Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

South Africa - 2 dead, 4 missing and over 1,000 displaced after floods in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (UPDATE)

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Sun, 06 Feb 2022 10:44 UTC
Flood in Tshwane, South Africa, February 2022.
© City of TshwaneFlood in Tshwane, South Africa, February 2022.
At least 3 people are missing and dozens have evacuated their homes after severe flooding in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces in South Africa.

Gauteng Province

Heavy rainfall overnight, 04 to 05 February 2022, caused flooding in several parts of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni municipalities in Gauteng Province, including Mamelodi, Centurion and Olifantsfontein.

Tshwane's Disaster Management Centre was activated to coordinate rescue, evacuation, transportation, accommodation and relief efforts early on 05 February. The city government warned people to take necessary precautions when driving or walking near flood waters, and urged residents living next to rivers and streams to evacuate to a safer place. Emergency crews were deployed to carry out rescues and evacuations. Buses were brought in to transport evacuees. Some people took refuge on the roofs of buildings to avoid the flooding. As of 06 February there was no confirmed number of displacements.


Comment: Update: News24 reports on February 8:
Two people dead, 4 missing and more than 1 000 displaced by flooding in Tshwane metro

Two people died and more than 1 000 were displaced during heavy rain and flooding in the Tshwane metro over the last four days.

The body of a man was found on Sunday after a bakkie was washed away in the Centurion area on Friday night. A second body was found at the Soul City informal settlement in Mamelodi after a man "drowned in his shack", said Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso.

Tshwane metro rescue teams in Bosplaas, Hamanskraal.
Tshwane metro rescue teams in Bosplaas, Hamanskraal.
Emergency workers were still searching for three people - believed to be the driver of an Uber taxi and two passengers - who were washed away by the Olifantspruit in Midstream. The search was also continuing for a man in a boat who was washed over the Roodeplaat Dam wall over the weekend.

Rescue operations carried out by a multidisciplinary team saw 27 people rescued from vehicles trapped on flooded roads, low-water crossings and from the tops of trees.

More than 1 000 people were displaced by flooding. Temporary shelters were erected in Mamelodi, Hammanskraal and Pretoria West and relief parcels distributed to those affected.

Mop-up operations commenced in Centurion and Mamelodi, added Mabaso.

"We call on residents to remain on high alert, to never try to cross flooded low bridges, to move themselves and valuables to higher ground if under threat of flooding, and to immediately call for help by dialling our toll-free emergency number 107," he said.


Read More...
Snowflake

Deep snow is forcing bison onto Interior Alaska roads

Tim Ellis
ktoo.org
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:00 UTC
A half-dozen bison looking for food wandered into the driveway of Elena Powers’ home on Spruce Road in the agricultural area south of Delta Junction last month.
© Elena PowersA half-dozen bison looking for food wandered into the driveway of Elena Powers’ home on Spruce Road in the agricultural area south of Delta Junction last month.
Bison have been spending their winters in the farmlands near Delta Junction for decades. But this year's deep, icy snow pack has forced the animals to forage at farms and travel on roadways. And that's put both the bison and drivers at risk.

A video making the rounds on YouTube illustrates what can happen when vehicles encounter bison on a roadway. It shows how, with no other way to get around the vehicle except through deep snow off the sides of the road, the bison charged and trampled over the top of a car.

The car was seriously damaged, but the driver reportedly was OK. Neither he nor the person who recorded the video could be reached.

Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Cyclone Batsirai kills 10, displaces 48,000 in Madagascar - 146 mph gusts recorded (UPDATE)


RTE
Sun, 06 Feb 2022 13:47 UTC
A handout satellite image made available by NASA shows Cyclone Batsirai earlier this week
A handout satellite image made available by NASA shows Cyclone Batsirai earlier this week
Cyclone Batsirai killed at least ten people and displaced nearly 48,000 when it struck Madagascar overnight, the national disaster management agency said on Sunday.

Cyclone Batsirai later weakened but not before wreaking havoc in the poor Indian Ocean island nation which is still reeling from a deadly tropical storm earlier this year.

Parts of the country were lashed with heavy rains and wind before the cyclone made landfall in Mananjary.

It uprooted trees, destroyed buildings and forced residents to weigh down flimsy corrugated iron roofs along its path, AFP correspondents saw.

The rain will cause flooding across parts of the country, Madagascar's meteorological office said on Sunday.

Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Floods and torrential rain in Puerto Rico - 6 inches of rainfall in under 6 hours


NBC News
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:44 UTC
FLOOD
Dozens of schools in Puerto Rico closed on Monday following torrential rains that caused widespread flooding and several landslides across the U.S. Caribbean territory over the weekend.

