This is hurricane season for us, and we keep an eye on potential storms which (for some curious reason) start off the Cabo Verde coast and travel west.
A good site to keep track of events is the blog of Dr. Jeff Masters http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2791 . The main site also has maps which look at storms worldwide. This is what this evenings blog had to say: "Torrential monsoon rains of over 12" (305 mm) lashed the India-Pakistan border region of Kashmir and Jammu Provinces on September 3 - 7, triggering devastating floods that swept through the mountainous region, killing at least 420 people, according to Reuters......A warming climate loads the dice in favor of heavier extreme precipitation events.....Part of the reason for the increase in destructive flooding is due to poor flood control infrastructure, combined with a rising population and ineffective government policies. ." Our hearts and prayers go out to the affected people of Kashmir and other affected areas. Here is a quote from a 2002 article by Dr. Joe D'Souza: "The Portuguese administrators built culverts and drains in Panjim in a scientific manner so that even under threat of heavy showers and even cyclones the city was protected by trees and sand dunes; thus the adverse effects of storms and floods did not affect the citizens. But what has happened in the last decade has been atrocious. The drains and culverts neatly placed from Altinho hillslope to the river Mandovi are obstructed and reclaimed by the real estate lobby...." http://www.colaco.net/1/PanjSink.htm jc
