Coffee crops die in Vietnam, Thai rice yield shrinks
A dried-out canal in Nakhon Sawan province, north of Bangkok. Widespread drought and sweltering heat have left much of Thailand as well as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in dire need of water for both crops and residents.PHOTO: REUTERS
25
April, 2016
Much
of central and north-eastern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam's
Mekong Delta rice bowl, temperatures are soaring into the 40s, and
are likely to stay there until around the middle of next month.
A
second year of summer drought has been exacerbated by the El Nino
effect. On Friday, Thailand's meteorological office said a heatwave
late this month or early next month would push temperatures to 43 deg
C or 44 deg C.
Vietnam's
coffee growers have suffered, as have Thailand's rice farmers. But
while a supply dip could raise coffee prices, rice prices might not
be affected, analysts say.
Scientists
say the good news is the El Nino effect will start fading towards the
end of next month and annual monsoon rains will begin.
Meanwhile,
in village after village, water tanks are dry, grass has withered and
the ground is baked and cracked underfoot.
In
some villages in north-eastern Thailand, there has been no running
water for weeks, and local fire brigades have been pressed into
service to bring water from kilometres away. In many places here, for
the second year running, there has been no second rice crop.
How
bad the impact of the drought will be on agricultural output - not
just of rice in Vietnam and Thailand but of commodities such as
coffee in Vietnam - is still uncertain.
"This
is not stopping here. It's going to get worse and worse," says
Ms Rolan Colieng, 28, as she looks at her coffee farm in Vietnam's
Central Highlands, where the family has had to cut down swathes of
dried-out coffee trees.
Her
family is part of of the K'Ho ethnic minority group, which has grown
coffee for four generations, and has culled 500 trees. The
community's 50ha of coffee usually yield 100 tonnes per season but
might provide only half of that this year, she estimates. Blackouts
happen twice a week on average because nearby dams that produce the
hydro-power have seen reservoirs dry up.
Down
south in the delta, rice output was down by 200,000 tonnes in the
winter-spring season compared with the same period last year, for a
total of 11 million tonnes, says Mr Bui Chi Buu, a senior researcher
at the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam.
Losses
from the drought rose to nearly US$250 million (S$339 million) after
coffee, fruit and vegetable and cash crops, as well as 4,500ha of
aquaculture farms, were destroyed, Vietnam's Central Steering
Committee on Natural Disasters Prevention said this month.
This
is the worst drought in a century, Mr Buu tells The Straits Times.
Some 167,000ha of rice and tens of thousands of hectares of coffee
have been affected by drought and salinity, with the Central
Highlands - home to many of Vietnam's ethnic minorities - being the
worst hit.
"Vietnamese
people have a proverb: 'Have a crop failure for one year, be poor for
three years'," says Mr Buu. "So this will not affect us
immediately, but in the longer term."
With
the drought having killed off coffee trees, and low yields from older
trees, which account for 35 per cent of the total, Vietnam's coffee
exports could shrink by 25 per cent this year to one million tonnes,
Mr Luong Van Tu, the chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa
Association, told Reuters this month. Tighter supply from Vietnam
could see global coffee prices going up.
In
Thailand, Mr Vichai Sriprasert, the president and chief executive of
exporter Riceland International, estimates that the second rice
crop could suffer a 30 per cent fall in output.
It
is a close estimate, says Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn, a
distinguished fellow of the Thailand Development Research Institute
Foundation, a local think-tank.
But
the second rice crop is only part of Thailand's output, he
emphasises. Even though there is not yet enough data to conclusively
establish the impact of the drought, the main crop yield last year
came to 23.5 million tonnes, while the dry season or second crop
yield was 5.4 million tonnes.
This
year, the main crop yield is forecast to be up to 25.2 million tonnes
- and the second crop should go down to around 3.9 million tonnes,
says Dr Nipon.
Thailand
is not in danger of experiencing a rice supply shortage, given that
it still has some 13 million tonnes of old rice in warehouses, Mr
Vichai notes.
The
second crop yield has never been this low, he says. Yet, world rice
prices, which have been low, will remain low, he predicts - because
demand is also down, amid an uncertain global economic environment.
