Storms
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Cloud Precipitation

Deadly floods and landslides hit Sri Lanka after 13 inches (355mm) of rain in 24 hours

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Tue, 17 May 2016 20:41 UTC
People walk through a flooded road after they moved out from their houses in Biyagama, Sri Lanka.
© Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters People walk through a flooded road after they moved out from their houses in Biyagama, Sri Lanka.
An area of low pressure above Sri Lanka has caused heavy rainfall across the country since 14 May 2016. Some locations saw over 350 mm (13.77 inches) of rain fall in 24 hours. Floods and landslides have caused havoc in as many as 19 districts of the country, including around Colombo. Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology say in a 24 hour period 15 to 16 May, Colombo recorded 256 mm of rain. According to WMO figures, the mean total rainfall for Colombo in April is 245.6 mm

Strong winds, lightning and falling trees have also caused major damage.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) report said that since 13 May, over 200,000 people have been affected, with 134,000 currently displaced and staying in 176 relief camps set up for the victims. Almost 1,300 homes have been damaged and 68 destroyed.

DMC said in a report yesterday that at least 8 people have died in the severe weather since 13 May, with at least 9 more still missing. One person died in floods in Wattala, Gampaha, Western Province. Four of the deaths occurred after a landslide in Dehiovita, Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province.


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Windsock

100 meter high sandstorm sweeps across Kashgar in northwest China


CCTV America
Tue, 17 May 2016 15:26 UTC
Sandstorm in Kashgar, China
© YouTube/CCTV America (screen capture)
This is not computer-generated scenes for Hollywood big-money thrillers. It is a real sandstorm sweeping across the Kashgar Prefecture in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region late Monday.

With walls of packed sands falling over and on people and buildings from as high as 100 meters, visibility was reduced to arm's length at best. Local meteorological authorities issued an orange alert the second highest severity. Massive sandstorms have hit Tumxuk City and Minfeng County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region since Monday.

A powerful sandstorm swept Tumxuk on Monday evening. Videos shot by local residents show that a huge amount of sand and dust was blown about a hundred meters high, and the visibility on roads was reduced to less than five meters.The sandstorm lasted for four hours with strong winds, dusty weather and temperature slump.

Affected by a strong cold wave, a sandstorm hit Minfeng County in Hutan Prefecture at around 06:00 on Tuesday. The maximum wind speed of 9.4 meters per second lowered the visibility to less than 60 meters, destroying trees and billboards along roads.


Comment: Some other sandstorms to hit China in recent weeks include:

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Cloud Lightning

Infant miraculously survives lightning bolt that kills both parents in Jharkhand, India


The Huffington Post
Tue, 17 May 2016 19:02 UTC
Lightning
A tribal couple was yesterday killed while their infant daughter escaped when lightning struck them at Ranighaghar village, police said.

The victim couple, Mukesh Hembram and Suhagini Soren, along with their seven-month-old daughter were returning to their home at Jamjori when rain accompanied by thunderbolt lashed the area, Officer in-charge of Jamjori police station, Rampukar Singh said.

The couple took shelter under a tree near a pond where they were struck by the lightning, he said, adding, they were killed instantly while the child fell from her mother's lap and escaped death.

The child was reported to be safe, Singh added.

Source: PTI
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Cloud Lightning

Shocking update: Lightning strikes kill 81 people in just two days in Bangladesh


The Indian Express
Tue, 17 May 2016 13:50 UTC
Lightning
"Such a high casualty figure in lightning just in two days is rare not only in Bangladesh but also in the world," disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said.

At least 81 people were killed by lightning strikes in Bangladesh in two days during the recent spell of thunderstorms, a rare high casualty in the country attributed to climate change by the authorities.

"Such a high casualty figure in lightning just in two days is rare not only in Bangladesh but also in the world,"disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya told a media briefing at his office. "The intensity of lightning has increased in recent years due to climate change sparking a massive public fear," he said.

Secretary of the ministry Shah Kamal said that the government included lightning in the list of natural disaster since August last year in view of its growing intensity claiming 81 lives on May 12 and 13 alone in 26 districts. Most of the deaths occurred in rural parts of north and central Bangladesh. According to official count, lightning killed 17 people last year.
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Cloud Lightning

2 people and 7 animals killed by lightning strikes in Nepal

Rastriya Samachar Samiti
The Himalayan Times
Mon, 16 May 2016 13:17 UTC
Lightning
Two youth from the same neighbourhood were killed and another woman was injured after being struck by lightning in Tanahun last night.

The thunderbolt struck the house of Khem Rana at Kanhunshivapur VDC - 7 of the district last night, injuring his 18- and 20-year-old daughters, Gulabi and Mausami respectively.

But, Mausami died while undergoing treatment at the Damauli Hospital at 11 pm.

Her younger sister with serious injuries was rushed to Pokhara for additional treatment.

