Nigeria, the West African nation, sees the worst flooding in a decade with more than 600 dead

More than 600 lives are lost in the worst flooding in Nigeria in a decade. It displaced nearly 1.3 million people and destroyed more than 200,000 homes. The flooding became an "overwhelming" disaster with many states unprepared in spite of warnings. That is what the minister for disaster management said. Forecasts indicate the flooding could continue until the end of November. The country is accustomed to seasonal flooding, but the condition this year is worse. In the opinion of the government, unusually heavy rains and climate change are to blame for such a situation. Another factor could be emergency release of excess water from dams in Nigeria and in neighboring Cameroon. Experts mention other factors like inadequate planning and poor infrastructure. The flooding that began in early summer destroyed large portions of farmland and disrupted supplies of food and fuel. Moreover, there are concerns about spread of disease. Nigeria floods: 'Overwhelming' disaster leaves more than 600 people dead. The disaster has affected 27 of Nigeria's 36 states.

Nigeria's minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Sadiya Umar Farouk, requested local authorities to evacuate people living in the most high-risk areas. She added that the authorities have made provisions to provide food and other support to those affected. Incidentally, people usually come back to their homes on flood plains after the water levels recede every year. This is because many of them do not have the means to relocate. Inflation has battered the economy of Nigeria and many communities have to struggle for survival. Last month international agencies like the World Food Programme and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation revealed that Nigeria was one of six countries that face a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.

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Heavy overnight rain robs residents of Bangalore of their sleep

People of Bangalore are worried because of heavy rain that lashed the city. It brought back memories of the flooding just over a month ago. The India Meteorological Department IMD attributes the latest spell of rain to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. It had left the city and many parts of the state wet. However, a day of sunshine saw people stepping out in the evening but the skies opened up at night. The result was a massive downpour that continued throughout the night. Those who resided in areas near the old airport remained awake keeping a watch on the water levels. This time it did not swell like last time but migrant laborers in east Bangalore had to endure knee-deep water. The IMD assigned yellow alert and forecast more rain until October 23. Bangalore: Tech capital does not sleep (fearing rain) .

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said his department was on the job to ease the flooding. He explained - “The east zone was very badly affected by rain (on Wednesday) and we are doing everything to help the people.” He went on to add that the authorities deployed additional workers to pump out water and clear clogged storm water drains. Incidentally, during the earlier incident of flooding in early September, some of those residing in gated communities in the area had to be evacuated in tractors. They had to leave behind their expensive cars. Anyway, reopening of a major storm water drain, encroached by the gated communities in the area helped the water to recede.

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The mighty Mississippi River south of St. Louis is drying up because of drought

Tower Rock is a massive island in the middle of the Mississippi River south of St. Louis. It is usually surrounded by water and access to it is by boat. However, with the severe drought spreading across the Midwest, levels of rivers have literally touched rock bottom. It has reduced to such a level that people can now reach the rock formation on foot. Water levels could continue to drop for at least the next two weeks. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, it is possible to reach the Tower Rock on foot when the water level is below 1.5 feet. This level dripped to a near zero and there are no signs of any significant recovery. The US Drought Monitor cautions that more than 55 percent of the contiguous United States is in drought. More than 133 million people live in those drought-stricken areas – the biggest population affected since 2016. Severe drought covers large areas of Arkansas and Missouri. Many locations have seen record-low precipitation over the past few weeks. The forecast from the Climate Prediction Center indicates a dry weather with below-average rainfall in the outlook through at least October 23. The mighty Mississippi is so low, people are walking to a unique rock formation rarely accessible by foot. Drought situation in the central US affected the Mississippi River. In Memphis, it was at its lowest level since 2012 this week and fifth lowest on record. It could decline further.

There are more than 40 river gauges in the Mississippi River Basin. These are reporting low water levels, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Photos reveal the river has moved away from its banks. The mighty river resembles a trickle in some areas, with dry sand exposed where several feet of water usually flows. Such a situation at a crucial time of the year is undesirable for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland. The authorities have undertaken dredging of the river to ensure movement of traffic. Hundreds of barges and vessels are in queue to pass through the treacherously low river.

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Saving the river fish in the UK as lack of rains dries up water bodies

The population of healthy fish in the UK is drying up because of lack of rains. Low level of water in many places have sent out alarms. Therefore, the Environment Agency has stepped in and it is drawing up plans to save them. The population of healthy fish is now corralled by the lowest water levels that many can remember. After waiting till the last minute, the agency has plans to rescue fish in some of the most rapidly vanishing pools and transfer them to other parts of the river. They plan to use a technique called electro-fishing. It involves passing an electric current through the water. This stuns the fish on a temporary basis. It is then collected and transferred to tanks that are full of oxygenated water. River fish being moved in struggle to survive low water levels. This is no doubt a drastic step. There are possibilities that some of the fish might not survive. They are already stressed due to a lack of oxygen and high temperatures in the small pools to which they have been confined for weeks. However, the loss might be far less than the fish that survive.

The River Wye on the Welsh/English border is home to some of our most vulnerable fish populations. These include salmon and sea trout that must migrate the length of the river. The salmon have been dying for weeks because of not just low levels of water and oxygen but also due to rising levels of pollution. Drop of water levels mean rise in concentrations of pollution. Cattle and poultry farms near the bodies of water add to existing pollution from sewage treatment works. The ongoing drought has worsened the situation.

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