May Current Events 2023: Disaster News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the Disaster news events you need to know so far for May 2023.
- Avian Flu Epidemic Kills More Than 50,000 Wild Birds In The UK
- Wildfire Destroys Region In Russia With Extensive Damage To Infrastructure
- Heat Wave Trends In India’s Harsh Summer Season
- More Dead Bodies In Italy’s Worst Flood In A Century
- Typhoon Hits United States Territory Of Guam
Avian Flu Epidemic Kills More Than 50,000 Wild Birds In The UK
Photo Source: AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo
Friday, May 5, 2023 — The largest and most rapid loss of birds in decades was brought on by the extremely contagious H5N1 variety, which also triggered Europe's deadliest bird flu outbreak. Due to the particularly severe damage to breeding colonies, conservationists are warning that it may result in the extinction of some seabird species, backed by research from the University of Glasgow scientists.
Black-headed gulls, which typically begin nesting in early April have reportedly been severely impacted nationwide this year. 10% of the 2,000 breeding pairs of black-headed gulls in Yorkshire's largest black-headed gull colony at North Cave Wetlands nature reserve have perished, according to conservationists from the Wildlife Trust, who claimed they had "never seen mortality this high before."
Statistics show that more than 36,000 birds have died from the avian flu in Scotland, while only 7,300 deaths were reported in England. These deaths were split between two sites off the Northumberland coast (an estimated 6,000 deaths) and Coquet Island (an estimated 1,300 deaths), where rare birds like arctic terns, black-headed gulls, and common terns were among those most affected.
Source: The Guardian
Wildfire Destroys Region In Russia With Extensive Damage To Infrastructure
Photo Source: AP Photo/Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 — According to official media, at least 21 people have perished in wildfires in Russia's Ural highlands. Russia has witnessed a lot of forest fires in recent years, which experts attribute to arid summers and high temperatures.
In the past few days, wildfires raged in the Kurgan area of the Urals and in Siberia. According to local media, the majority of those killed were elderly persons who were unable to leave their houses. According to local officials, many of the deaths happened on Sunday in the village of Yuldus, in Kurgan province, on the border between the Urals and Siberia.
Regional emergency authorities warned that the death toll might rise. In Kurgan province, where over 5,000 structures have burnt down, a state of emergency has been declared. Fires have also consumed thousands of hectares in Sverdlovsk province and parts of Siberia's Omsk and Tyumen regions.
Sources: The Guardian
Heat Wave Trends In India’s Harsh Summer Season
Photo Source: AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool
Thursday, May 18, 2023 – India has begun to experience what could be another scorching summer, similar to last year's devastating heatwave, which caused widespread human suffering and affected workplaces, informal workers, landless laborers, marginalized communities, agriculture, and the overall economy.
Earlier this year, 13 individuals died of heatstroke in April after being exposed to the open sun for hours at a government-sponsored event in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
The recent surge in intense heatwaves across the country has had an impact on agriculture as well. Last year's wheat yield was severely damaged since the heatwave coincided with the growing stage of wheat.
According to a 2021 assessment by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), India is predicted to be among the countries most hit by the effects of the climate crisis, with more severe heatwaves lasting longer and occurring more frequently across the country.
Source: Al Jazeera
More Dead Bodies In Italy’s Worst Flood In A Century
Photo Source: AP Photo/Luca Bruno
Thursday, May 18, 2023 – Floods in northern Emilia-Romagna had claimed 13 lives. An estimated 20,000 people have been displaced due to the calamity, which has caused 23 rivers to burst their banks and 280 landslides to envelop 41 cities and towns. The recent flood is the worst in the last 100 years.
Before the floods, Emilia-Romagna and other northern Italian regions were plagued by a drought that dried up the terrain, limiting its ability to absorb water.
As rescuers labored through the night to evacuate individuals, older and handicapped persons were stuck in their houses. Firefighters conducted 2,000 rescue operations around the region and in flood-affected areas of central Marche.
In prior years, Italy reported several extreme weather occurrences, including 310 extreme weather events in 2022, which killed 29 people. 13 people were murdered in floods in Marche last September, and 12 people lost their lives in a landslide on the island of Ischia in late November.
Source: The Guardian
Typhoon Hits United States Territory Of Guam
Photo Source: AP Photo/Grace Garces Bordallo
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 – Typhoon Mawar hurled through the Pacific Islands, bringing heavy rain, tree-shredding winds, and a storm surge that smashed through the island's coral reefs. As the storm's eye moved over the island, the center and northern regions were drenched with 60cm of rain.
The Guam Power Authority reported tens of thousands of residences were without power on Thursday after a Category-4 storm landed, but a total blackout was avoided. Early on, it was impossible to assess the extent of the devastation since power, and internet outages hampered contact with the secluded island as the typhoon struck with gusts of high to 225km/h.
Authorities on the Guam territory encouraged inhabitants to stock up on supplies and seek shelter ahead of Mawar's arrival, anticipating a "direct hit" from the storm, expected to be the most severe since 2002.
Source: Al Jazeera
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