April 2008
Natural
disasters in July 2005
The
information summarized has been culled from press reports
and is indicative only. For official information, including
final statistics, readers are advised to contact the
National Meteorological Service of the country in question.
Thunderstorm/lightning/heavy
rain/floods/landslides
Austria, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan,
Romania
Austria
People
evacuated from a hospital and residents were forced to leave
their homes in low-lying areas after the river Salzach
overran its banks as a result of heavy rain.
Bangladesh
Thousands of
people were rendered homeless and about one million marooned
by a week of monsoon-driven floods that washed away railway
tracks and road bridges. At least 10,000 people were left
without shelter as swollen rivers washed away their homes. A
tidal surge triggered by a storm in the Bay of Bengal
flooded islands off the coast of the country.
China
Heavy rain and
winds forced more than one million people from their homes
in south-east China on and killed at least one person. In
the worst hit area, power supply was sporadic, water
supplies were cut off and floodwaters reached shoulder
height after torrential rains.
India
Landslides and
floods killed at least 30 people in the western state of
Maharashtra. Dozens more were reported missing.
Japan
Severe
tropical storm Banyan made landfall on the coast of
Japan’s main island, with winds estimated at 250 km/h and
torrential rain. Road, sea and air transport systems were
disrupted.
Pakistan
Three people
were killed and six injured in a windstorm. Telephone,
electricity and road systems were disrupted as dozens of
trees were uprooted.
Romania
The worst
floods in half a century killed 20 people and left thousands
homeless. Torrential rains swelled rivers, flooded homes and
churned up roads. The eastern part of the country was
particularly hard hit.
Tropical
cyclones
Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago
Cuba
Hurricane Dennis left 16 people dead and US$ 1.4 billion of damage,
flattening houses and downing trees and power lines.
Grenada,
Trinidad and Tobago
Hurricane Emily battered houses with winds of 160 km/h and flooded roads.
Haiti
At least 10
people were killed and over 100 reported missing in floods
and mudslides triggered by Dennis.
Mexico
Hurricane Emily destroyed thousands of buildings and drove more than 90,000
people from their homes. At least one person was swept away
by floodwaters.
Lightning
USA
At least 14
people were killed and over 100 injured as a result of
lightning. Hurricane Dennis destroyed several homes
in Atlanta while thunderstorms in south-east Michigan
dropped 2.5 cm of water and power was cut to 39000 homes.
Heatwave
Italy, USA
Italy
Over one
million lives, especially the elderly, were at risk in a
heatwave which, it was feared, could be worse than the
summer of 2003 when 20,000 people died.
USA
A deadly heat
wave killed at least 24 people in the Phoenix, Arizona,
area. Temperatures soared past 38¡C in several cities.
Locusts
France
A plague of
hundreds of thousands of locusts devoured crops.
Algeria,
France, Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Severe drought
affected most of France, especially from the Atlantic Ocean
to Paris. North Africa was hit by drought which severely
affected grain production. Portugal and Spain suffered their
worst drought in 60 years. 97 percent of Portugal was
affected. In Spain crops were wrecked and forest fires were
sparked. Water restrictions were imposed.
Tornado
United Kingdom
At least 20
people were hurt when a tornado ripped through Birmingham.
Many trees were uprooted and roofs and chimneys torn from
buildings. |
Climate 