1 dead, 7 injured after tornado rips through Louisiana parish, USA
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A tornado ripped through a portion of Louisiana early Saturday morning causing extensive damage and leaving at least one person dead and seven others injured, officials said.
Seven people were taken to hospitals and multiple other victims were treated on scene, KLFY reported. Search and rescue crews were still assessing the area for other victims.
The storm caused extensive damage to homes and vehicles. A trailer from a truck was in the middle of a road and other vehicles were flipped over, KLFY reported.
Jose Antonio Higareda, 27, was killed when the tornado hit the home where he was living with 130 to 140 mph winds, The Advocate reported.
Courtesy of fox23.com
Madrid Paralysed’ by Heavy Snow Storms as Roads shut and Madrid Airport forced to Suspend Operations
Madrid Paralysed’ by Heavy Snow Storms as Roads shut and Madrid Airport forced to Suspend Operations.
The very heavy snow fall that was forecast by AEMET, the Spanish meteorological service, has tonight struck Spain’s capital Madrid.
Storm Filomena has kept all of Spain, except Melilla, on alert for intense cold, wind, rain and snow. The storm is affecting some 406 roads throughout Spain, 42 of them on the main network, according to an update by the General Directorate of Traffic. In addition, the secondary road network, 41, is on the black level, that means it is impassable and more than 200 roads are on the red level, with heavy vehicles now obligated to wear snow chains.
So far, up to 7:00 pm, there have been three flight diversions, one in Malaga, another in Córdoba and another in Tenerife North, and nine cancellations at Ceuta heliport.
In the capital, the M-30 ring road between the north junction and the Manoteras junction and the M-40 is cut into a small section. In this second route, snow chains are mandatory in the 60 kilometres of its journey.
The Community emergency service recommends not using private vehicles and reminds everyone of the obligation to use chains on their cars after ten at night. Also on the main network, the passage of traffic is completely interrupted in three kilometres in both directions of the CM-40 and another of the CM-42 as it passes through Toledo.
Courtesy of euroweeklynews.com
Heavy snow hits parts of the UK as police warn drivers to take care
Heavy snow has hit parts of the UK today, including in the West Midlands and the Cotswolds, as police warned people to take care due to delays on the roads.
There were reports of snow falling in counties such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire as well as in Birmingham and Stourbridge, and lighter dustings as far south as Devon.
Gloucestershire Police tweeted: “Heavy snow is starting to fall in the rural parts of the county. This will cause delays on the roads. Only go out if it is essential to do so.
“We are receiving a number of reports of snow around the county causing disruption, particularly in the Forest of Dean and the A417 around Birdlip. Please stay safe and avoid all unnecessary travel.”
Staffordshire Police also warned of “serious disruption”, with several roads in the area impassable.
Snow and ice warnings remain in place for much of the UK today as a cold snap bites in the aftermath of Storm Bella.
It comes as around 90 flood warnings are still in force in England, along with about 160 less serious flood alerts.
Snow had already fallen in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, including in the Peak District in Derbyshire, on Sunday.
The Met Office has issued a yellow “be aware” warning for snow and ice on Monday until 6pm in London, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Southampton and West Berkshire, as well as Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
The warning said: “Further rain, sleet and snow is likely at times this afternoon. For many, this will not settle on roads.
“However, 1 to 3cm is possible in a few places, mainly on high ground above 200 metres where some icy surfaces are also possible. The rain, sleet and snow will clear steadily southwards by early evening.”
The forecasters’ advice warns of the potential for injuries from icy surfaces and delays to trains and road transport.
There has also been a new yellow warning issued for snow and ice covering much of the country from 6pm today to 10am on Tuesday.
The Met Office said: “Ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces during Monday night, especially where showers move well inland.
“Some of the showers will be wintry and could produce 2 to 5cm of lying snow above 250 metres, mostly over the Pennines and North York Moors where up to 10cm is possible.
