Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Storm-related incidents kill 41 people across Pakistan, including 28 by lightning strikes

Kaneez Fatima
Fairfield Sun Times
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:23 UTC
vvvv
At least 41 people have died in storm-related incidents across Pakistan since Friday, including 28 killed by lightning, officials said on Monday.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of landslides and flash floods because more rain is expected in coming days.

Punjab, Pakistan's largest and most populous province, witnessed the highest death toll, with 21 people killed by lightning between Friday and Sunday.

"I have asked the NDMA to coordinate with the provinces... and for the NDMA to provide relief goods to areas where damages occurred," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.

People living in open, rural areas are more at risk of being struck by lightning during thunderstorms.

At least eight people were killed in Balochistan province, including seven struck by lightning, where 25 districts were battered by rain and some areas were flooded.

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Cloud Precipitation

Tanzania floods kill 58 in 2 weeks


Myjoyonline.com
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:51 UTC
Visuals from the regions affected by flood
© X/@rcs1962) Asian News InternationalVisuals from the regions affected by flood in Tanzania.
Nearly 60 people have died since the start of April in heavy rains and flooding that has hit several parts of Tanzania, the government said.

The coastal region of the East African country is one of the worst affected, with floods damaging thousands of farms there, Mobhare Matinyi, the government spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday.

"Serious flood effects are experienced in the coast region where 11 people have so far died," Mr Matinyi added.

He said, so far, 58 deaths have been recorded across the country from the flooding.

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Cloud Precipitation

Storm leaves 5 people dead and infrastructure flood damaged in Margate, South Africa

Sakhiseni Nxumalo
Times Live
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:32 UTC
flood
Heavy downpour in Margate saw water gushing through the streets.
Five people died in a storm that lashed Margate on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Sunday night.

This was confirmed by Ugu district municipality, which said search and rescue teams have been deployed.

Huge damage has been caused to water and roads infrastructure and an on-site assessment of the damages is under way.

Municipality spokesperson France Zama said a co-ordinated cleanup operation is in progress while the cost of the damage is being consolidated.

Municipality teams were on the ground to establish the extent of the damage.

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Arrow Down

Large rock avalanche on Piz Scerscen in Switzerland

Dave Petley
eos.org
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:14 UTC
Early in the morning of 14 April 2024, a large rock avalanche occurred on the flanks of Piz Scerscen in the Swiss Alps, close to the border with Italy. Fortunately, the landslide occurred at about 7 am, when the slopes are sparsely occupied, such that there is no indication of any loss of life.

Initial estimates are that the landslide had a runout distance of about 5 km. The best image that I have seen is this one, taken by the Swiss Alpine Club:-

The 14 April 2024 rock avalanche on Piz Scerscen in Switzerland.
© SAC Bernina.The 14 April 2024 rock avalanche on Piz Scerscen in Switzerland.
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Cloud Precipitation

At least 33 killed in Afghanistan as heavy rains set off flash floods


Al Jazeera
Sun, 14 Apr 2024 13:50 UTC
People wait to cross a flooded area in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province
People wait to cross a flooded area in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province
At least 33 people have been killed over three days of heavy rains and flash flooding in Afghanistan, according to the government's disaster management department.

"From Friday onwards, because of the rains there were flash floods which caused high human and financial losses," department spokesman Janan Sayeq said on Sunday.

"The primary information shows that, unfortunately, in the floods, 33 people were martyred and 27 people got injured."

Most casualties were from roof collapses, as some 600 houses were damaged or destroyed. In addition, 200 livestock have perished, nearly 600km (370 miles) of road have been destroyed, and about 800 hectares (1,975 acres) of agricultural land have "flooded away", the spokesman added.

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Arrow Down

Congo landslide caused by heavy rains kills at least 15 and up to 60 others are missing

Jean-yves Kamale
The Toronto Star
Sun, 14 Apr 2024 11:03 UTC
This picture shows the devastation after the landslide
© Facebook/SPEED/FileThis picture shows the devastation after the landslide
A landslide in southwest Congo caused by heavy rains killed at least 15 people and left as many as 60 others missing, local officials said Sunday.

Seven people were found alive after the landslide Saturday near the port near the town of Idiofa.

"There's a hill above the port, and the rain caused the earth on the hill to collapse," a local deputy elected official, Dhedhe Mupasa, told reporters Sunday.

Interim provincial Gov. Félicien Kiway told reporters a team was dispatched to help search for survivors and seven people were found alive and were hospitalized. A further 60 people were still missing, he said.

