At least 46 people have died in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Images and videos from the state show flooded roads, submerged homes and fallen bridges. Experts say the Himalayan state, a popular tourist spot, is seeing the effects of both climate change and rampant construction. Floods have also ravaged the southern state of Kerala, where at least 26 people have died in recent days. Both states have recorded excessive rainfall this year, according to data from India’s weather department. Kerala, for instance, recorded 453.5mm rainfall as opposed to the 192.7mm that is considered … Continue reading Tragic: 46 people dead in floods in Himalayan state of Uttarakhand

Tropical cyclone Kompasu halted after-hours trading on the Hong Kong stock market and prompted the territory to raise its third highest warning, which will remain in place until dawn on Wednesday. Hong Kong The storm, which closed schools and suspended after-hours trading on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., was about 366 kilometers (227 miles) south-southeast moving west at 25 kilometers per hour, at 11:45 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The weather agency issued its No. 8 warning earlier.  “According to its present forecast track, Kompasu will be closest to Hong Kong early” Wednesday, the … Continue reading Hong Kong’s third-highest storm warning will remain until dawn

At least nine people have died after drowning in rough Mediterranean seas in the south of France, officials have said. They were swept out to sea while swimming in choppy waters on several different beaches on the south coast. High winds had stirred up the seas, causing a swell, French media report. Five people in their 60s and 70s died in Hérault, two aged 58 and 71 died in Bouches-du-Rhône, and another two died on a beach in Leucate, Aude. Emergency services in Hérault said they had tried to save 12 people drowning off beaches in Agde, La Grande-Motte, Marseillan, … Continue reading Nine drown in choppy sea south of France

Tropical storm Nicholas has been downgraded from a hurricane after making landfall on the Texas coast in the US, bringing heavy rain and the risk of life-threatening flooding. The storm was upgraded to a hurricane after reaching land at 00:30 (05:30 GMT), but has now weakened. More than 360,000 power outages have been reported in Texas, according to PowerOutage.us. President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Louisiana. It comes just weeks after Hurricane Ida – the fifth strongest to ever hit the US mainland – killed dozens and left more than a million Louisiana residents without power. Nicholas is carrying maximum sustained winds … Continue reading Aftermath Of #StormIda: Tropical storm Nicholas brings heavy rain to Texas and Louisiana

Authorities in Shanghai and neighbouring regions have cancelled flights and train services and sent children home from school as Typhoon Chanthu bears down on China’s east coast. The storm, with winds of more than 170 kilometres per hour (105 miles per hour) near its eye, was expected to hit Shanghai on Monday morning. Meteorologists said the storm was expected to lose wind intensity as it reaches Shanghai, having been downgraded from a super typhoon to a strong typhoon on Sunday evening. But it was still expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to coastal regions. Ahead of the storm’s landfall, … Continue reading Shanghai suspends flights, schools as Typhoon Chanthu approaches

A typhoon headed toward Taiwan and the southern coast of China is rapidly gaining in speed and strength ahead of an expected landfall later this week. Typhoon Chanthu has rapidly intensified in the past 36 hours from a tropical depression into a severe typhoon, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre with maximum wind speeds of up to 233 kilometers per hour (145 miles per hour). It is likely Chanthu will expand into a super typhoon in the coming hours. Given the trajectory of the storm, it is still unclear whether Chanthu will first pass over Taiwan before it slams into … Continue reading Monster Typhoon ‘Chanthu’ headed for Taiwan and southern China

At least 22 people are dead and 60 are missing after middle Tennessee was hit with record rainfall Friday into Saturday morning. The flooding in the region caused cars to be tossed like toys and houses ripped off their foundations, officials said. A preliminary rainfall total of 17.02 inches was measured at McEwen, Tennessee, Saturday, which would break the all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the state of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The old record was 13.06 inches, recorded in Milan on Sept. 13, 1982. In Humphreys County, 10 were killed and about 40 people remain missing, according … Continue reading Tragic: 22 people have been confirmed dead in Tennessee flooding

For the first time on record, precipitation on Saturday at the summit of Greenland roughly two miles above sea level, fell as rain and not snow.Melt water runs across the Greenland ice sheet. Temperatures at the Greenland summit over the weekend rose above freezing for the third time in less than a decade. The warm air fueled an extreme rain event that dumped 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington, DC, nearly 250,000 times. It was the heaviest rainfall on the ice sheet since record keeping … Continue reading Rain fell at summit of Greenland for first time on record

Thousands of people in southern France have been evacuated as a wildfire rages near the plush resort of Saint-Tropez, the fire service has said. About 750 firefighters and water-dropping aircraft battled the blaze in difficult conditions with high temperatures and strong winds. “Thousands of people have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, but there are no victims,” a fire service spokeswoman said on Tuesday adding the fire was “still very fierce”. France is the latest of a number of Mediterranean countries to be hit by extreme weather and wildfires, which climate scientists warn will become increasingly common because of man-made … Continue reading #Mediterranean Mayhem: Thousands evacuated in southern France as wildfire spreads

People in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan were buried under mud and debris when heavy rain brought flash floods during the night. Children and women are said to be among the victims in Kamdesh, with at least 60 people dead and dozens more missing, and many homes destroyed. The disaster zone is held by Taliban militants fighting the government. Talks are being held to try to let rescue teams enter the area which is hard to reach in normal times. Afghan officials gave a death toll of 60 but the Taliban say 150 people died in the flooding, the Associated … Continue reading Global Flooding: Flash flooding kills dozens in Afghanistan

Two international airports in the Chinese city of Shanghai have cancelled all flights and authorities banned outdoor activities as Typhoon In-Fa lashed eastern China with high winds and heavy rains. In-Fa landed in the Putuo district of the city of Zhoushan, a major port in the eastern province of Zhejiang, at 12:30pm (04:30 GMT) on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the China Meteorological Administration. The storm hit as central China is still reeling from record flooding that killed at least 63, cut off power and forced the relocation of more than one million people. “We will make every effort … Continue reading Shanghai cancels flights as Typhoon In-Fa lashes eastern China

A Russian archer fainted during Olympic qualifying as intense heat in Tokyo was in the spotlight just hours before the Games officially open. Svetlana Gomboeva, 23, collapsed while checking her scores. She regained consciousness and left on a stretcher. Earlier this week experts said Tokyo’s heat and humidity could pose a significant threat to competitors. The Japanese Environment Agency has issued heatstroke alerts, warning the public not to exercise outside. “It turns out that she couldn’t stand a whole day out in the heat,” said Russian Olympic Committee coach Stanislav Popov. “This is the first time I remember this happening. In … Continue reading Extreme heat & humidity at Games as Russian archer faints