Storms
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Cloud Precipitation

Deadly Tropical Storm Urduja (Kai-Tak) dumps over 1000 mm of rain on Philippines

Kristina Pydynowski and Eric Leister
AccuWeather.com
Sat, 16 Dec 2017 11:52 UTC
Philippines flooding
© AFPVillagers wade through a flooded street in Brgy Calingatngan, in Borongan, easterm Samar, central Philippines, Dec. 16, 2017.
Tropical Storm Urduja will continue to unleash life-threatening flooding rain and mudslides as it crosses the Philippines into Monday.

Urduja, known globally as Kai-tak, will fail to strengthen into a typhoon. However, lives and property remain in peril as the tropical storm is unleashing a catastrophic amount of rainfall.

More than 1067 mm (42 inches) of rain has inundated Guiuan on the island of Samar in the Eastern Visayas since midweek. In 24 hours alone, 780 mm (nearly 31 inches) poured down.

To the north, Borongan City Airport has recorded 813 mm (32 inches) since Urduja began lashing the Philippines.

There are unconfirmed reports of 3 deaths due to Urduja, including a child, according to GMA News Online.

As of Dec. 16, The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reducation and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that a total of 4,327 families have been evacuated from portions of Samar Island. In total, 8,832 families are being served at evacuation centers.

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Cloud Precipitation

Thunderstorm hits areas of United Arab Emirates, hail blankets ground (VIDEOS)

Ahmed Shaaban
Khaleej Times
Sat, 16 Dec 2017 14:54 UTC
Hail cover
Weather is playing spoilsport this weekend as many residents are putting off their outing plans as storm and rain alert looms.

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has predicted unstable weather across the UAE, with chances of rain and thunderstorms, between December 15 and 18.

Many families said they are heeding to the forecast, and called off picnics and off road adventures.

"My family is on visit from India and we were planning to go for a desert drive on Saturday. We cancelled it thinking the weather will be too dangerous to venture out," said Abdul Rahman, an Abu Dhabi resident.
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Tornado2

Waterspout filmed off Rakino Island, New Zealand

Sam Gardner
Sun Live
Fri, 15 Dec 2017 20:48 UTC
Waterspouts are tornado-like formations which occur above water.
Waterspouts are tornado-like formations which occur above water.
A rare sight is being described as something of a miracle for one Waiheke Island resident.

Jesse Rudolph says he and his colleagues were some of the lucky few who witnessed a waterspout off Rakino.

Waterspouts are tornado-like formations which occur above water.

"I hadn't seen one before, put it that way."

He says the team were working at site when he spotted the water spout over the water.

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Snowflake

Blizzard dumps three feet of snow in Pakistan

Zubair Ayub
The Express Tribune
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:29 UTC
Vehicles wait for the snow-covered roads to open in Murree
Vehicles wait for the snow-covered roads to open in Murree
The Galiyat region received first heavy snowfall of the season that left roads blocked, tourists stranded and schools closed.

Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) was making its all-out efforts to clear the roads, spokesman of the GDA said while talking to media.

Clouds dumped over three feet of snow covering the resort towns with a white sheet. As persistently as the snowfall every year, the authorities were stupefied in managing the situation. Roadblocks, power breakdowns and severed supplies continue to dog the mountain communities.

Owing to precarious weather, Abbottabad DC Aurangzab Haider ordered closure of all public sector schools in nine union councils till December 16. These union councils include Beeran Gali, Seer Gharbi, Seer Sharqi, Tajwal, Nathiagali, Nambli Mara, Patan Kalan, Plakh and Nagri Bala.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills woman at bus stop in Zimbabwe


Bulawayo 24 News
Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:10 UTC
lightning
A 26-year-old died on the spot after a bolt of lightning struck her while she waited for transport to her home at a bus stop in Filabusi.

Sukoluhle Mkandla of Mahole area under Chief Ndube was killed by the lightning bolt which struck her just before it rained at around 3PM on Tuesday.

Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident.

