Australia Weather News

Fortunately, so far in 2016 weather disasters resulting in heavy loss of life have been minimal.

Perhaps the deadliest weather-related disaster of 2016 occurred in the past week or so in Sri Lanka, where heavy rains from so called tropical cyclone One have triggered flash floods and landslides that up to a day or two ago, had resulted in the loss of life of at least 34 people and over 130 still missing, presumed dead.

Tropical cyclone One was relatively weak as far as cyclones are concerned. It formed out of a general areas of low pressure on the leading edge of a monsoonal front and consolidated to the SE of Sri Lanka. By early last week, it had sustained winds averaging 75 kph. However, heavy rains began on Monday, and persisted for many hours.

These hours of torrential rains triggered massive mudslides Tuesday evening that buried homes and people in the villages in Kegalle District, about 70 kms north of the capital of Colombo. The cyclone then moved into the south of the Bay of Bengal after passing Sri Lanka and although remaining weak, was named cyclone Roanu by the Indian Met. Service.

Although it is not expected to ever become intense, it is still producing dangerous flooding in parts of eastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar at the moment, as it is now located just off the coast of India's Andhra Pradesh state northeast of the city of Chennai Wednesday.

According to insurance based reports issued in April, there have only been 4 weather related disasters in 2016 that were responsible for more than 100 deaths. The heat in April across parts of Indian is believed to have cost up to 300 lives but unfortunately this appears to almost be an annual occurrence these days.

Floods in Pakistan and Afganistan between 2nd and 7th April resulted in the loss of 152 lives while earlier floods in Pakistan in March caused 141 deaths. The only other deadly event was a cold winter outbreak in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Thailand between 20-26 January resulting in 116 fatalities. However, summer in the northern hemisphere is approaching and this is usually the time for the majority of severe weather events.

WillyWeather