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Wed, 29 Mar 2023
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Records smashed as lightning strikes rain down on France

mmmmm
More than 9,500 lightning strikes hit France on Monday (March 13), a figure not seen on a single day in March since records began 35 years ago.

Monitoring service Météorage recorded the strikes, which numbered 9,549, beating the previous record of 9,134 in March 2001.

The French storm observatory, Keraunos, said Monday was "the stormiest day of the previous 15 years". A statement on its website read: "The indicator of storm severity was at 19.7 for the day of March 13, 2023, which makes it the stormiest day since the start of our data in 2009."


Cloud Precipitation

Colombia - Floods damage hundreds of homes in Cesar Department

Flood damage in Curumaní, Cesar, Colombia, March 2023.
© UNGRD
Flood damage in Curumaní, Cesar, Colombia, March 2023.
Days of heavy rain triggered severe flooding in parts of the Cesar Department in Colombia where hundreds of homes have been damaged.

Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reported heavy rainfall from 08 March caused flooding in the municipality of Curumaní on 11 March. The Animito, San Pedro, and Palmar rivers and the San Ignacio and the La Cubana streams all broke their banks, UNGRD said.

More than 600 homes have been severely damaged in affected areas. Many residents have lost material possessions.

Wide areas of crops have also been damaged.


Arrow Down

Brazil - 8 killed, homes destroyed after landslide in Manaus, Amazonas

After the landslide in the Jorge Teixeira neighbourhood of Manaus, Brazil, March 2023.
© Prefeitura de Manaus
After the landslide in the Jorge Teixeira neighbourhood of Manaus, Brazil, March 2023.
Heavy rains in areas of the state of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil on 12 March triggered deadly landslides in the state capital Manaus.

The government of Manaus said at least 11 houses were destroyed after a landslide in the Jorge Teixeira neighbourhood. Eight bodies were located under the rubble and debris. Three people were rescued alive.


Snowflake

Still more snowfall in the Alps - 5 feet of snow after weekend snowstorm

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It is snowing again in the Alps following the huge snowfalls in France, as well as some ski areas in western and northern Austria, Italy and Switzerland at the weekend.

The snowfall today (Tuesday 14th March 2023) is more widespread than the weekend falls, with many areas further east in Italy and Switzerland as well as in Austria posting good falls down to the valley floor.

The snowfall follows a temperature spike yesterday which saw many areas see afternoon highs of +10 to +15C on lower slopes, and is expected to just last a day or so before drier weather for the rest of this week.

The weekend snowstorm brought up to 1.5 metres (five feet) of snowfall to ski areas in the northern French Alps. Avoriaz, Cervinia, La Rosiere and Tignes were among the resorts posting the biggest jumps in their upper slope base depths (at least a metre each). Avalanche danger levels have also risen to 3 (considerable) or 4 (high) on the scale to a maximum of 5.

Tignes had the deepest upper slope base in Europe, up 109cm (nearly 4 feet) compared to this time last week.


Snowflake

First nor'easter of the season dumps heavy snow (3 FEET), cuts off power to hundreds of thousands across US Northeast

Neighbors clear their driveways in near whiteout conditions on Tuesday in East Derry, New Hamphsire.
© Charles Krupa/AP
Neighbors clear their driveways in near whiteout conditions on Tuesday in East Derry, New Hamphsire.
The season's first nor'easter has dropped nearly 3 feet of snow over parts of the US Northeast as of Tuesday evening, piling on trees and power lines and causing power outages for tens of thousands in the frigid weather with more snow possible into the night.

More than 240,000 customers across the region were without electricity as the sun went down Tuesday, including in New York, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

Areas from upstate New York into southern New England have reported snowfall totals of at least 2 feet since Monday night, and parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see another 6 to 12 inches through the night, according to the Weather Prediction Center.


Snowflake

Currently 3rd snowiest winter ever recorded in Lake Tahoe, California with 651 inches of snow and there's more coming

As of today, March 13, the Lake Tahoe area is sitting at 651″ of total snowfall this season, making it the third snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
© Scott Gaffney IG
As of today, March 13, the Lake Tahoe area is sitting at 651″ of total snowfall this season, making it the third snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
According to the UC Berkeley Central Snow Laboratory at 6,900′ on Donner Pass, CA, which has been keeping precise snowfall records since 1946, the Lake Tahoe area has officially reached the title of third snowiest winter in recorded history as of today, March 13.

