WEATHER ANOMALIES: Extreme Earth Changes In Russia - Freak April Blizzard Takes Moscow By Surprise; Unexpected Cyclone And Snowstorm As Summer Nears; Stormy Winds Rages In Siberia Causing Massive Devastation And Deadly Fires?! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

RIA Novosti/Ramil Sitdikov

April 21, 2015 - MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Polar bears at the Moscow Zoo were in heaven, but millions of residents in the Russian capital certainly were not as a snowstorm – yes a snowstorm in the middle of April - brought gasps and groans from city dwellers.

Winter fur coats were hastily unpacked, while those who had been putting off changing their winter tires – probably through laziness – were blessing their good fortune.

Muscovites took to social media to make their feelings known, with sarcasm certainly coming to the fore. Some were questioning that global warming had by-passed Moscow, while others just let pictures do the talking.

Photo: #Moscow , April 20. That’s one heck of a #spring , ya know! #snow #russia #winter #снег #весна... http://tmblr.co/Zw4zlx1ivVn12

What Global Warming does about Moscow: snow in April. Is it really global warming? :-)  http://twitrpix.com/da91p

The text says: "- Gandalf! - Yes, my friend... - Maybe we'd better go by Metro"

Snow in Moscow.

#winter come bk in #Moscow ! -3! Bloody cold lol :D #April #snow #unbelievable

Despite being closer to summer, rather than spring and let alone Winter, Moscow was hit by a weather anomaly. An unexpected cyclone brought a front of cold weather to Central Russia.

Meteorologists say the unseasonal chill is likely to last until the weekend. However, they expect the temperature to return to ‘normal’ at the start of next week.

Building roof blown away in single blast of wind caught on dashcam (VIDEO)

A still from Youtube video

The entire roof of a two-storey building was lifted into the sky with a single gust of wind in Siberia’s, Zabaykalsky Kray. Stormy winds have been raging over the past week, causing massive devastation and deadly fires.

The flying roof episode was caught on the dashcam of a passing car in the city of Chita, in the south east of Siberia. The gust was measured at 24 meters per second (54 miles per hour).

Luckily, the building was uninhabited as it is used to house a taxicab fleet. No injuries or damage were reported, according to the press service of the local emergency ministry department.


WATCH: Wind and wildfire damage in Russia.

The roofless building is now one of more than 1,300 houses destroyed in the region by fire or the elements. The devastating blazes, which have already claimed the lives of over 800 people, have now spread to neighboring Mongolia.

An area of just over 100,000 hectares has been affected, despite around 3,000 fire fighters doing their best to try and tackle the blazes. They have used planes and helicopters to attempt to put out the fires and have managed to save five settlements.

The fire fighters have been trying to use a controlled burning technique, which deliberately burns out a certain part of the forest, to prevent the wildfires from advancing even further. Reports say that settlements in the region are not under any threat from the fires at present. 

Terrifying footage of cars battling through hellish Russian wildfire (VIDEO)

A scary video emerged online of the wildfire in eastern Siberia now trapping residents, as they try to flee in their cars. The blaze surrounds the vehicles and what looks like volcanic ash rains down on them.

The grassland fire in Zabaykalskiy region, Russia, bordering Mongolia, has been raging since March 19, displacing people from over 1,200 dwellings in 20 separate towns and villages. Over the course of the Wednesday night and into early Thursday, the number of dead has doubled from 15 to 30, with nearly 500 people injured.


WATCH: Welcome to the Gates of Hell - Dashcam footage of terrifying wildfire in Russia.

There are a furthre two people missing, according to officials.

The latest reports from the national forestry service indicate that over the space of one night the fire advanced to engulf over 1,500 square kilometers (930 miles), with 140 separate forest fires in progress. By contrast, the figure was half that on Wednesday.

A total of 22 districts in the Zabaykalskiy region have been affected, with some 93 fires there alone affecting natural reserves, according to local authorities.

All emergency situation procedures are still in place.
- RT News.

EARTH CHANGES: Monumental Signs Of The Times - Snow 5 Feet Deep On The Argentina-Chile Border; Severe Sandstorm Sinks Boat, One Missing In Egypt; And Cyclone Lashes Parts Of India Killing 2 People!

May 09, 2014 - EARTH  - The following stories constitutes some of the latest incidents of Earth changes across the globe.

Snow 5 Feet Deep On The Argentina-Chile Border

"At the other side of our cooling globe, snowfall reached highs of 45 cm (18 inches) to 150 cm (5 ft) in the Argentina-Chile border region (Paso Pehuenche)," says reader Argiris Diamantis. "In some areas there was five feet of snow."

7 May 2014 - "Workers operated with orderly withdrawal, according to the weather forecast. The snowy accumulation in the first round was 45 cm, while in the second sector a meter and a half high of snow was recorded. The passage is cleared form the Argentine side, and stood waiting for the clearance from the Chilean side."

Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for this link - Ice Age Now.

Severe Sandstorm Sinks Boat, One Missing In Egypt

A massive sandstorm cloud rolls over Aswan governorate, Egypt, Wednesday, May 7, 2014.Mohammed Rawy

A severe sandstorm in Aswan in southern Egypt led to a boat accident and damage to a local museum on Wednesday.

A touristic Nile boat sank amid the unusually severe storm, leaving one South African passenger missing. Six other tourists, including one other South African, three Australians, and one Pole, as well as three Egyptians, were rescued from the boat

The Crocodile Museum in the southern city of Kom Ombo also suffered damage when its roof collapsed after the fierce sandstorm hit the governorate.

The Crocodile Museum, inaugurated in 2012, exhibits a collection of mummified crocodiles found in Ancient Egypt, alongside tablets and statutes of ancient Egyptian crocodile deity Sobek.

Officials from the antiquities ministry said that none of the artifacts had been damaged but that the museum would be closed to visitors until a technical committee could inspect the site.

Egypt is currently witnessing unstable weather conditions, including rainstorms and floods in Sinai and along the Red Sea coast.

According to Egypt's Meteorological Authority, the unstable weather conditions will continue for another two days. - Ahram Online.

Cyclone Lashes Parts Of India Killing 2 People

Two persons including a teenaged girl died and many houses collapsed and over 200 people were displaced from homes after a cyclone, accompanied by hail storms, lashed two districts of Tripura, official sources said on Friday.

A 16-year old girl was killed and her younger brother injured when lightning struck at Barpathari village in South Tripura district yesterday when they had gone to collect mangoes.

A farmer also also killed in lightning strike at Kachucherra village in Dhalai district yesterday when he had gone out to bring back his cow.

The cow was also killed.

At least 100 houses collapsed due to the rain and storm during the past two days while many farmlands were submerged, the sources said adding chances of heavy crop loss was imminent.

More than 200 people were rendered homeless in Kamalpur subdivision of Dhalai district and took shelter in government buildings, the sources said. - ZEE News.

PLAGUES & PESTILENCES: "This Is Unprecedented" - Flood-Ravaged Solomon Islands Survivors Now Contending With Disease!

April 10, 2014 - SOLOMON ISLANDS - The flood-ravaged Solomon Islands was facing a new threat Monday as the first signs of disease emerged in camps sheltering thousands of displaced residents in the capital Honiara, aid workers said.

People search through the debris on the beach near the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara.
Photograph: Rachel Skeates/AFP/Getty Images

The official death toll stands at 21 after flash floods tore through the city last Thursday. But Save the Children’s Graham Kenna said the number of fatalities was certain to rise as hopes faded for another 30-40 people still listed as missing.

“We know that the missing people are not going to be found,” he told AFP. “They’re still scouring the waters off Honiara for them and they won’t be coming home.

“Now the main concern is disease. If there’s a major outbreak here a lot of people are going to get very sick or worse.”

Kenna said about 50,000 people across the island of Guadalcanal had been displaced, with some 10,000 taking shelter in camps in Honiara where hygiene was poor despite the best efforts of aid agencies.

He said cases of diarrhoea and conjunctivitis, both regarded as early indicators that populations are vulnerable to more serious diseases, had already been reported in the city, which was already a hotspot for the mosquito-borne dengue fever

"This is unprecedented, and I've seen earthquakes and tsunamis and other very bad flooding incidents,” said the
country director of Oxfam, Katie Greenwood. “But this flash flooding is unlike anything that I've seen
previously here in the country.”

“Our biggest worry is that prior to the flooding there was already a dengue outbreak here,” he said.

“Everybody’s very concerned that once the place dries out a bit these dengue mosquitoes will be absolutely rampant here. People are starting to make plans for a large-scale medical emergency.”

He said aid efforts were being hampered because much of Honiara’s infrastructure had been destroyed in the floods, but there was some good news when a New Zealand air force Hercules carrying humanitarian supplies landed on Monday.

Kenna said more aid was on its way but the challenge was delivering it in time to stop a major outbreak in the camps.

“Assistance is coming but it’s very difficult to get it in here,” he said. - Raw Story.

DELUGE: Deadly Flash Floods Hit Solomon Islands - At Least 16 People Killed; Over 10,000 Left Homeless! [PHOTOS]

April 04, 2014 - SOLOMON ISLANDS - Flash floods have killed at least six people and left some 10,000 homeless in the Solomon Islands capital.

Entire houses have been washed away by the flood water.

The Matanikau and Lungga rivers burst their banks late on Thursday, washing away homes and bridges, and submerging large areas of the capital, Honiara.

The national disaster body said six people had died, but a government spokesman told ABC News that 16 bodies had been recovered.

Flood water is continuing to build as the rain continues.