The lighting also struck another house in the same neighbourhood, killing Animaya Thapa (55). Thapa died on the way to a hospital.

The lighting also killed four cows and three lambs belonging to Rishiram Thapa of the same locality, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Surendra Bahadur Gurung, of District Police Office, Tanahun.
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Cloud Lightning

At least 8 killed by lightning strikes in Bihar, India


The Indian Express
Thu, 12 May 2016 14:14 UTC
Lightning
Eight persons, including minors, were killed in separate incidents of lightning in Bihar's Kishanganj and Katihar districts on Thursday.

Five persons were killed as lightning struck when they were working at a brick kiln at Rashiya Panchyat under Thakurganj block of Kishanganj district, Sub-Divisional Officer Mohammad Shafique said.

The five included a father-son duo, the SDO said, adding all five were brick kiln labourers.

The next of the kin of the victims will be given Rs four lakh each as ex gratia, the SDO said.

In two other incidents of lightning in Katihar, three persons, including two minors, died, while two other minors sustained burn injuries in different villages.
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Cloud Lightning

Two killed by lightning bolt off beach in Kuwait

Hanan Al-Saadoun
Kuwait Times
Tue, 10 May 2016 19:09 UTC
Lightning in the sky.
© ShutterstockLightning in the sky.
In a rare incident of its kind, a coastguard diver and a citizen were killed after they were struck by a lightning bolt off Khairan beach yesterday.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that a jet ski of citizen Saad Khaled Al-Shereeda broke down and a coastguard boat was dispatched to rescue him.

The ministry added that the coastguard diver, Abdullah Othman Al-Doussary, jumped in the water to help the man, but they were both struck by lightning and were killed instantly.

In October last year, an Asian was killed by lightning in northern Kuwait during a freak storm. It is estimated that 6,000 to as many as 24,000 people are killed around the world by lightning strikes every year.

Bodies
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Cloud Lightning

Cambodia has recorded 18 deaths from lightning so far in 2016


News Ghana
Thu, 12 May 2016 18:58 UTC
Lightning strike
Lightning strikes and strong winds have killed 26 people in Cambodia so far this year, Keo Vy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, said on Thursday.

He said thunderbolts claimed 18 lives and injured 16 others, as strong winds killed 8 and injured 71 others, he said.

Besides the human casualties, strong winds had devastated more than 3,000 houses in 20 cities and provinces across Cambodia, he added.

"I'd like to call on people, especially those in rural areas, to be vigilant over lighting and strong wind," he said.

"To avoid the dangers from lightning strikes, people should stay in houses when there are torrential rains."

The latest incident occurred late Wednesday in northeastern Stung Treng province, killing four people, three of them killed by lightning strikes and one by strong wind.

Source: Xinhua
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Cloud Lightning

Update: Lightning kills 64 in Bangladesh over 2 days; surge in deaths is causing panic


Newser
Sat, 14 May 2016 17:59 UTC
Lightning
© zmescience.com
More than 60 people have been killed by lightning over the past two days during tropical storms across Bangladesh, local media said Saturday. Most of the 64 lightning deaths since Thursday have occurred in the countryside, where farmers are busy with the current harvesting season, Bengali-language newspapers Prothom Alo and Samakal reported, per the AP. Experts say increased deforestation, increased use of metal equipment like cellphones, and rising temperatures have contributed to a surge in lightning deaths that has caused panic in some areas.

Most of the victims were farmer working in their fields, though children playing in the open and spectators at a soccer game have also died in lightning strikes. Mohammad Riaz Ahmed, chief of Bangladesh's disaster management department, tells Voice of America that authorities are "very concerned" by the number of lightning deaths. More than 90 have died so far this year and the storm season hasn't peaked yet. In the US, there were 27 recorded lightning deaths in 2015 and there have been five so far this year, according to the NOAA.
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Tornado2

Wild weather brings tornado to South Island, New Zealand


TVNZ
Thu, 12 May 2016 06:43 UTC
Tornado hits New Zealand
© Sam WanrooyA tornado struck at Ross, south of Hokitika.
The Haast Pass road is closed tonight by fallen trees as wild weather, including heavy rain and tornadoes, lashes parts of the South Island.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says it'll give an update about the Haast Pass by 10am tomorrow.

The Arthurs Pass road, State Highway 73, has reopened but care is needed after it was closed by extreme winds between Springfield and Arthurs Pass this afternoon which saw a trailer tip over.

A tornado hit Rutherglen about 10 kilometres south of Greymouth on the West Coast and another was reported at Ross, south of Hokitika, both whipped up by thunderstorms.

West Coast Civil Defence says there've been more thunderstorms in the region tonight but the worst conditions are high winds and heavy rain.

Spokesman Chris Raine told ONE News mid-evening the main front had still not arrived and there's a risk of stronger winds overnight, more thunderstorns and a small coastal tornado.
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