Storms
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Cloud Lightning

24 killed, 15 injured by lightning strikes in Huambo Province, Angola over 2 month period

LIGHTNING
Twenty-four people were killed and 15 others wounded in central Huambo province from September 17 to 6 November following heavy rains coupled with lightning strikes.

This was confirmed Thursday to Angop by the local Firefighter Department spokesperson, Francisco Muepa, underlining that the people were victims of lightning strikes.

He said 38 residences were partially and totally destroyed in above period.

The municipalities of Caála, Bailundo, Cachiungo, Chicala-Cholohanga, Ucuma, Longonjo, Londuimbali and Mungo, were mentioned as having recorded major damages.

Source: Angola Press Agency

Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 3 students in Tanzania

LIGHTNING
Three students died and one survived after being hit by lightning in south-western Tanzania's region of Songwe, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Christopher Kafuru, head of Ndyuda Secondary School, said that the killed were all pre-form one students at the school located in a small town of Mlowo in Mbozi District, Songwe Region.

Kafuru said the incident occurred on Tuesday at around 4:30 p.m. (local time) when the students were playing outside the classrooms when the lightning hit the area.

"They were four students and one of them survived the tragic incident and is the one who informed teachers on the accident," the official said, adding that the victims were rushed to the nearby hospital, and it was confirmed that the children were already dead.

Acting Songwe Regional Police Commander, Yusuph Sarungi confirmed the incident, describing the incident as the first one to happen this year.

Tornado2

2017 hurricane season produces most reported tornadoes in U.S. in nearly a decade

2017 tornado map for US
© NOAA Storm Prediction CenterPlotted on the map are the tornadoes associated with the hurricanes and tropical storms that affected the U.S. in 2017.
The 2017 hurricane season has produced the largest number of reported tornadoes spawned by tropical storms and hurricanes in the continental United States since 2008, and the fourth-most overall in 23 years.

Five tropical cyclones were responsible for 119 reports of tornadoes in a dozen states, according to preliminary data provided by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). This includes two tropical storms (Cindy and Philippe) and three hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Nate).

Although Emily made landfall in Florida, and Jose and Maria brushed parts of the East Coast, there were no reported tornadoes from those three systems.

Hurricane Harvey had the largest number of tornado reports with 57, mostly clustered near the southeastern Texas coast, where devastating flooding occurred in the Houston metro area. Tornadoes were also spawned by Harvey as it weakened to a tropical storm and a tropical depression in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

Harvey's tornado reports account for 48 percent of the total 119 for all five tropical storms and hurricanes. Irma (25), Cindy (18), Nate (16) and Philippe (3) round out the other 52 percent of the reports.

When examined on a state level, Texas and Florida were neck-and-neck with 27 and 26 tornado reports, respectively. The main difference between those states is that Florida saw its tornado reports from three separate tropical cyclones (Cindy, Irma and Philippe), while all reports in Texas came solely from Harvey.

Comment: See also: Study: Tornado outbreaks are increasing - but scientists don't understand why. A coauthor of this paper states "What's pushing this rise in extreme outbreaks is far from obvious in the present state of climate science."

Recently other climate scientists were saying hurricane Harvey "should serve as a warning", as they continue to push the man-made climate change/global warming lie. They are not considering the importance of atmospheric dust loading and the winning Electric Universe model in their research. Such information and much more, are explained in the book Earth Changes and the Human Cosmic Connection by Pierre Lescaudron and Laura Knight-Jadczyk.
The accumulation of cometary dust in the Earth's atmosphere plays an important role in the increase of tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes and their associated rainfalls, snowfalls and lightning. To understand this mechanism we must first take into account the electric nature of hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones, which are actually manifestations of the same electric phenomenon at different scales or levels of power.
Increasing cometary and volcanic dust loading of the atmosphere (one indicator is the intensification of noctilucent clouds we are witnessing) is accentuating electric charge build-up, whereby we can expect to observe more extreme weather and planetary upheaval as well as awesome light shows and other related mysterious phenomena.


Snowflake

Late snowstorm strikes South Island, New Zealand

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.


Snowflake Cold

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

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.


Tornado1

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

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.


Cloud Precipitation

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

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.


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills surfer off Bali, Indonesia

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.

Cloud Precipitation

Severe hail storms trigger disruption in Bogota, Colombia

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


Windsock

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

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.