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| Saudi Arabia Civil Defence teams carrying out flood rescues in Buraidah, Al-Qassim Region. Photo: Saudi Arabia Civil Defence |
April 11, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides,
heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and
catastrophic storms.
1 dead after floods in Saudi Arabia, Qatar sees 1 year of rain in 1 day
Seasonal storms brought heavy rain to Qatar and central and eastern parts of Saudi Arabia on 25 November 2015.
Doha,
Qatar, recorded more than a year’s worth of rain in one day. One person
has been reported as killed in the floods in Riyadh Region, Saudi
Arabia in what is the third deadly flood event to hit the country in the
last 4 weeks.
Saudi ArabiaThe state-run Saudi Press
Agency reported earlier today that seasonal storms brought heavy
rainfall in central and eastern areas of the country, causing severe
flooding in Riyadh and Al-Qassim Regions.
Saudi Arabia civil
defence report that 1 person has died in the floods in the province of
Rimah, Riyadh Region, which is located about 120 kilometres north-east
of the capital Riyadh.
Schools have been closed, roads blocked and
in some cases flooding has forced drivers to abandon their vehicles.
Saudi Arabia civil defence say they have responded to dozens of
emergency calls. The city of Buraidah, Al-Qassim Region, is reported as
one of the worst hit.
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| Rainfall totals for Qatar between 24 and 25 November 2015. Image: Qatar Meteorology Department |
This is the third deadly flood to strike in
Saudi Arabia in the last few weeks.
Floods struck in Jeddah, Makkah and other western parts of the country on 17 November 2015, leaving as many as 12 dead. Six people died in
floods that struck in late October.
QatarParts
of Qatar, including Doha, also saw heavy rainfall and floods. Qatar
Meteorology Department say at least 80.8 mm of rain fell at Hamad
International Airport in Doha, the highest ever recorded at that
location and more than Doha would typically see in a whole year.
According to WMO figures, 3.3 mm is the typical monthly average for November and the total yearly average is around 75 mm.
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| Rainclouds over Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Image: Qatar Meteorology Department |
The
floods caused major problems for drivers. Qatar’s Interior Ministry
warned drivers of the dangers of driving in floods and severe weather.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in Qatar.
Some flooding
was reported at Doha’s new $17 billion Hamad international airport.
Social media photos and videos showed water pouring in from a leaking
roof. However, flights were operating normally despite the weather
conditions.
Social Media
Floods in Malawi leave at least 12 dead and force thousands to evacuate
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| © Malawi 24 |
Heavy rains which have persisted in the Northern and Central regions of
Malawi for several days have led to fatal floods in some low-lying
areas.
At least ten people are feared dead and hundreds of families
displaced. A number of buildings and homes were also reported to have
collapsed due to the floods. Many road networks were flooded and
rendered impassable.
Mzuzu
According to
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
(MBC), two people suffered serious injuries when a wall of their house
collapsed after heavy rain. Both victims were taken to Mzuzu Central
Hospital but both later died. Hospital administrator confirmed the
deaths of a ten year old and an eleven month old child.
There are also unconfirmed
reports that
as many as 10 people have died as a result of floods in districts of Mzuzu.
Karonga
Local radio station, Capital FM Malawi reported earlier today that "over
958 households in Karonga have been relocated to safer areas following
continued heavy rains and flooding in the district".
Local media have reported more than seventy families have been left homeless after floods in Karonga.
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| © Malawi 24 |
Relief Efforts
Relief efforts and help for flood victims appear to have been limited so far. Talking to
Malawi 24,
District Commissioner for Karonga Rosemary Moyo has expressed worry
over the lack of interest from organisations to help the displaced
people.
"We are worried that no organisation has come in to assist us as people who have been affected lack a lot of things," said Moyo.
