GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

APRIL 2011

EUROPE

On April 8th, a freak sandstorm swept across the town of Rostock in
northern Germany. The sand and dust swept across a busy four-lane road
near the Baltic Sea, causing an 80 car pileup. Twenty of the vehicles
caught on fire after a truck carrying flammable material spilled.
Eight people were reported killed and another 41 injured. Several of
the injuries were serious, and there were fears the death toll could
rise. The dust storm was driven by extremely dry conditions he past
month across the country and strong winds blowing over recently
ploughed fields.

AFRICA

During April, drought conditions persisted across eastern Africa, and
particularly hard hit was Kenya and Somalia. The southwestern region
of
Kenya was impacted the most, including Marsabit, Moyale, and Mandera.
In those three regions alone, more than 17,000 heads of livestock died
during 2011 to date due to lack of water and malnutrition. Many of the
water sources completely dried up by April, and most of the remaining
water sources were contaminated by water-borne diseases. An assessment
by the United Nations found that the drought in East Africa has left
eight million people in need of food aid, including with 1.2 million
Kenyans. The rising cost of food also played a role in the shortages.
The United Nations expected more people and livestock to perish due to
the lack of potable water and food. The dry conditions also prompted
migrations. Over 10,000 Kenyans migrated eastward into Uganda, while
10,000 Somalis migrated into Kenya. Meanwhile, more than 52,000 people
have fled rural areas for the urban centers in search of water and
food. The migration of people will continue to add strain to the
fragile resources in the region.

Flooding rains across extreme southwestern Africa continued into
April.
The rainy season for the region typically lasts from November to
March, but this year it lasted longer than usual. The hardest hit
nations were Namibia and Angola. Since the beginning of the year, 62
people have drowned in Namibia, and across both nations, the United
Nations estimated more than 37,600 people have been displaced. On
April 11th, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton promised aid to help the
nation deal with the ongoing crisis. The heavy rains also completely
filled the Kuiseb River, which flows through the very dry Namib
Desert. On April 2nd, the Kuiseb River, which typically completely
dries out before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, drained into the ocean
for the first time since the 1960’s. The Swakop River, also reached
the Atlantic Ocean on April 2^nd , the first time in five years.

MIDDLE EAST

On April 13th, a strong dust storm moved across the Middle East,
affecting several Persian Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and Iraq. The dust storm was driven by a strong cold front
moving across the deserts of Turkey and Syria into the Persian Gulf
region. In Basra, Iraq, visibility dropped to just 165 feet (50
meters). Kuwait was particularly hard hit, prompting the country to
halt all oil exports.
Kuwait is one of the world’s largest oil producers, pumping around 2.3
million barrels of crude oil into world markets daily. Schools and
universities were also closed across the small nation, as the blowing
dust reduced visibility to less than 350 feet (200 meters). According
to media sources, this is the fourth dry winter in a row for the
country, loosening desert sands. Dust storms are usually rare in
winter, but become more common during the summer as hot temperatures
return to the region.

UNITED STATES

Above-average snowfall and snowpack across the Upper Midwest and
Northern Plains of the U.S. during the 2010/2011 winter primed the
region for another spring of near-record flooding. The Red River which
flows northward between the states of North Dakota and Minnesota into
Canada, is particularly prone to spring flooding. These rivers and
streams crested during the week of April 11th, causing the rivers to
breach their banks. The first ten days of April brought particularly
warm temperatures and rainfall to the region, causing an accelerated
rise in the Red River, which rose more than seven feet (2.1 m) in 48
hours. In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River crested at 38.6 feet
(11.8 m), which is just shy of the record flooding which occurred in
2009 when the river crested at 40.8 feet (12.4 m). Thousands of
volunteers and National Guard troops helped residents stack sandbags
to keep the water out of towns. The governors of North Dakota and
Minnesota declared states of emergency in the counties directly
impacted by the flooding. Over 60 miles (97 km) of roads had to be
closed due to flood water inundation. The flooding also impacted
Winnipeg, Canada which is bisected by the Red River. Hundreds of
volunteers helped sandbag Canada’s seventh largest city. Four people
were reported to have died in flood waters in Minnesota. The death
toll could have been higher, but communities in the region were well
prepared for the floods, with this being the third consecutive spring
with near-record flooding.

A large complex of severe weather moved across the southeastern
quadrant of the United States on April 4^th , bringing reports of
hail, severe winds, and tornadoes from Texas to Pennsylvania. Record
warm temperatures ahead of a strong cold front primed the atmosphere
for the severe weather outbreak. The fast moving complex traveled more
than 800 miles (1290 km) in about 24 hours with an average speed of
30-40 mph (50-65 km/hr). At least nine people were reported to have
been killed due to impacts of the storms. In Augusta, Georgia, a
practice round of the Master’s golf tournament was delayed due to
many of the famed magnolia trees along the course being destroyed.
Strong winds tore the roof off an elementary school gymnasium in
Tennessee, but fortunately no one was injured. Across Georgia and
Tennessee, over 270,000 homes lost power. According to preliminary
counts from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, there were 68 tornado
reports, 90 hail reports, and 1,318 strong wind reports. After the
local National Weather Service offices investigate these reports, it
is likely that the number of strong wind reports within the 24-hour
period will be a record breaker. The previous record for one-day
severe wind reports was 455 on April 2nd, 2006.

ASIA

A strong cyclone, dubbed a Nor’wester, hit Bangladesh on April 4th and
5th, killing 13 people and injuring 121. Media outlets reported that
eight districts in the northern region of the country were hard hit
with flooding rains, resulting in mudslides leveling hundreds of
houses, and leaving thousands homeless. Hail also accompanied the
storm, causing property damage and damage to a vast tract of corn,
wheat, mango, and lychee orchards.

CARIBBEAN

Unseasonable heavy rains caused landslides across the Caribbean island
of Grenada on April 12th. April is typically part of the dry season
for the island, and the rain caught many residents off guard. Up to
six inches (152.4 mm) of rain fell in 24 hours, causing landslides.
More than 20 families lost their homes. The storm also caused 15
fishing boats to wreck along the islandâ’s coast. Fortunately, there
were no reports of fatalities, injuries, or missing persons.