https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/tornado-saskatchewan-ke...

Saskatchewan

Photos, videos show apparent tornado touch down in southern Sask.

Eyewitnesses say tornado formed suddenly near Keeler, Sask. around 7 p.m. CST

An apparent landspout tornado on the ground south of Keller, Sask. reported on May 17, 2022. 

A landspout tornado appeared to touch down in south central Saskatchewan Tuesday night.

While not confirmed by Environment and Climate Change Canada as of 9 p.m. CST, the tornado was spotted by Rob Been near the village of Keeler—about 45 kilometres northwest of Moose Jaw—around 7 p.m. CST.

Been told CBC News he was taking a post-supper nap when he was awakened by loud thunder. The next thing he knew, a tornado appeared to be forming. 

Unconfirmed tornado near Moose Jaw, Sask.

2 days ago

Duration1:56

There were several eyewitness accounts of an unconfirmed tornado in the Moose Jaw, Sask. area on Tuesday evening.

"You're awestruck at just the sheer power and the volatility of it," said Been.

"The winds came up so quick, the hail came down in a hurry. That thing formed almost out of nowhere."

Environment and Climate Change Canada did not issue a warning for a possible tornado in the area, however a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect at the time. Portions of central and southeastern Saskatchewan were placed under severe thunderstorm watches shortly afterward.

Eric Dykes, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the intensity of this storm was unexpected.

"There were no supercell tornadoes in the area at that moment. Radar didn't indicate too much at the time storms were expected, but severe storms were not expected to that degree last night.

Been said he isn't aware of any damage close to his property at this time. He still can't believe how close he was to the storm. 
"Being a truck driver, I've seen tornadoes off the in distance before but never this close," he said. "Kind of as close as I'd like to get, honestly."

Dayle Bueckert also found herself surprisingly close to the storm.

The Saskatchewan farmer was driving with her kids north along Highway 2 from Moose Jaw when she spotted the apparent landspout tornado.

"It formed right in front of me and I was like, 'whoa, this is crazy,'" she said. "I wasn't going to stay in the storm so I continued driving ... I only got mostly rain and hail."

Bueckert said hail varying between pea to nickle size fell at their home near Eyebrow.

As for damage, Bueckert and her husband are planning to assess their recently-seeded canola farm near Keeler Wednesday morning. 

Meteorologist Dykes also received reports to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"We did get one report that was called in to us, a gentleman said that he did see it. And he believes that he saw it on the ground for about 15 minutes." 

Dykes says they will be looking for more eye-witness reports of the possible tornado before they classify it. He encourages people to come forward with their photos and videos. He says so far there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities associated with this weather event. 

If confirmed, Tuesday's landspout tornado could be the first reported in Saskatchewan in 2022.

https://strangesounds.org/2022/05/powerful-derecho-storm-slams-onta...

Ontario and Quebec powerful derecho storm on May 21 2022

Five people are reported dead after severe thunderstorms raced through parts of Canada on Saturday, according to Environment Canada.

“There were five fatalities reported and a few others injured as a result of the strong winds with this line of thunderstorms,” read a weather summary for Ontario and the National Capital Region. “There was also extensive damage to trees, power lines and buildings. There were also overturned cars reported as well as widespread power outages.”

The line of thunderstorms developed near Sarnia, a city in Ontario, late Saturday morning and tracked over southern Ontario towards Ottawa Saturday afternoon, according to Environment Canada.

The storm left more than 350,000 customers without power, and “many power outages continue today,” the agency said Sunday.

Storms also swept through central Quebec on Saturday, resulting in broken tree limbs, uprooted trees, damage to buildings and “more than 500,000 homes without power,” Environment Canada said.

Hydro Quebec said on its website that restoration of service progressed overnight and Sunday morning, and close to 500 crews were mobilized on Sunday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10899773/Marbella-wildfire...

British tourists among thousands evacuated in Spain as 'out of control' wildfire rips through mountains near Marbella after breaking out on estate once owned by Colonel Gaddafi

• Benahavis, a small village in hills north of Marbella, has been totally evacuated as wildfire blazes in hill nearby
• 3,000 residents and tourists fled late on Wednesday night as firefighters struggled to control the flames
• Britons thought to be among those ordered out of their hotels, and told only to take essentials with them 
• Blaze began on 16-acre estate once owned by Libyan dictator Gaddafi where he planned to build a golf course

Thousands of people including British tourists have been forced to flee a village on Spain's Costa del Sol overnight as a wildfire raged nearby. 

The entire village of Benahavis, located in hills around 10 miles north of Marbella, has been told to evacuate due to a rapidly-spreading wildfire fanned by 25mph winds.

British tourists are thought to be among 3,000 people evacuated so far, with some put up in emergency accommodation in nearby San Pedro de Alcantara.

The blaze is thought to have broken out on a 16-acre estate once owned by Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi, where he once planned to build a golf resort. 

3,000 people - including British tourists - have been evacuated from Benahavis, north of Marbella, due to a wildfire raging in the hills

Helicopters are being used in a desperate bid to dampen flames in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range in Malaga

Smoke rises over the hills north of Marbella, as a wildfire rages close to the town of Benahavis, which has been evacuated

British tourists among thousands evacuated in Spain as wildfire rages

British tourists among thousands evacuated in Spain as 'out of control' wildfire rips through mountains near Marbella after breaking out on estate once owned by Colonel Gaddafi Benahavis, a small village in hills north of Marbella, has been totally evacuated as wildfire blazes in hill nearby 3,000 residents and tourists fled late on Wednesday night as firefighters struggled to control the flames Britons thought to be among those ordered out of their hotels, and told only to take essentials with them Blaze began on 16-acre estate once owned by Libyan dictator Gaddafi where he planned to build a golf course.  Thousands of people including British tourists have been forced to flee a village on Spain's Costa del Sol overnight as a wildfire raged nearby. The entire village of Benahavis, located in hills around 10 miles north of Marbella, has been told to evacuate due to a rapidly-spreading wildfire fanned by 25mph winds. British tourists are thought to be among 3,000 people evacuated so far, with some put up in emergency accommodation in nearby San Pedro de Alcantara. The blaze is thought to have broken out on a 16-acre estate once owned by Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi, where he once planned to build a golf resort. 3,000 people - including British tourists - have been evacuated from Benahavis, north of Marbella, due to a wildfire raging in the hills +20 View gallery 3,000 people - including British tourists - have been evacuated from Benahavis, north of Marbella, due to a wildfire raging in the hills Helicopters are being used in a desperate bid to dampen flames in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range in Malaga +20 View gallery Helicopters are being used in a desperate bid to dampen flames in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range in Malaga Smoke rises over the hills north of Marbella, as a wildfire rages close to the town of Benahavis, which has been evacuated +20 View gallery Smoke rises over the hills north of Marbella, as a wildfire rages close to the town of Benahavis, which has been evacuated

The estate, called La Resinera, was bought by the Libyan Foreign Bank in 1995. 

Gaddafi, captured and killed in October 2011 following the fall of Tripoli to opposition forces, had announced plans to build a golf course and nearly 2,000 homes there. 

But the Spanish government froze his assets in the country, and the real estate project, in March 2011. 

Three firefighters have been injured trying to contain the 'out-of-control' blaze, including one with burns to 25 per cent of his body. 

Police shut the sole road from Benahavis to the coast late Wednesday and drove around with loudspeakers ordering everyone out of their homes and hotels with only their essential belongings. 

Many locals were forced to sleep overnight in their cars.

The forced evacuation is thought to have affected Torre Tremores, the exclusive villa on the outskirts of Benahavis where PM Boris Johnson stayed last year on holiday. 

The army has been brought in to help firefighters tackle the blaze, which has already burnt nearly 5,000 acres of land. 

The wildfire remained 'out of control' this morning although a predicted change in the direction of the wind in the coming hours is expected to improve the situation. 

Benahavis Town Hall tweeted late last night in English and Spanish: 'The village is being evacuated. If there is anyone with mobility problems please call 999. 

'Buses and taxis are available at the entrance to the village for those who require them.' 

Yellowstone faces 'INDEFINITE' closure after once-in-thousand year flooding forced a state of emergency and destroyed roads, bridges and homes and even the course of two rivers

• More than 10,000 visitors have evacuated from Yellowstone as unprecedented flooding tore through the northern half of the nation's oldest national park, washing out bridges and roads 
• Remarkably, no one was reported injured or killed. The only visitors left in the massive park straddling three states were a dozen campers still making their way out of the backcountry
• Yellowstone National Park, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, could remain closed for as long as a week, and northern entrances may not reopen this summer at all
• Officials warned on Tuesday that local drinking water has become unsafe, and to be on alert for displaced wildlife 
• Yellowstone River hit historic levels after days of rain and rapid snowmelt and wrought havoc across parts of southern Montana and northern Wyoming
• Cabins were washed away, small towns were swamped and knocked out power
• The floods hit the park just as a summer tourist season that draws millions of visitors was ramping up

ellowstone National Park could be closed 'indefinitely' as devastating flooding continues to ravage the towns, roads, and bridges along the Yellowstone River.

Park officials characterized the severe flooding tearing through the region as a once in a 'thousand-year event,' that could alter the course of the Yellowstone river and surrounding landscapes forever.

Officials say that the river's volume is flowing 20,000 cubic feet per second faster than the previous record measured in the 90s.

10,000 tourists were evacuated - including a dozen trapped campers who were rescued by helicopter - emptying the park completely of all visitors.

Officials warned on Tuesday that local drinking water has become unsafe, and to be on alert for displaced wildlife. 

All entrances to the park were closed on Tuesday, and though park services say some southern roads may open in a week, they predicted that the northern roads will be closed through the fall. 

Houses in surrounding communities have been flooded or washed away by streams that turned into raging rivers, roads have been carved away, and bridges have collapsed into the torrent.

The Governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, declared a statewide disaster. 

All park entrances and roads are temporarily closed due to extremely hazardous conditions from recent flooding,' reads a warning at the top of Yellowstone National Park's website, 'The backcountry is also closed at this time.'

In a statement issued Tuesday on its website, the park warned that its northern portion likely to remain closed for a 'substantial length of time,' citing the severe damages to vital infrastructures within the park.

The statement describes lengths of road that are 'completely gone,' and will require extensive time and effort to repair or rebuild entirely. 

'It is probable that road sections in northern Yellowstone will not reopen this season due to the time required for repairs,' the update read. 

The statement noted that roads in the southern section of the park appeared to be less damaged, and that authorities would be assessing that damage to determine when a reopening might be possible. 

Officials have characterized the unprecedented flooding as a once in a millennium occurrence.  

'This isn't my words, but I've heard this is a thousand-year event,' said Cam Sholly, the superintendent of Yellowstone.  

 Sholly noted that the river's volumetric flow has shattered recorded records by a staggering level as of last weekend.  

'From what I understand, one of the highest cubic feet per second ratings for the Yellowstone River recorded in the '90s was at 31,000 CFS, and Sunday night we were at 51,000 CFS.'

Sholly also pointed out that historic weather events 'seem to be happening more and more frequently.'

