Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rainfall of 114mm (4.5 inches) an hour cause of flash floods across Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Flash floods were reported in parts of Kuala Lumpur following a morning downpour on Tuesday (Oct 15).
Flash floods were reported in parts of Kuala Lumpur following a morning downpour on Tuesday (Oct 15).
Unusually high and continuous rainfall from 8.30am this morning in Kuala Lumpur caused major rivers, including Sungai Batu, Sungai Klang, and Sungai Gombak, to overflow, which led to flooding in several areas.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Corporate Planning Department, in a statement, 60mm of rain was recorded during this time, which was well above the average.

"Rainfall readings at the city centre station exceeded 114mm per hour, which is 54mm higher than the norm," the statement read.

DBKL added that its personnel had been deployed to manage the situation, including directing traffic to ease congestion.


Snowflake

Early snowfall causes traffic jams on Otmok pass, Kyrgyzstan

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Snowfall on Otmok pass is creating traffic jams on Suusamyr - Talas - Taraz road on October 15, drivers say.

The special equipment is cleaning the road surface.

Due to the sharp change in weather and snowfall, drivers moving on Bishkek - Talas route are recommended to have snow chains, not to drive on the oncoming lane during traffic jams, not to hinder the movement of special equipment to the place of traffic jams, not to use summer tires, change tires for winter tires, keep a safe distance between the cars.

The movement of trucks on Suusamyr - Talas - Taraz road has been suspended.


Doberman

Minor girl mauled to death by stray dogs in south Kashmir, India

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A minor girl was mauled to death by stray dogs in Awantipora area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday, officials said.

An official said that the girl was attacked and grievously injured by stray dogs outside her residence in Beighpora locality of Awantipora. He said that the girl was shifted to a nearby hospital from where she was referred to Srinagar, reported news agency KNO.

"Soon after reaching Srinagar hospital, she succumbed to her injuries." She has been identified as Zobia Gulzar (08) daughter of Gulzar Ahmad Naikoo of Beighpora.

Tsunami

Hundreds dead, more than 1 million displaced due to Niger floods since June

Major floods in Niger, caused by torrential rains, resulted in considerable losses of equipment, livestock, and food supplies.
Major floods in Niger, caused by torrential rains, resulted in considerable losses of equipment, livestock, and food supplies.
Torrential rains in Niger have left 339 people dead and more than 1.1 million displaced since June, state media reported Tuesday, updating a previous toll.

Niger's interior minister last month stated at least 273 were dead and more than 700,000 affected as extreme weather slammed the Sahel nation.

As of September 23, the floods had impacted more than 1.1 million people, resulting in 339 fatalities and leaving another 383 injured, state news agency ANP said Tuesday, quoting the country's civil protection agency.

Areas throughout the country were affected, including the capital Niamey, where nine people had died.

The floods also resulted in "major losses" of equipment, livestock and food supplies.


Comment: Relevant: Thunderstorms are bringing unprecedented greening to the southern Sahara desert

See also these recent reports about nearby countries in the region:


Cloud Precipitation

Roads flood on Spain's Costa del Sol as storm Berenice lashes Andalucia

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This is the moment drivers found themselves travelling through steep water on the Costa del Sol this morning.

Drivers were advised to avoid the A7 motorway in the direction of San Pedro de Alcantara in Marbella following a night and morning of heavy rainfall.

Footage shared online showed a large stretch of the motorway completely submerged by rainwater.

Cars were seen struggling to pass through the water as it almost submerged their tires.


Cloud Precipitation

Sri Lanka closes schools as floods hammer the capital Colombo, 3 killed

A man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
© Eranga JayawardenaA man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
Lanka closed schools in the capital Colombo and suburbs on Monday as heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the island nation.

Heavy downpours over the weekend have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. Three people drowned, while some 134,000 people have been affected by flooding, according to the country's Disaster Management Centre.

The center said rains and floods have damaged 240 houses and nearly 7,000 people have been evacuated. Authorities have cut electricity in some areas as a precaution.

Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials.

Local television channels showed flooded towns in the suburbs of Colombo. In some areas, waters reached the roofs of houses and shops.

Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather conditions since May, mostly caused by heavy monsoon rains. In June, 16 people died due to floods and mudslides.


Snowflake Cold

Cold devastates UK growing season—second-worst harvest ever

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The UK is enduring its second-worst harvest on record (to 1983), with cold, damp weather crippling crops from wheat to grapes.

Despite analysts predictably blaming "climate change", the reality is that it's unseasonal cold and wet conditions—exactly the opposite of the warm, dry future they've long forecasted—that have devastated the growing season.

