The eye of Tropical Cyclone “Belal” passed over the northern part of Reunion Island (population 870 000), shortly after 06:00 UTC on January 15, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 148 km/h (92 mph), and gusts to 213 km/h (132 mph).
At least 11 people have died in Rio de Janeiro after a month’s worth of rain hit parts of the city, turning roads into raging rivers, the fire department confirmed on Sunday, January 15, 2024. The northern parts of the city were particularly affected, with incidents of landslides, drownings, and electrocutions reported.
The Ambrym volcano in Vanuatu has transitioned from minor unrest to a minor eruption state over the weekend, leading authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level from 1 to 3 on January 14, 2024. The eruption is occurring inside the Benbow crater, with a designated Danger Zone B extending approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) around Benbow and 4 km (2.4 miles) around Marum craters.
Another eruption began south-southeast of Hagafell, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland at 07:57 UTC on January 14, 2024. The latest images show the lava flowing toward the town of Grindavik. The perimeter was about 450 m (1 470 feet) from the northernmost houses in the town around 08:40 UTC.
A severe winter storm, characterized by heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts exceeding 80 km/h (50 mph) in some areas, swept through southern Ontario on Friday, January 12, 2024. The storm led to widespread power outages, with over 30 000 reported by Hydro One. Additionally, the storm caused significant disruptions at Toronto-Pearson International Airport, leading to numerous flight cancellations and delays.
18 people have been confirmed dead, with 30 injured in Carmen de Atrato, Colombia, after heavy rainfall triggered at least four landslides on the Medellin-Quibido road on Friday, January 12, 2024. The most devastating landslide resulted in thousands of cubic meters of earth collapsing onto a house and vehicles.
A potent, fast-moving storm is expected to bring historical coastal flooding to Maine on Saturday morning (LT), January 13, 2024. The state is bracing for a combination of major coastal flooding, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and snow in mountainous regions, predominantly during the morning. The most severe rain and wind conditions are forecasted between 06:00 and 10:00 LT, with the most critical coastal flooding anticipated around 12:00 LT, coinciding with the high tide.
Argentina’s famed wine region, Mendoza, was hit by an intense storm on January 11, 2024, with large hailstones and heavy rainfall. Local authorities are assessing the impact on the vineyards, with concerns over the size of the hail and subsequent flooding.
Residents of Mauritius and La Reunion are bracing for a possible significant impact from a developing tropical cyclone — Tropical Cyclone 05S, expected to rapidly intensify and pass between the islands on January 15, 2024, as a Category 3 hurricane equivalent. When named (Belal), this will be the second named storm of the 2023/24 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season.
Isle of Wight Council has issued warnings of possible further ground movement in Bonchurch, Ventnor, after experiencing one of the largest landslides ever recorded on the Isle of Wight and the south coast of Britain last month.