All tourists were ordered out of the park, as rockslides rained down on roads, mudslides slid down valleys, and the raging river pulled landscapes, bridges and buildings alike into its torrent. 

 'It is just the scariest river ever,' Kate Gomez of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said Tuesday. 'Anything that falls into that river is gone.'

12 backpackers remained in the park's back-country after the closure, and were eventually evacuated by a Montana National Guard helicopter. 

Utah’s weather has been weird this month. Here’s why.

The state’s temperature roller coaster isn’t over yet.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Spring blossoms along Main Street in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Utah has been in for a weird-weather June. The state’s temperatures have climbed to near-record highs, only to plummet to well below normal before shooting back up again.

By Scott D. Pierce | June 15, 2022, 11:14 a.m.

If you think Utah’s roller-coaster weather has been kind of weird over the last few weeks, you’re not wrong.

The state’s temperatures have climbed to near-record highs, only to plummet to well below normal before shooting back up again.

“We typically go into our driest, quietest pattern in mid- to late June,” Christine Kruse, a lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, said. “It’s starting to get to where it’s really more unusual.”

This June has definitely not been a “quiet” weather month. A week ago, Salt Lake City temperatures sat in the low 90s, about 10 degrees above normal. Last weekend, it hit 97 on Friday and Saturday, 15 degrees above normal. And on Sunday, Salt Lake City set a new record for June 12 with a high of 102 — 19 degrees above normal.

Then a cold front blew in, and temperatures nosedived that night by more than 30 degrees. Monday’s high was 71 (12 degrees below normal) and Tuesday’s high was 69 (14 degrees below normal).

The roller coaster ride isn’t over. After highs in the mid-70s on Wednesday (about 10 degrees below normal), temperatures will shoot up into the mid-90s on Thursday and Friday (about 10 degrees above normal).

On Saturday, the forecast high will dip to 89 degrees, before dropping to 81 on Sunday and 76 on Monday — again 10 degrees below normal. And there’s a slight chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday.

“That’s pretty unusual for late June,” Kruse said. “And it’s unusual to have those temperatures and storms this far south. … This is typically the driest time of the year for the state of Utah.”

The National Weather Service’s models do not indicate that a high pressure system will set up shop over Utah in the next week. So it won’t rain for days and days, “but we’re also not going to have our typical weather for this time of year — hot for days and days,” Kruse said. “I don’t see that.”

The jet stream hasn’t affected southern Utah as much as northern Utah, but temperatures there have bounced up and down, too, with multiple daily highs hovering below normal. That’s expected to continue.

In St. George, the forecast high is 101, 99, 91, 87 and 90 degrees on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, respectively. Normal highs for this time of year are 97-98.

There’s no rain in the forecast, but patchy, blowing dust is expected Friday.

There is a chance of rain in southeastern Utah on Friday and Saturday, and, looking further ahead — July 22-28 — Kruse said the National Weather Service’s models indicate that “the odds are tilted toward above-normal precipitation” in that part of the state.

“And in far northwestern Utah, the odds are more favorable for below-normal precipitation,” Kruse said. “That’s indicative that, potentially, the monsoon might be starting up just a little bit early.”

In which case, southern Utah can expect more rain than northern Utah.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/06/15/utahs-weather-has-been/ 

Kitesurfer is killed and eight are injured after sudden 'mini TORNADO' hits Normandy beach throwing 31-year-old into a restaurant window

• Five people have been hospitalised and one killed after strong winds in France 
• A Kite surfer died after gale threw him into a restaurant window on the seafront
• The Normandy coast in the town of Villers-sur-Mer received little warning of what French media called a 'mini tornado' coming from the English Channel

A thirty-one-year-old kite surfer died Saturday night in Villers-sur-Mer along the Normandy coast in France when he was thrown against the window of a restaurant by a sudden gust of wind.

The strong gales hospitalised five people along with the kite surfer who died upon impact of the building on the seafront.

On the Normandy coast, a massive blast of cold air from the English Channel led to three additional light injuries on June 18.

Another person, reported missing at sea, was later found. 

French media described the wind as a 'mini tornado', adding that meteorologists had not predicted the winds to be so strong.

Footage shows strong winds kicking up clouds of sand and forcing beach attendants to fold up towels and umbrellas.

Chairs and tables on terraces or in gardens were thrown as the sand whirled.

Thierry Granturco, the mayor of Villers-sur-Mer, called the winds a 'violence as we have never known on our coast'.

The winds lasted 20-25 minutes on the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) between Ouistreham and Deauville.

This unexpected weather phenomenon and not announced by Météo-France, the organisation which monitors weather events. 

'It blew more and more violently and it ended with a mini tornado,' said Granturco on Sunday, speaking to franceinfo. 'We had a communication with Météo France who had informed us that they had not been able to anticipate this kind of mini tornado.'

He added: 'We knew we were going to have strong winds, they were announced at the very end of the evening, or even in the night, but we did not think that they would be of this violence.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10931701/Kitesurfer-killed... 

Italy's Po Valley rations water amid record drought

Italy's rich northern Lombardy region prepared to declare a state of emergency Thursday over a record drought which is threatening crops and has forced towns in the Po Valley to ration water.

"It's an extremely delicate situation," regional chief Attilio Fontana told reporters as the valley, which stretches across the north and houses a crucial agricultural sector, suffered its worst drought in 70 years.

Fontana said a state of emergency was likely to be declared for Lombardy, home to Milan, as well as three other neighbouring regions: Piedmont, the Veneto and Emilia Romagna.

The Po River is Italy's largest reservoir of freshwater and much of it is used by farmers. Some areas have been without rain for over 110 days, according to the Po River observatory.

With no rain forecast, councils have begun installing water tankers and imposing hosepipe pans.

Utilitalia, a federation of water companies, has asked mayors in 100 towns in Piedmont and 25 in Lombardy to suspend night time drinking water supplies to replenish reservoir levels.

The drought is putting over 30 percent of national agricultural production and half of livestock farming in the valley at risk, Italy's largest agricultural association, Coldiretti, said Thursday.

The low level of the Po is also leading to salt seawater infiltration into low-lying agricultural areas, compounding farmers' problems, it said.

Source:  https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Italys_Po_Valley_rations_water_a...

Map of area covered:

Powerful storms pound BOTH coasts as woman and her two dogs die in lightning strike while hiking in LA and 70,000 are out of power in Virginia after area is walloped by strong winds

• Severe thunderstorms struck both the West and East Coast on Wednesday morning, bringing powerful lightning and storm winds that devastated Los Angeles and Central Virginia
• The LA sheriff's office confirmed a woman and her dogs were struck directly by lightning and killed in the morning while firefighters worked to put out flames caused by the lightning 
• In Virginia, 70,000 were left without power after dozens of trees were downed by the powerful gusts, which are expected to continue through the East Coast with winds between 60 to 80 mph 
• The eastern storms came after a heat wave and a cold front collided on Wednesday morning
• The cold front is coming off the Atlantic in the northeast, pushing to the southwest in the evening causing possible flooding on the East Coast as the storms continue

The National Weather Service had issued an advisory for areas in Southern California on Wednesday, warning residents to seek shelter from the severe weather. 

Beaches in the area were temporarily closed ahead of flood and thunder warnings, with the main areas affected included Long Beach, downtown LA, Glendale, San Gabriel Valley and Antelope Valley. 

 Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told the LA Times that lighting remains a high concern among emergency officials after the rain subsides because the subsequent dry ground could become a huge fire threat. 

'In the last hour we've had 208 lightning strikes that have hit the ground in Los Angeles County,' Kittell said. 'Lightning is a very good fire-starting source and the environment is pretty ripe for fire right now,'

Firefighters have already dealt with at least two brush fires in the area, while the Los Angeles National Forest crews said numerous smoke reports have been called in due to the lightning. 

High altitude tornado confirmed in Utah

INDIAN CANYON, UT. (WHSV) - A rare high altitude tornado has been confirmed by the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, UT. The storm happened on Sunday morning, June 19, 2022.

The location, Indian Canyon, which is southeast of Salt Lake City.

The elevation of the tornado as it started, an incredible 9,200′. The National Weather Service reports that the tornado started near a mountain summit, moved over a ridgeline and into a valley along Indian Canyon.

The tornado descended from the starting elevation of 9,200′ to about 8,500′ close to a creek.

The NWS notes that the winds increased as the tornado took this path as it went down in elevation. What we know about tornado research in the last 2 decades is that a tornado can intensify traveling down a mountain (or terrain), and can typically weaken traveling up terrain.

So the fact that this tornado intensified as it went down the mountain makes sense. This is called vortex stretching. In fact the tornado quickly intensified leading to significant tree damage.

he tree damage in the photo above is a clear sign of a tornado. You can see how the trees criss cross, there’s not a clear cut straight pattern.

We call this convergent or even chaotic. When trees fall like this, that means it is from a tornado and not straight-line winds.

The path was 2 miles long and the width was nearly 900 yards wide.

This rare high altitude tornado was rated an EF-2 with winds of 125mph. This happened around 9:00 a.m on Fathers Day, and a nearby weather station recorded a gust of 62mph.

Now this did happen in a remote area so thankfully no one was injured.

https://www.whsv.com/2022/06/22/high-altitude-tornado-confirmed-utah/ 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/canada-farm-saska...

https://regina.ctvnews.ca/worst-thing-i-ve-ever-seen-on-the-farm-sa...

A family in southwest Saskatchewan is facing both a financial and emotional loss after 28 of their cattle were struck and killed by lightning.

“It’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen on the farm,” Glen Briere, the farm owner, said through tears.

“When I got there it made me sick to my stomach to see what I had seen.”

Briere is a fourth generation farmer. His family farm was established in 1912 and is located near Mankota, Sask. located about 200 kilometres southwest of Moose Jaw.

Glen and his wife were out of town over the weekend. His brother-in-law was checking on the cows on Sunday morning when he made the discovery.

There were 14 cows, 13 calves and one herd sire dead along a fence in their pasture.

“It was Friday night when that storm we had had very severe lightning,” Glen said. “[The lightning] most definitely hit the fence.”

In photos and video, many of the animals can be seen intertwined with the fence. Glen said some appear to have been struck and blown away from the fence.

“A guy tries to build up for years and years. You get a cow herd built up and then something like this comes along. Naturally it always takes some of the better ones, which happened here,” Glen said.

Darla, Glen’s wife, said they are still in shock.

“We didn’t just lose the cows that are laying there. There’s babies inside of them,” Darla said. “And there’s mothers now that don’t have babies and there’s babies that don’t have mothers. It affects the whole herd.”

Despite the loss, the family is trying to stay positive.

“We didn’t lose a [human] life,” Darla said. “We just keep thinking that there is worse things and these things can be replaced essentially.”

FINANCIAL LOSS

Before this incident, the Brieres had an 80 head herd.

Chelsey Briere, Glen and Darla’s daughter, explained just how much work has gone into creating the family’s purebred black angus operation.

“Dad finds the best herd sire that he can, buys it that year, builds up his genetics. It’s a very strategic business on what animals he breeds, that bull to and what their calves are,” Chelsey said.

