Earth ChangesS


Fire

Crete wildfire: Swaths of forest, olive groves burn on Greek island


Global News
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 10:59 UTC
A major wildfire has broken out on Crete island, Greece, forcing the evacuation of over 5000 people.
A major wildfire has broken out on Crete island, Greece, forcing the evacuation of over 5000 people.
Hundreds of firefighters battled a blaze on Crete island, Greece, on Thursday, which burned swathes of forest and olive groves and forced the evacuation of over a thousand people, officials said, underscoring the region's vulnerability to destructive wildfires.

At least 230 firefighters, along with 46 engines and helicopters, were deployed to contain the conflagration, which broke out a day earlier near Ierapetra town on the southeastern coast of Greece's largest island.

Scores of residents and tourists were evacuated and moved to a temporary shelter at an indoor stadium in Ierapetra. Some left Crete by boats, authorities said.


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Arrow Down

Dozens airlifted after summer thunderstorm triggers massive landslides in Austrian Alps on June 30

Martin Kuprianowicz
SnowBrains
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 21:21 UTC
Heavy rain and hail caused destructive mudslides in Tyrol’s Gschnitz and Neustift valleys on Monday with at least 150 residents cut off.
© BFV IBK-LandHeavy rain and hail caused destructive mudslides in Tyrol’s Gschnitz and Neustift valleys on Monday with at least 150 residents cut off.
Emergency crews airlifted dozens of people to safety late Monday after a powerful thunderstorm triggered multiple landslides in the Tyrolean communities of Gschnitz and Neustift im Stubaital, local authorities confirmed. The severe storm, which brought intense rainfall and hail to the district of Innsbruck-Land, caused several Murenabgänge—a German term for debris or mudslides—down the steep alpine terrain. The resulting damage isolated several rural areas, with an estimated 150 to 200 people temporarily cut off from outside access.

Helicopter rescues were carried out late into the evening as rescue teams attempted to reach people stranded by blocked roads and washed-out infrastructure. As of Tuesday morning, no casualties had been reported, but assessments of property damage are ongoing.


Comment: Also 4 days earlier and further west in the country: Powerful hailstorms hit Tyrol, Austria, causing extensive damage

Also a day later: Landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocks access to Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on July 1

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Cloud Lightning

250,000 lightning strikes and heavy downpour of up to 5 inches in 24 hours smash southwest Western Australia businesses

Felix Levesque
apac.dtn.com
Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:09 UTC
Image: Total Lightning Network detected lightning strikes within 500km of Perth in the 24 hours to 8am AWST on Thursday, July 2, 2025.
Image: Total Lightning Network detected lightning strikes within 500km of Perth in the 24 hours to 8am AWST on Thursday, July 2, 2025.
The southwestern tip of Western Australia is the latest corner of the country to see exceptionally heavy winter rainfall, with 24-hour totals topping 100mm at some locations, and over 250,000 lightning strikes causing costly shutdown procedures.

Storms and heavy downpours pelted much of the South West Land Division on Wednesday as a cold front and associated low pressure system moved in from the Indian Ocean, with the most intense rainfall occurring in the late afternoon and early evening.

Skies were ablaze as the storms crossed the coastline, with more than 250,000 lightning strikes detected within 500km of Perth.

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Tsunami

51 dead, 22 missing amid torrential rains, flash floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh, India


NDTV
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:35 UTC
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At least 51 people have lost their lives and 22 others are missing in Himachal Pradesh as torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides continue to wreak havoc across the state during the ongoing monsoon season, according to the latest official data.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), under the Department of Revenue, Government of Himachal Pradesh, released a cumulative damage assessment report on July 2, covering the period from June 20 to July 1. The report reveals significant damage to human lives, private properties, livestock, and public infrastructure across the state's 12 districts.

"A total of 51 deaths have been reported so far due to multiple causes, including flash floods, drowning, landslides, lightning strikes, and road accidents. The number of missing persons currently stands at 22, with Mandi district reporting the highest -- 10 deaths and all 34 missing persons -- primarily due to flash floods and cloudbursts," the SEOC said in its report.

The report further stated that 103 people have been injured in monsoon-related incidents.


Comment: Some earlier reports from the period concerned:

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Bizarro Earth

Las Vegas valley sees high winds, over 33K customers without power, nearly 50 power poles damaged

Linsey Lewis
KLAS via MSN
Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:51 UTC
dust storm las vegas power outage downed poles
© KLASDowned power poles along Jones Boulevard near Tropicana Avenue after a massive dust storm his Las Vegas, NV July 1, 2025.
Over 33,000 NV Energy customers were without power, nearly 50 power poles were damaged, flights leaving Las Vegas were delayed, and a dust storm warning was issued after wind gusts reaching 70 mph were reported in the Las Vegas valley Tuesday.

At 3:30 p.m., the National Weather Service Las Vegas reported that gusts of 65 to 70 mph in the far southern parts of the valley. A severe thunderstorm warning for the Las Vegas valley was extended to 3:45 p.m. Tuesday.

