GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
APRIL 2020
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Dozens
of people are missing and feared dead after a ferry in the Solomon Islands set
sail despite warnings not to embark during a cyclone (2nd). The MV
Taimareho was travelling on Thursday night from the capital Honiara, on the
island of Guadalcanal, to West Are'are, on Malaita island. The vessel hit choppy
seas whipped up by Cyclone Harold. Up to 60 people are reported to have been on
board. Rescue efforts are under way but have been hampered by the bad weather.
Cyclone Harold has brought flooding and run boats aground in the Solomon
Islands. 2020
AFRICA
Thousands of swallows and swifts migrating from Africa to Europe have been left
dead by high winds battering Greece, bird watchers say (10th). The birds have
been found in the streets of Athens, on apartment balconies in the capital, in
the north, on Aegean islands and around a lake close to the seaport of Nauplia
in the Peloponnese. "It's a major disaster," said Maria Ganoti of the wildlife
protection group Anima. "Over the last three days because of high winds in the
north and over the Aegean Sea, thousands of small birds have been found dead or
gravely injured," she said. The Greek ornithologist association said: "The night
of April 5-6 was disastrous for migrating birds due to strong winds, low
temperatures and rain in some regions. "Southerly winds pushed flocks of birds
from north Africa into air currents from the north of the Aegean sea and
particularly the islands. "To escape, exhausted birds, mainly swallows and
swifts, which catch flying insects for food, headed for the Greek mainland."
Greece is on the flight path for hundreds of thousands of birds which migrate
north in spring and south in autumn.
UNITED
STATES
At
least 26 people have died after storms triggered tornadoes and flooding across
several southern US states (12th). As many as 60 tornadoes ripped
through Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi on Sunday, while severe storms also hit
parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. In Louisiana, a number of homes
were destroyed in the city of Monroe. Last week, the American Meteorological
Society issued guidelines for taking shelter during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Do not let the virus prevent you from seeking refuge from a tornado," the
society said. Public shelters in many communities are closed because of lockdown
measures. People were urged to still follow social distancing guidelines if they
must seek safety in a public space like a school.
At
least six people were killed after severe storms tore through a number of
southern states late in the day, adding to weeks of extreme weather that had
already killed more than two dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes (22nd).
Some areas in Louisiana had experienced "extreme flooding". Wednesday's storms
caused havoc in many rural communities, causing damage to factories at multiple
facilities across the south. At least two factory workers have been killed. In
Louisiana, a worker's body was found more than a quarter-mile away after an
apparent tornado struck, severely damaging the factory and nearby town. A
tornado in Marshall county, Oklahoma, killed a worker after a storm hit the
Oklahoma Steel and Wire plant as employees were leaving for the day. Elsewhere,
at least three people were killed when an apparent tornado touched down in
south-east Texas near Onalaska, about 120 km north of Houston, the Polk county
emergency management system said.
RUSSIA
Acrid
smoke from wildfires, including blazes near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant,
has blanketed Ukraine's capital Kyiv, making its air pollution among the worst
in the world (16th). Kyiv's pollution now ranks alongside that of
several Chinese cities, Swiss monitoring group IQAir reports. Ukraine's health
ministry says radiation levels remain normal and Chernobyl faces no immediate
threat. At one point during the day Kyiv's air pollution was the worst in the
world, according to the IQAir index. But the dramatic global slump in economic
activity, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has made the air in many cities
cleaner. That partly explains why Kyiv's smog looks especially bad now.
EUROPE
Europe
is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year
was the warmest on record (22nd). While globally the year was the
second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark.
Over the past five years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1 C
warmer than at the end of the 19th century. In Europe, in the same period,
temperatures were almost 2 C warmer. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
says the physical signs of climate change and impacts on our planet have
gathered pace in the past five years, which were the hottest on record. The
European data, which comes from the EU's Copernicus Climate Service, indicates
that 11 of the 12 warmest years on record on the continent have occurred since
2000.
This
April is set to be one of the driest Aprils on record for Germany, and there are
worries a second drought in two years could be just around the corner (30th).
According to DWD, the German Meteorological Service, less than 10 mm of rain had
fallen across the country between 14 March and 18 April. In areas of the lower
Rhine just 4 mm of rain has fallen this April - that's only 9% of the monthly
average. Aprils in Germany have been trending drier over the long term and it's
notable that the last eleven Aprils have been much drier than average - but it
remains unclear whether this is natural climate variability or a symptom of
climate change. The lack of rainfall has also contributed to the plummeting of
some river levels. The Rhine is a vital transport artery for the German economy
and with water falling to such low levels, river barges cannot be loaded to full
capacity so transport costs of goods are rising. In Geneva in Switzerland, a
record-breaking 43-day drought has recently ended. In Spain, spring has seen
exceptionally wet weather. According to AEMET, in Barcelona between 1 March and
26 April over 300 mm of rain has been recorded, more than four times the usual
amount.
ASIA
Heavy
thunderstorms caused flooding as well as large hail in southeastern Turkey (22nd).
There are reports that one person was killed after being struck by lightning and
three others were injured after another lightning strike. In addition to Turkey,
much of Georgia, Armenia and western Azerbaijan had unsettled weather conditions
during the middle of the week.
Middle
East
High
winds caused trouble across Egypt, as a major sandstorm forced the closure of
several Red Sea Ports and major highways across the country (24th).
Authorities urged Egyptians with respiratory illnesses to stay inside. The storm
was so significant it turned skies of Cairo an eerie yellow color.
Heavy
rains triggered flooding in the city of Najran in southwestern Saudi Arabia (27th).
The rains were dumped by a storm system from the Mediterranean Sea which merged
with a cold front, bringing wet and windy conditions from Turkey to Saudi
Arabia. This caused an unsettled weather pattern that unfolded across the
region.
AUSTRAILIA
Melbourne recorded 138 mm of rain in April 2020, making it the city's wettest
April since 1960 when 195 mm was recorded (30th). Unseasonably low
temperatures were also recorded and almost 50 cm of snow across Victoria's ski
resorts.
TROPICAL
A
cyclone bringing winds of 135 mph has arrived in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu
(6th). Cyclone Harold is a category five storm - the most severe -
and has already killed 27 people in the neighboring Solomon Islands. The victims
were swept off a ferry that defied cyclone warnings. Vanuatu, home to around
300,000 people, is already in a state of emergency because of the coronavirus -
and is awaiting general election results. The storm is particularly affecting
Sanma province, home to the country's second biggest city, Luganville. Although
there have been no injuries reported, photos showed roofs blown off buildings
and power lines brought down. Some people took shelter in caves. The Vanuatu
meteorology department recorded winds of 135 mph in Sanma but said gusts were
reaching 145 mph.
Despite being spared a direct hit from Tropical Cyclone Harold, the island of Fiji suffered extensive damage from high winds, heavy rain and a battering storm surge mid-week (8th). After battering Vanuatu, Harold passed just south of Fiji. Ahead of the cyclone, Fiji Airways moved several aircraft overseas to avoid damage. Fiji's National Disaster Management Office announced evacuation orders on Tuesday afternoon, local time, asking those in low-lying areas to move to higher ground ahead of Harold. Early reports coming out of Fiji state that popular tourist destinations on the island have suffered heavy damage from the cyclone's storm surge and high winds as well as by the high tide that followed the storm. Power cuts and road closures were also reported.
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