Monday, January 28, 2008

Blizzards in China costing lives.


More than 3.4 million people in east China's Anhui Province have been affected by a heavy snow since Friday, officials said on Wednesday.
(Xinhua File Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>(click here)


Tens of thousands of passengers crowd Guangzhou Railway Station, in southern China's Guangdong province, January 28, 2008. Some 100,000 passengers have been stranded at the station as trains are delayed by snow in other parts of the country. Forecasters warned of more snowstorms in central and eastern China, telling local governments to brace for further pressure on already severely strained transport, power and communications. (AP Photo/EyePress)


Lesotho Red Cross responds to severe weather conditions (click here)
By Mark South
In the wake of a freak tornado, the Lesotho Red Cross are stocking up on tents in case of a repeat strike.The twister which struck the country in early January is just one example of the extreme weather Southern Africa has been experiencing over the past few weeks, in many cases the worst on record.
Torrential rains and related heavy flooding have been the major challenges with Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe all suffering inundations which have forced thousands from their homes.
Lesotho was different in that it was wind rather than rain which caused problems. "We are very lucky because we haven't had floods, so it makes it much easier to get out to the villages to help people," explained Teboho Kitlehi, director General of the Lesotho Red Cross.
"We did experience extremely heavy rain and hail storms, but it was the tornado and high winds which have done the majority of the damage."...