She said all animals on the Briere’s farm are registered with the Canadian Angus Association. They undergo DNA testing to keep track of their genetic make-up.

Every March, the family holds a bull sale to sell what they’ve bred.

“What my parents make their money on every year is the bull sale,” Chelsey said. “[Dad] lost 13 calves and 10 of them were bull calves that were supposed to be in the sale this March.”

In addition to losing income that way, some calves that are still alive are left without a mother.

“Each cow that died had a calf that will now have to wean off its mother early, so it just won’t quite be given the chance to grow as much as it could have,” Chelsey said.

Most of the animals that died were not insured, except for the bull. The family is researching any resources that might be available to help recoup some of the loss.

They said they do have AgriStability coverage and are hoping that will help.

According to the Sask. Crop Insurance Corporation website, AgriStability is a risk management program designed to help farms that are facing large margin declines by production loss, increased costs or market conditions.

In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture said lightning strikes causing death in livestock is a “rare occurrence” in Saskatchewan.

The ministry stated that it does not collect data related to these sorts of deaths as they often go unreported.

“If cattle are found suddenly dead, producers should inform their local veterinarian,” the statement said.

“Postmortem examination by a veterinarian or veterinary pathologist is required to confirm the cause of death, as lightning strikes can look similar to other causes of abrupt and large die-offs in cattle including anthrax.”

The Brieres said their local veterinarian did visit the farm following the cattle deaths.

In the aftermath of the incident, the Brieres are now working on clean up. They’ve rented equipment to move the cows and to dig an area where they can be buried.

They said support from family members and the community is helping them get through this.

“Dad’s phone has been ringing off the hook with people calling and offering different things and just saying how they support us and are here for us if we need anything,” Chelsey said.

“It’s been really nice to have that.”

RELATED IMAGES

The Briere family has lost 28 cattle after a storm hit their farm located in southwest Saskatchewan over the weekend. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dozens-of-people-unaccounted-for-...

Officials in southwestern Virginia say dozens of people are unaccounted for and likely over 100 homes were damaged after heavy rains caused devastating flooding in rural Buchanan County.

Dozens missing, homes damaged after floods rip through parts of central Virginia

First responders, including swift water rescue teams, from across southwest and central Virginia headed to the area as water levels rose overnight and early Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service office in Charleston, West Virginia, had issued a flash flood warning lasting into early Wednesday for parts of West Virginia and Virginia and also warned of severe thunderstorms in the area.

Gov. Glenn Younkin declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to respond to the severe flooding.

No deaths have been reported as a result of the flooding, Buchanan County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Eric Breeding said at a Wednesday news conference. 

Authorities were investigating reports of 44 people who were unaccounted for, the sheriff's office said later Wednesday.

"This does not mean the person is missing, it means we are attempting to reach and locate the person and check on their wellbeing," the sheriff's office said in a post on social media.

© Olivia Bailey, APDamage from flooding is shown in the Whitewood community of Buchanan County, Va., Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Flooding in a remote pocket of southwest Virginia has damaged more than 100 homes and left some 40 people unaccounted for, but there are no confirmed deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday. (Olivia Bailey/WCYB via AP) ORG XMIT: WCYB102

Billy Chrimes, search and rescue specialist from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, said the storm caused "significant flooding" and damage to a "well over 100" homes. Hundreds of households were also without power Wednesday in Buchanan County, according to poweroutage.us.

Crews continued to survey the damage Wednesday, Chrimes said, adding that landslides and road conditions were creating obstacles for the 18 search and rescue teams that responded to the flooding.

Several roads in the area were closed due to flooding, Breeding said, urging residents to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary. A family reunification center and emergency shelter was set up at a local elementary and middle school, he said.

"We ask that everyone please pray for this area," Breeding said. "Please pray for those affected by this flooding."

Youngkin said in a Twitter statement he was "deeply saddened" by the flooding in Buchanan County.

"We are making every resource available to help those impacted," he said. "While rescue and recovery operations continue, please join me in prayer as we lift up our fellow Virginians impacted by this tragedy."

The flooding comes less than a year after Buchanan County suffered serious flooding damage when the remnants of a hurricane hit the area in August 2021, washing away homes and leaving one person dead.

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dozens of people unaccounted for, over 100 homes damaged after floo...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/1-dead-more-than-20-injured-as...

At least one person was killed and more than 20 others were injured when strong gusts of wind caused parts of a stage to fall at a music festival in Spain, officials said.

© Eva Manez/ReutersStaff members clean the venue of Medusa Festival, an electronic music festival, after high winds caused part of a stage to collapse, in Cullera, near Valencia, Spain, Aug. 13, 2022.

An “unexpected and violent gale” moved through the grounds of the Medusa Festival in Cullera, Spain, at about 4 a.m. local time on Saturday, the organizers said in a statement.

As the weather worsened, the organizers ordered the area around the stage to be evacuated, they said, adding, “Unfortunately, the devastating meteorological phenomenon caused some structures to cause unexpected events.”

Videos taken at the scene showed pieces of a stage breaking off in strong gusts of wind.

© Eva Manez/ReutersYoung people leave the Medusa music festival after high winds caused part of a stage to collapse, in Cullera, near Valencia, Spain, on Aug. 13, 2022.

Local media reported that a 28-year-old man had been killed.

“The Medusa Festival management would like to express our deep and sincere condolences to the family and friends affected by the fatal consequences that occurred last night,” the organizers said in a statement.

© Eva Manez/ReutersA view shows the venue of Medusa Festival, an electronic music festival, after high winds caused part of a stage to collapse, in Cullera, near Valencia, Spain, on Aug. 13, 2022.

The electronic music festival began on Friday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/torrential-rains-lash-...

Torrential rains lash New Zealand for 3rd day, hundreds evacuate homes

By Lucy Craymer - Yesterday 8:09 PM

© Reuters/PETER GIBBSFILE PHOTO: Flood waters run through city of Nelson

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Torrential rain slammed the west and north of New Zealand's South Island for a third straight day on Thursday, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes and triggering road and school closures and land slips.

Coming top of weeks of damp weather, the latest rainstorms are worsening conditions in New Zealand's already sodden landscape. Experts have attributed the unseasonably wet weather to a narrow stream of water vapor, or an 'atmospheric river', sitting above the country.

Weather forecaster Metservice's data showed part of the north of the South Island had received well over 300 millimeters of rain (11.8 inches) in the past 24 hours. It has heavy rain warnings in place for parts of the west of the South Island and in the north of the North Island.

Metservice data showed Nelson city on the South Island had received 106 millimeters of rain since midday on Tuesday - well above its average rainfall for the whole of August of 80 millimeters.

On New Zealand's North Island, the country's largest city, Auckland, is under a heavy rain and winds alert, with minimal disruption reported so far.

Authorities said more than 230 homes in Nelson, a city with a population of more than 50,000, have already been evacuated with many public facilities and roads are closed.

A statement on Nelson City Council's website warned continuing rain could mean more land slips, flooding and evacuations.

Nelson's Mayor Rachel Reese told New Zealand television show AM that while the city had made it through the night without any major incidents, infrastructure was under pressure. 

"We are dealing with a lot of wastewater overflows," she said.

On the west coast of the island Buller District Council said in a statement people from 160 homes evacuated over the last day were able to return to their residences to assess damage. But it warned further rain was expected and it was possible that they would have to evacuate again.

"Right across the district I believe we got away relatively unscathed," Buller Mayor Jamie Cleine told a news conference streamed online.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

UK drought: Why do the trees think it's autumn already?

Saturday's Flooding In Moab Was A Once-In-A-Hundred-Year Event

The past couple of weeks have brought monsoons to the American West, with some of them wreaking havoc on Death Valley, Las Vegas, and Zion National Park. The latest location that became victim to the floods was Moab, Utah, which is home to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that 1 to 1.5 inches of rain fell in Moab on Saturday night, with nearly an inch of rain that fell in a twenty-minute span. This led to flooding, best shown by the situation on Main Street in Moab. The flooding on Main Street was three feet deep in some spots, leading to challenging driving conditions.

It is being referred to as a once-in-a-hundred-year flood, due to an event like this having a 1% chance of happening in a calendar year. This is their third flash flood in the past month, but this one was the biggest of the three.

On Sunday, the rain concluded, but a muddy mess with a bunch of debris from branches, grass, and other objects led to a significant cleanup process. Additionally, the Mill Creek Parkway is closed until further notice. The disadvantage of getting this much rain so fast in a desert town is the mud flooding that follows, along with the water needed to clear the debris afterward. Some stunning videos of the flooding from Twitter user Swat Lake City are below.

https://unofficialnetworks.com/2022/08/22/saturdays-moab-severe-flood/ 

https://floodlist.com/asia/india-floods-uttar-pradesh-august-2022

India – Floods in Uttar Pradesh Affect 245,000

Flooding in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, has affected over 245,000 people over the last few days. The Ganges is above the danger mark in at least 5 locations, including Varanasi.

Flood rescue in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, India, August 2022. 

According to the National Emergency Response Centre (NERC) in India, flooding has affected over 1,000 villages across 22 districts in the state since 26 August 2022.

Authorities have opened 386 relief camps, which, as of 29 August, were housing 16,562 evacuees. As of 31 August NERC reported 245,585 people were affected. At least 4 people have died in the floods in the last few days.

Teams from National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed for relief and rescue operations.

On 31 August 2022 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial survey of the flood affected areas and visited victims in Gazipur and Varanasi districts.

Rising Rivers and Dam Releases

As of 31 August, India’s Central Water Commission reported the Ganges was at or above Severe Flood Level in the districts of Ballia, Barabanki, Ghazipur, Praygraj and Varanasi.

In the preceding days the Yamuna River in Praygraj district and the Sarda in Kheri district were also flowing at Severe Flood Level. On 28 to 29 August the Chandrawal in Hamirpur district was above Extreme Flood Level but has since fallen.

The Chief Minister said water released from dams in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh had caused flooding in parts of the state. He said, “The rainfall in Uttar Pradesh has been less than average this time, but the problem of flooding has been caused due to excess water released from dams in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.”

River Ganges at Ballia Uttar Pradesh India 01 September 2022. 


River Ganges at Ghazipur Uttar Pradesh India 01 September 2022. 

Foz do Iguaçu

Kenya's plains of the dead: Animal corpses cover the land as even the Maasai people say they have not seen a drought like it after three years without rain

Some parts of the country have not seen a drop of rain in three years, and one of the worst droughts in its history has had a devastating impact on its wildlife, with an estimated 2.5million livestock killed this year alone.

Elephants, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, cattle and buffalos are littered across the east African country's plains, and the corpses are continuing to pile higher and higher.

'We spoke to the local Maasai, it's the worst drought they can remember.'

One person Charlie spoke to was local farmer Moses Leyian who had 390 cows but now only has 43 after the suffocating drought.

The Maasai herder has three wives and 17 children but now 14 of them cannot attend school because he has no source of income.

Another farmer Patrick Keteko has lost 53 cows, 82 sheep and 89 goats in two months, with five dying every day.

