Storms
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Snowflake

Five dead after massive snowstorm pummels US Midwest


RT
Sun, 13 Jan 2019 06:53 UTC
winter storm
© Getty Images / Bjarne Andrén
A winter storm that buried the US Midwest in snow has resulted in at least five roadway deaths. Photos and videos posted to social media show the storm's chaotic aftermath.

The storm blanketed Kansas and Missouri on Friday, with heavy snowfall continuing into Saturday. It also hit parts of other states including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Areas around St. Louis, Missouri were affected the hardest, with Reuters reporting that a foot and a half of snow was recorded west of the city.

The massive storm took its toll on highways and roads, where at least five people were killed as a result of dangerous driving conditions.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol wrote in a tweet on Saturday that it has responded to 3,918 calls for service, 1,790 stranded motorists, 878 crashes, and 57 injuries.


Comment: From China to Russia, world is blanketed in white - in pictures

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Cloud Precipitation

South East Africa - Deadly storms and floods in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:39 UTC
flood
Violent storms and flash flooding triggered by heavy rain have affected the south east African countries of Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique over the last few days. Over 20 people have reportedly died since 09 January, 2019.

Malawi

Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) reported on 11 January that flash floods in the capital Lilongwe, Central Region, have caused severe material damage, affecting around 600 people. No fatalities have been reported.

The floods were triggered by 3 hours of heavy rain on 10 January. DoDMA said that flooding had affected the areas of "Biwi, Area 22, Kaliyeka, Chipasula, Mchesi, Kawale and Area 36 in Lilongwe City, " and that "parts of Chipasula, Chidzanja and Kawale bridges have been damaged."

Further damage assessments are being carried out to form the basis for the provision of relief assistance. Malawi's Minister of Homeland Security, Nicholas Dausi, was expected to visit the affected areas on 11 January.

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Snowflake Cold

World Snow Wrap, January 11 - Heavy snowfalls continue in Europe, Canada, the US and Japan

Reggae Elliss
Mountain Watch
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:50 UTC
Parts of Austria buried in deep snow - more on the way!
Parts of Austria buried in deep snow - more on the way!
USA

It has been a pretty good couple of weeks in the US western states with regular snowfalls in resorts in the Pacific north-west, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Last weekend saw some big snowfalls in the Californian Sierras with the Tahoe resorts and Mammoth receiving huge totals, Squaw Valley receiving a massive 122cms on the upper mountain in two days last Saturday and Sunday, although the upper lifts were on wind-hold at times. Mammoth also got the goods with a solid 167cms at the Summit in a week, taking the Summits season total to 4.8 metres.

There were also good falls in Jackson Hole which received 64cms from Jan 5-7 and by all reports the snow was classic Jackson "Cowboy Powder". Utah hasn't missed out, Brighton and Snowbasin picking up 25-30cms overnight on January 6.

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Snowflake Cold

Israel sees record snowfall - meter of snow hits Mt. Hermon


ynetnews.com
Wed, 09 Jan 2019 14:32 UTC
Snow on Mt. Hermon
© Mt. Hermon managementSnow on Mt. Hermon
Sea of Galilee water levels rise by almost 20cm and a meter of snow hits Mt. Hermon's lower parts as the storm system enters it final stage before tapering off over the weekend.

As the storm system that hit Israel at the beginning of the week enters its final stage, the cold temperatures plummeted Wednesday to this winter's record low. Nearly a meter of snow has accumulated on Mt. Hermon and the water levels in the Sea of Galilee have risen by at least 19.5 cm over the past 48 hours, according to meteorological services.

The waterline in Sea of Galilee currently stands at -214 below sea level and 1.10 meters (3.6 feet) below the lower red line (the intermediate warning signal indicating a crisis).

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 6 in Zimbabwe


Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
Thu, 10 Jan 2019 13:25 UTC
lightning
Tragedy has hit Chipinge after six people were struck to death by lightning bolts this evening.