Wine production has suffered the biggest losses, as you might expect, with some regions seeing yields plummet by 75%. Wheat output is down 21%, while winter barley and oilseed rape have declined 26% and 32%. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates a £600m hit for farmers, as key crop production slumped 15% overall.

The persistently cold and soggy conditions stunted growth and delayed planting, forcing a costly shift to less productive spring crops. Vineyards were plagued by mold and disease, and grape yields, particularly across the southwest, have proven a disaster.

Windsock

Powerful storm knocks out power to 1.4 million homes in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 7 killed

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Around 1.4 million households in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were without power on Saturday almost 24 hours after a brief but powerful storm swept through South America's largest metropolis. At least seven people were killed.

Officials in Sao Paulo state said that record wind gusts Friday night of up to 67 mph (108 kph) knocked down transmission lines and uprooted trees, causing severe damage in some parts. The storm also shut down several airports and interrupted water service in several areas, according to the state government.

One person died when a tree fell on an outdoor stall, authorities said. At least six other people in surrounding Sao Paulo state also died.

Authorities originally expected to restore power within a few hours. But several neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, which is home to 21 million people, were still in the dark on Saturday, and authorities were urging residents to limit their consumption of water.


Cloud Lightning

Best of the Web: Tornadoes, floods as Hurricane Milton carves path of destruction in Florida - 3 million without power - at least 21 dead, 45 tornadoes reported (UPDATE)

A car is stranded after Hurricane Milton
© Miguel J Rodriguez Carrillo/AFPA car is stranded after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Brandon, Florida, on October 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton has left a trail of destruction in Florida as it whipped up tornadoes and brought torrential rains and raging winds that destroyed homes and knocked out power for millions of people in the US state.

While the National Hurricane Center said on Thursday that the storm, which made landfall on the state's western coast hours earlier, had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, it was still hurtling through Florida with wind speeds of 150 km/h (93mph).

Milton made landfall at about 8:30pm (00:30 GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 195km/h (121mph) near Siesta Key, Florida.

The storm is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses the Florida peninsula and emerges into the Atlantic on Thursday, forecasters said, despite it running out of steam.

At least 19 tornadoes ripped across the southern part of Florida, hundreds of miles from the centre of the storm, as it neared land.

More than 3 million people in Florida were left without power power as of 3:58am (07:58 GMT), according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks supplies, with the state's west coast worst affected.


Comment: Update

NDTV.com reports:
Hurricane Milton plowed into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after cutting a destructive path across Florida that spawned tornados, killed at least 10 people and left millions without power, but the storm did not trigger the catastrophic surge of seawater that was feared.

Governor Ron DeSantis said the state had avoided the "worst-case scenario," though he cautioned the damage was still significant. The Tampa Bay area appeared to sidestep the storm surge that had prompted the most dire warnings.

US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House briefing the government had reports of at least 10 deaths from Milton, adding it appeared they were caused by tornados.

In St. Lucie County on Florida's east coast, a spate of tornados killed five people, including at least two in the senior-living Spanish Lakes Communities, county spokesperson Erick Gill said. Search-and-rescue teams there are combing through hard-hit areas, including a mobile-home park.

There were 19 confirmed tornados in Florida as of 8 pm Wednesday, about the time Milton made landfall, DeSantis said. Some 45 tornados were reported throughout the day, mostly in the central and eastern parts of the state, the National Weather Service said.
Update October 13

Reuters reports:
The death toll in Florida from Hurricane Milton climbed to 21 on Saturday, days after the monstrous Category 3 storm ravaged the state with over 100 miles per hour winds, a near-record storm surge and a historic tornado outbreak.

According to Fox Weather, the deadly hurricane left nearly four million people without power in the coastal state of the United States, where normalcy still eludes much of the state amid continued recovery efforts.

The deaths mainly resulted from strong tornadoes that swept through the state ahead of Milton's landfall.

At least two were killed by falling trees and another by stepping on an active downed power line in the storm's aftermath, officials said, according to Fox Weather.

As communities assess and clean up the damage in the aftermath of the recent back-to-back major hurricanes on both coasts, extensive power outages continue to exacerbate the situation.



Seismograph

Magnitude-6.2 offshore earthquake occurs west of Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

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A magnitude-6.2 earthquake occurred off the northwestern coast of Costa Rica at around 12:43 Oct. 12. The epicenter was about 42 km (26 miles) northwest of Tamarindo, Guanacaste Province.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 18 km (12 miles), and moderate shaking was probably felt in western coastal areas of Guanacaste Province, as well as light shaking throughout parts of northwestern Costa Rica and southwestern Nicaragua.

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas.

Light-to-moderate aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.