'The land is now desertified and exhausted and that means the wild animals don't get so much forage. There's too much pressure on the land.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11472079/Rescuers-desperat...

Rescuers desperately try to save survivors after up to 12 are killed as terrifying landslide engulfs buildings and sweeps cars into the sea during heavy rain on Italian island

• Torrential rainfall on the small Italian island of Ischia has triggered massive landslides, collapsing buildings
• Emergency services are rushing to save residents who have become trapped in buildings and mudslides 
• More than 100 people are still stranded and at least 12 are missing, as officials are unclear if anyone has died
• One Italian minister said there had been no confirmed deaths, while another said eight people had died 

Heavy rainfall has triggered massive landslides on the Italian island of Ischia, collapsing buildings and leaving as many as 12 people missing.

Italy's Interior Minister said no deaths had yet been confirmed, appearing to contradict an early announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who said eight people had died.

Torrential rain hit the port of Casamicciola Terme, one of the six small towns on the island, in the early hours of Saturday, triggering major flooding which crushed cars and turned streets on the island into rivers.

'At the moment there are no confirmed deaths,' said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, speaking from the firefighters' emergency co-ordination centre.

Mr Salvini, who is also the infrastructure minister, earlier said that eight deaths had been confirmed, speaking to reporters at the opening of a subway extension in Milan.

Torrential rainfall on the Italian island of Ischia triggered heavy landslides, sweeping away cars and collapsing buildings

Emergency services are racing to rescue those trapped by the landslides, with at least 12 people still reported missing

Residents have been left shaken by the scale of the devastation caused by the flash flooding and landslides today

The prefecture for the Naples region, which includes Ischia, said at least 12 people were missing.

Video from the island shows paths that the landslides had cut down slopes, leaving behind traces of mud. Streets were impassable and mayors on the island urged people to stay at home. At least 100 people were reported stranded.

The news agency ANSA reported that at least 10 buildings had collapsed.

One family with a newborn that was previously reported missing had been located and was receiving medical care, according to the Naples prefect, Claudio Palomba.

Firefighters were working on rescue efforts. Reinforcements were being sent from nearby Naples, but were encountering difficulties in reaching the island either by motorboat or helicopter due to the weather.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11474237/Nearly-60-flood-a...

More baa-d weather! Nearly 60 flood alerts are issued in England along with yellow weather heavy rain warning for the southeast - as sheep are seen stranded on raised ground after river burst its banks

• Astonishing photos showed around 30 sheep deserted after River Frome burst banks near Dorchester, Dorset 
• Motorists on the M25 were also seen having to contest with torrential rain spraying across the motorway
• The Met Office has issued 56 flood alerts as well as four flood warning where flooding is expected on Sunday
• Some parts of the southeast may face up to 30mm of rain as Britons face more bad weather this weekend

Britons must brace themselves for more bad weather as nearly 60 flood alerts have been issued in England along with a yellow weather warning for the southeast - as sheep were seen stranded on raised ground after a river dramatically burst its banks.

Astonishing photos showed around 30 sheep completely deserted on one of the only parts of raised ground that appeared to survive brutal flooding.

The images were taken at Stratton near Dorchester in Dorset after the River Frome burst its banks following an onslaught of torrential rain yesterday.

Astonishing photos showed around 30 sheep completely deserted on the only bit of ground that appeared to survive brutal flooding after the River Frome burst its banks at Stratton near Dorchester, Dorset

Motorists were also pictured having to navigate through torrential rain spraying across the M25 near Swanley in Kent. 

And the bad weather shows no sign of stopping. The Met Office has issued 56 flood alerts along with four flood warnings - where flooding is expected.

The Met Office has issued the warnings in Climping, West Sussex, Upper Frome at Maiden Newton in Dorset which could also spread to Dorchester.

The final warning from the Met Office on North Bank Road which sits alongside the River Nene to the east of Peterborough.

Motorists were also pictured having to navigate through torrential rain spraying across the M25 near Swanley in Kent this morning

Britons are in for more bad weather as the Met Office has issued 56 flood alerts today along with four flood warnings - where flooding is expected

The southeast will have to brace itself for a deluge of rain and contest with a serious risk of flooding with 30mm of rain set to fall in some areas

The Met Office has put out a yellow weather warning across southeast England for the rest of today with Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex likely to be hit by a washout 

The Met Office has put out a yellow weather warning across southeast England with Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex likely to be hit by a washout.

Warnings for the brutal weather will came into force at 12pm today and will remain in place until the end of the day, hampering Britons looking to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.

They expect 10 to 20mm of rain to fall with some places even reaching 30mm later on in the evening. There is a high risk of flooding in these areas as a result of the ground being saturated from the recent downpours.

A three-day forecast shows that although there may be some sunny spells, overcast conditions, rain and fog is expected to carry on past today

Forecasters are warning that buses and trains will probably be affected, with journey times taking longer, while flooding of homes and businesses is possible.

Britons have already had to navigate around limited public transport due to rail strikes yesterday. Train drivers at 11 companies walked out in a long-running pay row, causing more chaos to the public trying to get around the country.

As the southeast battles with torrential rain today, blustery showers are expected across Northern Ireland and much of Scotland, spreading to some parts in the west later.

Fierce winds are also set to hit some areas of the UK over what has become a miserable last Sunday of November.

Tomorrow, Britons will once again have to contest with rain, especially across the west and the south of the UK. Meanwhile it is looking slightly more positive from Tuesday with drier conditions and less brutal winds expected but there will be fog and mist causing problems.

Look: Snow blankets Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk as temperature drops

Areas covered with snow became a tourist attraction for residents and visitors

Snow enveloped the mountains of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after a huge drop in temperature overnight. Image Credit: SPA

In a statement to SPA, Director of the branch of the National Center of Meteorology in the Northern Region Alenizi stated that snowfall in the Northern Region of Saudi Arabia, especially Al Lawz Mountains and adjacent areas, depend on two main factors. Image Credit: SPA

Source:  https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/look-snow-blankets-saudi-arab...

Photos: Climate crisis threatens centuries-old oases in Morocco

Residents of the oasis of Alnif say they cannot remember a drought this bad. The land is dry. Some wells are empty. Palm groves that date back more than 100 years are barren.

Home to centuries-old oases that have been a trademark of Morocco, this region, about 274km (170 miles) southeast of Marrakesh, is reeling from the effects of climate change, which have created an emergency for the kingdom’s agriculture.

Among those affected is Hammou Ben Ady, a nomad in the Tinghir region who leads his flock of sheep and goats in search of grazing grass. The drought forced him to rely on government handouts of fodder.

November is usually a cold, wet month in Alnif. But when the rain failed to come, the king called for rain prayers across the country, an old Islamic tradition during desperately dry times.

Resident Mo’chi Ahmad said the oasis has provided a livelihood for this population for hundreds of years. Now it is “threatened with extinction” and everyone has noticed the disappearing palm trees.

In the last three years, hundreds of people from the oasis areas have fled towards cities, many young people migrating to Europe, mainly because of the drought, said Mohamed Bozama, another resident.

He also blames the digging of unauthorised wells and rising demand for water from existing wells for worsening the crisis.

But for Hassan Bouazza, part of the solution lies in the hands of the people of the Alnif region. He was the first to install solar panels on the region’s ksar, or castle, and began relying on the energy produced to dig wells and irrigate his fellow farmers’ lands.

“We must learn to live with the situation we’re in and think about ways to make the heat and drought work to our advantage,” such as by using new irrigation systems and solar power, he said.

He called for oasis inhabitants to be provided with training to help them move away from traditional irrigation in favour of drip irrigation, which requires significantly less water.

Dead palm trees are visible in the town of Nkob, near Zagora, Morocco. [Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP Photo]

Source:  https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/12/27/photos-climate-crisis-...

Floods hit Saudi Arabia's Jeddah 12/30/22

Rains lashed various parts of Saudi Arabia on Friday, causing floods on streets and deserts.

https://twitter.com/ZT_Followers/status/1609276325348675584

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11613797/California-hit-re...

12 die in killer storms: Californians are warned to 'stay at home' as the worst is to come with a 'relentless parade of cyclones' set to batter state this week: More than 100,000 are still without power and thousands are told to evacuate

• Severe rain and wind will continue to batter California until mid-week 
• Twelve inches of rain could fall in parts of the state, with winds reaching 60mph
• Damage and saturated landscape from days of storms will compound problems
• Counties across California warned of 'imminent' flooding ordered evacuations
• California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last week 

California was hit with more extreme weather on Sunday as thunderstorms, snow and damaging winds swept into the northern part the state, with severe rain and wind already having left at least 12 people de....

The National Weather Service cautioned that the west coast 'remains under the target of a relentless parade of cyclones,' while Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last week and warned 'the worst' of the storms is 'in front of us'.

A succession of atmospheric rivers have continued to pour torrents of rain and floodwaters across the already battered state. Residents are bracing for more flooding, rising rivers and mudslides on soils already saturated after days of rain.

Weather services say much of California could face risks of 'significant' flooding until the storms abate around the middle of the week. At least 115,000 Californians were without power early Monday, with some counties ordering evacuations over 'imminent' flooding and wind gusts expected to reach up to 60 miles-per-hour.

California was hit with more extreme weather on Sunday as thunderstorms, snow and damaging winds swept into the northern part the state. Pictured: A drone view of a tree that fell during a winter storm with high winds in Sacramento, California, U.S. January 8, 2023

Authorities fear the dangers residents face will be compounded by the frequency with which each storm has and will continue to follow the previous. 

Without time for cleanup and damage mitigation between bouts of rain, sleet, snow, and wind, problems could build on one another increase.

'The longevity and intensity of rain, combined with the cumulative effect of successive heavy rain events dating back to the end of December, will lead to widespread and potentially significant flood impacts,' said the Weather Prediction Center on Sunday.

'Numerous flash flooding events likely, some possibly significant, especially over burn scars,' the Center added, noting that terrain altered by the regions recent forest fires could amplify problems.

The National Weather Service said the terrain has become so inundated by rain and in previous days that it is vulnerable to increasingly dangerous conditions as more rain falls.

'While some of the forecast rain totals are impressive alone, it is important to note that what really sets this event apart are the antecedent conditions,' the NWS advised.

Multiple systems over the past week have saturated soil, increased flow in rivers and streams, and truly set the stage for this to become a high impact event.'

Up to 12 inches of rain could fall in many parts of California between now and Wednesday, coming across two successive and prolonged storms.

'Tuesday is probably the day where you'll likely need to keep a really close eye on the weather as the potential for widespread flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and roadway and urban flooding will be at its highest during the next week as all the runoff and heavy precipitation comes together resulting in a mess,' said Sacramento's weather service office.

At least NINE are killed by over 30 tornados of up to 165mph that ripped apart Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky including boy, 5, struck by tree - and more are on the way

The death toll from a series of devastating tornadoes that tore through Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky on Thursday night has risen to nine, with authorities warning it could still rise.

The unseasonal storms cut their way through multiple counties, carving out 20-mile-wide paths in some cases.

