Blow hotter,blow colder

The year 2010 has seen strange weather anomalies,with countries the world over experiencing extreme weather conditions. While India recorded its hottest summer in many years,many European countries have been battling an abnormal heatwave and floods. East Asia is one of the regions to have experienced unusually hot weather even as South American countries grappled with a severe cold wave....

Pakistan: Record rainfall last week has caused the worst ever flooding in the country,leading to over 1,500 deaths so far. As the deluge continues to sweep through the country,scores of people have fled central Punjab provinces,one of the worst-hit,while Pakistan faces a severe shortage of food supplies. The UN World Food Programme has urged for food supplies to be provided to the country immediately to avoid a starvation-like situation. Eighty per cent of food reserves have been destroyed by the floods,which also caused massive damage to livestock,markets,roads and overall infrastructure, a spokesperson said.

China: China was hit by a heatwave earlier in July,with Beijing experiencing the longest spell of hot weather in a decade. But the past week has brought further misery to the country with severe floods near its border with North Korea. Water levels rose to a dangerous high in Jilins Yalu and Tumen rivers,bordering North Korea. Many have called this flooding the worst China has experienced in a century,with over 1,000 dead since early this year. Chinas three main rivers Yangtze,Yellow and Songhua are overflowing due to incessant rains. The heavy rain that caused flooding in China and North Korea has also caused active landmines to be transported to South Korean riverbanks.

Japan: Also saw an abnormally hot summer,which caused many people to rush to hospitals with heat-related illnesses. Reports claim that nearly 15,000 have been hospitalised due to the heatwave and around 100 have died.

Russia: Moscow witnessed the hottest day in 130 years last Thursday with July already being the hottest month on record. Unusual heat has also triggered a series of forest fires in Russia,with Moscow being enveloped in smog,causing visibility and breathing problems. According to reports,the International Grains Council has estimated that Russias wheat harvest will fall by 19 per cent due to the record high temperature. Traders have also expressed fears that 40 per cent of Russias harvestable crop may get destroyed.

Turkey: The temperature rose above seasonal norms by around six to eight degrees this time. In Ankara,where the temperature was 9 degrees above normal,civil servants with serious ailments have been allowed to go on leave from August 4-9.

UK: Abnormal disparity was noted by the Meteorological department between temperatures in the north and south of Britain. Bizarrely enough,even as a hosepipe ban was imposed in parts of the country earlier in July due to droughts and a prolonged heatwave,parts of the country recorded rainfall at double the average. According to statistics issued by the Met Department,UK received 46 per cent more rainfall than average.

South America: A cold wave in the continent led to extremely low temperatures and even snowfall in July. Over 150 people died from hypothermia and flu in what is reported to be the coldest winter in South American countries. The temperature in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires dropped to minus 1.5 degree Celsius in July,the lowest the city has ever seen while the country too recorded its lowest temperature in a decade.

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Livestock fell victim to the cold with thousands of cattle freezing to death in Paraguay and Brazil. Brazil and Chile measured record lows in temperature and Peru recorded temperature of minus 20 degrees.

Germany: Came under a protracted heatwave. The harvest of the extra-large potatoes,used in making French fries,was adversely affected by the unusually hot and dry weather.

Compiled by Ayushi Saxena