The severe weather also knocked over several trees and forced authorities to close various main roads, with more than a dozen people remaining in shelters after their homes flooded.

Up to six inches of rain fell in less than six hours in some places, said Nino Correa, commissioner for the Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration.

Read More...
Fire

Ebeko Volcano erupts in Kuril Islands, Russia

Evgeny Mikhaylov
Sputnik
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:51 UTC
Ebeko
© Siberian TimesEbeko
Ebeko is one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands, which is believed to have erupted at least 11 times over the past 230 years.

Ebeko, a so-called somma volcano (a type of volcano within a volcano), located on the Kuril Islands in Russia, has woken up after a long period of mild activity, shooting a pillar of ashes into the sky.

A video of Ebeko emerged online, showing what were described as its "rocket launches" because the billows of smoke and the roaring sounds made it resemble a spaceport just a few seconds before take-off.

Although the locals have become used to such displays, many tourists come to the islands to witness such beauty with their own eyes, forgetting how dangerous these eruptions can be.

Read More...
Arrow Down

Nine killed in 3 days after more than 100 avalanches hit Austria (UPDATE)


The Guardian
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:21 UTC
Rescue helicopters stand on a street near the Gammerspitze summit in Tirol after an avalanche killed a 58-year-old local man.
© ReutersRescue helicopters stand on a street near the Gammerspitze summit in Tirol after an avalanche killed a 58-year-old local man.
Nine people died in three days during which more than 100 avalanches struck Austria, authorities said Sunday, as heavy snowfall followed by warmer weather made for unusually dangerous conditions.

Most of the avalanches hit the western Tyrol region and Friday alone saw five fatalities, rescue services said.

Police said that one incident had claimed the lives of a group of Swedish skiers going off-piste with a mountain guide in the zone around Ischgl, near the Swiss border.

The guide and four of the group were swept away with just one member surviving. He managed to call for help and was airlifted out by helicopter.


Comment: Footage of a recent avalanche in the country:



Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Power outages in Auckland, New Zealand following exceptional heavy rain - 17 inches in 26 hours

Stephanie Ockhuysen, Lucy Xia
Stuff
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:08 UTC
Surrey Hill Rd, in Oakura, is reduced to one lane after a slip on Sunday.
© JANE MATTHEWS/STUFFSurrey Hill Rd, in Oakura, is reduced to one lane after a slip on Sunday.
Power outages have hit parts of North and West Auckland as heavy rain continues to affect parts of the North Island on Monday.

A Vector spokeswoman said the wild weather caused a number of outages across Auckland with the biggest impact to Karekare, Huia, Torbay Heights and Parau.

She said crews were working to restore power for those areas, and the majority of customers had their power back as of 9.14am on Monday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) had received 28 weather related call-outs overnight across Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Northland.

Read More...
Fire

Stunning photo captured from space: New eruption at Krakatoa Volcano


Scitechdaily.com
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:50 UTC
Anak Krakatoa, or Krakatau, volcano on Rakata Island in Indonesia captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on February 3, 2022.
© ESAAnak Krakatoa, or Krakatau, volcano on Rakata Island in Indonesia captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission on February 3, 2022.
A new eruption started at the Anak Krakatoa, or Krakatau, volcano on Rakata Island in Indonesia on February 3, 2022, as seen in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. The eruption prompted the Anak Krakatau Volcano Observatory to raise the aviation color code to orange.

The eruption started at around 16:15 local time, with a thick column of gas, with possible volcanic ash content, rising to around 200 m above the crater.
Read More...
Attention

Dead baby humpback whale found near Honolulu, Hawaii


KHON2 News
Mon, 07 Feb 2022 11:56 UTC
Dead baby humpback whale found in Hawaii Kai
Dead baby humpback whale found in Hawaii Kai
A dead baby humpback whale was found in the Hawaii Kai area on O'ahu on Sunday, Feb. 6, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Bhutan witnessing heavy snowfall resulting in extremely cold conditions with one area hit by first snow in 64 years


The Nation Thailand
Sun, 06 Feb 2022 11:17 UTC
snow
Bhutan's high altitude dzongkhags including low altitude dzongkhags like Punakha, Wangduephodrang, Trashiyangtse, and Trongsa have been witnessing heavy snowfall since yesterday resulting in extremely cold conditions in these dzongkhags.

Punakha has experienced its first snowfall after decades.

On the account of the first snowfall after a decade in Trongsa, the Dzongkhag administration declared a holiday today. All the offices and financial institutions under Trongsa Dzongkhag will remain closed today.

Trashiyangtse also experienced its first snowfall after a decade.

Read More...