Storms
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Umbrella

Canada: Large hail pounds western Manitoba

hail manitoba
© Brady Strachan/CBCHail larger than a quarter pummeled Souris on Thursday
Clusters of thunderstorms with extensive lightning and large hail are hitting some areas hard.

"These thunderstorms are tracking east-northeast at 50 km/h and have a history of producing hail the size of golf balls in Melita and Souris earlier this morning," stated a warning issued by Environment Canada at noon.

"Brandon and communities west and south of the city are in the direct path of the strongest thunderstorms in this cluster and should prepare for large hail."

House

Canada: Lake Manitoba swallowed homes - residents

manitoba storm damage
© CBCMany homes and cottages along the south shore of Lake Manitoba have been severely damaged by Tuesday's violent storm
Residents along Twin Beach Road worked hard to protect their properties from flooding, but their efforts proved no match for a storm packing 90 km/h winds on rain-swollen Lake Manitoba.

The storm hit on Tuesday, damaging numerous properties in the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent - Twin Lakes Beach, Laurentian Beach, Delta Beach, and Sandpiper Beach.

David Sawicky said Wednesday he had to wade into rising floodwaters at his home to rescue his father and his dog.

Still, Sawicky said, he didn't expect the damage to his property to be that bad.

Bell

Rain, snowmelt combine to increase flood threat in the US

Torrential rainfall and record snowmelt are contributing to a slow-motion flood disaster along the Missouri River and its tributaries in the northern Rockies and northern Plains.


Umbrella

India: Heavy rains lash Punjab, Haryana

Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh were lashed by heavy rains and high velocity winds last night, disrupting power supply at many places.

After receiving showers yesterday morning, rains and thunder squall with a wind speed of over 45 kmph hit Chandigarh last night.

Power supply was disrupted at many places in the city and it took a few hours before it could be restored. Many low-lying areas were water-logged and trees could be seen uprooted this morning.

Some residents here also complained that their electrical appliances were damaged due to excess voltage from trees falling on power lines.

Cloud Lightning

Heavy Rains, High Winds in Manitoba Damage Homes, Force Residents to Flee

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© (CBC)A resident in Twin Lakes Beach, in the RM of St. Laurent, wades through high waters to save belongings during Tuesday's flood and storm.
Heavy rain and extreme wind have caused extensive flooding and wind damage around Lake Manitoba and in southwestern parts of the province.

The Manitoba government says 16 people had to be rescued Tuesday, including one person who had to be lifted out by helicopter in the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent.

So far, 238 people who evacuated from the area have registered with the Red Cross.

Several roads have been washed out or overtopped with water and the government says they will have to be inspected before evacuees can return.

More than 700 seasonal and permanent properties have been on mandatory evacuation notices around Lake Manitoba due to flooding.

Cloud Lightning

US Kansas: Quick Flooding Prompts Evacuations in Manhattan

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© NBC Action News.comJUNE 2, 2011: Skytracker flies over Manhattan, Kansas, where flooding of the Wildcat Creek prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents
Heavy rain that quickly pushed creeks out of their banks in north-central Kansas chased hundreds of people from their homes for several hours Thursday, turning parts of the region into a maze of closed roads.

In Riley County, police ordered about 200 people to evacuate houses and apartment complexes before dawn Thursday in a low-lying area along Wildcat Creek in Manhattan. Several inches of rain that began falling Wednesday night swelled the creek and raised the Kansas River.

Flooding along Wildcat Creek isn't unusual, but police Capt. Kurt Moldrup said Thursday's episode was "the worst flooding that we've seen in this area." The creek began receding by midday and most roads reopened, allowing residents to go home to their houses, apartments and vehicles, many of them damaged by water.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter at St. Thomas More Church, but it appeared unlikely that many people would need to stay there Thursday night.

Cloud Lightning

Rains, Snowfall Keep Mercury in Check in North India

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© WikipediaStates in the North and North Central Zones of India, as defined by the Indian Government.
In Punjab, Patiala saw a heavy downpour of 53 mm, with the minimum settling at 19 deg C, down six notches. Amritsar received a rainfall of 13.8 mm and the minimum dropped to 18.2 deg C, down five degrees. Ludhiana received 18.8 mm of rains, and the minimum settled at 18.8 deg C, seven degrees below normal. Ambala was the wettest place in Haryana after being lashed by 47.4 mm of rains. The minimum there settled at 18.3 deg C, down seven degrees, while it recorded a high of 31.9 deg C, nine degrees below normal.

In Himachal Pradesh, the higher reaches received another spell of snowfall while the mid and lower hills were lashed by heavy rains, causing a sharp fall in minimum temperatures. Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district received 18 cm of snow while Rohtang, Kunzam, Saach and other mountain passes received moderate snowfall. The Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet), which opened for tourists yesterday, was blocked for a few hours but it was cleared as the snow melted. The hill state received widespread rains with Nadaun being the wettest in the region with 80 mm of rains. The minimum temperature dropped to 10 degree in Shimla.

Some parts of Rajasthan also witnessed moderate rainfall. Churu, Pilani and Bikaner received 19mm, 8 mm and 6 mm rains respectively. Kota was the hottest place in the desert state with a maximum temperature of 41.4 deg C, followed by Barmer (41.3), Bikaner (38.5), Ajmer (38.4). The state capital Jaipur recorded 36.2 deg C.

Cloud Lightning

US: Keene Valley Slide Accelerating, Driven by Rain

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This home's foundation has been
wrecked by shifting earth
Scientists say the record-breaking landslide on Little Porter Mountain in Keene Valley is still on the move, driven by last weekend's heavy rains.

The disaster hasn't caused any injuries, but a half-dozen homes are threatened.

Martha Foley has an update.

Info

Frequent Tornadoes a Symptom of Jet Stream Change

Tornado Destruction
© Wikimedia CommonsDestruction from a tornado in Joplin, Mo., May 23, 2011.
The unusually large number of severe tornadoes this year may be a sign of large scale changes in the jet stream.

John Harrington Jr., a professor of geography at Kansas State University, notes that severe tornadoes are not unheard of historically. But when the events happen frequently such as the the destruction of Joplin, Mo., the outbreak of multiple tornadoes in Alabama, and yesterday's northeast outbreak in Massachusetts, it becomes a warning that there are changes afoot in the jet stream.

"The fact that this is happening all in one year and in a relatively short time frame is unusual," Harrington said in a Kansas State press release.

The jet stream in the upper atmosphere flows from west to east and tends to meander over the southern states during the winter and the northern states in the summer. Tornadoes tend to strike most during the spring and fall shifts of the jet stream.

Cloud Lightning

US: Atlantic Disturbance Crossing Florida Today

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© AccuWeatherThis radar snapshot was taken at 10:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 1, 2011. The system in question is affecting Daytona Beach from the east.
"The system... may behave a bit like a tropical storm with a brief period of gusty winds and localized flooding downpours."

An area of disturbed weather in the Atlantic will bring heavy, gusty thunderstorms to part of the Florida Peninsula this afternoon and evening.

The feature, which started out as a cluster of thunderstorms over the Great Lakes this past weekend, blew off the mid-Atlantic coast Memorial Day morning.

That feature has now turned southwestward and will cross the Florida Peninsula from northeast to southwest this afternoon and evening.

Areas from Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral will be impacted first. Next, Gainesville, Ocala and Orlando would be in the path of the stormy weather this afternoon. Finally, the Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers areas are fair game for some of the thunderstorms later today.