May 26, 2019

The last 12 months have been the wettest in all of U.S. history, and this has created absolutely horrific conditions for U.S. farmers.  Thanks to endless rain and historic flooding that has stretched on for months, many farmers have not been able to plant crops at all, and a lot of the crops that have actually been planted are deeply struggling.  What this means is that U.S. agricultural production is going to be way, way down this year.  The numbers that I am about to share with you are deeply alarming, and they should serve as a wake up call for all of us.  The food that each one of us eats every day is produced by our farmers, and right now our farmers are truly facing a nightmare scenario.

More: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/crop-catastrophe-in-the...

US like a 'war zone' after 500 tornadoes in 30 days

The US has been battered by twisters, with a 40-year record broken as 12 days in a row pass with at least eight tornado reports.

https://news.sky.com/story/us-like-a-war-zone-after-500-tornadoes-i...

A street in Dayton, Ohio, is left decimated

America has been hit with 500 tornadoes in the last 30 days, with Tuesday breaking a 40-year record by marking the 12th day in a row with at least eight tornado reports, according to US forecasters.

Severe weather has been sweeping across the US Midwest, injuring hundreds and destroying buildings, prompting claims areas of the country have been left "like a war zone".

Some 55 twisters are estimated to have touched down on Monday across eight states stretching eastward from Idaho and Colorado.

Kansas City was badly hit by a large and dangerous tornado on Tuesday, with 12 people being treated at hospital and Kansas City International Airport temporarily suspending flights.

The remains of an Ohio school

Travellers and employees had to shelter in car park tunnels to avoid the worst of the storm.

Overnight, a swarm of twisters swept through Indiana and Ohio and left one person dead and at least 130 injured.

Roofs have been blown off, houses knocked off their foundations, trees uprooted and vital power lines have collapsed.

Francis Dutmers from Vandalia, which is around 10 miles from Dayton in Ohio and was one of the worst hit areas, said he hid with his wife in their basement before the windows on his house exploded and their rooms filled with debris.

Image: Trucks end up piled on top of each other in Missouri earlier this month

"I just got down on all fours and covered my head with my hands," he said.

In Celina, Ohio, 82-year-old Melvin Dale Hanna died when a parked car was thrown into his house, the mayor Jeffrey Hazel confirmed, adding: "There's areas that truly look like a war zone."

Weather warnings are stretching across to the east coast with parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City on alert.

Dr Patrick Marsh, warning coordination meteorologist at the national weather service's storm prediction centre, tweeted there had been 500 filtered eyewitness tornado reports during the past 30 days.

He said: "Only four periods in the official database ever exceed 500 *observed* tornadoes in 30 days: 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2011."

Human sightings remain an important tool in detecting tornadoes, as the radar technology used by US meteorologists is not able to always "see" twisters. A network of storm spotters are used across the country to monitor numbers.

"We are flirting in uncharted territory," Dr Marsh told The New York Times.

"Typically, you’d see a break of a day or two in between these long stretches, but we’re just not getting that right now."

Referring to the 55 tornadoes on Monday, Dr Marsh said outbreaks of 50 or more tornadoes are not uncommon. It has happened 63 times in US history, with three instances of more than 100 twisters.

Image: A destroyed neighbourhood in north Dayton, Ohio, this week

However, he added Monday's weather was unusual because it stretched over a wide geographic area and the amount of other twister activity in recent weeks.

The extreme weather is the result of high pressure over the south-east and an unusually cold trough over the Rockies. This has forced warm, moist air into the central US, triggering the dangerous storms.

Source

new levee breaches along the swollen Arkansas and Mississippi rivers have prompted evacuations in Dardanelle, Arkansas, and Quincy, Missouri.

A levee along the swollen Arkansas River breached early Friday. Residents in about 160 homes in Dardanelle, Arkansas, were urged to evacuate. Residents in three towns were urged to evacuate after a levee breached in Missouri. Officials say flooding will not be over anytime soon.

New Levee Breaches in Arkansas, Missouri Prompt Evacuations. Picture by AP

A breach early Friday on the Holla Bend levee in Dardanelle, home to about 4,700 people and located 60 miles northwest of Little Rock, prompted Yell County officials to go door-to-door to encourage residents in about 160 homes to evacuate.

“Emergency management reported flooding along the Durgens Creek in Lewis County. Water is expected to flow south into West Quincy. Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life,” the National Weather Service office in St. Louis said in a flash flood warning that was issued for the area.

Even as the Arkansas River slowly begins to recede in some areas after record-levels, officials say flooding will not be over anytime soon.

Nathan Spicer, emergency management specialist in Little Rock — where the river is expected to crest at 28 feet on Monday — told the city board the rain will prolong the flood’s effects.

“This flood event could last for two, three weeks, maybe a month,” Spicer said, according to a report by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas River is expected to crest Friday near Fort Smith, Arkansas, at 40.8 feet, well above the previous record of 38.1 feet there but less than the 42.5 feet that had been expected.

“It will be over 40 feet for several days,” Michael Biggs, chief of the hydraulics and technical services branch for the Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told the Democrat Gazette. “That’s better than 42.5 feet.“

On Thursday, President Donald Trump declared an emergency in several Arkansas counties to provide assistance for emergency protective measures.

Melody Daniel, the state’s emergency management spokeswoman, told CNN more than 500 Arkansas homes have been directly impacted by flooding.

Flooding across the region has forced Amtrak to suspend service between St. Louis and Fort Worth, Texas, until June 7.

Oklahoma

In neighboring Oklahoma, more than 2,400 people have been evacuated and more than 1,000 homes have been flooded by this long-lasting event.

Officials announced Thursday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will gradually decrease the outflow of water from Keystone Dam through Monday, which should alleviate some flooding, the Tulsa World reported.

Authorities in the Tulsa region continue to warn people drawn to the river out of curiosity to stay away.

“What it’s going to cause and what it has caused is the attempt to rescue somebody. We’re going to have a first responder put their lives in harm’s way to save you because you chose not to listen to a very simple warning and put your life at risk,” Sgt. Shane Tuell with Tulsa police told KTUL.

Tuell noted that even if “the water” or a “sinkhole doesn’t get you,” the water is unsanitary and could cause illness. “There are snakes that have been displaced and are not very happy,” Tuell added.

Meanwhile, according to a new annual report, 7.3 million homes at risk of hurricane storm surge on the US East Coast. Get prepared and be ready for this new burst of extreme weather.

A fine vortex in the Mediterranean sea near Nice this morning, Jun 2nd.
FRANCE

https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402/...