Weekly Report on Natural Disasters #3. Volcanic Eruption in Iceland, Hail in Mexico, Fires in China

These events are just a part of the climate anomalies that occurred on our planet over the past week!

Mexico. Anomalous Hailstorm
On the day of March 15, residents of Coahuila state, Mexico, faced a powerful storm accompanied by hail the size of a tennis ball or even a baseball (with a diameter of up to 10 centimeters). In the municipality of Sabinas, an 8-year-old girl named Victoria Tabares suffered a skull fracture when she was hit by a large hail on the head. She was urgently taken to the clinic in critical condition. Dozens of people sustained lighter injuries from the hail.

Iceland. Volcanic Eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula
On March 16, approximately 30 miles from the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, a volcanic eruption began on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The fissure from which the lava flowed was about 3.5 kilometers long and was located near the town of Grindavik, in the same area as the previous eruption on February 8. Lava flows damaged two highways and came close to other important infrastructure objects. The eruption was preceded by 80 earthquakes.

China. Forest Fires
Destructive forest fires engulfed the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan in southern China. On March 15, around 5:00 p.m. in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, a forest fire broke out, and due to a sudden strong wind the next day, the fire quickly spread northeast, forming three fire centers. Approximately 4900 local residents were evacuated from the Yazian County. As a result of the fire, about 30 houses were completely burned down in several villages. The area of the fires in the Yazian County alone exceeded 24,700 acres.

Iraq. Destructive Flooding
At least two people died and 11 were injured as a result of flooding caused by heavy rains in Iraq, which began on March 18. The most affected areas were the mountainous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, where on Tuesday, March 19, a stream of rainwater flooded the streets, catching residents by surprise. The powerful flow knocked down trees and swept away cars. In Dahuk province, floodwaters carried away a car with four passengers inside. Two of them were rescued, while the other two were swept away by the current. Preliminary estimates suggest that the rains damaged about 100 houses and submerged about 15 cars.

Australia, Tropical Cyclone Megan
Tropical Cyclone "Megan" formed on the evening of March 15 local time in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. The residents of Groote Eylandt Island were the first to be affected by it. Within 48 hours, 680.4 mm of rainfall fell, which is more than half of the average annual amount. Wind gusts reached 110 km/h. Photos and videos shared by residents of Groote Eylandt depict the scale of the destruction: uprooted trees, flooded yards, and roads. On Monday, March 18, the cyclone hit the coast of Australia, bringing with it powerful wind gusts of up to 170 km/h and heavy rainfall. The Northern Territory of the country bore the brunt of the cyclone.

Every day, thousands of people suffer from climate catastrophes around the world. This can be stopped if we immediately start studying climate issues and unite the best scientists to find a solution. More details on what specifically causes anomalies on our planet are discussed in the "Global Crisis. The Responsibility" Forum.