Storms
S


Igloo

Record snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, India revives 2,000 glaciers


Economic Times
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:28 UTC
Image
Manali - Record snowfall in Himachal this year has revived more than 2,000 glaciers.

Almora's G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development's senior scientist J C Kuniyal said apart from reviving the glaciers , this year's record snowfall would also boost the crop cycle. "It is difficult to understand the environment. As we start talking about the dry winters, record snowfall leaves stunned everyone," he said.

He cautioned that unequal snowfall remains a matter of concern. But Lahaul-Spiti has received more than 175-cm snow in first 16 days of February, breaking the earlier record of 148-cm for the month in 1998.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Storm to bring Northern Lights to Britain


Yahoo News
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:54 UTC
Northern Lights Britain
© AFPA display of Aurora Borealis, northern lights, in Ostby, Sweden.
Britain should experience spectacular Northern Lights displays from Thursday due to a large solar storm which could disrupt communication networks, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said.

"Since February 13 three energetic solar flares have erupted on the sun and spewed clouds of charged plasma called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) out towards the earth," a BGS geomagnetic storm warning said.

"Already one CME arrived on the 14th sparking Valentine's Day displays of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) further south than usual.

"Two CMEs are expected to arrive in the next 24-48 hours and further...displays are possible some time over the next two nights if skies are clear."

The strongest storm in four years is expected to interfere with satellites and electrical networks, with astronomers in southern China already reporting disturbances to radio communications.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Six dead, 15,000 homeless in Madagascar cyclone

Sapa-dpa
TimesLive
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:38 UTC
cyclone
© AFP / EUMETSAT 2011A picture released by Eumetsat on February 14, 2011 shows an image of the tropical Cyclone Bingiza over northeast Madagascar, as captured by the AVHRR instrument onboard EUMETSAT's polar-orbiting satellite Metop-A.
The Bingiza Cyclone which hit northern Madagascar earlier this week has claimed six lives and left one person missing, with more than 15,000 people homeless and 8,530 buildings ruined, authorities said Thursday.

The Indian Ocean island's emergency office said the dead included four family members who drowned in the tropical hurricane, with gusts reaching 200 kilometres per hour.

In the south-east, home to the country's vital pepper and vanilla crops, most areas are flooded after the heavy rains. Floods are also threatening Farafangana further south.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

India: Mercury dips as rain lashes Bihar

Madhuri Kumar
The Times of India
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:11 UTC
Image
© unknownIndia meteorological dapet satellite, Feb. 16th
Day temperatures dropped in most part of the state on Wednesday following a western disturbance (WD) over hilly areas in northern India, which caused mild to heavy rainfall in the state since Tuesday night.

Patna Met director Animesh Chanda said that a cyclonic circulation has formed over Bihar and its neighbourhood areas. This has resulted in rainfall activity plummeting the mercury on Wednesday.

Many districts of the state like Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, Araria, Purnia, Supaul etc received good rainfall, while other districts, including the capital, recorded 0.6 to 2.1 mm rainfall.

The Met department here has also issued warnings of thunder squall with a wind speed of 45 km to 55 per hour in many parts of Bihar in the next 48 hours.

A severe hailstorm accompanied by moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of Araria and Purnia districts around mid-day on Wednesday causing extensive damages to the standing crops. Several panchayats under Raniganj, Bhargama and Jokihat blocks in Araria, and Srinagar, Jalalgarh and Kasba blocks in Purnia were badly hit when a severe hailstorm ripped through on Wednesday afternoon.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Rain, hailstorm damage crops in Rajasthan, India


The Times of India
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:04 UTC
Image
© HarosMap of India indicating Rajasthan
The unseasonal rain dashed the hopes of farmers in the state who were expecting bumper Rabi crop. The rain has damaged crops in many parts of the state.

Complaints of crop damage have been pouring in from many villages of Bundi and other districts. Heavy rain coupled with hailstorms lashed Bundi district last night damaging crops of wheat, mustard, coriander and lentil.

Hailstorm lashed several villages, including Sukhpura, Gothera, Mandi, Bhagwanipura, Tokera, Panch ki Bawari of Hindoli sub-division last evening following which standing crop was damaged, Mandi village sarpanch Bhuribai said.

Hindoli MLA Prabhulal Saini has demanded a survey of the damage caused to the crop by the rain and appropriate compensation for affected farmers. Bundi sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Amanulla Khan said that the revenue officials have been asked to estimate the loss due to untimely thundershowers.

