Storms
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Snowflake Cold

A sign of what lies ahead? It's nearly May but it's snowing with 'thundersnow' in London

Matt Hunter
Daily Mail
Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:54 UTC
UK late spring snow
© North News & Pictures LtdThunder, lightning and sleet showers are expected with some in northern areas witnessing heavy snowfall.
Snow and sleet has fallen in many parts of the UK as temperatures struggle to get into double figures with the prospect of a Spring-like May a long way off.

It's almost May but forecasters are warning the unsettled picture will continue for much of the week with freezing conditions in many parts.

Thunder, lightning and sleet showers are expected with some in northern areas witnessing heavy snowfall, including on the North Yorkshire Moors and parts of Scotland.

It is the latest widespread snow has been seen in the UK since May 6, 1997, when more than 200 weather stations recorded it.

Before that forecasters have to go back to April 27, 1985 when several London weather stations recorded sleet.

Snow even stopped play at The Oval cricket ground this afternoon as the south was dusted in the white stuff.

The type of snow flurry seen in London is known as 'thundersnow'. It is a phenomenon caused by heavy showers accompanied by lightning storms.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill woman, 18 cows and 4 pigs in Thailand

Rarinthorn Petcharoen
Bangkok Post
Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:58 UTC
Huge thunderstorm leaves trail of death & destruction across two provinces, destroying homes, crop fields, trees, killing many animals & one human.
Huge thunderstorm leaves trail of death & destruction across two provinces, destroying homes, crop fields, trees, killing many animals & one human.
Huge thunderstorm in Nan & Phrae leaves trail of death & destruction, homes, crop fields, trees, destroyed, leaving many animals & one human dead.

In the northern Thai provinces of Nan and Phrae, summer thunderstorms struck with lightning strikes that killed one person and several animals on Monday night.

An elderly woman, Singha Prachuap, 60, was found dead in her orchard in Den Chai or Phrae.

She had taken refuge in a small shelter that collapsed on top of her during the storm.

Twenty-two cows and pigs died from lightning strikes and hundreds of homes were damaged.
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Cloud Precipitation

Eight killed as 'golf ball' hailstones, storms hit Myanmar


The Strait Times
Sun, 24 Apr 2016 11:41 UTC
A woman looking at the damage to a roof caused by hailstones in Mandalay on April 24, 2016.
© AFPA woman looking at the damage to a roof caused by hailstones in Mandalay on April 24,
Violent storms which saw hailstones the size of golf balls rain down across Myanmar have killed at least eight people in recent days, toppled pagodas and damaged thousands of buildings, officials said on Sunday (April 24).

The freak storms struck across five states on Friday and Saturday after weeks of heatwave temperatures regularly topping 40deg C.

"From what we know now there are eight people killed and 7,500 houses destroyed during these days," Phyu Lei Lei Tun, director of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, told AFP, adding that the toll may increase as more information becomes available.


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Airplane

Boston-bound plane 'rapidly dropped' for 5 seconds due to extreme turbulence

Paul Burton
cbslocal.com
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:47 UTC
Passenger Maya Shaked on solid ground after a terrifying flight
Passenger Maya Shaked on solid ground after a terrifying flight
Maya Shaked is happy to be home on solid ground after a terrifying Southwest flight flew into some extreme turbulence and rapidly dropped.

"I was terrified and everyone was freaking out," Shaked said.

She was returning home to Boston from Chicago's Midway Airport on Flight 2386 and was seated in the front row. After the unexpected, frightful drop, she heard several flight attendants ask if there were any doctors on board to assist their co-workers who got hurt.

"They were crying with an ice pack. The other had a concussion and one was pregnant and they didn't know what would happen to her. The plane rapidly dropped for about five seconds a bunch of passengers flew up and stuff went everywhere," Shaked said.

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Tornado2

Dust devil whips through the infield during college softball game in Lynchburg, Virginia

Ben Hooper
UPI
Thu, 21 Apr 2016 14:37 UTC
A dust devil interrupts a college softball game in Virginia
A dust devil interrupts a college softball game in Virginia
A college softball game in Virginia was subject to a unique weather delay during the weekend when a huge dust devil swept across the infield.

A video posted to YouTube by Lynchburg Sports shows a clip from Saturday's game between the Lynchburg College Hornets and the Bridgewater College Eagles.

The clip shows the batter in place and the pitcher about to throw the ball when a massive dust devil, or "dirt tornado," enters the frame of the video and sweeps across the infield while the players flee.

