"Mourn, O heavens, ... rage forth in storm, send forth great devastation - the word of Hashem." (Prophet Yirmiyahu)
A ‘Water Bomb’ of a Storm Kills 21 in Macedonia’s Capital
SKOPJE, Macedonia — A freakishly violent rainstorm that Macedonia’s top weather official called a “water bomb” ravaged Skopje during the weekend, collapsing streets, inundating vehicles and drowning trapped motorists and homeowners, most of them caught by surprise.
...Officials said the death toll could rise because many people were still missing after the storm, which hit with shocking ferocity on Saturday night.
The police, army units and firefighters rescued more than 1,000 people from the raging water that flooded streets, buildings, houses, clinics and schools. Traffic in much of the city was paralyzed.
Macedonia in state of emergency after deadly floods
A brief but intense storm pummeled New Orleans on Thursday afternoon, toppling trees and power lines and collapsing at least two abandoned houses.Sudan – Floods Leave Over 70 Dead and 16,000 Homes Destroyed
India climate: What do drowning rhinos and drought tell us?
India, indeed the whole South Asia region, has been riding a rollercoaster of extreme weather.
The summer monsoon is the most productive rain system in the world, and this year the region is experiencing a strong one. The floods it caused have affected more than 8.5 million people; more than a million are living in temporary shelters; some 300 people have been killed.
The region is awash with water. Just a few months ago, it was a very different story. The previous two monsoons were unusually weak. The result was a terrible drought in northern India, and parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh. And it was exacerbated by another extreme weather event - record heat.
India experienced its highest temperature ever this summer, a blistering 51C.
Rivers ran dry; water holes evaporated; reservoirs became dusty plains. And, once again, the statistics were staggering.
More than 300 million people were affected by water shortages - the equivalent of the entire population of the US. A city of half a million people was left completely dry. It had to rely on supplies brought in by train.
As if that weren't bad enough, in spite of the drought, the country was hit by a series of unseasonal rain and hailstorms. They caused such terrible damage to crops that some farmers were driven to suicide.
(Source: Global Disaster Watch)
Bangladesh – 42 Dead After Floods in 16 Districts
The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has reported that over 3.2 million people have been affected by flooding in Bangladesh.
10 people killed as widespread flooding hits Karachi, Pakistan
...Most of the people who died were killed by electrocution or were crushed when walls or buildings collapsed on them, according to reports by the AP news agency.
The inundation left 45 percent of the city without power. In turn, the lack of electricity affected the pumping stations, disrupting the water supply to the city.
Other parts of the Sindh province have also seen torrential rain in the last few days. ... Some parts of Sindh have already received more rain in the first week of the month than is expected in the entire month.
And there's much more here.
