GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
APRIL 2020

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Dozens of people are missing and feared dead after a ferry in the Solomon Islands set sail despite warnings not to embark during a cyclone (2nd). The MV Taimareho was travelling on Thursday night from the capital Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, to
West Are'are, on Malaita island. The vessel hit choppy seas whipped up by Cyclone Harold. Up to 60 people are reported to have been on board. Rescue efforts are under way but have been hampered by the bad weather. Cyclone Harold has brought flooding and
run boats aground in the Solomon Islands. 2020

AFRICA

Thousands of swallows and swifts migrating from Africa to Europe have been left dead by high winds battering Greece, bird watchers say (10th). The birds have been found in the streets of Athens, on apartment balconies in the capital, in the north, on
Aegean islands and around a lake close to the seaport of Nauplia in the Peloponnese. "It's a major disaster," said Maria Ganoti of the wildlife protection group Anima. "Over the last three days because of high winds in the north and over the Aegean Sea,
thousands of small birds have been found dead or gravely injured," she said. The Greek ornithologist association said: "The night of April 5-6 was disastrous for migrating birds due to strong winds, low temperatures and rain in some regions. "Southerly
winds pushed flocks of birds from north Africa into air currents from the north of the Aegean sea and particularly the islands. "To escape, exhausted birds, mainly swallows and swifts, which catch flying insects for food, headed for the Greek mainland."
Greece is on the flight path for hundreds of thousands of birds which migrate north in spring and south in autumn.

UNITED STATES

At least 26 people have died after storms triggered tornadoes and flooding across several southern US states (12th). As many as 60 tornadoes ripped through Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi on Sunday, while severe storms also hit parts of Alabama, Georgia
and the Carolinas. In Louisiana, a number of homes were destroyed in the city of Monroe. Last week, the American Meteorological Society issued guidelines for taking shelter during the coronavirus pandemic. "Do not let the virus prevent you from seeking
refuge from a tornado," the society said. Public shelters in many communities are closed because of lockdown measures. People were urged to still follow social distancing guidelines if they must seek safety in a public space like a school.

At least six people were killed after severe storms tore through a number of southern states late in the day, adding to weeks of extreme weather that had already killed more than two dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes (22nd). Some areas in
Louisiana had experienced "extreme flooding". Wednesday's storms caused havoc in many rural communities, causing damage to factories at multiple facilities across the south. At least two factory workers have been killed. In Louisiana, a worker's body was
found more than a quarter-mile away after an apparent tornado struck, severely damaging the factory and nearby town. A tornado in Marshall county, Oklahoma, killed a worker after a storm hit the Oklahoma Steel and Wire plant as employees were leaving for
the day. Elsewhere, at least three people were killed when an apparent tornado touched down in south-east Texas near Onalaska, about 120 km north of Houston, the Polk county emergency management system said.

RUSSIA

Acrid smoke from wildfires, including blazes near the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant, has blanketed Ukraine's capital Kyiv, making its air pollution among the worst in the world (16th). Kyiv's pollution now ranks alongside that of several Chinese cities,
Swiss monitoring group IQAir reports. Ukraine's health ministry says radiation levels remain normal and Chernobyl faces no immediate threat. At one point during the day Kyiv's air pollution was the worst in the world, according to the IQAir index. But
the dramatic global slump in economic activity, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has made the air in many cities cleaner. That partly explains why Kyiv's smog looks especially bad now.

EUROPE

Europe is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year was the warmest on record (22nd). While globally the year was the second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark. Over the past five
years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1 C warmer than at the end of the 19th century. In Europe, in the same period, temperatures were almost 2 C warmer. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the physical signs of climate
change and impacts on our planet have gathered pace in the past five years, which were the hottest on record. The European data, which comes from the EU's Copernicus Climate Service, indicates that 11 of the 12 warmest years on record on the continent
have occurred since 2000.

This April is set to be one of the driest Aprils on record for Germany, and there are worries a second drought in two years could be just around the corner (30th). According to DWD, the German Meteorological Service, less than 10 mm of rain had fallen
across the country between 14 March and 18 April. In areas of the lower Rhine just 4 mm of rain has fallen this April - that's only 9% of the monthly average. Aprils in Germany have been trending drier over the long term and it's notable that the last
eleven Aprils have been much drier than average - but it remains unclear whether this is natural climate variability or a symptom of climate change. The lack of rainfall has also contributed to the plummeting of some river levels. The Rhine is a vital
transport artery for the German economy and with water falling to such low levels, river barges cannot be loaded to full capacity so transport costs of goods are rising. In Geneva in Switzerland, a record-breaking 43-day drought has recently ended. In
Spain, spring has seen exceptionally wet weather. According to AEMET, in Barcelona between 1 March and 26 April over 300 mm of rain has been recorded, more than four times the usual amount.

ASIA

Heavy thunderstorms caused flooding as well as large hail in southeastern Turkey (22nd). There are reports that one person was killed after being struck by lightning and three others were injured after another lightning strike. In addition to Turkey,
much of Georgia, Armenia and western Azerbaijan had unsettled weather conditions during the middle of the week.

Middle East

High winds caused trouble across Egypt, as a major sandstorm forced the closure of several Red Sea Ports and major highways across the country (24th). Authorities urged Egyptians with respiratory illnesses to stay inside. The storm was so significant it
turned skies of Cairo an eerie yellow color.

Heavy rains triggered flooding in the city of Najran in southwestern Saudi Arabia (27th). The rains were dumped by a storm system from the Mediterranean Sea which merged with a cold front, bringing wet and windy conditions from Turkey to Saudi Arabia.
This caused an unsettled weather pattern that unfolded across the region.

AUSTRAILIA

Melbourne recorded 138 mm of rain in April 2020, making it the city's wettest April since 1960 when 195 mm was recorded (30th). Unseasonably low temperatures were also recorded and almost 50 cm of snow across Victoria's ski resorts.

TROPICAL

A cyclone bringing winds of 135 mph has arrived in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu (6th). Cyclone Harold is a category five storm - the most severe - and has already killed 27 people in the neighboring Solomon Islands. The victims were swept off a ferry
that defied cyclone warnings. Vanuatu, home to around 300,000 people, is already in a state of emergency because of the coronavirus - and is awaiting general election results. The storm is particularly affecting Sanma province, home to the country's
second biggest city, Luganville. Although there have been no injuries reported, photos showed roofs blown off buildings and power lines brought down. Some people took shelter in caves. The Vanuatu meteorology department recorded winds of 135 mph in Sanma
but said gusts were reaching 145 mph.

Despite being spared a direct hit from Tropical Cyclone Harold, the island of Fiji suffered extensive damage from high winds, heavy rain and a battering storm surge mid-week (8th). After battering Vanuatu, Harold passed just south of Fiji. Ahead of the
cyclone, Fiji Airways moved several aircraft overseas to avoid damage. Fiji's National Disaster Management Office announced evacuation orders on Tuesday afternoon, local time, asking those in low-lying areas to move to higher ground ahead of Harold.
Early reports coming out of Fiji state that popular tourist destinations on the island have suffered heavy damage from the cyclone's storm surge and high winds as well as by the high tide that followed the storm. Power cuts and road closures were also
reported.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)