A dust storm warning was put into effect around 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. Residents were told to be prepared for zero visibility. For those driving when visibility drops, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn the lights off and keep your foot off the brake. Infants, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues are urged to take precautions.

Comment:


One resident says the damage is way past what a 'wind storm' would do:

Full text:

Las Vegas Hit Hard - This Was No Ordinary Storm

Las Vegas looks shattered.
Power lines down across highways. Roads blocked. Entire neighborhoods in the dark.

The damage stretches for miles.
Officials call it "just wind"
But residents say it felt like a blast, not a breeze.

⚠️ Streets are wrecked
⚠️ Lights out citywide
⚠️ No warning. No logic.

This wasn't normal.
It didn't move like weather
It hit like a weapon.

What really struck Las Vegas?
People aren't buying the official line.


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Tsunami

Intense rains leave giant crater and neighborhoods underwater in Villavicencio, Colombia


Publimetro
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:09 UTC
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Villavicencio experienced a night of terror between Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, July 1. Intense rains caused the Parrado Canal to overflow, opening a huge chasm on a main road near a shopping center and flooding several urban areas.

Among the hardest-hit neighborhoods are La Rosita, El Samán, Chorillano, and Juan Pablo II, where nearly 100 homes were flooded, causing material damage to furniture, appliances, and personal belongings.

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Tornado2

Waterspout spotted off Lake Erie near Sandusky Bay


WTOL11
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:55 UTC
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WTOL 11 viewers sent photos and videos of the event, which set off outdoor warning sirens and made for some incredible views.


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Tsunami

Death toll rises to over 50 after Pakistan hit by flash floods and heavy rains (UPDATE)


Al Jazeera
Sat, 28 Jun 2025 12:37 UTC
MMMMMMM
Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 32 people since the start of the monsoon season earlier this week, according to the disaster management officials.

Flash floods and roof collapses over the past 36 hours have claimed the lives of 19 people, eight of them children, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management authority said in a statement on Saturday.

Of the total deaths, 13 were reported in the Swat Valley.

At least 13 people have been killed in the eastern province of Punjab since Wednesday, the area's disaster management authority said.

Eight of the deaths were children, who died when walls and roofs collapsed during heavy rain.


Comment: Update July 1

The Indo-Asian News Service reports:
Over 50 people have been killed in Pakistan over the last few days due to heavy rains and flash floods, with the highest toll reported from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 21 people lost their lives, including 10 children, local media reported on Tuesday.

In Balochistan, heavy rains have wreaked havoc in several districts of the province, including Lasbela, Hub, Barkhan, Zhob, Harnai and Dera Bugti, as five people have died and six others have been injured over the past two days in incidents of being swept away by floodwaters and drowning in dams.

Reports suggest that four members of the same family, including three women and a child, were killed after being carried away by flash floods in Zhob.
Related: Flash floods trap 73, drown 17 in Swat, Pakistan

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Tsunami

Record summer rainfall in central China leads to flooding and evacuations - month's worth of rain (14 inches) in just 12 hours on June 29


NBC News
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:24 UTC
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A record summer downpour in China's central province of Hubei dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours on the city of Xianfeng, prompting authorities on Tuesday to move 18,000 people to safety, shut schools, and suspend bus services.

Gushing brown torrents washed away cars in the city of 300,000 deluged on Monday night, local media videos showed online, as more than 14 inches of rain fell in one area.

State media said more than 18,000 were shifted to safety, while water and power supplies were disrupted, prompting the closure of schools and suspension of bus services.


Reuters
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Snowflake

Rare snow turns Argentina's Atlantic beaches white on June 30, for first time since 2013


SnowBrains
Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:36 UTC
Rare snowfall hits Argentina’s beaches.
© Lugares de NieveRare snowfall hits Argentina’s beaches.
Rare snow transformed Argentina's Atlantic coast into a winter wonderland on Monday, as an intense polar cold front swept across the country, blanketing beaches and resort towns in Buenos Aires Province. Residents of coastal communities such as Miramar, Monte Hermoso, Mar del Plata, Costa del Este, and San Eduardo del Mar awoke to find their sandy shores and streets hidden beneath a layer of snow, a phenomenon not seen in the region since 2013 and the heaviest snowfall in more than three decades.

Argentina's National Meteorological Service (SMN) explained that this unusual event was triggered by a surge of cold, humid air, driven northward by strong southern and southwestern winds. Temperatures in the affected areas dipped to between 0°C and 1°C, prompting weather alerts for both rain and snow.

The polar front's reach extended far beyond the coast, bringing rare snowfalls to areas such as Tucumán, southern Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza, Neuquén, and Chubut. In Trelew, snow returned after more than ten years, while in Puerto Madryn, a soccer match had to be suspended due to the weather. In the southern provinces of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, snowfall exceeded 10 inches (25 centimeters).

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