Storms
S


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in the Alps - up to a meter in 48 hours

Patrick Thorne
Inthesnow.com
Thu, 27 Feb 2020 14:38 UTC
snow
A major snowstorm is currently underway in the Alps.

Snowfall is widespread across the region but so far heaviest in the north and west.

The snow is still falling and new stats are arriving every few moments but so far amongst the biggest accumulations have been reported in France and Switzerland.

Crans Montana has reported the most snow - a metre in the past 48 hours, but it looks like more resorts will pass the metre mark by the weekend.

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Dreamsicle

Yes, we have no bananas: Canary Islands banana plantations heavily damaged by windstorm


Fresh Plaza
Thu, 27 Feb 2020 12:49 UTC
damage
The windstorm of February 22 and 23 has caused severe damage to banana plantations in the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, Gran Canaria and, to a lesser extent, El Hierro.

It is estimated that about 8,000 plots have been affected by this storm. The north of Tenerife, especially the plantations located in Puerto de la Cruz, is among the most affected areas, with up to 80% of the plants on the ground, and severe damages to those that are still standing. The municipalities of Guía de Isora and Adeje have also been affected by this storm. In this area, where around 90% of this season's fruit had already been harvested, the prospect is that the consequences of the damage will actually be felt in the next season.

Comment: See in addition: Banana, avocado and potato crops in the Canary Islands hit by wind and calima

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills two boys in Zimbabwe

Jesse Ncube
Chronicle (Zimbabwe)
Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:39 UTC
lightning
Two boys were struck and killed by lightning in Hwange while collecting wild fruits.

Matabeleland North acting police spokesperson Sergeant Namatirai Mashona confirmed the incident which occurred in Kamativi, Gale 4 village, under Chief Pashu on Monday at about 3PM.

She identified the deceased as Ponoza Muleya (8) and Shibbo Muleya (4).

Sgt Mashona said the two were with another juvenile, Vigilant Muleya (6), who was also struck but only sustained minor injuries.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 20 cattle in Zimbabwe

Freedom Mupanedemo
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
Tue, 25 Feb 2020 19:32 UTC
lightning
Two families in Shurugwi were left homeless, while 20 cattle were killed by lightning on Sunday in the Dorset Resettlement area.

Councillor for the area, Aaron Ndlovu, confirmed the incident.

Clr Ndlovu said he had since approached the District Development Coordinator for Shurugwi seeking assistance.

"We have a sad situation here in Dorset where two families were left in the open after their homesteads were torched by lightning following a violent thunderstorm on Sunday.

"Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, but we have said the District Civil Protection Unit should assist them with temporary shelter as they start to reconstruct the destroyed homes," he said.
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Pineapple

Banana, avocado and potato crops in the Canary Islands hit by wind and calima


Fesh Plaza
Wed, 26 Feb 2020 18:45 UTC
Banana, avocado and potato crops in the Canary Islands hit by wind
Banana, avocado and potato crops in the Canary Islands hit by wind
Many crops facing a "lost year"

The assessment of the damage caused by the wind and calima in the Canary Islands is already underway. We will still have to wait a few days to know the full extent of the damage, but the first impressions of the agrarian leaders point to a heavy impact on all crops grown in the open ground, especially on bananas and potatoes, which in many cases will be facing "a lost year."

For some fruit crops (those cultivated in the places most affected by the wind), not only may the current harvest have been lost, but the next campaign is also at risk.

In certain parts of the islands, the effects of the storm on the banana plantations resemble those caused by the tropical storm Delta in 2005, says Javier Gutiérrez, general secretary of the Association of Agricultural Producers and Livestock Farmers of the Canary Islands (Asaga Canarias). In Tenerife, this applies to the farms located in the Orotava Valley, although also to those in part of the south, as well as in La Palma. The leader of Asaga reports that many banana plantations will have to be uprooted and sown again (if the companies that supply in vitro plants have sufficient stocks), "with the investment that this entails."
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Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rains, flooding pummel Cairo and parts of Egypt


New York Times
Mon, 24 Feb 2020 13:56 UTC
FLOODS
Heavy rains pummeled the Egyptian capital of Cairo and other parts of the country Monday, causing massive traffic jams and flooding on many key roads.

