Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” has caused over 190 fatalities and displaced more than 11 000 people in southern Malawi and Mozambique. The cyclone made its second landfall in central Mozambique on March 11 and weakened as it moved northward inland over Zambezia and Tete provinces in Mozambique and southern Malawi.
A powerful eruption took place at Indonesia’s Merapi volcano at 05:12 UTC on March 11, 2023, producing massive pyroclastic flow near populated areas and blanketing nearby villages in ash. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The Alert Level remains at 3 (on a scale of 1-4), and the public is warned to stay 3 – 7 km (1.8 – 4.3 miles) away from the summit based on location.
Peru has been hit hard by Cyclone Yaku over the past few days, with the country’s northern regions experiencing severe flooding and significant damage. The cyclone, which has caused at least six deaths, has been described by the director of civil defense, César Sierra, as an unusual phenomenon causing intensifying rains in the north.
Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” is delivering potentially catastrophic amounts of rainfall over the Quelimane region of Mozambique as the storm stalls just 30 km (18 miles) offshore with winds of 175 km/h (110 mph). Over the past couple of weeks, heavy rains and floods in Mozambique claimed the lives of at least 117 people.
A dangerous excessive rainfall event, brought by a powerful atmospheric river, is underway across much of Central California today. Areal rainfall totals of 100 – 230 mm (4 – 9 inches) through today, atop areas with saturated soil and deep snowpack are expected to cause widespread and severe flooding impacts, particularly in the High Risk area.
Heavy rain caused by Cyclone Yaku produced severe flooding and landslides in western Ecuador, resulting in the deaths of at least 3 people. The worst affected was Chone Canton in Manabí Province. The National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru (Senamhi) described Yaku as an unusual and unorganized tropical cyclone.
A large landslide hit the Indonesian region of Natuna on Monday, March 6, 2023, leading to the deaths of at least 15 people. 50 others are still missing, as search and rescue teams struggle to reach the affected areas due to poor weather conditions and damaged communication lines.
A powerful winter storm swept across the U.S. over the past couple of days, causing death and destruction in multiple states. At least 13 people lost their lives as severe weather, high winds, and flooding hit the South and Midwest. At the same time, winter-weary Northeast and Midwest residents were digging out from heavy snowfall. Thousands of businesses closed, flights were canceled, and more than 1.2 million customers — or approximately 3 million people, were left without power.
Tornadoes and high winds caused damage and widespread power outages Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Texas and Louisiana, including Dallas-Fort Worth and Shreveport. At the height of the storm, there were more than 350 000 customers without power in Texas, with more than half of them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where winds up to 130 km/h (80 mph) were recorded.
Tropical Cyclone “Kevin” formed on March 1, 2023, between Vanuatu and Caledonia, as the 5th named storm of the 2022/23 South Pacific cyclone season. A Red Alert is in effect for Vanuatu’s provinces of Sanma, Malampa, and Penama. The cyclone comes just a couple of days after Tropical Cyclone “Judy” damaged a number of buildings in Vanuatu, caused power outages, and closed schools.
