Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Thousands displaced as Eastern Cape floods worsen as rain continues in South Africa - at least 10 killed across the country (UPDATE)

Sandy McCowen
algoafm.co.za
Thu, 07 May 2026 18:03 UTC
With the Keurbooms River flowing strongly, approximately 70 people have become stranded in the area. Photo: GRDM
© GRDMWith the Keurbooms River flowing strongly, approximately 70 people have become stranded in the area.
Heavy rains, flooding, rough seas and snow have caused widespread disruption across the Eastern Cape and Garden Route, with thousands of residents evacuated, roads closed and emergency shelters overwhelmed as disaster teams race to respond to the severe weather crisis.

More than 2,000 flood victims are currently being accommodated in 25 emergency shelters across Nelson Mandela Bay, where overcrowded facilities are housing families, elderly residents, women and children displaced by persistent flooding.

Humanitarian organisations and disaster management teams have issued urgent appeals for donations including long-life milk, cereal, drinking water, nappies, baby wipes, toiletries, blankets and mattresses as relief operations intensify.

"More than 2,000 flood victims are currently being accommodated in 25 emergency shelters across the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro," Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said.

"Gift of the Givers drop-off centres have been set up at the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Boardwalk Mall and the Engen garage next to the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport."


Comment: Update May 12

AP reports:
South Africa declares natural disaster as flooding kills at least 10

At least 10 people are dead with many homes destroyed in flooding caused by torrential rains across six provinces in South Africa that have hit informal settlements especially hard.

South African authorities have declared a natural disaster for the flooding, thunderstorms, high winds and even snowfall that have affected parts of the Western Cape, North West, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces since May 4.

The declaration enables the government to use emergency funds and other resources to respond.

Cape Town was badly affected, and the Western Cape provincial government has ordered the temporary closure of schools and parts of the city's Table Mountain tourist attraction.

Local officials there on Tuesday said at least 26 informal settlements around the city had been affected by flooding, with over 10,000 structures damaged.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday expressed "deep sadness" over the loss of at least 10 lives due to the severe weather as winter in the Southern Hemisphere begins.

He said authorities are "making the best use of science to pre-empt some of these events and to respond to the aftermath."

Experts have said severe floods across Southern Africa are intensifying, driven by extreme weather patterns. Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe experienced unusually heavy rains in recent months, with the region's worst flooding in years.

In January, South Africa declared a national disaster over torrential rains and floods that killed at least 30 people in the north, damaged thousands of homes and washed away roads and bridges.


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Tsunami

Severe flooding hits Mexico City

Rio Negro
rionegrotur.com.ar
Tue, 12 May 2026 18:45 UTC
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Mexico City authorities issued a warning Monday night that heavy rains could cause severe flooding.

Several areas of the city are currently underwater.

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Snowflake

Winter makes a comeback in May - videos shows snow in eastern Switzerland


Bluewin.ch
Tue, 12 May 2026 17:54 UTC
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Snow in May
The ice saints live up to their name this week. Rain, dense clouds and strong winds dominate at the start of the week. On Tuesday night, the snow line even dropped to medium altitudes.

For example, in Walenstadtberg, a village in the St. Gallen municipality of Walenstadt, snow fell from the sky early on Tuesday morning, as the video of a blue News reader reporter shows. Walenstadtberg lies at an altitude of around 800 meters above sea level.

It also snowed in Fischenthal ZH:

It will remain cool in the coming days: According to MeteoNews, the night to Wednesday will be partly cloudy to clear in many places. This will allow the air to cool down unhindered, which is why temperatures will drop significantly in the early hours of the morning.

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Snowflake

May snowfall strikes the mountains of Croatia, strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail hits Zagreb area


Croatia Week
Tue, 12 May 2026 17:35 UTC
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Severe storms swept across parts of northern Croatia on Tuesday, causing widespread disruption, damaging infrastructure and bringing unusual May snowfall to higher elevations.

Emergency services were called into action across Zagreb and Zagreb County after strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail hit the region.

According to Croatia's Civil Protection Directorate, the County Emergency Centre 112 received around 250 calls from residents reporting various weather-related incidents.

In Zagreb, one person was reported injured during the storm.

The severe weather also disrupted public transport in the capital. Due to damage to the overhead power network, several tram lines were forced to operate on altered and shortened routes.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 4 teenagers, injures 3 in Kerala, India


The Statesman (India)
Tue, 12 May 2026 17:25 UTC
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Four students were killed after being struck by lightning at Mankada in Malappuram district of Kerala on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Rahees (20), Vahas (18), Siad (18), and Fahad (19), all natives of Vellila. Three others were injured and are currently undergoing treatment at Manjeri Medical College Hospital.