Pictures showed debris washed on to the shore and houses washed into the river.

More people were reported missing and the death toll was expected to rise, aid workers said. Cyclone threat

Disaster officials said several evacuation centres had been set up.

The director of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Loti Yates, told the BBC that people had lost their lives because they had failed to heed earlier government warnings to move away from river banks.

Some roads leading into the city, located on the main island of Guadalcanal, were reportedly closed.

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the floods had followed days of heavy rain, which was still falling.

"The depression is threatening to turn into a category one cyclone in the coming hours and days," regional director Sune Gudnitz told the AFP news agency.

"The water has not subsided and flood waters are continuing to build."

Residents have been warned to go to higher ground and stay indoors

Many main roads in Guadalcanal have been shut due to high water levels

The flooding followed days of heavy rain in the area

Solomons Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo said the government would declare a state of emergency, local media report.

Loti Yates told the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation that the flash floods were the worst he had seen.

"There is so much heavy rain around the area that creates massive flash foods," Mr Yates said, adding that malfunctioning drainage systems were contributing to the floods.

The NDMO has warned residents to go to higher grounds or stay indoors, the Solomon Times reports.

Australia has pledged at least A$50,000 (£27,900; $46,200) in funds to support flood relief efforts.

New Zealand has given an initial contribution of NZ$300,000 (£154,500; $256,200). New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully told the New Zealand Herald that infrastructure and homes had been damaged. - BBC.

MAJOR STORM ALERT: Red Alert Issued In India For Tropical Cyclone LEHAR-13 - Can Have "High Humanitarian Impact" Affecting 7.3 Million People With Maximum Wind Speeds Of 185km/h!

November 24, 2013 - INDIA - Tropical storm Lehar is forecast to strike India as a severe cyclonic storm at about 00:00 GMT on 28 November. Data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center suggest that the point of landfall will be near 16.7 N, 82.8 E. Lehar is expected to bring 1-minute maximum sustained winds to the region of around 185 km/h (114 mph). Wind gusts in the area may be considerably higher.

The image shows the total rainfall accumulation associated with the cyclone.
Image: GDACS.

According to the Saffir-Simpson damage scale the potential property damage and flooding from a storm of Lehar's strength (category 3) at landfall includes: Storm surge generally 2.7-3.7 metres (9-12 feet) above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed.

Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the centre of the storm. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 1.5 metres (5 feet) above mean sea level may be flooded inland 13 km (8 miles) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences within several blocks of the shoreline may be required. There is also the potential for flooding further inland due to heavy rain.

The information above is provided for guidance only and should not be used to make life or death decisions or decisions relating to property. Anyone in the region who is concerned for their personal safety or property should contact their official national weather agency or warning centre for advice.

This alert is provided by Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) which is sponsored by Crawford&Company and University College London (UCL).

Summary
Tropical Cyclone LEHAR-13 can have a high humanitarian impact based on the Maximum sustained wind speed and the affected population and their vulnerability.

Rain map with eTraP data. (Source: JRC) Storm surge maximum height. (Source: JRC)

Updated: this report is based on advisory number 7.

• Tropical Cyclone Tropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 185 km/h)
• from 24/11/2013 12:00 UTC to 18:00
• Population affected by Category 1 (120 km/h) wind speeds or higher is 7.3 million
• Vulnerability: High

Extreme Rain

Potential rainfall is calculated based on rainfall observed by several microwave satellite sensors.


SOURCES:  Trust | GDACS.

MASS BIRD/ANIMAL DIE-OFF: Over 170,000 Birds And Over 4,000 Livestock Killed From Flooding In Odisha, India!

October 24, 2013 - INDIA - Apart from 44 human lives, the twin calamities of cyclone and floods had taken a toll on 4,393 animals and 1,70,970 birds including chickens in Odisha, official sources said today.

"1,487 big animals including cattle and 2,906 small animals like goats were killed in the cyclone and floods," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Mohapatra said.

Ahead of the calamity, the state government had evacuated 31,062 cattle, but it was not possible to shift all animals and birds from five km of the sea shore, he said.

Replying a question, the SRC said 533.25 MT of cattle feed have been distributed in the 17 calamity hit districts.

Animal and bird carcasses were disposed by volunteers of Anandmarg, Fisheries and Animal Resource Minister Debi Prasad Mishra said, adding 13 mobile teams comprising veterinary doctors have been sent to the affected districts to monitor the health of cattle and birds.

This apart, Mishra said the state government has set up 224 mobile medical teams which have so far treated 10,552 animals in different districts. - Business Standard.

STORM ALERT: Tropical Storm Gabrielle Reforms - Tropical Storm Warning Issued For Bermuda!

September 10, 2013 - ATLANTIC OCEAN - The remnants of Tropical Storm Gabrielle have been spinning northward in the western Atlantic Ocean the last few days after the system degenerated into a remnant low on Sept. 5 near Puerto Rico.