“Elsewhere, most places will see little or no snow, but a slight covering of a centimetre or so is possible in a few places.”
Large swathes of London, the Midlands, the South, the South West, plus the east of England and Wales have also been warned that snow and ice could hit on Wednesday and Thursday.
The chilly temperatures follow several days of extreme weather over the Christmas period, which saw severe flooding in parts of southern England before Storm Bella arrived on Boxing Day, with winds of more than 100mph.
Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: “There will be wintry showers around eastern and southeastern counties of England, although the area of more persistent wintry weather moving southwards over central, southern and southwest England is more of a concern.
“Some snow is likely through the morning there, especially over Salisbury Plain, the Mendips and the Cotswolds.
“Some places will miss the showers and see some good sunny spells but everywhere will feel cold, particularly in the brisk winds in the west.”
Further into the week and towards the New Year, the Met Office says conditions will remain cold with sunshine and the possibility of wintry showers.
As of 12pm on Monday, 88 flood warnings remained in place across England calling for immediate action as flooding was expected, alongside 162 flood alerts.
Parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire have been badly affected, with some people forced to evacuate their homes due to the floods.
There were also some flood warnings and alerts in Wales.
Courtesy of Sky News
Landslide knocks north Taiwan railway line out for 4 days
Rocks fallen on the railway line between Taipei City and the east coast might take four days to be removed, Transportation Minister Lin Chia-long (林佳龍) said Friday (Dec. 4).
Days of heavy rain are believed to have caused the landslide, which came one day after the fallout from a previous landslip was cleared. The latest rockslide occurred between Ruifang and Houtong in New Taipei City, CNA reported.
The area houses several popular tourist attractions, including a goldmine museum, the cat-friendly village of Houtong, the mountain town of Jiufen, rivers and hiking trails. The railway line also connects Taipei City with the northeastern coastal county of Yilan and the east coast beyond.
Nobody was injured during the landslide, but as damage occurred over an area of 3,800 square meters, it will take three days to remove all the rocks and mud, with one additional day necessary to repair tracks and cables, the minister wrote on his Facebook page.
The disaster caused travel problems for an estimated 20,000 passengers on Friday alone, CNA reported. Trains heading to the area from the west coast and from Taipei had to turn back at Ruifang.
Meanwhile, those coming up the East Coast from Taitung, Hualien and Yilan did not ride further than Houtong, Lin said. The interruption in services caused long lines at Hualien station for travelers wanting to cancel their train trips and buy bus tickets instead.
With the weekend ahead, the minister added he was asking bus companies to rearrange their routes and schedules to try and make up for the temporary loss of the railway line. At least one domestic airline said it would increase the frequency of its flights between Taipei and Taitung.
Courtesy of taiwannews.com.tw
At least 10 dead and around 30 injured after ‘tour bus’ plummets off 50ft bridge
At least 10 people have died after a bus fell from a bridge in Brazil.
The vehicle, thought to be a tour bus, is believed have fallen from a height of 50ft (15m) near a railway line in Brazil’s municipality of Joao Monlevade at about 1.30pm.
Emergency services are currently at the scene, with at least 30 people reportedly injured, the Daily Star reports.
It is yet unknown how many people were on board the bus but authorities said not all passengers have been rescued yet.
A truck may also have been involved in the collision.
The wounded are currently being taken to regional hospitals.
Minas Gerais Fire Department spokesman Pedro Aihara told CNN: “There is no information on the itinerary. Not all (the victims) have been rescued yet.”
Last month, a packed bus crashed into a truck in Brazil and killed at least 41 people including dozens of textile workers, Yahoo Noticias reported.
Pictures of the fatal incident on the outskirts of Taguai, 347 km west of Sao Paulo, at around 7am on Wednesday morning were by G1 GloboNews.
Firefighters told the media outlet that at least 40 employees from a textile company were travelling on the bus.
