Storms
S


Snowflake

Late snowstorm strikes South Island, New Zealand


Otago Daily Times
Thu, 09 Nov 2017 13:28 UTC
Jakob Williams (2) plays in the snow on the shores of Lake Wakatipu at Kingston
© Warren WilliamsJakob Williams (2) plays in the snow on the shores of Lake Wakatipu at Kingston
The snow and flooding that hit the South overnight caused several schools to close today, affecting hundreds of pupils.

The Ministry of Education advised of the closures, saying regional teams had been contacting schools and early childhood centres.

"Three of the seven schools were forced to close because their school buses couldn't get through on the roads. We are helping all the impacted schools and early learning services. No reports of damage have been received,'' Katrina Casey, deputy secretary of Sector Enablement and Support, said.

The affected schools are: Tapanui School, Blue Mountain College, Heriot School, Northern Southland College, Lumsden School, Mossburn School and Garston School, while the early learning services are: Riverstones Early Learning Centre in Lumsden and Kidz Way Early Learning Centre in Tapanui.

Heavy snow blanketed the mountains around Wanaka overnight down to 300 metres affecting roads, but it is clearing in most places as the day wears on.

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Snowflake Cold

Violent weather anomaly brings giant hail, unseasonal snow and destructive winds in New South Wales, Australia (VIDEO)


Strange Sounds
Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:00 UTC
Violent weather anomaly brings giant hail, unseasonal snow and destructive winds in New South Wales, Australia
© ABC.net.auFarmers fear for their animals and cultivations as the damage from Sunday night's storm was "massive".
A severe weather anomaly swept across New South Wales, Australia on November 6, 2017. Two people were sent to hospital after a roof collapsed due to intense rain, giant hail and destructive winds across NSW. Unseasonal snow also reported. Some describe as the storm as the most severe hailstorm experienced in 30 years in the area.

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Tornado1

Tropical Storm Rina becomes the 17th Atlantic named storm of 2017 in a "well above average" season

Brian Donegan
Weather Channel
Tue, 07 Nov 2017 17:30 UTC
Tropical Storm Rina
© NOAATropical Storm Rina as seen by NOAA satellite late Tuesday afternoon
Tropical Storm Rina formed in the central Atlantic Ocean late Monday but will not threaten any land areas as it tracks into the northern Atlantic Ocean in the days ahead.

Rina is the 17th named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. This puts the 2017 season in a tie for ninth place for the most named storms on record in any Atlantic hurricane season since 1851.

The "R" storm has only been named in the Atlantic five other times since 1950, when formal hurricane names started being used. This occurred in 2012 (Rafael), 2011 (Rina - yep, same name), 2010 (Richard), 2005 (Rita) and 1995 (Roxanne).

Both Rita in 2005 and Roxanne in 1995 ended up being retired for the destruction they caused. Rina, the "R" name in this year's Atlantic tropical cyclone name list, is the replacement for Rita.

All five of the previous Atlantic "R" storms reached hurricane strength, according to meteorologist Bob Henson of wunderground.com. Rina is also the first "R" storm to form as late as November, Henson added.

Tropical Storm Rina is unlikely to become a hurricane as it enters the cooler waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean and merges with a cold front midweek, which will transition it into a post-tropical low-pressure system.

Comment: The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said 2017 so far has been "well above average" in terms of the number of storm activity, compared to the 1981-2010 average. Tropical Storm Rina is due to bring rain and wind to Ireland and UK later this week.

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Cloud Precipitation

Death toll increases to 12 as monsoon rain tops 450 mm (18 inches) in Chennai, India

Kristina Pydynowski
Accuweather
Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:21 UTC
A boy pushes another in a bathtub in a waterlogged street in Chennai, India, on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.
© APA boy pushes another in a bathtub in a waterlogged street in Chennai, India, on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Incessant rainfall caused waterlogging and traffic jams in several parts of the southern Indian city on Friday.
Heavy monsoonal rain in India has amounted to more than 450 mm (18 inches) in Chennai and claimed 12 lives since the beginning of last week.

With the northeast monsoon in full swing, drenching rain and thunderstorms have caused flooding throughout much of southeast India.

Residents in low-lying areas trudged through floodwaters that ranged from knee- to waist-deep heights. Officials were forced to keep schools closed for several days last week, according to FirstPost.

Karaikal has also been inundated with more than 450 mm (18 inches) of rain since last Monday.

The death toll from incidents related to flooding and heavy rain in Tamil Nadu has risen to 12, according to the Associated Press.

Flooding, lightning strikes and collapsed walls have been responsible for the deaths.


Comment: To keep up to date on flooding events across the globe, check out our dedicated pages to this topic here.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills surfer off Bali, Indonesia

Dashel Pierson
Surfline
Mon, 06 Nov 2017 09:52 UTC
LIGHTNING
During a surf lesson in Indonesia on Sunday, a Belgian tourist and his instructor were struck by a lightning bolt. The instructor survived, but the tourist did not.

Denis Andre Dasoul, 34, was pronounced dead at Canggu Medika Hospital at around 2:45 PM on Sunday. That's where an ambulance took the victims after onlookers on the beach helped the duo to shore.

According to, and roughly translated from, the Bali Post, a witness on the scene said: "The condition of the victim's chest is blue and possibly died on the way to the hospital. While the instructor experienced blue on the left leg thigh."

Indonesian news outlet, Detik News, reports: "The locals went directly to the two, the instructor was saved but the first aid effort for Denis was in vain."