The downpour also forced authorities to suspend classes the following day at schools and universities across the country, from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the south.

Egyptians shared scenes of the rain and flooding on social media, including submerged cars and snarled traffic. Parts of Cairo were left impassable, and trucks were seen fanning out to drain water from flooded areas of the city, home to some 20 million people.

People also took to social media to criticize the government's lack of preparedness for the downpour. Nearly every year, the capital or other major cities are crippled by flooding from a rainstorm.

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Cloud Precipitation

Severe thunderstorm creates havoc in Perth, Australia

Pip Christmass
7NEWS.com.au
Tue, 25 Feb 2020 11:01 UTC
Dark clouds loomed over Morley as the storm front moved across Perth's northern suburbs
© Matt WoodcockDark clouds loomed over Morley as the storm front moved across Perth's northern suburbs.
A freak storm has caused chaos across Perth, bringing down trees, causing flash flooding and leaving homes without power.

The storm rolled in around 5pm, bringing dark clouds , lightning strikes and heavy rains with it.

It lashed the city and the suburbs, with people taking to social media to capture the chaos.

Winds of 93 km/hr were reported at Ocean Reef, while peak hour traffic ground to a halt as traffic lights went out.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the storm was not unusual for February, but it caught everyone by surprise.

BOM WA issued an alert only an hour before, just after 4pm.

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Snowflake

Breckenridge ski resort in Colorado hits 300 inches of snow: 'We still have 3 months left'

Matt Kroschel
Denver.cbslocal.com
Sun, 23 Feb 2020 20:35 UTC
Breckenridge Resort
Breckenridge Resort
Breckenridge Resort hit and surpassed the 300 inch mark for the ski season on Sunday. According to Sara Lococo, the Senior Communications Manager at Breckenridge, the resort is reporting more than a foot of fresh snow as of Sunday morning.

What was expected to be a few inches turned into more than a foot!

"Woke up today at like 5 a.m. and it was about an inch, and then I checked the snow stake a couple of hours later, and it was more than a foot. I was like 'all right I better get out there,'" Lococo told CBS4 Sunday afternoon.

Lococo's job is to help tell the story that is Breckenridge resort. She says she found inspiration today out on the slopes.

"It's incredible. February has definitely delivered," Lococo said.

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Snowflake

Copper Mountain in Colorado sees snowiest February ever with 88 inches of powder

John Meyer
The Denver Post
Mon, 24 Feb 2020 20:15 UTC
snow
Breckenridge broke its own February record last week

With 10 inches of fresh snow to report Monday morning, Copper Mountain broke its record for February snowfall. Its neighbor on the other side of the Tenmile Range, Breckenridge, broke its February record last week.

With six days left in the month, Copper has received 88 inches of snow. The previous record was 83 inches in 1986. Breckenridge has received 110 inches this month.
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Windsock

Sandstorm causes disruption on Spain's Canary Islands


The Local Spain
Mon, 24 Feb 2020 08:47 UTC
A satellite image shows the sandstorm blasting the Canary Islands from the east
© NASAA satellite image shows the sandstorm blasting the Canary Islands from the east.
Airports on Spain's Canary Islands reopened on Monday although service was disrupted after a sandstorm hit the archipelago, airport authorities said.

All eight airports on Spain's Canary Islands reopened on Monday a day after a sandstorm shrouded the archipelago, forcing their closure, the transport ministry said.

"The overnight improvement in the weather has allowed the resumption of air traffic in all airports in the Canary Islands," the ministry tweeted.

ENAIRE, the public body that manages Spanish airspace, said flights had resumed after "an improvement in the haze".

Air travel was first disrupted on the archipelago on Saturday after strong winds carrying red sand from the Sahara shrouded the tourist hotspot, forcing flights to and from the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife to be cancelled or diverted.

The airports were reopened on Monday morning Spanish airport operator AENA said, but warned that they were operating with "reduced capacity". Travellers were advised to check the status of the flight with the airline.

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