Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change

According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity.

The other countries on the list are Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Nicaragua, Colombia, Myanmar and North Korea.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/climate-change-us-extreme-weather-conditions-associated-to-arctic-warming-410374">Climate change: US extreme weather conditions associated to Arctic warming</a>

The NIE on climate was put together by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversee 16 intelligence agencies on Thursday

“The IC (Intelligence Community) identified 11 countries and two regions of concern from the threat from climate change,” the report said, adding, “Building resilience in these countries and region would probably be especially helpful in mitigating future risks to US interests.”

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The report said the intelligence community assessed that these countries are likely to face “warming temperatures, more extreme weather, and disruption to ocean patterns that will threaten their energy, food, water, and health security”.

The report recommends a range of steps: doing more to monitor for floods or other disasters likely to create climate refugees, targeting US aid that can allow people to ride out droughts or storms in their own countries, and working with Congress to consider humanitarian visas and other protections for people displaced by extreme weather.

The US intelligence community also names other countries that are “comparatively more exposed and have fewer resources to adapt to climate change effects”. These countries are China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-is-a-hammer-hitting-us-on-the-head-developing-nations-say-405011">Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say</a>

In a separate fact-sheet, the White House said, “Climate change will increasingly exacerbate a number of risks to US national security interests, from physical impacts that could cascade into security challenges, to how countries respond to the climate challenge. While the IC judges that all of these risks will increase and that no country will be spared from challenges directly related to climate change.”

It also urges the creation of a task force to coordinate US&nbsp;management of climate change and migration across government, from climate scientists to aid and security officials.

Each year, hurricanes, the failure of seasonal rains and other sudden natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says.

(With inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity.

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity. The other countries on the list are Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Nicaragua, Colombia, Myanmar and North Korea. Also read | Climate change: US extreme weather conditions associated to Arctic warming The NIE on climate was put together by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversee 16 intelligence agencies on Thursday “The IC (Intelligence Community) identified 11 countries and two regions of concern from the threat from climate change,” the report said, adding, “Building resilience in these countries and region would probably be especially helpful in mitigating future risks to US interests.” Also read | Earth's 'vital signs' are worsening due to climate change, scientists warn The report said the intelligence community assessed that these countries are likely to face “warming temperatures, more extreme weather, and disruption to ocean patterns that will threaten their energy, food, water, and health security”. The report recommends a range of steps: doing more to monitor for floods or other disasters likely to create climate refugees, targeting US aid that can allow people to ride out droughts or storms in their own countries, and working with Congress to consider humanitarian visas and other protections for people displaced by extreme weather. The US intelligence community also names other countries that are “comparatively more exposed and have fewer resources to adapt to climate change effects”. These countries are China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Also read | Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say In a separate fact-sheet, the White House said, “Climate change will increasingly exacerbate a number of risks to US national security interests, from physical impacts that could cascade into security challenges, to how countries respond to the climate challenge. While the IC judges that all of these risks will increase and that no country will be spared from challenges directly related to climate change.” It also urges the creation of a task force to coordinate US management of climate change and migration across government, from climate scientists to aid and security officials. Each year, hurricanes, the failure of seasonal rains and other sudden natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. (With inputs from agencies)

India among 11 named on US ‘countries of concern’ list on climate change

Chinese authorities have issued alerts for a possible typhoon in the south, as well as for geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall in parts of the northern and western regions.

A tropical depression in the sea area southeast of Wanning, Hainan Province, is likely to move northwestward and strengthen into a typhoon on Friday, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC).

The NMC expected the typhoon to make landfall on the eastern coast of Hainan between Friday evening and Saturday morning, reports Xinhua news agency.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-will-have-to-face-more-climate-disasters-than-their-grandparents-says-study-416283">Children will have to face more climate disasters than their grandparents, says study</a>

Until Friday evening, gales and rainstorms are likely to hit areas including parts of the South China Sea, the island of Hainan and the coast of Guangdong province, the observatory said.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration on Thursday issued an alert for geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall in parts of the northern and western regions.

Authorities warned of relatively high risks of geological disasters in parts of Shanxi, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu from 8 pm. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday.

Local residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden geological dangers

Chinese authorities have issued alerts for a possible typhoon in the south, as well as for geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall in parts of the northern and western regions.

Chinese authorities have issued alerts for a possible typhoon in the south, as well as for geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall in parts of the northern and western regions. A tropical depression in the sea area southeast of Wanning, Hainan Province, is likely to move northwestward and strengthen into a typhoon on Friday, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC). The NMC expected the typhoon to make landfall on the eastern coast of Hainan between Friday evening and Saturday morning, reports Xinhua news agency. Also Read | Children will have to face more climate disasters than their grandparents, says study Until Friday evening, gales and rainstorms are likely to hit areas including parts of the South China Sea, the island of Hainan and the coast of Guangdong province, the observatory said. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration on Thursday issued an alert for geological disasters triggered by heavy rainfall in parts of the northern and western regions. Authorities warned of relatively high risks of geological disasters in parts of Shanxi, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu from 8 pm. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday. Local residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden geological dangers

China on alert for typhoon, geological disasters

Seven people were killed in a landslide triggered by torrential storms on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, authorities said, as they warned continuing rainfall could cause further ground movement on Friday.

A day after the landslide hit two adjacent houses in Padang Pariaman district on Wednesday, seven bodies were pulled out of the mud, while another person was rescued alive with broken bones.&nbsp;

"All victims have been found after we were able to use heavy equipment yesterday afternoon," local disaster mitigation agency official Rumainur, who like many Indonesians only has one name, told AFP Friday.

Authorities warned residents to stay vigilant because heavy rains in the area will continue until Saturday.&nbsp;

"Please beware of the danger of ground movement triggered by the rainfall," spokesman for National Disaster Mitigation Agency Abdul Muhari said in a Friday statement.

More than 300 houses and 80 hectares of rice field in Padang Pariaman have been inundated.&nbsp;

Strong winds also damaged houses, kiosks and vehicles, and knocked down trees. &nbsp;

One person died and four others were injured when one fell on them as they were visiting a graveyard on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Local authorities have announced a state of emergency for 14 days and opened public kitchens.&nbsp;

In the West Sumatran provincial capital Padang, more than 400 people have been evacuated after heavy rain caused flooding in the city.&nbsp;

Fatal landslides and flash floods are common across Indonesia during the rainy season, which started in September in Sumatra.

The disasters are often caused by deforestation and poor mitigation planning, according to environmentalists.

In April this year more than 200 people were killed in a cluster of far-eastern islands in Indonesia and neighbouring Timor Leste as Tropical Cyclone Seroja turned small communities into wastelands of mud and uprooted trees.

Seven people were killed in a landslide triggered by torrential storms on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, authorities said, as they warned continuing rainfall could cause further ground movement on Friday.

Seven people were killed in a landslide triggered by torrential storms on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, authorities said, as they warned continuing rainfall could cause further ground movement on Friday. A day after the landslide hit two adjacent houses in Padang Pariaman district on Wednesday, seven bodies were pulled out of the mud, while another person was rescued alive with broken bones. "All victims have been found after we were able to use heavy equipment yesterday afternoon," local disaster mitigation agency official Rumainur, who like many Indonesians only has one name, told AFP Friday. Authorities warned residents to stay vigilant because heavy rains in the area will continue until Saturday. "Please beware of the danger of ground movement triggered by the rainfall," spokesman for National Disaster Mitigation Agency Abdul Muhari said in a Friday statement. More than 300 houses and 80 hectares of rice field in Padang Pariaman have been inundated. Strong winds also damaged houses, kiosks and vehicles, and knocked down trees. One person died and four others were injured when one fell on them as they were visiting a graveyard on Wednesday. Local authorities have announced a state of emergency for 14 days and opened public kitchens. In the West Sumatran provincial capital Padang, more than 400 people have been evacuated after heavy rain caused flooding in the city. Fatal landslides and flash floods are common across Indonesia during the rainy season, which started in September in Sumatra. The disasters are often caused by deforestation and poor mitigation planning, according to environmentalists. In April this year more than 200 people were killed in a cluster of far-eastern islands in Indonesia and neighbouring Timor Leste as Tropical Cyclone Seroja turned small communities into wastelands of mud and uprooted trees.