A dried-out canal in Nakhon Sawan province, north of Bangkok. Widespread drought and sweltering heat have left much of Thailand as well as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in dire need of water for both crops and residents.PHOTO: REUTERS
25
April, 2016
Much
of central and north-eastern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam's
Mekong Delta rice bowl, temperatures are soaring into the 40s, and
are likely to stay there until around the middle of next month.
A
second year of summer drought has been exacerbated by the El Nino
effect. On Friday, Thailand's meteorological office said a heatwave
late this month or early next month would push temperatures to 43 deg
C or 44 deg C.
Vietnam's
coffee growers have suffered, as have Thailand's rice farmers. But
while a supply dip could raise coffee prices, rice prices might not
be affected, analysts say.
Scientists
say the good news is the El Nino effect will start fading towards the
end of next month and annual monsoon rains will begin.
Meanwhile,
in village after village, water tanks are dry, grass has withered and
the ground is baked and cracked underfoot.
In
some villages in north-eastern Thailand, there has been no running
water for weeks, and local fire brigades have been pressed into
service to bring water from kilometres away. In many places here, for
the second year running, there has been no second rice crop.
How
bad the impact of the drought will be on agricultural output - not
just of rice in Vietnam and Thailand but of commodities such as
coffee in Vietnam - is still uncertain.
"This
is not stopping here. It's going to get worse and worse," says
Ms Rolan Colieng, 28, as she looks at her coffee farm in Vietnam's
Central Highlands, where the family has had to cut down swathes of
dried-out coffee trees.
Her
family is part of of the K'Ho ethnic minority group, which has grown
coffee for four generations, and has culled 500 trees. The
community's 50ha of coffee usually yield 100 tonnes per season but
might provide only half of that this year, she estimates. Blackouts
happen twice a week on average because nearby dams that produce the
hydro-power have seen reservoirs dry up.
Down
south in the delta, rice output was down by 200,000 tonnes in the
winter-spring season compared with the same period last year, for a
total of 11 million tonnes, says Mr Bui Chi Buu, a senior researcher
at the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam.
Losses
from the drought rose to nearly US$250 million (S$339 million) after
coffee, fruit and vegetable and cash crops, as well as 4,500ha of
aquaculture farms, were destroyed, Vietnam's Central Steering
Committee on Natural Disasters Prevention said this month.
This
is the worst drought in a century, Mr Buu tells The Straits Times.
Some 167,000ha of rice and tens of thousands of hectares of coffee
have been affected by drought and salinity, with the Central
Highlands - home to many of Vietnam's ethnic minorities - being the
worst hit.
"Vietnamese
people have a proverb: 'Have a crop failure for one year, be poor for
three years'," says Mr Buu. "So this will not affect us
immediately, but in the longer term."
With
the drought having killed off coffee trees, and low yields from older
trees, which account for 35 per cent of the total, Vietnam's coffee
exports could shrink by 25 per cent this year to one million tonnes,
Mr Luong Van Tu, the chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa
Association, told Reuters this month. Tighter supply from Vietnam
could see global coffee prices going up.
In
Thailand, Mr Vichai Sriprasert, the president and chief executive of
exporter Riceland International, estimates that the second rice
crop could suffer a 30 per cent fall in output.
It
is a close estimate, says Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn, a
distinguished fellow of the Thailand Development Research Institute
Foundation, a local think-tank.
But
the second rice crop is only part of Thailand's output, he
emphasises. Even though there is not yet enough data to conclusively
establish the impact of the drought, the main crop yield last year
came to 23.5 million tonnes, while the dry season or second crop
yield was 5.4 million tonnes.
This
year, the main crop yield is forecast to be up to 25.2 million tonnes
- and the second crop should go down to around 3.9 million tonnes,
says Dr Nipon.
Thailand
is not in danger of experiencing a rice supply shortage, given that
it still has some 13 million tonnes of old rice in warehouses, Mr
Vichai notes.
The
second crop yield has never been this low, he says. Yet, world rice
prices, which have been low, will remain low, he predicts - because
demand is also down, amid an uncertain global economic environment.
