Amazon River basin experiencing worst drought on record
The Amazon River basin is experiencing its worst drought on record, with several riverbeds that were once waterways now drying up.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Danube rises by almost 1 m (3.2 feet) in 24 hours reaching the parliament building in Budapest, Hungary
The Danube River is nearing its peak as its waters reached the parliament building in Budapest on Friday, September 20, with the embankment in the city center submerged due to rising water levels. Water levels reached 780 cm (25.6 feet) on Thursday evening, September 19, and are expected to hit 850 cm (27.9 feet) by…
Typhoon “Pulasan” hits Shangahi, bringing record breaking rainfall and flooding, China
Typhoon “Pulasan” made landfall in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, September 19, 2024, bringing in over 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain in just 6 hours. Around 112 000 people were evacuated, barricades were set up, and several trains and ferry services were suspended as precautionary measures.
Flash floods in Alcalá del Júcar, Spain drag 15 cars into a river
Heavy rains in the higher regions of Spain’s Albacete Province caused the Júcar River to overflow, leading to severe flash floods in Alcalá del Júcar on Wednesday. The floods dragged 15 cars into the river, but fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. “It had been raining heavily for a while, but as soon as…
Storm Boris floods Italy, Emilia-Romagna sees over 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain in 48 hours
Around 300 – 400 mm (11.8 – 15.7 inches) of rain fell in the Emilia-Romagna Region of northern Italy in 48 hours between Tuesday and Thursday, September 17 – 19, 2024. Triggered by the Storm “Boris” (also known as Cyclone “Boris”) the rains caused intense flooding, forcing around 1 000 people to evacuate and move to shelters.
Desert turns green in China after Ningxia sees 5 times the average rainfall in August
The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in northwestern China, saw 5 to 10 times the monthly average rainfall in August 2024, transforming the desert landscape into a beautiful lush green scenery. Similarly, satellite images of Africa’s Sahara show a visible increase in vegetation compared to 2023. The unusual rains, expected to bring 500% of typical monthly rainfall to some regions, have even filled normally dry lakes in the Sahara.
Floods in Chad affect 1.5 million since start of rainy season, claim 341 lives
Heavy seasonal rains since late July 2024 in the Niger River’s inland Delta in Mali have led to severe flooding in Chad, claiming at least 341 lives and affecting around 1.5 million people. 1.17 million of those affected live in just 8 of the 23 affected provinces.
Big eruption of Lokbatan mud volcano in Baku, Azerbaijan
A big eruption took place at Lokbatan mud volcano in Azerbaijan’s Baku at 15:19 local time (LT) on September 17, 2024. The eruption occurred in two phases with the second phase starting at 16:19 LT.
Floods claim 2 lives in Libya, government declares a state of emergency
Floods struck Libya’s Sabha city and mountain valleys after heavy rainfall on September 14 and 15, 2024. Following the death of 2 individuals due to the floods, the government issued an order to form and emergency response team, and declared a state of emergency for the affected region.
National flood disaster declared in Mali, nearly 30 000 buildings destroyed
Mali has reported around 374 flood incidents in 2024 since the start of flood season. Significant flooding has been observed in the region since July, causing extensive damage, collapsing almost 30 000 buildings and claiming at least 64 lives as of September 16.
