Parts of Melbourne's outer suburbs were pelted with hailstones up to 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter on Sunday, January 19, 2020, after thunderstorms quickly moved across much of southern Victoria, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
Hailstones almost the size of a golfball were reported in eastern suburb Glen Iris, while fire-hit catchments in north-eastern Victoria and East Gippsland were put under a flood watch.
The storm damaged cars, houses, ceilings, and brought traffic to a standstill. The severe weather came after firefighters were withdrawn from fire zones on Sunday, amid fears of flash flooding in fire-ravaged areas.
While storms have brought much-needed rain and humidity into areas affected by fire, strong winds are feared to knock down trees that might result in landslides and send debris onto roads.
The Bureau of Meteorology said 30 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches) of rain are expected until Tuesday, January 21, with some areas experiencing up to 150 mm (6 inches). The warning came as 14 fires continued to rage throughout Victoria. According to authorities, as of Sunday, 396 homes and 614 outbuildings had been lost.
Hail in Glen Iris 4.15pm #melbourne pic.twitter.com/g0SEy6dV3i
— kmac (@macqueeeen) January 19, 2020
Melbourne's weather is wild. Hopefully it is reaching the right areas. pic.twitter.com/kFvBadhqUN
— Callam Pickering (@CallamPickering) January 19, 2020
Tropical storm on Melbourne causes damage pic.twitter.com/YA5UxV9Czj
— Michelle Crouch (@shellcrouch31) January 19, 2020
I have never seen anything like this... Hail bigger than golf balls has brought the Monash freeway to a complete stop. #melbourne #melbourneweather pic.twitter.com/weZ909bWCM
— Liam Melrose (@liammelrose15) January 19, 2020
Featured image credit: @pjmacaulay/Twitter
Continuous heavy rains, floods and landslides claim 72 lives, destroy or damage nearly 1 000 buildings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
March 29, 2020
Heavy rains, floods and landslides affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan since March 6, 2020, claimed the lives of 72 people, destroyed at least 139 buildings, and damaged at least 800 more. Earlier this month, heavy downpours resulted in deaths of 27 people while...
Strong and shallow M6.3 earthquake hits south of Bali, Indonesia
March 18, 2020
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit south of Bali, Indonesia at 17:45 UTC on March 18, 2020 (01:45 LT, March 19). The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. The epicenter was...
Shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Samoa Islands region
March 17, 2020
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit the Samoa Islands / Tonga region at 16:06 UTC on March 17, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The USGS initially reported it as M5.8. EMSC still reports it as M5.8 at a depth of 9 km...
Twin landspout tornadoes form in Oued Zem, Morocco on March 15
March 16, 2020
Twin landspout tornadoes formed in Oued Zem, Khouribga Province, Morocco during the afternoon hours (LT) of March 15, 2020. At this time, there are no reports of damage or injuries. Landspouts are usually smaller and weaker than supercell tornadoes and do not form...
Surface lava, elevated seismicity at Shishaldin volcano - Aviation Color Code raised to Orange, Alaska
March 16, 2020
A high-resolution satellite image today shows lava and what appears to be a new cone within the Shishaldin summit crater, prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory to raise the Aviation Color Code to ORANGE and the Alert Level to WATCH at 06:31 UTC on March 15, 2020....