Projected path.

Over the last day or so, Gabrielle's remnants have become better defined with showers and thunderstorms concentrated near an area of low pressure. As a result, the National Hurricane Center is once again issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Gabrielle as it spins near Bermuda.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for Bermuda, where gusty winds, locally heavy rain and a storm surge of 2 to 3 feet can be expected late Tuesday into Wednesday.

Current Information -  So, where exactly is the cyclone's center located now? If you're plotting the storm along
with us, click on the "Current Information" map below to get the latitude/longitude coordinates, distance
away from the nearest land location, maximum sustained winds and central pressure (measured in millibars).

After passing near Bermuda, Gabrielle is forecast to become a non-tropical area of low pressure while moving near or east of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland late in the week.

Gabrielle is no threat to the United States or the Caribbean.

Gabrielle's First Life Recap

Gabrielle was first designated as Tropical Depression Seven in the late afternoon of Sep. 4, finding a "sweet spot" of low wind shear just south of Puerto Rico.

Satellite - How does the system look on satellite imagery. Click on "infrared" satellite imagery, to see
how "cold" the cloud tops are. Brighter orange and red shadings concentrated near the center of
circulation signify a healthy tropical cyclone.

After a brief 12-hour stint as a tropical storm, Gabrielle was downgraded to a tropical depression late in the morning on Sep. 5, as its initial low-level circulation center (just south of southeast tip of the Dominican Republic) became detached well to the west of the most vigorous convection (eastern Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands).

Another 12 hours later, the National Hurricane Center issued its final advisory on Gabrielle.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Watches/Warnings  - A tropical storm or hurricane watch means tropical storm or
hurricane conditions, respectively, are possible in the specified area within 48 hours. A tropical
storm or hurricane warning means tropical storm or hurricane conditions, respectively,
are expected in the specified area within 36 hours.

Gabrielle's main impacts were bands of locally heavy rain in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Between 4 to 5 inches fell over the southeastern portion of Puerto Rico, though some locals received as much as 8 inches of rain. A Puerto Rican emergency manager reported that a mudslide detached part of a small bridge on road 184. Over 10 inches of rain soaked St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, collapsing a road and trapping at least one vehicle in Charlotte Amalie.

Interestingly, despite Gabrielle's weak, brief nature, 2013's "G" storm formed 12 days earlier than the long-term average date (Sep. 16). - TWC.

ICE AGE NOW: A Year Without Summer - Russian City Of Kemerovo Stunned By Anomalous Snowfall In June?!

June 02, 2013 - RUSSIA - A layer of snow on the second day of summer has put the citizens of the Russian city of Kemerovo completely out of humor.

Meteorologists say the anomaly occurred because a cyclone brought cold Arctic air from Kara Sea region into Siberia dropping, temperature to lows typical for summer north of the Arctic Circle.

Image from twitter user@stasiarik

Image from vk.com/typical_kmr

Bloggers were at a loss when commenting the issue.

"Snow in Kemerovo TODAY? That's hardcore. The weather must've forgot it's June."

"With a sense of terror has just learnt it's been snowing in Kemerovo. What's next?"

"Tornado in the US. Floods in Czech Republic. SNOW in Kemerovo!"

The city in South Siberia is situated on 55°22'17.58" north latitude but even for that region -2 Celsius on June 2 morning is over the top. The region has seasonal inland climate, which means really cold winters and very hot summers.

Image from vk.com/typical_kmr

Image from vk.com/typical_kmr

This spring has been sort of cold in the Kemerovo Region, which witnessed snow in early May and an emergency extension of the heating season. No wonder that people have been waiting for warm summer days just like for manna from heaven, but instead got snowflakes.

But the locals are full of determination to recalculate sowing season schedule and plant kitchen gardens as usual and against all odds, probably because over 70 percent of Russia's territory is the area of risk farming and people are used to encounter hardships of the kind.  - RT.

WATCH: Snow in  Kemerovo.

EXTREME WEATHER: Anomalous Snowfalls - Central Russia Bracing Itself For Powerful Cyclone!

March 14, 2013 - RUSSIA - Central Russia is bracing itself for a powerful snowy cyclone, one that may prove the most powerful for March in the past half a century, according to weather forecasters.

Anomalous snowfalls with gusts of wind are due in the Moscow Region later today.

The peak of bad weather is expected on Friday and Saturday. Up to 25 centimetres of snow may fall summarily. All public utilities in Moscow have been alerted.

But weather has uncorked some unpleasant surprises in other Russian regions, too.

An avalanche has engulfed a small town of Ust-Katav in the Chelyabinsk Region, luckily, without any loss of life. In Voronezh, a powerful snowfall caused numerous road accidents. - Voice of Russia.

