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Floods cause disruption across Kosovo

Ardita Zeqiri
BalkanInsight.com
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 13:48 UTC

Heavy rain has caused flooding in several municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting the electricity and water supplies and blocking roads.

Rainfall over the past two days has caused flooding across several western and central municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting electricity and water supplies, forcing evacuations, and disrupting traffic because of roads being blocked.

The situation is most severe in the municipality of Drenas, where the Drenica River has overflowed, flooding several homes and businesses. Multiple roads in the area are closed and several families living near high-risk zones were evacuated.

Torrential rain causes severe floods in Albania

Intellinews.com
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:44 UTC

Torrential rain caused flooding across parts of Albania's main port city of Durres on January 6, forcing evacuations, closing roads and prompting the government to deploy the army, pumps and emergency crews as rivers and drainage systems struggled to cope.

Defence Minister Pirro Vengu said authorities had activated the national emergency mechanism over the weekend and were concentrating resources in the worst-hit areas, particularly Durres and the northern region of Lezha.

"We formed the emergency committee and distributed the entire risk map at the national level, concentrating both forces and resources in those areas where the greatest risk was assessed," Vengu said in a joint briefing with Agriculture Minister Andis Salla, according to a government statement.

He said the situation had worsened early on January 6 in Durres, especially in the Kënetë Spitallë area and parts of the city centre, where water had entered homes and limited access to some schools.

Lightning strikes in the U.S. reach 8-year-high in 2025

Raymond Sanchez
Fox Weather
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:39 UTC

Multiple lightning strikes in Seattle during a thunderstorm on March 26, 2025.

In a recent report, Vaisala Xweather said that approximately 250 million lightning strikes occurred in 2025, a 20% increase from 2024.

Lightning strikes are always a serious threat, no matter what season it is. For the last year, lightning strikes in the U.S. have reached an 8-year-high, according to Vaisala Xweather.

Xweather operates the world's definitive lightning-detection infrastructure, capable of recording 99% of thunderstorms worldwide and detecting over two billion lightning events.

In a recent report, Vaisala Xweather said that approximately 250 million lightning strikes occurred in 2025, a 20% increase from 2024.

Flash floods kill at least 16 in North Sulawesi, Indonesia (UPDATE)

azertag.az
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:39 UTC

Six people were killed after flash floods struck residential areas in the eastern Indonesian province of North Sulawesi early Monday, according to ANTARA .

The floods occurred in East Siau of Sitaro Islands Regency at around 2:30 a.m. local time following heavy rainfall, according to reports.

The Sitaro Islands Regency administration said four residents remain missing, including an infant, while four others were injured. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Residents from affected neighborhoods have been temporarily evacuated to safer locations. Preliminary data showed that 35 families, totaling 108 people, have been displaced.

The disaster also washed away five houses and cut road access between East Siau and South East Siau sub-districts.

Indonesia frequently experiences flash floods and landslides during the rainy season.

Comment: Update January 6

MacauBusiness.com reports:

Torrential rains battered Indonesia's Siau island, causing a flash flood that killed at least 16 people, with another three missing, authorities said Tuesday.

An overflowing river flooded four towns on the small island north of Sulawesi on Monday, the national disaster mitigation agency said in a statement.

"Sixteen people have been reported dead due to the flash flood," agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said, adding that teams were searching for the three missing.

He said 22 people were injured and nearly 700 villagers displaced.

"The flash flood was triggered by heavy-intensity rain that had drenched the area since the early hours, causing the river's water flow to surge suddenly," Abdul said.

Images shared by the search and rescue agency showed big rocks and uprooted trees that were swept away.

Heavy rains cause flooding in Puerto Plata and Sosúa, Dominican Republic

DominicanToday.com
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:54 UTC

Heavy rains since early morning have caused flooding in several areas of Puerto Plata province, affecting both the main municipality of San Felipe de Puerto Plata and the municipality of Sosúa.

In Sosúa, flooded streets have disrupted traffic, forcing drivers to turn back or seek alternate routes. Affected areas include Palm Village, Playa Laguna, Maranata, Villa María, Villa Enmanuel, Los Castillo and Sosúa Abajo.

In San Felipe de Puerto Plata, flooding has been reported in the historic center, along Presidente Caamaño Avenue, and in several southern neighborhoods. The president of the Maranata neighborhood association urged authorities to provide assistance to residents impacted by the rising waters.

Rare heavy snowfall piles up on Maunakea, Hawaii - up to 10 inches fell overnight

Michelle Broder Van Dyke
SpectrumLocalNews.com
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:37 UTC

A photo taken Jan. 5, 2026, at 8:45 a.m. shows heavy snow at the summit of Maunakea.

While most of the state of Hawaii is experiencing wet and cold weather, on Hawaii's tallest peak, Maunakea, it's below freezing, creating a thick blanket of snow.

Overnight on Monday, the summit area of Maunakea on Hawaii Island received 8 to 10 inches of snowfall, according to Nahua Guilloz, who is the director of stewardship programs at the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Center for Maunakea Stewardship.

"It is currently still snowing on the summit," wrote Guilloz, who emailed Spectrum News Hawaii on Monday at 11:25 a.m.

Because of the snow and ice, the road to the summit is closed. The Maunakea Stewardship's utilities crew is working to clear the snow with a snow blower, two snow plows and a front-end loader.

