Floods
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Tornado2

Tornado damages homes in Greater Manchester as Storm Gerrit batters Britain


Guardian
Thu, 28 Dec 2023 13:22 UTC
Damage to properties caused by a localised tornado in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester
© Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNPDamage to properties caused by a localised tornado in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester
Thousands of homes without power and rail travel in chaos after strong winds, heavy snow and rain

A major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester, where a "localised tornado" has swept through the Tameside area, damaging about 100 properties and leaving thousands of homes without power.

Storm Gerrit, the latest named storm to reach the UK, has also caused heavy snow, high winds and rain in parts of Scotland, where fallen trees, branches and other debris have brought down power lines.

Flood waters have risen in areas across the UK, with 20 warnings in place for expected flooding in North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Midlands.

A further 124 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, are in place in England, particularly in the north and west. There are nine flood warnings and 18 flood alerts in Scotland, and one flood warning and 17 alerts in Wales.

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Boat

Severe floods hit Europe, inhabitants evacuate their homes on Christmas Day


Euronews
Tue, 26 Dec 2023 13:17 UTC
The Saale river has flooded between Halle and Roepzig. Pic: AP
© APThe Saale river has flooded between Halle and Roepzig, Germany.
On Christmas Day, residents in parts of Germany were forced to evacuate their homes due to heavy rains and saturated ground, resulting in widespread flooding and high water levels. Particularly affected were areas in the regions of Thuringia and Lower Saxony.

Footage from the village of Windehausen in Thuringia depicted homes, fields, and streets submerged in floodwaters, with displaced individuals seeking refuge at an emergency shelter. Bodo Ramelow, the governor of Thuringia, cautioned from the shelter on Monday that it might take several days before people could safely return home.

He stated, "They will only be able to return when the cellars have been pumped out, when the electricity is back on, and when the connection to the sewage system has been restored."

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Boat

Floods in Democratic Republic of Congo kill at least 62 people (UPDATE)


Africanews.com
Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:55 UTC
The hourslong rainfall in the district of Kananga in Kasai Central province destroyed many houses
The hours-long rainfall in the district of Kananga in Kasai Central province destroyed many houses
Flooding triggered by heavy rains in central Congo killed at least 22 people, including 10 from the same family, a local official said Tuesday.

The hours-long rainfall in the district of Kananga in Kasai Central province destroyed many houses and structures, the province's governor, John Kabeya, said as rescue efforts intensified in search of survivors.

Five more deaths were confirmed later on Tuesday in addition to the initially reported death toll of 17, he said.


Comment: Update

Reuters reports:
At least 40 more people have died in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities said, after heavy downpours overnight Tuesday unleashed floods and landslides that left residents digging through the mud to find bodies.

In the city of Bukavu, onlookers gathered to watch on Wednesday as a group of men hauled a car out of the mud to recover a woman's body from underneath, a Reuters witness said.

At least 20 people died in Bukavu and at least 20 more were killed in the village of Burinyi, 50 kilometers from Bukavu, according to officials in the two places.

Bukavu resident Yvonne Mukupi, who was able to stay clear of the deluge, said her neighbor was swept away by the flood waters.

"We have managed to recover three bodies under the trees, but others have not been found yet," she said.

Poor urban planning and weak infrastructure make communities like Mukupi's more vulnerable to extreme rainfall, which is becoming more intense and frequent in Africa because of warming temperatures, according to United Nations climate experts.

"When rain falls, the main waterway gets clogged sometimes because of the waste, so it gets flooded and it affects the houses," Bukavu official Emmanuel Majivuno Kalimba told Reuters at the scene, as residents worked to salvage belongings from their damaged homes.

The overnight devastation follows the deaths of at least 22 people in Kasai-Central province on Tuesday when a landslide swallowed houses, churches and roads, killing entire families and leaving people homeless.


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Cloud Lightning

Australia: Child among 10 killed after severe summer storms hit country's east

Kathryn Armstrong
BBC
Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:37 UTC
Roofs were torn off homes and electricity poles ripped from the ground in Queensland
© ABCRoofs were torn off homes and electricity poles ripped from the ground in Queensland
At least 10 people, including a nine-year-old girl, have died in eastern Australia during severe thunderstorms on Christmas and Boxing Day.

Most of the deaths were in the state of Queensland, where tens of thousands of people are still without power.

Victoria and New South Wales were also hit by widespread flooding and destructive winds.

Further thunderstorms have been forecast but conditions are expected to improve over the next day.

The winds were so strong in places, they tore roofs off buildings, felled trees and ripped concrete-based electricity poles from the ground.

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Cloud Precipitation

Flooding in many parts of the Netherlands


Netherlands Times
Tue, 26 Dec 2023 15:19 UTC
Water filled a floodplain along the Waal River in Varik, Gelderland. 26 December 2023
© NL TimesWater filled a floodplain along the Waal River in Varik, Gelderland. 26 December 2023
The rainy Christmas Day has caused significant inconvenience throughout the Netherlands. The problems are mainly in Overijssel and Gelderland, but also in Drenthe and Noord-Brabant where people were troubled by flooded basements, roads, and cycle paths. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said authorities were on top of the high water situation despite the national holiday.

