Storms

Rain, hailstorm damage crops in Rajasthan, India

The Times of India
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:04 UTC

The unseasonal rain dashed the hopes of farmers in the state who were expecting bumper Rabi crop. The rain has damaged crops in many parts of the state.

Complaints of crop damage have been pouring in from many villages of Bundi and other districts. Heavy rain coupled with hailstorms lashed Bundi district last night damaging crops of wheat, mustard, coriander and lentil.

Hailstorm lashed several villages, including Sukhpura, Gothera, Mandi, Bhagwanipura, Tokera, Panch ki Bawari of Hindoli sub-division last evening following which standing crop was damaged, Mandi village sarpanch Bhuribai said.

Hindoli MLA Prabhulal Saini has demanded a survey of the damage caused to the crop by the rain and appropriate compensation for affected farmers. Bundi sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Amanulla Khan said that the revenue officials have been asked to estimate the loss due to untimely thundershowers.

Reports of hailstorm and showers also came in from Hindoli, Nainwa, Lekhari and Bundi sub-divisions of the district. The thundershowers damaged crops of mustard and coriander seeds in Kankala, Utarana, Budhala and many villages of Lekhari sub-division last evening, officials said.

Angola: Rain kills eight in Huíla and Huambo

Angop
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:01 UTC

Eight people were killed on Wednesday by heavy rains that hit the provinces of Huíla and Huambo.

This was said to Angop on Thursday by the spokesman of the National Civil Protection Fire Services (SNPCB), Faustino Sebastião.

He said that six people of the same family such as father, mother and four children die after the collapsing of their house in Patrice Lumumba ward, in the outskirt of Lubango city.

Heavy rains wreak havoc on agriculture, cause flooding in Lebanon

Mohammed Zaatari
The Daily Star
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:47 UTC

South Lebanon bore the brunt of Wednesday's deluge of rainfall, which is expected to level off Thursday.

While heavy rain slowed traffic and caused flooding throughout the country, the ports of Tyre and Sidon were closed to maritime activities, as fishermen stayed home.

The head of the fishermen's union, Khalil Taha, urged the agriculture minister to look into the situation of fishermen, who are complaining of inadequate government responses to calls for social assistance and benefits.

Tyre, which is undergoing extensive public works as part of a city-wide development plan, experienced flooded streets and major traffic congestion, as police and municipal officials sprung into action to clear the situation.

South of Tyre, one person was in critical condition after a car accident blamed on the heavy weather. Abbas Musa Aqil and his brother Muslim were driving a vehicle that slammed into an electricity pole during the storm. The National News Agency said both underwent surgery at a local hospital, and that one of them remained in critical condition.

In Sidon, the municipality ordered emergency crews to take action after the heavy rain caused flooding in areas near the coast, compounded by sewage networks that were overflowing.

Cyclone Bingiza to Worsen Mozambique, Madagascar Floods, UN Says

Brian Latham
Bloomberg
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:01 UTC

Tropical cyclone Bingiza could lead to further flooding in Madagascar and Mozambique where heavy rains have left soils saturated and people without homes, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Between 4,000 and 9,600 households, equivalent to as many as 48,000 people, are likely to be affected by flooding in the Zambezi river valley in Mozambique, OCHA, as the organization is known, said in an e-mailed statement today.

Flooding in southern Africa has affected South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola during the last eight weeks. Crop damage in South Africa, the continent's largest economy, could cost the nation more than $282 million after grape farms were submerged, while OCHA estimates that almost 1 percent of Mozambique's crops have been destroyed by rising water.

Australia: Drivers rescued as wild storm brings flash floods in Victoria

Shannon Deery & Nathan Mawby
Herald Sun
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:22 UTC

Victorians should brace for more rain and flash flooding after storms lashed the state last night.

Bureau of Meterology forecaster Terry Ryan said our summer deluge will continue well into the weekend, the Herald Sun said.

"There will be more rain today, and possible storms, with the heaviest rain expected in the ranges," Mr Ryan said.

"And we're expecting heavy falls tomorrow night or early Saturday morning."

Mr Ryan said the weekend storms, which could see 50mm rainfalls, could cause significant flash flooding around the state.

Last night, dozens of motorists were rescued by SES volunteers as storms lashed the city and suburbs.

US: Massive Aurora Borealis Forecast This Week

Doug O'Harra
Alaska Dispatch
Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:57 UTC

Check the northern skies after dark tonight if you're looking to be dazzled. And keep checking.

