Page 20 - Heavy Rains

More bad weather could hit Iowa, where 3 tornadoes caused severe damage

For block after block through the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, the destructive power a tornado that ripped apart more than 100 homes in just one minute is evident in the muddy, shattered mess left behind. All along the mile-long swath Thursday was the deafening clamour of heavy equipment scooping up the splintered homes, smashed vehicles and shredded trees. But on either side of that path, picturesque houses and lawns seem untouched, and one might be hard-pressed to believe a twister packing peak winds of 175-185 mph (109-115 kph) had ravaged the community of 2,000, killing four people and injuring at least 35. More than 202 homes were destroyed by a series of tornadoes that raked the state on Tuesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday at a news conference. Most were in and around Greenfield. The count does not include businesses or other buildings destroyed or damaged, like Greenfield's 25-bed hospital. The havoc spun by the tornado now shows on the faces of people still ...

Pune boat capsize tragedy: Bodies of 5 found; search on for another victim

The bodies of five out of the six persons, who drowned after their boat capsized in the Ujani dam backwaters in Maharashtra's Pune district, were fished out on Thursday morning, police said. The incident took place on Tuesday evening following strong winds and rains when the boat was sailing from Kugav to Kalashi village, officials earlier said. "We have fished out five bodies so far - of two men, a woman and two children. A team of the National Disaster Response Force and local administration are working to trace the sixth missing person," an official from Indapur police station said. Following strong winds and rains on Tuesday evening, the boat carrying seven persons capsized, an official earlier said. An officer of the assistant police inspector-rank, who was among the seven persons on the boat, swam to safety, he said.

Kerala activates emergency operation centres amidst heavy rains, says govt

With heavy rains continuing to lash several parts of the state, the Kerala government said on Monday that emergency operation centres have been opened in all district collectorates and taluk offices to tackle any urgent situation. Special directions have been given to alert tourists who arrive in the southern state for holidaying about the rain situation, state Revenue Minister K Rajan said. He stressed the need for strict regulations in hilly areas in the wake of possible landslide threats. "The Disaster Management Authority has warned that there is even the possibility of mudslides on the road due to heavy rains," he told reporters here. Safety boards would be installed in such areas to warn travellers about the threat of a possible land slide, he said. The district collectors have been entrusted to take necessary steps to impose a night travel ban in hilly areas in their respective areas if necessary, Rajan explained. "The 24x7 Emergency Operation Centres have been opened in a

Heavy rain, flash floods claim 50 lives in Afghanistan's Ghor province

Thousands of livestock have perished, and tens of vehicles have been swept away by the floods

Kerala to receive heavy rainfall; IMD issues red alert for May 19, 20

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday predicted extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala in the coming days and issued a red alert in some districts of the state for May 19 and 20. The IMD issued the red alert in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts of the state for May 19 and 20. Additionally, an orange alert was issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam for those two days. The weather department further issued an orange alert in nine districts for May 21 and said some of them were likely to receive rains similar to that of a red alert. It also predicted that thunderstorms with lightning, accompanied by gusty winds, were very likely to occur at one or two places in Kerala between May 19 and 22. For Saturday, it issued an orange alert in Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Malappuram districts. A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain (6 cm to 20 cm). A yellow alert .

Rain, thunderstorm in parts of Rajasthan due to western disturbance

Rain and thunderstorms were witnessed in many areas of Rajasthan due to the impact of a western disturbance during the last 24 hours, the local weather office said on Saturday. During this, Gogunda (Udaipur) recorded a maximum rainfall of 75 mm, followed by 34 mm in Ajmer's Bhinay, 18 mm in Buhana of Jhunjhunu and Chhoti Sadri of Pratapgarh and 15 mm in Pugal of Bikaner, it said. Similarly, several other districts including Bikaner, Dausa, Alwar, Tonk, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Churu and Sikar also recorded rainfall, the weather departments said as it predicted light to moderate rain with thunderstorms in some parts of Bikaner, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Kota and Jodhpur divisions on Saturday also. Thunderstorm activities are likely to continue till May 14, due to which the maximum temperature may fall in most parts.

Floods in Southern Brazil kill at least 75 over 7 days, 103 people missing

Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday. At least 155 people were injured, while damage from the rains forced more than 88,000 people from their homes. Approximately 16,000 took refuge in schools, gymnasiums and other temporary shelters. The floods left a wake of devastation, including landslides, washed-out roads and collapsed bridges across the state. Operators reported electricity and communications cuts. More than 800,000 people are without a water supply, according to the civil defence agency, which cited figures from water company Corsan. A rescue team pulled an elderly man in serious medical condition into a helicopter from a remote area in the Bento Gonalves municipality, according to footage from military firefighters. Torrents of brown water poured over a nearby dam. On Saturday evening, residents in the town of Canoas stood up

Six die as heavy rain, thunderstorms lash southern districts of West Bengal

Six people died in thunderstorms in south Bengal on Monday, as heavy rain drenched Kolkata and other districts in the region, parched under the scorching sun for several days, officials said. A Disaster Management Department official said six people, including a married couple, died in different districts of south Bengal, including in Nadia, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman district. Suburban train services on the Sealdah-Canning line of Eastern Railway's Sealdah division were affected for over an hour, as plantain leaves fell on an overhead electric traction wire during a thunderstorm, an official said. Train services were affected from 8 pm to 9.15 pm, he said. A few Kolkata-bound flights from other destinations had to be diverted due to bad weather, Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said Inclement weather forced three incoming flights to Kolkata two from Delhi and one from Bagdogra to be diverted to other airports, they said. A Kolkata to Ranchi flight had to return to th

