Displaying items by tag: extreme weather

Over sixty people have died following floods across Iran. 78 intercity roads are blocked, 2,199 rural roads and 84 bridges have been washed away. 141 rivers burst their banks, and 400 landslides were reported. Floods have damaged nearly 7,500 miles of roads (36% of the country’s network). Government and aid agencies came under severe criticism for their efforts being too small in scale and unable to cope with the acute needs of tens of thousands of flood victims. Emergency services sent four helicopters to Pol-e Dokhtar because land routes to the city are cut off. Many people are in tents. A parliament member warned President Rouhani, ‘People facing a tragedy urgently need food, drinking water, medicine and warm clothes’.The lack of order and planning is widespread. Pray for the thousands sheltering in the open with little food, clean water or warm clothes in often rainy weather.

All across the Midwest, preparations have been under way for a bone-deep, relentless chill called a polar vortex. Extreme cold, which is expected to break all records, has already been blamed for one death in Minnesota. Officer Kraig Kalka is spending his time driving between homeless shelters, arranging transportation for those stuck on the streets, and collecting blankets and hand warmers to dole out downtown for some of Madison's most vulnerable residents. ‘What we're going to see, I don't remember ever seeing something like that before.’ The cold has caused statewide declarations of emergency, school closures, postal service interruptions, and 1,000 airline flight cancellations. Diesel fuel can turn to gel, clogging vehicles' fuel filters and leading to breakdowns. If a bus falters on a rural route, the wait for help can be lengthy.

No UK area has escaped snow showers, icy roads, or blizzard conditions. Please pray for the homeless at this time. Many charities and churches have opened their doors, but it is believed that some vulnerable people might have slipped through the nets of compassion. Some areas will soon see snow easing, but freezing rain threatens to make conditions even worse. Pray for safety on our roads when people resume their normal travelling arrangements. When weather causes havoc, the NHS’s workload rises as fractures from falls, chronic flu, and chest infections increase. The elderly are more susceptible to hypothermia. If people go outside in extreme weather, the heart works harder to keep them warm, leading to increased heart rate (causing more heart attacks) and higher blood pressure, risking strokes. Pray that our hospital departments, police, fire and all emergency services can cope with the added workload, and for all those driving in bad road conditions.

The worst monsoon since 2003 hit Sri Lanka after two months of drought. 194 people died, and the toll is expected to rise. 99 people are missing, and 112 injured. Over half a million people are affected. Red Cross, police, foreign aid workers, and military are giving first aid, organising search and rescue missions, and distributing food and water. Homes are uninhabitable. Barnabas Fund reported that 200 churches and 5,000 Christian families are affected. However, Christians have not sought shelter in relief camps, fearing persecution, especially those in Buddhist temples. On 30 May Cyclone Mora’s winds of 85 mph lashed Bangladesh forcing the evacuation of 2.5 million people, killing at least six, destroying 20,000 houses and felling hundreds of trees. Meanwhile President Trump is expected to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, according to two senior US officials familiar with his plans - a major reversal of the previous administration's efforts on climate change. See: