Storms
S


Windsock

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

John Metcalfe
CityLab
Wed, 20 Apr 2016 08:04 UTC
Tropical Cyclone Fantala
© NOAA/NASA, RAMMB/CIRATropical Cyclone Fantala near peak intensity.
The third record-breaking storm in under a year might owe its ferocity to human activity

Winds of 170 mph can lift and hurl heavy cars, even peel the bark from trees. So it's a good thing not many people are in the waters north of Madagascar right now, where Tropical Cyclone Fantala just made history as the strongest-known storm in the Indian Ocean.

The mighty tempest spun itself up to 150 knots (173 mph) on Monday, surpassing the 145-knot (167 mph) barrage of Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu in 2007. (Reliable records only date to 1990, for what it's worth.) That would make it a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. It simmered down to about 85 knots on Wednesday, and is expected to wander southeast for a couple days before running out of steam.

Comment: See also:

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Cloud Precipitation

'Walnut-sized' hailstones pound town in India


Nagaland Post
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 10:13 UTC
Roof damaged by hailstones that fell in and around Suruhuto-Asuto town under Zunheboto district on April 18.
Roof damaged by hailstones that fell in and around Suruhuto-Asuto town under Zunheboto district on April 18.

Heavy storm accompanied by hail and rain lashed Zunheboto district Monday night, causing extensive damages to hundreds of houses and crops.

Of all places, the worst affected was in Suruhuto sub-division, especially in Aichi Saghemi village alone, where 171 houses suffered damages and 51 of them extensively by a torrent of hailstorm.

Vikuto Nurumi, GB Aichi Saghemi, said that the villagers of the affected household had to struggle throughout the night to seek safe shelter as hailstones of "huge sizes" battered the roof-tops. In the morning, the magnitude of destruction was evident when standing crops were totally razed.

"The storm has not only devastated our homes but has destroyed our maize, potatoes and varieties of vegetables in our fields which is the source of livelihood for our village," Nurumi lamented. He said resented that no official from the civil administration visited the village to take stock of the situation.

Roof damaged by hailstones that fell in and around Suruhuto-Asuto town under Zunheboto district on April 18.
Roof damaged by hailstones that fell in and around Suruhuto-Asuto town under Zunheboto district on April 18.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 6 in 3 districts of Bangladesh


The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Wed, 20 Apr 2016 10:02 UTC
lightning
Six people, including two schoolgirls, were killed by lightning in Habiganj, Sylhet and Panchagarh districts yesterday and on Monday evening.

A thunderbolt struck two siblings when they were harvesting paddy at a field at Kaliabhanga village in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj district on Monday evening.

They later died at a hospital, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent.

The deceased are Abdul Alim, 40, and his brother Wali Miah, 34, sons of Buddu Miah of the village.

Meanwhile, a youth was killed by lightning during a storm at Kamalkhani village in Baniachong upazila the same day.
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Cloud Precipitation

Severe weather leaves 7 dead and over 3,000 displaced in Uruguay

Alessandro Masoero
Floodlist
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:48 UTC
Floods
Floodwater in Uruguay
Severe weather has affected Uruguay since Friday 15 April 2016, with a tornado and several floods causing the deaths of at least 7 people. One person has been reported as missing and over 3,000 people have evacuated their homes.

The heavy rain began to fall on 15 April 2016, with a peak on Saturday 16 April. According to the Uruguayan National Meteorological Institute (Institudo Uruguayo de Meteorología, INUMET) as much as 180 mm in 24 hours was observed in Rocha, in the east of Uruguay, on the 16 April 2016. The same day 150 mm of rain in 24 hours have been recorded at the San José station and 140 mm in Florida, both of them in the south of the country.

Significant rain has been observed also on Sunday 17 April 2016, with a maximum of 121.5 mm in 24 hours recorded at Pasos de los Toros station in Tacuarembó Department, in central Uruguay.

The last update of the meteorological bulletin issued by INUMET, reports Orange Alert (level 3 of 4) all over the country, with heavy rains and severe wind gusts expected.


Floods
© Montevideo Portal
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Cloud Precipitation

Four killed as torrential rain, hailstorms lash southern China; hailstones the size of eggs hit Hunan

Celine Ge
South China Morning Post
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:44 UTC
Hailstones the size of birds’ eggs hit Hunan over the weekend, according to media reports
Hailstones the size of birds’ eggs hit Hunan over the weekend, according to media reports
Four people have been killed after hailstorms, strong winds and torrential rain hit Hunan province in southern China, state media reported.

