At least two people were killed and 11 injured in flash floods caused by heavy rain across Iraq.
The worst-hit areas were in the mountainous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, where a deluge of rainwater inundated streets on Tuesday, catching residents off guard.
The two victims were trapped in their vehicle and swept away by floodwaters in Dahuk province, authorities said late on Tuesday.
In response to the crisis, local authorities across Iraq announced Tuesday and Wednesday would be holidays, mainly for schools.
Emergency services are warning inland Northern Territory communities to prepare for heavy rainfall and possible flooding in coming days as ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan moves west across the territory.
The former cyclone was downgraded to a tropical low on Tuesday morning, having rapidly weakened after crossing the NT coast as a category three system about 3:30pm Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast the system will slowly track west across the NT over the rest of this week, bringing heavy rainfall to communities in its path.
Plans to evacuate about 700 residents from Borroloola were suspended on Monday after deteriorating weather conditions prevented two Australian Defence Force (ADF) planes sent to collect them from landing safely. Instead, locals were urged to stay in the community and find a safe place to shelter as the cyclone passed.
Local residents see a road damaged by landslides near Gumine Station, in the Chimbu region, Papua New Guinea.
Flooding, landslides and torrential rains have killed at least 23 people in Papua New Guinea's Highlands region, where homes have been damaged and roads washed away.
Acting Director for the National Disaster Centre, Lusete Man said a mother and child were among the dead as bad weather hit multiple communities.
"The 23 were buried under tons of mud in three separate landslides in different parts of Simbu province," Man said on Monday.
"We are still experiencing heavy rains, landslips, flooded rivers, that have caused extensive damages in the highlands."
The province, also known as Simbu, is made up of six districts and is home to about 376,000 people.
Coastal communities have also been hit, with rising king tides sweeping away seafronts and flooding beachside villages.
Evacuation centres are open in Fiji and roads are closed as flooding followed heavy rain, which was expected to continue on Sunday.
In an update issued just after 10am Sunday local time, the Fiji Times reported Ba town was underwater, with Vinod Patel park and main street Ba flooded, and the Elevuka creek had burst its banks.
Vehicles have been stopped by Fiji Police Force officers from entering the town area and all shops are closed.
Road access from Ba to Tavua is also closed due to flooding at Wailailai Flats.
In a a statement on Saturday night, Minister for Disaster Management Sakiasi Dikota said they had confirmed reports of flooding in the Western and Northern parts of Fiji, and floodwaters had entered Nadi town.
Some of the major rivers in the Western and Northern divisions were above alert or warning levels.
The city of Buhozi in the Kabare territory of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), near the Rwanda border, has once again fallen victim to landslides over the past two days. This new disaster has affected the Ruzizi River and the Nyamagana hill in the DRC.
Local civil society is calling for enhanced security measures to prevent infiltrations by foreign forces.
Houses have been flooded, and cracks are visible in some buildings.
"In Buhozi, our houses have been destroyed, and we are sleeping on the road. There is no one to help us. In Rwanda, there was also a landslide that blocked the Ruzizi River, and our fields were devastated by this landslide. People are crossing from Rwanda without control. We need the government's assistance."
Two tourists, including an Australian woman, have been killed on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swept away their villa, an official said on Thursday.
Large areas of the archipelago of 17,000 islands are prone to flooding and landslides during the wet season which starts around November.
The wooden villa in Jatiluwih village on the popular tourist island was hit by the landslide on Thursday morning after a downpour in the area the previous night, local disaster mitigation agency official I Nyoman Srinadha Giri told AFP.
The intense rain eroded water canals used for irrigation that sit above the villa and triggered the landslide, killing the two, according to the official.
A torrential downpour in Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java, has caused severe flooding, which has inundated major parts of the city including the Old Town area and the nearby Tawang Station.
In the Old Town, which is home to many colonial-era buildings, flooding to a depth of 50 centimeters has prevented motorists from traversing the area.
The flooding has also submerged parts of Tawang Station, prompting state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to reroute journeys away from the station.
Operations at the city's other railway station Poncol, which handles mostly economy-class passengers, are not affected by the flooding.
"We still have inundation going on right now. This is because of the high level of rainfall," chief of the Semarang Police traffic division Adj. Sr. Comr. Yunaldi said, as quoted by Antara.
Afghan residents gather near the Pul-i-Malan bridge near the Hari Rud River following the flash floods on the outskirts of Herat on March 12.
Flash flooding has swamped the streets of the city of Herat in Afghanistan, killing at least five people and causing widespread damage, according to a local imam.
"The house's upper floor was already cracked because of an earthquake in October, so the second floor was already damaged, but last night's rain made the house collapse," a man whose neighbours' house was destroyed tells AFP.
Three people have died and four others are missing as a result of flooding in the southern French department of Gard, French media reported.
Two children are among the missing, Franceinfo radio reported on Sunday.
On Saturday night, heavy rainfall hit the region, prompting police to begin active search and rescue operations. By Sunday evening, the bodies of two dead people were found in the car.
In addition, a 62-year-old Belgian man died after his car was washed away by the course when he tried to cross a bridge, traffic on which was blocked due to rising water levels.
Storm Monica swept across the country from 08 March 2024 bringing extremely heavy rain. Some areas in the south recorded more than 300 mm of rain in 48 hours. Since 09 March, the rain has triggered severe flooding in the departments of Gard, Ardèche and Var.
The body of a man was found yesterday evening (March 12) in the Ardèche department, three days after a hydroelectric plant worker went missing in the area.
It was discovered by hunters and relatives of the 73-year old who disappeared on Saturday evening during flash flooding.
The body was found close to a micropower station along the Eyrieux river, where the man was working during Saturday evening's storms.
Authorities believe it is most probably the body of the missing man, however rescue workers and police forces were unable to reach the location of the body last night but planned to make a fresh attempt this morning.
It now brings the death toll from the weekend's storms and high waves to seven - six in the south of France and one in the west.
The course of life and labour reminds me of a long journey I once took on the railway. Suddenly, there was a breakdown ahead, and passengers took the event in various ways. Some of them sat still resignedly, and never said a word. Others again, went to sleep. But some of us leaped out of that train, and ran on ahead to clear the road of all obstructions.
- Michael Collins
”
Recent Comments
I had thought the more appropriate reaction for Iran would be to pick an Israeli Embassy in a nice city - say, Paris - and ... But that would have...
Comment: Floodlist reports: Update March 13
The Connexion reports: