Richard Davies Floodlist Mon, 24 Jan 2022 18:32 UTC
New weather system triggers rain and snowfall in Pakistan
Disaster authorities in Pakistan report that heavy rain has caused damage to homes and triggered landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province from 20 January 2022. At least 8 people have lost their lives as a result.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported heavy rain late on 20 January caused a landslide near Alpuri, capital of Shangla District. A major road was blocked and a family home completely destroyed. Rescue teams worked at the site to search for residents trapped under the rubble. As of 23 January, 5 bodies had been recovered with at least 1 person still thought to be missing. Six people were rescued and survived.
Athens, Greece — Heavy snowfall disrupted air and road traffic Monday in the Greek capital of Athens and neighboring Turkey's largest city of Istanbul, while most of Greece, including — unusually — several Aegean islands, and much of Turkey were blanketed by snow.
The storm, named in Greece Elpida, or "hope," snarled traffic in both Athens and Istanbul, a metropolis of 16 million people.
Flights in and out of Istanbul Airport were suspended until 4 a.m. Tuesday (0100 GMT). Authorities worked to clear runways and a road leading to the airport, where the roof of a facility used by Turkish Airlines' cargo department collapsed from the weight of snow. No one was hurt.
Authorities in Istanbul also suspended intercity bus services and temporarily blocked travel to the city from Turkey's Thrace region. People stranded on roads abandoned vehicles to walk home or crowded subway and other public transportation stations. Schools across Turkey are closed for a winter break, but universities halted classes for two days. Public offices and shopping malls closed early to ease rush-hour congestion.
Flurries were forecast to continue over the next few days in Istanbul. The Turkish city's Disaster Coordination Center AKOM said an Icelandic low-pressure system is behind the cold front and precipitation.
In Greece, authorities warned the public to limit outdoor movements to only essential ones on Monday and Tuesday, while schools in many areas were closed. Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said more than 46,000 school classes were being held online.
One person is missing and several were injured after heavy rain triggered floods and mudslides in the Cusco Region of Peru, including in the tourist town of Aguas Calientes. close to the Machu Picchu UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Alcamayo River burst its banks early 21 January following overnight heavy rain, sending a torrent of mud, rocks and debris through the streets of Aguas Calientes.
As of 24 January, 1 person was reported missing, 4 injured and 5 displaced. Five buildings and a bridge were destroyed. Several other buildings, bridges and stretches of road and railway line were also damaged. Railway operations in the area were temporarily suspended. A team of 120 people made up of military, police, firefighters and local volunteers, continued to search for the missing person.
The snowfall in Galiyat, Murree and other upper parts of the country has stopped and down south, the cold in Karachi has intensified with the mercury dipping to the single digits.
The second spell of snow in Murree, Galiyat and other areas has stopped but the cold intensified. On Monday, the temperature of the northern areas was below -4 degrees Celsius.
Malkae Kohsar has received 3 feet of snow and Galyat 4 feet.
On the other hand, roads have been blocked in the six districts of Azad Kashmir because of snowfall and heavy showers.
Balochistan is also experiencing snowfall and rain. This winter Quetta has seen record-breaking snowfall, according to the Met Office.
A number of tourists headed to Hanna Lake, which has frozen over. But roads were blocked by snow. They have now been cleared, authorities have confirmed.
Heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh since Saturday night has brought life to a standstill, particularly in tribal areas.
More than 730 roads, including four national highways, have been blocked for traffic due to the inclement weather.
Maximum 289 roads are closed in Shimla and 181 in Lahaul-Spiti.
Lahaul-Spiti superintendent of police Manav Verma said the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang (ATR) has been closed for traffic.
The Manali-Leh highway is closed for all types of vehicles (from Solang to Sissu) due to heavy snowfall in Lahaul Valley. There is almost three feet of snow in the Valley. The weather is mostly cloudy and snowfall is continuing, he said.
Over 700 electricity transformers, mostly in Shimla, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba have been hit due to the snowfall, causing the suspension of power supply in the remote areas. Over 100 water supply schemes have also been hit.
A skier in northern Finland was treated to a stunning display as the vivid aurora borealis and a bright moon shone in the sky early on Saturday 15 January. Jari Romppainen filmed the footage in Ranua, a municipality in the Finnish province of Lapland. According to Finland's national tourist site, the northern lights are visible for about 200 nights a year from Lapland.
A section of the Olympic Dam Highway connecting Woomera and Roxby Downs was washed away by floodwaters.
Rescue crews have been kept busy by outback floodwaters and record-breaking rains, which have continued to cause havoc in South Australia's north and west, washing away roads as well as cars.
The weather bureau said some locations had set "all-time records" in terms of rainfall, while social media is awash with photos and videos of inundated highways.
Several people were rescued by the State Emergency Service (SES) after becoming trapped by floodwaters — including one who was swept 80 metres downstream and waited on top of his semi-submerged car for "at least four hours" as crews travelled to his remote location.
An entire section of the Olympic Dam Highway was also eroded between Pimba and Woomera, cutting off access from Roxby Downs.
My parents often wondered why I would grow so indignant at the falsification and exploitation of the Nazi genocide. The most obvious answer is that it has been used to justify criminal policies of the Israeli state and US support for these policies.
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Comment: Rare sight as Mykonos and all Cyclades are covered by snow in Greece