A devastating storm hit the city of Pariquera-Açu early on Saturday morning, February 8, causing massive flooding and significant property damage. According to the Brazilian National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (Cemaden), the area experienced 99.7 mm of rain between 7 AM and 8 AM, contributing to widespread havoc across the Vale do Ribeira region.
Reports indicate total rainfall reached 174 mm since Friday morning, which is 63% of the average precipitation expected for February. Streets turned to rivers, and numerous homes and vehicles were submerged under the unrelenting downpour. Images circulated on social media captured scenes of cars washed away by the water and residents struggling to evacuate.
Fresh bursts of monsoonal rain have seen flood threats renew in Queensland's north.
Towns remain cut off tonight, after highways went underwater - while the collapsed Ollera Creek Bridge has closed again, after reconnecting communities.
The strongest cold wave of the season has caused record snowfall in the Hokuriku region since Friday night.
In 12 hours from Friday night to Saturday morning, 50 centimeters of snow fell in Niigata City, and 38 centimeters in Aikawa, Sado City, both of which are the highest ever recorded, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Snow has also fallen in areas that usually get less snow, such as Kyushu, Shikoku and the Pacific side of the Tokai region.
Nagoya observed one centimeter of snow for the first time in about a month.
The maximum amount of snow forecast to fall though Sunday morning is expected to be 80 centimeters in the Kanto-Koshin region, and 70 centimeters in Tohoku, Hokuriku and Kinki regions, the agency said.
On the Sea of Japan side, authorities urged caution against poor visibility due to a whiteout.
A flash flood hit Nazca in Peru's southern Ica province on Thursday (February 6) following five hours of heavy rainfall. Onlookers watched on in the city as a storm drain, also known locally as an 'quebrada', surged dramatically, sweeping away mud, stones, and trees, according to local media.
Seven people were killed in floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the Brazilian northeastern state of Pernambuco, according to Xinxua.
The heavy rains have been recorded since Wednesday afternoon in the city of Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, according to the institution's report cited by the local news network Globo.
The mayor of Recife, Joao Campos, suspended classes in several areas of the city, while more than 90 families had to be evacuated from high-risk areas due to the landslides.
At least 18 municipalities that make up the metropolitan area of Recife have announced a halt in the distribution of drinking water due to pumping problems caused by floods.
Recife remains on high alert due to the rainfall in the last 24 hours, according to the mayor's office.
Two waterspouts formed on the beaches of Tulum, surprising several tourists who did not miss the opportunity to record the moment.
On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, a series of videos began to circulate on social media showing the formation of two waterspouts on the beaches of Tulum, so several tourists who were in the area began to share the moment.
Through social media, the moment of how two waterspouts in Tulum surprised bathers during their day at the beach in the Mexican Caribbean has been shared; this phenomenon was recorded
TV Azteca Quintana Roo shared images of these natural phenomena.
A peaceful Sunday grocery trip turned into a nightmare in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, as a ferocious hailstorm tore through the city, sending shoppers running for cover.
Inside the Cooperativa Obrera supermarket, massive hailstones smashed through the roof as ice and water crashed into the aisles.
Footage from inside the store shows panicked customers dodging falling hail, ducking for cover, and shouting to each other "Tranquilo que estoy yo," meaning "Stay calm, I'm here."
By the time the storm moved on, gaping holes in the roof had transformed the grocery store into a soaking, ice-strewn disaster zone.
The atmospheric river storm hitting Northern California brought heavy rain, flooding and mudslides to the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday.
In the mountains, the National Weather Service has issued two separate winter storm warnings for the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and the Tahoe basin as heavy snow is in the forecast from midday Monday to Wednesday morning.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. reported thousands of customers were without power due to the storms.
A powerful low-pressure system is unleashing record-breaking snowfall along Hokkaido's Pacific coast, with the city of Obihiro accumulating more than 1 meter of snow in just 12 hours through Tuesday.
Heavy snowfall has persisted since Monday night, with Obihiro recording 120 centimeters in the 12 hours through noon on Tuesday, the highest on record for the city. Snow depth in the city has now surpassed 120 centimeters, a level last seen in 1972, according to private weather forecaster Weathernews.
While the cold front's impact is most pronounced in the northern regions along the Sea of Japan, the cold air mass is also pushing westward, spreading snow to the Kyushu region facing the East China Sea and the Shikoku region facing the Seto Inland Sea.
In some parts of Kyushu, temperatures have dropped below minus 12 degrees Celsius, according to Weathernews. Kagoshima Prefecture is experiencing steady snowfall, with accumulations visible on grassy surfaces in the city center. Mountainous areas have seen roads turn completely white.
Kristine Sabillo Mongabay.com Tue, 04 Feb 2025 11:13 UTC
Madagascar is bracing for Tropical Cyclone Faida to make landfall on its northern coast on Feb. 4, even as it deals with the aftermath of another recently dissipated storm, Elvis, that reportedly killed at least five people.
Those killed during Elvis's passage were involved in "lightning events" in Vohibato district in eastern Madagascar, according to a European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) report. Two people were also injured.
Elvis formed over the Mozambique Channel, between Madagascar and the African mainland, on Jan. 28 and struck the southwestern coast of Madagascar a day later. It caused heavy rainfall and strong winds in the southern part of the country, with maximum sustained winds of 84 kilometers per hour (52 miles per hour). The cities of Toliara and Taolagnaro recorded rainfall levels of 196 and 178 millimeters (7.7 and 7 inches) respectively over the course of five days, The Guardianreported.
The cyclone dissipated over the southern Indian Ocean during the weekend.
Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave.
- G. I. Gurdjieff
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Comment: An earlier report from about a week prior: More flooding and extreme rainfall hits Queensland, Australia - 39 inches of rain in 48 hours