Hundreds of Australians have been told to evacuate their homes as Queensland faces another flooding emergency. More than a dozen warnings were issued on Friday, telling residents in several regions to prepare their homes and evacuate if needed. One person died in flooding in the state’s north earlier this week. The storm system has now moved south towards Queensland’s heavily populated southeast, which includes Brisbane. In February, Queensland was devastated by floods that killed 13 people and inundated more than 20,000 homes. Another nine people were killed in floods in neighbouring New South Wales. Major flooding is forecast for several … Continue reading Australian residents evacuate as another deluge of flood hits the country

A spring storm has caused power outages across states in the north-eastern US, with over a foot of snow falling in some places. Some 300,000 customers lost electricity, 200,000 of them in New York state. As far south as Virginia, residents who have been looking forward to spring instead were greeted by wintry blasts. Several other north-eastern states had winter storm warnings in place from the National Weather Service (NWS). It was feared that heavy, wet snow could bring down tree limbs, with the NWS warning of wind gusts up to 40mph (64km/h). New York officials said people should try … Continue reading US spring snow storm leaves 300,000 in the dark

The South African military says it is deploying more than 10,000 troops to help with relief and rescue operations following the devastating floods that swept through parts of KwaZulu-Natal province last week. More than 440 people have died, and the search is continuing for 63 people who are still missing. Some of them were swept away by swollen rivers and mudslides. The government has declared a nation-wide state of disaster. In an address to the nation on Monday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a series of measures aimed at helping those affected and rebuilding work. Officials have described the floods … Continue reading Update:10,000 troops deployed in relief and rescue operation over South Africa floods

Australian PM Scott Morrison says he will declare a national emergency over flooding in two states. The disaster in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland has killed 20 people and inundated thousands of homes in the past two weeks, after record rains. Federal and state governments have faced anger for not acting faster to help residents. Mr Morrison’s declaration – a national first will allow federal authorities to intervene more directly. He made the announcement on Wednesday in the town of Lismore, saying it had endured a “once in a 500-year event”. Four people died in flooding there last week. … Continue reading Australia floods: PM Morrison to declare a national emergency

One person was found dead in a submerged car and 10 others were reportedly missing on Wednesday after heavy rain caused flash flooding in eastern Australia and set off a string of emergency warnings up and down the Pacific coast.  The body of the drowned 60-year-old was found early Wednesday in the state of Queensland, premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament, describing the incident as a “tragedy”. Almost half a meter (1.5 feet) of rain has fallen on some parts of her state in the last 24 hours, causing multiple road closures and transport chaos. Emergency services received more than a … Continue reading One dead, 10 feared missing in Australia floods

A major winter storm has brought heavy snow and ice to parts of the US and Canada, putting more than 80 million people under weather warnings. More than 145,000 people are without power in some south-eastern states, and thousands of flights are cancelled. Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency. The US National Weather Service (NWS) says more than 1ft (30cm) of snow is expected in some areas. Snow and ice could result in “dangerous travel, power outages, and tree damage”, the NWS warned. Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents, according to the … Continue reading Thousands without power as US and Canada hit by winter storm

Australia has equalled its hottest day on record after a remote coastal town reported temperatures of 50.7C (123.26F). The temperature in Onslow, Western Australia, on Thursday matched a record set in 1962 in South Australia. Onslow and the surrounding areas could see records broken again with temperatures set to rise slightly on Friday. It comes after Western Australia reported large bushfires last month. One fire near Margaret River scorched through more than 6,000 hectares of land, forcing evacuations. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Thursday that Onslow equalled the record at 14:26 local time (22:26 GMT). According to local media, … Continue reading Australia equals hottest day on record at 50.7C

Heavy storms have battered western regions of the United States, leaving thousands without power. Almost 30in (76cm) of snow fell in California over a 24-hour period ending Sunday morning, causing road closures, including a 70-mile (112km) stretch of Interstate 80 into Nevada. Avalanche warnings are in effect across six states. Over the weekend, southern California was hit by rainstorms, which saw power lines snap and streets flooded. More than 1.8in of rain fell over 24 hours in San Marcos pass in Santa Barbara county, while Rocky Butte in San Luis Obispo county recorded 1.61in, officials said. The National Weather Service … Continue reading US western states battered by snowstorms

Typhoon Rai left hundreds of thousands homeless after wreaking destruction across the southern and central Philippines The death toll from one of the most destructive typhoons to hit the Philippines in recent years rose to 388 on Monday, the government said, as disease outbreaks threatened some of the stricken areas. Typhoon Rai struck the south and centre of the Asian nation on December 16 and 17, toppling power lines and trees and unleashing deadly floods that also left hundreds of thousands homeless. The civil defence office in Manila raised the death toll from Rai to 388 with 60 others missing … Continue reading Update: Philippines typhoon death toll rises to 388

More than 100 domestic flights in Japan were grounded on Sunday due to heavy snow in the northern and western parts of the country, Japan’s two biggest airlines said. ANA Holdings had halted 79 flights as of 4 p.m. (0700 GMT), affecting about 5,100 passengers, said Hiroaki Hayakawa, an operations director for the airline. Japan Airlines Co had cancelled 49 flights as of 4 p.m. (0700 GMT), affecting 2,460 passengers, a representative with the airline’s operations division said. Worldwide, thousands of flights have been cancelled over the Christmas weekend because of the rapid spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. … Continue reading More than 100 Japan flights cancelled due to heavy snow

At least 14 people have died and tens of thousands are displaced following one of the worst floods Malaysia has seen in decades. Three days of massive torrential rain over the weekend caused severe flooding in eight states, partially submerging towns and villages in water. The government has come under fierce criticism over its delayed response. Several people have been reported as missing, and fears are mounting that the death toll will rise sharply. As of Monday, an estimated 51,000 people had been evacuated from their homes. Most of them were from Pahang on the eastern coast of Malaysia, one … Continue reading Death toll rises after massive floods hit Malaysia

At least 208 people are now known to have died after a powerful storm struck the Philippines on Thursday, police are quoted as saying by local media. Super Typhoon Rai – with winds of about 195km/h (120mph) – sent some 300,000 people running for safety when it hit the country’s south-eastern islands. At least 239 people were injured and 52 others have been reported missing by local police. Rescue teams have described scenes of “complete carnage”. But establishing the scale of the losses is difficult, as communication to a number of areas has been cut off. There are fears widespread … Continue reading Update: Philippines Super Typhoon Rai death toll surges