At least 30 tornadoes were counted, with some reaching 165mph.

A giant downed tree outside the Henderson House following an outbreak of tornadoes in Selma, Alabama, on Friday. During the Civil War following the Battle of Selma, the property, built in 1855, was occupied by Wilson’s Raiders and used as a hospital for Union soldiers

National Weather Service social media accounts were warning Alabama residents to take shelter immediately amid the 'life threatening situation' 

Forty homes were destroyed, said Ernie Baggett, the Emergency Management Agency Director for Autauga County.

He said the damage was unprecedented.

'It's complete devastation,' he said.

'There's some, a couple of our county roads that there's only one or two homes left that may be livable.'

In Selma, a city of about 18,000 people, a tornado cut a wide path through the downtown area, where brick buildings collapsed, oak trees were uprooted, cars were on their side and power lines were left dangling.

Plumes of thick, black smoke rose over the city from a fire burning.

James Spann, a meteorologist and host of Weather Brains, shared a video of the tornado roaring towards the town, as people outside a Walmart stood and looked on in shock. 

James Perkins, mayor of Selma, said no fatalities have been reported, but several people were seriously injured.

First responders were continuing to assess the damage and officials hoped to get an aerial view of the city Friday morning.

'We have a lot of downed power lines,' he said. 'There is a lot of danger on the streets.'

A factory roof is sheared off and the debris scattered in Selma on Friday, following Thursday's tornadoes

Read more:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11633835/At-NINE-killed-30...

1 24 2023 Ice shelf brokened off in Antarctica, the size of the picture is 62 km wide = 38 miles 

Mallorca is hit by TWENTY INCHES of snow and 25ft waves, with a dozen towns left without power and weather red alert warnings issued as Storm Juliette brings Balearic blizzards

• Mallorca is covered with snow and officials issued a red alert for second day as a further 15 inches expected

Spain's meteorological agency AEMET warned the coastal regions in northern Mallorca will be hit with 55mph winds and 26ft waves

Snow covers Serra de Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca, Spain, on Tuesday 

Mallorca has been gripped by a winter storm that is wreaking havoc, with 20 inches of snow shutting roads and cutting power in dozens of towns.

The Spanish holiday island is covered with snow today and officials issued a rare red alert warning for the second day in a row as a further 15 inches is expected to fall in the next 24 hours.

Storm Juliette hit Mallorca, known for its sun-drenched beaches, on Sunday and has since brought blizzards and cold weather to the Balearic island.

AEMET issued a red warning for snow today and warned 15 inches will fall in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range in the north of the island within 24 hours.

The meteorological experts had predicted 16 inches of snow would fall by early this morning, but more than 20 inches blanketed the town of Valldemossa where temperatures have plummeted to -2C (28.4 Fahrenheit). 

The snow storm has also led to power cuts in dozens of towns including Valldemossa, Alaró, Vilafranca and Port d'Alcúdia. 

The 20 inches of snow has also forced the closure of up to 15 roads in the Serra de Tramuntana region. 

The AEMET has also issued an amber warning for rainfall, with 100mm expected in the Serra de Tramuntana range. 

In the past eight hours the highest accumulated precipitation - 128.4mm - has been recorded in Pollença, a town in northern Mallorca.  

In the rest of the island, orange and yellow warnings have been activated for winds of more than 70km/hr and precipitation that could exceed three inches in some areas. 

Snow has also covered parts of Ibiza and it has an active yellow warning for 13ft waves today. 

And in neighbouring Menorca, there are active orange warnings for 90km/hr winds which have left the island cut off by the sea following the closure of port Maó.

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11801861/Storm-Juliette-Ma...

The United States is being battered by severe storms with tornadoes wrecking buildings and uprooting trees leaving at least nine people dead so far with the threat of snow and flooding to come

At least nine people have died in the US as storms ripped through neighbourhoods and they are now set to bring snow and flooding to the east of the country.

Thousands have seen their homes damaged or destroyed by strong winds and tornadoes with so far nine people confirmed dead across southern states on Friday.

More than 750,000 homes and businesses in Tennessee and Kentucky are without electricity while many also do not have running water.

Kentucky Governor Andy Bashear warned of Friday being a “dangerous weather day” adding “there is a certainty of severe storms and significant wind gusts, with possibilities of flooding and tornadoes.”

In an update he later tweeted: “Kentucky please add one more family to your prayers tonight. We just learned of our third weather related death, this coming out of Logan County. Let’s continue to be there for one another as we mourn those losses.”

An overturned lorry on a road in Kentucky ( Image: AP)

Three people were killed by falling trees in Alabama as severe weather swept through the state. In Mississippi, a woman died inside her SUV after a rotted tree branch struck her vehicle, and in Arkansas a man drowned after he drove into high floodwaters.

In Humphreys County, Tennessee, a man was also found dead after a tree hit his car, the sheriff's office said.

The storm system turned toward New England, where a mix of snow, sleet and rain is hitting the region on Friday night and lasting into Saturday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter storm warning.

Many homes have been damaged or destroyed in the storms ( Image: @Hicks_JustinM)

There's a chance of coastal flooding in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the storm could bring as much as 18 inches of snow to parts of New Hampshire and Maine. The storm will also bring strong winds with gusts of 40 to 50 mph, which could cause power outages.

Airport officials in Portland, Maine, cancelled several flights for Saturday ahead of the weather and some libraries and businesses in the region announced weekend closures.

In California the weather system slammed the state earlier in the week with as much as 10 feet of snow. Some residents in mountains east of Los Angeles will likely remain stranded in their homes for at least another week after the snowfall proved too much to handle for most plows.

Many residents of Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas emerged Friday to find their homes and businesses damaged and trees toppled by the reported tornadoes. Tens of thousands were without power and some were also without water.

In Alabama, a 70-year-old man sitting in his truck in Talledega County was killed when a tree fell onto his vehicle. A 43-year-old man in Lauderdale County and a man in Huntsville also were killed by falling trees Friday, local authorities said.

In Texas, winds brought down trees, ripped the roof off a grocery store in Little Elm, north of Dallas, and overturned four 18-wheelers along US Highway 75. Minor injuries were reported, police said.

Many thousands of people have now been left without power ( Image: AP)

Winds of nearly 80mph were recorded near the Fort Worth suburb of Blue Mound. The roof of an apartment building in the suburb of Hurst was blown away, resident Michael Roberts told KDFW-TV.

"The whole building started shaking ... The whole ceiling is gone," Roberts said. "It got really crazy."

Heavy rain was also reported in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, causing flooding in both states.

The storm barrelled Friday afternoon into the Detroit area, quickly covering streets and roads beneath a layer of snow. The weather service said some areas could see blizzard conditions with snowfall approaching three inches per hour.

Detroit-based DTE Energy reported more than 106,000 customers lost power on Friday evening. It was the latest slap after ice storms last week left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power.

Source:   https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/storms-least-9-dead-twisters-...

A tornado in Guatemala:

March 4, 2023

The type of small tornado caused astonishment among the inhabitants of Patzún and the villages of Cerditos Asunción, 
La Canoa, Paxorotot and Chirijuyú, who witnessed the passage and formation of the natural phenomenon.

From Direct Link:
https://www-prensalibre-com.translate.goog/ciudades/chimaltenango/v...

Huge mile-wide tornado rips through Mississippi town razing homes to the ground with dozens trapped under debris - as 30 MILLION are warned to brace for 135mph storms and golf ball-sized hail

• A tornado a mile wide blitzed the small town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi before tearing a path of destruction across the state on Friday night
• Homes were seen to have been completely flattened while cars were overturned like discarded toys as the massive storm carved a path through the rural state 
• Forecasters warned of destructive storms including eastern Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee

Mississippi bore the brunt of a strong line of ferocious storms that roared across South on Friday night with a mile-wide tornado touching down in the small town of Rolling Fork, leaving people trapped amid a path of destruction.

Forecasters had been warning residents in parts of the Midwest and South on Friday that dangerously strong winds would be moving through the region coupled with the possibility of damaging EF2 tornadoes with winds of up to 135mph.

Worst fears were realized just after 9pm on Friday night with one storm chaser managing to tweet that help was urgently needed in the area after the colossal storm left people trapped inside collapsed homes and businesses. 

'The damage in Rolling Fork, Mississippi is BAD. People are trapped, we need help here,' Zachary Hall tweeted.

He later tweeted how police had stressed the urgency of the situation and begged him to get the message out: 'Major tornado damage, we need as many ambulances as possible and any help for search and rescue in this town.' 

A reporter on the ground told how several people had been rushed to hospital following the barrage of storms which left homes flattened and businesses crushed.

Other stormchasers in the area captured the violent nature of the storms with lightning and power flashes illuminating the threatening sky as a tornado passed through Anguilla, Mississippi. 

In nearby Silver City, Mississippi, damage was said to be 'everywhere' after the tiny village of 300 people suffered a direct hit.

More than 30 million people lay in the storm's path which had already led to the drowning deaths of two people after a car was swept away with the passengers still inside drowned earlier on Friday in Missouri.

Golf ball-sized hail stones emanating from the supercell storms also saw torrential rains leading to flooding - all part of the severe weather system which has been barreling across the country.

The drowning accident happened just after midnight in a sparsely populated area of southwestern Missouri.

Authorities said six young adults were in the vehicle that was swept away as the car tried to cross a bridge over a flooded creek in the town of Grovespring.

Four of the six made it out of the water. The body of Devon Holt, 20, of Grovespring, was found at 3:30am, and the body of Alexander Roman-Ranelli, 19, of Springfield, was recovered about six hours later, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Thomas Young said.

The driver told authorities that the rain made it difficult to see that water from a creek had covered the bridge, Young said.

Other stormchasers in the area captured the violent nature of the storms with lightning and power flashes illuminating the threatening sky as a tornado passed through Anguilla, Mississippi. 

In nearby Silver City, Mississippi, damage was said to be 'everywhere' after the tiny village of 300 people suffered a direct hit.

More than 30 million people lay in the storm's path which had already led to the drowning deaths of two people after a car was swept away with the passengers still inside drowned earlier on Friday in Missouri.

Golf ball-sized hail stones emanating from the supercell storms also saw torrential rains leading to flooding - all part of the severe weather system which has been barreling across the country.

The drowning accident happened just after midnight in a sparsely populated area of southwestern Missouri.

Authorities said six young adults were in the vehicle that was swept away as the car tried to cross a bridge over a flooded creek in the town of Grovespring.

Four of the six made it out of the water. The body of Devon Holt, 20, of Grovespring, was found at 3:30am, and the body of Alexander Roman-Ranelli, 19, of Springfield, was recovered about six hours later, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Thomas Young said.

The driver told authorities that the rain made it difficult to see that water from a creek had covered the bridge, Young said.

The storm system is being fueled by a dip in the jet stream that powered through  California on Tuesday and Wednesday resulting in tornadoes there including one that hit the downtown LA area - the first in the area since 1953.

Meanwhile, a search continued in another southwestern Missouri county for a woman who was missing after flash flooding from a small river washed a car off the road. 