"There is still forecasted a lot of rain for today and overnight, so we expect that there will be more snow to clear tomorrow," Guilloz added.

Hawaii Island's summit reaches into the sky at 13,500 feet above sea level, and it usually snows there a few times each year.

Oswego County in New York state pounded with 4 feet of snow in 24 hours: 'It's absolutely nuclear'

Syracuse.com
Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:29 UTC

A car is buried in snow in Sandy Pond, Oswego County, where 3 to 4 feet of snow have fallen in the past 24 hours.

The lake effect snow machine that dropped record snow on Syracuse three days ago has turned its attention to Oswego County.

As much as 4 feet of snow has fallen on several towns in Oswego County since New Year's Day, and it's still coming. Businesses have closed and residents have been trapped inside, according to posts on social media.

Pulaski, Sandy Creek and Orwell appeared to be the hardest hit. Some local fire departments have been unable to respond to emergencies.

Most firefighters at the Ringgold Fire Department can't get out of their driveways, and the two firefighters who did make it couldn't get the engine out because 3 to 5 feet of snow blocked the bay doors, said Justin Crowl, first assistant chief.

"It's a tough time for volunteer fire departments right now," Crowl said. "This snow really hitting us, just adds on top of the stress."

Storm Francis red alerts: floods, closures and evacuations across Andalucia, Spain - 10 inches of rain in 7 hours

Lorraine Williamson
InSpain.news
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:59 UTC

Storm Francis issued red alerts across southern Spain on Sunday, prompting emergency messages to be sent to phones and leaving a trail of flooded streets, closed roads, and rapidly rising rivers in Málaga and Cádiz.

Civil Protection sent an ES-Alert to residents in dozens of municipalities as AEMET raised the rain warning to red in parts of Málaga province. Then, a second message followed at 10.23 pm, repeating the same blunt advice: avoid unnecessary journeys, do not cross flood zones, and keep away from riverbeds and channels.

A region on standby, and a plan still active

As conditions worsened, the Junta kept Andalucía's PERI flood-risk plan active at emergency phase (operational situation 1). In a late update, Antonio Sanz — the Andalucian minister for health, the presidency and emergencies — stated that 112 Andalucía had handled 261 incidents, most of which occurred in Cádiz and Málaga, and confirmed preventive evacuations in both provinces.

In Estación de Cártama, around 30 people were moved out as water levels surged. And in Jimena de la Frontera, 17 people were also evacuated as the storm's centre of gravity shifted towards the Campo de Gibraltar.

Heavy rain causes severe flooding in the city of Poções, Brazil

marcoscangussu.com.br
Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:18 UTC

Heavy rain that hit the city of Poções, in southwestern Bahia, on the afternoon of Saturday, January 3rd, caused various problems for the population. In just about 30 minutes, the large volume of water was enough to cause flooding in several neighborhoods and, especially, in the lower areas of the city center.

The Market Square was one of the most affected areas. With the rapid accumulation of water, cars were partially submerged, paving stones were ripped up by the force of the flood, and merchants suffered losses. Images recorded by residents show streets completely flooded, transforming the center of the so-called "Land of the Divine" into a veritable river.

Besides the city center, other neighborhoods also experienced flooding, hindering vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Residents reported tense moments due to the speed of the downpour and the lack of adequate drainage for the rainwater.

So far, there is no official information about injuries, but the material damage is visible. The population is demanding action from the public authorities, especially improvements to the drainage system, to prevent situations like this from happening again.

(Translated by Google)

Lightning strike kills 9, injures 6 in eastern Rwanda

ilkha.com
Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:25 UTC

At least nine people were killed and six others injured after a lightning strike hit a group of civilians in eastern Rwanda, local authorities confirmed.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening in the Jarama area of Ngoma District, located in Rwanda's Eastern Province. According to local reports, the victims were among a group of farmers who had gathered after working in nearby fields and sought shelter as heavy rain began.

Eastern Province Governor Pudence Rubingisa told Rwanda Broadcasting Agency that the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, adding that emergency teams responded swiftly to the scene.

Experts note that lightning-related fatalities are relatively common in both eastern and western parts of Rwanda due to the country's geographical features and terrain, which increase vulnerability during seasonal storms.

Rwandan authorities have repeatedly urged residents to follow safety guidelines during thunderstorms, including seeking enclosed shelter immediately, avoiding trees and open areas, refraining from mobile phone use, unplugging electrical devices, and installing lightning protection systems where possible.

Officials said public awareness campaigns would continue in an effort to reduce casualties caused by extreme weather conditions.

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Storms
S

Floods cause disruption across Kosovo

Torrential rain causes severe floods in Albania

Lightning strikes in the U.S. reach 8-year-high in 2025

Flash floods kill at least 16 in North Sulawesi, Indonesia (UPDATE)

Heavy rains cause flooding in Puerto Plata and Sosúa, Dominican Republic

Rare heavy snowfall piles up on Maunakea, Hawaii - up to 10 inches fell overnight

Oswego County in New York state pounded with 4 feet of snow in 24 hours: 'It's absolutely nuclear'

Storm Francis red alerts: floods, closures and evacuations across Andalucia, Spain - 10 inches of rain in 7 hours

Heavy rain causes severe flooding in the city of Poções, Brazil

Lightning strike kills 9, injures 6 in eastern Rwanda

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