Storms
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Snowflake

Blizzards, freezing rain hit northern China


Xinhua
Sun, 04 Nov 2012 07:00 UTC
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© Xinhua/Liu ChanglongTourists shelter from the sleet under umbrellas as as they walk near the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, on Nov. 4, 2012. The capital city had witnessed snowfall and sleet since Saturday night as cold current swept north China and dropped temperature.
Beijing authorities released a citywide orange alert and regional red alert concerning blizzards early on Sunday morning as a cold spell swept across northern China.

China has a four-tier color-coded snow warning system: red, orange, yellow and blue, red being the most serious.

By 10 a.m. on Sunday, the capital had received an average daily precipitation of over 58 mm, a post-1951 record for the city during China's Nov.-March winter period, according to the Beijing Meteorological Center.

In the Fenghuangling region of Haidian District, the snowfall has lasted for over 40 hours and brought the maximal precipitation to 96 mm.

"With a complicated distribution of precipitation, this process is bringing greatly different effects to citizens living in various regions of such a a large city," said Sun Jisong, the center's chief forecaster.
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Boat

Floods threaten Eluru, Vijayawada, India


The Hindu
Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:15 UTC
Eluru floods
© G.N. Rao A farmer at a flooded cotton field at Nelakondapally in Khammam district on Friday
Long after it has crossed the coast, cyclone Nilam continues to make its impact felt as torrential rainfall under its influence threatens to inundate outlying areas of two cities - Vijayawada and Eluru - in Andhra Pradesh.

Vijayawada received 17 cm of rain since Friday evening, constituting nearly 20 per cent of its annual rainfall. This has forced the authorities to suspend train and bus services.

Flood waters entered Vidhyadharapuram, HB Colony and Kabela in Vijayawada. Although the rain had stopped, water did not recede as Budameru, a stream, was discharging 8,000 cusecs of water. Drains in Vijayawada that empty into Budameru were blocked due to silting. Municipal Commissioner G. Bhaskar said that many areas in One Town were inundated as garbage had blocked the drains.

All the 70 gates of Prakasam Barrage across the Krishna were lifted and 49,000 cusecs of water was being discharged in the morning. The flow, however, came down to 29,000 cusecs by noon.
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Ice Cube

Powerful nor'easter winter storm bears down on US East Coast

Michael Zennie
Daily Mail
Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:19 UTC
The East Coast is still reeling from the devastation brought on by Superstorm Sandy. But as the mass clear-up begins, forecasters are already warning of a powerful new nor'easter storm front coming in from the Atlantic, bringing 45mph gusts of wind mixed with snow and rain.

The beleaguered coast line is expected to face the storm from Tuesday to Thursday - potentially casting a shadow over Election Day. At least New York City and the surrounding area may escape a beating, as forecasters expect most of the severe weather will hit northern New England - meaning it should land hundreds of miles north from where Sandy reached the continent.
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© AccuweatherNext week's weather: Another storm is likely to hit the East Coast next week - possible on Election Day
However, New York and New Jersey can expect frigid winds and rain as hundreds of thousands remain without power and homeless.

A nor'easter is a powerful storm that thrives on cold air. Severe nor'easters can bring hurricane-force winds and blizzards.
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Cloud Precipitation

Hurricane Sandy death toll reaches 74 in U.S.


Source
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:47 UTC
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© Brian A. Pounds/The Connecticut Post via AP A man walks through floodwaters in the aftermath of Sandy in Milford, Conn.
Power outages now stand at more than 5.6 million homes and businesses, down from a peak of 8.5 million. Here's a snapshot of what is happening, state by state. The massive storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast and morphed into a huge and problematic system, killing at least 74 people in the United States. Power outages now stand at more than 5.6 million homes and businesses, down from a peak of 8.5 million. Here's a snapshot of what is happening, state by state.

CONNECTICUT

Widespread damage to homes on Long Island Sound. Deaths: 3. Power outages: 378,000, down from a peak of more than 620,000.

DELAWARE

Some southern coastal areas remain underwater, but officials say the damage is far less than anticipated. Governor lifted state of emergency. Emergency shelters closed. Power outages: 1,700, down from more than 45,000.
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Cloud Lightning

Cyclone brings heavy rain, displaces 150,000 in southern India; 6 dead in India, Sri Lanka


Washington Post
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:24 UTC
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A tropical storm weakened Thursday after slamming into southern India, bringing heavy rain and a storm surge and displacing 150,000 people. Six deaths have been reported in India and Sri Lanka.