The Logan Rogersville Fire Protection District said the victim's dog was found safe, but there was no sign of the woman. Two others who were in the car were rescued. Crews planned to use boats and have searchers walking along the riverbank.

Some parts of southern Missouri saw nearly 3 inches of rain Thursday night and into Friday morning as severe weather hit other areas. 

A suspected tornado touched down early Friday in north Texas as a volatile storm system threatened to spawn tornadoes in several Southern states.

Matt Elliott, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said severe weather is expected across several states.

'We´re talking several tornadoes, including some that might be strong and intense,' Elliott said.

The Storm Prediction Center warned the greatest threat of tornadoes would come on Friday afternoon and evening in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. 

Storms with damaging winds and hail were forecast from eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma into parts of southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

'Now is the time to start checking batteries on your weather radios and making sure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings, but also having a plan so that if storms start approaching your area and warnings are issued you're able to get yourself and your family to a place that's safe,' Elliott said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned of potential tornados reaching the state overnight and urged residents to prepare for severe weather, including damaging winds and hail. 

The risk of personal vulnerability increases with overnight severe weather as residents are less likely to receive warnings because they are asleep and tornadoes are more difficult to spot, according to the National Weather Service.

In Texas, a suspected tornado struck about 5am in the southwest corner of Wise County, damaging homes and downing trees and power lines, said Cody Powell, the county's emergency management coordinator. Powell said he had no reports of injuries.

The weather service had not confirmed a tornado, but damage to homes was also reported in neighboring Parker County, said meteorologist Matt Stalley. Investigators likely will go to the area later Friday to make that determination.

The two areas are about 10 miles apart on the western edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and Stalley said the storm system was expected to move east of the region by throughout the remainder of Friday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11900593/Tornado-threat-30...

https://floodlist.com/africa/angola-floods-april-2023

Angola – Thousands of Homes Damaged or Destroyed After Days of Heavy Rain

Heavy rain caused damages and flooding in several provinces of Angola from early April 2023. Strong winds were also reported in some areas. As of 21 April, at least 20 people had lost their lives, many of them children. Damage to houses has left hundreds of families homeless.

Floods in Luanda, Angola, April 2023. 

Some of the worst damage occurred in Luanda Province, which includes the capital city of Luanda. Five people lost their lives after heavy rain and storms from 12 to 13 April. Two people were reported missing. More than 300 trees were downed around 1,200 homes flooded.

Heavy rain and storms struck again from 18 to 19 April. Around 1,700 homes were flooded or damaged by the rain in the municipalities of Viana, Belas and Cazenga. Five people died, including 2 people following the collapse of houses and three who were swept away by floods. All the victims were children.

The government of Luanda Province warned of further heavy rain and that residents and in particular children should avoid flood waters and drainage channels.

Heavy rain, storms and floods have also occurred in the provinces of Namibe, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Cuanza Norte and Moxico.

In Namibe Province, around 150 families in the municipality of Moçâmedes were displaced after floods and heavy rain on 01 April. On the same day, 76 families were left homeless after heavy rain destroyed houses in the municipality of Xá-muteba in Lunda Norte Province. The heavy rain also affected the neighbouring Lunda Sul Province, where 8 houses were destroyed and 72 damaged in Saurimo. One person died and 42 were left homeless.

At least 6 people died in Malanje Province after days of heavy rain from 02 to 14 April. Most of the damage and fatalities were reported in areas of the city of Malanje.

Heavy rain and strong winds on 12 April destroyed 35 homes and displaced 155 people in Ngonguembo municipality in Cuanza Norte Province. Two schools were also damaged. Further heavy rain and severe weather struck the province from 15 to 16 April, destroying 22 houses in the municipality of Cuanza. Three people lost their lives.

Around 125 families have been rendered homeless in Moxico Province in the east of the country after heavy rainfall damaged homes in the municipality of Léua on 19 April.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65587321

Cyclone Mocha: Deadly storm hits Myanmar and Bangladesh coasts

Myanmar appears to have borne more direct impact from the cyclone

Villagers in Myanmar flee their homes as the storm approaches

Families with young children are crammed into makeshift cyclone refuges

Evacuees at one cyclone shelter told the BBC they were worried about the lack of food

Ice jams cause catastrophic flooding in Alaskan riverfront towns

Alaska’s Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state of disaster on May 14, 2023, in the wake of extensive flooding caused by ice jams and rapid snowmelt along the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers.

Devastating floods sparked by ice jams have wreaked havoc on communities settled along Alaska’s Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers, prompting Governor Mike Dunleavy to declare a state of disaster on Sunday, May 14. The Yukon River, which starts its journey from the coastal mountains of Canada and snakes its way northwest for a span of approximately 3 200 km (2 000 miles), saw a substantial ice jam that led to disastrous flooding in numerous riverside communities.

The seasonal phenomenon known as the “spring breakup” in Alaska experienced a minor delay this year due to cooler-than-usual temperatures in April. Nonetheless, recent precipitation and temperatures climbing above freezing in eastern and north-central regions of Alaska have sparked the yearly thawing of the river ice, as stated by Tom Kines, Senior Meteorologist at AccuWeather.

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Fairbanks office had already sounded the alarm in late April, cautioning that this year’s spring breakup could cause substantial flooding in riverside communities. This forecast was grounded in the observed snowpack, recorded ice thickness, and seasonal temperature projections.

Ed Plumb, a hydrologist with the NWS, clarified that a solid stretch of ice, spanning between 130 and 145 km (80 to 90 miles) along the Yukon River banks, instigated a significant surge in water levels in the town of Eagle, situated in eastern Alaska. He recounted how both the road connecting Eagle and Eagle Village and some buildings were utterly submerged under ice and water.

In a swift turn of events, the water that had flooded Eagle receded on Saturday, leaving behind massive ice blocks and making the roads inaccessible. The downstream movement of ice from the Yukon River put other riverside towns, including Circle, situated roughly 175 km (109 miles) northwest of Eagle, in the danger zone for severe flooding. Within a span of only 30 minutes, the water level in Circle shot up by nearly 3 m (10 feet), a consequence of the ice jam.

By the afternoon of Sunday, water levels in Circle had decreased, but the persistent presence of standing water and colossal ice chunks continues to pose a risk to the community. The Alaska state troopers confirmed the safety of all Circle inhabitants and reported zero injuries.

Kyle Wright, the environmental health director for the Tanana Chiefs Conference, compared the destruction to the historic breakup floods in Eagle in 2009 and Galena in 2013. Many homes in Circle were affected, with some being carried away or damaged beyond repair.

Essential infrastructure and buildings have also been heavily impacted, with the community currently lacking electricity. Efforts are being made to restore power, with the Alaska Energy Authority planning to send generators to temporarily power the village. The community well will need to be disinfected, though a full water storage tank ensures the availability of safe drinking water.

In Southwest Alaska, the Kuskokwim River faced a major ice jam stretching 24 km (15 miles), which triggered significant flooding in the communities of Red Devil and Crooked Creek.

Aerial footage from the Alaska Region NWS depicted the scale of the floods, with numerous riverside homes swallowed up by the floodwaters. The force of the rushing water was so great that it managed to rip some houses from their foundations. In spite of the calamity, all residents of Crooked Creek were reported safe, and the American Red Cross was on-site to provide shelter and aid to those affected by the floods.

Schools in Glennallen, situated about 305 km (190 miles) northeast of Anchorage, were closed again on Tuesday, May 16, due to ongoing flooding from heavy snowmelt runoff into creeks. The public sewer system has also been shut down as the town faces the same challenges that have struck multiple Alaska communities along rivers and creeks during the spring breakup.

Local authorities have installed Porta-Potties around the town and are urging residents to limit water usage. Although water covered a section of the Glenn Highway on Monday, the road remains open. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field office in the area is currently flooded, with electricity and sewage systems down, and the office is closed until further notice.

Communities downstream on the Yukon River, such as Fort Yukon, are also facing threats from ice jam flooding. In Southwest Alaska, late-season snowfall has temporarily halted aerial monitoring of the lower Kuskokwim River, with communities from Kalskag to Bethel at the mouth of the river expecting ice jam flooding in the coming days.

Image credit: NWS Fairbanks, River Watch Team

Read more: https://watchers.news/2023/05/17/ice-jams-cause-catastrophic-floodi...

https://nypost.com/2023/05/29/eastern-canadas-halifax-declares-emer...

Eastern Canada’s Halifax declares emergency over wildfire

The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages.

“Emergency responders are working around the clock to keep people safe and reduce the threats posed by the fires,” the municipal authority in the capital of Nova Scotia province said in a press release.

The fire sent a huge pall of smoke over the port city.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/waikato/131578982/horrible-scene-e...

Waihī Beach residents were evacuated on Monday afternoon after “widespread flooding” that a local councillor said was the highest he’d ever seen.

Civil Defence duty manager Peter Watson said on Monday night that nine people who had been evacuated had been moved to self-contained units in a motorcamp near Bowentown.

Three were from elderly housing units which were flooded, the rest of the residents from the units had found somewhere to stay with family or friends, Watson said.

The flash flooding had done “quite a lot of damage” to the area’s infrastructure including roads and the storm and wastewater network which were currently running on generator power. The most important thing was the that no one had been injured, he said.

“We’ve been quite lucky, we’ve had a very resilient community out there who is very prepared ... we’ve got a very good community response team and the RSA has been really awesome in helping as an initial evacuation staging area,” Watson said.

There was no clear estimate on how many properties had been damaged, but building inspectors would be heading out to assess the damage on Tuesday morning, Watson said.

It was a “horrible scene”, Western Bay of Plenty District councillor Allan Sole said, with areas inundated after a short but strong burst of rain.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they received reports of rising floodwaters about 2pm on Monday. Police were called in to help with evacuations

A block of pensioner flats on Beach Rd had been hit hard, Sole said, with floodwaters almost reaching windowsill height, and the RSA had been stood up as an evacuation centre.

Eleven of 19 elder housing units flooded and people had to be evacuated, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council said in a statement.

RSA Manager Mel Gearon told RNZ’s Checkpoint at least 15 homes were in an uninhabitable state on Monday night.

“It was basically a torrential downpour, a huge amount of water that came through, a good flash flood there and that’s just had nowhere to go, so it’s pretty much filled up and flooded a few places.”

Local residents and businesses were accommodating those who were evacuated, with some heading to private homes and others to a holiday park.

The flooding began subsiding on late Monday afternoon, Gearon said.

Sole, a local community patroller, had been out “making sure people were okay”.

“The rain probably came over a period of a couple of hours...it really came down in a very heavy fall.”

Another affected area was Ocean View Rd, which Sole said was a “common flooding area” because of a nearby creek.

Waihī Beach resident Mandie Thompson said she spotted a large puddle at the end of Browns Drive “and in a matter of 10 minutes there was a car submerged halfway up the driver's door".

At one point, floodwaters were waist-deep on a man wading through them.

For Waihī Beach, the impacts of the cyclones were "nothing" compared to Monday's flooding, Thompson said.

She understood holding ponds behind her property had burst and flooded the road.

