Storms
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Windsock

Super Typhoon Meranti threatens Taiwan, mainland China

Brandon Miller
CNN International
Mon, 12 Sep 2016 20:58 UTC
Super Typhoon Meranti
© NOAASuper Typhoon Meranti
It only took 24 hours for Super Typhoon Meranti, which is threatening Taiwan and mainland China, to roar from the equivalent of a Category 1 storm to a top-scale Category 5. Meranti is forecast to make landfall along the southern tip of the island of Taiwan, home to more than 23 million people, on Wednesday morning local time. Fortunately, most of the population lives on the northern and western side of the island.

Even though Meranti, which likely will still be a super typhoon at landfall (meaning the winds are in excess of 150 mph/240 kph) on the southern tip, the entire island will feel the storm's wrath.

The tropical storm-force wind field from Meranti stretches more than 350 miles (560 km) from one end to the other; Taiwan is only about 230 miles long. Dangerous winds, however, are only one of the potentially devastating impacts Meranti will unleash on Taiwan and then mainland China.

Torrential rainfall, which frequently accumulates to over 3 feet (1 meter) over the mountainous terrain of central Taiwan during typhoons, can produce deadly flash floods and devastating mudslides.
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Cloud Lightning

Two construction workers taken to hospital after lightning strike in Beaufort, North Carolina

Emily Passwaters
wnct.com
Mon, 12 Sep 2016 18:36 UTC
lightning
© 123RF
Two construction workers were injured after a lightning strike Monday afternoon.

The Beaufort Fire Department said the call came at 12:48.

The Assistant Fire Chief told WNCT the two men were working on a house on front street.

They were on an aluminum ladder when it hit.

Beaufort EMS took the men to Carteret Health Care, there is no word on their conditions.

Their identities are not released at this time.
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Tornado2

4 tornadoes strike Champaign County, Illinois

Dennis Robaugh
Chicago Patch
Sat, 10 Sep 2016 13:22 UTC
tornado
Four confirmed tornadoes touched down in Central Illinois Friday night, sweeping through Champaign County around 7 p.m., leveling at least one farm, and damaging buildings in small towns within the county.

The most powerful of the tornadoes was rated an EF-2 by the National Weather Service, reaching a peak wind speed of 125 miles per hour and leaving a 4.7 mile path of damage.

Significant damage is reported in the small towns of Homer — in between the city of Champaign and Danville — and Sidney south of Danville. A 116-year-old farmhouse was destroyed, and headstones in a cemetery were knocked over. The tornado threat bypassed the University of Illinois.

Path of tornado
© National Weather ServicePath of tornado
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills three in Pakistan


The News International
Sun, 11 Sep 2016 10:04 UTC
lightning
© 123RF
At least three persons, including a minor boy, were killed and another wounded when lightning hit a house in Madyan area of Swat district on Saturday.

According to the police, the lightning hit a house in Palam village in Madyan, killing two-year-old Sheraz, Bala Nishta, 15, and Niaz, 13.

Another person identified as Usman also sustained injuries and was shifted to Madyan hospital for medical care.
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Tornado1

Why were forecasters off on Hermine's path?

Tom Avril
philly.com
Thu, 08 Sep 2016 05:04 UTC
tracking TS Hermine
© unknownPredicting Hermine's path
As late as Sunday morning, meteorologists were warning that Tropical Storm Hermine could wreak havoc along the New Jersey Shore. Yet the promised storm stayed far offshore, kicking up little more on land than some wind and minor flooding -- and complaints from frustrated beach-goers and merchants. What happened?

The short answer: while the science of storm tracking has improved steadily in recent years, it remains subject to a fair amount of uncertainty. On average, the errors in forecasting a storm's location increase by 40 to 50 nautical miles for every day in advance of the point in time that is being predicted, said James L. Franklin, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Looking two days out, forecasts can be off by up to 80 to 90 nautical miles in either direction, on average. Three days, 120 miles or more. That is dramatically better than what forecasters achieved several decades ago, but it is still enough to spell the difference between predicting flooded streets or expecting a relatively normal day.

Comment: Forecast Prediction: Meteorologists will always 'weather' the storm!

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Cloud Lightning

Man dies following lightning strike in Minocqua, Wisconsin


wsau.com
Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:54 UTC
lightning
© 123RF
A 66-year-old Minocqua man struck by lightning while walking his dog during a violent thunderstorm died Thursday afternoon at a burn center in Madison.

Bryan Jennings, a supervisor with the Town of Minocqua Board. was hit by lightning about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday outside his home at Tanglewood Court as a thunderstorm with heavy lightning and rain rumbled through the area. The Onieda County medical examiner's office confirmed Jenning's death on Friday morning.

The man's five-month-old dog was not hurt, police said.

Jennings was unresponsive when medical help arrived and he was taken to a hospital in Minocqua before being transferred to the University of Wisconsin Hospital burn center in Madison, police said.
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Cloud Lightning

U.S. Lightning deaths climb to 35, deadliest year since 2007

Jason Meyers
wcpo.com
Fri, 09 Sep 2016 19:31 UTC
lighting stats
A Wisconsin man died from a lightning strike this week, the 35th person to get struck and killed this year.

The total number of lightning deaths continues to climb higher, and now 2016 has the most lightning fatalities since 2007.

Lightning deaths were slow to start in the spring with a relatively quiet March, April, May and June when only nine people total were killed by lightning.

That changed in July and August as a total of 24 people died from lightning — 12 each month. August was the deadliest August for lightning strikes in the last 10 years.

This most recent lightning death is the second in September.
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Tornado2

Waterspout filmed off Zakynthos Island, Greece

Dreamers
You Tube
Thu, 08 Sep 2016 15:47 UTC
WATERSPOUT
Waterspout spotted off Grecian Island

Alex Reh was visiting Zakynthos Island in Greece when he shot this video of a waterspout.

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Cloud Lightning

2,297 killed by lightning over the last 7 years in the Indian state of Odisha

Chinmaya Dehury
Business Standard
Fri, 09 Sep 2016 13:47 UTC
lightning
© 123RF
In Odisha people are getting killed in large numbers by what is perhaps the most unpredictable natural phenomenon -- lightning. In the last seven years lightning has killed 2,297 persons in the state, a figure which is much higher than the deaths caused by other natural calamities.

On average, in these past seven years, 327 persons died of lightning strikes in Odisha every year, according to a report by the Special Relief Commissioner.

This year alone, 284 persons have so far been killed by lightning, the report said. Of them, 56 persons died in lightning strikes in four days in the first week of August.

Most of the victims are farmers in rural areas.

"The problem with lightning is that it cannot be predicted, which makes it all the more challenging to issue timely warnings. We have decided to issue an advisory to districts about what to do and not to do during lightning strikes," said Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, the Special Relief Commissioner.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes two flights in New Zealand


radionz.co.nz
Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:54 UTC
lightning
© 123RF
Two passenger planes have been struck by lightning in New Zealand air space this afternoon.

A Jetstar flight from Auckland to Wellington was hit soon after taking off, while a Qantas flight from Sydney to Wellington was struck near the capital.

QF164's return flight to Sydney has been cancelled.

The damage to the Jetstar flight was discovered when it landed. Its return flight has also been cancelled, and engineers are assessing its condition.

New Zealand has been hit by rain, snow and huge wind gusts since yesterday afternoon.
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