Super Typhoon Mawar has battered the US territory of Guam, bringing damaging winds and rain and knocking out power for most of the island. The eye of the category four storm passed over the northern part of Guam on Wednesday evening, bringing 145mph (230km/h) winds. It is one of the strongest typhoons to hit the US territory in years. “It is going to be scary,” a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Guam said. “There is no electricity,” the forecaster told a news briefing. As of Wednesday afternoon local time, only 1,000 out of 52,000 customers on the … Continue reading Typhoon Mawar hits Guam causing blackout for most of island

Nine people have been killed and several are missing after heavy rains caused flooding in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, officials say. About 10,000 people have been evacuated, and some had to be rescued from roofs by helicopter. The authorities say 14 rivers have broken their banks, flooding 23 towns. The mayor of Ravenna says his city is now “unrecognisable”. The Emilia-Romagna F1 Grand Prix this weekend has now been cancelled. Discussions on Wednesday between local authorities and organisers of the race at Imola concluded that the event could not go ahead. Further rain is expected in the region over the … Continue reading F1 race cancelled over torrential rainfall in Italy sparking mass evacuation

A powerful cyclone has hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm. Cyclone Mocha did not make landfall at the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, as earlier feared, but still destroyed hundreds of makeshift shelters in the camp. At least five people have been reported dead in Myanmar. No casualties have been reported in Bangladesh so far. By late Sunday, the storm had largely passed. Bangladesh’s disaster official Kamrul Hasan said the cyclone caused “no major damage” in his country, but landslides and floods are still hitting the area. Myanmar … Continue reading Deadly storm Cyclone Mocha hits Bangladesh and Myanmar coast with devastation

A body has been found in New Zealand caves where a teenager went missing during a school trip on Tuesday. He was among a group of 17 who went to the Abbey Caves despite widespread flooding in the Auckland region. The group was initially trapped but 14 students and two teachers made it out safely. The boy, aged between 15 and 16, was unaccounted for. New Zealand police said the body was recovered late on Tuesday local time, but has not been formally identified. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, has declared a state of emergency after heavy rainfall stranded cars, … Continue reading Update: A body has been found in caves where boy went missing

New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland has declared a state of emergency after torrential rain caused widespread flooding. Rescuers are also searching for a high school student missing in a flooded cave north of the city. Heavy rainfall on Tuesday filled basements, stranded cars, toppled trees and disrupted rail services. The same area was hit by record rainfall in January, and Cyclone Gabrielle a month later. The torrential rains are expected to last until Wednesday evening local time. A state of emergency was declared as a precaution and disaster response services have been mobilised, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson told reporters. She described … Continue reading Auckland declares flood emergency as student goes missing

At least one person has died after a tropical cyclone battered Madagascar’s east coast, with heavy rain and powerful winds tearing roofs off houses and triggering a storm surge. Cyclone Freddy made landfall on Tuesday, weeks after another tropical storm killed 33 and left thousands without shelter. Schools have been shut and traffic has been suspended. Earlier, Freddy caused some damage in Mauritius, flooding beachside hotels. The Indian Ocean island nation is particularly vulnerable to cyclones. It is hit by an average of 1.5 cyclones every year, the highest rate in Africa, according to the United Nations Office for the … Continue reading Tropical Cyclone Freddy with dangerous wind makes landfall in Madagascar

Some 58,000 homes have lost power as Cyclone Gabrielle lashes the north of New Zealand. Authorities have issued warnings of heavy rain and winds, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. Some areas have declared a state of emergency, as Gabrielle nears the North Island. It comes weeks after Auckland and surrounding areas were hit by record rainfall that sparked floods and killed four people. Emergency management minister Kieran McAnulty told a media briefing on Monday that the government is considering declaring a national state of emergency for only the third time in the country’s history. A state of emergency … Continue reading Thousands left without power in New Zealand as Cyclone Gabrielle wrecks havoc

New Zealanders in flood-hit northern part of the country are bracing for more heavy rains as officials issued severe weather alerts. At least four people have died and a state of emergency was declared in Auckland, which on Friday experienced its worst downpour on record. About 350 people needed emergency accommodation, New Zealand’s prime minister Chris Hipkins said. “There has been very significant damage across Auckland,” Mr Hipkins told the state-owned TV station TVNZ on Monday. Describing it as a “very significant disaster, the newly appointed PM acknowledged that he was aware of criticism from locals that communications over the … Continue reading More heavy rain ahead for New Zealand’s largest city amid historic floods

Evacuation orders and advisories are in place in parts of northern California as a major storm slams into the coast. Regions that have been hit by wildfires in the past were among the first places to be told to evacuate due to concerns about flooding and landslides. California’s governor has declared a state of emergency for the storm – the second to drench the state in a week. Forecasters say it will form into a bomb cyclone, a type of explosive storm, and will probably kill people. Northern California, which saw a deadly levee breach over the weekend, is expected … Continue reading Evacuations ordered in California as massive storm slams into coast

A powerful storm has spawned tornadoes in the southern US and brought heavy snowfall and other extreme weather across the US and parts of Canada. The storm has injured several people in Texas and damaged buildings. Around 9,000 US flights were delayed on Monday and Tuesday as the storm churned across the country, according to FlightAware.com. The weather has also closed down roads in some western states that are expecting up to 2ft (60cm) of snow. The storm could affect residents in nearly every state in the contiguous US, experts said. “It’s a fairly vigorous storm system,” said Rich Otto, … Continue reading US winter storm brings blizzards, tornadoes and flood threats

Communities in three Australian states have been ordered to evacuate as torrential rain brings major flooding. Parts of the country have received up to four times their average October rainfall in just 24 hours. At least 500 homes have been flooded, one person has died and another is missing as the disaster unfolds. Widespread flooding across Australia, driven by a La Niña weather pattern has killed more than 20 people this year. Victoria – Australia’s second most populous state has been worst hit this week. Several communities have been ordered to evacuate, including some in the state capital Melbourne. Floods … Continue reading Three Australian states issue evacuation orders after heavy rain

In what can be described as a record breaking weather system, Australia’s biggest city, Sydney has broken its annual rainfall record. The city has received more than 2,200mm of rainfall since January, Australia’s weather agency announced. Widespread flooding across Australia – driven by a La Niña weather pattern, has already killed more than 20 people this year. People in Sydney and elsewhere have been warned of immediate flood risks and to brace for another wet summer. “We’ve seen a lot of rain around Sydney today, but it is only going to get worse,” said New South Wales (NSW) Emergency Services … Continue reading Australia’s Sydney sees wettest year on record