Storms
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Windsock

Best of the Web: Cyclone Chido rips through Mayotte with winds in excess of 136 mph as it barrels toward eastern Africa - at least 31 dead, hundreds feared so (UPDATED)


VOA
Sat, 14 Dec 2024 19:09 UTC
This image taken and released on Dec. 14, 2024, by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows Tropical Cyclone Chido over Mayotte, center, west of Madagascar and east of Mozambique.
This image taken and released on Dec. 14, 2024, by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows Tropical Cyclone Chido over Mayotte, center, west of Madagascar and east of Mozambique.
The French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean suffered extensive damage from Tropical Cyclone Chido, officials said Saturday, as the storm roared toward the east coast of the African continent.

Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kilometers per hour, according to the French weather service, ripping metal roofs off houses in Mayotte, which has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

"Our island is being hit by the most violent and destructive cyclone since 1934. Many of us have lost everything," Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville said in a Facebook post Saturday. He said the highest alert had been lifted so that rescuers can help after the worst of the cyclone had passed.

Mayotte is still under red alert for the ordinary population, and people were asked to "remain confined in a solid shelter," Bieuville said. Only emergency and security services were allowed to go out.


Comment: Update December 15

Euronews reports:
The death toll from Cyclone Chido is "several hundred" and may be close to 1,000, the island's top government official told the local broadcaster on Sunday.

Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that "I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we'll get close to a thousand."

He said it was "extremely difficult" to get an exact number right now after the Indian Ocean islands were pummelled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction.

Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier Sunday but said that was expected to increase.

Mayotte in the south-eastern Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa is France's poorest island and the poorest territory in the European Union.
Update December 19

Anadolu Ajansı reports:
The death toll in Mayotte rose to 31 from Cyclone Chido on Wednesday.

Officials on the French Indian Ocean colony have concerns that the number could rise in the coming days.

A curfew remains in place on the island from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time.

Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X that more than 700 soldiers have been deployed to assist in relief efforts.

Lecornu also noted that patients have been evacuated to France's other overseas territory in La Reunion.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Mayotte on Thursday to assess the situation.


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Tsunami

Storm triggers flooding in Sochi, Russia - month's worth of rain in a day


The Moscow Times
Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:33 UTC
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Heavy rain caused a river to overflow in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, causing widespread floods in residential areas, media reported Wednesday.

The storm was forecast to pummel the city of 450,000, as well as the wider region in southern Russia, for several days, bringing with it thunderstorms, hail, strong wind gusts and snow. Meteorologists said one month's worth of precipitation fell in Sochi over the past day.

Sochi's Kherota River overflowed and flooded several homes in the city, the Krasnodar regional branch of Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said. A regional response center said pumping equipment had been dispatched to the area.

Videos shared on social media showed motorists driving on flooded streets and sections of a mountainous road washed away by water.

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Tsunami

3 killed as fresh floods hit 4 southern provinces of Thailand

Nujaree Rakrun
Bangkok Post
Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:53 UTC
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At least three people died in fresh flooding which battered four provinces in the South yesterday, which has affected over 43,500 households across the region to date.

Phatsakorn Bunyalak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), said floods in the South have inundated at least 43,595 homes in 27 districts across Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

While the floods have begun to recede in many areas, authorities in Surat Thani remained on high alert, as water levels in the Tapee River continued to increase, according to a DDPM report yesterday.

The renewed flooding claimed the lives of three people in Nakhon Si Thammarat -- the worst-hit province -- where 32,608 households across 11 districts are affected by inundation, Mr Phatsakorn said.

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Tsunami

Severe weather causes landslides and flooding across Vietnam -10.2 inches of rain in 24 hours


evrimagaci.org
Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:30 UTC
The landslide at Khanh Le Pass
The landslide at Khanh Le Pass
Severe weather has plagued Vietnam over the past few days as heavy rain continues to impact various regions, leading to significant disruptions and hazards. According to the local traffic police department, the prolonged rainfall has resulted in landslides on several roads, particularly along the Khánh Lê Pass connecting Nha Trang and Đà Lạt. Thượng tá Nguyễn Văn Tiếp, head of the traffic police in Lâm Đồng, indicated on December 15, "Due to the heavy rains lasting several days, landslides occurred this morning on the Khánh Lê Pass.

The affected areas are located at km42, km54, and km59, causing severe traffic disruptions on National Route 27C." Authorities have swiftly responded to the situation by limiting access to the affected route, urging both locals and tourists to exercise caution.

Meanwhile, severe rainfall has also hit Quảng Ngãi province, where meteorological reports indicate rainfall exceeding 260 mm, particularly in mountainous areas. A spokesperson from the Quảng Ngãi Meteorological Center stated, "Over the past 24 hours, regions have experienced moderate to heavy rain, especially noticeable above 260 mm at certain locations. Due to this rainfall, river levels have risen rapidly, prompting emergency flooding advisories on rivers such as the Vệ and Trà Câu." The water levels of the Vệ River have reached 3.4 m and the Trà Câu River at 5.34 m, both of which are approaching emergency thresholds. Flooding has become particularly problematic for lower-lying areas.