Seven killed in Indonesia landslide

Four people got killed due to hurricane Ida in Louisiana. Louisiana and Mississippi authorities took stock of the situation.

Four people killed due to hurricane Ida in Louisiana

&nbsp;A tornado tore through the southern US&nbsp;city of Tupelo on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes and tearing down trees and power lines, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

"Emergency crews are currently assessing the degree of damage," the mayor's office said in a statement on Facebook, urging people to stay in their homes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Residents in Mississippi in US without water for weeks">Residents in Mississippi in US without water for weeks</a>

Social media images and videos showed the roofs of many homes and buildings blown away, electricity lines down and streets in the Mississippi city swamped with debris.

"This is a life-threatening situation," the national weather service wrote on Twitter. "Please take shelter in the Tupelo area."

A tornado tore through the southern US city of Tupelo on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes and tearing down trees and power lines, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

A tornado tore through the southern US city of Tupelo on Sunday, blowing the roofs off homes and tearing down trees and power lines, but there were no immediate reports of injuries. "Emergency crews are currently assessing the degree of damage," the mayor's office said in a statement on Facebook, urging people to stay in their homes. Also read: Residents in Mississippi in US without water for weeks Social media images and videos showed the roofs of many homes and buildings blown away, electricity lines down and streets in the Mississippi city swamped with debris. "This is a life-threatening situation," the national weather service wrote on Twitter. "Please take shelter in the Tupelo area."

Tornado rips through Mississippi, damages buildings, power lines

After days of the harsh winter storm in Texas, US President Joe Biden is planning to visit the state next week and declare a major disaster.

"As I said when I ran, I’m going to be a president for all Americans," he said. "If I can do it without creating a burden for folks, I plan on going."

The declaration of disaster in the state will allow the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, to claim federal aid benefits for immediate and long-term recovery efforts.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-brutal-blast-of-winter-weather-leads-to-blackouts-in-texas-364929">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-brutal-blast-of-winter-weather-leads-to-blackouts-in-texas-364929/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Biden's request for approval for the declaration of disaster has come following a request from Abbott.

The acting administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), Bob Fenton, has been asked to look into the approval process. Biden also contacted Fenton to let him know that he would approve the measure as soon as he receives the formal request from the agency.

This decision has been taken as the state of Texas has been battling the harsh winter storm from the past few days, leaving thousands of houses without any power and safe drinking water.

After days of the harsh winter storm in Texas, US President Joe Biden is planning to visit the state next week and declare a major disaster. "As I said when I ran, I’m going to be a president for all Americans," he said.

After days of the harsh winter storm in Texas, US President Joe Biden is planning to visit the state next week and declare a major disaster. "As I said when I ran, I’m going to be a president for all Americans," he said. "If I can do it without creating a burden for folks, I plan on going." The declaration of disaster in the state will allow the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, to claim federal aid benefits for immediate and long-term recovery efforts. WATCH| Biden's request for approval for the declaration of disaster has come following a request from Abbott. The acting administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), Bob Fenton, has been asked to look into the approval process. Biden also contacted Fenton to let him know that he would approve the measure as soon as he receives the formal request from the agency. This decision has been taken as the state of Texas has been battling the harsh winter storm from the past few days, leaving thousands of houses without any power and safe drinking water.

Joe Biden to declare Texas winter storm as 'disaster'

At least four people have died and 14 are missing after a landslide caused by torrential rains swept away several homes in Indonesia, officials said Monday, with hundreds forced to flee their flooded homes.

Twenty-one people were initially reported missing, but three individuals were rescued after the disaster that struck Sunday evening in a rural part of East Java.

Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency said it had found four bodies, but were still looking for 14 people reported missing.

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"We cannot bring heavy equipment to the site of the landslides currently. However, we are currently trying to make our way," the East Java Search and Rescue Agency told AFP in a written statement.

The landslide also seriously damaged eight houses, said the agency.

Pasuruan, a town in the same province, was also flooded after a river overflowed due to the heavy rains, forcing more than 350 people to flee their homes, the agency added.

Fatal landslides and flash floods are common across the Indonesian archipelago, where seasonal downpours are frequent and relentless.

In January at least 21 people died and more than 60,000 were evacuated after a series of major floods hit South Kalimantan.

At least four people have died and 14 are missing after a landslide caused by torrential rains swept away several homes in Indonesia, officials said Monday, with hundreds forced to flee their flooded homes.

At least four people have died and 14 are missing after a landslide caused by torrential rains swept away several homes in Indonesia, officials said Monday, with hundreds forced to flee their flooded homes. Twenty-one people were initially reported missing, but three individuals were rescued after the disaster that struck Sunday evening in a rural part of East Java. Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency said it had found four bodies, but were still looking for 14 people reported missing. Also read| British man freed in Indonesia after serving sentence for death of policeman "We cannot bring heavy equipment to the site of the landslides currently. However, we are currently trying to make our way," the East Java Search and Rescue Agency told AFP in a written statement. The landslide also seriously damaged eight houses, said the agency. Pasuruan, a town in the same province, was also flooded after a river overflowed due to the heavy rains, forcing more than 350 people to flee their homes, the agency added. Fatal landslides and flash floods are common across the Indonesian archipelago, where seasonal downpours are frequent and relentless. In January at least 21 people died and more than 60,000 were evacuated after a series of major floods hit South Kalimantan.

Indonesian landslide kills four with 14 missing

6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the country now at least 7 people have been killed and the authorities expect death toll to rise. The army has also been deployed to help with search and relief operation.

6.4 magnitude earthquake jolts Petrinja town in Croatia

Extreme weather events due to climate change have cost the world billions in damages in 2020, says a new report, including the terrible floods that struck India cost $10 billion.

As many as 2,067 lives were lost during the June-October floods, the highest number of fatalities due to climate change-induced weather events this year, said global NGO Christian Aid in its report The Cost: A Year of Climate Breakdown, where 15 of the most damaging extreme weather events globally in 2020 were studied.&nbsp;

According to the report 10 of those events cost $1.5 billion or more.&nbsp;

The US was hit by the highest costs due to the record-breaking hurricane season and fires.

Most of these estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the true financial costs are likely to be higher.

While the report focuses on financial costs, which are usually higher in richer countries because they have more valuable property, some extreme weather events in 2020 were devastating in poorer countries, even though the price tag was lower.

South Sudan, for example, experienced one of its worst floods on record, which killed 138 people and destroyed the year's crops.

Some of the disasters hit fast, like cyclone Amphan, which struck the Bay of Bengal in May and caused losses valued at $13 billion in just a few days.

Other events unfolded over months, like floods in China and India, which had an estimated cost of $32 billion and $10 billion respectively.

Six of the 10 most costly events took place in Asia, five of them associated with an unusually rainy monsoon.

And in Africa, huge locust swarms ravaged crops and vegetation across several countries, causing damages estimated at $8.5 billion.

The outbreak has been linked to wet conditions brought about by unusual rains fuelled by climate change.