Indian heat wave: Death toll tops 300 as temperatures push 50C with morethan 330 million struggling with severe drought.
Photo
learningenglish.voanews.com
- It
could be the deadliest heatwave in world history.
- It's
still only April...With the hottest months to come!
- Hottest
April temperatures ever recorded and the mercury is still rising!
- More
than 300 deaths and another 80 killed by fires....
With
temperatures now pushing 50C (122F) with high humidity and the death
toll rising rapidly, the heat wave in parts of India has now reached
heat levels a human body cannot function and begins to break
down.
The
sizzling heat wave has claimed more than 300 lives in India, and
officials have forbidden daytime cooking in some areas to prevent
fires that have killed nearly 80 others.
The
eastern state of Bihar banned cooking between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. after
accidental fires exacerbated by dry, hot and windy weather swept
through shantytowns and thatched-roof houses in villages and killed
79 people.
People
are also barred from burning spent crops or holding fire rituals as
part of Hindu religious practice.
Photo
youthkiawaaz.com
Disaster
management official Vyas, who goes by one name, said Friday that
anyone who violates the orders could face up to a year in jail.
At
least 300 people have died of heat-related illness this month, as
more than 330 million are also struggling with severe drought.
Three
weeks into April and Ananthapuram is burning under an intolerable
heat wave with daily temperatures touching 44 degrees Celsius, making
it one of the hottest places in the country, according to private
weather forecaster Skymet.
Step
out around 11 am and you feel you are being physically assaulted by
the heat, a steady stream of scorching blows raining all over your
body.
While
it is unsurprising that people are collapsing in this heat, the
tragedy lies in the fact that if adequate precautions are taken,
heatstroke deaths like Gopal's and Venkataiah's are preventable,
according to experts, unlike in other natural calamities such as
earthquakes and floods.
This
is the second consecutive year southern India has suffered from a
deadly heat wave, after some 2,500 people died in scorching
temperatures last year.
Photo
learningenglish.voanews.com
- It could be the deadliest heatwave in world history.
- It's still only April...With the hottest months to come!
- Hottest April temperatures ever recorded and the mercury is still rising!
- More than 300 deaths and another 80 killed by fires....
With
temperatures now pushing 50C (122F) with high humidity and the death
toll rising rapidly, the heat wave in parts of India has now reached
heat levels a human body cannot function and begins to break
down.
The
sizzling heat wave has claimed more than 300 lives in India, and
officials have forbidden daytime cooking in some areas to prevent
fires that have killed nearly 80 others.
The
eastern state of Bihar banned cooking between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. after
accidental fires exacerbated by dry, hot and windy weather swept
through shantytowns and thatched-roof houses in villages and killed
79 people.
People
are also barred from burning spent crops or holding fire rituals as
part of Hindu religious practice.
Photo
youthkiawaaz.com
|
Disaster
management official Vyas, who goes by one name, said Friday that
anyone who violates the orders could face up to a year in jail.
At
least 300 people have died of heat-related illness this month, as
more than 330 million are also struggling with severe drought.
Three
weeks into April and Ananthapuram is burning under an intolerable
heat wave with daily temperatures touching 44 degrees Celsius, making
it one of the hottest places in the country, according to private
weather forecaster Skymet.
Step
out around 11 am and you feel you are being physically assaulted by
the heat, a steady stream of scorching blows raining all over your
body.
While
it is unsurprising that people are collapsing in this heat, the
tragedy lies in the fact that if adequate precautions are taken,
heatstroke deaths like Gopal's and Venkataiah's are preventable,
according to experts, unlike in other natural calamities such as
earthquakes and floods.
This
is the second consecutive year southern India has suffered from a
deadly heat wave, after some 2,500 people died in scorching
temperatures last year.
Up South: Kerala Declared As A Drought Hit State
Kerala decided to approach the Centre to declare it 'drought hit' as Malampuzha in Kerala's Palakaad district recorded the highest temperature of 41.7 degrees Celsius in the state for the third consecutive day. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard and also asked the Centre to relax its conditions and guidelines to declare the state as drought hit. A high-level meeting convened by the Chief Minister had decided to ask the Centre to declare the state drought hit early in the day. The worst affected districts are Palakkad, Kollam, and Kasarkod.