The first sign for her was a neighbour's backyard starting to fill with water about 1.50pm.

When she looked around her own there were "rivers and waterfalls coming from the neighbours properties above us", she said.

However, the water was receding quickly by about 4pm.

And major flooding closed SH25 between Waihī and Whiritoa from about 3pm, Waka Kotahi said.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence had earlier warned of severe thunderstorms near Waihī and Waihī Beach, adding “they are expected to travel south, so they may hit the larger centres in time for school pickup or the commute home. (sorry)”.

Hold your breath Lady Liberty! NYC landmarks are covered in smog from Canadian wildfires sparking 'code red' warning for those with breathing issues... and it could be WORSE today!

• NYC landmarks were covered in smoke from Canadian wildfires on Tuesday
• Smoke filled the Yankees stadium and other baseball matches were called off
• Meteorologists suggested the air quality could worsen further on Wednesday

New Yorkers were back in masks on Tuesday as thick smoke originating from Canadian wildfires to the north descended on the city.

Pictures showed an orange glow hanging above New York City as the sun set, concealing iconic structures such as the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty.

Air quality levels throughout the city were 'very unhealthy', according to the US government online platform AirNow, which also warned against outdoor activities.

Across from Manhattan in the Bronx, Yankees fans watching the evening's baseball described being able to smell the smoke filling the stadium.

Meanwhile, a game involving their Minor League affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, was postponed 'due to poor air quality,' the team announced.

Read more:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12167651/NYC-landmarks-bla...

A question for the Zetas : does this helix shape relate to the grounding of particles from the debris tail of Nibiru ?

I almost missed this James, because it was not on the Q&A page. Wow, what an image! DNA shape. Accepted as a ZT Q&A

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/forecasts/four-re...

Provincial officials reported Saturday afternoon that four people remain missing after historic rains triggered catastrophic flash flooding around the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) on Friday.

Additional heavy rainfall around the Halifax area on Saturday added insult to injury after more than 200 mm of rain fell across the area in just four to five hours.

The intensity of the tropical downpours will cement Friday's deluge in regional weather history, potentially ranking among the most intense one-day rainfall totals ever measured in Canada.

Local officials continued to urge residents to stay off roads and highways this weekend, only venturing out in an emergency. Lingering floodwaters and significant road damage will make travel hazardous in many areas.

Four people reported missing, state of emergency issued

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced Saturday in a virtual press conference that the provincial government had issued a state of emergency for the following areas:

Halifax Regional Municipality

West Hants

East Hants

Lunenburg

Queens

A state of emergency frees up funds and resources to allow officials to respond to the flooding and its aftermath.

During the press conference, Premier Houston also confirmed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are searching for four people who went missing during the floods. All four individuals went missing in West Hants when their vehicles were submerged by floodwaters.

The first vehicle carried five passengers, three of whom escaped and two—both children—were reported missing. High waters submerged a second vehicle carrying four passengers. Two escaped, while two others—a man and a child—were reported missing.

Crews continued to look for the four missing individuals on Saturday, Houston said, while adding that officials urged local residents not to join in the search because of dangerous conditions that remain throughout the area.

Halifax officials also reminded residents on Saturday to stay away from floodwaters, as the water likely contains hazardous materials like gasoline and raw sewage.

Road closures and evacuation orders in place

Significant and widespread road closures remain in effect across the HRM, with multiple roads and rail lines washed out by the flooding. The City of Halifax provided an interactive map of road closures throughout the HRM on its website.

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents around Fancy Lake due to excessive rainfall and "the removal of logs from the Public Service Commission Dam," according to a release on the Municipality's website Saturday.

This order was extended through the overnight hours Saturday into Sunday morning, the Municipality said on its website at 6:00 p.m. Saturday.

The evacuation order includes "the area around Fancy Lake, including the lands situated on Conquerall Mills Road from William Hebb Road to Conquerall Road to Highway 103 to Century Drive, including all of Trunk 3," according to the release.

"Evacuated residents who need overnight accommodations can access shelter at the Nova Scotia Community College located at 75 High Street in Bridgewater starting at 8:00 p.m.," the Municipality's release said, adding that officials will issue further updates on Facebook, Lunenburg's website, and on the radio via CKBW-FM.

In addition to the flooding, Friday's storms knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers throughout the region through the evening and overnight hours. Nova Scotia Power's outage data indicated that only about 4,000 customers remained without power by 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Historic rainfall totals

Widespread rainfall totals of 100-200+ mm fell across the Halifax area, with the heaviest rains hitting communities west and north of Halifax proper. An unofficial total of 251 mm of rain come out of West Bedford on Friday evening. Radar estimates show that some areas may have seen more than 300 mm of rain in just 4 or 5 hours.

Some of the heaviest rain fell over areas devastated by wildfires in late May and early June, which likely exacerbated the extent of the flooding in the affected areas.

These are unprecedented rainfall totals for the region, more akin to a heavy rainfall event you'd see somewhere like Florida instead of the Canadian Maritimes. For some perspective, Halifax typically averages about 95 mm of rain during the entire month of July.

A sizable plume of tropical moisture streaming into the region from the south fuelled the heavy rainfall. Persistent thunderstorms tapped into this moisture like a reservoir, efficiently wringing out copious amounts of water over the region.

If you're in the region, it's safest to stay home until the rain stops and floodwaters have a chance to recede. Never attempt to drive across a flooded roadway. It's impossible to tell how deep the water is until it's too late, and the road may be washed out beneath the floodwaters. Only a small amount of moving water can strand a vehicle and even carry it downstream.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-05/chilly-weather-pacific-cold-...

Tonga recently experienced its second-coldest day ever, when the temperature was less than 1C higher than its record lowest.

The people of Tonga know how to adapt to the extremes of the natural environment.

Cyclones, volcanic eruptions and the impacts of climate change are elements they've learnt to live with. But the cold weather? That's a different matter.

"Right now we're experiencing much colder temperatures than normal," Rita Prema, a shop owner in the capital Nuku'alofa told the ABC.

"We've got customers coming in for coffee mugs, vacuum flasks, teapots and insulated bottles to keep their hot beverages warmer through these colder nights."

In a place synonymous with tropical heat, coconuts, and warm waters — complaining about the cold might seem like a stretch.

But last week, the country recorded its second-lowest temperature ever, at 9.3 degrees Celsius.

It's hard to imagine the cold being a problem in a place like Tonga.

According to Tonga Meteorological Services, the lowest temperature recorded in the country was 8.7C in September 1994.

The near-record low temperature was so chilly that residents are walking around with beanies, scarves, and puffer jackets.

It's so cold some of the country's institutions have put out a desperate call for blankets.

"It's been a big surprise to everyone," said acting Tonga High Commissioner to Australia, Curtis Tuihalangingie, who was in the capital Nuku'alofa this week.

"Normally, it will just go down to 18 [degrees]. And at some points, it'll go down to 15. But to go down to 10. This [is] a first for me.

"It got so cold the prison [and] the psychiatric ward were asking for blankets . . . so Her Royal Highness with the help of Her Majesty donated some."

The cold temperatures in parts of the region come as intense heatwaves hit southern Europe, South-East Asia, northern Africa, the United States and South America.

They smashed records and fuelled wildfires in Greece, Spain, Italy, Canada and Algeria.

In July, 21 of the 30 hottest days on record led to it becoming Earth's hottest month on average.

And in Australia, parts of the eastern states are experiencing unseasonably warm weather, partly due to interactions with the weather events bringing chilly conditions to parts of the Pacific.

What's causing the colder temperatures?

Tonga's location near the edge of the tropics, a developing El Niño event, and a weather system that has channeled air from south of the country have likely helped drive the colder temperatures.

"The major factor, in this case, will be the flow of air from further south coming up into this region bringing cooler temperatures," Professor Janette Lindesay from the ANU's Fenner School of Environment and Society told the ABC.

It's also helping to keep the skies clear.

"When you've got clear skies like that, at night the heat that's absorbed at the Earth's surface during the day when the sun's shining escapes, so it cools down overnight," Professor Lindesay said.

The record cold day Tonga experienced in 1994 was during an El Niño that lasted until the next year.

Professor Lindesay said it was hard to know if Tonga would continue to face chilly winters in the coming years.

If the developing El Niño continued into a moderate or strong El Niño, it would likely bring a period of below average rainfall and lower night-time temperatures.

That can lead to things like droughts and severe frosts, which can kill food crops.

Professor Lindesay said a severe frost hit Papua New Guinea in spring in 1997, devastating staple food crops.

"There was a lack of food in that area and there were some real sociological problems and issues for the people at that time," she said.

'Complete change' of weather patterns

The conditions in Tonga are being felt across the region, with puffer jackets and beanies being seen in Fiji and colder temperatures recorded in Samoa.

Samoa Meteorological Services assistant chief executive Afaese Dr Luteru Tauvale said Samoa's average maximum temperature was around 28C or 29C.

He said some places near the capital were hitting the low 20s this week.

Afaese Dr Luteru Tauvale said weather patterns are becoming harder to predict.

He said the lowest minimum temperature on record was 10C, which the country had not got close to hitting this year so far.

But he said, they were still "on the hunt" to gain accurate temperatures across Samoa and its more remote areas.

"In the past some of the villages have called in and they told us they'd seen frost so, you know, we're still wanting to get instruments out there to record that."

As the world continued to feel the impacts of climate change, Dr Tauvale said predicting weather patterns in the region would become more "complicated".

"We've seen a complete change of climate and weather patterns," he said.

"You know, we are in a transition. [For example] we are experiencing heavy rain from time to time. And it's a very big challenge for not only for Samoa, but for the whole of the Pacific.

"It's a global challenge."

For 82-year-old Samoan Reverend Vaiao Ala'ilima Eteuati, the cold weather is much more meaningful than just putting on an extra layer.

For him, and the people of Samoa, the cold winds are referred to as "tuaoloa" — and it holds special meaning.

Reverend Vaiao Ala’ilima Eteuati says the cold weather brings consequences for the people of Samoa.

"It means richness, abundance, prosperity, plenty," he told the ABC.

"It can be gentle, it also can be very violent and cold. It connects the people with the environment.

"So shark snaring, bonito fishing, you can't do it because tuaoloa is precarious."

According to Reverend Eteuati, it's a period that also brings danger.

"[In this period] we usually take very good care [and] attend to our elders. Because we know the consequences of our life [if] we don't look after our elderly.

"People in Australia might see the weather get down to 19 and not think about it, but 19 degrees in Samoa, that's very cold.

"And that's too much for the elderly."

Dam partly collapses in Norway as Storm Hans continues to cause chaos

Parts of eastern and central Norway still on red alert as country battles widespread flooding and landslides

A dam in Norway has partly collapsed as the country battles record high river levels, flooding and landslides after a fatal storm.

Norwegian police were considering blowing up the dam when water from the Glåma River, the country’s longest, started spilling out the side at Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant.

It comes after a powerful storm – named Hans – that has caused chaos across northern Europe in recent days, and left southern Norway in crisis after widespread flooding and landsl... River levels expected to continue rising into Thursday.