But the impact of extreme weather was felt all over the world. In Europe, two extra-tropical cyclones, Ciara and Alex, had a combined cost of almost $6 billion.

The US suffered from both a record-breaking hurricane season and a record-breaking fire season adding up to more than $60 billion in damages.

Some less populated places also suffered the consequences of a warming world.

In Siberia, a heatwave during the first half of the year set a record in the city of Verkhoyansk, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius. 
A few months later, on the other side of the world, heat and drought drove the fires in Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

While there were no human casualties reported from these events, the destruction of these areas has a great impact on biodiversity and the planet's capacity to respond to a warmer world.

While climate change may have influenced all these events, many of the countries that bear little responsibility for global warming were affected.

This includes Nicaragua, which was hit by hurricane Iota, the strongest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the Philippines, where typhoons Goni and Vamco made landfall almost back-to-back.

These extreme events highlight the need for urgent climate action. 
The Paris Agreement, which set the goal of keeping temperature rise "well below" 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees, compared to pre-industrial levels, has just turned five years old.

Countries must commit to bold new targets ahead of the next climate conference, which will take place in Glasgow in November 2021.

The report's author Kat Kramer, Christian Aid's climate policy lead, told IANS: "The Covid-19 pandemic has understandably been a major worry this year. For millions of people in vulnerable parts of the world, climate breakdown has compounded this.

"The good news is that, like the vaccine for Covid-19, we do know how to fix the climate crisis. We need to keep fossil fuels in the ground, boost clean energy investment and help those who are suffering on the frontline.

"Whether it floods in Asia, locusts in Africa or storms in Europe and the Americas, climate change has continued to rage in 2020. It is vital that 2021 ushers in a new era of activity to turn this tide.

"With US President-elect Biden in the White House, social movements across the world calling for urgent action, post-Covid green recovery investment and a crucial UN climate summit hosted by the UK, there is a major opportunity for countries to put us on a path to a safe future." Roxy Mathew Koll, the climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, said: "2020 was exceptionally warm, as far as the Indian Ocean is concerned. We saw record temperatures in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, straddling between 30-33 degrees Celsius.

"These high temperatures had the characteristics of marine heatwaves that might have led to the rapid intensification of the pre-monsoon cyclones Amphan and Nisarga. Amphan was one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon season."

M. Shahjahan Mondal, a climate scientist and Director of the Institute of Flood and Water Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said: "Scientific evidence shows that the intensity of the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal has been increasing over the past few years because of the temperature rise, and cyclone Amphan was one of the strongest ever recorded this year as a consequence.

"Moreover, the 2020 flood was one of the worst in history (of Bangladesh), as more than a quarter of the country was under water."

"Not only is this linked with changing climatic conditions and global warming, but also linked with changing land-use patterns and deforestation. Unfortunately, the situation might be worsening in the coming years if we fail to achieve the Paris climate goal to restrict global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius."

(With inputs from agencies)

Extreme weather events due to climate change have cost the world billions in damages in 2020, says a new report, including the terrible floods that struck India cost $10 billion.

Extreme weather events due to climate change have cost the world billions in damages in 2020, says a new report, including the terrible floods that struck India cost $10 billion. As many as 2,067 lives were lost during the June-October floods, the highest number of fatalities due to climate change-induced weather events this year, said global NGO Christian Aid in its report The Cost: A Year of Climate Breakdown, where 15 of the most damaging extreme weather events globally in 2020 were studied. According to the report 10 of those events cost $1.5 billion or more. The US was hit by the highest costs due to the record-breaking hurricane season and fires. Most of these estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the true financial costs are likely to be higher. While the report focuses on financial costs, which are usually higher in richer countries because they have more valuable property, some extreme weather events in 2020 were devastating in poorer countries, even though the price tag was lower. South Sudan, for example, experienced one of its worst floods on record, which killed 138 people and destroyed the year's crops. Some of the disasters hit fast, like cyclone Amphan, which struck the Bay of Bengal in May and caused losses valued at $13 billion in just a few days. Other events unfolded over months, like floods in China and India, which had an estimated cost of $32 billion and $10 billion respectively. Six of the 10 most costly events took place in Asia, five of them associated with an unusually rainy monsoon. And in Africa, huge locust swarms ravaged crops and vegetation across several countries, causing damages estimated at $8.5 billion. The outbreak has been linked to wet conditions brought about by unusual rains fuelled by climate change. But the impact of extreme weather was felt all over the world. In Europe, two extra-tropical cyclones, Ciara and Alex, had a combined cost of almost $6 billion. The US suffered from both a record-breaking hurricane season and a record-breaking fire season adding up to more than $60 billion in damages. Some less populated places also suffered the consequences of a warming world. In Siberia, a heatwave during the first half of the year set a record in the city of Verkhoyansk, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius. A few months later, on the other side of the world, heat and drought drove the fires in Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. While there were no human casualties reported from these events, the destruction of these areas has a great impact on biodiversity and the planet's capacity to respond to a warmer world. While climate change may have influenced all these events, many of the countries that bear little responsibility for global warming were affected. This includes Nicaragua, which was hit by hurricane Iota, the strongest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the Philippines, where typhoons Goni and Vamco made landfall almost back-to-back. These extreme events highlight the need for urgent climate action. The Paris Agreement, which set the goal of keeping temperature rise "well below" 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees, compared to pre-industrial levels, has just turned five years old. Countries must commit to bold new targets ahead of the next climate conference, which will take place in Glasgow in November 2021. The report's author Kat Kramer, Christian Aid's climate policy lead, told IANS: "The Covid-19 pandemic has understandably been a major worry this year. For millions of people in vulnerable parts of the world, climate breakdown has compounded this. "The good news is that, like the vaccine for Covid-19, we do know how to fix the climate crisis. We need to keep fossil fuels in the ground, boost clean energy investment and help those who are suffering on the frontline. "Whether it floods in Asia, locusts in Africa or storms in Europe and the Americas, climate change has continued to rage in 2020. It is vital that 2021 ushers in a new era of activity to turn this tide. "With US President-elect Biden in the White House, social movements across the world calling for urgent action, post-Covid green recovery investment and a crucial UN climate summit hosted by the UK, there is a major opportunity for countries to put us on a path to a safe future." Roxy Mathew Koll, the climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, said: "2020 was exceptionally warm, as far as the Indian Ocean is concerned. We saw record temperatures in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, straddling between 30-33 degrees Celsius. "These high temperatures had the characteristics of marine heatwaves that might have led to the rapid intensification of the pre-monsoon cyclones Amphan and Nisarga. Amphan was one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon season." M. Shahjahan Mondal, a climate scientist and Director of the Institute of Flood and Water Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said: "Scientific evidence shows that the intensity of the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal has been increasing over the past few years because of the temperature rise, and cyclone Amphan was one of the strongest ever recorded this year as a consequence. "Moreover, the 2020 flood was one of the worst in history (of Bangladesh), as more than a quarter of the country was under water." "Not only is this linked with changing climatic conditions and global warming, but also linked with changing land-use patterns and deforestation. Unfortunately, the situation might be worsening in the coming years if we fail to achieve the Paris climate goal to restrict global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius." (With inputs from agencies)

2020’s weather disasters: India lost $10 billion, over 2000 killed

The ten costliest weather disasters worldwide this year saw insured damages worth $150 billion, topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a report Monday.

The same disasters claimed at least 3,500 lives and displaced more than 13.5 million people.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-exceeding-paris-climate-targets-pm-narendra-modi-at-g20-climate-event-344725">India exceeding Paris climate targets: PM Narendra Modi at G20 climate event</a>

From Australia's out-of-control wildfires in January to a record number of Atlantic hurricanes through November, the true cost of the year's climate-enhanced calamities was in fact far higher because most losses were uninsured.