"I can confirm we received a report of death by lightning. The woman was struck while at a bus stop and she died on the spot," she said.
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Attention

13th century USA drought, bizarre bird deaths in Sweden & massive winds hit Slovenia


Adapt 2030
Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:12 UTC
dead birds sweden
© Mikael Lind
Native American populations were tracked as suddenly collapsing twice over a 500 year period. They used corn and pottery production to measure populations. Interestingly these correlate to collapses of Chinese dynasties during Grand Solar Minimums. Ice bridge forms from Greenland to Iceland, massive winds in Slovenia, 50+ above normal temperatures and birds freeze and fall from the sky in Sweden.


Comment: See also: Bizarre sight as hundreds of birds found dead on a road in northern Sweden

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Tornado2

Rare snownado filmed at national park in Poland

Ben Hooper
UPI
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:41 UTC
A rare glimpse at a snownado
A rare glimpse at a snownado
A Polish man walking in a national park captured video of a rare winter weather phenomenon -- a snownado.

Michal Bielas posted a video to Facebook showing the unusual sight that greeted him Monday during a walk in Tatra National Park.

The video depicts a whirlwind rolling through the snow, creating what is known as a snownado or snow devil.
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Tornado2

Destructive tornado rips through South Africa: 50 people injured, 550 homes damaged (VIDEOS)


Sott.net
Wed, 13 Dec 2017 06:11 UTC
Tornado damage in Midvaal, South Africa
© Itumeleng English/ANAA tornado ripped through the Vaal in Midvaal, leaving more than 1 100 shack dwellers homeless and destroying many homes.
A destructive tornado ripped through the Vaal Marina area in Midvaal, South Africa on Monday December 11, 2017. Midvaal mayor Bongani Baloyi said 50 people were injured, more than 550 homes damaged and more than 1100 people displaced following the storm.

Recalling the two to three minute tornado encounter, local resident Nkutha said:
"I have never seen anything like this. Strong winds just started blowing, followed by a hail storm.

"There was no way I could save my shack, so I took my little niece, Owethu, and put her in the food cupboard. I then lifted my skirt and told the other children in the house to hide."
According to local media reports, it blew off roof tops, uprooting trees and destroying fences and walls in its wake. This video shows the extensive damage caused.

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Snowflake Cold

Extreme weather creates chaos across Europe


France 24
Mon, 11 Dec 2017 19:24 UTC
Cancelled flights at Brussels Airport
© Eric Lalmand, AFPCancelled flights at Brussels Airport December 11 2017
High winds and heavy snow in Europe on Monday stranded thousands of travelers, kept schoolchildren at home and even played havoc with international diplomacy.

It was the second day running of nasty weather across the continent, with Britain still digging out from its deepest snowfall in four years.

The snowed-over runways in Brussels on Monday provoked about 90 flight cancellations and some 100 delays, including for the plane carrying Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back home.

He tweeted a video from his plane that opened with a shot of the white tarmac at the close of his European visit marked by the US recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital.


Comment: See also:

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Cloud Lightning

Sott Exclusive: Wild mid-summer weather hits Australia - Hailstones the size of tennis balls, a deluge, and over 133,000 lightning strikes (VIDEOS)

Julian Friese
Sott.net
Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:36 UTC
Grafton residents were treated to huge chunks of hail.
Grafton residents were treated to huge chunks of hail.
Extreme weather hit the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland this past weekend. The Australian Daily Examiner described the scene in Grafton, New South Wales, where there were:
more than 50 calls for help after a large hail storm caused widespread damage on Saturday afternoon.

A large thunderstorm hit Grafton around 1.20pm, with hail the size of tennis balls battering some parts of the region.

SES Clarence Nambucca region controller Michael Harper said SES resources from neighbouring towns were called in to respond to the large numbers of requests for help.

"We had about 50 or more call outs on Saturday afternoon, and they were virtually all for broken windows, smashed skylights and roof damage," Mr Harper said.

"It was a busy afternoon for them, we had about 10 crews out cleaning up and helping people, with most jobs completed by 10pm that same day, with only one or two left over the finish the next day."

Mr Harper said Saturday's hail storm was the first major storm to hit Grafton since the start of the storm season.

"There were hail stones up to seven to eight centimetres in size which is quite large," he said.

"The storm went for about 15 or 20 minutes, and in that time it did cause some damage.
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