Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

Summer snowfall descends on Himachal Pradesh, India

Abhinav Vashisht
The Tribune (India)
Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:34 UTC
Winter surprise in June: Tourists play in the snow at Rohtang Pass near Manali.
Winter surprise in June: Tourists play in the snow at Rohtang Pass near Manali.
Tourists visiting Rohtang Pass this June are in for a rare treat — intermittent snowfall that has transformed the region into a winter wonderland. Perched at an altitude of 13,058 feet, Rohtang defies summer's grip, offering snow-draped peaks, plunging temperatures, and a refreshing chill that leaves visitors wide-eyed with wonder.

Across Manali, the mood is celebratory as travellers embrace this unseasonal burst of winter. Many describe the experience as nothing short of magical — an alpine escape where the scorching heat and humidity of the plains vanish, replaced by crisp mountain air. From snowball fights to cozy bonfires, the contrast between the sweltering cities and this frosty retreat couldn't be more dramatic.

Tourists are seizing the moment, indulging in thrilling activities like river rafting and paragliding. Meanwhile, locals have swiftly adapted to the surprise cold snap. Woollens are out, and heaters and tandoors are back in use, with mornings and evenings now boasting a December-like chill — even in the middle of June.

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Tsunami

52 killed as floods, landslides triggered by heavy rain hit Northeastern states of India (UPDATE)

Surarika Das
news9live.com
Sun, 01 Jun 2025 10:08 UTC
mmmmmm
At least 32 people have been killed in the Northeastern states due to torrential rain that has resulted in floods and landslides.

Several areas of the region as well as transportation have been badly affected. National Highway (NH) 17, the major road that links Meghalaya to Assam, has been swept away.

Roads in Boko and Chaygaon have washed away, resulting in loss of connectivity between Guwahati and Tura.

The Shingra forest area near Boko, located about 70 km from Guwahati, has suffered damage due to extreme flooding. Trucks and heavy vehicles got stuck, while smaller ones were forced to reroute via Bongaigaon.


Comment: Update June 6

The New Indian Express reports:
The flood situation in Assam and other parts of the Northeast showed slight improvement on Thursday, even as two more deaths were reported from Assam. This took the total number of deaths due to floods and landslides across the region to 52 — 21 in Assam, 12 in Arunachal Pradesh, six each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, three in Sikkim, two in Tripura, and one each in Nagaland and Manipur.


According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), a total of 5,60,072 people across 19 districts of the state remain affected, with Sribhumi district in southern Assam alone accounting for 2,15,148 of them. A significant number of displaced residents have taken shelter in relief camps. The floods have also damaged 19,345.34 hectares of cropland and caused destruction to homes, roads, bridges. The Brahmaputra and several other rivers continue to flow above the danger level in some places, the ASDMA said.

In neighbouring Manipur, 1,65,787 people continue to be affected, although the overall situation has marginally improved with water levels in major rivers beginning to recede. However, low-lying areas in the Imphal Valley, especially in Imphal East district, remained submerged following heavy rains that began on May 31.


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Arrow Down

2 cars plunge into sinkhole in Handan City, China


Dimsum Daily
Fri, 06 Jun 2025 11:15 UTC
CCCCC
In Hebei's Handan City on Wednesday, a road collapse incident resulted in two vehicles plummeting into a sinkhole. A grey car was stacked atop a white one, with airbags deployed as a safety precaution. Fortunately, some occupants were able to independently extricate themselves from the vehicles.

The mishap occurred around 3pm on Wednesday at the intersection of Guangming Street and Shuichang Road, prompting swift responses from various local departments, including the urban management, police, and emergency services. Following assessments, it was reported that three individuals from the vehicles were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The Handan City Urban Management Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau's notification suggested that the initial assessment pointed towards the road collapse being a result of underground pipeline leakage causing erosion of the roadbed. Repair work is currently underway as investigations continue to ascertain the precise causes of the incident.

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Snowflake

June snow dusts Scotland's highest mountain tops


BBC
Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:35 UTC
A view towards the Cairngorms from Aviemore
© Rossi/BBC Weather WatchersA view towards the Cairngorms from Aviemore
Snow has dusted the tops of some of Scotland's highest hills and mountains.

Meteorological summer started on Sunday, but cold air from the north has brought some chilly weather.

BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston said:
"Snow on the hills of Scotland is not unusual in early June.

"The colder air has come down from Iceland and, with the strength of wind, it reached Scotland before getting much time to warm up."
The cool conditions are expected to continue for the next few days, but the forecast is for the high winds to ease and fewer showers from Thursday.


