Storms
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Windsock

Severe summer storm hits Slovakia with roofs blown off buildings in the town of Gelnica

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© Wow Africa FB
In recent days, Slovakia experienced a powerful and destructive storm that particularly impacted the eastern region, with the town of Gelnica suffering significant damage. This severe weather event, characterized by intense rainfall, large hail, and strong winds, exposed the vulnerability of mountainous areas to flash floods and landslides, posing serious challenges for emergency services and local communities.

Meteorological Overview

The storm was driven by a vigorous low-pressure system that swept across Central Europe, bringing unstable atmospheric conditions favorable for severe convection. During the peak of the event, heavy precipitation rates were recorded, with some locations receiving 40 to 60 millimeters of rain within just one to two hours. Such a sudden influx of water overwhelmed natural and man-made drainage systems, especially in Gelnica and its surrounding valleys.


Hardhat

7 cm hail in Moscow region during intense supercell outbreak on July 8

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On 8 July 2025, the Moscow Oblast experienced a remarkable outbreak of large hail, with stones reaching up to 7 cm in diameter, as a line of intense supercells tracked through the region during the late afternoon. The most significant report came from Kotovo, where a verified eyewitness image confirmed giant hailstones measuring 7 cm, capable of causing serious structural damage.

Starting around 15:50 UTC, hailstones larger than 5 cm were reported in several localities including Lytkino (5 cm), Alabushevo (5 cm, with confirmed roof damage), Chashnikovo (6 cm), Istra (6.5 cm), and Khorugvino (5.5 cm). All events were confirmed through photographic evidence, eyewitness reports, and online sources, with high reliability (QC1) assigned by the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL).


Tsunami

Historic rain totals in Massachusetts unleash floods south of Boston - up to 6 inches of rainfall in just 3 hours

All lanes of Interstate 93 were closed in Quincy, Massachusetts Thursday because of major flooding on the highway during rush hour.
© CBSAll lanes of Interstate 93 were closed in Quincy, Massachusetts Thursday because of major flooding on the highway during rush hour.
An historic amount of rain fell in parts of Massachusetts Thursday, unleashing floods in towns south of Boston.

In a very rare sight, Interstate 93 in Quincy was closed in both directions during the height of rush hour because there was so much water.

Norfolk and Plymouth counties were hit the hardest.

WBZ-TV executive weather producer Terry Eliasen said the rain totals "equated to a 1 in 200 year event this morning."


Comment: Also from CBS News:
The flooding south of Boston Thursday will be a day to remember in Massachusetts. It was a very rare and somewhat historic weather event.

Most of the rain fell in just a few hours, right during the morning commute. Three-to-six inches fell in a 2-to-3 hour deluge over a relatively small area. It was a highly localized event. The highest impact was only felt over a swath of land about 5-to-10 miles wide.

The hardest hit areas during Thursday's
© CBS BostonThe hardest hit areas during Thursday's storm
The first downpour was right around 5 a.m. Then, in the next few hours, torrential downpours continued to "train" over the same areas, dropping 2-to-3 inches per hour at times.

Finally, by about 9 a.m., the rain began to decrease in intensity, but the damage was already done. Interstate 93 was completely shut down in Quincy and traffic was at a complete standstill.



Tsunami

Best of the Web: 120 dead, at least 173 remain missing in Kerr County, Texas after flash flooding hit - 10 inches of rain in just a few hours - Guadalupe River rises 26 FEET in just 45 minutes (UPDATED)

Pictured: The flooded Guadalupe River in central Texas this morning
The flooded Guadalupe River in central Texas this morning
Multiple deaths have been reported in Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding, while search teams used boats to conduct rescues Friday as fast-moving water threatened riverfront communities near wildlife habitats and campgrounds.

As much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River.

Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far. He said he was advised not to cite specific numbers and said authorities are still working to identify those whose lives were lost.