Not surprisingly, the burden fell disproportionately on poor nations, according to the annual tally from global NGO Christian Aid, entitled "Count the cost of 2020: a year of climate breakdown".

Only four per cent of economic losses from climate-impacted extreme events in low-income countries were insured, compared with 60 per cent in high-income economies, the report said, citing a study last month in The Lancet.

"Whether floods in Asia, locusts in Africa, or storms in Europe and the Americas, climate change has continued to rage in 2020," said Christian Aid's climate policy lead, Kat Kramer.

Extreme weather disasters, of course, have plagued humanity long before manmade global warming began to mess with the planet's climate system.

But more than a century of temperature and precipitation data, along with decades of satellite data on hurricanes and sea level rise, have left no doubt that Earth's warming surface temperature is amplifying their impact.

Massive tropical storms -- variously known as hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones -- are now more likely, for example, to be stronger, last longer, carry more water and wander beyond their historical range.&nbsp;

2020's record-breaking 30 named Atlantic hurricanes -- with at least 400 fatalities and $41 billion in damages -- suggest the world could see more such storms as well.&nbsp;

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had to use Greek symbols after running out of letters in the Latin alphabet.

<h2>Extremes, not averages&nbsp;</h2>

Intense summer flooding in China and India, where the monsoon season brought abnormal amounts of rainfall for the second year running, are also consistent with projections on how climate will impact precipitation.

Five of the most costly extreme weather events in 2020 were related to Asia's unusually rainy monsoon.&nbsp;

"The 2020 flood was one of the worst in the history of Bangladesh, more than a quarter of the country was under water," said Shahjahan Mondal, director of the Institute of Flood and Water Management at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Wildfires that scorched record areas in California, Australia and even Russia's Siberian hinterland, much of it within the Arctic Circle, are also consistent with a warmer world, and a predicted to get worse as temperatures climb.

The planet's average surface temperature has gone up at least 1.1 degrees Celsius on average compared to the late 19th-century, with much of that warming occurring in the last half-century.&nbsp;

The 2015 Paris Agreement enjoins the world's nations to collectively cap global warming at "well below" 2C, and even 1.5C if feasible.&nbsp;

A landmark report in 2018 from the UN's IPCC climate science advisory panel showed that 1.5C is a safer threshold, but the likelihood of staying below it have grown vanishingly small, according to many experts.

"Ultimately, the impacts of climate change will be felt via the extremes, and not average changes," noted Sarah Perkins-Kilpatrick, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales' Climate Change Research Centre.&nbsp;

If the growing frequency and intensity of natural weather disasters is consistent with modelling projections, the new field of attribution science is now able to put a number on how much more likely such an event is due to global warming.&nbsp;

The unprecedented wildfires that destroyed 20 percent of Australia's forests and killed tens of millions of wild animals in late 2019 and early 2020, for example, were made at least 30 per cent more likely, according to research led by Friederike Otto at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute.

In Europe, meanwhile, the chance of deadly heatwaves occurring has risen nearly 100 fold compared to a century ago, according to recent research.

"Heatwaves and floods which used to be 'once in a century' events are becoming more regular occurrences," noted WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

The ten costliest weather disasters worldwide this year saw insured damages worth $150 billion, topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a report Monday.

The ten costliest weather disasters worldwide this year saw insured damages worth $150 billion, topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a report Monday. The same disasters claimed at least 3,500 lives and displaced more than 13.5 million people. Also read | India exceeding Paris climate targets: PM Narendra Modi at G20 climate event From Australia's out-of-control wildfires in January to a record number of Atlantic hurricanes through November, the true cost of the year's climate-enhanced calamities was in fact far higher because most losses were uninsured. Not surprisingly, the burden fell disproportionately on poor nations, according to the annual tally from global NGO Christian Aid, entitled "Count the cost of 2020: a year of climate breakdown". Only four per cent of economic losses from climate-impacted extreme events in low-income countries were insured, compared with 60 per cent in high-income economies, the report said, citing a study last month in The Lancet. "Whether floods in Asia, locusts in Africa, or storms in Europe and the Americas, climate change has continued to rage in 2020," said Christian Aid's climate policy lead, Kat Kramer. Extreme weather disasters, of course, have plagued humanity long before manmade global warming began to mess with the planet's climate system. But more than a century of temperature and precipitation data, along with decades of satellite data on hurricanes and sea level rise, have left no doubt that Earth's warming surface temperature is amplifying their impact. Massive tropical storms -- variously known as hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones -- are now more likely, for example, to be stronger, last longer, carry more water and wander beyond their historical range. 2020's record-breaking 30 named Atlantic hurricanes -- with at least 400 fatalities and $41 billion in damages -- suggest the world could see more such storms as well. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had to use Greek symbols after running out of letters in the Latin alphabet. Extremes, not averages Intense summer flooding in China and India, where the monsoon season brought abnormal amounts of rainfall for the second year running, are also consistent with projections on how climate will impact precipitation. Five of the most costly extreme weather events in 2020 were related to Asia's unusually rainy monsoon. "The 2020 flood was one of the worst in the history of Bangladesh, more than a quarter of the country was under water," said Shahjahan Mondal, director of the Institute of Flood and Water Management at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Wildfires that scorched record areas in California, Australia and even Russia's Siberian hinterland, much of it within the Arctic Circle, are also consistent with a warmer world, and a predicted to get worse as temperatures climb. The planet's average surface temperature has gone up at least 1.1 degrees Celsius on average compared to the late 19th-century, with much of that warming occurring in the last half-century. The 2015 Paris Agreement enjoins the world's nations to collectively cap global warming at "well below" 2C, and even 1.5C if feasible. A landmark report in 2018 from the UN's IPCC climate science advisory panel showed that 1.5C is a safer threshold, but the likelihood of staying below it have grown vanishingly small, according to many experts. "Ultimately, the impacts of climate change will be felt via the extremes, and not average changes," noted Sarah Perkins-Kilpatrick, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales' Climate Change Research Centre. If the growing frequency and intensity of natural weather disasters is consistent with modelling projections, the new field of attribution science is now able to put a number on how much more likely such an event is due to global warming. The unprecedented wildfires that destroyed 20 percent of Australia's forests and killed tens of millions of wild animals in late 2019 and early 2020, for example, were made at least 30 per cent more likely, according to research led by Friederike Otto at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute. In Europe, meanwhile, the chance of deadly heatwaves occurring has risen nearly 100 fold compared to a century ago, according to recent research. "Heatwaves and floods which used to be 'once in a century' events are becoming more regular occurrences," noted WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

10 costliest disasters of 2020 insured damages worth $150 billion: Report

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday referred to a massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut as a possible attack, and extended help to the country.

Trump said that he had spoken to US military officials about the attack, who believed that it caused by a “bomb of some kind”.

According to Lebanon’s interior minister, highly explosive material which was seized years ago and was stored at the port had blown up, causing the deaths of at least 78 people, and injuring thousands.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-from-massive-explosion-in-beirut-rises-to-78-pm-says-those-responsible-will-pay-318197" hreflang="en">Death toll from explosion in Beirut rises to 78; PM vows to make culprits pay</a>

"It would seem like it based on the explosion, I met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was. This was not a some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seemed to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind. Yes”, the US president said.

The president also offered his sympathies to the people of Lebanon.

"Let me begin by sending America's deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut. Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon, a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon. And we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack”, he said at a press briefing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/beirut-blast-indian-mission-in-lebanon-in-touch-with-indian-community-318188" hreflang="en">Beirut blast: Indian mission in Lebanon in touch with Indian community</a>

According to local officials, the death toll is expected to increase, with authorities digging through rubble to find more corpses. Been seen as the most powerful explosion to hit Beirut in years, it is a major blow the country already suffering because of coronavirus and an economic crisis.

Michel Aoun, the president has claimed that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was being stored for six years with no safety measures, calling it “unacceptable”.

While calling an emergency cabinet meeting, the leader suggested imposing a state of emergency in the country for two weeks.

The blast hit the city at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT), following which a fire continue to blaze across the port district, which cast an orange glow in the night sky.

The buzzing of helicopters, and ambulance sirens could be heard in the city.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday referred to a massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut as a possible attack, and extended help to the country.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday referred to a massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital city Beirut as a possible attack, and extended help to the country. Trump said that he had spoken to US military officials about the attack, who believed that it caused by a “bomb of some kind”. According to Lebanon’s interior minister, highly explosive material which was seized years ago and was stored at the port had blown up, causing the deaths of at least 78 people, and injuring thousands. Also read: Death toll from explosion in Beirut rises to 78; PM vows to make culprits pay "It would seem like it based on the explosion, I met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was. This was not a some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seemed to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind. Yes”, the US president said. The president also offered his sympathies to the people of Lebanon. "Let me begin by sending America's deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut. Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon, a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon. And we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack”, he said at a press briefing. Also read: Beirut blast: Indian mission in Lebanon in touch with Indian community According to local officials, the death toll is expected to increase, with authorities digging through rubble to find more corpses. Been seen as the most powerful explosion to hit Beirut in years, it is a major blow the country already suffering because of coronavirus and an economic crisis. Michel Aoun, the president has claimed that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was being stored for six years with no safety measures, calling it “unacceptable”. While calling an emergency cabinet meeting, the leader suggested imposing a state of emergency in the country for two weeks. The blast hit the city at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT), following which a fire continue to blaze across the port district, which cast an orange glow in the night sky. The buzzing of helicopters, and ambulance sirens could be heard in the city.

Trump promises to assist Lebanon, calls the Beirut explosion an 'attack'

A year on from the inferno that gutted Notre-Dame de Paris and stunned the world, the cathedral's great bell will ring out on Wednesday (April 15) evening, as a mark of the building's resilience and that of the medics battling France's coronavirus epidemic.

On fire's anniversary, Notre-Dame's great bell to break its silence

Fukushima's disaster anniversary: silence and somber in Japan

Under a cloth tent on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, vet Lauren Eyre scraps burnt skin off a koala's paws on Sunday (January 19) as bushfires on the island continue to see the iconic marsupials arrive into the triage unit.

Australia's koalas treated for burns on Kangaroo island

Sitting on the fringe of blackened forests, an Australian town Kangaroo Valley narrowly escaped the inferno that swollen its surrounding areas early this month. But for restaurant owner, Monique Moul, surviving the deadly bushfires is the beginning of another trouble as she struggles to salvage the business.

Businesses in Australian town hopes receded bushfires will draw tourists back

Between 150 and 200 Canadian troops should be in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador by the end of Sunday (January 19) to help it dig out from a massive blizzard, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said.

Hundreds of troops to help Canadian province recover from huge blizzard

Australian farmer, Anthony Thomas, sat on his quad bike on Wednesday (January 8) as he looked at his farm, wiped out by the catastrophic bushfires which swept through Kiah in New South Wales, taking everything in its path when it blazed through four days ago.

'It just meant so much to me': Australian farmer loses entire deer farm to raging bushfire

The community of Eden braced for the worst as fires raged towards their borders on New Year's Eve, and whilst the town itself remains intact, residents will be feeling the effects of the flames for a while to come.

'Don't know what we're going to do': Australians in town ravaged by bushfire

According to a police spokesman, a&nbsp;three-storey building in the resort&nbsp;of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday&nbsp;after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland.

The bodies of three adults and a child have been found in the rubble so far.

The spokesman added that&nbsp;up to eight people were in the premises, with firemen struggling to find other victims.

Up to 100 firemen and 50 police officers are on the scene, Polish state broadcaster TVP reported.

(With inputs from Reuters, further details awaited)

According to a police spokesman, a three-storey building in the resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland.

According to a police spokesman, a three-storey building in the resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland. The bodies of three adults and a child have been found in the rubble so far. The spokesman added that up to eight people were in the premises, with firemen struggling to find other victims. Up to 100 firemen and 50 police officers are on the scene, Polish state broadcaster TVP reported. (With inputs from Reuters, further details awaited)

Four including child dead in gas explosion at Polish ski resort

The psychological scars remain raw a year after California's deadliest wildfire raced across a mountain ridge and destroyed the town of Paradise, killing 85 people.

Hope and despair in Paradise one year after devastating fire

Six people were killed while four were injured after boulders fell on a mini-van in which they were travelling in near Teen Dhara area of Devprayag in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/documentary-on-a-uttarakhand-farmer-is-indias-official-entry-to-oscars-250368">Tehri Garhwal district</a> on Saturday. 
 
The identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained by the police. 
 
Soon after receiving the information, police along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rushed to the spot to undertake rescue operation. 
 
According to the district administration, while five persons were declared dead on the spot, five others who sustained injuries were shifted to the Community Hospital in Devaprayag for immediate medical aid. 
 
However, one person succumbed to injuries later, taking the death toll to 6. 
 
All the injured have been sent to AIIMS <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttarakhand-chief-minister-chairs-high-level-meeting-on-relief-efforts-249780">in Rishikesh</a> where one of them is still critical, the police said.

Six people were killed while four were injured after boulders fell on a mini-van in which they were travelling in near Teen Dhara area of Devprayag in Tehri Garhwal district on Saturday.

Six people were killed while four were injured after boulders fell on a mini-van in which they were travelling in near Teen Dhara area of Devprayag in Tehri Garhwal district on Saturday. The identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained by the police. Soon after receiving the information, police along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rushed to the spot to undertake rescue operation. According to the district administration, while five persons were declared dead on the spot, five others who sustained injuries were shifted to the Community Hospital in Devaprayag for immediate medical aid. However, one person succumbed to injuries later, taking the death toll to 6. All the injured have been sent to AIIMS in Rishikesh where one of them is still critical, the police said.

Uttarakhand: Six dead, four injured as boulders hit vehicle

A huge blast on an oil tanker in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-sends-missile-warning-to-south-korea-us-as-tensions-rise-241269">South Korean port</a>&nbsp;Saturday sparked a raging fire that spread to a nearby vessel, leaving 18 people injured, authorities said.

A ball of fire shot up high above the ship and thick black smoke billowed into the air, dramatic images showed. Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze and prevent it spreading, shooting streams of water up onto the deck from beside the vessel in the southeast port of Ulsan.

All 25 of those on board the Cayman Islands-flagged tanker and the 21 people on the second ship have been rescued, according to the Coast Guard.

Twelve sailors and six rescue workers were injured, Yonhap news agency said, quoting local authorities. Nine of the injured were South Korean.

The Russian vice-consul in Busan said the tanker crew comprised 10 Russians, including the captain, and none had been seriously injured.

"Some received medical help on the spot, but no Russian has been hospitalised," said Evgeny Evdokimov, quoted by the Russian news agency Tass.

"There were no repairs or loading operations underway on the ship at the time of the explosion. It is obviously something in the cargo that caused the explosion and the fire," he said.