143 mm of rain in 24 hours - more rain forecast for Lakeshore and Northern Areas
According to Malawi Meteorological Services, heavy rain was reported in
several areas of Karonga district, Northern Region, on 06 April. Ngosi
reported
143mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Mwenilondo recorded 125mm, Mwenetete 120.5mm, Mwaulambo 103.6mm, Chinsewe 85mm, Baka 80.5mm, Karonga Airport 76mm, Lupembe 51mm and Nyungwi 44.5mm during the same period.
On the same day Mzuzu reported 25.9mm, Chitipa 25.6mm, Chintheche 19.9mm and Nkhotakota 14.1mm.
On the 07 April, 2016, reports of heavy rainfall were as follows: Kabale
Lyamayolo 86.5mm, Mwenilondo 61mm, Chisewe 42mm, Nkhatabay 40mm, Meru
38mm and Njalayankhunda 31mm.
According to the 5-day weather forecast by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
heavy rains are forecast to continue in the northern areas and areas around Lake Malawi.
Malawi suffered some of the worst floods in its history during January
2015. At the peak of the 2015 floods 245 square miles of the country was
under water and 120,000 households displaced.
Four rescued from floods after record rainfall in Las Vegas
Record rain caused flash floods in the Las Vegas Valley area on
Saturday, 09 April. Local fire fighters were called out to rescue at
least 4 people who were trapped in the flood waters.
At around
13:00 local time, National Weather Service (NWS) Las Vegas issued a
flash flood warning for much of the Vegas valley until later that day.
NWS said:
“Wait floods out; avoid flooded roadways!”
The recent heavy rainfall has already made April 2016 the third wettest April on record in Las Vegas.
Flood RescuesClark
County Fire Department officials said they responded to several people
trapped by storm waters. In a statement, they said that a man became
trapped in the flood control channel under the Dean Martin overpass by
raising water from a heavy rain. Personnel from Engine 11 lowered
ladders to the victim and rigged safety lines downstream as a safety
precaution in case the victim was swept away. The victim was rescued
uninjured.
Rescue team later found 3 other victims who were
trapped in the same flood control channel. Emergency teams were able to
safely rescue all three adults, although one sustained a minor leg
injury and was was transported to Spring Valley Hospital.
Clark County Fire Department said:
“At
this time of year it is important to remind everyone to remain clear of
flood control channels and flooded roads. Remember as little 12 inches
of moving water can float a vehicle”.
Record RainfallNWS Las Vegas said that 0.81 inches of rain fell on 09 April, beating the previous record for that day of 0.17” of 1947.
NWS
Vegas also said that as much as 1.03” of rain has fallen so far this
April, making it the third wettest April on record so far, behind 1965
(2.44”) and 1941 (1.68”).
Social Media
High tides and huge waves bring flooding to southwest UK
A combination of high spring tides and winds of 65 mph (120 km/h)
caused coastal flooding in parts of Cornwall and Devon in south west
England
yesterday, Sunday 10 April, 2016. Also over the weekend, high tides and
heavy rain conspired to flood wide areas of Cork, Ireland.
Southwest EnglandHuge
waves crashed into towns and villages along the coast. The UK’s Met
Office issued a warning about the significant impacts from coastal
flooding along the south Cornwall coast and on the Isles of Scilly on
Sunday morning. At one point on Sunday, 29 flood warnings – the second
highest category – and 37 flood alerts had been issued by the
Environment Agency, mostly for parts of Cornwall and Devon.The
Environment Agency closely monitored the situation and had teams out
checking and operating coastal flood defences. Timely warnings and
preventative action meant that damage was kept to a minimum and no
fatalities or injuries have been reported.
Some flooding was
reported in the Cornish towns of Penzance, Kingsand, St Mawes,
Porthleven and Mousehole. High waves overtopped sea defences in Exmouth,
Devon. Flooding was also reported in Dawlish, Devon, after waves topped
sea defences. Parts of the sea wall and railway lines in Dawlish were
destroyed by waves and coastal flooding during a storm in February 2014.
Cork IrelandThe severe weather also brought some flooding to parts of
Ireland
on Sunday, 10 April, 2016, in particular Cork, where the combination of
winds, rain and high tide left several streets under water.
-
Floodlist.
