CANBERRA - Bushfires killed one and threatened a major Australian alpine resort on Thursday as firefighters prepared to face three days of searing temperatures and high winds expected to fan flames across two states.
Fire crews discovered a body in a gutted house in South Australia, which has so far escaped the worst of the summer fire emergency touching five of the country's six states.
Earth Changes
KUKES LAKE - The long-submerged ruins of the old town of Kukes have re-emerged because of lack of rain.
Caked mud encrusts Albania's Fierza power dam.
For a second year boats lie high and dry on banks terraced by the receding water levels.
"Some people started working the land they lost to the lake in the 1970s," said Kukes resident Fatime.
It is the clearest evidence yet that Albanians are in for a further spell of power blackouts.
Meteorologists say only one third of the average quantity of rain fell in the area from September to December. It was the worst dry spell since 1915 when a rainless summer caused famine.
Caked mud encrusts Albania's Fierza power dam.
For a second year boats lie high and dry on banks terraced by the receding water levels.
"Some people started working the land they lost to the lake in the 1970s," said Kukes resident Fatime.
It is the clearest evidence yet that Albanians are in for a further spell of power blackouts.
Meteorologists say only one third of the average quantity of rain fell in the area from September to December. It was the worst dry spell since 1915 when a rainless summer caused famine.
BERLIN - Germans were told to stay indoors and many schools across the country closed early on Thursday as a rare hurricane bore down on the country, cutting air traffic at its biggest airport by half.
Germany's DWD meteorogical service said the storm "Kyrill" could generate winds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph) in high and exposed areas and as much as 130 km/h in lower-lying regions.
"What's unusual about this storm is that it will affect the whole country and not just certain zones," said Christoph Hartmann, a spokesman for the DWD in Offenbach.
Germany's DWD meteorogical service said the storm "Kyrill" could generate winds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph) in high and exposed areas and as much as 130 km/h in lower-lying regions.
"What's unusual about this storm is that it will affect the whole country and not just certain zones," said Christoph Hartmann, a spokesman for the DWD in Offenbach.
An icy storm blamed for at least 65 deaths in nine states spread snow and freezing rain across Texas all the way to the Mexican border, immobilizing communities unaccustomed to such cold.
Hundreds of airline flights were canceled, tens of thousands of electricity customers lost power and a 300-mile (482.7-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 10, a major east-west highway, was closed.
Hundreds of airline flights were canceled, tens of thousands of electricity customers lost power and a 300-mile (482.7-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 10, a major east-west highway, was closed.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. Jan 19, 2007 (AP) - Still recovering from snow and ice storms that downed power lines and trees in a large swath of the country, residents of Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas braced for another round Friday.
With thousands of customers in Oklahoma still without power, Gov. Brad Henry on Thursday requested a major federal disaster declaration, which would make people in hard-hit counties eligible for housing grants and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. He had already declared a state of emergency.
"Unfortunately, the worst may not be over," Henry said.
With thousands of customers in Oklahoma still without power, Gov. Brad Henry on Thursday requested a major federal disaster declaration, which would make people in hard-hit counties eligible for housing grants and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. He had already declared a state of emergency.
"Unfortunately, the worst may not be over," Henry said.
JERSEY CITY Environmental officials in two states said they have given up hope of finding the source of a mysterious odor that swept across parts of New York City a week ago.
New Jersey officials said they checked out more than 140 industrial facilities in the northern part of the state to see if they were responsible for the foul stench that drifted up the Hudson River on Jan. 8.
The inquiry didn't turn up any unusual emissions, said Elaine Makatura, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
New Jersey officials said they checked out more than 140 industrial facilities in the northern part of the state to see if they were responsible for the foul stench that drifted up the Hudson River on Jan. 8.
The inquiry didn't turn up any unusual emissions, said Elaine Makatura, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
The powerful Kyrill hurricane that has killed 29 already and caused transport failures in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands is approaching Russia.
The death toll is the heaviest in Britain, AP reported. One of the victims there was a small boy killed by the concrete wall's breakdown. Falling trees were killing drivers in their cars in the Netherlands and Germany.
Six people suffered in Utrecht, Holland, where a tower crane fell on the university building.
The death toll is the heaviest in Britain, AP reported. One of the victims there was a small boy killed by the concrete wall's breakdown. Falling trees were killing drivers in their cars in the Netherlands and Germany.
Six people suffered in Utrecht, Holland, where a tower crane fell on the university building.
Life slowly returned to normal in Germany on Friday after one of the worst storms in 20 years left 10 persons dead and a massive trail of disruption in its wake.
Wind gusts of up to 202 kilometres per hour uprooted trees, tore down power cables and sent a two-ton steel support crashing 40 metres to the ground at Berlin's new main railway station.
Ferry routes on the North Sea and Baltic Sea were suspended, hundreds of flights were cancelled and German national railways halted all operations for the first time in its history.
Wind gusts of up to 202 kilometres per hour uprooted trees, tore down power cables and sent a two-ton steel support crashing 40 metres to the ground at Berlin's new main railway station.
Ferry routes on the North Sea and Baltic Sea were suspended, hundreds of flights were cancelled and German national railways halted all operations for the first time in its history.
LONDON, England -- Gale force winds and heavy downpours hammered northern Europe, killing 27 people and disrupting travel for tens of thousands.
The storms on Thursday were among the fiercest to batter northern Europe in years, ripping off part of the roof at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, toppling trucks on Europe's busiest highway and forcing trains in Germany and the Netherlands to a virtual standstill.
By evening, as wind speeds subsided, weather related accidents had killed 27 people, including a 2 year-old boy hit by falling brick from a crumpled wall in London.
The storms on Thursday were among the fiercest to batter northern Europe in years, ripping off part of the roof at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, toppling trucks on Europe's busiest highway and forcing trains in Germany and the Netherlands to a virtual standstill.
By evening, as wind speeds subsided, weather related accidents had killed 27 people, including a 2 year-old boy hit by falling brick from a crumpled wall in London.
WARSAW - Winds of more than 200 kph tore into Poland and the Czech Republic, uprooting trees and tearing down power lines after leaving a trail of damage across northern Europe that has killed at least 27 people.
Germany and Britain faced further disruptions to rail and air travel on Friday after high winds left thousands of households without electricity.
Germany and Britain faced further disruptions to rail and air travel on Friday after high winds left thousands of households without electricity.