São Paulo Military Police spokesman Lieutenant Alexandre Guedes said the location of the crash made it hard for emergency services to get to.
Survivors who came out of the collision with serious injuries were rushed to several different hospitals in the region for urgent medical attention, according to local officials.
The Taguai City Hall, in the interior of São Paulo, declared an official three-day mourning period for the region.
Firefighters and the Highway Police of Piraju (SP) which is the largest city in the Taguai region, responded to the incident.
Minas Gerais Fire Department spokesman Pedro Aihara told CNN: “There is no information on the itinerary. Not all (the victims) have been rescued yet.”
Courtesy of mirror.co.uk
Plane makes emergency landing on Minnesota interstate by award-winning pilot
The pilot of a small plane that made an emergency landing on a Minnesota interstate Wednesday was identified as an award-winning member of the U.S. aerobatics flying team. The single-engine Bellanca Viking plane landed and hit a vehicle, temporarily closing part of the highway Wednesday night in the St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, officials said. The pilot has been identified as 52-year-old Craig Gifford, a Minneapolis resident and competitive aerobatic pilot. Gifford represented the United States in international competition in 2017 and 2019 on the Unlimited Aerobatic Team. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation and Safety Board are investigating.
Courtesy of wqow.com
Tornadoes hit northern parts of Turkish Cyprus, damage power grid
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Tornadoes hit the Girne (Kyrenia) district of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) late Friday, inflicting significant damage on businesses, homes and the power grid.
Coastal settlements of Ozanköy, Çatalköy, Karşıyaka and Lapta Hotels Region were particularly damaged with strong winds ripping off rooftops, trees and power lines. Three people were slightly wounded due to falling objects.
The Teknecik Power Plant, the main electricity plant of the TRNC, was also affected as a transformer blew up, causing blackouts in the town of Girne and adjacent settlements.
President Ersin Tatar visited the affected areas on Friday and pledged to help those who suffered losses.
Authorities resumed efforts early Saturday to assess the damage and clean up the debris.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Saturday in a Twitter message that Turkey will continue to stand by the TRNC to overcome the damage, offering his condolences.
Tornadoes are a rare phenomenon in the Mediterranean basin, however, they have increased both in number and strength in recent years with experts pointing to adverse effects of climate change and global warming.
Courtesy of dailysabah.com
Freak weather triggers state of emergency in Russia’s Far East, with freezing ice rain & plummeting temperatures
Strong winds and ice cold downpours have struck the city of Vladivostok in the Far East of Russia, leaving thousands without power, electricity and running water. The local government has officially declared a natural disaster.
As many as 120,000 homes were initially affected and, as of Friday, more than 1,500 households in the area were reportedly still cut off from the grid, with many having also lost their central heating. Although temperatures remained comparatively mild, at -1 degree Celsius, the combination of heavy snowfall and high-speed gales disrupted infrastructure and even caused damage to buildings.
In viral footage shared widely on Thursday, Alexander Zhuk, a Vladivostok native, narrowly escaped being crushed by a giant slab of concrete that fell onto his car, which he had been de-icing. He was later pictured next to the written-off vehicle, drinking a beer and celebrating his lucky escape.
The incident underlines concerns from the city’s residents that the fresh snow and freezing temperatures are taking their toll on the older high-rise residential blocks that are a staple in many Far Eastern cities. Some locals also woke up to find their cars virtually entirely frozen by sweeping ice rain that fell across the region overnight.
The Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper published disturbing images on Friday that purport to show the “first fatality” from the weather, with a body laying in the snow in one of Vladivostok’s parks. Local authorities have since confirmed that the man was a 60-year-old of no fixed address. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
A state of emergency has been in place across the region since Thursday, and temporary shelters offering food, warmth and psychological support have been set up for those unable to stay at home. Authorities warn that conditions could continue to worsen. In the longer-term, scientists warn that extreme weather could become more and more frequent as a side effect of climate change.
Courtesy of rt.com
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