In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
A severe hailstorm took a heavy toll on resident migratory birds in Assam recently. The storm killed more than 200 such birds in different parts of the state. Commonly known as the Asian openbill, the birds are called samukbhanga by local inhabitants. During spring every year, they come to Assam …
A storm of high intensity swept through the Bolivian capital of La Paz, claiming 48 lives. The storm brought the worst floods and hailstorms in the 500-year history of the city. Many people suffered injuries and some went missing. As a result of the storm, the Choqueyapu river overflowed destroying …
A gigantic dust storm that fouled skies from the Gobi Desert to the Canary Islands in April 2000 helped an international team of scientists discover that Asian air pollution infiltrates North America while feeding fish along the way. The scientists found that toxic metals and other man-made pollutants hitch rides …
huge dust clouds blowing across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara Desert cause red tides in the Gulf of Mexico, reveals a new study. Red tides, which are blooms of toxic algae, kill the gulf's marine life in large quantities. But this can be prevented, indicates the study done by …
About 80 tropical cyclones (with wind speeds equal to or greater than 35 knots) form in the world’s waters every year. Of these about 6.5% develop in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Since the frequency of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal is about 5 to 6 times …
ever since humans learnt to walk upright, they have made a conscious effort to gain control over all the things that affect them. From domesticating wild beasts millions of years ago, to decoding the complexities of the human genome this century, an insatiable urge to play God has always facinated …
Volunteers with mountain-climbing experience have been employed to plant trees on the slopes of Mikurajima island, south of Tokyo. Landslides had devastated the greenery on these slopes when a typhoon struck the area five years ago. The volunteers used ropes to keep their balance when planting trees on the 40-degree …
during the 1980s, cyclones ravaged Bangladesh, left millions of people homeless and devastated thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land. Remote sensing maps clearly indicated that wherever mangrove forests were destroyed, there were more damages. In India, too, the pressures of increasing population, food production and industrial and urban development …
it will take up to two centuries to restore France's forests, devastated by freak Christmas weekend storms which killed over 85 people, said the National Forestry Office ( onf ). The onf said gales blowing up to 200 kph uprooted or broke in half 270 million trees, the equivalent of …
Hurricanes, like Floyd, which lashed the eastern coast of USA in mid-September, may take a heavy toll on human settlements near the coasts, but there is good news for algae, going by the findings of Marilyn Fogel of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and her colleagues. The researchers discovered that …
A solar sail may soon shield the Earth against solar storms. The sail will be stationed between the Earth and the Sun and will give warnings of solar storms that cause serious damage to phone networks, satellites and power grids. The sail will be hoisted on a lightweight spacecraft to …
not since 1942 has Orissa witnessed a cyclone of this magnitude. On October 18, a devastating cyclone ripped through one of the state's largest cities, Berhampur in Ganjam district, and adjoining districts leaving a trail of destruction. At the last count around 100 people, including many children, had died and …
hurricane Floyd, which struck eastern North Carolina on September 17, has so far claimed more than 31 lives and rendered thousands homeless. Almost two-thirds of the state has been virtually paralysed and many towns have been completely submerged. A state of emergency has been declared in 28 counties. According to …
on may 12, 1999, a storm swept over Patiala, Punjab, uprooting most of the district's electric poles and trees along the banks of the Bhakra Main Line ( bml ) canal that supplies water to Rajasthan and Haryana from the Bhakra-Nangal dam. "A wall of water, laden with uprooted trees …
unpredictable stormy winters in northern Europe are known to put life out of gear. Now, their uncertainty may be a thing of the past because researchers in the uk have found a link between temperatures in the Atlantic and an atmospheric effect that influences European winters. Since the 1930s, climate …
Massive relief operations are underway to rescue tens of thousands of people who became victims of Hurricane Mitch, mostly in Nicaragua and Honduras. The death toll, which is estimated to be over 10,000 is expected to rise due to hunger and disease (Down To Eartk Vol 7, No 14). According …
APPLE crop in Kashmir was extensively damaged by massive windstorms. Apple is the primary fruit of Kashmir. Earlier, the state suffered from a prolonged dry spell, which also affected the production adversely. The Kerwas (highlands) where 30 per cent of the crop grows, were the worst-hit region. Fruit growers of …
THEY have been mistaken for extraterrestrial visitors, supernatural phenomenon and everything in between. And recently, the crew of an Air UK jet, which was struck by lightning, saw "fireballs in the cabin". Ball lightning is the term that is given to these mysterious balls of fire that usually appear during …
IN NOVEMBER, the Earth will run into the worst meteor storm in 32 years. It will be the first space hurricane of the modern satellite era. While it poses no danger to people because the meteoroids will burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere, it poses some threat to …
A portable pyramid capable of protecting people from being struck by lightning has recently been developed by researcher Mat Darvenzia of the University of Queensland, usa. Built of aluminium tubes, this curious device operates on the simple theory that when lightning strikes, the charge passes harmlessly through to the ground …