The Coast Guard said the cause of the blast was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreas-acquisition-of-us-f-35-fighter-aimed-at-opening-gate-to-invade-north-north-korea-state-media-234830">being investigated</a>.

A huge blast on an oil tanker in a South Korean port Saturday sparked a raging fire that spread to a nearby vessel, leaving 18 people injured, authorities said. A ball of fire shot up high above the ship and thick black smoke billowed into the air, dramatic images showed.

A huge blast on an oil tanker in a South Korean port Saturday sparked a raging fire that spread to a nearby vessel, leaving 18 people injured, authorities said. A ball of fire shot up high above the ship and thick black smoke billowed into the air, dramatic images showed. Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze and prevent it spreading, shooting streams of water up onto the deck from beside the vessel in the southeast port of Ulsan. All 25 of those on board the Cayman Islands-flagged tanker and the 21 people on the second ship have been rescued, according to the Coast Guard. Twelve sailors and six rescue workers were injured, Yonhap news agency said, quoting local authorities. Nine of the injured were South Korean. The Russian vice-consul in Busan said the tanker crew comprised 10 Russians, including the captain, and none had been seriously injured. "Some received medical help on the spot, but no Russian has been hospitalised," said Evgeny Evdokimov, quoted by the Russian news agency Tass. "There were no repairs or loading operations underway on the ship at the time of the explosion. It is obviously something in the cargo that caused the explosion and the fire," he said. The Coast Guard said the cause of the blast was being investigated.

Fire on oil tankers at South Korean port injures eighteen

7 Amazonian countries sign forest pact on forest protection, to coordinate against disaster. Watch this video to know more.

7 Amazonian countries sign forest pact on forest protection, to coordinate against disaster

Seven Amazonian countries signed a pact to protect the world's largest tropical forest via disaster response coordination and satellite monitoring, amid recent fires that torched thousands of square miles of the jungle.

Amazon countries sign forest pact

Americans are piling power generators, bottled water, and other critical supplies into well-meaning mountains of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-dorian-skirts-us-carolinas-coast-with-high-winds-and-rain-248039">Bahamas hurricane</a> relief, but disaster response leaders say gathering goods complicates emergency aid and is not the best way to help.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez by Thursday afternoon had collected roughly 70 pallets of sanitizers, blankets, clothes and other necessities to ship to victims of Hurricane Dorian, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dorian-weakens-to-category-1-hurricane-tropical-storm-conditions-spreading-247954">monster Category 5 storm</a> that ravaged the Bahamas, killing at least 30 people, a figure official said was sure to rise.

Storm surge swamped Bahamian airports, leaving them underwater and unapproachable, so Suarez worked with Norwegian Cruise Line to transport the donations. Its ship "Breakaway" was set to depart Florida for the Bahamas at 8 p.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday.

But sometimes the best intentions are not the best response, say, emergency responders.

"Decades of experience in disaster relief and recovery have shown that the best way to help people affected by disaster is to make cash donations to reputable relief and charitable organizations," Tom Babington, spokesman for United States Agency for International Development, said in an email.

"Cash donations also allow relief supplies to be purchased in markets close to the disaster site, which stimulates the local economy by providing employment and generating cash flow," he added.

The United Nations has estimated more than 76,000 people need humanitarian relief after the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation.

Materials like canned food, tents and batteries typically require transportation costs, shipping delays, or customs fees, and force relief organizations to spend time managing goods rather than providing aid said Babington and American Red Cross spokeswoman Stephanie Rendon.

"In reality, donations like supplies could take a long time to process, clean, and sort, diverting time and attention away from people who need it most," Rendon said.

Shawn Marshall, an official with the Bahamas Consulate General Miami, said the diplomatic mission had set up drop-off points for goods to help the beleaguered islands. Boats ferrying supplies can dock at ports on hard-hit Abaco Island and Grand Bahamas, he said.

On the central Florida coast, Paul Berube gathered donated baby items, dog food, and other supplies at his boat dealership. He was working to have relief goods flown or shipped duty-free and without transport fees after a resort owner on Grand Bahama provided permits.

"I've had three different pilots call me and say, 'Hey, I see you're involved, I've got a plane, I'd like to transport'," Berube said.

Americans are piling power generators, bottled water, and other critical supplies into well-meaning mountains of Bahamas hurricane relief, but disaster response leaders say gathering goods complicates emergency aid and is not the best way to help.

Americans are piling power generators, bottled water, and other critical supplies into well-meaning mountains of Bahamas hurricane relief, but disaster response leaders say gathering goods complicates emergency aid and is not the best way to help. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez by Thursday afternoon had collected roughly 70 pallets of sanitizers, blankets, clothes and other necessities to ship to victims of Hurricane Dorian, the monster Category 5 storm that ravaged the Bahamas, killing at least 30 people, a figure official said was sure to rise. Storm surge swamped Bahamian airports, leaving them underwater and unapproachable, so Suarez worked with Norwegian Cruise Line to transport the donations. Its ship "Breakaway" was set to depart Florida for the Bahamas at 8 p.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday. But sometimes the best intentions are not the best response, say, emergency responders. "Decades of experience in disaster relief and recovery have shown that the best way to help people affected by disaster is to make cash donations to reputable relief and charitable organizations," Tom Babington, spokesman for United States Agency for International Development, said in an email. "Cash donations also allow relief supplies to be purchased in markets close to the disaster site, which stimulates the local economy by providing employment and generating cash flow," he added. The United Nations has estimated more than 76,000 people need humanitarian relief after the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation. Materials like canned food, tents and batteries typically require transportation costs, shipping delays, or customs fees, and force relief organizations to spend time managing goods rather than providing aid said Babington and American Red Cross spokeswoman Stephanie Rendon. "In reality, donations like supplies could take a long time to process, clean, and sort, diverting time and attention away from people who need it most," Rendon said. Shawn Marshall, an official with the Bahamas Consulate General Miami, said the diplomatic mission had set up drop-off points for goods to help the beleaguered islands. Boats ferrying supplies can dock at ports on hard-hit Abaco Island and Grand Bahamas, he said. On the central Florida coast, Paul Berube gathered donated baby items, dog food, and other supplies at his boat dealership. He was working to have relief goods flown or shipped duty-free and without transport fees after a resort owner on Grand Bahama provided permits. "I've had three different pilots call me and say, 'Hey, I see you're involved, I've got a plane, I'd like to transport'," Berube said.

Mosquito spray, diapers, flashlights cannot beat cash for Dorian relief

Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dorian-weakens-to-category-1-hurricane-tropical-storm-conditions-spreading-247954">Category 1 but still packing </a>90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble.

The eyewall of the weakening Hurricane Dorian was scraping the edge of Cape Lookout, N.C., just 30 miles (50 km) west-southwest of the state's Outer Banks islands at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday.

The hurricane does not officially make landfall until at least half of its eye crosses land, the National Hurricane Center said. It could still make landfall later Friday morning, forecasters said.

It lashed the Outer Banks with hurricane-force winds as far as 45 miles from the centre of the hurricane and sent tropical storm winds farther than 200 miles from its centre, National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory.

It has already dumped up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain along the coast between Charleston, S.C., to Wilmington, N.C., about 170 miles away, forecasters said.

"The rain is moving up north," said NWS forecaster Alex Lamers early on Friday. "Even the Raleigh-Durham area inland will get 3 inches today."

Dorian is expected to push out to sea later on Friday and bring tropical storm winds to Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts early on Saturday.

But it will likely spare much of the rest of the east coast of the worst of its rain and wind, before likely making landfall in Nova Scotia that night, the NHC said.

