A severe tornado outbreak on Saturday, April 27, 2024, has resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals and inflicted significant destruction across several cities in Oklahoma, marking one of the most destructive days in the state’s recent history.
A destructive multi-vortex tornado, accompanied by heavy rain and large hail up to 12 cm (4.72 inches) in diameter, struck the Guangzhou megacity (population 18.6 million) at approximately 15:00 LT on April 27, 2024, leaving at least five people dead, 33 injured and 141 commercial building damaged. Guangzhou is located in south China’s Guangdong province and is one of the country’s three largest cities.
A destructive tornado outbreak with at least 78 tornadoes impacted the U.S. Plains on Friday, April 26, 2024, leaving a trail of damage and more than a dozen injuries. The outbreak occurred as a part of a multi-day severe weather threat covering over 60 million Americans. The threat of EF2 – EF5 tornadoes will continue into Sunday, April 28.
On April 25, 2024, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa reported to Tanzania’s parliament that torrential rains linked to El Nino have resulted in the deaths of at least 155 people, with 236 others injured since January. The severe weather has also led to significant damage to infrastructure and affected over 200 000 people across the country.
Europe experienced one of the most rapid temperature flips on record in April 2024, shifting from widespread record-breaking summer-like warmth at the start of the month to late-April frost and cold temperature records. According to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, Europe has never experienced a month with such extreme temperature contrasts.
Record-breaking rainfall affecting China’s Guangdong Province since Friday, April 19, 2024, pushed water levels in the Bei River, a tributary of the Pearl River, to exceed 50-year highs, causing widespread floods in which at least 4 people died and 10 others went missing. The floods caused extensive damage, including the destruction of 36 houses and severe damage to 48 others, incurring direct economic losses of nearly 140.6 million yuan.
A powerful storm rolled over South Carolina on April 20, 2024, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and golf to softball-sized hail. The storm system affected the larger areas of Lancaster and York counties but focused its most intense effects in northeast-central York County, causing significant structural damage and power outages.
The southern Chinese province of Guangdong faces severe flooding risks with the Bei River’s water levels predicted to peak at 37.3 m (122 feet) early on April 22, 2024. This event, deemed a ‘once-in-a-century’ occurrence, comes after the region experienced record-breaking rainfall, affecting millions of people.
Recent extreme weather conditions have led to significant casualties and destruction in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a combined death toll of 141 as of April 18, 2024. Torrential rains and flash floods have devastated large areas, resulting in extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the UAE was struck by an exceptional weather event, with record-breaking rainfall reaching up to 254.8 mm (10 inches) in Al Ain, surpassing the country’s annual average in less than 24 hours. The National Centre of Meteorology (NMC) issued a red alert as the rains caused significant flooding, traffic disruptions, and at least one death in Dubai. This severe weather follows similar impacts in neighboring Oman, where 19 fatalities were reported.
