Page 3 - Storm

Bengal braces for cyclonic storm, schools to close from Oct 23-26: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the state administration was ready to respond to any disaster that could occur due to an impending cyclone and announced that primary and secondary schools in nine districts would remain closed from Wednesday to October 26 as a precautionary measure. She said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF have already been deployed and integrated control rooms, at both state and district levels, become functional 24X7. A well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday as it rolled towards the eastern coast with the likelihood of turning into a severe cyclonic storm, the IMD said. "Our government is ready to face this cyclonic storm. We have already started integrated control rooms at state and district levels and they are working 24X7. As a precautionary measure, fishermen have been asked not to venture into the seas. Public address systems are in place in the ...

Seven dead as storm hits Brazil's Sao Paulo, 1.4 mn homes without power

At least seven people were killed after a brief but powerful storm swept through Sao Paulo, Brazil with around 1.4 million households in the South America's largest metropolis left without power on Saturday. Officials in Sao Paulo state said that record wind gusts Friday night of up to 67 mph (108 kph) knocked down transmission lines and uprooted trees, causing severe damage in some parts. The storm also shut down several airports and interrupted water service in several areas, according to the state government. One person died when a tree fell on an outdoor stall, authorities said. At least six other people in surrounding Sao Paulo state also died. Authorities originally expected to restore power within a few hours. But several neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, which is home to 21 million people, were still in the dark on Saturday, and authorities were urging residents to limit their consumption of water. Most of the disruptions were in the service area of a single utility,

Hurricane Milton updates: Worst storm to hit Florida

While people are still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck just 2 weeks ago, another storm, Hurricane Milton, is imminent in Florida.

Tropical storm Milton forms in Gulf of Mexico, could intensify near Florida

Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located 220 miles (355 kilometers) north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Saturday that it could intensify into a hurricane headed to Florida next week. A storm system brewing in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to reach tropical storm status later Saturday, with forecasters warning it could intensify into a hurricane headed to Florida next week. Tropical Depression 14 was about 210 miles (340 kilometers) north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said in a 10 a.m. EST advisory. Though no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, the hurricane centre said the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the system's progress. The storm is forecast to strengthen and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of Florida's West Coast next week, with hurricane and storm

Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as bodies recovery continues

The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six US states. Helene came ashore on September 26 as a Category-4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions. The number of deaths stood at 225 on Friday; two more were recorded in South Carolina the following day. It was still unclear how many people were unaccounted for or missing, and the toll could rise even higher. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland US since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina. The city of Asheville, in the western mountains of North Carolina, was particularly battered. A week later, workers used brooms and heavy machine

Work, travel resumes across Taiwan after Typhoon Krathon dissipates

Work, classes and flights resumed across Taiwan on Friday after Typhoon Krathon brought torrential rainfall to the island but finally dissipated over a mountain range. A heavy rain advisory remained in place for the northern coast and mountainous areas, where two landslides occurred early Friday. Krathon had brought much of the island to a standstill for three days but weakened to a tropical depression early Friday. Its center moved back over the sea after making a U-turn across the island's southwestern tip overnight. Schools and businesses reopened with the exception of the city of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, and some parts of Hualien County and New Taipei. Domestic flights, which had been grounded for two days, resumed. Krathon lashed Kaohsiung with winds up to 126 kph (78 mph) and higher gusts. It felled trees and flooded roads. Heavy rains and flooding also occurred along Taiwan's southern and eastern coasts. Mountainous Taitung County saw 171 centimeters (5.6 feet) of rain ov

4,000 evacuated as typhoon bringing heavy rain heads toward Taiwan

A typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall slowly advanced Wednesday toward Taiwan, where thousands of people have been evacuated from vulnerable low-lying or mountainous terrain. At least 93 centimeters (3 feet) of rain has fallen in the coastal Taitung County in the past four days and 29 centimeters (11.4 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon. The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of 209 kph (130 mph), is expected to make landfall early Thursday on Taiwan's densely populated west coast, according to the island's Central Weather Administration. Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan's west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island. Authorities shut schools and government offices across the island and canceled all domestic flights. In the eastern Hualien County, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from townships vulnerable to landslides. Almost 200 people in the ...

Taiwan shuts down ahead of Typhoon Krathon's arrival, heavy rain forecast

The typhoon has weakened, but the threat from a storm surge and strong winds and rain remains as it slowly makes its way towards Taiwan's coast, the weather administration said

Taiwan warns of storm surge from Typhoon Krathon, mobilises 40,000 troops

The rail line connecting southern to eastern Taiwan was closed, though the north-south high speed line was operating as normal, albeit with enhanced safety checks for wind and debris

'Firehose' storm hits part of North Carolina; scientists see climate change

The Carolinas braced for a storm that forecasters warned could bring heavy rain as much as 6 to 8 inches in some spots. But one narrow band got a firehose that dumped as much as 20 inches in a so-called 1,000-year flood that shocked many with its intensity. The storm that left homes flooded, cars submerged and schools closed Tuesday in parts of North Carolina wasn't really a surprise to scientists who have long said that such rainfalls are one marker of climate change. Data shows one of the strongest relationships between climate change and precipitation is that as the atmosphere warms, the capacity to hold water increases. Therefore we see more intense rainfall in a shorter period of time, said Andrew Kruczkiewicz, senior researcher at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University. Monday's deluge centred on Carolina Beach south of Wilmington, where more than 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain fell in 12 hours and almost 21 overall. That much rain qualifies as a 1,000-year ..