WATCH: Moscow braces for biggest March snowfall in 50 years.

EXTREME WEATHER: "Powerful Cyclone" Bears Down On Gulf Of Alaska!

December 29, 2012 - ALASKA - The National Weather Service has issued a warning for warm, strong winds on Saturday night through Sunday afternoon as a strong storm system makes its way into the Gulf of Alaska.

A view of Dalzell Creek with Rainy Pass visible in the distance. USGS photo.

"A powerful cyclone across the North Pacific will move northward into South Central Alaska tonight through Sunday," The NWS Alaska reports on its Facebook page. "Along with unusually warm air, this system will support powerful Chinook winds through Turnagain Arm, Portage Valley, Anchorage, and the higher elevations near Anchorage."

Accompanying the winds will be unseasonably warm temperatures. A special weather statement said that any precipitation Sunday in the areas affected by this storm system likely won't be snow:

"This powerful storm is originating well to the south over the subtropics and is expected to bring unseasonably warm air with it," the statement said. "This should allow temperatures to rise near 50 degrees. This will allow the lion's share of precipitation to fall as rain."

Much of the Southcentral region had already seen warmer temperatures since Friday night, as high winds whipped through the Mat-Su Valley, eastern Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, making a mess of streets previously frozen solid and topped with recent snows.

According to the NWS, winds could reach as high as 100 mph along Turnagain Arm, the Anchorage Hillside and Portage Valley. In Anchorage, gusts could hit up to 70 mph on Sunday afternoon. Portions of the Interior are also expected to see high winds. - Alaska Dispatch.

EXTREME WEATHER: Severe Cycone and Heavy Hailstrom Wrecks Havoc in India - Ravaging 40 Tinsukia Villages, Killing 3!

A severe cyclone accompanied by heavy hailstorm that reaped through the Tinsukia district in the late afternoon yesterday claimed three lives, besides causing heavy damage to property.  More than 40 villages under Kakopathar, Pengeree and Dhola police stations have faced the fury of the cyclone.

At Majbari village of Kakopathar, a big tree fell over a nine-year-old girl, Rashmi Moran, who went to witness Gochtol Bihu, killing her instantly.  In another incident, one Phuleswer Dohotia (25) of Dirak Mithong under Kakopathar PS received serious head injuries in the hailstorm. He later succumbed to his injuries at Assam Medical College Hospital, Dibrugarh.  On the other hand, one Bindesweri Kurmi, a 55-year-old woman of Sonari Gaon, Dhola, is reported to have died when a big tree fell on her. There are reports of injuries to several other people in the areas affected by the cyclone. The cyclone played havoc in the entire areas destroying hundreds of residential houses, animal sheds, granaries, schools and other government buildings.  There are reports of heavy losses of livestock and wild animals in the cyclone. The National Highways 37 and 52 have been blocked by uprooted trees for several hours. The power supply and telecommunication system have also been disrupted in the cyclone-affected areas of the district, which are yet to be fully repaired. The exact amount of losses in the cyclone is yet to be assessed.  Our Dibrugarh Staff Correspondent adds: One minor girl was killed and her mother sustained injuries as thunderstorm lashed several villages and tea gardens last night in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts.  The three-year-old girl Jayshree Minj, daughter of Niren and Juri Minj of Laina tea estate, was injured when a tree branch fell on her. The mother of the child sustained injury while protecting her daughter. The minor girl later succumbed to her injuries at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH). 

The storm destroyed hundreds of houses, demolished a hospital and a church, besides uprooting trees and disrupting power supply in the two districts. The storm accompanied by rains lasted for about 30 minutes, leaving a trail of destruction in most parts of the two districts with Doomdooma circle in Tinsukia being among the worst hit.  A few names of affected villages and tea estates as gathered from several NGO workers are Talap, Dangri, Tezipathar, Katorbasti, Borali, Maithong, Laina, Khobang, Dhola, Haikhati, Ghutung Gaon, Kherbari, Samguri, Kakopathar, Dirak in Tinsukia district. In Laina tea estate alone, some 91 houses were demolished, its hospital roof blown away and a church pulled down. Road communication was severely disrupted in several areas with uprooted trees and electric poles blocking highways and other roads.  Government officials failed to give estimate of the total number of displaced people, affected villages and tea estates since the assessment was being carried out till the time of filing this report and none of the officials could be reached over phone.  However, according to Seva Kendra, a Dibrugarh-based NGO whose workers visited the strom-ravaged areas in Tinsukia along with a worker of Carita India, said that around 3,000 people have been rendered homeless. Fr Elias Lugun, Director of Seva Kendra, told The Assam Tribune that most of the displaced people were being sheltered by neighbouring families whose houses were not affected. In some tea estates and villages, affected people constructed tents while a few have taken shelter in schools and churches.  In Dibrugarh too, few houses were damaged in JP Nagar area in the city here and about 18 houses were destroyed in Basmatia tea estate, some 22 km from here. According to Rupankar Goswami, Manager of Basmatia TE, the tin roof of the fertilizer godown was completely damaged and the storm also uprooted several shade trees in the tea estate area. A huge tree was also uprooted near the residence of the Superintendent of Police here, causing blockade of the road for hours. Most parts of the district plunged into darkness since midnight yesterday and the powert supply has not been restored till the time of filing this report. - Assam Tribune.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: "Unusually Cold and Long Winter" in Russia - Powerful Cycone and Snowstorm Hits Moscow!