Reports of hailstorm and showers also came in from Hindoli, Nainwa, Lekhari and Bundi sub-divisions of the district. The thundershowers damaged crops of mustard and coriander seeds in Kankala, Utarana, Budhala and many villages of Lekhari sub-division last evening, officials said.
Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Angola: Rain kills eight in Huíla and Huambo


Angop
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:01 UTC
Eight people were killed on Wednesday by heavy rains that hit the provinces of Huíla and Huambo.

This was said to Angop on Thursday by the spokesman of the National Civil Protection Fire Services (SNPCB), Faustino Sebastião.

He said that six people of the same family such as father, mother and four children die after the collapsing of their house in Patrice Lumumba ward, in the outskirt of Lubango city.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Heavy rains wreak havoc on agriculture, cause flooding in Lebanon

Mohammed Zaatari
The Daily Star
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:47 UTC
Image
© unknown
South Lebanon bore the brunt of Wednesday's deluge of rainfall, which is expected to level off Thursday.

While heavy rain slowed traffic and caused flooding throughout the country, the ports of Tyre and Sidon were closed to maritime activities, as fishermen stayed home.

The head of the fishermen's union, Khalil Taha, urged the agriculture minister to look into the situation of fishermen, who are complaining of inadequate government responses to calls for social assistance and benefits.

Tyre, which is undergoing extensive public works as part of a city-wide development plan, experienced flooded streets and major traffic congestion, as police and municipal officials sprung into action to clear the situation.

South of Tyre, one person was in critical condition after a car accident blamed on the heavy weather. Abbas Musa Aqil and his brother Muslim were driving a vehicle that slammed into an electricity pole during the storm. The National News Agency said both underwent surgery at a local hospital, and that one of them remained in critical condition.

In Sidon, the municipality ordered emergency crews to take action after the heavy rain caused flooding in areas near the coast, compounded by sewage networks that were overflowing.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Cyclone Bingiza to Worsen Mozambique, Madagascar Floods, UN Says

Brian Latham
Bloomberg
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:01 UTC
Image
© NasaTropical Cyclone Bingiza made landfall on Madagascar on February 14, 2011
Tropical cyclone Bingiza could lead to further flooding in Madagascar and Mozambique where heavy rains have left soils saturated and people without homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Between 4,000 and 9,600 households, equivalent to as many as 48,000 people, are likely to be affected by flooding in the Zambezi river valley in Mozambique, OCHA, as the organization is known, said in an e-mailed statement today.

Flooding in southern Africa has affected South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola during the last eight weeks. Crop damage in South Africa, the continent's largest economy, could cost the nation more than $282 million after grape farms were submerged, while OCHA estimates that almost 1 percent of Mozambique's crops have been destroyed by rising water.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Australia: Drivers rescued as wild storm brings flash floods in Victoria

Shannon Deery & Nathan Mawby
Herald Sun
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:22 UTC
Image
© Supplied A car stuck in floodwaters at Canterbury Rd, Bayswater North.
Image
© Peter Buchstaller/SuppliedSevere storms have swept through Melbourne, hitting suburbs including Bayswater.
Victorians should brace for more rain and flash flooding after storms lashed the state last night.

Bureau of Meterology forecaster Terry Ryan said our summer deluge will continue well into the weekend, the Herald Sun said.

"There will be more rain today, and possible storms, with the heaviest rain expected in the ranges," Mr Ryan said.

"And we're expecting heavy falls tomorrow night or early Saturday morning."

Mr Ryan said the weekend storms, which could see 50mm rainfalls, could cause significant flash flooding around the state.

Last night, dozens of motorists were rescued by SES volunteers as storms lashed the city and suburbs.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

US: Massive Aurora Borealis Forecast This Week

Doug O'Harra
Alaska Dispatch
Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:57 UTC
Alaskan Aurora
© Alaska DispatchAurora
Check the northern skies after dark tonight if you're looking to be dazzled. And keep checking.

A sunspot spot wider than the planet Jupiter just blasted out the largest solar flare seen in four years, spewing a tsunami of charged particles hurtling toward Earth, according to a report on Spaceweather.com.

Once the particles impact the home planet's magnetic field beginning about 6 p.m. AST Wednesday, they will interact with ions of the upper atmosphere and start to produce shimmering bands of northern lights. Skies over the entire region may light up in one of the season's most spectacular displays, with the Geophysical Institute's official aurora forecast for Feb. 16-17 rated "Active" even as far south as Anchorage.
Read More...