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Cloud Precipitation

South-east Queensland in Australia hit by heavy summer rain and flash flooding - 3.7 inches of rainfall in just 40 MINUTES


4bc.com.au
Sun, 15 Dec 2024 12:56 UTC
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Over the weekend the Brisbane region saw 94mm of rain in 40 minutes hitting suburbs like Mansfield, East Brisbane, Morayfield and Camp Hill the hardest.

More storms are being forecast and South-East Queensland is on on high alert.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner told Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast, 'It's a reminder that a large percentage of Brisbane is built on a floodplain.'

'The thing about some of these areas is that they are very low-lying, and because of their level in terms of the ground level, the water is effectively at creek level.'

'The only real solution to stop flooding in some of those areas would be for everyone to move out. There's no drain that's going to fix it, and we're not going to ask people to move out of areas that have been established for 100 or 150 years, and so that's the challenge,' the Lord Mayor continued.

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Tsunami

Russian tanker splits in storm, spilling oil into Kerch Strait, Black Sea


Reuters
Sun, 15 Dec 2024 19:40 UTC
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A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of oil products split apart during a heavy storm on Sunday, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said.

The vessels were in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they issued distress signals.

Russian investigators opened two criminal cases to look into possible safety violations after at least one person was killed when the 136-metre Volgoneft 212 tanker, with 15 people on board, split in half with its bow sinking.

Footage on state media showed waves washing over its deck.


Comment: See also these recent similar reports:

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Tornado2

Tornado touches down near Santa Cruz in Northern California, flipping cars and downing power lines

Dave Pehling
CBS News
Sat, 14 Dec 2024 13:16 UTC
Tornado damage in Scotts Valley, California. Dec. 14, 2024.
© Scotts Valley Police DepartmentTornado damage in Scotts Valley, California. Dec. 14, 2024.
A tornado touched down in the Northern California town of Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz Saturday afternoon, flipping cars and knocking down power lines, according to authorities. Several people were hurt, fire officials said.

The National Weather Service classified it as a weak EF1 tornado that touched down at 1:39 p.m. at the corner of Mount Hermon Drive and Lockewood Lane. An NWS preliminary damage survey report posted Saturday night indicated the tornado lasted five minutes and winds were estimated to have peaked at about 90 mph.

It traveled southeast for more than a quarter mile and was 30 yards wide, according to the report. Most of the severe damage was seen along Mount Hermon Road.

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Lightning

Over 1,000 lightning strikes hit the Canary Islands in just 6 hours


Canarian Weekly
Sat, 14 Dec 2024 21:06 UTC
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The Canary Islands have experienced a dramatic burst of extreme weather, with over 1,000 lightning strikes recorded within just six hours. This data, released by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), highlights the volatile weather conditions currently affecting the archipelago.

In response, the Canary Islands' Directorate General of Emergencies has raised its alert level from 'alert' to 'maximum alert' due to severe winds impacting La Gomera, El Hierro, and the northern and western regions of Tenerife.

At the heart of this weather pattern is Storm Dorothea, which has brought not only intense winds but also severe thunderstorms, resulting in a barrage of electrical activity across the islands.

The storm is also triggering hazardous weather, including gale-force winds with gusts ranging from 80 to 120 km/h. While the most sheltered areas, such as the southeastern coasts of El Hierro, La Palma, and La Gomera, may experience somewhat milder conditions, the rest of the islands remain exposed to potentially hurricane-level gusts.
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Snowflake

Season snow total: 85 inches already at Lower Michigan's snowiest spot

Mark Torregrossa
MLive
Sat, 14 Dec 2024 20:02 UTC
Total snowfall so far through December
© NOAATotal snowfall so far through December 13, 2024
One of Michigan's snowiest cities is already just a few inches shy of last year's entire winter snowfall. Here's a look at how much snow has already fallen across Michigan.

Most of our snow so far has been lake-effect snow. This means the snowfall totals are heavy in the typical snowbelts of northwest Lower, southwest Lower and the northern half of the Upper Peninsula. Outside of the snowbelts we have had some snow, but totals are just around the normal pace to even a few inches below normal.

Gaylord has already shoveled 85.5 inches of snow. Last year Gaylord totaled 87 inches for the entire winter. Lower Michigan's top-5 snowiest city will have more snow than all of last winter by next weekend.

Traverse City has already had 44 inches of snow this winter. That amount is 30 inches above normal. Last winter only had 67 inches of total snow.


Comment: Related: Snow totals near 80 inches in a week in Findley Lake, New York

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Cloud Precipitation

Soaking rains dump over 4 inches in parts of New England, causing flooding

Ken Mahan
The Boston Globe
Thu, 12 Dec 2024 18:18 UTC
Heavy rain, floods close Boston tunnel and knock out power for thousands
Heavy rain, floods close Boston tunnel and knock out power for thousands
About 1 to 4 inches of rain has fallen across portions of New England Wednesday as steady to heavy rain continued into the evening amid another wave of precipitation.

A potent cold front pushing into the region from the west was unleashing about an inch of rain an hour in some areas.

Many locations were expected to see an inch or two more of precipitation by midnight from the downpours.

Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island saw the greatest rainfall, with numerous flooded streets reported.

T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, R.I., was drenched with 4.65 inches of rain. Attleboro and Coventry, R.I., saw just over 4 inches, while Providence saw 3½ inches, according to the National Weather Service.


(Read more here)
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