A sunspot spot wider than the planet Jupiter just blasted out the largest solar flare seen in four years, spewing a tsunami of charged particles hurtling toward Earth, according to a report on Spaceweather.com.

Once the particles impact the home planet's magnetic field beginning about 6 p.m. AST Wednesday, they will interact with ions of the upper atmosphere and start to produce shimmering bands of northern lights. Skies over the entire region may light up in one of the season's most spectacular displays, with the Geophysical Institute's official aurora forecast for Feb. 16-17 rated "Active" even as far south as Anchorage.

US: Big storm hitting Western states

NECN
Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:25 UTC

The active winter weather pattern over the United States continues, as another Pacific storm is belting an area from California to Washington state, and Eastward to Montana.

Much of it will fall as rain in the lower elevations, but forecaster Brian Korty at the National Forecast Desk in Camp Springs, Maryland, says the Sierra Nevada will be measuring snow by the foot.

The storm will then move into the Great Basin and Upper Plains, bringing more winter weather to that section of the country.

And as the storm moves out, cold air from Canada will pour into the lower 48, ending the February warm-up that many parts of the country have been enjoying.

Peru: Arequipa declared in state of emergency due to heavy rains

Living in Peru
Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:32 UTC

© LaRepública
Heavy rains in Arequipa have caused irreparable damage to the homes of at least 71 families, and affected 300 more.

Arequipa's committee for civil defense declared the province in a state of emergency due to the heavy rains that have recently struck the area, following a meeting among local authorities to assess cumulative damages, Andina reported today.

Provincial mayor of Arequipa Alfredo Zegarra announced that the decree would last for 30 days, during which time the authorities would be in permanent session to attend to emergencies as they arose.

He added that they would request resources from Peru's ministry of finance to assist 71 families who need to be relocated after rains destroyed their housing, as well as 300 more families affected by the extreme weather conditions. According the authorities' estimates, these efforts will require approximately 1 million soles.

It was also announced at the meeting that 50 percent of the sewer system of the city had ceased to function due to overflow, and that the most affected districts were Mariano Melgar, Miraflores and Alto Selva Alegre.

Twelve of the province's 29 mayors participated in the meeting, where they agreed to continue coordinating relief and prevention efforts. The national weather service predicts that heavy rains will continue into March.

US: West Coast Rain to Continue All Week

Genevieve Bookwalter
Santa Cruz Patch
Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:21 UTC

Heavy rains should ramp up Tuesday night and continue through the following Monday as Santa Cruz County returns to more seasonal weather after a few weeks of sunshine.

"The best is yet to come," joked Diane Henderson, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

After Monday's showers dropped nearly a quarter-inch of rain on Santa Cruz County, Henderson said another system should roll in today and bring a 90 percent chance of rain with it.

Tonight's storms should be heavy at times, Henderson said, and dwindle to showers by Wednesday evening. Rain is expected to continue off and on throughout the weekend and into Monday's Presidents Day holiday.

Winds should be "not extremely gusty," Henderson said, reaching 10-20 mph around the coast. High temperatures are expected to reach the upper 50s with lows in the low 40s to high 30s.

"People are going to drive fast, whether we warn them to or not; they're going to forget their umbrella - pretty much normal stuff," Henderson said. "They'll be cursing the rain and wanting good weather back."

However, "by and large, we're all pretty happy it doesn't snow here," Henderson said. "There's not much more you can ask than that."

US: Four Snowmen Of The Apocalypse Are Next? When Snow Is Not Enough, There Is Thundersnow

The Huffington Post
Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:12 UTC

New Yorkers were reveling in their millionth snowstorm Wednesday night when they experienced something unexpected -- lighting and thunder during a snow storm.

Being both savvy and neurotic, New Yorkers naturally fled to Google and Twitter and found their answer -- Thundersnow. ABC News says that "so-called thundersnows are rare events that feature thunder, lightning and heavy snowfall. Despite their drama -- but perhaps because of their infrequency -- very little is known about them."

Mysterious, rare, beautiful, yes -- it all has something to do with convection and tropospheres and whatnot -- but it has happened before (as Gothamist pointed out, one person filmed it during the blizzard of 2010).

In 1996 a weatherman was reporting a snowstorm in Worchester, Massachussets when thunder and lighting struck. He was so amazed he could hardly contain himself: