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Imola F1 race called off as floods devastate region

Imola F1 race called off as floods devastate region

FORMULA One and local organisers called off the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola as torrential rain and flooding caused devastation across the northern Italian region. The sport said the event could not be held safely this weekend and the decision was "the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region". There is little scope for rescheduling on a crowded calendar that initially had a record 24 events but dropped to 23 in January when China was cancelled and is now set to end up with 22. Italy's civil protection…
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Heavy rain, floods kill at least 136 in Rwanda and Uganda

Heavy rain, floods kill at least 136 in Rwanda and Uganda

FLOODING and landslides triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 129 people in Rwanda and six in Uganda, authorities said, as rescuers hunted survivors trapped in homes. In chaotic scenes after weeks of rain in the region, one video clip posted by the state-owned Rwanda Broadcasting Agency showed muddy water gushing down an inundated road and destroying houses. "We woke up at 2 a.m and heard people screaming," Angelique Nibagwire, 47, said from Karongi district in western Rwanda where at least 16 people died. Another resident in the area, Nyandwi Emmanuel, said three relatives died after a house he…
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As cyclone nears, Mauritius and Madagascar brace for floods, storm surge

As cyclone nears, Mauritius and Madagascar brace for floods, storm surge

MAURITIUS grounded flights and shut its stock exchange as tropical cyclone Freddy approached the island in the Indian Ocean, while emergency teams braced for heavy rains, floods and landslides in four regions on Madagascar. The cyclone, packing wind gusts of up to 120 km per hour (75 miles per hour), posed a direct threat to Mauritius, its weather service said. "As Freddy approaches ... (a) storm surge is likely to cause coastal inundation in risk areas. It is, therefore, strictly advised" not to go to sea, the service's bulletin said. The cyclone could pass as close as 120 km (75…
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SA declares national state of disaster over floods

SA declares national state of disaster over floods

SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive response to widespread flooding that has affected seven of the country's nine provinces. Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have been most affected by the floods, which were brought on by heavy rainfall as a result of the La Nina weather phenomenon, according to a statement from the office of the presidency on Monday. Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West have also experienced flooding. Invoking the national disaster act gives the government additional powers, including in the procurement and delivery of goods and services…
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South Africa declares national state of disaster over floods

South Africa declares national state of disaster over floods

SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive response to widespread flooding that has affected seven of the country's nine provinces. Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have been most affected by the floods, which were brought on by heavy rainfall as a result of the La Nina weather phenomenon, according to a statement from the office of the presidency on Monday. Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and North West have also experienced flooding. Invoking the national disaster act gives the government additional powers, including in the procurement and delivery of goods and services…
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The climate victim who became a climate champion

The climate victim who became a climate champion

BIRD STORY AGENCY STAFF AS a 10-year-old, Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddin and his group of new friends looked on as their community began to lose everything they owned to floods. He watched as the situation around his family's newly-built home turned catastrophic. An unusual weather pattern in Zaria, Kaduna state had resulted in weeks of rain. Then, the raging waters swallowed their home on the shores of River Galma, along with all their household items. “I cannot forget that day we waded through the waters to a refuge centre,” he narrated. Even today, his voice shakes slightly as he tells the…
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New forms of urban planning are emerging in Africa

New forms of urban planning are emerging in Africa

RAPID urban growth and an increasing number of climate change related disasters, such as the recent floods in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, have put the importance of sound urban planning in Africa in the spotlight. Urban plans are seen as the key to achieving inclusive, safe and sustainable cities. But urban scholars have argued for decades that for plans to be effective we need to move away from the traditional way of doing things. This requires dropping a top down approach – master planning – and opting instead for strategic forms of planning that are targeted, flexible and participatory. Authors…
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Early warnings for floods in South Africa: engineering for future climate change

Early warnings for floods in South Africa: engineering for future climate change

SEVERE weather, rain and flooding are at the forefront of the minds of many South Africans, especially those in KwaZulu-Natal. Early last week (11-12 April 2022), the province’s coast received heavy rain, with some areas recording over 300mm in 24 hours. This is about a third of the annual rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal. The rain was caused by a strong cut-off low weather system off the east coast of southern Africa. Cut-off lows frequently occur off this coast during the autumn months. These systems can cause localised flooding as well as large wave events. The port city of Durban (in the…
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SA floods “a teachable moment”

SA floods “a teachable moment”

KIM HARRISBERG AS downpours swamped South Africa's third-largest city this week, residents lucky enough to still have internet access and power shared harrowing videos of highways turned into rivers, collapsed buildings and flood-capsized cars. The deluge has killed more than 300 people in KwaZulu-Natal province, and with more heavy rain expected on the weekend residents and experts questioned whether the city had prepared sufficiently for worsening weather extremes. "We don't have the government's attention," complained Siya Gumede, 26, outside his home in Shakaskraal township north of Durban - a home now with only walls after a neighbouring church collapsed onto…
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SA President visits KZN province, after more than 253 died in raging floods.

SA President visits KZN province, after more than 253 died in raging floods.

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who cut his official trip to Mozambique, has arrived in KwaZulu-Natal to lead efforts to help the people in the province recover from floods that have killed more than 253 people, left thousands more homeless and destroyed key infrastructure in and around Durban. Ramaphosa, supported by Dr Nkosazana Zuma, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, was met by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala before going to into a meeting where he was briefed about the situation. The South African National Defence Force was called in as emergency services, assisted by charity…
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