"It's in the process of moving out, going north," Lamers said.

The howling west flank of Dorian has soaked the Carolinas since early Thursday, flooding coastal towns, whipping up more than a dozen tornadoes and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people.

Floodwaters rose to a foot (30 cm) or more in parts of the historic South Carolina city of Charleston, where more than 7 inches (18 cm) of rain fell in some areas, officials said. Another half-inch or more was expected overnight Friday.

More than 330,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina and South Carolina on Friday morning. Power had mostly been restored to thousands of people in Georgia, tracking site poweroutage.us showed.

But as Dorian is expected to pick up speed from its 14 mph (22 kph) crawl on Friday, life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds remain a threat for much of the area and Virginia, the NHC said.

Governors in the region declared states of emergency, shut schools, opened shelters, readied national guard troops and urged residents to heed warnings, as media circulated fresh images of the storm's devastation in the Bahamas.

At least 70,000 Bahamians needed immediate humanitarian relief after Dorian became the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation. 
In the Carolinas alone, more than 900,000 people had been ordered to evacuate their homes. It was unclear how many did so.

In Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks, Mark Jennings decided to ignore the order, lining his garage door with sandbags and boarding up his home with plywood.

The retired firefighter planned to stay put with his wife and two dogs, saying: "We are ready to go. If something happens, we can still get out of here."

Dorian whipped up at least three tornadoes in the region, officials said. One in North Carolina damaged scores of trailers at a campground in Emerald Isle, but no one was injured, the News &amp; Observer said.

Of at least four storm-related deaths reported in the United States, three were in Orange County, Florida, during storm preparations or evacuation, the mayor's office said.

In North Carolina, an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while barricading his home for Dorian, the governor said.

Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a Category 1 but still packing 90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble.

Hurricane Dorian, downgraded to a Category 1 but still packing 90 mph (150 kph) winds, crawled north on Friday, skirting the Carolinas and flooding coastal towns a couple of days after it reduced parts of the Bahamas to rubble. The eyewall of the weakening Hurricane Dorian was scraping the edge of Cape Lookout, N.C., just 30 miles (50 km) west-southwest of the state's Outer Banks islands at 7 a.m. EDT on Friday. The hurricane does not officially make landfall until at least half of its eye crosses land, the National Hurricane Center said. It could still make landfall later Friday morning, forecasters said. It lashed the Outer Banks with hurricane-force winds as far as 45 miles from the centre of the hurricane and sent tropical storm winds farther than 200 miles from its centre, National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory. It has already dumped up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain along the coast between Charleston, S.C., to Wilmington, N.C., about 170 miles away, forecasters said. "The rain is moving up north," said NWS forecaster Alex Lamers early on Friday. "Even the Raleigh-Durham area inland will get 3 inches today." Dorian is expected to push out to sea later on Friday and bring tropical storm winds to Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts early on Saturday. But it will likely spare much of the rest of the east coast of the worst of its rain and wind, before likely making landfall in Nova Scotia that night, the NHC said. "It's in the process of moving out, going north," Lamers said. The howling west flank of Dorian has soaked the Carolinas since early Thursday, flooding coastal towns, whipping up more than a dozen tornadoes and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of people. Floodwaters rose to a foot (30 cm) or more in parts of the historic South Carolina city of Charleston, where more than 7 inches (18 cm) of rain fell in some areas, officials said. Another half-inch or more was expected overnight Friday. More than 330,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina and South Carolina on Friday morning. Power had mostly been restored to thousands of people in Georgia, tracking site poweroutage.us showed. But as Dorian is expected to pick up speed from its 14 mph (22 kph) crawl on Friday, life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds remain a threat for much of the area and Virginia, the NHC said. Governors in the region declared states of emergency, shut schools, opened shelters, readied national guard troops and urged residents to heed warnings, as media circulated fresh images of the storm's devastation in the Bahamas. At least 70,000 Bahamians needed immediate humanitarian relief after Dorian became the most damaging storm ever to hit the island nation. In the Carolinas alone, more than 900,000 people had been ordered to evacuate their homes. It was unclear how many did so. In Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks, Mark Jennings decided to ignore the order, lining his garage door with sandbags and boarding up his home with plywood. The retired firefighter planned to stay put with his wife and two dogs, saying: "We are ready to go. If something happens, we can still get out of here." Dorian whipped up at least three tornadoes in the region, officials said. One in North Carolina damaged scores of trailers at a campground in Emerald Isle, but no one was injured, the News & Observer said. Of at least four storm-related deaths reported in the United States, three were in Orange County, Florida, during storm preparations or evacuation, the mayor's office said. In North Carolina, an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while barricading his home for Dorian, the governor said.

Hurricane Dorian skirts US Carolinas' coast with high winds and rain

Bolivia's President Evo Morales joined firefighters in Santa Rosa on Tuesday (August 27) to help crew put out wildfires, as the country struggles to contain blazes across Bolivia.

President Evo Morales joins firefighters to battle wildfires in Bolivia

Monday April 15 marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Hillsborough soccer stadium crush that killed 96 Liverpool supporters. The victims died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure, at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, northern England - the home of the Sheffield Wednesday club - during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Monday April 15 marks the 30th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster

Pope Francis will visit disaster-hit Mozambique and Indian Ocean nations Madagascar and Mauritius in September, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.

The visit is scheduled at a time when the countries are&nbsp;reeling under the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/185-million-people-affected-by-cyclone-idai-un-agency-205777">adverse consequences of the disaster</a> that hit the East-African and Indian ocean nations early this month.

The pope will visit the capitals of Maputo, Antananarivo and Port Louis during the September 4-10 visit, a statement said, with the precise programme to be decided later.

Days after the disaster, Mozambique said on Wednesday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-confirms-first-cholera-cases-in-wake-of-cyclone-206016">five cases of cholera&nbsp;were confirmed </a>around the badly damaged port city of Beira.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique&nbsp;around midnight on March 14 before tearing through neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and wrecking an area of 3,000 sq km (1,200 sq miles).

The powerful cyclone has killed more than 700 people across a swathe of southern Africa in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

(With input from agencies)

Pope Francis will visit disaster-hit Mozambique and Indian Ocean nations Madagascar and Mauritius in September, the Vatican announced on Wednesday. The visit is scheduled at a time when the countries are reeling under the adverse consequences of the disaster that hit the East-African and Indian ocean nations early this month.

Pope Francis will visit disaster-hit Mozambique and Indian Ocean nations Madagascar and Mauritius in September, the Vatican announced on Wednesday. The visit is scheduled at a time when the countries are reeling under the adverse consequences of the disaster that hit the East-African and Indian ocean nations early this month. The pope will visit the capitals of Maputo, Antananarivo and Port Louis during the September 4-10 visit, a statement said, with the precise programme to be decided later. Days after the disaster, Mozambique said on Wednesday that five cases of cholera were confirmed around the badly damaged port city of Beira. Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique around midnight on March 14 before tearing through neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and wrecking an area of 3,000 sq km (1,200 sq miles). The powerful cyclone has killed more than 700 people across a swathe of southern Africa in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. (With input from agencies)

Pope to visit disaster hit Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius in September

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-resumes-search-for-missing-after-dam-collapse-ends-evacuation-193244">death toll</a> from the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dam-collapses-in-brazil-several-feared-dead-192820">collapse of a Brazilian dam</a> rose to 84 on Tuesday as mining giant Vale announced that moves to dismantle similar structures would hit production.

Brazilian authorities are stepping up their probe of Vale, with five engineers involved in the operating licenses and the last inspection of the dam arrested on prosecutors' orders in the state of Minas Gerais, where <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-defect-found-in-brazil-dam-during-german-inspection-month-ago-193011">the disaster occurred</a> Friday at one of the firm's mines.

