Storms
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Tornado2

Waterspout filmed off the coast of the Philippines

waterspout
Onlookers recorded as a waterspout spun off the coast of the Zamboanga City, Philippines, on Jan. 3.


Cloud Precipitation

50,000 people affected by floods in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

floods
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Sri Lanka reports severe weather, including high winds, lightning, heavy rain and flooding has affected over 50,000 people across the country since the start of the year.

Most of those affected were in Batticaloa, Eastern Province, where 12 division have seen flooding since 03 January 2021. Sri Lanka's Meteorological Department reported 142.4mm of rain fell in Batticaloa in 24 hours to 04 January.

Over 18,000 people have been affected by floods in Kattankudy, around 13,000 in Manmunai North and 8,000 in Eravur Pattu. DMC report 8 houses have been damaged across Batticaloa district as a result. No displacements or injuries were reported.


Umbrella

Queensland, Australia hit again with intense rainfall causing flooding, 5 inches of rain in an hour - BOM issues severe storm warning

Corner of Stone and Cassady Street in Ingham on Wednesday.
© David BonannoCorner of Stone and Cassady Street in Ingham on Wednesday.
Parts of north Queensland have been hit by massive downpours in the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Imogen, with one town receiving 100 millimetres in just an hour.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued more than a dozen flood warnings, and a severe weather warning for people in parts of the Peninsula, North Tropical Coast and Tablelands is now in place.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 6:33pm for the south-east, Cherbourg, Logan and parts of Ipswich, Somerset, Scenic Rim, South Burnett, Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley and Brisbane council areas.

The storms are likely to produce damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours.

The BOM said Beaudesert had recorded 83mm of rain in one hour to 5:30pm, Woodlands Road west of Laidley recorded 57mm in one hour to 5:30pm and Highfields, north of Toowoomba recorded 68mm in one hour to 5:00pm.


Comment: Just a week ago: Major flooding in summer caused by super storm closed 64 roads across Queensland, Australia - 4 inches of rain in an HOUR


Snowflake Cold

Heavy snowfall continues to disrupt life in Kashmir, up to 6 FEET dumped - lifeline highway shut for 4th day

People walk past stranded vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway during heavy snowfall, at Qazigund in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on January 5.(PTI)
© PTIPeople walk past stranded vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway during heavy snowfall, at Qazigund in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on January 5.
The lifeline Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the fourth day on Wednesday as fresh landslides were reported along the only road that connects the Valley with the rest of the country. Officials said the stranded vehicles along the highway have been taken to safer places amid continuous rain and snowfall.

"Jammu Srinagar NHW [national highway] blocked due to snow accumulation at Jawahar Tunnel and Landslides/mudslides/shooting stones at Samroli, Magarkot, Panthyal, Marog, Cafeteria mor, Dhalwas, Nashri @JmuKmrPolice," tweeted Jammu & Kashmir traffic police.

A group of tourists from Rajasthan had a narrow escape along the highway near Panthal when a landslide hit the vehicle they were travelling in. Police said the tourists were rescued and were safe.

Heavy snowfall since the weekend has disrupted life across Kashmir, especially in South Kashmir and the upper reaches of North and Central Kashmir. Places like Kulgam district in South Kashmir have received up to six feet of snow. The heavy snowfall has prompted authorities to order rationing of petrol, diesel, and LPG cylinders as well as establish helplines at district headquarters.


Comment: See also this report from 2 days earlier: Heavy snowfall leads to closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Kashmir - 4,500 vehicles stranded by up to 3 feet of snow


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall up to 4 feet deep paralysis life in parts of Hazara, Pakistan - roads blocked, electricity breakdown

snow
Three days of continuous heavy snowfall in upper parts of Hazara division has paralyzed life and the people were forced to stuck at homes as mostly links roads were blocked due to heavy snowfall in the area.

According to details, during three days Galiyat and Thandyani received up to 18 inches of snow where most of the roads were blocked, Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) claimed that the main Murree road from Abbottabad to Murree was cleared for traffic but the link roads were still blocked.

For the last two days, residents of Galiyat, Thandyani, Kaghan and Naran were also facing electricity breakdown where electricity poles and overhead transmission lines were broken due to heavy snowfall.

Up till now, Naran received more than 4 feet snow, Kaghan 3 feet, Shogran 2 feet snow while Mansehra Naran Jalkhad road was closed for all sorts of traffic from Naran and onward. Another tourist attraction Chattar plain in district Mansehra also received the first snowfall of the season which was recorded up to 2 feet.


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall traps people in Asturias, Spain

A man tries to enter his vehicle, covered in snow in Pajares town in Asturias, northern Spain various parts of Spain were hit by heavy snowfall over the weekend.
A man tries to enter his vehicle, covered in snow in Pajares town in Asturias, northern Spain various parts of Spain were hit by heavy snowfall over the weekend.
Spanish civil guard and emergency services worked throughout the weekend to locate and rescue several people trapped after severe snowfall left people stranded in Leon, in the Spanish region of Asturias.

