The Watchers News Brief: September 23 and 24, 2018
Bengaluru breaks 30-year-old rainfall record, Karnataka
Heavy rains and strong winds hit Bengaluru, the capital of India's southern Karnataka state, on September 23, flooding roads and uprooting trees.
Anjanapura Layout recorded the maximum of 206 mm (8.11 inches) in 24 hours to 17:00 LT, September 24, followed by Gottigere 182 mm (7.16 inches) and Kengeri 125 mm (4.92 inches), Karnataka Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre Director Srinivasa Reddy said.
There was no a cyclonic system and the heavy rains were caused by a wind discontinuity from Tamil Nadu to South interior Karnataka, he told PTI.
206 mm broke the city's previous record of 177.6 mm (6.99 inches) measured on September 12, 1988.
Heavy rain is expected to continue for two more days, the center said.
Bonham, TX records 370.5 mm (14.59 inches) in 48 hours, 4.2 times its September average
In what has become the wettest September on record for Dallas-Fort Worth, several cities across North Texas recorded impressive rainfall amounts, Dallas News reports.
According to data provided by the National Weather Service, the city of Bonham in Texas recorded 370.5 mm (14.59 inches) of rain between 07:00 CDT, September 21 and 07:00, September 23. The average September rainfall for the city is 88.6 mm (3.43 inches)
Lamont Bain, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said some areas of North Texas may have received even more than Bonham in places with no official gauges.
As of 12:00 CDT, September 24, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport has recorded 292.1 mm (11.5 inches) of rain. The previous record for the month of September was 274.3 mm (10.8 inches), set in 1932.
Huge fire in the town of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Students have been evacuated from University of Crete after a fire broke out in its building in Heraklion on September 23. Huge plumes of smoke were visible kilometers away.
Σε εξέλιξη είναι μεγάλη φωτιά στην Κρήτη στον χώρο του Πανεπιστημίου στην Κνωσό – Εκκενώθηκε η φοιτητική εστία -Η ατμόσφαιρα είναι αποπνικτική pic.twitter.com/5xmWVmBMZT
— Ακροκεντρώος (@akrokentrwos) September 23, 2018
Μεγάλη φωτιά στο Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης: Έρευνες για τυχόν εγκλωβισμένους, αποπνικτική η ατμόσφαιρα – https://t.co/qqjWapnYB9 pic.twitter.com/BUNQJWhuql
— i-eidisi (@i_eidisi) September 23, 2018
Huge hailstorm in Montevideo, Uruguay
Severe thunderstorm reportedly killed numerous cattle on September 22:
Deadly flash floods hit Michoacán, Mexico
At least 5 people have been killed and 9 others are still missing after major flash floods hit the town of Periban in the state of Michoacan, officials said Monday, September 24, 2018.
Flash floods took place after unusually heavy rain swelled the Cutio River and sent a wall of floodwater as high as 1.5 m (5 feet) crashing through the streets of the mountainous town of Periban on September 23, carrying away vehicles and trees.
Soldiers are still searching through huge piles of debris left on the streets, Governer Silvano Aureoles told AP.
Heavy rain, floods and landslides leave at least 11 dead in northern India
Torrential rains caused flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions of northern India, killing at least 11 people in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana on September 24.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory to the Punjab government that it will release 'excess' water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river, The Time of India reports.
Educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday in Punjab. Schools have also been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.
This bus was washed away by a flooding river in Himachal Pradesh. It was empty at the time.
Severe winds, possible tornado hit Germany
Severe wind damage (possibly tornado) reported on track from Stollberg to Annaberg-Bucholz, Germany on September 23.
Severe wind damage (possibly tornado) reported on track from Stollberg to Annaberg-Bucholz, Germany last night, Sept 23. Report: Sturmjägerteam Erzgebirge/Vogtland pic.twitter.com/ZZ0bGij8EH
— severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) September 24, 2018
Severe straight line winds in Würzburg, Germany today, Sept 23! Gusts up to 137 km/h were recorded! Report: Blaulicht Würzburg / Meteoplus pic.twitter.com/jsx03inyzf
— severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) September 23, 2018
6 months' worth of rain in 1 day, floodwaters rose 1.7 m (5.6 ft) as remnants of Medicane "Brian" hit Tunisia
At least 4 people have been killed as remnants of the first medicane of the season – Brian – dropped heavy rain on Tunisia over the past couple of days, causing catastrophic flash flooding.
Severe thunderstorms first hit the country on September 19 but rains intensified towards the end of the week.
Some areas of the country, like the northeastern city of Nabeul, received as much as 200 mm (7.9 inches) of rain on Saturday, September 22, 2018, according to information provided by the National Institute of Meteorology. This is half the country's annual precipitation, ministry spokesman Sofiene Zaag told AFP news agency on September 23. Up to 225 mm (8.85 inches) was measured in Beni Khalled.
This is the heaviest rainfall to hit the region in such a short period since 1995 when precise measurements began.
Snow on northern Alpine flanks on September 24
Rockfall at Val Ferret, Switzerland
This spectacular rockfall event took place over Glacier du Petit Crepillon, Val Ferret in Switzerland on September 20.
Severe hailstorm in Mexico City on September 22
Super Typhoon "Trami" threatens Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan
Typhoon "Trami," the 24th named storm, 10th typhoon and the 5th super typhoon of the 2018 Pacific season, has rapidly intensified into a super typhoon on September 24. In just 24 hours, Trami intensified for 65 km/h (40 mph).
The storm threatens Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan on September 28 and 29.
Super Typhoon "Trami" at 06:50 UTC on September 24, 2018. Credit: JMA/Himawari-8, RAMMB/CIRA
Large sinkhole opens at Inskip Point beach, Australia
Another large sinkhole has opened at Inskip Point beach in Queensland, Australia overnight September 24, 2018. This is the same beach where a sinkhole opened up on September 26, 2015, swallowing several vehicles and tents.
The hole was spotted from the air on Monday morning (September 24) by Diana Journeaux from Rainbow Beach Helicopters. "It wasn't there when we flew over on Sunday," she said.
Local skipper said they could see the hole forming. "We could see stirred up water and the beach eroding," he said, adding that it was about 100 m (330 feet) wide when they moved away.
Image credit: Rainbow Beach Helicopters
Mud volcano erupts in Haradag district of Baku, Azerbaijan
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Ecology, a mud volcano erupted in Haradag district of Baku in Azerbaijan on September 23, 2018.
The eruption started during the early morning hours of Sunday, September 23 and it still continues, the ministry said in a statement released Sunday morning.
Numerous fissures were reported during the eruption, with depts up to 40 m (131 feet).
Mount Krakatau eruption as seen from space, Indonesia
Activity at the Indonesian volcano Anak Krakatau is not unusual as eruptions have occurred sporadically over the past few decades, EO reports. It is somewhat unusual, however, for satellites to get cloud-free views, as they did in September 2018.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview and modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2018) processed by the European Space Agency. Caption by Kathryn Hansen.
Featured image: Waterspout at Lubenice, Croatia. Photo: Ana Ricov. Edit: TW
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