The UCB Snow Lab has seen 651″ of snowfall this season so far.
"Another 13.2" (33.5 cm) of #snow over the last 24 hours has taken us to the third snowiest winter on record at the lab! We now have 651″ (1653 cm) from Oct 1 to present." - UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, 3/13/23

Comment: See also: Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort, California breaks all-time season snowfall record with 654 inches of snow


Snowflake

Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort, California breaks all-time season snowfall record with 654 inches of snow

Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort’s T-bar is almost
© Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort Facebook
Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort’s T-bar is almost completely gone due to how much snow has fallen on the mountain recently.
This is a winter we'll all be talking about for a long time to come.

Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort located near Pinecrest, CA, broke its all-time season snowfall record today on March 13 with 654″ of snow this season so far.


Comment: See also: Currently 3rd snowiest winter ever recorded in Lake Tahoe, California with 651 inches of snow and there's more coming


Cloud Precipitation

Storm Freddy kills 190 on return to Mozambique, Malawi (UPDATE)

Branches of trees sway as cyclone Freddy hits,
© UNICEF Mozambique
Branches of trees sway as cyclone Freddy hits, in Quelimane, Zambezia, Mozambique, March 12, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video.
Mozambique and Malawi on Monday were counting the cost of Tropical Storm Freddy, which killed more than 100 people, injured scores and left a trail of destruction as it ripped through southern Africa for the second time in a month over the weekend.

Freddy is one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere and could be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

It pummelled central Mozambique on Saturday, ripping roofs off buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane, before moving inland towards Malawi with torrential rains that caused landslides.


Comment: Update March 15

Floodlist reports:
Malawi - 190 Dead, 37 Missing After Floods, Mudslides and Strong Winds From Cyclone Freddy

As many as 190 people have now died in Malawi as a result of floods, mudslides and strong winds brought by Tropical Cyclone Freddy. Meanwhile the search for 37 people still missing continues. Over 4,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

In an update of 14 March, Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said it has received rapid assessment reports on flooding, mudslides and strong winds damages from 12 affected councils namely; Blantyre City, Blantyre District, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mulanje, Neno, Nsanje, Phalombe, Thyolo, Zomba City and Zomba District.

A total of 13, 099 households (approximately 58,946 people) have been affected, out of which 4,305 (approximately 19,371 people) have been displaced. Fifty-seven camps have been set up to accommodate those displaced. The department, humanitarian partners and local councils are continuing to provide relief assistance to affected and displaced households.

DoDMA confirmed a steep rise in the number of fatalities from 99 as reported on 13 March, to 190 as of 14 March. Almost 600 people have been injured and 37 people are still missing.



Search and rescue operations led by the Malawi Defence Force, the Malawi Police Service, the Department of Marine, the Malawi Red Cross Society and communities are ongoing.

POn 14 March the Minister of Local Government, Chimwendo Richard William Banda, the Minister of Finance, Sosten Gwengwe and the Minister of Defence, Harry Mkandawire, visited Mulanje District to observe search and rescue operations being led by the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Freddy-induced heavy rains and floods.



Doberman

Boy dies after stray dog's attack in Jordan

dog attack
A 12-year-old boy died of a dog bite in Amman a few weeks ago.

The child's family said that their son was bitten by a dog in the head around 25 days ago in the Qweismeh area, east of the capital, Amman.

In a previous statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Tawfiq Krishan said that the rising issue of stray dogs will be solved in coordination with administrative governors and mayors.

Notably, Jordan has seen a rise in stray dogs' attacks during the past few months which caused great controversy regarding the manner in which the issue should be solved.

Doberman

Five-year-old child dies in stray dog attack in Telangana, India

Representative Image
In yet another incident of a stray dog attack in Telangana, a five-year-old child died on Sunday. Though he was rushed to hospital, he succumbed to the injuries.

As per the details of the incident that took place in Khammam district, Telangana, the child Banoth Bharath become a victim of a stray dog attack when he was playing with his friends on Sunday evening.

Despite the efforts of his parents, B Ravinder and Sandhya, Bharath sustained severe injuries before being taken to a private hospital in Khammam. Doctors advised shifting him to NIMS in Hyderabad, but the child passed away en route near Suryapet, Telangana.

The grieving parents of the child have returned to Putani thanda of Raghunathapalem Mandal, Khammam, and performed the last rites on Monday.