Muscovites yesterday woke up to a blanket of snow covering the Russian capital after a powerful cyclone brought a winter storm in the middle of spring. "Last night a small but powerful cyclonic whirl hit the capital at a speed of 50 kilometres per hour bringing with it copious snowfall," weather forecaster Fobos said. "Moscow has become white once again," the weather forecaster said, adding however that frequent weather changes were fairly typical in the country in April.

Temperatures in the afternoon were expected to go up to two degrees Celsius. The snowstorm comes as a major test of patience for Muscovites who have endured an unusually cold and long winter lasting five months. Russians consider that spring begins on March 1. "Pedestrians and drivers are urged to be careful. Gusts of wind can fell trees and tear down advertising hoardings," said NTV television channel. Twenty-one planes bound for Moscow were yesterday redirected to back-up airports, including the central cities of Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, a spokesman for the Russian federal aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. The spokesman, Sergei Izvolsky, stressed however that the weather did not cause major disruptions at Moscow's airports where runways were de-iced. In another development, Russia’s longest-serving minister Sergei Shoigu, an ally of Vladimir Putin, was yesterday named to the key post of Moscow region governor as part of a shakeup ahead of the Russian strongman’s Kremlin return.

All 46 members of the legislature of the Moscow region approved the nomination of Shoigu, the long-serving emergencies minister, to the governorship, said Putin’s ruling United Russia party which nominated him to the post. The term of the current Moscow region governor, Boris Gromov, expires on May 11, four days after Putin returns to the Kremlin for a historic third term as president that is expected to trigger a sweeping cabinet reshuffle. Shoigu “put together a team of professionals who are efficient in emergency situations, (and) established a modern rescue service which is probably the best in the world,” senior Kremlin official Oleg Govorun said before the vote. Shoigu is Russia’s longest-serving cabinet minister, having worked in every government since 1991. He frequently appears on television and is personally in charge of search and rescue operations during the country’s frequent disasters. “I will do everything to live up to the trust not only of the country’s leadership but first and foremost that of the region’s residents,” Shoigu said in comments released by United Russia. In 2010, Putin’s chief of staff Sergei Sobyanin replaced free-wheeling Yury Luzhkov as the mayor of the Russian capital. - Oman Daily Observer.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: Unusual Late-March Tropical Cyclone Pakhar Aims Rain and Wind Towards Vietnam!

An unusual late-March tropical cyclone will send torrential rain and strong winds ashore in Vietnam over the weekend.

Typhoon Pakhar showing an impressive cloud swirl on Friday, March 30, 2012.
Southern Vietnam is to the left (west).(NRLMRY/MTSAT-2 image)

Tropical Storm Pakhar, which took shape over the southern South China Sea Thursday, could landfall in southern Vietnam by Saturday night or Sunday. Excessive rain and flooding is possible over a wide area along and north of Pakhar's direct path. Damaging winds will be possible as well. Friday, the center of Tropical Storm Pakhar was within about 300, or 480 km, east-southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At the time, highest sustained winds were 75 mph, or 120 km/h, with storm movement towards the west at about 3 mph. A stretch of coast east of Ho Chi Minh City will be at greatest risk of a storm landfall, as shown by forecast tools available to AccuWeather.com

Flooding rainfall to at least 12 inches, or 30 cm, will be possible near the storm's track, but also northward along the coast to Nha Trang or even Qui Nhon. Any widespread heavy falls of rain would be unusual, as March into April marks the latter part of the yearly dry season in southern Vietnam. For instance, normal monthly rainfall in March is less than 2 inches, or 50 mm. April is also normally a rather dry month along the coast, but can bring increasing rainfall inland. The western North Pacific Ocean tropical basin is the most prolific in terms of number of named storms each year. However, March and April are within the seasonal lull in tropical cyclones. On average, a named storm happens about once ever three years in March. April storm frequency is about two-fold that of March. - AccuWeather.

WATCH: Tropical Storm / Typhoon Pakhar forecast update.

THE BIG WET: The Australian Weather Anomalies - Cyclone Possible For Southeast Queensland!

A cyclone could develop off the southeast Queensland coast, as authorities search for a second person reportedly swept away in floodwaters.

