“The KwaZulu-Natal floods [South Africa], which began on Monday, have resulted in widespread damage and loss of life.
“As the torrential downpour, which first drenched the region over the Easter period, begins to subside, the deadly toll of flash-flooding and mudslides serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unforgiving power. The death toll, which stood at 32 on Tuesday night, has risen sharply as disaster relief efforts continue to recover bodies which have been trapped under debris…
“…the eThekwini Municipality has been hardest-hit by the natural disaster, with most of the deaths and damages reported just southwest of Durban. Low lying communities and settlements near river banks have suffered catastrophic losses.”
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/kzn-durban-floods-updated-death-toll-24-april/
“Mozambique is still reeling from Cyclone Idai… Now Cyclone Kenneth is chugging from the Pacific toward Mozambique. Currently the equivalent of a tropical storm with sustained winds of about 52 mph, the cyclone is expected to strengthen in the coming days.
“Cyclone Kenneth is forecast to strafe the island nation of Comoros before plowing into Mozambique’s northern coast on Thursday or early Friday.”
https://earther.gizmodo.com/still-reeling-from-idai-mozambique-faces-another-power-1834252575
“At least 17 people – mostly children – have died after heavy rains in eastern Uganda caused flooding.
“The rains hit the districts of Kamuli and Buyende during the night, with some people drowning in the flood waters and others hit by collapsing walls, the region’s police spokesperson Michael Kasadha said.”
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/rains-flooding-claim-17-in-uganda
“A woman died on Tuesday in Kibra after a heavy downpour in Nairobi [Kenya].
“Reports indicated that the lady identified as Vivian Awour, was swept away by flash floods that occurred at Silanga area.”
https://www.pulselive.co.ke/news/woman-dies-after-floods-swept-away-house-in-kibra-nairobi/4ptev27
“The hottest days of the year will grip much of central and northern India in the coming days, and this heat wave is unlikely to end anytime soon. Previous heat waves in northern India were broken by thunderstorms, which brought damaging winds and flash flooding; however, this heat wave is expected to last into May.
“Temperatures soared in Delhi and the National Capital Region… when the mercury reached 42 C (108 F).”
“Several locations in the Bay Area are seeing record-breaking temperatures Tuesday as the latest heat wave rolls through the region.”
“Alabama is no stranger to tornadoes, but the busy start to 2019, which has already seen more tornadoes than its yearly average, is unusual for the state. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, there have been 53 tornadoes in Alabama this year through April 22.
“This is more than the 47 tornadoes that the state experiences on average and the 46 tornadoes that tore through Alabama in 2018. These 53 tornadoes occurred on just 9 days.”
“A number of factors could work together to contribute to more widespread, severe flooding than usual this summer in the United States.
“Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. face an elevated flood risk through May, with the potential for moderate to major flooding in parts of 25 states, according to NOAA’s spring flood outlook issued last month.”
“Weather instruments showed a record temperature of 20.2 degrees Celsius in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland on Tuesday.”
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/early_spring_temperature_record_broken_in_finland/10752067
“The risk of drought this summer in Denmark is high, according to national meteorology agency DMI. Fields across the country are already extremely dry after an April unusually short on rain, DMI says.”
https://www.thelocal.dk/20190424/denmarks-unusually-dry-april-suggests-risk-of-new-summer-drought
“Cargo vessels cannot navigate much of the Rhine in Germany when fully loaded after dry weather caused a drop in water levels. Traders said that from Duisburg and Cologne to south Germany the Rhine is too shallow for normal sailings, which means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates for cargo owners.
“The Rhine is a major shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, coal and fuel products including heating oil.”
http://news.trust.org//item/20190423154658-yqary/
“The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already. The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.
“Researchers told New Scientist that the figures, collated by the European Forest Fire Information System, were evidence that climate change had already heightened the risk of wildfires in the UK.”
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