"Mother Nature wanted to play along at Moon Field this past Saturday vs Bridgewater," the video's description reads.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 2 and injure 15 in Nepal

Rup Narayan Dhakal
The Himalayan Times
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 14:09 UTC
lightning
A lightning strike on Saturday killed one and injured 15 other audience watching Baksila Gold Cup Football Tournament in Khotang district.

The deceased has been identified as Jagat Bahadur Rai (60) of Sapteshwar-4 in Khotang. Rai was watching the match from the veranda of the school when the lightning struck, said the president of the Baksila Football Club, Sameer Rai.

The lightning struck when the audience were watching the 9th Baksila Gold Cup Football Tournament organised by Baksila Football Club at Prithvi Higher Secondary School playground. The match was being played while it was raining lightly on the 5th day of the tournament.

It has been reported that the lightning has damaged the main door of the school.

The tournament which was scheduled to end on Sunday has been postponed until further notice due to the disaster .
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Tornado2

'Dust devil' twister lifts schoolboy into the air in China


RT
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 13:58 UTC
‘Dust devil’ whirlwind
‘Dust devil’ whirlwind
A 'dust devil' whirlwind has terrified a bunch of schoolkids in China, when it ripped through a sports event. One of the students got thrown into the air and injured.

Three little twisters tore through a sports field at Yuanquan Primary School, in northern Gansu province. The whole thing got captured on video.

Kids can be heard screaming in terror, as the twisters rip through the place, and objects are thrown in the air.

The children are trying to lie on the ground to avoid being hurt by the terrifying whirlwind.

"We brought the short and thin children together to lie on the ground," one of the school's teachers, Fang Fang, told CCTV.


A boy is hurled into the sky, as shown in a picture taken by one of the witnesses of the "dust devil" madness.

Sudden “dust devil” lifts up boy in school playground in Guazhou, China
© People's Daily,ChinaSudden “dust devil” lifts up boy in school playground in Guazhou, China
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Cloud Precipitation

Update: Over 10,000 remain displaced by floods as further heavy rainfall hits Uruguay

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 10:30 UTC
Floods
© Montevideo Portal
Over 10,000 people remain displaced by flooding currently affecting all 19 departments of Uruguay.

At least 10 people have died as a result of severe weather in the country in the last 10 days. Five people died after a tornado hit the town of Dolores. A further five victims have drowned in floods.

Yet more heavy rainfall over the last 2 days is likely to prevent people from returning to their homes for the next few days. However, emergency authorities in Uruguay say the situation is under control and victims are being provided with food and health care.

According to the latest reports from Uruguay emergency authorities ( Sistema Nacional de Emergencias - SINAE), 10,097 people remain displaced by the flooding that has affected the country since 15 April 2016.

SINAE say that roads and highways have been blocked in over 30 locations.

Floodwater in Rocha, Uruguay
© MelissaFloodwater in Rocha, Uruguay

Comment: See also this earlier report: Severe weather leaves 7 dead and over 3,000 displaced in Uruguay

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Windsock

Waterspout filmed near Simberi Island, Papua New Guinea

Breaking Disaster
You Tube
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:51 UTC
waterspout
Amazing Waterspout near Simberi Island, Papua New Guinea | 19 04 2016

Check this Large Tornadic Waterspout near Simberi Island..

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Cloud Precipitation

Tropical cyclone Fantala brings heavy rainfall and flooding in coastal Kenya; 5 inches of rain in 4 hours

Benard Juma
Floodlist
Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:03 UTC
Cumulative rainfall forecast for between 14 to 23 April 2016 .
© ICPACCumulative rainfall forecast for between 14 to 23 April 2016 .
Tropical cyclone Fantala, the strongest on record in the Indian ocean, triggered spiralling winds that caused an insurgence of moist air from the Indian ocean to the adjacent coastlines of Kenya and eastern Tanzania.

Prolonged heavy rainfall occurred as a result, lasting days from Wednesday, 13 April to 18 April 2016. This near week-long rainfall event saturated soil that had been dry since the start of the year. As a result, several areas of coastal Kenya have suffered severe flooding.

At least 131mm of rainfall was recorded in Kwale on Friday, 15 April in 4 hours. Several villages were cut off from the rest of the country due to flooding after the River Umba, which flows from Tanzania, burst its banks.

According to Kenya Red Cross Regional Manager of Kwale County, many families suffered in the floods which caused widespread damage to property. Kenya Red Cross say several houses have been completely destroyed. The worst affected villages include Kiwegu, Bondeni, Mwarongo, Yogon and Matoroni. Many people have been displaced by the floods, although the exact figure is as yet unknown.


Comment: See also: Cyclone Fantala: Indian Ocean's most powerful storm on record

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