Comment: Related: June begins with wintry weather in Iceland

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Hardhat

Greenhouses damaged and motorways battered as huge hailstones hit central France

l'Hôpital-le-Grand
The Connexion
Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:31 UTC
More hail is expected today after pummeling the east of France yesterday
© Meteovilles / X / Lukas Jonaitis / ShutterstockMore hail is expected today after pummeling the east of France yesterday
Hail reached up to 6cm in diameter. Further storms are forecast today

Powerful storms battered central France yesterday, bringing hail and heavy rain to several areas - and more is set to come

Storms originating in the north-east of France swept towards the south-west throughout the course of the day, leading to heightened weather warnings being put in place in several departments.

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Black Cat

Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, India sees surge in tiger attacks with 22 deaths reported so far this year - 150 in the last 5 years

Prathamesh Kharade
Free Press Journal
Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:39 UTC
Representational image
Representational image
Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, home to a thriving tiger population, is facing an alarming rise in human-wildlife conflict, with tiger attacks becoming increasingly frequent. In May alone, 11 people lost their lives to tiger encounters, displaying the growing tension between conservation success and human safety. The human deaths toll recorded in 2025 so far is 22.

Between 2021 and May 2025, 173 people in the district have died in wildlife encounters, with 150 of those deaths linked to tigers. Injuries have also soared, from 76 in 2021 to over 314 in 2024, with 129 cases already reported this year. Livestock losses have been severe too, with more than 10,900 animals killed during the same period. The state has paid over Rs 122 crore in compensation, Rs 31.39 crore of which was disbursed in the 2024 - 25 financial year alone.
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Doberman

Pack of stray dogs maul child to death in Madhya Pradesh, India


Deccan Herald
Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:30 UTC
Representative image showing stray dogs.
Representative image showing stray dogs.
A four-year-old boy died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, an official said on Thursday.

The dogs bit Ayush while he was playing with friends outside his home in the Suwasra-Runija road area, about 80 km from the district headquarters, on Wednesday, he said.

The canines from across the road charged at the children who were busy playing. While his friends managed to run away, Ayush could not escape, the official said.

Collector Aditi Garg has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Sitamau Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shivani Garg is part of the investigation team, officials said.

"The collector has said that a proposal would be sent to the chief minister's office for financial assistance to the victim's family," SDM Shivani told PTI.

She said the authorities have been asked to vaccinate and sterilise stray dogs in the area.

"Stray dogs from residential areas will be moved to non-residential areas," The SDM said, quoting the collector's order.

PTI
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Tsunami

Summer floods hit the Spanish city of Valladolid

Matthew Dooley, Alice Scarsi, Emily Wright,
Daily Express
Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:14 UTC
Residents were forced to push cars through the flood.
Residents were forced to push cars through the flood.
A major Spanish city and its surrounding areas were brought to a near standstill by floods on Tuesday evening. Videos show streets underwater and residents pushing cars through the flood zone in Valladolid, in the northwestern region of Castile and León, after a deluge of rain hit on June 3.

Other pictures emerging from the scene show residents struggling to walk through the streets, with the water levels reaching their ankles. Garages, tunnels and parking lots were also flooded, with some cars remaining trapped inside, according to Castilla y León Emergency Services. Moreover, a person was reported unable to leave their vehicle on Mieses Street due to a large pool of water created by the downpour, according to local media.

As streets quickly flooded around the city, emergency services received more than 200 calls just between 7pm and 9pm local time (6pm and 8pm BST), according to local media.

The deluge lasted for around 45 minutes and saw some 16 square litres of rain per square metre falling.

Police officers helped manage the traffic while firefighters cleared areas where vehicles were struggling to move or remained trapped.

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Lightning

Lightning kills 10 sheep in Kashmir, India


Greater Kashmir
Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:53 UTC
nnnn
© Lightning kills 10 sheep in J&K's Poonch --- File Photo
At least ten sheep were killed after they were struck by lightning in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district on Monday.

The incident occurred in village Luran Bela Bala of Tehsil Mandi when lightning accompanied by heavy thunder and hailstorm hit the shelter of Abdul Gaffar, son of Rahim Sheikh.

Eye witnesses said that 10 sheep got killed in the incident. They said the affected person has little means of resources, and appealed administration to help him in bad times.
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Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 4 children in Ghana


Myjoyonline.com
Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:36 UTC
Thunderstorm kills four children, injures one at Sefwi Awaso
Thunderstorm kills four children, injures one at Sefwi Awaso
The heartbreaking incident occurred on Monday evening at the Awaso GBC Compound while heavy rain poured across the area.

According to family members of the deceased, the children were playing together during the downpour when the lightning bolt suddenly struck, sending shockwaves through the community.

Parents said they only became aware of the tragedy after hearing a loud sound and receiving news that their children had been hit by lightning.

The unfortunate event has left the entire Awaso community in grief and disbelief.

The Assembly Member for the Awaso Electoral Area, Kennedy Ayitey Wisdom, who visited the affected families, expressed his condolences and urged parents to exercise extreme caution during rainy periods.
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