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Officials urge municipalities to begin emergency planning after major rivers and reservoirs threaten to overflowMajor rivers, waterways and reservoirs in China’s Guangdong province are threatening to unleash dangerous floods, forcing the government to enact emergency response plans to protect more than 127 million people.Calling the situation “grim”, local weather officials said sections of rivers and tributaries at the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins are...

Passengers report being stranded in the desert city as the international hub struggles in the wake of unusually heavy rainDon’t blame cloud seeding for the Dubai floodsDubai is wrestling with the aftermath of extraordinary torrential rains that flooded the desert city, with residents describing harrowing stories of spending the night in their cars, and air passengers enduring chaotic scenes at airports.Up to 259.5mm (10.2in)...

Emergency services dealing with incidents in Littlehampton and ‘severe flooding’ at a holiday parkThe River Arun has overflowed in West Sussex with rescue operations under way in the seaside town of Littlehampton and warnings of severe flood waters as a result of Storm Kathleen.“Our crews are supporting rescue operations in Littlehampton near Ferry Road and Rope Walk where the River Arun has burst its...

Hardest hit areas were Illawarra, Nepean and Hawkesbury and premier says 29 homes were completely inundatedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastResidents in flood-ravaged parts of New South Wales are returning to their properties after some areas were evacuated over the weekend and several homes were destroyed.The NSW SES received...

Federal emergency declared in Orenburg region and at least 6,000 homes inundated after Ural River overflowsFlood waters were rising in two cities in Russia’s Ural mountains on Sunday after Europe’s third-longest river burst through a dam, flooding at least 6,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee.The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several...

Heavy rainfall brings landslides to country’s south-east. Elsewhere, a wild temperature fluctuation in IberiaBrazil was hit by devastating floods over the weekend that have so far claimed 20 lives in the resultant landslides and mudslides. There was heavy rainfall in parts of the south-east, including Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis and the larger Espírito Santo region, with hourly rainfall totals of about 20mm recorded in...

McArthur River at community of Borroloola predicted to peak at 18 metres, three metres higher than previous 2001 recordFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastMore than 100 people have been evacuated from the remote Northern Territory community of Borroloola as it faces dangerous record flooding just days after it was...

People in affected areas say they are still waiting for government help after more than 300 deaths and widespread devastationTens of thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are living in temporary accommodation and waiting for government help after the country experienced its worst flooding in six decades.More than 300 people have died and 280,000 households in more than half the...

Roads were flooded and trees toppled amid calls for people to get ready for powerful downpours, heavy snow and damaging windsWhat are the atmospheric rivers hitting California right now?The first of two severe storms drenched California on Thursday, bringing intense downpours that flooded roads and toppled trees. But the worst is far from over – officials warned residents to prepare for a “significant threat”...

Roads are cut off, more than 20 schools closed and a town flooded after heavy rainfall inundated south-east Queensland, sparking multiple rescuesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA relentless series of storms is starting to take an emotional toll on people in Queensland’s south-east as the Bureau of Meteorology warns of more heavy rain to come.Roads are cut...

Tens of millions have been spent on human-made defences over the years, but the impact of the climate crisis means flooding is inevitableWhen Jo Bloom saw the monitoring station on the River Severn above Shrewsbury register water levels of 6.5 metres as Storm Henk struck in early January, she began preparing for the worst. Bloom, who runs the Bewdley Flood Group, a local initiative...

Woman trying to cross rushing waters had climbed on top of overturned vehicle before she was rescued by helicopter teamA helicopter team rescued a woman Tuesday morning who was trapped for almost 15 hours atop her overturned pickup truck in rushing waters after she tried to traverse a swollen creek following recent rain in northern California.A helicopter of California highway patrol air operations airlifted...

Rail services to and from Scotland suspended until at least noon on WednesdayStorm Jocelyn has brought fresh travel disruption to much of the UK, less than two days after Storm Isha left two people dead and thousands without power.The 10th named storm of the season brought an amber warning for wind to parts of Scotland on Wednesday morning, with much of the UK covered...

Increased flooding blamed on years of government delays over ‘sponge cities’ rulesIncreased sewage pollution, urban flooding and water supply interruptions are the result of a decade of failures by the Conservative ministers, according to water experts who are demanding an independent inquiry into water be set up by the next government.The repeated failure of the Tories to implement rules to create “sponge cities” has...

This blog is now closed.Hotel in affluent Brisbane suburb ceases offering emergency accommodation after resident’s letter campaignGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastVictoria floods: affected communities urged to prepare up to three days of suppliesA watch and act alert is in place along the Goulburn River from Murchison and Shepparton to south of Lake Eildon.We’re not expecting the...

Man jumped into rushing flood waters and tied 74-year-old woman to a tree after she was swept 100 metres downstreamGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA man jumped into rushing flood waters to save a woman swept away into Bendigo Creek, risking his own life to secure her with ratchet straps to a tree, as Victorian towns braced...

Majority of flood warnings in south of England and Midlands, with some snow flurries overnightMore than 100 flood warnings remain in place after last week’s Storm Henk deluge as large parts of the UK endured a cold, frosty morning.The Environment Agency (EA) said there were 126 flood warnings in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of...

Health Security Agency issues week-long alert for vulnerable and elderly people across EnglandA cold weather alert has been issued and almost 250 flood warnings are in place across England and Wales as conditions continue to cause travel problems across parts of the UK.The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold weather alert for vulnerable and elderly people from 9am on Saturday until...

Environment agency says ‘significant surface water and river flooding impacts are possible’ on FridayIn Gloucestershire, police warned of road closures due to rising water levels around Tewkesbury.An evacuation centre was set up in the nearby village Walton Cardiff while people living on Alney Island, between two branches of the River Severn, in nearby Gloucester were urged to leave their homes overnight for a nearby...

Warning of ‘significant’ impact of surface water and river flooding across England, as showers forecast for FridayUK floods – live updatesHundreds of flood warnings are in place after widespread heavy rainfall across the UK.Homes across the Midlands were inundated on Thursday while parts of southern England including Gloucestershire were also submerged. On Friday morning, 302 flood warnings were in place in England, as well...

Dozens rescued from flood waters and thousands remain without power as BoM warns of wild weather in Melbourne, south-east NSW and QueenslandThe first week of 2024 is off to a wild start, with storms continuing to lash Australia’s east coast and a heatwave baking the north of the continent.Thunderstorms were headed for central Victoria on Wednesday and were forecast to become widespread over the...

Tyalgum residents hit by devastating flooding in 2022 have stepped up to support each other again after being isolated for nearly two daysResidents of a small town near the New South Wales-Queensland border still grappling with the fallout from major flooding in 2022 have banded together to support each other after the community was again hit by severe weather.Tyalgum, a Tweed Shire village of...

State government says group has specialist skills and appropriate agency is chosen at federal levelThe Australian defence force was not deployed after storms hit the Gold Coast because it was determined other agencies would be better suited to the clean-up task, according to the Queensland disaster coordinator.Acting deputy commissioner, Shane Chelepy, told media on Monday afternoon that the state response to continued thunderstorms and...

Poor state of critical assets in many parts of country leaves thousands of homes and businesses more vulnerable to stormsMinisters have been told they will be “punished” by voters after analysis revealed the decline of vital flood defences across England.The proportion of critical assets in disrepair has almost trebled in the West Midlands and the east of England since 2018, leaving thousands of homes...