Storm Ileana makes landfall on Mexico's Sinaloa after pounding Los Cabos

Tropical Storm Ileana made landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa Saturday a day after it pounded the resort-studded Los Cabos. The tropical storm formed Thursday off Mexico's Pacific coast and was packing winds of of 40 mph (65 kph) as it moved ashore Saturday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall near the coastal city of Topolobampo and was moving north at 6 mph (9 kph). Forecasters say Ileana will churn over the coastal region of northern Sinaloa during the next several hours, weakening into a tropical depression, and then move over the Gulf of California roughly parallel to the coast on Sunday. On Friday, a warning had been in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Juan Manuel Arce Ortega, from Los Cabos Civil Protection, said the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos had suspended classes in schools due to the storm. Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose

Bridge collapses as more rain lashes Vietnam; storm deaths rise to 50

A bridge collapsed Monday as more rain fell on northern Vietnam from a former typhoon that caused landslides, flooding, power outages and at least 21 deaths, state media reported. The busy steel bridge over the engorged Red River in Phu Tho province collapsed Monday morning, local officials told state media. Several motorbikes and cars fell into the river, the initial reports said, adding that three people fished out of the river in ongoing rescue operations had been taken to the hospital. No casualties have yet been reported. Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph. It weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, but the country's meteorological agency has still warned the continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides. On Sunday, a landslide killed six people including an infant and injured nine others in Sa Pa town, a popular trekking base known for its terraced rice fields and mountains. Overal

Tropical storm creeps through Japan, brings heavy rainfall to some spots

Tropical Storm Shanshan brought torrential rain Sunday to Japan's Shizuoka area, 180 km (110 miles) southwest of Tokyo, as weather officials warned the storm would linger for several more days. Shanshan, packing winds of 65 kph (40 mph), made landfall Thursday, leaving landslides, flooded rivers, torn branches and scattered debris in its path. In southwestern Japan, people were busy cleaning up muddied homes and throwing out broken appliances. The storm is so far connected with at least six deaths, including three people who were trapped in a mudslide. It left one person missing and 127 people injured, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which compiles reports from local governments. Shanshan was travelling extremely slowly and barely moving at all as of Sunday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It triggered rainfall in an extensive area, even in places not in its path, such as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, according to the agency. Some homes beca

Hawaii's Big Island under storm warning as Hone approaches with rain, wind

Tropical Storm Hone is expected to whip gusts and drop rain on the southern edges of Hawaii this weekend, potentially inflicting flooding and wind damage on the Big Island and raising the risk of wildfires on the drier sides of the islands. The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for Hawaii County, which includes all of the Big Island and a red flag warning for the leeward sides of all islands. Hone, which means sweet and soft in Hawaiian, will likely gradually strengthen and become a strong tropical storm as it passes south of the islands Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service said. It's expected to become a Category 1 hurricane for a 12-hour period on Sunday but will likely be past the Big Island by that point, said Laura Farris, a weather service meteorologist in Honolulu. The Hawaii Tourism Authority told travellers it's still safe to come to the islands but recommended that people postpone outdoor activities. We are not advising visitors to

UK tycoon Mike Lynch missing: How a luxury yacht sank in freak Sicily storm

The luxury British superyacht was carrying 22 people onboard when it was hit by a sudden tornado-like storm on early Monday in Sicily and then sank in water, reportedly trapping six people inside

South Carolina prepares for deluge as Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall

At least six people have died in Florida and Georgia in the wake of the storm

Hurricane Debby to bring heavy rains, severe flooding to Florida, Georgia

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

Storm Debby barrels toward Florida, with potential heavy rains in north

Tropical Storm Debby strengthened rapidly Sunday and was expected to become a hurricane as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, bringing with it the threat of devastating floods to the southeast Atlantic coast later in the week. The storm was likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall Monday in the Big Bend region of Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. From there, the storm is expected to move eastward over northern Florida and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, drenching the region with the potential of record-setting rains totalling up to 30 inches (76 cm) beginning Tuesday. There's some really amazing rainfall totals being forecast and amazing in a bad way, Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said at a briefing Sunday. That would be record-breaking rainfall associated with a tropical cyclone for both the states of Georgia and South Carolina if we got up to the 30

UN climate talks head highlights urgency of financial help for poor nations

The head of upcoming climate negotiations told world leaders Wednesday that a new financial aid package for poor and disaster-struck nations is the urgent, make-or-break goal of United Nations talks this fall. Time lost is lives, livelihoods and the planet lost, said Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijan ecology minister and president-designate of November climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. At the same time, Simon Stiell, the United Nations' top climate official, made an emotional plea for a stepped-up fight against the growing cost of unchecked climate carnage from his hurricane-demolished hometown of Carriacou, Grenada, in some of the first video from the devastated island. Beryl is yet more painful proof, Stiell, executive secretary of the UN's climate agency, said from the remnants of a neighbour's house that had lost its roof and walls. Every year fossil fuel-driven climate costs are an economic wrecking ball hitting billions of households and small businesses. If governments ...

IMD predicts thunderstorms for parts of Andhra Pradesh for five days

The India Meteorological Department on Sunday predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in parts of Andhra Pradesh from July 7 to 11. Thunderstorms are expected in parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema. "The cyclonic circulation over the west central Bay of Bengal off the south Andhra Pradesh coast persists and is now seen at 5.8 km above mean sea level," said the Met Department in a press release. Specifically on Sunday, the department forecast the possibility of heavy rain in parts of NCAP and Yanam. Strong winds up to the speed of 40 km per hour (kmph) have been predicted in the rain-affected places for two days from Sunday.