If you were in Nanaimo on Thursday and saw what looked like a water tornado, you weren't dreaming.
A waterspout watch was issued by Environment Canada yesterday at 5 p.m after one was spotted a few kilometers off the city's coast.
They form in much the same way as land tornadoes, created from air and water mist moving upward from an ocean or lake. Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon says a strong storm that moved down the Strait of Georgia on Thursday created the conditions necessary for this one.
While waterspouts can happen on B.C.'s waters, they are rare - this was just the second on the Georgia Strait this year.
Most parts of Kerala, the southern districts in particular, received heavy rainfall on Tuesday with summer showers intensifying. Three deaths on account of lightning was reported from the state capital. The state is expected to receive heavy rainfall in the next few days, according to Met forecast. The deceased were identified as Jagan Purushothaman, 50, of Kunnukuzhy, and Freddy, 55, and Michael Adima, 56, of Puthiyathura. Jagan was reportedly clearing a drain next to his house when the lightning bolt struck him.
Freddy and Michael were inspecting a fishing net in shed on the beach when they were hit by lightning.
The entire roof of a two-storey building was lifted into the sky with a single gust of wind in Siberia's, Zabaykalsky Kray. Stormy winds have been raging over the past week, causing massive devastation and deadly fires.The flying roof episode was caught on the dashcam of a passing car in the city of Chita, in the south east of Siberia. The gust was measured at 24 meters per second (54 miles per hour).
Luckily, the building was uninhabited as it is used to house a taxicab fleet. No injuries or damage were reported, according to the press service of the local emergency ministry department.The roofless building is now one of more than 1,300 houses destroyed in the region by fire or the elements. The devastating blazes, which have already claimed the lives of over 800 people, have now spread to neighboring Mongolia.
An area of just over 100,000 hectares has been affected, despite around 3,000 fire fighters doing their best to try and tackle the blazes. They have used planes and helicopters to attempt to put out the fires and have managed to save five settlements.
Comment: These sudden gusts of wind and cruel cold snaps seem to have become the norm nowadays.
A young farmer from Chelgal village in Jagtial mandal, Akula Ganga Reddy, could not contain his tears when asked about his banana plantation. He was upbeat until last week, working in his plantation by day and by night, watering the trees and cutting down the weeds.
His world, however, turned upside down in an hour on Monday night — the hailstorm, described by many as unprecedented, destroyed his two-acre plantation. Had it not been for the unexpected calamity, Reddy's efforts would have borne fruit in a matter of days. But, by Tuesday morning, 80 per cent of his plantation was lost.
"I pinned all my hopes on the banana plantation. I planted the trees in two acres by investing Rs 4 lakh which I borrowed from money lenders. All my hopes are dashed," Ganga Reddy said, tears rolling down his cheeks. His only hope now lies in government aid. He is praying for a visit from any government official to assess his loss and announce some form of compensation.
Three people died as the Australian state of New South Wales was lashed by a "once-in-a-decade" storm on Tuesday with homes washed away, thousands hit by power cuts and sand drifts sweeping inland off Sydney's Bondi beach.
Sea swells also hampered shipping as the region around Australia's biggest city suffered its second day of gale-force winds of up to 135 kilometres per hour (83mph) and torrential rain.
The Bureau of Meteorology said 119 millimetres (five inches) of rain had fallen in Sydney in 24 hours - the city's wettest period since 2002.
The destructive winds blanketed parks, pavements and roads with sand from beaches including Bondi, while trees were uprooted, crashing onto cars, and power lines blown down.
Dozens of flights were delayed and at least one cruise ship found itself stuck at sea outside Sydney Harbour.
New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird said 4,500 calls had been made to emergency services.
"There is no doubt this is a very severe storm event, indeed it is a once in 10-year event," he said.
"We have lost some homes. There is a number of roofs taken off. We have also lost life. It is a huge storm event that is wreaking havoc across NSW at the moment."
New South Wales police said three people died in the country town of Dungog, 215 kilometres (133 miles) north of Sydney, which was soaked by 300 millimetres (12 inches) of rain in 24 hours.
"During the morning a woman and two men were located deceased within the Dungog township. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still to be determined," they said in a statement.
Video footage posted online showed a wooden house being swept away by flash floods, although it was not clear if this was linked to the deaths.
Severe thunderstorms moved into the South Sunday, causing damage across several states. Several tornadoes were also spotted in the area.
Alabama
There have been several reports of tornadoes in Alabama today, including a confirmed category EF-1 tornado that touched down in Russell County just west of Oswichee along AL-165. That tornado, which moved Northeast to the Georgia state line, traveled approximately 3.5 miles.
In Leesburg, winds blew a tree onto a home, causing the family inside to sustain minor injuries.
The NWS also reports that strong winds damaged agricultural buildings at Pleasant Valley High School located in Calhoun, Alabama.
Winds have knocked down trees in other parts of the state. In southern Alabama, at least 5,000 people have lost power, according to Alabama Power. In Madison, wind gusts up to 56 mph were reported, and in Huntsville, a large tree fell on a home.
A fisherman was killed and three of his companions were injured when they were struck by lightning Sunday afternoon as they were on their way home from fishing the Ragay Gulf, off Tagkawayan town, Quezon.
GMA News correspondent Peewee Bacuño identified the fatality as 49-year-old Rogelio Atienza.
Injured and rushed to the Tagkawayan District Hospital were Jeremy Fontelara, 21; Danilo Mendoza, 46; and Cornelio Rosalez, 20.
Fontelara said that the lightning strike was completely unexpected as the skies were clear.
Atienza left behind seven children. His widow Shirley said they had no money for his burial.
"The purpose of GLADIO was to attack civilians, the people - women, children, innocent people, unknown people, far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple: to force the public to turn to the State and demand greater security. Under a strategy of tension, you 'destabilize in order to stabilize', to create tension within society and promote conservative, reactionary social and political tendencies."
~ Italian neo-fascist whose prosecution led to the discovery of NATO's 'Gladio' networks across Western Europe
- Vincenzo Vinciguerra
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"It wasn't us," an official who wished to remain anonymous was cited by news agency Reuters. Nonetheless, experts believe the hypothesis of...
Comment: These sudden gusts of wind and cruel cold snaps seem to have become the norm nowadays.
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