Storms
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Windsock

Statue of Liberty replica falls over during major storm in Brazil

William Hallowell
Metro (UK)
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:49 UTC
The ‘symbolic’ moment the Statue of Liberty replica was knocked down
© ReutersThe ‘symbolic’ moment the Statue of Liberty replica was knocked down
This is the dramatic moment a 24-metres-tall replica of the world-famous Statue of Liberty was toppled in Brazil.

The monument, installed in 2020, was knocked down in the city of Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, in front of the Havan store on December 15 during a storm as winds reached speeds of 55mph, according to Brazil's civil defence authority Defesa Civil.

But the 11-metres-high concrete base remained in tact.

Dramatic footage of the incident, which appears to have been taken from a nearby building, showed the statue, in a large car park near a McDonald's, leaning forward as it eventually begins to fall.

It then crashes to the ground.

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Lightning

Lightning kills mother and 4-year-old son in Ghana


myjoyonline.com
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:30 UTC
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A 29-year-old woman and her four-year-old son have died after being struck by lightning during a heavy rainstorm at Akyeremade, a community in the Asante Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The woman, identified as Victoria, was reportedly out fetching pieces of charcoal with her two sons when the lightning struck.

An eyewitness said the lightning killed Victoria and her younger son instantly.

Her seven-year-old son, who was with them at the time, survived the strike but sustained injuries. Despite his condition, the boy was able to explain what had happened and led rescuers to the exact location where his mother and brother had collapsed.

The injured child was rushed to a nearby health facility, where he is currently responding to treatment.
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Tsunami

Flash floods in Bolivia kill 20

Sinan Dogan and Seda Sevencan
Anadolu Agency
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:27 UTC
A drone view shows flooded areas that left communities isolated after torrential rain in the community of El Torno, in Santa Cruz region, Bolivia, December 14, 2025.
A drone view shows flooded areas that left communities isolated after torrential rain in the community of El Torno, in Santa Cruz region, Bolivia, December 14, 2025.
Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Bolivia over the weekend have killed at least 20 people, authorities said.

Vice Minister of Civil Defense Alfredo Troche told reporters on Sunday that severe flooding struck the city of Santa Cruz after the Pirai River overflowed its banks.

Many people remain missing, Troche said, adding that search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock.

President Rodrigo Paz said a crisis and situation room was established at the Government Palace in the administrative capital La Paz to closely monitor developments in the affected areas.

Paz said efforts are underway to declare a national state of emergency in the flood-hit regions.

He warned that the effects of the El Nino and La Nina climate patterns are continuing and the country could face heavy rainfall over the next three to five months, followed by periods of drought.

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Snowflake Cold

Blizzard hits Hokkaido, Japan disrupting train and flight schedules - 26.7 inches of snowfall in 24 hours


Inquirer.net
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:34 UTC
Heavy snow in just 5 hours in Kitami, Hokkaido
Heavy snow in just 5 hours in Kitami, Hokkaido
Due to a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system, Hokkaido experienced heavy snowfall and strong winds across the prefecture on Dec 15, causing disruptions to train and flight schedules.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sapporo Regional Headquarters, 14 locations, mainly in eastern Hokkaido, recorded 50cm or more of snowfall in 24 hours ending at 8am local time, including 68cm in Kamisatsunai and Taiki in the Tokachi area, and 56cm near Lake Akan in the Kushiro area.

As at 11am local time, Hokkaido Railway Company was expected to cancel or partially cancel a total of 104 trains, including 21 limited express services. Over 40 flights bound for or from New Chitose Airport were expected to be cancelled as at 8am local time.

According to the Hokkaido Electric Power Network, strong winds caused power outages affecting 35,910 households across Hokkaido around 6.30am local time, primarily in the Okhotsk and Kushiro areas.

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Tsunami

At least 37 dead after flash floods hit Morocco's Safi - 2.3 inches of rain in just 3 hours


Al Jazeera
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:48 UTC
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At least 37 have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, according to authorities.

State-owned broadcaster SNRT News on Monday quoted local authorities as saying at least 14 people had received hospital treatment, including two in the intensive care unit, after the sudden bout of heavy rain on Sunday.

Images on social media showed a torrent of muddy water sweeping cars and rubbish bins from the streets in the town of Safi, located some 300km (186 miles) south of the capital, Rabat. At least 70 homes and businesses in the historic old city were flooded after just one hour of heavy rain, according to the authorities.

In a statement, the Safi governorate said search and rescue operations were ongoing and necessary measures had been taken to secure the affected areas and provide support to residents.


Comment: Morocco World News reports:
Abdelrahim Tannas, the Regional Director of Equipment in Safi said today that rainfall recorded in the city center on Sunday exceeded 60 millimeters within three hours.