According to local media, an initial snowfall affected a road and a snow removal machine was called to the scene with a team of two workers, but then the two men themselves were caught in a second snowfall.

According to authorities one of the workers was retrieved dead, the other one is still missing.


Comment: With more heavy snowfall forecast for other parts of Spain very soon:
Spain set for big freeze: sub-zero temperatures and 'heaviest snowfall in years'

FORECAST
Much of Spain will experience sub-zero temperatures this week and some of the "heaviest snowfall in recent years", with even Madrid and Barcelona expected to be turned into winter wonderlands.

This year's Three Kings' Day celebrations will be truly out of the ordinary. Firstly, due to the fact that many of the usual Reyes celebrations have been cancelled as part of Covid-19 restrictions, and secondly because much of the country is set to experience some unusually cold weather even for this time of year.

Temperatures already starting dropping across the mainland on Tuesday but it's on Wednesday January 6 when the cold snap truly starts.

Spain's national weather agency AEMET have dubbed it 'Storm Filomena', a weeklong weather phenomenon which will see temperatures drop to -10 C in northern and central Spain and heavy snow fall at abnormally low altitudes of as little as 200 metres.

From Wednesday, maximum temperatures in much of Spain's interior won't go above 5C.

Even Spain's two biggest cities Madrid and Barcelona, which are not famed for getting much snow, are expected to be turned white on Tuesday night and Thursday respectively.

The Spanish capital could get 10 to 15 cm of snow, something which hasn't been seen since January 2009.

Other regions that are expected to get snow include Castilla y León, Cantabria, La Rioja, Navarra, Aragón, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Asturias, Galicia and some parts of eastern Andalusia. Some of these have already been turned into winter wonderlands, but by Thursday areas at lower altitudes will also be snow-capped.

"We're facing one of the longest and biggest snowfalls in Spain in recent years," AEMET spokesperson Rubén de Campo said about the weeklong polar snap.

Weather website El Tiempo has also referred to the snowfall that will cover much of Spain as "historic", adding that the majority of the country will be under snow by Thursday, up to 20cm in large parts of the country's interior.



Tornado2

Two very rare tornadoes hit Northern California

Two tornadoes touch down in Tehama County
© ChronicleTwo tornadoes touch down in Tehama County on Monday afternoon.
Two tornadoes touched down in Tehama County on Monday afternoon, causing tree and power line damage but no fatalities, according to the National Weather Service.

The first tornado hit the western edge of Corning at 1:34 p.m., said Idamis Del Valle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. The centrifugal force knocked down a large oak tree, took down power lines and damaged a barn.

Another tornado touched down less than 10 miles away in the town of Vina at around 2:40 p.m., meteorologists said. It touched down in an open field and no damages were reported.

Northern California had 39 tornadoes in the past decade, averaging between three and four twisters per year, according to National Weather Service records.


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in Austria around 100 cm (40 inches) of snow in 24 hours

People clear the roof of a petrol station from snow, in Lienz, Austria, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.
© AP/Matthias SchraderPeople clear the roof of a petrol station from snow, in Lienz, Austria, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.
Heavy snowfall in Austria. Around 100 cm of snow was recorded in the last 24 hours.


Snowflake

Best of the Web: Heavy snow buries parts of Northern Italy - 6 FEET fell early Monday - blocking roads, burying cars and houses

General view after heavy snowfall in Sappada, Italy, Jan. 3, 2021
© Twitter/AametsocGeneral view after heavy snowfall in Sappada, Italy, Jan. 3, 2021, in this still image obtained from a social media video.
European weather forecasters say about 2 meters (over 6 feet) of snow fell early Monday in parts of northern Italy's alpine region, blocking roads and burying cars and houses in some areas.

From its Twitter account, the Alpine-Adriatic Meteorological Society posted video from Italy's northeastern area of Comelico, near the border with Austria. Snow blocked the entrances to homes and buildings, with more snow falling in the small village of Sappada, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Italian firefighters said they carried out more than 100 operations to clear roads of snow.


Snowflake

18 inches of snow in the desert? Texas park warned visitors to stay away after deluge of snow

Big Bend National Park received 12 to 18 inches of snow on New Year's Eve.
© Big Bend National ParkBig Bend National Park received 12 to 18 inches of snow on New Year's Eve. The park shared this photo of a snow man and the blanket of snow it experienced.
A foot and a half of snow in Texas?

On New Year's Day, Big Bend National Park — usually concerned with heat stroke or bears — warned visitors help would not be forthcoming if they got stuck in the snow that had blanketed the park the night before.

"Roads in Big Bend National Park are currently impassable," officials wrote on Facebook. "We received between 12-18 inches of snow last night and it's still snowing. Please do not attempt to enter the park."

Snowfall total maps released by the National Weather Service confirm 12 to 18 inches of snow were dumped on the West Texas park. The holiday storm stranded drivers on interstates, including one Trump bus tour destined for the Alamo in San Antonio.