• NMC issues Orange alert for severe cold, China

    ByTW

    Severe weather warnings have been issued across China, with temperatures set to plummet in the south and Beijing experiencing snowy conditions. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) has renewed an orange alert, indicating significant temperature drops of 6 to 12 °C (10.8 to 21.6 °F) in southern regions and more than 20 °C (36 °F) in some areas. Beijing saw up to 4.1 cm (1.6 inches) of snow, affecting traffic and pedestrian safety. In Xinjiang, a new record low of -52.3 °C (-62.14 °F) was set, breaking a 64-year-old record.

  • Severe sandstorms hit parts of NW China

    ByTW

    Severe sandstorms hit Ruoqiang County in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the morning of February 17, 2024, reducing visibility to less than 100 m (330 feet) and prompting authorities to implement traffic control measures on many roads. In Turpan, local rescue teams were deployed to assist those stranded by the sandstorms.

  • Tropical Storm “Eleanor” forms over the southern Indian Ocean

    ByTeo Blašković

    Tropical Storm “Eleanor” formed over the southern Indian Ocean on February 19, 2024, as the 6th named storm of the 2023/24 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season. The cyclone is strengthening as it turns southward toward Saint Brandon and Mauritius. The current forecast track takes its center very close to Mauritius on February 23.

  • Tropical Storm “Akará” forms off Rio de Janeiro as first TS in South Atlantic since 2019

    ByTeo Blašković

    On February 16, 2024, the Brazilian Navy identified a subtropical depression ESE of Rio de Janeiro, which intensified into Tropical Storm “Akará” by February 19. Akará is the first named tropical storm to develop in the South Atlantic Ocean since Iba in 2019 and the basin’s first named storm in February since Bapo in 2015. The system is expected to continue intensifying, but remain well away from Brazil.

  • Severe thunderstorm hits Sydney, lightning strikes injure 4, set 3 homes on fire, Australia

    ByTeo Blašković

    Severe storms hit NSW, Australia on February 19, 2024, causing injuries, transport shutdown, and flash flooding. The storms have resulted in four people injured by a lightning strike, significant transport disruptions, and the ignition of three houses. Sydney recorded up to 57 mm (2.24 inches) of rain, intensifying the risk of flash flooding across the state.

  • Tropical Cyclone “Lincoln” hits Gulf of Carpentaria, heavy rainfall and damaging winds continue, Australia

    ByTeo Blašković

    Tropical Cyclone “Lincoln” made landfall on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast between Port McAarthur and the Northern Territory – Queensland border at 06:00 UTC on February 16, 2024, as a Category 1 storm. Shortly after, it weakened and moved west across the Northern Territory, with heavy rainfall forecasted and a moderate risk of redeveloping into a tropical cyclone.

  • Floods and landslides hit Ecuador, leaving two dead and thousands affected

    ByTeo Blašković

    Heavy rain has been affecting Ecuador since January 29, 2024, resulting in devastating floods and landslides across the country. Two fatalities were reported in Azuay Province, with four others injured in Chimborazo and Loja. The disaster has affected over 16 600 individuals, predominantly in Los Ríos, Manabí, Esmeraldas, and Guayas provinces, leading to the destruction of 36 houses and damage to 3 180 others.

  • 50 homes damaged, 5 destroyed by twin tornadoes in Limassol, Cyprus

    ByTeo Blašković

    Two tornadoes wreaked havoc in Limassol, Cyprus, on February 14, 2024, causing extensive damage across the city, particularly in the Germasoyeia suburb. The storms tore roofs off houses, downed a building crane, and caused other significant infrastructural damage. Local officials report that the damage is massive and unprecedented, with emergency services and maintenance workers responding to the aftermath.