Storms
S


Cloud Precipitation

Severe hailstorm hits Lovech, Bulgaria


novinite.com
Mon, 09 May 2016 12:15 UTC
Severe hailstorm in Lovech
© btvnovinite.bg Severe hailstorm in Lovech
A snowplough was used to clear ice from the streets of Lovech on May 9 following a 20-minute hailstorm, bTV reported.

Torrential rain flooded streets in the city in north-central Bulgaria, making motor traffic impossible. Precipitation was as high as 6.6 liters per square meter, according to the local weather monitoring station.

Some public buildings and shops were also flooded and extensive damage to cars in the streets was reported.

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Tornado1

Two die in Oklahoma storm as 23 tornadoes rip across US midwest


The Guardian (UK)
Tue, 10 May 2016 15:56 UTC
Oklahoma tornado
© Josh Edelson, AFP/Getty ImagesA tornado rips through a residential area after touching down south of Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
Tornadoes killed two people, destroyed homes, overturned vehicles and stripped the bark from trees as they churned across Oklahoma, part of a strong series of storms that hit the plains on Monday.

At least two people died on Monday in weather so violent that forecasters declared a "tornado emergency" for communities in the path of one of the twisters. The Storm Prediction Center said 23 tornadoes were reported across five states.

"You are in a life-threatening situation," forecasters declared while warning the communities of Roff, population 725, and Hickory, population 71, which were ultimately spared major damage. "Flying debris will be deadly to those caught without shelter."

Dana Lance was driving through the community of Roff, about 85 miles south-east of Oklahoma City, on her way home from work Monday when the skies grew ominous, sirens wailed and forecasters on the radio told people to take cover.


Comment: Fierce tornadoes and golf ball sized hail strike Colorado

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Tornado2

Amazingly high dust devil filmed in Chelyabinsk, Russia


Strange Sounds
Mon, 09 May 2016 01:27 UTC
Chelyabinsk dust devil
© Via YouTube/Григорий Михеев
I've already seen dust devils!But such a long one... Never! It's incredible! This amazingly high dust whirl appeared from nowhere on May 6, 2016 in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

In the sky of In the southwestern United States, a dust devil is sometimes called a "dancing devil".


The Navajo refer to them as chiindii, ghosts or spirits of dead Navajos. If a chindi spins clockwise, it is said to be a good spirit; if it spins counterclockwise, it is said to be a bad spirit.

In Australia they are called "willy-willy" or "whirly-whirly". In Aboriginal myths, willy-willies represent spirit forms. They are often quite scary spirits, and parents may warn their children that if they misbehave, a spirit will emerge from the spinning vortex of dirt and chastise them. There is a story of the origin of the brolga in which a bad spirit descends from the sky and captures the young being and abducts her by taking the form of a willy-willy.

Egypt has its fasset el 'afreet, or "ghost's wind".
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills three in Jharkhand, India; other regions sizzle with above 40 degree Celsius temperatures


Times of India
Mon, 09 May 2016 18:10 UTC
Lightning
Temperatures hovered around normal levels in most parts of the country except in some areas of Odisha and Rajasthan, where Phalodi town sizzled at season's highest of 48 degrees Celsius, even as three persons were killed in lightning incidents in Jharkhand.

In the national capital, it was a clear sky with the maximum temperature settling at 38.4 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The minimum was recorded at 27.6 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average.

In Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district, which recorded 30 mm rainfall, three persons, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed by the thunderbolt at Katkamdag, Chharau, and Oreya villages, police said.

Palamau and Chaibasa recorded maximum of 41.6 and 41.5 degrees Celsius respectively even as several parts of the state experienced cloudy sky with temperatures between 35 and 39 degrees Celsius, the MeT officials in the state said.

Rajasthan's Phalodi town in Jodhpur district recorded the season's highest at 48 degrees Celsius due to which normal life was thrown out of gear.

Sizzling heat affected normal life in other parts of the state as well, particularly the western areas where Bikaner recorded 45.4 degrees Celsius. Churu, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Kota, Jaipur, and Ajmer registered a maximum of 44.8, 44.7, 44.4, 44.1, 42.9, and 42.6 degrees Celsius respectively.
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Tornado1

Fierce tornadoes and golf ball sized hail strike Colorado


RT
Sun, 08 May 2016 08:04 UTC
Colorado tornado
© @stormchasrbryce / Instagram
Fierce tornadoes have struck eastern Colorado, causing injuries and damaging motorhomes, as well as other buildings in the area. Four twisters hit in Yuma Country, some 150 kilometers from Denver, according to the National Weather Service.