The incident occurred at Batu Bolong Beach, also known as Old Man's, located at the southern edge of Bali's Canggu region. Waves there are friendly for longboarders, SUPs, and beginners alike. It's also a highly popular tourist destination.
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Cloud Precipitation

Severe hail storms trigger disruption in Bogota, Colombia


Al Jazeera
Fri, 03 Nov 2017 21:25 UTC
Intense hailstorms have battered the city of Bogota.
© Mauricio Duenas/EPAIntense hailstorms have battered the city of Bogota.
Violent thunderstorms have struck the Colombian capital, Bogota.

The storms brought large amounts of hail, which blanketed the city and transformed it into a winter wonderland.

The hail was so deep that it looked like snow. Children buried themselves in it, formed snowballs and built snowmen.

However, the storms also triggered flooding and tore down trees and power lines.

A dangerous mixture of water and ice flowed down some roads to the north of the city, making them impassable and causing a major disruption to transport.


Comment: See also these other recent severe hailstorm reports:-

Intense hailstorm in Cordoba, Argentina leaves hail accumulations of 1.5 m (4.9 feet) within 15 minutes

Giant hail damages cars as freak hailstorm hits Corrientes, Argentina

Severe hailstorm hits Hoedspruit, South Africa

Freak hailstorm wreaks havoc in Johannesburg, South Africa

Intense hailstorm leaves hail accumulation of 50cm in Teruel, Spain

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Windsock

Severe weather blows roofs from buildings, brings unseasonal snow and 'giant hail' to New South Wales, Australia


ABC Online
Mon, 06 Nov 2017 07:22 UTC
Storm damage in Kurri Kurri, NSW
© Nick HansenA tree down on a car in the main street of Kurri Kurri.
A roof collapse has sent two people to hospital as rain and hail caused widespread damage across NSW, with the bureau predicting more "giant hail" and destructive winds into the evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned "giant hail and destructive winds" were possible with thunderstorms over the North West Slopes and Plains, parts of the Upper Hunter and inland parts of the Mid-North Coast.

Areas that could be affected this evening are Port Macquarie, Taree, Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree, Narrabri, Walgett and Lightning Ridge.

The dangerous weather caused the roof of a community centre to collapse in the Hunter Valley town of Kurri Kurri, near Cessnock, just after 2:00pm.

Two people were taken to Maitland Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while everyone else inside the centre was accounted for.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills two teenagers in Botswana

Boikany Sarefo
The Voice
Sun, 05 Nov 2017 17:12 UTC
Lightning
Lightning
Two teenagers will be laid o rest today at Tobela settlement near Shakawe village after they were struck by lightning last weekend.

When giving a police update yesterday (Friday), Senior Superintendent Samuel Kgomo of police District No5 told this publication that the two siblings, a 16-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl were struck by lightning on Saturday afternoon as they were running from one house to another in their yard.

Their 63-year-old father who reported the case told the police that as it rained hard the deceased insisted on moving from the house they were in, as it had a porous roof, to another house in the yard. "Unfortunately as they tried to seek refuge at another house during the storm, they were struck by lightning and died".

Kgomo said the lightning further struck the house they were running to and burnt it to ashes.

Kgomo said it was imperative that people practice precaution measures during rain storms to avoid being struck by lightning. "Running in the rain as well as using cell phones are some of the examples that people should desist from when it is raining," he said
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Tornado1

19 dead after strongest typhoon in 16 years strikes southern Vietnam

Kristina Pydynowski and Adam Douty
AccuWeather.com
Sat, 04 Nov 2017 11:07 UTC
Typhoon Damrey
© STR / AFPA women recovers a wooden window as she walks past heavily damaged houses at the coastal commune of Hai Thinh.
Damrey, the strongest typhoon to make landfall in southern Vietnam in 16 years, has left at least 19 people dead with hundreds of homes destroyed.

Damrey made landfall in southern Vietnam, near Nha Trang, with the equivalent strength of a Category 2 hurricane in the eastern Pacific or Atlantic oceans.

Not since Lingling in November 2001 has a typhoon that strong struck Vietnam south of Qui Nhon.

Damrey has left at least 19 people dead across central and southern Vietnam, according to Reuters.

Homes were damaged and destroyed. More than 370 homes had collapsed with the roofs of 1,000 others torn off. Hundreds of electricity poles were knocked down as trees were uprooted.

While the most destructive winds targeted Nha Trang and surrounding communities, the threat for flooding and mudslides expanded over a much larger area as heavy rain spread northward across central Vietnam and into the neighboring mountains of Laos.

Rainfall topped 130 mm (5.10 inches) in Nha Trang, while nearly 255 mm (10 inches) of rain inundated Qui Nhon in the 24 hours ending Saturday evening, local time.

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Tornado1

Large rare tornado strikes near Adana in southern Turkey


Sott.net
Thu, 02 Nov 2017 07:31 UTC
Tornado near Adana, Turkey
© haberum
A large rare tornado struck Adana's Karataş district in southern Turkey on October 29, 2017. There were no reports of injuries although at least 5 houses were damaged.

After forming as a waterspout in the Mediterranean Sea the tornado was on the ground for about 80 seconds around Kesik Mahallesine reports haberum.

A local resident Ahmet Avşar, who has lived in the area for 67 years, said it was the first time he had ever witnessed such a phenomenon.


Comment: Some other rare tornadoes have formed around the planet in recent times including countries such as Netherlands, Mexico, United States, Russia and China.

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