"The high water is causing nuisance in various parts of the country. We are closely monitoring the situation and taking measures where necessary," Rutte wrote on X. "I wish everyone in the Netherlands dealing with the unpleasant consequences of the heavy rainfall a lot of strength." He went on to thank infrastructure workers at Rijkswaterstaat, regional water board staff, those tasked with protecting the dikes, and emergency services personnel for "working so hard, even during the holidays."

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Boat

More than 25,000 people seeking shelter at 241 flood relief centres in East Coast states of Malaysia

Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah, Zatul Iffah Zolkiply, Paya Linda Yahya, Hidayatidayu Razali
The New Straits Times
Tue, 26 Dec 2023 14:50 UTC
Children wade through floodwaters in Bandar Kuala Berang, Kuala Terengganu, followiing heavy rain.
© NSTP/GHAZALI KORIChildren wade through floodwaters in Bandar Kuala Berang, Kuala Terengganu, followiing heavy rain.
The flood situation in the East Coast states has taken a turn for the worse with thousands of residents evacuated from their homes and seeking shelter at 238 flood relief centres.

According to https://infobencanajkmv2.jkm.gov.my website, a total of 25,816 people from 7,493 families are seeking shelter at 238 flood relief centres in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang as of 2.30pm today.

In Kelantan, a total of 15,119 people from 4,567 families are seeking shelter at 91 flood relief centres in eight districts namely Gua Musang, Jeli, Kota Bharu, Kuala Krai, Machang, Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh and Tanah Merah.

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Windsock

Severe summer storms leave thousands in eastern Australia without power


Anadolu Agency
Sun, 24 Dec 2023 14:54 UTC
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Thousands of residents in Australia's eastern state of Queensland remained without power after a "very dangerous" storm swept through the region for the second time in 12 hours, local media reported on Sunday.

Storms are expected to continue along the entire Australian east coast until Boxing Day due to an unusual weather pattern, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said, citing the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

A storm cell that stretched from the Darling Downs to northern New South Wales brought heavy rain, strong winds, and hail.

Thunderstorms have downed 120 power lines, leaving approximately 57,000 customers without power, said a spokesman for Energex, a Queensland government-owned electricity company that serves 1.5 million homes and businesses in the southeastern part of the state.

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Cloud Precipitation

Lebanon floods: 4 refugee children killed, MP almost drowns

Najia Houssari
Arab News
Sat, 23 Dec 2023 14:24 UTC
A man, background, drives his car in front a car submerged in flood water at a highway flooded by the rains, in Beirut on Dec. 23, 2023. (
© APA man, background, drives his car in front a car submerged in flood water at a highway flooded by the rains, in Beirut on Dec. 23, 2023.
Heavy rainfall in the Zgharta region in northern Lebanon has caused a landslide, killing four Syrian refugee children.

The Lebanese Civil Defense sent out rescue missions to help those trapped in their vehicles or homes, remove mud and rocks from the roads, and release water from flooded areas.

The children were killed after the ceiling of a room made of corrugated iron collapsed on them during heavy rain.

The quantity of rain that fell on Saturday along the Lebanese coasts and inland areas is being blamed for the tragedy.

MP Halima Kaakour nearly drowned while she was swimming in the sea during the stormy weather.

She was rushed to the hospital after swallowing a large amount of water.

The low-pressure system affecting Lebanon will last until early Monday morning before gradually subsiding.

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Cloud Precipitation

Hamburg, Germany hit by heavy floods in north Europe storm


Guardian
Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:43 UTC
A powerful storm swept across northern Europe, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding.
A powerful storm swept across northern Europe, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding.
Parts of Hamburg were totally submerged on Friday after the Elbe river overflowed causing flooding in nearby streets.

The severe weather was triggered by a storm in northern Europe that brought heavy rains and strong winds.

Germany's railway authority reported travel disruption along certain routes out of Hamburg.

Source: AP


Comment: Related: High tides and storm Pia bring flooding to Dutch coastal towns

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Cloud Precipitation

High tides and storm Pia bring flooding to Dutch coastal towns


DutchNews
Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:21 UTC
Flooding in Den Oever.
© ANP / Hollandse HoogteFlooding in Den Oever.
The combination of high tides and strong winds brought by storm Pia led to overnight flooding in several parts of the Netherlands on Thursday night, and storm surge barriers all along the coast were closed.

The Maeslantkering, the 420 metre flood defence barrier at Hoek van Holland closed automatically for the first time because of the high water but opened again in the early hours of the morning.

In Oudeschild, on the Wadden island of Texel, the water level reached 2.7 metres above NAP, or Normaal Amsterdams Peil. NAP is equivalent to the average level of the North Sea and is the standard for measuring water levels in rivers and canals in the Netherlands.

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