A local official said it was difficult to determine the exact number of people missing because the area was used as a marketplace every Saturday. The official described the area as a port where fishermen came to sell fish and buy soap.

The Associated Press

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Seismograph

6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea: USGS


Macaubusiness.com
Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:53 UTC
mmmm
A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit northern Papua New Guinea early Monday, but there was no threat of a tsunami, US seismologists said.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 0656 local time (2056 GMT), was roughly 110 kilometres (68 miles) east-southeast of Kimbe on the island of New Britain, at a depth of 64 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said in a statement that there was "no tsunami threat". There were no immediate local reports of damage.

The region was rattled last month when at least five people were killed and an estimated 1,000 homes destroyed following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

By AFP
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Tsunami

Residents evacuated as flood waters rise in western Finland


Yle
Sun, 14 Apr 2024 13:03 UTC
Floodwaters in the village of Niemelänkylä in Ylivieska, Northern Ostrobothnia, on Sunday.
© Janne KörkköFloodwaters in the village of Niemelänkylä in Ylivieska, Northern Ostrobothnia, on Sunday.
In Northern Ostrobothnia, officials warned of flooding around the Kalajoki river as snow and ice thaw amid rising temperatures.

Water levels were expected to rise further on Sunday, especially in the village of Niemelänkylä in Ylivieska, the North Ostrobothnia Rescue Service said in a press release.

The Kalajoki river has overflowed its banks this weekend in the municipalities of Ylivieska, Alavieska and Kalajoki. Three people had to be evacuated on Saturday night from Niemelänkylä, 130km south of Oulu. No injuries were reported.

The rescue service predicted that floodwaters would peak on Sunday and Monday. However ice dams have formed in the river, making it difficult to predict flooding.

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Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods hit Oman - at least 12 killed (UPDATE)


Khaleej Times
Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:08 UTC
mmmmmmmmm
© The Royal Oman Police
The Royal Oman Police is responding to several reports of families and children trapped in Wadis due to the inclement weather conditions

Schools and colleges in Oman have been directed to function in distance mode on Monday, April 15, after heavy rainfalls resulted in flash floods in various parts of the country.

An order in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation on Sunday.

The order followed the National Committee for Emergency Situations Management's warning regarding the escalation of unstable weather conditions in the country.


Comment: Update April 15

Floodlist reports:
Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flash flooding in parts of Oman where authorities report at least 12 people have died.

According to figures from Oman's National Committee for Emergency Management, 90 mm of rain fell in Al Mudhaibi in the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate in a period from 14 to early 15 April. Figures from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) show 64 mm of rain fell at Marmul Airport in 24 hours to 15 April, while 59.2 mm fell in Qalhat, South Ash Sharqiyah Governorate.

Teams from Royal Oman Police (ROP) and Oman's Civil Defence and Ambulance Department Authority (CDAA) were called on to carry out multiple high water rescues. Many of those rescued were in vehicles trapped or swept away by fast-flowing wadi waters.

The Royal Oman Police rescued around 35 people stranded in the Wilayat of Ibra. Around 21 people were rescued after a school bus was trapped in flood waters in the Wilayat of Nizwa.

CDAA teams rescued 1,200 people from a school surrounded by flood waters in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. CDAA said all those rescued are in good health.

According to CDAA, at least 12 people have lost their lives in floods in Samad al Shan. A further five people were reported missing after being swept away by floods across areas of the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi. As of 15 April the body of one of the missing, believed to be a young child, was found.


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Eagle

Symbolism? Bald eagle eats 2 of its hatchlings in West Virginia

Saman Shafiq
USA TODAY
Sat, 13 Apr 2024 11:47 UTC
A female bald eagle on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, with a rainbow in background, earlier this season.
© JENNA DORSEY / U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICEA female bald eagle on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, with a rainbow in background, earlier this season.
In a tragic turn of events, two baby bald eaglets that hatched this week at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, were killed by their bald eagle father, who ate them.

One of eaglets passed away Monday night, while the other died shortly after being born on Friday, the National Conservation Training Center said.

"While this behavior was unusual, there's much we don't know," NCTC said in a social media post Friday. "This nest has brought us joy for years, raising countless eaglets for two decades. While this year's nesting season was not easy, it has offered a rare glimpse into the complexities of nature and the challenges that bald eagles face."

A spokesperson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the death of the second hatchling to USA TODAY Friday and explained that such incidents, though rare, are not unusual, especially among birds of prey. The spokesperson added that the population of the bald eagle, which is also the national symbol of the United States, has continued to soar, with an estimated 316,700 individual bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
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