Kerala decided to approach the Centre to declare it 'drought hit' as Malampuzha in Kerala's Palakaad district recorded the highest temperature of 41.7 degrees Celsius in the state for the third consecutive day. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard and also asked the Centre to relax its conditions and guidelines to declare the state as drought hit. A high-level meeting convened by the Chief Minister had decided to ask the Centre to declare the state drought hit early in the day. The worst affected districts are Palakkad, Kollam, and Kasarkod.
Fear mounts as heat wave envelops India
With few people having access to air conditioning, the high temperatures may become increasingly hazardous.
21
April,2016
Temperatures
in many parts of the country are well above average, with some places
reporting temperatures more than 5C higher than would be expected at
this time of the year.
The
heat is now being blamed for the death of more than 100 people and
fears are rising that this could turn into a major catastrophe.
The
only guarantee of the end of the high temperatures is the start of
the monsoon, but these important rains are not scheduled until the
beginning of June.
If
the temperatures remain above average until then, this could turn
into a major humanitarian crisis.
Last
year 2,500 people died in a heat wave which gripped the country in
May.
It
was India’s second deadliest heat wave, and temperatures remained
nearly 10C above average for nearly two weeks, before the monsoon
rains brought relief.
This
year, there are concerns that the heat could remain for far longer.
Globally
heat waves are one of the largest causes of weather-related deaths.
The
situation is particularly hazardous if the temperatures do not drop
during the night, because this would normally be when the body would
recover from the heat.
The
situation in India is exacerbated because many people do not have
access to air-conditioning. Electric fans can only provide relief if
temperatures are below 35C, and they have also been shown to
accelerate dehydration.
In
addition, after two years of below-average monsoon rains, some parts
of the country are facing a crippling drought. This puts some
residents at risk of severe heat stress as they lug heavy containers
of water from the nearest well.
With
no end to the heat wave in sight, the hot weather continues to take
its toll on the residents of India.
21
April,2016
Temperatures
in many parts of the country are well above average, with some places
reporting temperatures more than 5C higher than would be expected at
this time of the year.
The
heat is now being blamed for the death of more than 100 people and
fears are rising that this could turn into a major catastrophe.
The
only guarantee of the end of the high temperatures is the start of
the monsoon, but these important rains are not scheduled until the
beginning of June.
If
the temperatures remain above average until then, this could turn
into a major humanitarian crisis.
Last
year 2,500 people died in a heat wave which gripped the country in
May.
It
was India’s second deadliest heat wave, and temperatures remained
nearly 10C above average for nearly two weeks, before the monsoon
rains brought relief.
This
year, there are concerns that the heat could remain for far longer.
Globally
heat waves are one of the largest causes of weather-related deaths.
The
situation is particularly hazardous if the temperatures do not drop
during the night, because this would normally be when the body would
recover from the heat.
The
situation in India is exacerbated because many people do not have
access to air-conditioning. Electric fans can only provide relief if
temperatures are below 35C, and they have also been shown to
accelerate dehydration.
In
addition, after two years of below-average monsoon rains, some parts
of the country are facing a crippling drought. This puts some
residents at risk of severe heat stress as they lug heavy containers
of water from the nearest well.
With
no end to the heat wave in sight, the hot weather continues to take
its toll on the residents of India.
Sri Lanka Feels the Heat
Parched
soil on a field in Sri Lanka, which could face another cycle of
drought and floods. Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS.
COLOMBO,
Feb 28 2014 (IPS) -
Sri Lanka is heading into a major crisis under extreme heat, as the
rains stay away. Fears are growing of power cuts and interruption to
the water supply because reservoir levels are running scarily low.
By
the third week of February, the Ceylon Electricity Board said it was
relying on expensive thermal generators for 76 percent of the
country’s power supply.
Around
August 2012, extended dry weather almost dried up hydro-reservoirs.
The country spent over two billion dollars to import furnace oil. The
drought impacted over a million persons, according to the Sri Lanka
Red Cross.
The
2012 dry spell was followed by heavy rains that allowed hydro-power
to gain lost ground last year. That vicious cycle could be repeating
itself.