A woman in her 70s died on Wednesday after falling into a stream and 700-800 people were evacuated from Innlandet, the district which also includes Braskereidfoss.

All main roads between Oslo and Trondheim were closed on Wednesday.

Pål Erik Teigen, chief of staff at Innlandet police district, said his force had been monitoring the Braskereidfoss dam and working with power plant owner, Hafslund Eco. “On the south-west side the water is starting to go through … it’s going slowly. This is the best thing now,” he told the Guardian.

They had been considering staging a controlled explosion but once the water started coming through the side, they decided the best solution was to leave it.

“It’s a very heavy situation we have in this part of Norway in the last days because of the rain. If I made a training exercise for the police I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams think of this problem in our district, he said.

“We have many landslides all over, we have homes being taken, evacuated a lot of people, all the roads are closed and all the rivers are overflowing.”

The government hydrology institute, NVE, said parts of eastern and central Norway were still on red alert, with many rivers at record levels. “In a lot of rivers and lakes the level is still increasing,” said hydrologist Tuomo Saloranta.

The Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, who visited affected areas, said a huge challenge lay ahead. “When the rain stops, another challenge begins: the water needs to get out,” he said.

Read more and pictures/video: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/09/dam-partly-collapses-...

https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2023/08/09/at-least-6-dead-as...

At Least 6 Dead as Wildfire Razes Hawaiian Town on Island of Maui

U.S. Coast Guard officers plucked at least a dozen people from the water as emergency services were overwhelmed by a disaster that appeared to have erupted almost without warning.

“I’m sad to report that just before coming on this, it was confirmed we’ve had six fatalities,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen told a press conference.

“We are still in a search and rescue mode and so I don’t know what will happen to that number.”

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation and told CNN the hospital system on the island of Maui “was overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalati“911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down,” she said.

This photo provided by County of Maui shows fire and smoke filling the sky from wildfires on the intersection at Hokiokio Place and Lahaina Bypass in Maui, Hawaii on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures in areas including historic Lahaina town, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities Wednesday, and rescuers pulled a dozen people escaping smoke and flames from the ocean. (Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP)

Lahaina, a tourist town of 12,000 on the northwestern tip of Maui, lay in ruins, said Governor Josh Green.

“Much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced,” said Green.

Video posted on social media showed blazes tearing through the heart of the beachfront town and sending up huge plumes of black smoke.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/northwest-territories-declares-territ...

One-on-one with N.W.T. Premier Cochrane

CTV National News: Calls for more action

The Government of the Northwest Territories officially declared a territorial state of emergency on Tuesday in response to out-of-control wildfires in the territory.

Situations in the South Slave and North Salve regions are quickly changing, the territorialgovernment said in a press release, also noting that Fort Smith and Hay River remain at risk.

Due to wildfires approaching from the west, Yellowknife is also facing an increased risk, the territoryannounced.

“The decision to declare a territory-wide State of Emergency allows the Government of the Northwest Territories and our partners to access and deploy resources so that we can continue our work to protect residents and communities in a more efficient manner,” N.W.T. Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson said in the notice.

“We find ourselves in a crisis situation and our government is using every tool available to assist.”

On Monday, the Government of the Northwest Territories issued warnings which advised residents to evacuate Hay River, Enterprise, K’atl’odeeche First Nation, Fort Smith and surrounding areas as wildfires spread near the communities.

The City of Yellowknife first declared a state of local emergency on Monday night. Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson is also askingall residents to leave, despite flaws in communication.

“We can’t even send out an alert to tell you it’s coming at us or get to the muster stations because we don’t have communications,” she told CTV News.

Jennifer Lennie, a Hay River resident who stayed behind despite warnings to flee on Tuesday, witnessed the flame-ravaged landscape of her community. “There’s some homes. Not every single house burned,” she told CTV News. “But a lot of it is gone.”

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, including 124 soldiers, are prepared to be mobilized in the Northwest Territories as flames threaten communities and prompt hundreds of civilians to be airlifted to safety. One hundred soldiers are set to help with firefighting logistics, such as dousing hot spots and clearing areas.

As of Tuesday, there are currently over 230 active wildfires in the territory according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Wildfire smoke fills the air at Boundary Creek, Northwest Territories about 25 kilometers east of Yellowknife

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/16/americas/canada-northwest-territorie...

About 20,000 residents in Yellowknife are being urged to get out of the way of fast-moving flames as more than 230 fires char the territory and smoke creeps south, impacting air quality in the United States. Yellowknife accounts for about half of the total population of the remote territory, which sits north of Alberta and east of Yukon.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9904497/west-kelowna-fire-evacuation-ord...

Structures lost in West Kelowna as thousands remain under evacuation order due to wildfires

Structures have been lost in West Kelowna due to the McDougall Creek wildfire, officials confirmed early Friday morning.

It is not known exactly how many buildings have burned due to the fire but the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre said a full assessment of the area will be undertaken Friday morning.

At around 3 a.m. Friday, officials said the fire remains very active and unpredictable.

Currently, 2,462 properties are under evacuation order and 4,801 properties are under evacuation alert due to the McDougall Creek wildfire.

Province predicts tough wildfire days ahead for B.C.

A state of emergency has been declared in Kelowna, and evacuations are underway in two neighbourhoods, as two wildfires flared to life late Thursday evening.

It’s thought that embers from the nearby McDougall Creek wildfire sparked the new fires, with embers, aided by gusting winds, crossing Okanagan Lake.

GREECE REGION SEPTEMBER 4 2023
https://www.facebook.com/groups/951680541851845/posts/2067354413617...

TRADUCED BY GOOGLE

🚨 Urgent: A catastrophe will hit #Greece in the coming hours: the total rainfall that falls on #Istanbul within two years can fall on #Greece within 48 hours..
It may fall 2 tons of precipitation per square metre. There is a very serious and extreme flood risk that will take the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea almost sea water and pour it on Greece.
estimates in this direction.

GREECE REGION SEPTEMBER 5 2023

Volos!! !!️ 🆘️🌊
Unbelievable amounts of rain coming down!
What a shocking take
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=792421502888684&set=a.5065...

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SPAIN FLOODS MADRID SEPTEMBER 2 2023
https://www.facebook.com/Khneisserweather/videos/1034059097748274

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2 people killed in Istanbul flash floods TURKEY

SEP 05, 2023
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/istanbul/2-people-killed-in-ista...

Two people were killed after flash floods devastated some districts in Türkiye’s largest metropolis Istanbul late Tuesday.

Heavy downpours started in the northern part of the city and intensified in the Arnavutköy and Başakşehir districts, turning roads into rivers.

FROM LINK Western Istanbul, Tuesday evening, September 5, 2023, torrential rains and floods flooded the city, a state of terror and panic

NYC is hit by sudden storm that's cancelled over 200 flights across NY and NJ as locals share concerns over 'creepy clouds' and forecasters warn East Coast could soon be hit by Cat-5, 165mph Hurricane Lee

• Severe thunderstorms have rolled in over the East Coast
• The weather front precludes Cat-5 Hurricane Lee forecast to make landfall 
• Travel chaos struck the region as over 200 flights have been cancelled

New York City and Boston are bracing for Category 5 Hurricane Lee to make landfall, but the East Coast is already experiencing severe thunderstorms set to last through the weekend. 

The region has sweltered under high temperatures and humidity in recent weeks, but both major metros are expected to be washed out Friday evening. 

The weather front has brought travel chaos to the skies as over 200 flights have already been cancelled out of JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports, according to FlightAware. 

https://twitter.com/jhuntington/status/1700218661380702435?s=20

The storms have come following blistering temperatures across the eastern seaboard, where the mercury topped 90 degrees for three consecutive days for the first time all year in New York City on Friday. 

Summer in the Big Apple was grayer and cooler than usual, with the metropolis repeatedly blanketed by smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires. 

A heat advisory warning is still in effect in New York City and parts of New Jersey, as the torrential front barreling in resembles a tropical storm. 

Officials are bracing for damage as high winds, heavy rainfall and potential hail could cause flash flooding and structural damage in some areas. 

Reports indicate trees and power lines have been downed in New Jersey, and a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for almost the entire tri-state area until 11pm Friday. 

Flash flood warning have also been issued for large swathes of the Hudson Valley following a period of dry and hot conditions. 

Much of Massachusetts also remains under a severe thunderstorm watch, covering Middlesex, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire counties. 

In Hoopsick Falls, New York, the town's mayor urged residents to remain indoors as a powerful thunderstorm struck the community of 3,000 people on Thursday. 

Storm damage was also seen in Boxborough, Massachusetts, where multiple tree limbs were torn down by the high winds 

Crews worked through Friday to clear the roads after the storm surge swept through, which also tore down power lines 

The storms on Friday are forecast to be the start of several weather bombs to strike the region into Monday, while heavy rainfall is expected to continue through the week as temperatures plummet. 

The severe weather comes amid growing fears over Hurricane Lee, which was registered as a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday, before it escalated to a Category 5 overnight. 

Lee has been picking up steam as it thunders towards the coastline, with wind speeds in excess of 130mph. 

It is expected to make landfall late next week, however forecasters have struggled to nail down the exact path of Hurricane Lee, leading to varying estimates over the extent of the damage it could bring to the East Coast.

Forecasters have struggled to nail down the exact path of Hurricane Lee, leading to varying estimates over its the extent of the damage it could bring

Read more:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12497753/NYC-storm-cancell...

Cork flooding: Floods in Co Cork ‘absolutely devastating’ as safety warning issued to motorists

‘Significant difficulties’ on some of the county’s roads after Storm Babet brings more than a month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours

Flooding in Midleton, Co Cork, caused by Storm Babet after more than a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours. Photograph: Damien Rytel/PA Wire

Motorists have been urged to drive with care in Cork and other parts of the country affected by floods from Storm Babet after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours.

Several roads in the south and southeast were impassible on Thursday morning as local authorities and emergency services continued to assess the flood damage.

The damage to Midleton was “absolutely devastating”, fire station officer in the town Mark Sinclair said. “I’m born and bred in the town, I’ve seen many a flood, but none of this capacity. This came so quick. We helped as much as we could and tried to get as many people to safety as possible.

“We’re still going around checking on people to see if they need help,” he said on Thursday morning.

“Numerous calls came in during the day [Wednesday]. I think it was 11am that the river burst its banks – then by 2pm there was pure devastation. The main street was like a river.

Mr Sinclair explained recent heavy rain had led to saturated ground and then there was high tide along with torrential rain, which led to the river bursting its banks.

“A lot of the shops have no insurance because it’s a flood zone, the town hasn’t seen anything like this in 400 years,” he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

The mayor of Cork County, Frank O’Flynn, called for an investigation into why the weather warning for Cork during Storm Babet was not upgraded to red status.

“It should have been red,” he told Newstalk Breakfast. “There was a torrential downpour ... Had there been a red status warning, schools and businesses would have been more prepared, cars would not have been out on the roads and not as much damage would have been caused.”

Read more: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/10/19/cork-flooding-floods-...