The tragedy occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the Panthalloor Hills View Point, also referred to as Kuranganchola or Vellila View Point, during heavy summer rains.

According to reports, a group of seven students had gone to the hilltop to spend the evening when they were caught in an unexpected downpour accompanied by intense lightning.

The injured were immediately rushed to Manjeri Medical College Hospital by local residents, but four of them succumbed to their injuries.

Rescue operations were initially delayed due to the remote location of the hilltop.

One member of the group went missing after the lightning strike and was later found during a subsequent search operation before being admitted to the hospital.
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Attention

'He was a warrior': South Florida man killed in bear attack in Montana, father says

Julian Quintana
NBC News
Sat, 09 May 2026 11:16 UTC
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A South Florida hiker was killed in an apparent bear attack in Montana, his father said.

Arthur Pollio told NBC6 on Saturday that his son, 33-year-old Anthony Edward Pollio, was on a two-week trip with a friend when he went missing at Glacier National Park.

"It was a road trip through central U.S., Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming to get to Montana, and I believe he pulled right into Glacier National Park," he said.

Pollio said that his son went on an advanced trail before he disappeared.

"And he texted me that evening, he says, 'Dad, I'm hiking up a mountain. It's wild out here,'" he said. "He says, 'I love you, dad,' and that was the last message I received from him."
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Attention

Japan confirms year's first fatal bear attack and suspects 2 more

Maroosha Muzaffar
Independent (UK)
Fri, 08 May 2026 11:10 UTC
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Japan has confirmed its first fatal bear attack of 2026 after recording an unprecedented 13 casualties last year.

Authorities said a 55-year-old woman found dead in the northern Iwate prefecture last month was killed by a bear. Two other bodies discovered in Iwate on 7 May and Yamagata prefecture on 5 May, respectively, were suspected to be linked to bear attacks as well.

One of those victims was identified by NHK as 69-year-old Chiyoko Kumagai, who had disappeared after going into a mountain forest to collect edible wild plants.

She was found with injuries to her face and head that appeared to have been caused by animal claws.

Japan saw a surge in dangerous bear encounters in 2025, with the animals entering homes, schools, supermarkets, and hot spring resorts.
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Lightning

Lightning killed 2,825 people across India in 2024, a 10% increase on 2023 - 17,000 killed over a 6-year period

Wahid Bhat
GroundReport.in
Tue, 12 May 2026 10:40 UTC
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Every day, on average, lightning kills nearly eight people in India. Not floods. Not cyclones. Not earthquakes. Lightning, a hazard most people still think of as random misfortune, has become the country's most lethal natural force, claiming more lives each year than any other weather event.

New data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that lightning killed 2,825 people across India in 2024, a 10.4 percent rise from 2,560 deaths in 2023. It accounted for 35.7 percent of all accidental deaths attributed to forces of nature that year, far ahead of heat stroke, which killed 1,832 people, and floods, which took 361 lives, 833 from cold exposure, and 361 from floods.

The figures are not an anomaly. Over the past six years, lightning has killed more than 19,245 people across India. The annual toll has remained stubbornly high: 2,357 in 2018, 2,876 in 2019, 2,862 in 2020, 2,880 in 2021, 2,887 in 2022 and 2,558 in 2023. Scientists say it will get worse before it gets better.
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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: May blizzard buries the Russian city of Noyabrsk

Nau Weather News
YouTube
Tue, 12 May 2026 09:46 UTC
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Unusual snowfall was reported in the southern Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, Russia, on Sunday, May 10, 2026.

Wind gusts reached 23 meters per second. A high alert status was declared in Noyabrsk.

Traffic was also restricted on regional highways in the Noyabrsk, Muravlenko, Gubkinsky, and Purovsky districts.

Drivers were advised to avoid traveling outside the city.

Public transportation was also suspended in densely populated areas.

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Lightning

Lightning strike kills 90 sheep in Jammu and Kashmir, India


Kashmir Observer
Mon, 11 May 2026 09:36 UTC
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At least 90 sheep were killed when lightning struck a grazing field in the upper reaches of Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

Lightning struck a meadow in Poshkar, Kangan area of Ganderbal district on Sunday night, killing 90 sheep, officials said.

The livestock belonged to a family of nomadic shepherds who were taking their animals toward the Sonamarg area for grazing, they said.

Strong winds and intermittent rains caused damage to houses and crops in some areas of Kashmir on Sunday night.
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