Central
Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said last week that changing
climate patterns have had a serious impact on the country’s
fortunes. “Sri Lanka also is impacted by climate change in the form
of droughts, floods and other natural disasters. We take these
matters into consideration when framing monetary policy,” he said
during a live Twitter interaction.
According
to experts, power supply and the vital paddy harvest are likely to be
hit if the rains stay away for longer.
Asoka
Abeygunawardana, executive director of the Sri Lanka Energy Forum and
Advisor to the Ministry of Technology, told IPS that Sri Lanka’s
power supply was too dependent on hydro-power or on costly coal and
furnace oil.
“We
are too reliant on these sources; one can be unpredictable while the
other two can be quite expensive,” he said.
In
a normal year Sri Lanka looks to harvest half of its power supply
through hydro and the remainder through a combination of coal furnace
oil and a negligible content of renewable sources. When the rains
fail, as they have now, there is no alternative but to turn to more
coal and oil.
Abeygunawardana,
who is also a board member of the Climate Action Network South Asia,
a grouping of over 100 civil society groups that studies climate
change and impact, told IPS that Sri Lanka should look at investing
more in renewable energy sources. Sri Lanka’s future energy policy
is skewed towards coal, which Abeygunawardana said is expensive and
polluting.
He
advocates wind and solar use which could be cheaper in the long run
despite the initial high expenses.
“We
get sunlight and wind
both free of charge all year round, making
running costs quite cheap. In the event of a drought, the strong sun
will naturally fill the gap created by lack of water.”
The
other important factor is managing the meagre water resources that
feed both the power supply and the vast rice fields.
There
is some level of dialogue that takes place between government
agencies r
eliant on reservoirs like the Department of Irrigation, and
the Electricity Board. But Abeygunawardana said that these
discussions lacked scientific basis and planning.
“These
agencies have to come up with a process where the release of water is
integrated and not done at the wish of one agency.”
Such
policy changes are vital given the potential impact the scorching
heat is packing. The current dry spell is likely to reduce the main
rice harvest by seven to 10 percent, according to the Department of
Agriculture. Sri Lanka’s main cash crop, tea, is also likely to get
hit with rising temperatures reducing leaf quality.
Riza
Yehiya, a climate risk management specialist, warned that policy
makers are still not taking shifting climate patterns and their
impact seriously. “Current spell of extreme heat experienced in Sri
Lanka is considered a passing cloud. It is not discernible to those
in power and decision making in their air-conditioned chambers,” he
told IPS.
He
said that discussions were taking place at policy level but what was
lacking was adaptation and implementation on the ground level. “In
a practical sense, making society climate change resilient requires
putting the society almost on a war footing to prepare them to
proactively respond.”
Water
management is one area where experts say the country’s policy
makers need to show urgent attention. Irrigated water for
farming is provided free in Sri Lanka but officials at the Department
of Agriculture complain that it is almost impossible to get farmers
to use water sparingly or to shift to more climate resistant crop
varieties.
Yehiya
said that people’s behaviour from watering plants to washing their
cars or how they used electricity needs an overhaul.
hange the behaviour of
people, their societies and economies to reduce their carbon
footprint, and enable them to live sustainably without affecting the
natural eco-system.”
No
such seismic shift is in sight. The country is still facing each new
climate threat in isolation, without linking the dots.
COLOMBO,
Feb 28 2014 (IPS) -
Sri Lanka is heading into a major crisis under extreme heat, as the
rains stay away. Fears are growing of power cuts and interruption to
the water supply because reservoir levels are running scarily low.
By
the third week of February, the Ceylon Electricity Board said it was
relying on expensive thermal generators for 76 percent of the
country’s power supply.
Around
August 2012, extended dry weather almost dried up hydro-reservoirs.
The country spent over two billion dollars to import furnace oil. The
drought impacted over a million persons, according to the Sri Lanka
Red Cross.
The
2012 dry spell was followed by heavy rains that allowed hydro-power
to gain lost ground last year. That vicious cycle could be repeating
itself.
