Storms
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Cloud Precipitation

Cyclone leaves Fiji causing widespread flooding

Lice Movono
RNZ
Mon, 10 Jan 2022 20:11 UTC
People in Fiji are being warned of flash floods due to a category 1 tropical cyclone
People in Fiji are being warned of flash floods due to a category 1 tropical cyclone
Tropical Cyclone Cody is slowly moving away from Fiji but emergency management authorities say lingering heavy rain continues to create high risk for the country amid a third wave of the coronavirus.

The category 1 storm left one person dead, caused widespread flooding which forced close to 2,000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter at 110 evacuation centres activated across Fiji.

Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said the capital Suva was spared by Cody, but it had belted the whole of the main island Viti Levu with heavy rains since late last week.


Flash flooding was reported across the country and Seruiratu said Cody may intensify to a category 2 storm as it moved south west out of Fiji.

"This will mean that flooding will continue to be a concern to us.

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Snowflake Cold

Climbers flee heavy snowfall in base camp on Manaslu, Nepal - 3 metres of snow in a week

Angela Benavides
Explorersweb.com
Sun, 09 Jan 2022 13:21 UTC
Simone Moro in red and a Nepali team member work on the deeply buried Manaslu BC tents.
© Alex TxikonSimone Moro in red and a Nepali team member work on the deeply buried Manaslu BC tents. Everyone flew away from Base Camp on Saturday until conditions improve.
Constant snow falling on Manaslu has pushed everyone away. "[In the] last week we had almost three metres of snow, so we decided to get everyone down to Samagaon, all the Sherpas, all the climbers, the whole group," Simone Moro reported on Saturday.

Two helicopters evacuated most of the expedition members, although a few, including Sophie Lenaerts and Stef Maginelle of Belgium, walked down to the village. "The descent from Base Camp was a bit dangerous because of snow slides," they reported.

"[Of all my] 21 winter expeditions, this one is proving to be particularly hard," Simone Moro admitted.

Unlike the rest of the climbers, who settled in Samagaon, Alex Txikon, Moro, and two others flew all the way back to Kathmandu. Here, they are arranging to fly a resupply of oxygen and cooking fuel to BC. They themselves will wait for conditions to improve before returning to Base Camp. "This is not possible at the moment," Moro wrote.
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Info

Geomythology looks to ancient stories for hints of scientific truth

Prof. Timothy John Burbery
The Conversation
Sat, 07 Aug 2021 00:40 UTC
Everyone loves a good story, especially if it's based on something true.

Consider the Greek legend of the Titanomachy, in which the Olympian gods, led by Zeus, vanquish the previous generation of immortals, the Titans. As recounted by the Greek poet Hesiod, this conflict makes for a thrilling tale - and it may preserve kernels of truth.

The eruption around 1650 B.C. of the Thera volcano could have inspired Hesiod's narrative. More powerful than Krakatoa, this ancient cataclysm in the southern Aegean Sea would have been witnessed by anyone living within hundreds of miles of the blast.

Thera Volcano
© Steve Jurvetson, CC BYThe massive eruption of the Thera volcano more than 3,500 years ago left behind a hollowed out island, today known as Santorini.
Historian of science Mott Greene argues that key moments from the Titanomachy map on to the eruption's "signature." For example, Hesiod notes that loud rumbles emanated from the ground as the armies clashed; seismologists now know that harmonic tremors - small earthquakes that sometimes precede eruptions - often produce similar sounds. And the impression of the sky - "wide Heaven" - shaking during the battle could have been inspired by shock waves in the air caused by the volcanic explosion. Hence, the Titanomachy may represent the creative misreading of a natural event.

In 2021 I published the first textbook in the field, Geomythology: How Common Stories Reflect Earth Events. As the book demonstrates, researchers in both the sciences and the humanities practice geomythology. In fact, geomythology's hybrid nature may help to bridge the gap between the two cultures. And despite its orientation toward the past, geomythology might also provide powerful resources for meeting environmental challenges in the future.
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Snowflake Cold

Millions across US northeast hit by winter storm


NBC News
Sat, 08 Jan 2022 14:06 UTC
Authorities in Kentucky responded to a 50-car pile-up caused by icy and slick roads on Thursday
Authorities in Kentucky responded to a 50-car pile-up caused by icy and slick roads on Thursday

After snow slammed more than a dozen states from Tennessee to Maine, millions across the Northeast were blasted with heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures

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Snowflake

Road and air traffic suspended, power lines damaged as heavy snowfall hits Indian-controlled Kashmir - 3 feet of snow reported


Xinhua
Sun, 09 Jan 2022 13:24 UTC
Srinagar- The heavy snowfall across the Valley has caused massive damage to the power infrastructure, including electricity transformers as well as 11 kilowatt feeders.
Srinagar- The heavy snowfall across the Valley has caused massive damage to the power infrastructure, including electricity transformers as well as 11 kilowatt feeders.
Heavy snowfall hit plains and upper reaches of Indian-controlled Kashmir, leading to the closure of roads and cancellation of flights, officials said on Saturday.

