BENGALURU, India: Intense rain lashed southern India on Wednesday, with weather officials issuing a red alert warning of flash floods and landslides.
India’s Meteorological Department warned of “heavy to very heavy” rainfall expected in parts of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
Heavy rain and strong winds have battered southern India since Tuesday forcing many schools shut and disrupting train services.
In the city of Chennai, people used boats on the swamped streets with water in places higher than the engines of cars.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin said Wednesday that all relief work was being carried out “in full swing” and also announced free food at government-run restaurants.
Deadly rain-related floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.
In southern tech hub Bengaluru, traffic crawled as several roads were submerged under water. The downpour also delayed cricket, stalling the first Test between India and New Zealand.
India issues flood warnings as rain pounds south
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India issues flood warnings as rain pounds south
- Heavy rain and strong winds have battered southern India since Tuesday
- Deadly rain-related floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season
Austria snowstorm brings road and power chaos, four deaths
- One man, aged 53, was crushed to death when a snow plow fell down
- Vienna airport said it was forced to temporarily halt all flights in the morning
VIENNA: A major snowstorm hit Austria on Friday leaving four people dead and causing power outages and transport chaos, officials said.
One man, aged 53, was crushed to death when a snow plow fell down some steps in a “residential complex” in the northern city of Linz, police said.
Three skiers were killed in avalanches in the Tyrol region, including a German whose 16-year-old son was seriously injured in the landslide at Nauders. Two of the people died in an avalanche near the St. Anton ski resort, officials said.
Tyrol authorities appealed for skiers to stay away from off-piste activities. The latest deaths took to 18 the number of dead in avalanches in Austria this winter season.
Up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of snow fell on the Alpine nation since Thursday, prompting alerts for southeast Austria, notably in the region around the city of Graz.
Vienna airport said it was forced to temporarily halt all flights in the morning, and afternoon services were “disrupted.”
One of the main orbital highways around Vienna was closed for several hours, and other sections of highway were blocked by snowdrifts, stranded lorries or poor visibility, said the national automobile association, OAMTC.
Electric companies reported power outages in several regions in the south and east, including Styria, where 30,000 homes lost electricity.
In neighboring Slovenia, 40,000 households were affected, according to local media, which reported major disruptions in the country’s northeast.
