While the globe continues to fight coronavirus as new varieties arise, we are finally nearing the end of the year that was 2021. While it will be recognised for people's bravery in fighting the deadly Delta variant, it will also be remembered for a year marred by catastrophic weather occurrences worldwide.
India witnesses heavy rainfall
India was not immune to catastrophic weather occurrences, as it had a cyclone season and landslides caused by heavy rainfall. At least 25 people were killed in Uttarakhand when heavy rains caused flash floods and landslides. The showers were caused by a one-of-a-kind meteorological phenomenon that arose across North-West India due to a low-pressure region formed in the Bay of Bengal. Rain fell due to a collision between the low-pressure area and western disturbances.
The year 2021 began with a devastating catastrophe in the mountainous state when a massive quantity of rock and snow collided with the Rishiganga valley. The debris caused a disastrous flood in the Rishiganga river, destroying a hydropower station in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district and killing more than 70 people.
Flash floods hit China
This year, flash floods caused by the most significant rainfall in a thousand years killed nearly 300 people in central China's Henan province. Over 250 people were killed in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. The severe rains have affected about 14.53 million people in 150 county-level districts. Over 1.09 million hectares of crops were destroyed, and over 30,600 dwellings were destroyed across the region.
Over three days in Zhengzhou, 617.1 mm of rain fell, near the city's average yearly rainfall level. The city also set a new hourly precipitation record of 201.9 mm. Meteorologists described the enormous floods as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, resulting in horrific images in Zhengzhou, with public streets and subway tunnels swamped in rushing waters.
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Flash floods hit Europe
Over 170 people were killed in western Germany and Belgium due to flash floods caused by storms in regions of western Europe that caused rivers and reservoirs to breach their banks. Because saturated soil could not absorb more water than a certain amount, it caused flash floods in the area. The Vesdre River in Belgium breached its banks, bringing water surging through the streets of Pepinster.
Scientists believe that a weakening of the summer circulation of the atmosphere, which causes long-lasting weather patterns such as heat waves or constant rain, is at work. According to the French national meteorological service, the equivalent of two months' worth of rain fell in specific locations over two days. The floods were then termed "terrifying" by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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Worst forest fire in Russia
Russian Forestry Agency said Russia had its worst forest fire season in modern history. In 2021, fires burnt more than 18.16 million hectares of Russian forest, establishing an absolute record since the government began tracking forest fires using satellites in 2001. The previous record was established in 2012 when forest fires consumed 18.11 million hectares. After a long fire season that resulted in unprecedented levels of worldwide wildfire emissions and disrupted everyday life for hundreds of thousands of people in Siberia and elsewhere in central Russia.
Snowstorm hit Spain
The biggest snowfall in five decades covered Madrid in January this year, following a massive storm that slammed southern and central Spain, killing at least three people and prompting officials to issue the capital's highest level of a weather alert. Storm Filomena buried Madrid and nearby regions in more than a foot and a half of snow from Friday to Saturday, the most snow the city has experienced since 1971, according to the Spanish national weather service. The storm also brought severe winds and heavy rainfall to the Canary Islands, off the coast of North Africa, and other areas in southern Spain. Over the weekend, blizzards disrupted practically all modes of transportation, including forcing the shutdown of Madrid-Barajas Airport. Rail services in the worst-affected areas were stopped, and 12,500 kilometers of roads were blocked or severely disrupted.
Massive dust storm in China
The greatest and heaviest dust storm in a decade stormed through northern China on March 15, 2021. Sand swirled in the air in Beijing, and the sky was murky orange. According to NASA, satellite data revealed that the plume originated in the Taklamakan Desert in northern China. The arid, desolate landscape is a primary source of airborne dust, which may go exceptionally high and far in spring winds. The dust travelled eastward for thousands of kilometres from the Taklamakan. According to CNN, photographs from Beijing, a metropolis of 21.7 million people, showed skyscrapers and automobiles obscured by a thick haze. The air quality has deteriorated to the "hazardous" level of the Air Quality Index, prompting officials to encourage citizens to remain indoors. Due to dust, the sky became orange, restricting visibility to less than 3,300 feet.
Turkey, Greece witnessed wildfires
Due to high temperatures and strong winds, the 2021 wildfire season across the continent was much more damaging than the previous average, according to data from the European Union. According to experts, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of such fires.
More than 100 fires were recorded in Turkey alone, covering 17 provinces on the Aegean and Mediterranean shores. In 2021, about 1,36,000 hectares of land were burnt, which is three times the norm. The Turkish inferno was fanned by hot air from North Africa, which has exacerbated this year's European heatwave, bringing the Mediterranean to the brink of disaster.
Also Read | Fires rage across southern Europe, including Turkey, Greece; forcing hundreds to evacuate
Meanwhile, approximately 40 similar wildfire occurrences have been documented in Greece. Large swaths of pine forest were also destroyed in Lebanon's hilly north. In Greece and Turkey, temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius or higher in July.
Typhoon creates havoc in Phillppines
Forecasters said the quick strengthening that transformed Typhoon Rai into the biggest storm to hit the Philippines this year exceeded all expectations, killing almost 400 people and displacing nearly a million.
Before Rai began to intensify rapidly, experts warned of a storm that may cause "significant damage" with gusts of up to 165 kilometers (103 miles) per hour. In the instance of Rai, the storm became a category 5 supertyphoon, with speeds comparable to when a passenger airliner begins to lift off the ground. Winds of up to 210 km/hr uprooted coconut trees, ripping down electrical poles and flinging slabs of corrugated tin and wood into the air as it made landfall.