Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Phuket in Thailand hit by flash floods after overnight downpour

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Flash floods hit Phuket after heavy overnight rain, flooding key areas like Koh Sirey and Karon. Authorities warn of landslides and more rain ahead.

Several areas of the popular island province were hit by flash floods on Wednesday morning following heavy overnight rainfall, causing widespread disruption and prompting weather warnings across southern Thailand.

According to local officials, the worst-affected areas were Koh Sirey, a small island connected to Phuket's mainland by a bridge, and Tambon Karon. Both locations fall within the Mueang District, which has experienced severe flooding in recent months.

Numerous roads across these areas became inundated, raising concerns about potential mudslides on nearby hillsides. Authorities are actively monitoring risk zones and urging residents to stay alert.


Snowflake

Mid-April snow falls in Ireland as weather warnings in place for 10 counties

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People taking photos of the snow at Lough Bray Upper on Powerscourt Mountain in Co Wicklow.
Snow fell in a number of counties on Wednesday morning as rain warnings remain in effect until Wednesday afternoon

After the warmest weather of the year last week, conditions have turned full circle in Ireland within days with some counties experiencing snow on Wednesday morning.

Weather expert Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather relayed reports of snow in Wexford and Wicklow on X on Wednesday morning after a cold and wet start to the day, particularly in the east of the country.

The rare arrival of snow in mid-April comes as weather warnings remain in place for 10 counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

A Status Yellow rain warning issued by Met Éireann for Dublin, Louth, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow came into effect at 9pm on Tuesday night and will remain in place until 2pm this afternoon.


Snowflake

Heavy spring snow whitens Mahneshan, Iran

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The Spring snowfall has whitened Mahneshan County in Iran's Zanjan province.


Comment: Also of note, significant damage to the region's orchards has been reported.


Cloud Precipitation

Unstable weather triggers flooding in parts of Azerbaijan - 3 killed (UPDATE)

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Since yesterday, the ongoing unstable and rainy weather conditions across Azerbaijan have led to a number of complications, including flooding in several areas, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement, APA reports.

In response to the heavy rainfall, the Ministry has deployed its forces to carry out water drainage operations in flooded areas of Baku and Ganja, as well as in Khirdalan, Absheron district, evacuating citizens in need of assistance, and implementing other necessary safety measures

At present, operations are continuing at several locations with the involvement of the Ministry's State Fire Protection Service, Special Risky Rescue Service, and the Baku Regional Center.


Comment: Update April 17

en.apa.az reports:
Bodies of three oil workers who drowned in flood in Azerbaijan's Shabran found

Another body was found in the river in Shabran, APA's Northern Bureau reports.

The person whose body was found has been identified as Fuzuli Mavlud Pashayev, a 63-year-old employee of the "Siyazanneft" Oil and Gas Production Department and a resident of the Siyazan district.

The body was discovered near the village of Daghbiliji in the Shabran district, by the riverbank. It is reported that he drowned in the flood.

The incident is currently under investigation.

According to information obtained, the two other individuals who drowned alongside him in the flood — Mammadov Gahraman Nurmammad and Nagiyev Hafiz Etibar — were also employees of the "Siyazanneft" Oil and Gas Production Department.



Cloud Precipitation

Intense hailstorm hits Vacaria, Brazil

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Residents face disruption as hailstorm blankets streets and roofs in white after unexpected weather event.

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the municipality of Vacaria, located in the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul, experienced an unexpected and intense hailstorm. The storm, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, began around 2:30 PM and affected several neighborhoods, including Kms 4 and 5, Franciosi, Altos da Glória, Vitória, Jardim dos Pampas, Jardim América, Glória, Cohaab, and Municipal.

According to the local Civil Defense, this unusual weather phenomenon, referred to as a "saraivada de granizo," was characterized by a significant volume of small hailstones. Although the individual stones were small, the sheer quantity that fell was astonishing, leading to streets and yards being blanketed in white. Residents captured images showing thick layers of ice covering their properties and public spaces.


Cloud Precipitation

Freak hailstorm hits the island of Mallorca, Spain leaving 2 inch covering of ice

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An unexpected hailstorm hit the Mallorca village of Puigpunyent in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The municipality in the Serra de Tramuntana has been affected by the unstable weather in the days leading up to Easter. The village woke up to find streets covered in white, with up to two inches of ice, as reported by the Meteo de les illes met. office on its WhatsApp channel and social networks.

