Storm

Cyclonic system over Bay of Bengal to bring heavy rain to Andhra: IMD

The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday forecast "heavy rainfall" in parts of Andhra Pradesh over three days, from December 18 to 20, due to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. IMD predicted "heavy rain" on Wednesday at isolated places in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP), and Rayalaseema. "Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are at isolated places over NCAP and Yanam, SCAP, and Rayalaseema," stated IMD in a release. For Thursday, the department forecast "heavy to very heavy rain" in parts of NCAP and Yanam and "heavy rain at isolated places" in SCAP and Rayalaseema. In addition to "heavy rainfall", IMD predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in parts of NCAP, Yanam, SCAP, and Rayalaseema on Thursday, and "heavy rain at isolated places" over NCAP and Yanam on Friday. The Met Department stated that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 5.8 km above

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Chennai Airport resumes operations after cyclone Fengal crosses TN coast

According to IMD, Cyclone Fengal, which had been stationary over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, was classified as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 65-70 km/hr

Cyclone Fengal crosses north TN, Puducherry coasts, expected to weaken

Cyclonic Storm Fengal crossed the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts during the early hours of Sunday morning and is likely to continue moving west-southwestward, weakening into a deep depression within the next few hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.According to the IMD, the cyclone crossed the coast near Puducherry between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm IST, with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph gusting up to 90 kmph."The Cyclonic Storm FENGAL crossed North Tamil Nadu & Puducherry coasts near latitude 12.05°N and longitude 79.9°E, close to Puducherry, between 2230 hrs IST and 2330 hrs IST yesterday, the 30th November as a cyclonic storm with wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph. It lay centred at 2330 hours IST yesterday, the 30th of November over north coastal Tamilnadu & Puducherry near latitude 12.0°N and longitude 79.8°E, close to Puducherry. It will continue to move west-southwestwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next .

Tropical storm Sara drenches Honduras' north coast, flash floods likely

Tropical Storm Sara started moving slightly faster on Saturday after it stalled over Honduras, drenching the northern coast of the Central American nation, swelling rivers and trapping some people at home. Sustained rain fell overnight and continued on Saturday in the city of San Pedro Sula, where the storm cut off access to an entire community when a river crossing washed away. Through the weekend, the region could see life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. The weather system made landfall late Thursday about 165 kilometres west-northwest of Cabo Gracias a Dios, on the Honduras-Nicaragua border. The Hurricane Center expected the storm to keep moving Saturday and into Sunday at a "somewhat faster motion west-northwestward" into the Gulf of Honduras before making landfall in Belize. Sara is then expected to turn northwesterly toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, though forecasters said it probably will not reemerge into th

Rafael makes landfall in Cuba as Category 3 hurricane, power out on island

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country's power grid. Forecasters warned Rafael could bring life-threatening storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island after it knocked out power and dumped rain on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica the day before. The storm was located 65 kilometres south-southwest of Havana on Wednesday. It had maximum sustained winds of 185 kph and was moving northwest at 22 kph, according to the National Hurricane Centre. The storm is bad news for Cuba, which is struggling with devastating blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island. On Wednesday, the Cuban government issued an alert for the incoming storm while crews in Havana worked to fortify buildings and clear scraps from seaside areas in anticipation of flooding. Classes and public transport were ..

Tropical storm Rafael crosses Jamaica as Cuba prepares for hurricane hit

Tropical Storm Rafael chugged past western Jamaica on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it headed toward Cuba. The storm was located 170 kilometres east of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands on Tuesday after passing by Jamaica, where little damage was reported. It was picking up speed with maximum sustained winds of 110 kph and was moving northwest at 24 kph, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. The centre said it expected steady to rapid intensification over the next 24 hours. It was expected to pass over or by the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night and make landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday. "Rafael is expected to become a hurricane as it passes near the Cayman Islands with further strengthening before it makes landfall in Cuba," the centre said. The US State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential staff and American citizens, and advising others to reconsider travel to Cuba

Tropical storm Rafael forms in Caribbean, could hit Cuba as hurricane

Tropical Storm Rafael formed Monday in the Caribbean and will bring heavy rain to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before strengthening into a hurricane and likely hitting Cuba, forecasters said. Later in the week, it also is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Florida and portions of the US Southeast, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands and for parts of Cuba including the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth. A tropical storm watch was issued for Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, and Las Tunas in Cuba. A tropical storm watch also was issued for the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and for the Dry Tortugas. The storm was located about 245 kilometres south of Kingston, Jamaica. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 kph while .

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

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