Storms
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Snowflake Cold

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Sea currents change near Japan - Tokyo shivers in Mini Ice Age repeat (VIDEO)

Snow in Tokyo 2018
© AFP/Kazuhiro NogiA woman walks along a street as it snows in Tokyo on February 2, 2018.
South China Morning Post came out with an article explaining that sea currents have changed slightly around Japan and this is driving the coldest temperatures in 50 years and record snow across the islands. Interestingly these changes are what is expected to occur during the new Mini Ice Age. More signs that we are repeating cycles. More volcanic eruptions, more sea ice coverage and more cosmic rays. The worlds media is now finding any excuse to explain the changes because these events are now in the open for all to see.


Cloud Precipitation

Ex Cyclone Fehi causes major flooding in New Zealand

Families are evacuated in Ruby Bay.
© BRADEN FASTIERFamilies are evacuated in Ruby Bay.
After causing severe flooding in New Caledonia, the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Fehi brought severe weather including thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the South Island of New Zealand from 31 January 2018.

Thousands of homes have been left without power. Local states of emergency have been declared in Buller and Dunedin.

Buller, West Coast region

Buller District Council said that there have been evacuations in many low lying areas such as Snodgrass, Carters Beach and Derby Street and many houses have experienced flooding.

The Emergency Operation Centre has been on standby since yesterday and is now in full swing as a coordination point for welfare, planning, communications and the general emergency operations

The main issue has been the high tide which was at 12.20 hrs. The water is now starting to recede in some areas however continues to rise in areas north of Westport. Evacuated residents should not return home until notified it is safe to return.


Windsock

Gale force winds batter Gibraltar

Storm damage in Gibralta
Gale force winds have battered Gibraltar, closing schools, bringing down trees and diverting flights.

Ocean Village saw its upper floor cover torn apart in the early hours of the morning, with steel bolts and scaffolding poles ripped off and bent.

The winds of more than 100km/h also meant that some flights from the Rock were diverted, with passengers transported by coach to Malaga.

Several schools have also been closed following safety concerns, with the playground roof of Notre Dame School partially collapsing, in addition to scaffolding falling on top of St. Anne's gymnasium.


Snowflake Cold

Extreme winter weather in China forces thousands of evacuations as heavy snowfall and ice cause chaos across the country

Snow scenery across China
© CNSnow across China
Extreme weather conditions have caused havoc in much of central and eastern China over the weekend, with hundreds of flights and trains cancelled due to heavy snow and ice, and rescue operations being rolled out across the country.

More than 4,000 people had to be relocated in the eastern province of Anhui after their homes were damaged by snowstorms, with approximately 481,000 people in the province impacted overall.

Rescue workers were dispatched in Anhui to repair power lines and clean snow and ice from roads, while civil affairs authorities sent quilts, coats and food to the affected members of the public.



Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills family of five in Namibia

lightning
Katima Mulilo-Tragedy struck when five family members were killed by lightning at Mazongendaba in the Chinchimani area of Sibbinda Constituency, Zambezi Region, on Friday morning. The family members were struck by lightning as they were inside their house while it was raining. They all died instantly.

It is understood that the house caught fire immediately when it was struck by lighting and despite that it was still raining, the house started burning. Villagers could not do anything as they watched helplessly as the housed burned to ashes with the family trapped inside.

The five were identified as 45-year-old Angolan national Mateus Diveve, his 37-year-old wife Pelekelo Diveve and their three children, nine month-old baby Kadoli Diveve, Maria Diveve aged four, and Tumone Diveve (5).

Snowflake

Over 9 feet of snow at Hurricane Ridge, Washington (drifts of 14 feet)

Fourteen-foot snow drifts were sculpted by high wind near the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge in the photograph taken Friday.
© Sarah Crosier/National Park ServiceFourteen-foot snow drifts were sculpted by high wind near the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge in the photograph taken Friday.
Too much of a good thing kept the Hurricane Ridge Road closed Friday and Saturday, with more snow predicted this week.

More than 9 feet of snow โ€” 112 inches โ€” was measured at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Ridge snow stake, according to the park road and weather phone line at 360-565-3131.

The road was closed Friday as park crews worked to clear it and the Ridge parking lot โ€” where high winds sculpted snow into 14-foot drifts โ€” of heavy snowfall, according to park spokeswoman Penny Wagner.

It remained closed at the Heart O'the Hills entrance station on Saturday because of heavy snow and high winds, according to the recorded message on the road and weather line.

Snowflake

Winter storm delivers snow to Saudi Arabia and Lebanon (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

snow
Residents in Saudi shared photos of the rare covering of snow

It isn't all sunshine and sand in the Middle East, especially in northern Saudi Arabia which has been on the receiving end of a wintry blast this weekend.

The wintry weather arrived in the kingdom on Friday, bringing a covering of snow to the Tabuk region.

Residents were quick to share their pictures of the wintry scenes on social media.


Cloud Lightning

Woman killed by lightning in South Africa

lightning
A 49-year-old South African woman died on Friday, after she was struck by lightning on a farm in Ladybrand in Free State, paramedics said.

"When ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene at 4.35pm, they found the woman lying on the ground covered with a blanket. The police were already in attendance," ER24 spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen said.

"Upon further assessment, paramedics found that the woman had sustained extensive burn wounds to the front part of her body. Unfortunately, the woman showed no signs of life and she was declared dead on the scene by ER24."

Source: African News Agency

Snowflake Cold

Heavy snow hits Shanghai for first time in a decade

Shanghai snow

Extreme weather disrupts flights and train services, with several road accidents during rush hour


Shanghai residents are revelling in rare snow, but the extreme weather has disrupted flights and trains in the region and the city also saw a series of traffic accidents during rush hour on Friday.

Many people braved the cold to enjoy the novelty of snow blanketing downtown Shanghai, which has not seen significant snowfall for a decade. In the city's central area, the snow was 4cm deep, while in the suburbs it was 5cm to 10cm.

Zhao Fang, an office manager and mother of a preschooler, said she took the day off work and gave her son the day off school on Friday to fully enjoy the snow.

"We don't want to miss this rare opportunity to play in the snow," she said. "Who knows how many more years it will be before snow will fall again in Shanghai."

Photos shared online by thrilled residents showed people frolicking in the snow, leaving messages on snow-covered cars, making snow angels and building snowmen.

But dozens of parks were closed for safety reasons until the snow was cleared, local news website Xinmin.cn reported.

Comment: Blizzard wreaks havoc across Central, Eastern China


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 16 cattle in Zambia

lightning
Lightning has killed 16 head of cattle in Chipili District in Luapula Province.

Chipili Town Council Chairperson Isaac Kafwimbi says the animals owned by five farmers of Mukanga Village in Chieftainess Mwenda's Chiefdom died on the spot after being struck by lightning in a communally owned kraal.

Mr Kafwimbi says the people of Chipili are still in shocked from the accident.

He says it is sad that at the time when farmers in the district are making efforts to start keeping cattle such an accident can happen.

Mr Kafwimbi has since called on government through the office of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit to find means of helping the affected farmers.