The Guardia Civil and emergency services are working to control traffic and remove the ice from the road. The freak storm in Puigpunyent this morning has left several roads closed. The local council has asked residents to avoid travelling until the safety of the affected sections has been improved.

According to information from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), heavy rain has fallen in Mallorca in the past few hours, especially in the Serra de Tramuntana, and has left notable records in the Alfàbia-Bunyola mountain range (27.5 l/m2) and the Puerto Soller (18.4 l/m2).


Seismograph

Shallow magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes remote area of the South Indian Ocean

Epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake in the South Indian Ocean
Epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake in the South Indian Ocean
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake has struck the South Indian Ocean, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). No tsunami warnings or advisories have been issued.

The quake occurred at 9:43 p.m. ET, with its epicenter located on the southeast Indian Ridge. It struck at a preliminary depth of approximately 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), according to USGS data.

The location was remote, far from any populated areas. The nearest settlement was Augusta, in Western Australia, more than 1,200 miles (1,966 km) away. The USGS data showed that no population was expected to have felt the tremor.

No tsunami advisories or warnings were issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), which is also responsible for issuing alerts for tsunami threats in the Indian Ocean.

SOTT Logo Media

SOTT Focus: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - March 2025: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

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A shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar near Mandalay, killing more than 5,350 people, injuring nearly 8,000, and destroying thousands of buildings, including Mandalay's royal palace and the Ava Bridge, with the damage exacerbated by the country's ongoing civil war and compromised infrastructure. International aid from neighbouring countries such as China, India and Thailand poured into Myanmar to help with the relief effort.

In Thailand, the earthquake was felt in 77 provinces, prompting evacuations and causing temporary disruption to transport and services. The low-frequency seismic waves caused a 33-storey high-rise building under construction in Bangkok to collapse, killing 51 people and leaving dozens missing.

The tremor was felt in eastern India, particularly in Kolkata and West Bengal, causing minor structural damage but no reported fatalities. In Bangladesh, tremors were reported in Dhaka and Chittagong, leading to evacuations and temporary power cuts, with at least two people injured in stampedes caused by panic.

Snowflake

April snow closes roads in the Serra da Estrela, Portugal

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© @Meteo Trás os Montes - Portugal
"Sections 11 (Piornos-Torre), 12 (Torre-Torre) and 13 (Portela do Arão-Torre) have been closed since 7:10 pm on Monday due to snowfall. There is still no forecast for the reopening of the road," a source from the Sub-regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of Beiras and Serra da Estrela told Lusa news agency.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) had predicted snowfall at the highest points of the Serra da Estrela, dropping the altitude to 1,400/1,600 metres at the end of this Monday, as well as a sharp drop in temperature.

For today, IPMA maintains the forecast of snowfall in the highlands of the northern and central interior, above 1,000/1,200 meters in altitude, lowering the level to 800/1000 meters in altitude in the extreme north until early morning.

A slight drop in temperature and the formation of ice or frost are also expected in some places in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes and Beira Alta.


Wolf

Child succumbs to injuries after wolf attack in Uttar Pradesh, India

An eight-year-old boy in Bahraich’s Hardi area died after being attacked and dragged by a wolf, sparking fresh panic in the Mahsi region.
An eight-year-old boy in Bahraich’s Hardi area died after being attacked and dragged by a wolf, sparking fresh panic in the Mahsi region.
A sense of fear has gripped the Mahsi area of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh after a dreaded wolf attacked an eight-year-old boy. In the Hardi area, the wolf attacked and dragged the child away. Although the child screamed and the family raised an alarm--prompting the wolf to release him--he had already sustained serious injuries. Unfortunately, the child later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

In Sisaiya Churaman village of Hardi area, eight-year-old Ghanshyam was sleeping next to his mother on Sunday night when a wolf attacked him. The wolf started dragging the child away, but the child's screams alerted the family, and they rushed to rescue the child. After hearing the commotion, the wolf, startled, abandoned the child and fled. By that time, the wolf had dragged the child a considerable distance from the house. Ghanshyam suffered severe injuries from the wolf's sharp teeth. Immediately, he was rushed to a hospital where he breathed his last while undergoing treatment on Tuesday.

Comment: Details of the attacks from last year in the same district: Girl killed in wolf attack in Uttar Pradesh, India - 10th such incident for Bahraich area in 2024