The Bureau of Meteorology says there's a 50 per chance a low pressure system over Double Island Point, south of Maryborough, will develop into a cyclone off Fraser Island.

Severe weather manager Vikash Prasad says more will become clear over the next 24 to 48 hours.

But he says even if the cyclone develops to the east of Fraser Island, it'll be moving east and north away from the coast.

Meanwhile, authorities are searching for a good samaritan who's reportedly missing from the scene where a man was swept to his death north of Gympie. The area around Gympie copped heavy rainfall yesterday and today. - Herald Sun.

EXTREME WEATHER: Cyclone and Bushfires Threaten Western Australia - Weather Chaos Batters Queensland!

A tropical cyclone and major bushfires are posing a twin threat to travellers in Western Australia's central west.

Authorities are concerned holidaymakers from Perth and elsewhere may find themselves stranded. The Fire and Emergency Services Authority had urged tourists to leave the Gascoyne region because flooding, linked to the approaching Cyclone Iggy, could cut off the highway to Perth.

But now bushfires have forced the closure of the highway, south of Carnarvon. Department of Environment and Conservation spokesman Anthony Desmond says there was a window of opportunity earlier yesterday when families, returning to Perth for the new school year, could have made it through. "Either way there were two issues people needed to deal with, a cyclone and now a fire, so I don't think there was anything wrong with making that call for people," he said. "But we'll be talking to the Department for Child Protection about accommodating people in Carnarvon if they need accommodation."

Frank Gagliadi is the manager of Potshots Hotel in Exmouth and says people are deciding whether to stay put, or head back to Perth. "To be honest there were a couple of people who had no idea that a cyclone is coming, so they are that far removed from any news, so we're telling them," he said. "And they they are going and doing their own little bit of research and then deciding whether to leave or not." The Bureau of Meteorology was expected to upgrade Cyclone Iggy to a category three system overnight. - ABC Australia.

As Brisbane steamed in the wake of this week's torrential downpours, with more rain due soon, victims of last year's flood disaster teetered between logic and emotion.

Logic (and weather reports) tell them that despite flooding around the fringes of the metropolitan area earlier in the week, conditions are quite different from those that conspired to sink their sprawling sub-tropical city last January. Emotion tells them the whole muddy nightmare might be about to happen again. ''It depends on the person,'' says Monique Broadbent, the state co-ordinator of Lifeline's Flood Inquiry Support Service. ''A lot of people are watching all the weather reports and keeping a very close eye on things, particularly in low lying areas. ''But on a logical level they can see it's different from last time. Others, especially those badly affected last year, are very uneasy … for them, it's ripping the scab right off.''

Still others are taking strength from having got through the ordeals of last year, and telling themselves that, ''no matter how bad this one gets'', they can cope. Between Monday and Thursday a monsoonal trough dumped 400 millimetres of rain across south-east Queensland. Houses were inundated and people evacuated to the south and north of the city, hundreds of roads were flooded, and 38 schools and childcare centres had to close. More than 1000 people called the SES for help. On Wednesday, the floodgates of the now much-scrutinised Wivenhoe Dam were opened to reduce water levels to 75 per cent of capacity before more heavy rain due next week. The deadline for a report from the commission of inquiry into the 2011 floods, and the dam's role in the disaster, has been extended to take in new evidence and allow for public consideration of inquiry findings before the state election on March 24.

Echoes of last wet season's disasters were heard everywhere this week, especially on Wednesday, when the Premier, Anna Bligh, only hours after announcing the election date, switched to a series of deft live-to-air interviews about the latest weather threat. As she showed last year, when her dire political stocks were briefly revived by such appearances, emergencies seem to bring out the best in her. Her would-be replacement, Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman, was quick to remind Queenslanders that as lord mayor, he had predicted last year's Brisbane floods several months in advance. At soggy Kippa-Ring, in the city's burgeoning north-east, a long-time resident, Allan Kirby, said whoever ended up in power should do something about the area's notoriously clogged creeks. ''On Wednesday there was more water on the ground than I've ever seen before, even more than we had in 2011. I went and got some sandbags for my house but the moment I put them down the rain stopped.'' But not for long. By yesterday it was back, with forecasts predicting showers until Friday then more heavy rain. ''Which is all a bit of a pain in the arse,'' Mr Kirby said. ''But what can you do?'' - SMH.

WATCH: Weather Chaos.

EXTREME WEATHER: Australia Weather Bureau Says Above Average Cyclone Risk Through December!

Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that the country faced an above average risk of tropical cyclones through December due to weather conditions in the Indian Ocean.

"The current MJO (Madden-Julian Oscillation) event spawned the first tropical cyclone for the Australian cyclone season, Severe Tropical Cyclone Alenga, which formed in the Indian Ocean last week," the bureau said in a regular climate note.

"The risk of tropical cyclone formation in the Australian region is likely to remain above average for most of December, with increased rainfall across northern Australia during this period," it said. - Reuters.