Flavio Godinho, Civil Defense spokesman in Minas Gerais, said the death toll had increased from 65 to 84, while the number of missing fell from 292 to 276.

Shares in Vale — the world's biggest iron ore miner — meanwhile ticked up nearly two per cent in Sao Paulo, still far from recovering from a 24-per cent wipeout suffered on Monday.

The company said it will freeze operations around 10 dams in Brazil to dismantle structures such as the one that resulted in the Friday disaster — a move that will reduce annual iron ore production by 10 per cent or 40 million tons.

The dam collapse at the Vale mine near the town of Brumadinho occurred three years after a similar disaster at another one of its sights in the same region.

That 2015 dam rupture, near Mariana, killed 19 people and caused what was considered the worst environmental catastrophe Brazil had seen.

After the latest disaster, credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Vale's score, and Moody's said it had the company under review for a downgrade.

Three US law firms were also making moves toward starting a class-action lawsuit against the miner.

Brazilian media speculated that Vale's board and top executives might be replaced. The overwhelming majority of the dead and missing were workers at the mine.

Authorities have ordered $3 billion in Vale assets be frozen to pay for fines, compensation and employee salaries to families.

"If there has truly been negligence or recklessness by certain people in that company, they will face criminal action," Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao vowed Monday.

Search for bodies&nbsp;

The search for bodies was ongoing Tuesday, with a team of Israeli soldiers joining Brazilian crews who have been laboriously probing for days the expanse of mud released by the dam.

The barrier, which was in the process of being decommissioned, held around 13 million tons of tailings, or sludgy mining waste.

Men were digging, often by hand, to depths of up to 15 meters (50 feet) to recover corpses encased in mud. The remains were then bagged and airlifted away by helicopter.

The fetid odour of decomposing bodies rose from the brown surface.

With a dozen kilometers (eight miles) of mud to carefully scour, the operation has proceeded slowly, barely denting the long list of the missing.

Jose Ferreira da Silva, a 55-year-old labourer, was blocked by police as he attempted to enter the zone to look for his 27-year-old son Josue, who worked for a Vale contractor.

"We just want to try to do something," he said, tearfully.

No survivors have been found since Saturday, only bodies.

Corrego do Feijao, the closest village to the mine, has been in mourning since the disaster. Most of its inhabitants work for Vale, and 20 of their number were missing.

"I'm living a horror film. These are people I grew up with. I don't know how I'm going to get through this," said Cleyton Candido, who was waiting on news of his missing nephew and several friends.

The toxicity of the mineral-laced sludge was not yet known. But an indigenous community downstream complained that fish it relies on for its livelihood were dying.

Brazil's authorities feared pollution from the mine waste could reach hydro-electric power plants between early and mid-February.

The environmental group WWF said that a forest area "equivalent to 125 football fields" had been lost, and it was still too early to know the full ecological scope of the disaster.

Public anger

The tragedy has turned public opinion against Vale.

On Monday, dozens of people staged a protest with mud in front of the company's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Newspaper editorials blasted it — and the government — for not learning the lessons of the 2015 Mariana disaster.

Minas Gerais prosecutors said they have launched a probe "evaluating the criminal responsibility of the Vale company."

The five engineers arrested were part of that investigation. They were to be held for up to 30 days for questioning.

Three of the engineers work for Vale and were directly involved in the process of the facility's operating licenses, the prosecutors said.

The other two worked for TUEV SUED, a German company that in September carried out the last safety inspection of the collapsed mine.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The death toll from the collapse of a Brazilian dam rose to 84 on Tuesday as mining giant Vale announced that moves to dismantle similar structures would hit production.

The death toll from the collapse of a Brazilian dam rose to 84 on Tuesday as mining giant Vale announced that moves to dismantle similar structures would hit production. Brazilian authorities are stepping up their probe of Vale, with five engineers involved in the operating licenses and the last inspection of the dam arrested on prosecutors' orders in the state of Minas Gerais, where the disaster occurred Friday at one of the firm's mines. Flavio Godinho, Civil Defense spokesman in Minas Gerais, said the death toll had increased from 65 to 84, while the number of missing fell from 292 to 276. Shares in Vale — the world's biggest iron ore miner — meanwhile ticked up nearly two per cent in Sao Paulo, still far from recovering from a 24-per cent wipeout suffered on Monday. The company said it will freeze operations around 10 dams in Brazil to dismantle structures such as the one that resulted in the Friday disaster — a move that will reduce annual iron ore production by 10 per cent or 40 million tons. The dam collapse at the Vale mine near the town of Brumadinho occurred three years after a similar disaster at another one of its sights in the same region. That 2015 dam rupture, near Mariana, killed 19 people and caused what was considered the worst environmental catastrophe Brazil had seen. After the latest disaster, credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded Vale's score, and Moody's said it had the company under review for a downgrade. Three US law firms were also making moves toward starting a class-action lawsuit against the miner. Brazilian media speculated that Vale's board and top executives might be replaced. The overwhelming majority of the dead and missing were workers at the mine. Authorities have ordered $3 billion in Vale assets be frozen to pay for fines, compensation and employee salaries to families. "If there has truly been negligence or recklessness by certain people in that company, they will face criminal action," Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao vowed Monday. Search for bodies The search for bodies was ongoing Tuesday, with a team of Israeli soldiers joining Brazilian crews who have been laboriously probing for days the expanse of mud released by the dam. The barrier, which was in the process of being decommissioned, held around 13 million tons of tailings, or sludgy mining waste. Men were digging, often by hand, to depths of up to 15 meters (50 feet) to recover corpses encased in mud. The remains were then bagged and airlifted away by helicopter. The fetid odour of decomposing bodies rose from the brown surface. With a dozen kilometers (eight miles) of mud to carefully scour, the operation has proceeded slowly, barely denting the long list of the missing. Jose Ferreira da Silva, a 55-year-old labourer, was blocked by police as he attempted to enter the zone to look for his 27-year-old son Josue, who worked for a Vale contractor. "We just want to try to do something," he said, tearfully. No survivors have been found since Saturday, only bodies. Corrego do Feijao, the closest village to the mine, has been in mourning since the disaster. Most of its inhabitants work for Vale, and 20 of their number were missing. "I'm living a horror film. These are people I grew up with. I don't know how I'm going to get through this," said Cleyton Candido, who was waiting on news of his missing nephew and several friends. The toxicity of the mineral-laced sludge was not yet known. But an indigenous community downstream complained that fish it relies on for its livelihood were dying. Brazil's authorities feared pollution from the mine waste could reach hydro-electric power plants between early and mid-February. The environmental group WWF said that a forest area "equivalent to 125 football fields" had been lost, and it was still too early to know the full ecological scope of the disaster. Public anger The tragedy has turned public opinion against Vale. On Monday, dozens of people staged a protest with mud in front of the company's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Newspaper editorials blasted it — and the government — for not learning the lessons of the 2015 Mariana disaster. Minas Gerais prosecutors said they have launched a probe "evaluating the criminal responsibility of the Vale company." The five engineers arrested were part of that investigation. They were to be held for up to 30 days for questioning. Three of the engineers work for Vale and were directly involved in the process of the facility's operating licenses, the prosecutors said. The other two worked for TUEV SUED, a German company that in September carried out the last safety inspection of the collapsed mine.

Brazil dam burst: Toll rises to 84, mining firm's output to be hit

In pictures: Brazil dam collapse leaves hundreds missing, horror in its wake

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