SOTT
SIGNS
OF THE
TIMES
OF THE
TIMES
Welcome to Sott.net
The World for People who Think
FloodsS
© judithcurry.comFigure 1. The Hunga Tonga eruption from space.
The climate events of 2022-24 have been were truly extraordinary. From an unlikely undersea volcanic eruption to the warmest year on record to the collapse of the polar vortex after three sudden stratospheric warming events. This rare convergence presents a unique learning opportunity for climatologists and climate aficionados alike, offering insights into a climate event that may not be repeated for hundreds or even thousands of years.
1. January 2022, the unlikely volcano
Never before have we witnessed an undersea volcanic eruption with a plume capable of reaching the stratosphere and depositing a large amount of vaporized water. This extraordinary event occurred in January 2022 when the Hunga Tonga volcano erupted. The conditions for such an event are rare: the volcano must be deep enough to propel enough water with the plume, but not too deep to prevent it from reaching the stratosphere. Most undersea volcanoes do not produce plumes at all, which makes Hunga Tonga's eruption all the more remarkable.
The Hunga Tonga volcano occupied a unique "sweet spot" at a depth of 150 meters the day before the eruption. In addition, the eruption itself must be exceptionally powerful for water vapor to rise into the stratosphere. The January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga was the most powerful in 30 years, since the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
Active undersea volcanoes at the appropriate depth are rare, and the likelihood of one erupting with such intensity is relatively low. We may be looking at an event that occurs once every few centuries, or maybe even once every millennium. Undoubtedly, it was an exceptionally rare event.
While the most powerful eruptions, such as Tambora in 1815, can indeed strongly influence hemispheric weather for a few years, our observations of eruptions such as Agung (1963), El Chichón (1982), and Pinatubo (1991) suggest that their effects dissipate within 3-4 years.
On social media, people are already sharing images of the chaos in the Portuguese capital. A video, captured on Rua das Pretas, in the parish of Santa Maria Maior, shows a river in the middle of the city. "A shame", reads the publication's caption.
The heavy rain has caused floods and flooding in other parts of the city, causing some traffic restrictions.
Cyclone Gamane
About 7000 people were affected by the devastation caused by the cyclone, which reached the north of the island on Wednesday, the National Authority for Civil Protection said on Thursday.
The cyclone moved across the island with an average wind speed of 150km/h and heavy rainfall.
In some places, winds of 210km/h were measured.
© ABC NewsSo far this month hundreds of millimetres of rain has fallen across the NT as far south as Alice Springs.
The current rain event has triggered flood watches for more than 40 Queensland and NT rivers, prolonging a productive northern wet season which has brought frequent soakings deep into the country's interior.
And there's still more rain to come this week — the spell of showers and thunderstorms will continue across much of northern and central Australia this week, before possibly moving south this Easter, and potentially dampening the back half of the long weekend in parts of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.
Comment: A report from about a week prior: Heavy rain, and possible flooding for Northern Territory, Australia as ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan crosses
Increased rains, linked to climate change, have upped the water level by 27 centimeters in recent months.
In the community of Kibenga, residents have erected sand bank defenses as they attempt, often in vain, to hold back the tide of floodwater.
Apolline Kankindi says she used to grow crops such as cassava and beans.
Now, she says, the lake has destroyed it all.
A vehicle partially submurged in one of the city estates on March 25, 2024
The deceased include a police officer who was rescuing trapped families in the Kamukunji area.
His body is yet to be recovered, police said.
The officer from Kamukunji police station had responded to a distress call to rescue a family that had been trapped in a flooded house.
According to Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei, the officer and his colleagues managed to rescue the family and as they were leaving the house he stepped on an open manhole.
The disaster took place in Cibenda village in West Bandung regency after torrential rain reportedly poured over the area for about two hours.
Acting Regent of West Bandung Arsan Latif said that nine villagers were feared to have been buried alive. On early March 25 morning, rescuers found a woman killed in the landslide.
Latif said that about 400 villagers had to flee to temporary shelters as dozens of houses were destroyed.
Floods and landslides often occur in Indonesia during the rainy season, particularly in areas which suffer from deforestation and prolonged torrential rain.
Earlier this month, flash floods and landslides on Sumatra island killed at least 30 people and many others are still missing. In December last year, a landslide and flood swept away dozens of houses, destroyed a hotel near Toba lake on Sumatra island, and killed at least two people.
Comment: Update March 27
Bernama reports:
Rescuers have recovered five bodies, including children, buried in a landslide hitting two villages in Indonesia's West Java province recently, an official of the local search and rescue agency said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.
The fifth body was found on Wednesday morning near a river, around 20 km from the victim's last known location prior to the disaster, according to Supriono, head of the operation unit of the provincial search and rescue office.
Apart from the deceased, five people are still missing.
Intense rainfall on Friday afternoon and evening caused unusually large hailstorms, downed trees, fences, public boards, flash floods and downed power lines.
The National Electricity Union (UNE, in Spanish) reported that more than 260,000 users in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas and Havana are without electricity service, particularly in four Havana municipalities where more than 120,000 homes are affected.
The UNE announced that crews of linemen and electricians from the center of the island, particularly from the provinces of Ciego de Avila and Villa Clara, are heading in solidarity to western areas to help their local colleagues repair the damage.
Comment: Update March 29
Reuters reports: