“At least 66 people have been killed and 141,000 affected after heavy rains deluged central and northern Mozambique.
“The government has decreed a red alert due to the continuing rains and the approach of the Tropical Cyclone Idai, expected to reach the country between Thursday and Friday,” said cabinet spokeswoman Ana Comoana.
“Idai is currently spinning over the Mozambique Channel.
“Sustained winds of 175km/h with gusts of 212km/h were recorded on Wednesday morning,” said eNCA meteorologist Annette Venter.
“These are equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
“Idai will continue moving in a westerly direction toward Mozambique.
“Weather forecast models are predicting an intense cyclone for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday as it continues to gather energy from the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel.”
https://www.enca.com/news/red-alert-mozambique-cyclone-idai-gathers-energy
“The body of another victim of Durban’s weekend flash flooding has been found near a stream, north of the city.
“The provincial cooperative governance and traditional affairs department confirmed that the man was one of two who were washed away while crossing a bridge in Verulam on Sunday.”
https://allafrica.com/stories/201903120598.html
“A day after the Western Cape town of Montagu endured heavy rain and freak hail the size of golf balls, another hail storm caused a collision between several vehicles outside Knysna on Tuesday.
“Severe damage to cars, windows, roofs and solar panels, among others, had been reported in Montagu due to a hail storm after 9pm on Monday. A rockfall also caused the Cogmanskloof road between Montagu and Ashton to be closed.”
“The number of people killed in heavy rains and flooding in Malawi has risen to 45, while roughly 15,000 households have been forced to evacuate their homes, the government announced on Tuesday.
“The devastating floods have left entire villages underwater in the south of the East African country, damaging infrastructure including roads, power and water supplies and leading the Malawi President to declare a state of disaster on Friday.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/12/heavy-flooding-kills-45-people-displaces-15000-malawi/
You may recall that poor old Kerala in India had some pretty remarkable floods last year.
“The state government [of Kerala] has issued a circular declaring heat wave, sunstroke and sunburn as ‘state-specific disasters’. The circular was issued on Saturday following the repeated instances of sunburn and sunstroke reported at various parts of the state.”
“As most of South East Queensland broke weather records yesterday for the highest temperatures ever seen in the month of March, towns in the state’s north have been warned of a potential cyclone brewing.
“Across the region yesterday, Ipswich reached 41C by 3pm, while Gatton sweltered at 41.1C…”
“Australia’s east coast is set for days of torrential rain, severe thunderstorms and the threat of ‘flash flooding,’ forecasters have warned. On Thursday up to 60mm of rain is predicted, meaning Sydney could see more than half its average March rain fall in just one day, The Daily Telegraph reported.”
“Supermarkets and butchers across [Australia] have been forced to jack up the price of lamb and beef amid soaring prices caused by ongoing drought conditions…
“Independent Sydney butchers told The Daily Telegraph they had been forced to raise the price of red meat by as much as 15 per cent in the past 18 months amid supplier cost increases of up to 25 per cent.”
“Two new icebergs have broken off from the Grey Glacier in Chile’s Patagonia in recent weeks, amid fears such ruptures are becoming more frequent. Scientists said the breaks occurred on 20 February and 7 March…
“”In recent days, “temperature rises above the normal average and intense rainfall were registered together with an increase in water level in the lake, factors that could explain the separation”.”
“The National Meteorological Service [of Mexico] has forecast that the heat wave sweeping over 20 states is expected to continue at least until Wednesday afternoon…
“In parts of San Luis Potosí, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas, temperatures are expected to rise above 40 C.”
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/heat-wave-continues-in-20-states-temperatures-over-40-c-in-seven/
“Storms with damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding and a few tornadoes are taking aim at the southern Plains this week. High winds in the wake of the severe thunderstorm threat may affect just about every community across the region. A storm emerging from the Rockies is undergoing rapid strengthening…”
“It’s been very cold across Montana this winter. Okay, that shouldn’t be surprising.
“However, what is different is this bone-chilling, dangerous and life-threatening kind of cold has lasted for a month, rather than a normal run of a few days or a week.
“It looks as if the bitter cold may be sticking around into spring.”
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/weather/record-cold-streaks-set-in-montana
“It’s typically the driest place in the country, but thanks to record rainfall, the Death Valley has been replaced with an enormous, glittering lake.
“A massive 10-mile expanse of water has developed in Death Valley National Park last week following heavy rainfall and flooding on several park roads in Southern California.”
Read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here and visit my Patreon page here.