"Most of them, we don't know who they are," Kelly said during a news conference. "One of them was completely naked, he didn't have any ID on him at all. We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet."

Officials conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Kelly said.


Comment: Update July 5

The BBC reports:
A major search and rescue operation is continuing through the night in Texas after flash floods killed at least 24 people and left many girls missing from a Christian summer camp.

There was little warning as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (7.9m) in less than an hour and flooding that followed swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the 4 July weekend.

Rescue crews are still searching for up to 25 children who were among the 750 girls attending the Camp Mystic just outside the town of Kerrville 104km (64.0 miles) north-west of San Antonio.

A state of emergency has been declared in several counties where several roads have been washed away and phone lines are down.
Update July 6

Newsweek reports:
[...]

Major flash floods in Texas have already claimed the lives of 51 people, including 15 children, with 27 children still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls camp in Kerr County.

Fast-moving floodwaters surged 26 feet (8 meters) along the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before dawn on Friday, sweeping away homes and vehicles.

[...]
Update July 7

The Independent reports:
Texans are bracing for more rain and flash flooding as the death toll climbs to at least 82, with dozens still missing.

The National Weather Service warned that parts of Central Texas, known as "Flash Flood Alley," could be doused in as much as 10 inches of rain on Monday. Additional heavy rainfall in the "hardest hit areas of the past few days will lead to rapid runoff and flash flooding," the agency said.

A desperate search continued for 10 girls and their counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River, which was ravaged by the floods, officials said.



Update July 8

USA TODAY reports:
Search and rescue operations in central Texas entered their fifth day on Tuesday after heavy rainfall overwhelmed the Guadalupe River, sending floodwaters through homes and summer camps and killing over 100 people.

The death toll stood at least 104, including at least 27 children and counselors from the beloved Camp Mystic, a storied Christian girls camp in Kerr County, where flooding hit the hardest beginning on July 4. In Kerr County, at least 56 adults and 28 children were killed. Ten Mystic campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for.
Update July 10

NBC News reports:
What we know

AT LEAST 120 PEOPLE KILLED: Authorities have confirmed at least 120 deaths across six counties, including those of 60 adults and 36 children in Kerr County.

MANY STILL MISSING: There are still 173 people missing, as the hope of locating survivors has dwindled. Search and rescue operations along the Guadalupe River have shifted to a recovery phase.



Tsunami

5 missing, over 7,000 evacuated amid heavy rainfall in city of Zhaotong, China - 10 inches of rain in just 12 hours

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Five people have been reported missing after torrential rain hit Zhaotong, a mountainous city in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

Sustained heavy downpours have battered large parts of Zhaotong since Tuesday morning, wreaking havoc in several counties under the city's administration.

Two houses in Luobu Township, Weixin County, were swept away, leaving five people unaccounted for, according to a preliminary report. Search and rescue operations are underway.

Zhaotong authorities have launched all-out rescue and disaster relief efforts -- evacuating over 7,000 people to safety as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.


Cloud Lightning

Typhoon Danas kills 2, injures hundreds in Taiwan - 2 feet of rainfall dumped

The structure of a temple's gate collapsed in Tainan. Pic: TVBS/AP
© TVBS/APThe structure of a temple's gate collapsed in Tainan.
At least two people were killed and more than 330 injured as Typhoon Danas hit Taiwan, local media reported Monday, citing the Central Emergency Operation Center.

The typhoon made landfall in Budai Township of Chiayi County in southern Taiwan late Sunday before weakening to a tropical storm early Monday, according to Focus Taiwan News.

It brought heavy storms, winds and torrential rain in the region, triggering evacuation of some 3,483 people.

The deaths were reported in Tainan, where one patient died after a power outage caused by the storm, and another was killed by a falling tree.

According to the emergency center, some 2,270 storm-related incidents were reported across the affected region.​​​​​​​


Comment: AP reports:
Typhoon Danas brought heavy winds and torrential rains to parts of Taiwan early Monday, killing two people and injuring more than 300 on the island's densely populated west coast.

