This page is updated during the first few days of every month with a summary of the previous months weather events from around the globe. The summary covers severe weather events from all around the world from floods and storms to droughts and heatwaves.
GLOBAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS SUMMARY - 2011
January 2011:
January was a very busy month in terms of severe weather, especially in the southern hemisphere where severe floods affected parts of Sri Lanka, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines. Most of these flooding events continued into 2011 from late 2010 and were all in connection with the strong La Nina in the Pacific. The most extreme flooding event taken place in south-east Brazil, where record-breaking rainfall has so far left over 900 people dead and thousands homeless. Australia has also been affected by severe flooding, with record-breaking rainfall leaving much of Queensland and Victoria under water. Both Australian floods have so far left nearly 40 people dead and forced thousands of people into evacuation. Several countries in Southern Africa have also experienced heavy rainfall and flooding. The worst of the floods took place in South Africa, where over 70 people have perished and several thousand others left homeless so far. Moderate flooding also affected Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. The strong La Nina also brought record rainfall and widespread flooding to parts of the Philippines, where around 40 people have so far been reported dead, and Sri Lanka, where dozens have perished. Meanwhile, China has been in the grip of a severe drought, that has so far impacted 8 provinces in the northern half of the country. The worsening drought is said to be the most severe to affect the country in around 60 years and has affected 35% of the entire wheat crop. North America has also seen it's fair share of severe weather this January, with 2 major blizzards slamming the US and Canada. The first blizzard was a New England blizzard that formed on January 8th and dissipated on January 13th. The blizzard brought significant snowfall and sub-zero temperatures to the Midwest and Southern US as well as New England and eastern Canada. The second blizzard was again a New England blizzard that formed on January 25th and dissipated on January 27th. The blizzard affected much of the Midwest and Southern US. New England and eastern Canada also experienced blizzard conditions. Both blizzards led to severe disruption to road, rail and air traffic as well as causing several fatalities. Despite the severe floods in eastern Australia, western Australia continued to swelter in record-breaking heat, with the city of Perth on track to have its hottest summer on record.
Notable Tropical Cyclones: Severe Tropical Cyclone Wilma was the 6th system to form in the South Pacific Cyclone Season. Wilma formed on January 19th and dissipated on January 28th. Wilma peaked with winds of 115mph, making it a strong Category 4 Cyclone. Wilma caused the most damage in New Zealand where strong winds left many homes damaged and intense rainfall triggered several landslides. Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi also formed in the South Pacific Ocean on January 26th. Yasi was most notable for slamming the Queensland coast as a Category 5 Cyclone in early February after moving into the Australian Region. Yasi became the second-costliest Australian Cyclone on record after battering Queensland with gusts of up to 170mph.
February 2011: February was another busy month for severe weather, with heavy flooding continuing to affect many countries in the southern hemisphere. These countries included; Brazil, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and the Philippines, where record-breaking rainfall continuing well into the month. The floods in Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines were far less severe then the flooding in January, but still led to widespread damage and disruption as well as loss of life. The Australian state of Victoria saw the worst of the flooding, with record-breaking rainfall leaving many towns in the state under water. Meanwhile, China is continuing to experience their most severe drought in 60 years, with much of the northern half of the country parched in limited water supplies. During the first few days of the month, severe winter weather brought much of North America to a stand still, with heavy snow, blizzards, ice storms and even tornadoes affecting much of the US and Canada. The worst affected places were the Midwest and Southeastern US, Northern Mexico, New England, The Great Lakes and Eastern Canada, with many places recording over 2 feet of snow. Road, rail and air traffic was severly affected, with strong winds of up to 60mph leading to blowing snow and blizzards across many places. Overall, 36 people were confirmed to have perished with many more injured. Record-breaking heat continued to affect the Australian city of Perth, with dry conditions leading to severe wildfires in and around the city. The high temperatures, low rainfall and high winds made the (continuing soon)
March 2011: N/A
April 2011: N/A
May 2011: N/A
June 2011: N/A
July 2011: N/A
August 2011: N/A
September 2011: N/A
October 2011: N/A
November 2011: N/A
December 2011: N/A