Central
Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said last week that changing
climate patterns have had a serious impact on the country’s
fortunes. “Sri Lanka also is impacted by climate change in the form
of droughts, floods and other natural disasters. We take these
matters into consideration when framing monetary policy,” he said
during a live Twitter interaction.
According
to experts, power supply and the vital paddy harvest are likely to be
hit if the rains stay away for longer.
Asoka
Abeygunawardana, executive director of the Sri Lanka Energy Forum and
Advisor to the Ministry of Technology, told IPS that Sri Lanka’s
power supply was too dependent on hydro-power or on costly coal and
furnace oil.
“We
are too reliant on these sources; one can be unpredictable while the
other two can be quite expensive,” he said.
In
a normal year Sri Lanka looks to harvest half of its power supply
through hydro and the remainder through a combination of coal furnace
oil and a negligible content of renewable sources. When the rains
fail, as they have now, there is no alternative but to turn to more
coal and oil.
Abeygunawardana,
who is also a board member of the Climate Action Network South Asia,
a grouping of over 100 civil society groups that studies climate
change and impact, told IPS that Sri Lanka should look at investing
more in renewable energy sources. Sri Lanka’s future energy policy
is skewed towards coal, which Abeygunawardana said is expensive and
polluting.
He
advocates wind and solar use which could be cheaper in the long run
despite the initial high expenses.
“We
get sunlight and wind
both free of charge all year round, making
running costs quite cheap. In the event of a drought, the strong sun
will naturally fill the gap created by lack of water.”
The
other important factor is managing the meagre water resources that
feed both the power supply and the vast rice fields.
There
is some level of dialogue that takes place between government
agencies r
eliant on reservoirs like the Department of Irrigation, and
the Electricity Board. But Abeygunawardana said that these
discussions lacked scientific basis and planning.
“These
agencies have to come up with a process where the release of water is
integrated and not done at the wish of one agency.”
Such
policy changes are vital given the potential impact the scorching
heat is packing. The current dry spell is likely to reduce the main
rice harvest by seven to 10 percent, according to the Department of
Agriculture. Sri Lanka’s main cash crop, tea, is also likely to get
hit with rising temperatures reducing leaf quality.
Riza
Yehiya, a climate risk management specialist, warned that policy
makers are still not taking shifting climate patterns and their
impact seriously. “Current spell of extreme heat experienced in Sri
Lanka is considered a passing cloud. It is not discernible to those
in power and decision making in their air-conditioned chambers,” he
told IPS.
He
said that discussions were taking place at policy level but what was
lacking was adaptation and implementation on the ground level. “In
a practical sense, making society climate change resilient requires
putting the society almost on a war footing to prepare them to
proactively respond.”
Water
management is one area where experts say the country’s policy
makers need to show urgent attention. Irrigated water for
farming is provided free in Sri Lanka but officials at the Department
of Agriculture complain that it is almost impossible to get farmers
to use water sparingly or to shift to more climate resistant crop
varieties.
Yehiya
said that people’s behaviour from watering plants to washing their
cars or how they used electricity needs an overhaul.
hange the behaviour of
people, their societies and economies to reduce their carbon
footprint, and enable them to live sustainably without affecting the
natural eco-system.”
No
such seismic shift is in sight. The country is still facing each new
climate threat in isolation, without linking the dots.
Austria'sTreasured National Resource, Its Glaciers, Are Melting Fast
Glaciers
across the country retreated an average of 72 feet in 2015, more than
twice the rate of the previous year, finds an annual survey.
The
Pasterz, the largest glacier in Austria, has declined by half since
it was first accurately measured in 1851. Credit: Bernd Thaller,
flickr
VIENNA—Nearly
all of Austria's 900 glaciers retreated last year amid record-setting
heat, according to Austrian scientists. The rapid melting mirrors a
trend across the Alps and underscores scientists' warnings of
accelerating, extreme climate impacts caused by human-caused
greenhouse gas emissions.
Across
the country, the glaciers retreated an average of 72 feet in 2015,
more than twice the rate of the previous year, the Austrian Alpine
Association said in its annual
glacier survey.
Three of the country's glaciers retreated by more than 320 feet. The
nonprofit association—which promotes mountain culture, research and
conservation— has beenconducting
detailed glacier measurements since 1927,
creating a dramatic record of climate change effects in the alpine
region.