Five people suffered minor injuries in one of the tornadoes, NWS Science and Operations officer Jeremy Martin told AP.

The twister travelled for about 15 kilometers on the ground, storm chasers said.

There was no immediate info on injury or damage from the other three confirmed tornadoes in the area.


Comment: Study: Extreme tornado outbreaks are increasing

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill six in Bangladesh


The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Sun, 08 May 2016 13:04 UTC
Lightning
Six people were killed by lighting in Faridpur, Sirajganj and Shariatpur yesterday.

In Faridpur, two persons were killed in the afternoon when they were struck by thunderbolts, reports BSS.

Health department sources said, Amena Begum, 40, was hit by a thunderbolt at BS Dangi village while she was returning home after casting her vote in the Union Parishad electing. She was succumbed to her injuries at Charbhadrasan upazilla hospital.

In another incident, Hafiz Mondol, 35, was killed as he was hit by lighting when he was working in the field in Nagarkanada upazila's Shasha village. He was declared dead at Nagarkanda hospital. Meanwhile, four people were killed in separate incidents of lighting as nor'wester swept across Sirajganj and Shariatpur yesterday afternoon, reports UNB.

Of them, three were killed in Shahjadpur and Enayetpur upazilas of Sirajganj.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills four elephants in Sri Lanka


Channel News Asia
Sun, 08 May 2016 12:55 UTC
lightning
Four elephants, including two calves, were killed by lightning in northern Sri Lanka in one of the worst wildlife tragedies to hit the country in years, officials said Sunday (May 8).

A female elephant, aged about 25 years, and two of her calves, aged 10 months and two years, and an eight-year-old female were found dead Sunday just outside the Wilpattu wildlife sanctuary, an official said.

"Villagers from neighbouring areas alerted the authorities and we carried out autopsies," wildlife veterinary surgeon Chandana Jayasinghe said. "The deaths were caused by lightning."

Local villagers in Mahavilachchiya, 250 kilometres (156 miles) north of Colombo, had reported heavy rains accompanied by thunder and lightning in the shrub jungle area on Friday when the elephants were thought to have been struck.

It was the worst natural disaster involving elephants since February 2011 when four baby elephants drowned in a major flood in the north-east of the country.
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Airplane

7 injured by air turbulence on flight from Dominican Republic

Erin Dooley
abcnews.go.com
Thu, 05 May 2016 18:33 UTC
Plane
Seven people were transported to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after an Allegiant Air jet hit turbulence returning from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, first responders told ABC News. The flight was bound for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Allegiant Air's Flight 7001, a charter operated on behalf of Apple Vacations, encountered "unreported moderate clear air turbulence" Thursday afternoon and was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport, according to the company.

When the Airbus A319 landed, emergency personnel assisted four flight attendants and three passengers who had suffered multiple injuries, from bruises and lacerations to head injuries -- none life-threatening.

According to airline spokesperson Jessica Wheeler, a nurse aboard the flight assisted crew members following the turbulence, and all passengers were "ambulatory" by the time they were transported to Broward Health Medical Center.

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Airplane

17 passengers hurt as Hong Kong-bound flight hit by severe air turbulence over Borneo


South China Morning Post
Sat, 07 May 2016 18:26 UTC
plane
Passengers travelling from Bali - one of whom was severely injured - were rushed to hospital after plane ran into severe turbulence

Seventeen Chinese nationals were injured, with 12 taken to hospital, today as a Hong Kong Airlines flight departing from Bali, in Indonesia, was hit by severe turbulence.

"Twelve people were rushed to a hospital, one of them with a very serious injury," said Herni Pramuharjo, spokesman of the transport ministry said, according to the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua. "Five others were treated at the health clinic in the airport. All of them were Chinese nationals."

The incident occurred when the aeroplane was flying over Borneo, about one hour after flight HX6704, bound for Hong Kong, took off from Bali International Airport.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills couple in Bangladesh


en.prothom-alo.com
Sat, 07 May 2016 17:50 UTC
lightning
A couple was killed by a lightning strike at Sikirchar in Chhengarchar municipality of Matlab Uttar upazila on Friday evening.

The deceased were identified as Ayat Ali, 60, and his wife Asabi Begum, 50, of the area.

Local Kamal Khan said a streak of thunderbolt struck Ayat Ali and his wife around 7:30pm while working at their courtyard, leaving them dead on the spot.
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