In Ladakh, heavy snowfall has severely disrupted normal life in Kargil. The rare late-April snowfall has caused widespread damage to trees, properties, and power infrastructure across the district.
Power supply has been hit in many areas, and the Electric Distribution Division PDD Kargil is working tirelessly to restore services despite the difficult conditions.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert warning of avalanches and flash floods in vulnerable areas. People have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel citing the threat of landslides or other possible eventualities.
Additionally, the Kargil-Srinagar and Kargil-Zanskar roads remain closed for traffic movement due to snow accumulation and safety concerns. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
Heavy rain has also triggered landslides and mudslides at nearly a dozen places between Nashri and Banihal along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway
Three people have died and the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the lifeline of the Valley, has been shut after heavy rain caused landslides and triggered flash floods in the Union Territory. Visuals show trucks stuck and vehicles submerged in the debris.
Among the areas worst affected by the calamity is Ramban. Multiple trees have been uprooted, disrupting traffic movement, and power cuts have also been reported.
A sudden spell of strong winds and rain hit the area on Thursday and flash floods followed.
Parshottam Gupta, former Sarpanch of Sateni Panchayat in Udhampur, said the area has suffered extensive damage. "I have inspected my Panchayat, and there were several trees uprooted. The traffic and electricity have been affected in the area. After 4-5 years, such strong winds have affected the area," he told ANI.
A lightning strike on Friday evening resulted in the tragic deaths of two people in the villages of Udamagal and Marchathal in Raichur taluk. The deceased are Mallamma, 50, from Udamagal, and Hanumant, 55, from Marchathal.
According to police reports, Mallamma was tending to her sheep on the village outskirts when a thunderstorm happenned. She was fatally struck by lightning while returning home. Hanumant was also killed when lightning struck him while he was operating an earth excavator in the field, having taken shelter under a tree from the rain.
The Yaragera police visited both locations to investigate the incidents and registered a case.
In a similar occurrence, 35 sheep were killed after being struck by lightning in Ganadal, located in the Yalburga taluk of Koppal district. The sheep, owned by Gavisiddappa Navalahalli, were grazing in a field when they were killed.
A tragic incident occurred when lightning struck during a sudden thunderstorm, resulting in the death of around 50 sheep belonging to a local shepherd, Bandi Mallaiah. The incident occurred at Renigunta village of Rajapet Mandal, Yadadri Bhongir district on Friday.
Lightning, accompanied by gales, struck without warning, causing severe damage. The estimated financial loss due to this incident is around Rs 3 lakh. Mallaiah expressed his grief over the sudden loss of his livestock, which were his primary source of livelihood.
He is now pleading with the government to come to his aid by providing compensation and support to help him recover from this devastating loss. The local community has also expressed sympathy and urged officials to take immediate action.
A new Swiss snowfall record has been set at the Bortelsee station in the Simplon region of Switzerland, where 89 inches (226 centimeters) of snow fell within just two days, and 97 inches (247 centimeters) accumulated over three days.This unprecedented event, recorded from April 15 to 17, 2025, now stands as the largest amount of snow ever measured in short timeframes in Switzerland, surpassing the previous records of 85 inches (215 centimeters) in two days at the Bernina Pass in April 1999 and 90 inches (229 centimeters) in three days at Weissfluhjoch in February 1990.
The snowfall was primarily driven by the "Hans" depression, a low-pressure system that developed over the Gulf of Genoa. Named by Italian meteorological services, Hans channeled a strong southeasterly flow from the Mediterranean, carrying warm, moisture-laden air into the southern Alps. As this air mass encountered the mountainous terrain, it was forced upward, resulting in intense orographic precipitation on the southern slopes, particularly in the Simplon region. The interaction between this moist air and colder air masses at higher elevations led to significant snowfall, culminating in the record-breaking accumulations observed at Bortelsee.
Cyclone Tam brings wild weather and power outages to New Zealand's North Island
Cyclone Tam is causing major problems across the North Island of New Zealand, resulting in thousands of people without power, roads flooded, and all ferries in Auckland cancelled. Flights have also been delayed or stopped, leaving many travellers stuck before the Easter weekend.
A truck was found overturned near Kaiwaka, a Northland settlement. The rescue team had to pull out several drivers from their cars. Strong winds have ripped off roofs and knocked over trees and fences, too.
A scary moment happened in Mairangi Bay, Auckland, where a big tree fell on a house where an elderly couple lives. The tree damaged their balcony and blocked them inside. Their daughter said the tree just missed their bedroom.
In another part of Auckland, a loud bang surprised a man when the wind knocked over his fence. Many homes have been damaged, and trees have fallen on houses and cars. People are being told to stay home if they can and avoid driving unless it's necessary.
Northland MP Grant McCallum said the storm damage in Paihia is very serious and keeps happening every time there's bad weather. He said something needs to be done to protect the area, especially because so many people there rely on tourism.
A rare waterspout appeared off the coast of Phu Quoc City in southern Vietnam on Friday morning, drawing the attention of both residents and tourists near An Thoi Town.
The phenomenon occurred around 8:20 a.m., forming a visible funnel over the sea just a few kilometers from the shoreline. Witnesses recorded the rare event on their phones as the swirling column of air and mist hovered above the water.
Lien, a local at An Thoi Port, said the waterspout created a large maelstrom but did not impact nearby vessels. "It lasted about five minutes. The sky had been dark and overcast since morning, like rain was coming," she said, noting that waterspouts and tornadoes are occasionally seen in the Phu Quoc area during certain times of the year.
Torrents of water flooded through narrow streets in the Piedmont region
Two people died in the northern province of Vicenza, Veneto, after the area was hit by devastating flooding following hours of torrential rainfall on Thursday.
The bodies of two people who had been reported missing on Thursday were found by rescue workers on Friday morning, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
The two residents, whom Italian media described as being father and son, "were swept away in their car near their home" in Valdagno, a small town northwest of Vicenza, according to Italy's fire service.
The Agno stream, which runs through Valdagno, burst its banks late on Thursday after the area was lashed by torrential rainfall for hours on end.
This triggered widespread flooding at multiple locations across town, with water surging through the streets and sweeping vehicles away.
The ski resort of Baqueira Beret, in one of the northwestern points in Catalonia, has recorded almost 40 centimeters of snow before the start of the Easter holidays.
The resort management recorded unexpected snowstorms between Tuesday evening and Wednesday early morning, just a couple of days before Catalonia starts celebrating Easter and takes some days off.
The amount of snow was completely a surprise for everyone, as "not even the most optimistic weather forecasts" forecast such a snow, the managing team of the site in the Vall d'Aran and the Pallars' counties said.
"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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I spend a lot of time on the 'net just trying to find something worthwhile to watch. There are so many bullshit videos of fools trying to pick up...
Comment: See also the following report from a day earlier which includes more details about surrounding Alpine countries: Massive mid-April snowfall in the Alps - up to 4 FEET in 24 hours