Some of the hailstones to hit the area over the weekend were the size of birds' eggs, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The storms have also forced about 5,000 people to evacuate their homes in recent days, state media reported on Sunday.

About 387,000 people had been affected by the extreme weather conditions by noon on Sunday.

About 903 homes had collapsed, according to media reports.


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Cloud Precipitation

Flooding hits North Island, New Zealand with more heavy rain on way


stuff.co.nz
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 12:27 UTC
Flooding in Colville, in the Coromandel, on Sunday.
© THAMES VALLEY CIVIL DEFENCEFlooding in Colville, in the Coromandel, on Sunday.
Coromandel residents told how they were caught out by fast-rising floodwater after the heavens opened on Sunday.

Cars have been left stranded on flooded roads and homes are water-logged after the North Island was drenched in rain.

Many fences are down as farmers wait for the morning to see if livestock in flooded paddocks have made it through the night.

Tellic Evans from White Star Honey at Colville at the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula said 174ml of rain fell on her farm on Sunday.

A severe weather watch was upgraded to a warning at 6.30pm on Sunday, she said but by then it was too late.

Heavy rain in the Coromandel drenches paddocks.
© TELLIC EVANSHeavy rain in the Coromandel drenches paddocks.
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Cloud Precipitation

23 killed by flooding in Afghanistan


Odisha Sun Times
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 19:50 UTC
An Afghan man tries to get out of flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
An Afghan man tries to get out of flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
At least 23 people were killed as heavy rainfall and floods hit Afghanistan's Badghis province on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Based on the reports we have received so far, 23 people, including women and children, have been confirmed dead due to downpour and flooding in Jawand, Balamurghab and Abkamari districts," a police official told Xinhua news agency.

Rainstorm and flooding hit several parts of Afghanistan, including the capital city Kabul, on Saturday night and parts of the country were still receiving heavy rain.

Afghan men push a car trapped in flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Afghan men push a car trapped in flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.

Afghan men wade through flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Afghan men wade through flood water after a heavy rain in Samangan province, northern Afghanistan, April 17, 2016.
Source: IANS
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Cloud Precipitation

Airplane damaged by hailstones in Assam, India


Kuensel
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 13:06 UTC
The aircraft sustained some damage to its nose
The aircraft sustained some damage to its nose
A Drukair aircraft with 103 passengers aboard was damaged after flying through hail while on approach to Guwahati airport in India yesterday.

The flight, KB 140, which was on the way to Bangkok via Guwahati, landed safely.

A press release issued by the national airline stated that the weather condition at Guwahati was forecast to be good in terms of visibility and with only light showers occurring.

The pilots were in the process of circumnavigating to avoid thunderstorms en route to Guwahati when they encountered hailstones. "On the approach of flight KB 140, the pilots unexpectedly encountered severe hail stones at the proximity of thunderstorm, though on very rare occasions thunderstorms produce hail stones," a press release from the airline stated.

Damage to the aircraft is currently being assessed the airline said, while adding that it will be back in operation as soon as possible.

Comment: See also: What's up with the weather? Huge hail stones damage multiple commercial planes

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 2 women during church prayer session in Nigeria


Nigeria Today
Sun, 17 Apr 2016 11:24 UTC
Lightning
© A Bola
The unfortunate incident happened when the two women went to participate in the regular Holy Ghost Hour prayer session of Heavenly Sure Charismatic Church, a Pentecostal church, usually held in the premises of Comprehensive Secondary School, Emekuku in Owerri North LGA, Imo State.

25-year-old Chioma Jonathan was a native of Obiangwu in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and Chinonye Anyanwu, aged 26, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, both in Imo State.

Also affected in the lightning strike was the 54-year-old General Overseer of the church, Pastor Luke
Nwokocha, who led the short-lived prayer session. He temporarily lost consciousness and was rushed to a hospital by his wife and another member of the church, where he was revived. In addition, he sus­tained injuries on his leg.

At the headquarters of the police command in Imo State, Pastor Nwokocha recounted to Sunday Sun, what happened.
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Windsock

Sandstorm blankets Guazhou, China

CCTV News
You Tube
Fri, 15 Apr 2016 10:57 UTC
Sandstorm
Mobile phone videos of a sandstorm in Guazhou County in northwest China's Gansu Province on Friday showed its intensity. The entire county was enveloped by the storm in less than 10 minutes. The storm brought strong gales with speed of more than 75 kilometers per hour and dropped visibility to less than 600 meters. As the storm moved fast and was quickly over, it did not cause much damage to local industries or agriculture.

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