Earth ChangesS


Windsock

Typhoon Wutip leaves 3 dead, thousands displaced in central Vietnam

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Typhoon Wutip has caused widespread devastation in central Vietnam, resulting in three fatalities and significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure, according to the Vietnam News Agency on Saturday.

Two individuals lost their lives in Trieu Phong district, Quang Tri province, during flood prevention efforts, while a third person drowned in Hai Lang district. In neighbouring Quang Binh province, four people remain missing as search and rescue operations intensify under improving weather conditions.

The flooding has submerged over 21,000 hectares of rice fields, alongside vast areas of vegetable crops and aquaculture ponds. Tens of thousands of poultry have perished, compounding the agricultural losses. Severe flooding has inundated homes, blocked transport routes, and forced evacuations across lowland and mountainous regions, though river levels are now beginning to recede.

The storm, which has weakened to a severe tropical storm, made its second landfall near Leizhou City in Guangdong Province, China, at 12.30am on Saturday, with winds of up to 30 metres per second and a central pressure of 980 hectopascals. This followed its initial landfall near Dongfang City on China's Hainan Island late Friday night.

Wutip is currently moving northeast at a speed of 20 to 25 km per hour, skirting the border between Guangdong and Guangxi provinces while gradually losing intensity. The storm's impact has highlighted the region's vulnerability to severe weather and the urgent need for disaster preparedness.


Comment: Also in central Vietnam just a day prior to the above report: First in a century: Unprecedented summer flood submerges Vietnam's Hue City - almost 3 FEET of rain in 3 days


Snowflake Cold

Australia's sunshine state shivers—rare tropical frost hits Queensland as cold records fall

The hills hoist, an Australian invention, in a frozen backyard.
© ABC NewsThe hills hoist, an Australian invention, in a frozen backyard.
In a country better known for sun-soaked beaches and scorching summers, Australians have been bundling up—especially in Queensland, a state in northeastern Australia often nicknamed the "Sunshine State" due to its typically mild, subtropical climate. But this week, Queenslanders have faced a startling shift, as freezing temperatures swept far into the tropics, breaking decades-old cold records and delivering a frosty reality check to the nation's warm-weather image.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Oakey, located on the Darling Downs about two hours west of Brisbane, recorded the lowest temperature in the state in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. Thursday, a bone-chilling - 4.2°C (24.4°F). In the state capital Brisbane, the mercury dipped to 6.5°C (43.7°F)—its coldest June morning in 11 years and the coldest temperature recorded so far in 2025.


More remarkably, several towns north of the Tropic of Capricorn—squarely within Australia's tropical zone—dropped below freezing, a highly unusual event for the region:

Comment: Related: Australia blasts into ski season with up to 3 feet of snow in huge storm


Seismograph

Shallow earthquake of magnitude 6.1 rocks Kuril Islands, Russia

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An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on the Richter Scale jolted Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 6.1, On: 14/06/2025 00:05:11 IST, Lat: 46.01 N, Long: 153.38 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Kuril Islands."
EQ of M: 6.1, On: 14/06/2025 00:05:11 IST, Lat: 46.01 N, Long: 153.38 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Kuril Islands.

For more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/5gCOtjdtw0 @DrJitendraSingh @OfficeOfDrJS @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/gfO4Wk5JiJ

— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) June 13, 2025

Snowflake

Australia blasts into ski season with up to 3 feet of snow in huge storm

Australia gets major snow dump to kickoff ski season
Australia gets major snow dump to kickoff ski season
Southern Hemisphere ski season launches with Australia's biggest storm in years, 3 feet of powder, and lifts spinning from Lesotho to New Zealand.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO

The Southern Hemisphere's 2025 ski season got underway at the weekend. It's not quite clear if ski areas in Australia, New Zealand, or indeed Lesotho's Afriski were the first to get their lifts turning on a snowy slope or two, but by Saturday lunchtime, slopes were open in all three countries.

Australian resorts were the most obvious openers, with 75% of the country's ski areas opening at the weekend as a major snowstorm moved in — one of the biggest since 2022 — perfectly timed for the country's opening weekend. There was a big snowfall in New Zealand too, but most areas stuck to their plan of opening from this coming Friday, with nowhere opening early. However, the Manganui Ski Area, run by the Stratford Mountain Club — which aims to open whenever the snow is good enough — did get its lift running at the weekend after a 50cm (20") accumulation there. Lesotho's Afriski also appeared to start offering snowsports on a short slope of machine-made snow, if social media video posts are current.


Tsunami

Best of the Web: First in a century: Unprecedented summer flood submerges Vietnam's Hue City - almost 3 FEET of rain in 3 days

Phong Hoa Ward in Phong Dien Town, Hue City is severely inundated.
© Long NhatPhong Hoa Ward in Phong Dien Town, Hue City is severely inundated.
In a rare and historic weather event, Hue City in central Vietnam is being submerged by an unseasonal flood triggered by storm Wutip, which brought heavy rains to the central region - something not seen in the summer in over a century.

Floodwaters rose swiftly across several districts including Phu Xuan and Quang Dien, inundating homes and prompting emergency responses on Friday.

The widespread flooding began after three consecutive days of torrential rainfall from the impact of storm Wutip, the first to enter the East Vietnam Sea this year.

According to the Hue Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, rainfall has reached extreme levels, ranging from 160 to 400mm in many areas, with Phu Loc and A Luoi Districts recording 400-700mm.