The typhoon lost intensity and was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved into the Taiwan Strait on a forecast path to China.

Danas knocked out power for more than 580,000 households, and schools and offices were closed across southern and central parts of Taiwan.

The typhoon made landfall on the west coast late Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 144 kph (89 mph). It dumped more than 60 centimeters (24 inches) of rain in places, causing landslides and flooding.



Cloud Precipitation

Month's worth of rain (5 inches) falls on Chicago in just 90 minutes

A baseball game was delayed due to inclement weather in Chicago on Sunday.
© David Banks/APA baseball game was delayed due to inclement weather in Chicago on Sunday.
More than a month's worth of rain fell on Chicago in 90 minutes on Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

"There were numerous reports of flooded viaducts, several reports of water rescues, and a few reports of flooded basements," the NWS said.

A flash flood warning was issued until 12.45 a.m. on Wednesday for Chicago and Cicero.


Tsunami

At least 3 dead in New Mexico flash flooding - Rio Ruidoso rose to record-breaking 20 feet

Moment house is swept away in New Mexico flash flooding
House is swept away in New Mexico flash flooding
At least three people are dead in the village of Ruidoso, New Mexico after heavy rain caused flash flooding.

Up to 8.8cm (3.5in) of rain fell, causing the Ruidoso river to rise to an historic level. The floodwaters have now receded.

A man and two children died after being swept downstream, local officials confirmed on Tuesday evening.

The disaster comes after flooding in the neighbouring US state of Texas left at least 111 people dead, according to the latest toll published by US media. A further 161 people are still missing in one county alone, Governor Greg Abbott said on Tuesday.

In New Mexico, Ruidoso village spokesperson Kerry Gladden told the BBC's US partner CBS News that search and rescue crews were still out in the field, and a hotline had been set up for people looking for missing family members.


Comment: NBC News reports:
[..]

"All three individuals were caught in the rushing floodwaters and carried downstream during the catastrophic flooding event that saw the Rio Ruidoso rise to a record-breaking 20 feet - five feet higher than the previous record," the statement said.

[..]
This graphic shows historic crests of the Rio Ruidoso.
© FOX WeatherThis graphic shows historic crests of the Rio Ruidoso.



Snowflake

July snowfall in Slovenia

The passage of a cold front caused snowfall in Slovenia today.

"With the passage of the cold front, the snowfall limit fell to an altitude of about 2,200 meters above sea level. Snow is falling on Kredarica and Kanin," announced the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO).

Kredarica and Kanin are located in the Julian Alps in Slovenia.

Kredarica is particularly important for weather monitoring, as it is home to the highest Slovenian meteorological station at 2,514 meters above sea level.

In the past, as well as today, the meteorological station at Kredarica is extremely important for monitoring climate changes in the high mountains and upper layers of the atmosphere. It is also important for monitoring the condition of the nearby Triglav Glacier. The highest snow depth of seven meters was measured on April 22, 2001.

Snowflake

12 inches of July snow blankets the European Alps

Summer snow has blanketed the Alps.
© Winterdienst-BilderSummer snow has blanketed the Alps.
A rare summer cold front swept across the Alps overnight, blanketing mountains in snow and sending temperatures tumbling well below seasonal norms. The weather event, which began late July 7 and continued into July 8, brought snow to elevations as low as 7,500 feet (2,300 meters).

Meteorological data confirmed that snow accumulations ranged from 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) around 8,900 feet (2,700 meters), 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) near 10,500 feet (3,200 meters), and up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) at the highest points of the Mont-Blanc massif. The snowfall was accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures, with maximum readings of 66°F to 72°F (19 °C to 22°C) in the plains and just 50°F to 55°F (10 °C to 13°C) at 5,000 feet (1,500 meters)—5 to 10 degrees below average for this time of year.