Tannas made his remarks in a statement to Morocco's news agency MAP, where he said the rainfall that the city experienced varied from one area to another.

He said the city center recorded rainfall that exceeded 60 millimeters, "which explains the scale of the flooding that affected central Safi, particularly the Sidi Bozid area."

Floods that affected the city left 37 people dead, and several others injured.


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Lightning

Three killed, five injured after lightning strikes church service in Limpopo, South Africa

Khodani Mpilo
Times Live
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:21 UTC
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Three people died and five others were injured after lightning struck a church service in Radimana village in Limpopo in the early hours on Sunday.

According to police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba, the incident occurred at about 1am on Sunday while a congregation was attending a night church service inside a tent when it started to rain heavily.

"While they busy singing, lightning struck inside the tent in a field." Ledwaba said.

Eight people aged between 12 and 56, all residents of Sefihlampyana village, sustained injuries and were taken to a health-care centre.
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Arrow Down

Raging Montana creek swallows bridge as it collapses, flood emergency declared

Kieran Sullivan
Fox Weather
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:31 UTC
The power of an atmospheric river moisture fueled Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was
© (Mark Wigner/TMXThe power of an atmospheric river moisture fueled Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was
A raging creek tore through a bridge and claimed a road in Libby, Montana in a must-see moment captured on camera.

Onlookers could only watch on the afternoon of Dec. 11 when the power of the Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was.

Video footage displays the destroyed bridge, and the jaw-dropping moment a massive slab of concrete succumbs to the raging water.

A major atmospheric river event brought rounds of moisture to the Northwest, where the effects were felt in Lincoln County in Northwest Montana among a host of other locations throughout the region.

Across Lincoln County, like many communities in the region, flooding has inundated major roads and forced evacuations.


Comment: Related: Major river flooding unleashed as powerful atmospheric river slams Pacific Northwest

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Snowflake Cold

Arctic temperatures, snow and flooding sweep across the U.S.

Kate Reilly and Christine Rapp
NBC News
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 19:45 UTC
Snow falls from a tree as a person clears a sidewalk along Cherokee Parkway in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 12.
© Matt Stone / USA TodaySnow falls from a tree as a person clears a sidewalk along Cherokee Parkway in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 12.
60 million people from the Northern Plains through the Southeast are under cold weather alerts this weekend and will face dangerously cold wind chills.

Wintry weather is sweeping across parts of the United States this weekend, bringing with it brutally low temperatures.

Sixty million people from the Northern Plains through the Southeast are under cold weather alerts, including Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, Huntsville and Myrtle Beach.

Dangerously cold wind chills are expected to hit these areas, with the National Weather Service issuing some alerts that run into Monday morning.

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Snowflake Cold

Heavy snowfall of 50 centimeters and freezing temperatures hit multiple provinces in Türkiye


TurkiyeToday.com
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 19:17 UTC
Palandoken Ski Resort in Erzurum is known for being the ski center that opens the season earliest and closes it the latest in Türkiye. Erzurum, Türkiye, December 12, 2025.
© AAPalandoken Ski Resort in Erzurum is known for being the ski center that opens the season earliest and closes it the latest in Türkiye. Erzurum, Türkiye, December 12, 2025.
Following warnings issued by the Turkish State Meteorological Service, a cold air system accompanied by precipitation has affected large parts of the country, bringing snowfall to numerous provinces, particularly in eastern and northern regions.

Several settlements were cut off due to heavy snow, while the season's first snowfall was recorded in some provinces.

Erzurum experiences heavy snowfall

In Erzurum, snowfall that had previously been limited to higher elevations spread to the city center in the early morning hours. Snow depth reached up to 50 centimeters in some areas, and air temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius ( minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit).

The snowfall caused disruptions to traffic, prompting municipal and highway maintenance teams to conduct snow removal and de-icing operations.

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Tsunami

Floods leave over 2,000 dead, missing in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, nearly 4 million affected


Anadolu Agency
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:25 UTC
mmmmm
Death toll from severe weather in Indonesia rises to 995 with 226 missing, while 640 dead in Sri Lanka with 211 still unaccounted for

Severe floods and landslides in Indonesia and Sri Lanka left over 2,000 people dead and missing as of Saturday, official data showed.

Unprecedented floods, landslides, storms, and cyclones have caused widespread devastation across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Indonesia has been hit the hardest, followed by Sri Lanka.

Indonesia's national disaster management agency said so far 995 people are dead and 226 are missing on Sumatra and over 5,000 injured as rescue operations are underway.

More than 3.2 million people have been affected by devastating floods and landslides in the flood-hit provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.
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