Friday, December 20News That Matters

Tag: assam floods

Historic Flooding in Spain’s Valencia Region Highlights Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Ocean Heat and Extreme Weather

Historic Flooding in Spain’s Valencia Region Highlights Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Ocean Heat and Extreme Weather

Breaking News, Disasters
Spain's Valencia region faced catastrophic flooding due to record-setting torrential rains, resulting in at least 95 deaths and massive damage to infrastructure and homes. Rainfall totals reached a staggering 20 inches (500 mm) in some areas equivalent to the region's usual annual total. This devastating event was fueled by a low-pressure system that drew on an atmospheric river carrying high moisture levels from the unseasonably warm Tropical Atlantic. According to the Climate Shift Index: Ocean (CSI: Ocean), the unusually high sea surface temperatures were made up to 300 times more likely due to human-caused climate change. How Climate Change is Amplifying Ocean Heat The Climate Shift Index: Ocean, a tool grounded in peer-reviewed science and reliable data, evaluates the extent ...
Northeast Monsoon Intensifies Over Tamil Nadu: Heavy Rains Expected in Chennai and Surrounding Districts

Northeast Monsoon Intensifies Over Tamil Nadu: Heavy Rains Expected in Chennai and Surrounding Districts

Breaking News, Disasters
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Wednesday that the Northeast Monsoon is in full force over Tamil Nadu, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in certain districts, including Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kanchipuram. Over the past 24 hours, several areas in the state have already experienced significant rainfall, with five locations recording extremely heavy rains, 48 recording very heavy rains, and 21 reporting heavy rainfall. S Balachandran, Director of the Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre, confirmed that the recorded rainfall for Tamil Nadu since October 1 has reached 138 mm. A depression is currently moving towards the northwest, with expectations that it will cross the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Nellore and P...
Heavy Rains to Lash Calcutta and Coastal Bengal as Low-Pressure System Intensifies

Heavy Rains to Lash Calcutta and Coastal Bengal as Low-Pressure System Intensifies

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Calcutta experienced intermittent rain and overcast skies throughout Friday as a low-pressure system continued to gain strength over the Bay of Bengal. The city braced for heavier rainfall over the weekend, with the Met office predicting "heavy to very heavy rain" ranging from 70mm to 200mm between Friday morning and Saturday morning. By 8:30 PM on Friday, the Alipore weather station had recorded approximately 35mm of rainfall, though meteorologists cautioned that heavier downpours were still possible through Saturday. "Generally cloudy skies with heavy rain or thundershowers and one or two intense spells are expected in the next 24 hours," stated the Met forecast for the city, issued late Friday afternoon. Dark clouds loomed over Calcutta since late morning, and showers arrived i...
Assam Floods Perennial Flood Crisis and government initiative and Projects Mitigation Efforts

Assam Floods Perennial Flood Crisis and government initiative and Projects Mitigation Efforts

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Guwahati, Assam: Last year in October, after flood waters had receded in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced 54 projects aimed at mitigating the effects of swelling rivers. These initiatives, he had asserted, “would bring us close to a flood-free Assam.” Yet, as the monsoon season of 2023 unfolded, the state government finds itself struggling to protect lives and properties from the fury of the floods. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), floods have claimed over 50 lives and displaced 360,000 people this year. More than 40,000 hectares of crop area have been affected, with significant portions of Dibrugarh and Guwahati submerged. Chief Minister Sarma has recently expressed despair, attributing the floods to “geographical factors beyond the...
Heavy Rainfall Brings Relief and Flooding: IMD Warns of More Rain in July

Heavy Rainfall Brings Relief and Flooding: IMD Warns of More Rain in July

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Heavy rainfall across large parts of India has compensated for the June deficit, bringing the overall monsoon precipitation into the surplus category. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), more spells of heavy to very heavy rain are likely over northwest India and the western parts of peninsular India during the next two to three days and over the northeast during the next five days. India, the world's top producer of critical crops such as rice, wheat, and sugarcane, logged a rainfall deficit of 11 percent in June, with northwest India recording a shortfall of 33 percent. However, heavy rain in the first week of July has compensated for the shortfall but has also caused flooding in many northeastern states. Since the four-month monsoon season began on June 1, the c...
Floods in Assam Claim Six Lives in 24 Hours: Desperate Search for Missing Boy Continues

Floods in Assam Claim Six Lives in 24 Hours: Desperate Search for Missing Boy Continues

Breaking News, Disasters
Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam has taken a dire turn, claiming six lives over the past 24 hours. In Guwahati, the state's largest city, the relentless search for eight-year-old Abhinash Sarkar continues. Abhinash slipped into a flooded drain three days ago, and his father, Hiralal Sarkar, has not given up hope. Armed with an iron rod, Hiralal has been tirelessly searching the sewage, but has only managed to find his son's slippers. Displaying the pair, he lamented, "I have been searching with an iron rod and have managed to find my son's sandals. I possibly cannot find him with the rod. The government has the machinery, they must find my boy." Hiralal handed over the slippers to the police for verification. Abhinash had slipped from his father's scooter and fallen into the drain...
Assam Floods Devastate Communities 52 Dead And Thousands Homeless Amid Grim Situation

Assam Floods Devastate Communities 52 Dead And Thousands Homeless Amid Grim Situation

Breaking News, Disasters
The flood situation in Assam has escalated dramatically over the past 24 hours, claiming the lives of 52 people and displacing several thousand residents, according to a various report. With over 24 lakh people affected across 30 out of the state's 35 districts, Assam is grappling with the second wave of floods this season, which has wreaked havoc on lives, infrastructure, and agriculture. Jubbar Ali, a resident of Barpeta district, recounted the heartbreaking loss of his home due to erosion a month ago, forcing his family including his wife, two daughters, and ailing mother to seek shelter in a makeshift tent at a relief camp. "Almost 500 families in Rowmari Pathar area have lost their lands due to constant erosion and floods every year," Ali lamented, urging the government to interven...
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Chairs High-Level Meeting on Flood Preparedness and Management

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Chairs High-Level Meeting on Flood Preparedness and Management

Breaking News, Disasters
Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened a high-level meeting on Sunday to evaluate the nation's preparedness for flood management and to develop long-term strategies to mitigate the recurring menace of floods in India. The session focused on reviewing previous actions and integrating new technologies for improved flood management. During the meeting, Shah assessed the progress made on the decisions from a similar meeting held last year. He examined the adoption of new technologies by various agencies and the expansion of their networks for flood management. Emphasizing the importance of innovation, Shah highlighted the need for the optimal use of satellite imagery from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to enhance flood and water management efforts. The home minister review...
Assam 2024 Floods Updates: Over 161,000 people Affected, Relief Work Underway for Thousands

Assam 2024 Floods Updates: Over 161,000 people Affected, Relief Work Underway for Thousands

Breaking News, Disasters
Guwahati: More than 30 people have died and more than 1.61 lakhs people have been affected in 15 districts due to severe floods in Assam. A landslide in Badarpur area of ​​Karimganj district killed five people, including a woman and her three daughters, as well as a three-year-old boy. The landslide happened in Gaynachora village on Tuesday night. The landslide death toll in Assam has risen to over 30 since Cyclone Remal hit the state in May. Karimganj Superintendent of Police Partha Protim Das says “At 12.45 last night, information was received about a landslide in Gainachora village (Bendargool) under Badarpur police station. After receiving the information, the officer-in-charge of Badarpur police station along with his staff and SDRF personnel rushed to the spot and conducted a r...