The snowfall began Friday afternoon and was intermittently going on.

"It (snowfall) began yesterday and by the night everything was under a thick white layer. After that, it stopped and today morning resumed again. Even now it is going on," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official in Srinagar said. "There is a possibility of more snow in the region due to Western Disturbance."

A spokesman of the disaster management department said plains, as well as upper reaches in districts, have received heavy snowfall, leading to the closure of inter-district roads.

"Reports of heavy snowfall are pouring in from Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, Kishtwar, Budgam and Ganderbal. Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, also recorded snow," the spokesman said. "At many places in Kulgam, Anantnag and Kishtwar, the depth of snow is over 2 to 3 feet."

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Cloud Precipitation

'Unexpected' floods in Queensland, Australia leave 15 missing as ex-cyclone Seth wreaks havoc - 26 inches of rain in 24 hours


The Guardian
Sat, 08 Jan 2022 20:30 UTC
Flood waters seen at the Woolooga Trader in Gympie, Queensland. Flooding north of Brisbane has closed highways and cut off some towns.
© Woolooga Trader/AAPFlood waters seen at the Woolooga Trader in Gympie, Queensland. Flooding north of Brisbane has closed highways and cut off some towns.
Police search for people trapped in vehicles and one man dies in flood waters in Wide Bay and Burnett regions

Parts of Queensland are experiencing major flooding, with the aftermath of ex-tropical Cyclone Seth causing "unexpected" prolonged heavy rain and storms.

The Bureau of Meteorology said there was major flooding in the Wide Bay and Burnett regions, north of Brisbane, causing highways to close and cutting off some towns.

Marodian near Gympie received more than 670mm in the 24 hours to 9am with many other areas receiving at least 300mm.

The Bruce Highway reopened late Saturday morning after the downpour forced it to close earlier.

There were warnings for more heavy rain on Saturday and authorities issued an emergency alert for Maryborough, urging people to reconsider travel.

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Snowflake

3 FEET of snow in less 24 hours: The city Leavenworth in Washington declares state of emergency due to record snowfall


FOX 13
Sat, 08 Jan 2022 14:41 UTC
snow
© City of Leavenworth Washington
The City of Leavenworth declared a State of Emergency on Jan. 7 and requested aid from the National Guard after getting 36" of snow in less than 24 hours.

City officials said some areas received as much as 48" of snow in less than 48 hours, calling it "unprecedented and record-breaking snowfall."

Authorities are concerned about the weight of the snow on homes and buildings.

"The emergency declaration allows the City to use local resources that can aid quickly, instead of going through a normal bidding process, and is a pre-requisite for state and federal emergency aid funding," a city official said.

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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: At least 22 dead as heavy snow traps THOUSANDS of vehicles in Pakistan - 4 FEET of snowfall overnight


The Guardian
Sat, 08 Jan 2022 13:14 UTC
People walk past vehicles trapped in heavy snow in Murree
People walk past vehicles trapped in heavy snow in Murree
Thousands affected at popular destination of Murree with eight of those killed from same family

Atiq Ahmed, an Islamabad police officer, said eight of the 22 fatalities were from the family of fellow Islamabad police officer Naveed Iqbal, who also died. All 16 died of hypothermia, officials said.

Rescue services physician Abdur Rehman said that after evacuating all of the stranded tourists from their cars, the death toll stood at 22, including 10 men, 10 children and two women.

The interior minister, sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said thousands of vehicles had been pulled from the snow but more than a thousand were still stuck in the area on Saturday.

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Snowflake

'Bomb cyclone' threatens east coast, dropping heavy snow on NYC

Amy Furr
Breitbart
Fri, 07 Jan 2022 09:08 UTC
snow nyc
Some major American cities are experiencing a "bomb cyclone" snowstorm, including New York City.

"Upwards of six inches of snow has reportedly hit the Big Apple according to Accuweather.com, with plenty of commuters having to contend with delays and disruptions on Friday morning," the Independent reported.

Some areas were expected to be hit with a burst of one to two inches of snow an hour as the storm heads northward.

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Cloud Precipitation

Brazil - Damaging flash floods in Barretos, Sao Paolo, after 4 inches of rain in 2 hours

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:56 UTC
flood
The municipality of Barretos in the northern part of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, declared a state of disaster after a short period of torrential rain caused damaging floods.

According to the municipality government, over 100 mm of rain fell in 2 hours during the afternoon of 06 January 2022.

The ensuing floods blocked roads in at least 8 locations, damaged homes and wiped out a bridge. Water infrastructure was also destroyed, leaving 6 districts without drinking water.

One person was reported missing after being carried away by the current. Local media said firefighters searched throughout 06 January but without success. Search operations will continue into 07 January.

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