Just before the storm made landfall Wednesday, an oil tanker with 37 crew ran aground off Chennai. One of its lifeboats capsized in the choppy waters, and one crewmember drowned, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

On Thursday, two helicopters searched in the Bay of Bengal for the four missing crewmembers, said coast guard officer Gurdip Singh, adding that 32 crewmembers were rescued from the tanker.

Andhra Pradesh state said two people died there when their homes collapsed due to heavy rain Wednesday night in Nellore and Chittoor districts, and PTI reported another death in Tamil Nadu state, a 46-year old man who slipped into the rough sea from a pier and drowned. Sri Lanka reported two deaths earlier from the cyclone.
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Phoenix

Hurricane Sandy causes devastating fires in Breezy Point, Queens

James Barron
The New York Times
Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:18 UTC
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© Mark Lennihan / Associated PressThis aerial photo shows the Breezy Point neighborhood in New York, where dozens of homes burned to the ground Monday as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
The New York region began the daunting process on Tuesday of rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a storm that remade the landscape and rewrote the record books as it left behind a tableau of damage, destruction and grief.

The toll - in lives disrupted or lost and communities washed out - was staggering. A rampaging fire reduced more than 100 houses to ash in Breezy Point, Queens. Explosions and downed power lines left the lower part of Manhattan and 90 percent of Long Island in the dark. The New York City subway system - a lifeline for millions - was paralyzed by flooded tunnels and was expect to remain silent for days.

Accidents claimed more than 40 lives in the United States and Canada, including 22 in the city. Two boys - an 11-year-old Little League star and a 13-year-old friend - were killed when a 90-foot-tall tree smashed into the family room of a house in North Salem, N.Y. An off-duty police officer who led seven relatives, including a 15-month-old boy, to safety in the storm drowned when he went to check on the basement.
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Snowflake

Almost all of Switzerland covered in snow


Zurich4u.com
Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:29 UTC
Dozens of road accidents were reported in the canton on Saturday evening following the heavy snowfall which has affected almost the whole of the country.

As many of the deciduous trees still have their leaves, many trees have suffered under the weight of the snow and branches have broken off, some of them falling on to roads and blocking them. Woodland in both cantons of Basel is particularly affected, especially above 400 metres. The authorities there have advised people not to walk in woods, or even on the edge of them.

The Zurich Cantonal Police have advised motorists to adapt their speed to the prevailing wintery conditions accordingly. They have reported a number of accidents caused by people still driving with summer tyres.

Several accidents were reported in the canton of Schwyz, too, with the mountain road between Schindellegi and Sattel particularly badly affected.

Nine accidents were reported in the canton of St Gallen, with the fire brigade busy clearing roads of fallen trees.

The photograph shows an overturned car in Bonau in the neighbouring canton of Thurgau.
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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in Hungary - Video


First Post
Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:25 UTC
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Igloo

France: Winter before it should be


Euronews/YouTube
Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:48 UTC

"C'est l'hiver avant l'heure;" or 'it is winter before it should be', was one local person's reaction to heavy snow falls which have hit eastern parts of France.

The cold snap brought power cuts with up to 50,000 households in the Isere region in the Alps deprived of electricity.

Authorities have issued an "Orange" warning, the second highest alert, and rescue services have been fully mobilised.

Up to 50 centimetres of snow fell in some parts making driving hazardous. An icy wind and fresh falls of snow on top of the ice only added to the dangerous conditions.

Many drivers were forced to abandon their cars while emergency services were called to clear trees from roads felled in the high winds, with gusts blowing up to 130 kilometres per hour recorded in one area.

Parts of the south of France were the worst hit by the high winds where on the riviera two people have been reported missing.

A search has been mounted for a 12-year-old boy on the island of Porquerolles. Emergency services say his bike has been found. A 26-year-old windsurfer is also missing.

In the port of Marseille the ferry Napoleon Bonaparte was damaged when strong winds broke the ship's moorings.

The hull smashed against the dock flooding two of its watertight compartments.
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Snowflake Cold

Sweden braces for week of heavy snow


Ice Age Now
Tue, 30 Oct 2012 06:40 UTC
Meteorologists predict heavy snowfall throughout the country and have issued a nationwide class 1 warning.

"There may be large quantities of snow," explained Lisa Frost of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, SMHI.

"As it's the first snow and it's quite early in the season, we're issuing the warning - especially as some people haven't changed to their winter tyres yet."

Throughout Monday, the Dalarna and Värmland counties have been slammed by a lengthy snow storm, which has left 10 cm (4 inches) of snow. SMHI forecast a further 10 cm before Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) is already fighting the blizzards.

The season's lowest temperature was recorded on Sunday night with Nattavaara in far northern Sweden hitting -22.1C (-6F).
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