High-impact of weather and climate events in December 2007

The information summarized has been culled from international 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.

Australia
Heavy rain triggered flash flooding in parts of Victoria, destroying property.

Indonesia
Torrential rains triggered landslides which killed at least 100 people, buried houses and displaced over 60 000 people in Java.

Malaysia
At least 28 people died in floods after torrential rain in the south.

Sri Lanka
Flooding displaced at least 20 000 people as a depression over the Bay of Bengal increased monsoon rains.

Snow/ice melt/severe cold

USA
At least three people died as a result of heavy snow and ice in the Mid-west. More than 25 cm of snow fell in parts of Michigan and Vermont, causing disruptions in air and road transport systems.

Drought
Brazil, China

Brazil
The country’s coffee crops were severely damaged by low rainfall.

China
Over a million people in the south-western Chinese region of Guangxi were hit by drinking water shortages in the worst drought since 1951.

Heat wave
Australia, USA

Australia
Extreme heat triggered a record use of power across the states. In some places, temperatures rose as high as 42°C and dropped to only 29.9°C at night—the hottest since 26 December 1941.

Severe storm
USA
At least 460 000 people were without power when the plains were severely hit by an ice storm. In Oklahoma, 135 000 homes were without electricity.

Cyclone Melanie

Australia
Moving at 150 km/h toward the coast, Melanie forced the shut down of an oil field.

Tropical storm Olga

Dominican Republic
Flash floods triggered by Olga killed at least 19 people and 35 000 people were forced to flee their homes.

Thunderstorms

Haiti
Thunderstorms caused by Olga killed two people.

Cyclone Daman

Fiji
Daman with destructive winds of more than 200 km/h flattened villages and caused widespread destruction to roads and property.

Tornado

USA
A tornado demolished a building and overturned vehicles in central Florida.