Worst Weather Disasters around the world in 2015
..................................2015 saw some extreme weather stories- from drought in california to floods in chennai.....
HEAT WAVE IN INDIA
Heat waves are described as a period of extremely high temperatures as compared to normal maximum temperatures during the summer seasons according to the National Disaster Management Authority. This year in May, heat waves caused severe conditions in numerous parts of India, adversely affecting people and crops in the regions. With the temperatures rising to as high as 46 degrees Celsius, heat waves caused immense damage to life and crops.
BEIJING CHOKES ON SMOG : RED ALERT ISSUED
Schools and outdoor construction work shut down completely in Beijing as China issued its first ever serious warning over the smog build-up in the capital city on Dec. 7, 2015. A "red alert" was declared by the authorities even as the government took measures to reduce air pollution by introducing the odd-even car-number restrictions and closing some expressways. According to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the air quality index on Dec. 8 was classified as "very unhealthy." A second red alert was issued on Dec. 19 because of the worsening smog which has grown more severe since the first red alert.
CHENNAI FLOODS
In Nov. 2015, numerous regions in Southern India suffered floods due to heavy rainfall during the annual north-east monsoons causing huge damage to life and property. Large parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai and parts of Puducherry faced unfortunate spells of never- ending rain that flooded the regions and displaced many people.
AFGHANISTHAN AVALANCHES
Heavy winter snow caused avalanches in Afghanistan, killing at least 200 people and displacing hundreds. The Panjshir province, located around 100 km from Kabul, was the worst hit with numerous homes buried under the snow. Emergency rescue operations were carried out by troops who rescued people buried under the debris.
STORM DESMOND
Strong winds and heavy rains brought by Atlantic storm Desmond struck parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland on Dec. 5. Several rivers in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland reached record levels and the Met Office issued flood warnings in more than 60 areas. Rescue operation teams evacuated around 1,000 people from Hawick near the Scottish borders as the River Teviot breached its banks.
TROPICAL CYCLONE KOMEN
In July 2015, the monsoon depression over the north-east Bay of Bengal and Bangladeshi coast worsened and caused heavy downpours in regions which were already hugely affected by flash floods and landslides. A low pressure area had formed in the area which developed into the cyclonic storm named ‘Komen,’ earlier known as Tropical Storm 02B.
CHILE EARTHQUAKE
A massive 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on Sept. 16, causing around one million people across the country to be evacuated and killing at least five people. The U.S Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the quake was around 33 miles (54 km) west of Illapel, Chile. The earthquake triggered tsunami alerts and coastal evacuation.
MALAWI FLOODS
Devastating floods caused havoc in Malawi in January this year, affecting nearly a quarter of a million people and causing around 230,000 to leave their homes. According to UN sources, around 64,000 hectares (158, 147 acres) of land was damaged. The situation threatened disease and malnutrition in a country where much of the population relies on subsistence farming.
NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
A devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit Nepal, killing around 8,000 people and leaving thousands homeless. Kathmandu and other major cities were hugely damaged, destroying the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on the Mount Everest which killed at least 15 people, making it the deadliest day on Everest in history.
TYPHOON MELOR
700,000 people were evacuated as powerful Typhoon Melor slammed into the Philippines on Dec. 14.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
In Sept. 2015, a State of Emergency was declared in Lake, Napa, Amador and Calaveras counties by California Governor Jerry Brown after fires burned an estimated 65,000 acres (26, 306 hectares) of land. The Valley fire burned largely unchecked on Sept. 14 after incinerating hundreds of homes and other buildings throughout rural communities north of California's Napa Valley, leaving at least one person dead and sending tens of thousands fleeing from the flames.
DROUGHT IN CALIFORNIA
California faced one of the most severe droughts in history and a drought State of Emergency was declared in Jan. 2015. In the fourth year of drought, numerous strict measurements have been imposed including cutting down on the consumption of water in areas that have sufficient water, setting up of private wells and small water systems to tackle the situation of water shortages.
HURRICANE PATRICIA
One of the strongest tropical cyclones ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, Hurricane Patricia hit Mexico’s Pacific coast on Oct. 24. The strong winds that blew at the speed of 165 mph (266 kmph) and the heavy rains damaged houses and caused wide scale flooding and landslides.
ARGENTINA'S MELTING GLACIERS
Monitoring the effects of climate change from space, the European Space Agency (ESA) came out with a report that most of the almost 50 large glaciers in Los Glaciares, located in Argentina's Santa Cruz province, have retreated during the past fifty years due to warming temperatures.
TROPICAL STORM ERIKA
Tropical storm Erika plowed through the Caribbean islands, killing more than 20 people in late August. Causing substantial damage in Dominica, an emergency was declared in the state of Florida as a precautionary measure.
JULY 2015- THE HOTTEST MONTH IN RECORDED HISTORY
In August, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that July 2015 was the hottest month in recorded history with temperatures averaging 16.6 degrees Celsius (61.9 degrees Fahrenheit). According to NOAA, the average global temperatures (measurements of both land and ocean) in July were 1.46 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th century average.
MEXICO AND TEXAS LASHED BY DEADLY STORMS
A tornado raged through the U.S.-Mexico border on May 25, destroying dozens of homes and wrecking cars. According to the BBC, around 13 people were killed by the tornado that hit the northern Mexico border city of Ciudad Acuna. (Pictured) Residents stand outside their homes as damaged cars are seen.
"SUPER TYPHOON" MAYSAK
According to Accuweather, a Category 5 equivalent hurricane was recorded as one of the strongest cyclones in history during the months of January, February and March. It turned into a tropical storm before making landfall in the northern Philippines on March 4-5. (Pictured) The eye of typhoon Maysak snapped from the International Space Station.
Cyclone Pam batters Vanuatu
A massive cyclone left thousands of people homeless killing at least 11 people in the Pacific islands nation of Vanuatu on March 14. The storm, known as Cyclone Pam, raked across the archipelago with 155 mph (250 kph) winds destroying thousands of homes.
'MONSTER' BLIZZARD BLANKETS US
Major US cities, including New York and Philadelphia, were gravely effected as a huge snow storm hit the northeast United States in January. Thousands of flights were canceled by airlines and a state of emergency was declared in seven states — Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. (Pictured) Fishing boats ride out the storm at dock in Scituate, Massachusetts on Jan. 27.
SOURCE : MSN NEWS
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Civil Scholar is a Blog by Aravind Samala on Construction, Environment, Technology, Trends and Innovation.