Heavy rains ease around Houston, flooding remains after hundreds rescued

Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummelled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were stranded on rooftops. A 5-year-old boy died after riding in a car that was swept away in fast waters, authorities said. Although forecasters expected storms to begin tapering off in southeastern Texas, high waters continued to close some roads and left residents facing lengthy cleanups in neighbourhoods where rising river levels led to weekend evacuation orders. Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues. In one soggy area of Houston, school officials in Channelview cancelled classes and said a survey of their employees found many of them had experienced circumstances that would prevent them from coming to work. These folks have suffered much, people," Trinity County Sheriff Woody

Storm, heavy rains damage homes in Meghalaya's Khasi Jaintia hills

Several houses were damaged and more than 400 people affected as a storm accompanied by heavy rains lashed several villages in Meghalaya's Khasi Jaintia Hills region, officials said on Monday. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region for another 48 hours, they said. "At least 427 people were affected as their homes were destroyed or partially destroyed in at least 13 villages of Khasi Jaintia Hills region of Meghalaya on Sunday," a senior disaster management official told PTI. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the district administration is working on a war footing to provide relief to the affected people. "Due to strong winds and heavy rains in some parts of the state, many houses have been damaged. Have asked the administration to immediately provide relief," the CM posted on X. The district deputy commissioners have been directed to remain alert and to provide relief whenever required, a Home Department official said.

Rains, floods claim 14 lives in Afghanistan, cause widespread destruction

Due to incessant rainfall, the residents in many regions have reported major financial losses, which they have to bear as a result of the floods

Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 57, 70 still missing

Heavy rains had already hit Rio Grande do Sul last September, as an extratropical cyclone caused floods that killed more than 50 people

Torrential rain, flood and landslide hit Indonesian island, 14 dead

A flood and a landslide hit Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing 14 people, officials said Saturday. Torrential rain pounding the area since Thursday triggered a landslide in Luwu district in South Sulawesi province, said local rescue chief Mexianus Bekabel. Floods up to 3 meters (10 feet) have affected 13 sub-districts as water and mud covered the area. More than 1,000 houses were affected, with 42 of them swept off their foundations. A search and rescue team worked to evacuate residents using rubber boats and other vehicles. More than 100 residents have been moved to mosques or relatives' houses outside the affected area, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said Saturday. Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and floods in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or in fertile floodplains. Torrential rains in April triggered landslides and killed 20 people in Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi ..

Flights cancelled, offices and beaches closed: Heavy rains lash Dubai again

Dubai's MeT department has issued an orange alert for Friday; educational institutions asked to shift to online classes, while companies directed to allow work from home for their employees

Death toll from heavy rains in Brazil jumps to 29, 60 people missing

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state jumped to 29 as of Thursday night, with another 60 people missing, according to the state's civil defence agency. The agency had said in its prior report, at noon, that 13 people were dead and 21 people missing, just slightly higher than the toll on Wednesday. Brazil's President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva travelled to the state on Thursday to meet with local authorities and express his solidarity. Everything that is within reach of our government will be done to attend to the needs of the people who are being affected by these rains, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Operators reported electricity and water cuts across the state, and officials detailed numerous incidents of flooded roads, landslides and collapsed bridges as water levels of rivers and streams rose sharply. Part of the structure of a hydroelectric dam gave way on Thursday. More than 10,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to

Heavy rains lead to highway collapse in South China killing 48 people

A section of a highway collapsed after heavy rains in southern China, sending cars tumbling down a slope and leaving at least 36 people dead, authorities said Thursday. The Meizhou city government said that 23 vehicles have been found in a pit after a 17.9-metre long section of the highway gave way about 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Thirty other people had injuries, none of them life-threatening, a government statement said. Parts of Guangdong province have seen record rains and flooding in the past two weeks, as well as hail. A tornado killed five people in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, last weekend. Some villages in Meizhou flooded in early April, and the city had seen heavy rain in recent days. The ground beneath the highway appeared to have caved in, along with the section of the road above it. Witnesses told local media they heard a loud noise and saw a wide hole open up behind them after driving past the section just before it collapsed. Video and photos in local media showed s

Not cloud seeding, climate change to blame for Dubai floods: Scientists

UAE got 254 mm of rainfall over 24 hours last week, more than it typically receives in an entire year

Dubai rains: Indian Embassy in UAE notifies travel advisory for passengers

Dubai International Airport has temporarily limited the number of inbound flights due to unprecedented weather conditions

Dubai International Airport flooded, flights disrupted after heavy rain

The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting travel through the world's busiest airfield for international travel. The state-run WAM news agency called the rain Tuesday a historic weather event that surpassed anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949. That's before the discovery of crude oil in this energy-rich nation, then part of a British protectorate known as the Trucial States. Rain also fell in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, the rains were acute across the UAE. One reason may have been cloud seeding, in which small planes flown by the government go through clouds burning special salt flares. Those flares can increase precipitation. Several reports quoted meteorologists at the National Center for Meteorology as saying they flew six or seven cloud-seeding flights before the rains. The center did not ..

Dubai rainfall explained: Cloud seeding to drainage management system

UAE began experimenting with cloud seeding around 1982, developing its own seeding agent, known as nano material