Florida’s governor has warned the state to brace for a potential “major disaster” as category two Hurricane Ian gathers force in the Caribbean. Strong winds began hitting Cuba’s south coast on Monday night. Ian is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast sometime on Wednesday. The hurricane’s exact path is uncertain but Governor Ron DeSantis warned of “broad impacts throughout the state”. Residents have been stocking up on food, water, medicine and fuel. Some parts of the state have not seen a hurricane of this magnitude in about a century. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it expects “rapid … Continue reading Hurricane Ian threatens Florida as residents are warned to brace for ‘major disaster’

Five rescue workers in the Philippines have been killed in a typhoon that has left homes flooded and millions without electricity. They were washed away in flash floods while carrying out operations in the district of San Miguel, north of the capital Manila. The district was among those hit hard by Typhoon Noru, with some residents seen stranded on their roofs, while others waded through chest-high garbage strewn waters, attempting to pass on supplies. The typhoon caused gusts of up to 240kph (149mph) on Luzon, where more than half of the country’s 110 million population live. Noru, known locally as … Continue reading Five rescuers dead as Typhoon Noru hits Philippines

Nine million people have been told to evacuate their homes as Japan is battered by one of the worst typhoons the country has ever seen. The super typhoon Nanmadol has caused one death and almost 70 injuries. It hit Japan’s most southerly island, Kyushu, on Sunday morning, and is forecast to pass over the main island of Honshu in the next few days. Tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350,000 homes are without power. Transport and business has been disrupted, and the country is braced for extensive flooding and landslides. Nanmadol has brought … Continue reading Update: Nine million people told to evacuate as super typhoon Nanmadol hits

One of the biggest typhoons ever to strike Japan has made landfall on the southern island of Kyushu. Typhoon Nanmadol has brought winds of at least 180 km/h (112mph) and some areas could see 500mm (20 inches) of rainfall over Sunday and Monday. At least four million people have been told to evacuate their homes. Extensive flooding and landslides are expected, while bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. The typhoon made landfall near the city of Kagoshima, on the southern tip of Kyushu, on Sunday morning. Kyushu is the southernmost of the four islands that … Continue reading Millions told to evacuate as Typhoon Nanmadol makes landfall

All flights to Shanghai’s two international airports have been cancelled as the city braces itself for the onslaught of a violent typhoon. Typhoon Muifa has made landfall in China, hitting the city of Zhoushan, south-east of Shanghai. It is the 12th cyclone to hit mainland China this year, and authorities expect it to be the most powerful so far. Dozens of flights had already been postponed as coastal areas battened down in anticipation of the storm. China’s state weather forecaster said Muifa arrived as a strong typhoon at 20:30 local time (12:30 GMT), powerful enough in theory to topple trees, … Continue reading Flights cancelled as Shanghai braces for a powerful typhoon

At least eight people have died and 14 others have been injured as flooding caused by torrential rain hit parts of South Korea’s capital Seoul. Heavy downpours on Monday night submerged roads, flooded metro stations and caused blackouts across the city and neighbouring provinces. Some areas received the highest rate of rainfall in 80 years, Korea’s meteorological agency said. Weather officials said the rain was likely to continue over several days. Images showed floodwater gushing down the steps of metro staircases, parked cars submerged up to their windows and people making their way across streets in knee-high water. Local reports … Continue reading Eight dead in South Korea amid heaviest rain in decades

A ship stranded off the coast of Sydney in treacherous waters for the last three days has been saved just hours before potential disaster, as the total number of people who have been evacuated from floods reaches 85,000. Officials say the Portland Bay ship was rescued on Wednesday and towed to port. The vessel was in danger of being smashed against the cliffs, which experts warned could have led to an “environmental disaster”. Meanwhile, a one-off emergency cash payment of A$1,000 (£571) to those hit by the floods was announced. The number of people who had to leave their houses in … Continue reading Stranded cargo ship saved before environmental disaster

Hundreds of thousands of people in China have been evacuated in several southern and eastern provinces after unrelenting rains caused floods and triggered landslides. Two provinces upgraded flood warnings on Tuesday as rivers overflowed and floodwater levels broke a 50-year high. Videos on state media show cars being washed down streets, and people being rescued by ropes across swollen rivers. The area is seeing its highest rainfall since 1961, weather officials say. Residents of communities living along river banks and in low-lying neighbourhoods have been urged to move to higher ground. The city of Shaoguan in Guangdong province has been … Continue reading Hundreds of thousands evacuated as floods ravage southern China

At least 59 people are known to have died in lightning strikes and landslides triggered by severe monsoon storms in India and Bangladesh. Millions of people have been stranded while emergency workers have struggled to reach those affected. Forecasters are warning that the flooding is expected to get worse over the next few days. Bangladesh government officials have described the recent flooding as the country’s worst since 2004. Unrelenting rains over the last week have inundated vast swathes of the country’s north-east region, exacerbated by runoff from heavy downpours across mountains in neighbouring India. Schools have been converted into makeshift … Continue reading Over 50 people killed and millions stranded from India and Bangladesh floods

Emergency agencies deployed almost 1,000 firefighters, military personnel and support crews on Thursday to fight a wildfire in southern Spain, that has forced the evacuation of some 2,000 people amid fears that torrid weather may feed the blaze. Authorities raced against the clock in the dry, hilly area of Andalucia as Spain’s AEMET weather service said the country could be on the verge of a heatwave. Temperatures were forecast to reach well over 30C (86F) and to increase over the weekend. Crews sought to take advantage of lower temperatures and more humid conditions overnight that saw the flames quiet down, … Continue reading Spain evacuates 2,000 people as crews battle wildfire

A 105mph hurricane has become the strongest to ever make landfall in May in the eastern Pacific. Hurricane Agatha came ashore in southern Mexico’s Oaxaca state on Monday afternoon, bringing torrential rain, stormy seas and forcing people into shelters. It hit a sparsely populated area of beach towns and fishing villages. Two highways were also blocked as mud and rocks slid on to the road, blocking access to one area of the state. Some towns also lost power and telephone lines went down, forcing authorities to communicate via radio. The category two hurricane lost power as it moved inland and … Continue reading Hurricane Agatha makes history as it strikes Mexican coast

Parts of Spain are experiencing their hottest May ever with temperatures of more than 40C in some places, according to the state weather agency, AEMET. The agency issued heat warnings in 10 regions for Saturday, saying it could be “one of the most intense” heatwaves in years. The city of Jaén in southern Spain recorded its highest ever May temperature of 40C on Friday. Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense. Spain’s unseasonably warm spring weather is a result of hot air coming from North Africa, causing temperatures to rise by up to 15C above average for … Continue reading Spain suffers extreme record heatwave in May