THE DELUGE: Heavy Rains and Floods Kills 23 People in Haiti!

Yesterday, I told you that at least six people was killed after torrential rains slammed into Haiti. Today, updated news reports states that the total has since risen to 23 persons with several more still missing, following seven days of heavy rains and flooding in the country.

Most of the deaths have been in the country's capital city Port au Prince, as heavy rainfall flooded streets, toppled trees and swept away homes. The crisis has been worsened by the fact that tens of thousands of people are still living in tents and temporary accommodation following the January 2010 earthquake. Aid groups now fear the wet weather could worsen the country's cholera outbreak, which has killed 5,300 since October. Two people died as waters rose in their tent camp and two children were buried when their home collapsed, officials have said. People have also been killed in Petionville, a hillside city south-east of Port au Prince. In one incident, a concrete house slid down a ravine and crashed into several smaller homes. Jean Wildor Charutis, 53, said his older sister and a niece died in the large house that crashed down the ravine. "There was so much rain it shook the house," he said as he and government rescue workers searched for survivors. The storm system has saturated much of the Caribbean in recent days, with flooding reported in the neighbouring Dominican Republic as well as in Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Authorities have reported two deaths in the Dominican Republic and one in Jamaica to the weather. Michel Davison, a coordinator for the International Desk of the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, said Haiti would see more rain on Wednesday, but should get a much-needed reprieve later the week. - Sky  News.

WATCH: Flooding leaves several dead in Haiti.

THE DELUGE: Torrential Rains Slams Haiti Leaving 6 Dead!

At least six people were dead Tuesday after torrential rains slammed the disaster-weary country of Haiti, turning roads to rivers, collapsing fragile houses and swamping the city's squalid camps set up after last year's earthquake.

The worst rains to hit the impoverished country so far this year, at the start of the hurricane season, paralyzed the city, with three people killed in house collapses in the upscale neighborhood of Petitionville, according to Alta Jean Baptiste, Haiti's civil protection director. Two people died as rushing waters soaked the downtown tent camp near the ruined presidential palace, and one person was killed in the town of Belladere, east of the capital, Jean Baptiste said.

Newly-elected President Michel Martelly said he was en route to the city's most impoverished neighborhood Cite Soleil, which officials said was completely swamped by the rainfall. "I was in the streets during the rain, and I got home, put my boots on, and I'm back in the streets to assess the situation," Martelly said in remarks broadcast on national television. "I'm now trying to help people, and distribute some food. I hope people can find shelter," said Martelly, who was with members of his new cabinet as he handed out supplies. The rains had meanwhile brought the entire city to a virtual standstill as waters ran through streets and cars were jammed up in long lines, some abandoned by their owners.

Thunderstorms were washing across north Carribean islands early Tuesday, but with little chance of the large low pressure area developing into a cyclone, according to the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). The associated rainfall, warned the NHC, "could cause flash floods and mud slides over portions of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba. In Jamaica, the national Meteorological Service issued flash flood warnings for low-lying and areas of Kingston and surrounding towns. Haitians face some of the stiffest challenges to the strong weather in the region, however, due to its crumbling infrastructure and precarious shelters for thousands who have been living rough in the capital since the disastrous 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January 2010. - Montreal Gazette.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: 1,000 feared dead in Cyclone, East Pakistan!

On May 20th 1963, East Pakistan suffered from a cyclone that killed about 22,000 along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.  On the same date, in 1999, a cyclone struck the Arabian Sea coast and left an estimated 700 people missing, many of whom were presumed dead. Residents said that as many as 3,500 people were missing. By the end of the month of June, the same year, the bodies of 370 Indian fishermen was recovered from the cyclone that hit the Pakistani coast. In a late report, courtesy of Dawn.com, at least 1,000 persons were killed in a cyclone in the eastern parts of Pakistan on May 9th.

The death toll in the recent East Pakistan cyclone will run into four digits if the unofficial reports, which are continuously pouring in from the affected areas, especially from Barisal district, are to be relied upon. At least 1,000 persons are believed to have been killed and several thousands rendered homeless in Bakerganj district by the cyclone which hit the province on May 9. Official figures of casualties are still being collected in the interior of the district and will not be available until tomorrow or the day after. East Pakistan Governor Lt-Gen Mohammad Azam Khan left for Barisal early this morning by steamer to see for himself the havoc wrought by the cyclone. The general will return to Dacca tomorrow evening, after a brief stopover at Chandpur, fully equipped with first-hand knowledge of the disaster. Meanwhile, unverified reports reaching from Patuakhali, a sub-division in the Barisal district, speak of colossal loss of human life. In a few police stations of that sub-division, over 500 persons are feared killed. No official confirmation of this figure was, however, available. The Perojpur sub-division had also reported an almost equal number of deaths.