On Friday morning, water levels in key rivers surged dramatically, with the iconic Huong River surpassing alert level two of flooding.

The Bo River neared level three, the highest on the scale.


Comment: CÔNG LÝ 247 reports:
Hue is experiencing a historic mid-summer flood due to the influence of storm No. 1. In the past three days, many places have recorded rainfall of up to nearly 900mm. The water level of Huong River and Bo River exceeded the alarm level, and hydroelectric dams simultaneously released floodwaters, causing many areas in Hue City to be severely flooded.
(Translated by Google)


Tsunami

15 vehicles swept away in San Antonio, Texas flooding, leaving 11 dead, several still missing - 6 inches of rain in 24 hours (UPDATE)

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At least eight people are dead and six are missing in San Antonio after floodwaters swept away 15 vehicles early Thursday.

Photos of the flooding show vehicles flipped and almost entirely submerged in the water.

The San Antonio Fire Department said on Friday that the death toll has risen to eight, with six people still unaccounted for.

"The primary search efforts are focused on the Salado Creek (Perrin Beitel event) and the Leon Creek near Highway 90 and Callaghan Rd areas," the department said in a statement to NBC News. "The SAFD has requested Urban Search and Rescue assistance from Texas A&M Task Force 1 and at least 40 highly trained search specialists will be assisting our efforts in these locations."

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Thursday that bodies were recovered at various locations, including Beitel Creek. One victim was found a mile away, fire officials said.

Search dogs found a victim farther downstream, the fire department said.


Comment: Foxweather.com reports:
[...]

San Antonio recorded 6.11 inches of rain, making it the second-wettest June day on record in 12 years.

The half-foot of rain also nearly doubles the previous daily record of 3.26 inches set back in 1973 and made Thursday the 10th-wettest day ever recorded at San Antonio International Airport.

[...]
Update June 14

The BBC reports:
At least 11 people have died and several are still missing after flash flooding hit San Antonio, Texas.

The severe storms on Wednesday and Thursday forced cars off roads, pushing some drivers into a creek, according to a local CBS, the BBC's US news partner.

The San Antonio Fire Department said rescuers were searching for at least four people missing in the floods.

Officials said the death toll may change and their search and recovery efforts will take days.



Lightning

Lightning kills 13 goats in Mugu, Nepal

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© Hari Krishna Aidi/TRN
Thirteen goats have been killed due to lightning at Jantalaina of Jhyari Gaun of Chhayanath Rara Municipality -8 in Mugu on Thursday.

Municipality ward number 8 Chair Karna Bahadur Rawal informed that lightning killed 13 goats of Ganesh Rawal and Banchurup Rawal at the pasture land on Thursday. (RSS)

Tsunami

Widespread flooding throughout Trinidad and Tobago

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WIDESPREAD flooding hit Trinidad and Tobago by noon yesterday, following heavy rainfall from Tuesday night which had already been preceded by frequent showers from the weekend. And a forecast for persistent, heavy rainfall has triggered an extended adverse weather alert until 4 p.m. today, as well as warnings that vulnerable communities brace for possible flooding.

Yesterday's downpour began before midday and was persistent in some areas of North and South Trinidad.

By noon, flooding was reported in Penal and by 1 p.m., the South-West Regional Health Authority took the decision to close the Rock Road Health Centre. However, the water had receded by mid-afternoon, which the corporation attributed to earlier mitigation works.

Some flooding was also reported in the San Francique area, and San Fernando and environs.

By yesterday evening, street flooding was impacting Coal Mine, Sangre Grande, as several streams overtopped. Flooding also hit the Manzanilla Mayaro Road and parts of Plum Mitan.

Flash flooding brought commercial and other daily activities to a near halt in parts of Malabar and Arima, also causing massive commuter pile-ups until late evening.


Volcano

Fountains of molten lava arc into the air as Hawaii's Kilauea erupts for the 25th time since 23 December 2024

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Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, one of the world's most active, erupted for the 25th time since 23 December 2024.
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, one of the world's most active, erupted for the 25th time since 23 December 2024.

The eruption lasted about 8 hours, with lava fountains from the north vent reaching over 1,000 ft (305 m), according to United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS warned that high levels of volcanic gas are a primary hazard of concern due to its far-reaching effects downwind.


Tsunami

At least 78 people have died in flooding in South Africa, officials say (UPDATE)

A man with a child look at a home submerged in floodwater in Mthatha
© Hoseya JubaseA man with a child look at a home submerged in floodwater in Mthatha
At least 49 people have died in flooding in South Africa's Eastern Cape province after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain and snow to parts of the country, officials said Wednesday.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said police provided the death toll.

The dead include six high school students who were washed away when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river on Tuesday, Mabuyane told journalists. He said four other students were missing.

He said the death toll was likely to rise: "As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered."

Mabuyane's office had reported seven deaths in the floods on Tuesday.


Comment: Update June 13

AP reports:
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the region Friday where devastating floods have left at least 78 people dead in the southeast of the country as search and rescue operations continued for a fourth day and authorities said they expect the death toll to rise.

Ramaphosa traveled to the town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape province, where the floods hit hardest when they began in the early hours of Tuesday.
Related: Rare snowfall blankets large parts of South Africa as cold front disrupts daily life - 300,000 properties without power