Four people died at Carta farm while two others met the same fate at Watershed farm near Mandikise Prison in Chipinge.

Meanwhile, heavy rains have destroyed part of the roofing at Beitbridge border post.

Immigration officials have, however, confirmed that operations have not been affected.

This also comes amid reports that homes in nearby Mtetengwe village, staff houses at clinic have also been destroyed.

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Cloud Precipitation

Rivers rising after record rainfall in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay - almost 20 inches in 3 days with 7 inches in 80 minutes

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Thu, 10 Jan 2019 12:10 UTC
flood
At least 3 people have died in flooding and storms that have affected several provinces of Argentina over the last few days.

Heavy rain and flooding was reported in Corrientes, Tucumán, Santa Fe and Chaco, while strong winds caused damage in Santiago del Estero. Record rainfall was recorded in Resistencia, Chaco.

Meanwhile authorities have warned that the Uruguay River could reach danger levels in Concordia, Entre Rios, Argentina.

The Uruguay River has already broken its banks upstream, causing flooding in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where some areas have recorded almost 500mm of rain in the last 3 days. Stormy weather has also caused at least one fatality in the state.

Heavy rain has also affected parts of Uruguay, including in the cities of Durazno and Sarandí del Yí, where the overflowing Yí river has prompted evacuations.

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Tornado2

Large waterspout spotted over Cancun waters, Mexico


Riviera Maya News
Thu, 10 Jan 2019 13:40 UTC
waterspout
A large waterspout that emerged from a cloud over the sea at Cancun caught the attention of many, including geologist Sergio Almazán.

Almazán, who is an engineer from the National Polytechnic Institute, was out walking when he spotted the large funnel. On his social media account, he posted a 42-second video of the unusual spout as it hovered over Cancun waters.

While not unheard of in regions such as the Florida Keys where they see 200 a year, waterspouts in this region are not common, however, several are spotted each year along the Quintana Roo coast.


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Snowflake

Massive snowstorms continue in Austria and the Northern Alps - 10 feet of snow in 7 days for one resort

Reggae Elliss
Mountain Watch
Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:32 UTC
snow Austria
There has been a huge amount of snow falling across the northern European Alps over the past couple of weeks with resorts in Austria bearing the brunt of the storm. While there have been a few epic powder days in some resorts, there is literally too much snow in other areas with roads and train lines cut.

We've been talking about big snowfalls in Whistler, California and Japan, but the seven-day totals in parts of Austria are really impressive - the resort of Tauplitz reporting over three metres (10 feet), while Solden's upper slopes now have a base of over four metres after 70cms fell in the past few days.



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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 110 in Cambodia last year - 37% increase from 2017

Mu Xuequan
Xinhua
Tue, 08 Jan 2019 20:59 UTC
lightning
© Johannes Plenio
Lightning strikes claimed 110 lives in Cambodia in 2018, up 37 percent from 80 deaths recorded a year earlier, a disaster control spokesman said on Tuesday.

Besides fatalities, thunderbolts injured 82 others last year, up 28 percent from 64 in the year before, said Keo Vy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management.

"The increase in casualties from lighting strikes last year was due to the surge in rainfall amounts," he told Xinhua. "Moreover, Cambodia had suffered more from the impact of tropical storms."

The spokesman said the Southeast Asian nation had experienced the impact of 29 storms in 2018.
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Snowflake

Storm packing snow and rain paralyzes parts of Lebanon


Surrey Now Leader
Tue, 08 Jan 2019 15:31 UTC
flood
Among those affected are tens of thousands of Syrian refugees

A winter storm packing heavy rain and snow has turned streets in Lebanon into rivers of water and mud and paralyzed parts of the country.

Among those affected Tuesday are tens of thousands of Syrian refugees many of whom live in tent settlements.

In the eastern Bekaa Valley, Syrian refugees stayed indoors next to diesel or wood heaters as snow covered their flimsy tents.

Authorities closed the highway linking Beirut with the Syrian capital Damascus after parts of it that cut through high mountains became covered with snow.

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