TRAGIC: Four die in Kilimani area of Nairobi
NAIROBI A six-storey building collapsed in Nairobi's Huruma residential area late on Friday, the Kenya Red Cross said, after days of heavy rains and floods.
Three children and one adult had been rescued and taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, the aid group added on its Twitter feed.The Daily Nation newspaper reported that scores more were feared trapped. Authorities did not immediately release details on casualties in the area to the northeast of the capital.
Kenya Red Cross said 150 households had been affected by the collapse, without going into further details.
ArgentinaFloods Swamp Soy Crop; Some Must Commute by Boat
Water levels in the flooded town of Villa Paranacito have risen so much that the best way for residents to commute is by boat.
The town in eastern Argentina is one of the worst-struck by weeks of heavy rains stemming from the El Nino weather phenomenon. With streets covered by several feet of water from swollen rivers, residents are getting to schools, banks and other town services on boats, the only means of transportation.
Authorities have evacuated thousands of people across Argentina. Flood waters have reached grazing grounds, drowning livestock in the leading meat producing country. They have also swamped about a third of Argentina's soy farms, causing big losses to one of the world's top grains suppliers.
Argentina's Rural Society said Thursday that about 4 million metric tons of soy had been ruined. The losses are estimated at up to $1.3 billion.
Soybean prices at the Chicago Board of Trade fell Friday, after rising for weeks to nearly a one year-high on growing concerns about the damaged crops in Argentina, which is the world's No. 3 soy exporter.
Air temperatures in the Arctic are getting very high. Temperatures over Alaska were as high as 13.9°C or 56.9°F at 61°N and as high as 10.6°C or 51.0°F at 66.5°N on May 1, 2016.
Melbourne storm: Trees uprooted, homes damaged by out-of-season weather
The
Bureau of Meteorology said the weather was unusual for this time of
year.
Strong
winds and heavy rain lashed parts of Victoria overnight, with
hundreds of residents calling the State Emergency Service (SES) for
help.
The
SES received more than 500 calls, mainly for downed trees and
building damage in Warragul and Melbourne's east and south-east.
Most
areas received between five and 15 millimetres of rain, but up to 40
millimetres fell in the state's north-east ranges.
Winds
of about 100 kilometres per hour were recorded on the bay and in the
state's south-west.
SES
state duty officer Gerry Sheridan said the storm built up momentum as
it moved across the bay.
"The
hardest hit suburbs that we've had is Narre Warren, in the south-east
suburbs, and places like Monash, Clayton, Mount Waverley and
Chadstone," he said.
"As
the storm cell moved across the bay, it built up a little bit of
momentum. It's those populated areas รข?? the usual suspects get hit
again.
"Another
location is Lilydale. We're seeing over 50 jobs out that way as
well."
Residents
said Ashwood, in Melbourne's south-east, looked like it had been hit
by a tornado.
"The
whole street was covered in branches," local resident Lisa told
the ABC.
"The
power pole was down on one of the cars here and the SES arrived
pretty much straight after that."
Bureau
of Meteorology senior forecaster Rod Dickson said the weather was
unusual for this time of year.
"We
had a fairly active cold front combined with an upper-level trough,"
he said.
"That
produced quite widespread thunderstorm activity, which developed over
the north-west late Saturday afternoon then extended into central
parts of the state towards midnight.
"Typically
we normally see severe thunderstorm activity during the afternoon
during the warmer months."
The
front was weakening as it moved east.
Mr
Dickson said the thunderstorm activity had mostly passed.
Information
source - ABC
Hottest May night on record for 20 Queensland cities and towns
Vast
areas of Queensland have experienced the hottest May night since
records began, some of which stretch back to the 1800s.
A
very warm air mass combined with moist air and cloud cover to create
an almost balmy night, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jonty
Hall said.
From
the far northern tropics, through to the southern inland and
south-east area, at least 20 cities and towns had their records
broken.
Some
outback stations recorded temperatures 10-13 degrees Celsius above
average for the overnight temperature.
Brisbane was 8C above average.
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