29 April 2024
Kenya Rail Embankment Failure
April 28th 2024. According to The Nation, Heavy rains in the Rift Valley led to build up of water behind a rail embankment and blocked culvert in Mai Mahiu. The embankment subsequently failed with a flash flood impacting downstream villages and leading to 48 fatalities. Initial reports of the failure of a nearby dam were incorrect. Learnings relate to risk around unplanned storage of water and culvert sizing.
19 April 2024
Dubai Floods
April 16th 2024. Record rainfall with event totals of 160mm recorded at Dubai Airport and major impacts to the city and infrastructure. Records go back 75 years. According to the UAE media office, 254.8mm was the highest 24 hour total just east of Al-Ain around the Khatm-al-Shakla border post. 18 deaths occurred in Oman in flash floods. Reports that the floods were caused by cloud seeding were not founded in truth according to experts globally (Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, University of Reading in the UK, and Monash University, Australia).
13 April 2024
Extraordinary Perth Rainfall
April 12th, 2024. Thunderstorm activity saw extraordinary rainfall intensity in the Clarkson area in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. Rainfall totals exceeded 100mm at 4 locations with the bulk of the rainfall happening in 30 minutes around lunchtime. 5 minute totals included 25mm (300mm/hr.) and 40mm (480mm/hr.) at separate, unofficial sites. Significant local flooding resulted.
11 April 2024
Alpine Glacial Retreat
April 10th 2024. 92/93 Glaciers monitored by the Austrian Alpine club retreated in 2023 accoring to their latest survey, released yesterday. 79 measured glaciers were on average 23.9 metres shorter in 2023 than 2022. Switzerland has also reported 4% of it’s total glacial volume disappeared in 2023.
