Showers and thunderstorms in parts of southern India on Saturday helped eased a weekslong summer heat wave that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives. The intense heat, however, was expected to continue in some areas of worst-hit Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states for another 24 hours, said Y.K. Reddy, an Indian Meteorological Department director. Heat-related conditions, … [Read more...]
Malawi faces ‘unprecedented’ flood disaster
The waters may be receding and the rainfall subsiding but Malawi is only now coming to terms with the "unprecedented" floods that hit the southern half of the country last week. At least 176 people lost their lives and another 200,000 have been displaced when heavy rains submerged homes, schools, and in places, washing away an entire village. The Malawi Defence Force has … [Read more...]
2014 officially the hottest year on record
NASA and NOAA scientists report 2014 was 0.07F (0.04C) higher than previous records and the 38th consecutive year of above-average temperatures. The numbers are in. The year 2014 – after shattering temperature records that had stood for hundreds of years across virtually all of Europe, and roasting parts of South America, China and Russia – was the hottest on record, with … [Read more...]
Extreme weather will be new norm without immediate action
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said this weekend that the organization’s investment focus will be on clean energy and that it will back coal-fired and other fossil fuel projects only when there is “extreme need.” Flying in the face of a popular climate denier narrative that says phasing out fossil fuels and addressing extreme poverty can’t be done at the same time, Kim said … [Read more...]
Strong cyclone lashes India; typhoon hits Japan
A powerful cyclone was pounding a large swath of India's eastern seaboard with heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday, killing at least six people and causing major damage to buildings and crops, in one of two storms lashing Asia. In Japan, at least 35 people were reported injured as Typhoon Vongfong, packing winds of up to 180 kilometers (110 miles) per hour and heavy rain, … [Read more...]
More earthquakes on the cards for North West
There's a rule of thumb in seismology: history repeats itself. So, sometime over the next few days, earthquake hunters predict that one, two, or possibly three quakes could rattle the country again. “I expect there would be at least two or three magnitude 4 events coming up within the next week or two,” predicts Dr Chris Hartnady, the technical director of earth science … [Read more...]
Thousands evacuated in Bosnia after ‘worst ever’ floods
More than 20 people have been confirmed dead and the exact death toll is still unknown after Bosnia and Serbia was hit by the heaviest rain and worst ever flood, breaking records in the past 120 years. States of emergency have been raised in the affected areas of Bosnia and Serbia after rivers burst their banks and left towns and villages submerged in seven to 10 feet (two … [Read more...]
Return to Tacloban six months after Haiyan
Glenda Cruz recalls the horror of Typhoon Haiyan to the BBC upon her return to Haiyan, though the homecoming is bittersweet as the rest of her family and their home is now gone. When I last saw Tacloban, six months ago, it was from the window of a helicopter. That was the only way to get out, and the relief at doing so was immense. The city lay ravaged beneath us as we … [Read more...]
The emergent patterns of climate change
We live in a very complex environment: we see complexity and dynamism and patterns of evidence in satellite photographs, and videos. You can even see it outside your window. It's endlessly complex, but somehow familiar. The patterns kind of repeat, but they never repeat exactly. It's a huge challenge to understand. The patterns that you see are there at all of the different … [Read more...]
Our lonely home in nature
The tornadoes that have been devastating parts of the South and Midwest USA, just weeks after a deadly mudslide in Washington, demonstrate once again the unimaginable power of nature. After each disaster, we grieve over the human lives lost, the innocent people drowned or crushed without warning … [Read more...]
Lourens River to receive emergency repairs after severe flooding
As part of the City of Cape Town’s commitment to building a safe city, emergency repairs and the replacement of damaged infrastructure will start soon at Lourens River, following the severe flooding in Somerset West on 15 and 16 November last year. The City had requested financial assistance to deal with the required emergency work after the area was declared a provincial … [Read more...]
Northern Thailand warned to ‘brace for disasters’
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has issued a warning for summer thunderstorms and isolated hailstorms during Mar 21 - 23. According to Director-General Chatchai Promlert, a medium intense low pressure system is expected to park itself over the Northeast and then the northern region of Thailand on Friday and the weekend, before moving to other … [Read more...]
Climate change fuelled storms cost China $2.6 bln in 2013
Climate change fuelled storm waves and rising sea levels cost China 16.3 billion yuan ($2.6 bln) and killed 121 people in 2013, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases which scientists say is driving climate change. Southern Guangdong province was hit hardest, recording 7.4 billion yuan worth of damage, the SOA … [Read more...]
