Hikers rescued as ski season begins in Australia's alpine region
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Person found dead in a car as a wildfire forces the evacuation of a dozen villages in Cyprus
Police in Cyprus police found a person dead inside a car Wednesday near a massive wildfire that has destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police confirmed to The Associated Press that the individual's death appeared to have been caused by the fire which continues to uncontrollably over a number of fronts and is visible from the coastal resort town of Limassol. Investigators are on the scene but police did not release any additional details about the victim. The Cyprus Interior Ministry issued instructions for the immediate evacuation of villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7 mile) stretch of mountainous terrain. Children from at least one camping ground near the village of Lofou were also evacuated. Media reports showed some gutted homes smoldering as the flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. Images broadcast on media showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police blocked road access to the fire-afflicted communities while some villagers were reportedly reluctant to flee their homes. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides sped to a fire fighting coordination center in the village of Ayios Efraim to be briefed on efforts to contain the blaze as crews struggled because of very windy conditions that quickly shifted the flames' direction. Christodoulides said more than 250 firefighters from across the island nation are at the front and expressed hope that winds would die down overnight according to a Weather Service forecast. 'I want to make a public appeal to all, I completely understand the issue with property, but people must follow the instructions from those who know best and evacuate their homes,' the Cypriot president said. He wouldn't say how large the fire is or offer any information about how it started, insisting that 'now is not the time.' Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said that Spain would be sending two fire fighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Some 13 aircraft had been fighting the blaze until sundown and will resume their work at first light. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters that had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting needs. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily house evacuees. Cyprus has been on high alert for fires this summer after three consecutive arid winters.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tornado tears through one of Australia's ritziest suburbs, ripping roofs off homes and uprooting trees
Multi-million dollar houses and flashy cars have been destroyed after a freak tornado left a trail of destruction in one of Perth 's most affluent suburbs. Incredible footage showed the wild weather hit City Beach just after 5pm on Wednesday with prime real estate in the coastal suburb bearing the brunt of the force. A huge waterspout was seen forming over the ocean near the City Beach oval before the tornado tore through the city ripping off roofs and downing trees. City Beach resident Tilly told ABC Radio Perth she felt like the house 'was about to fly away' as she watched the havoc unfold outside while sitting in her dining room. 'I literally just looked up through the window and saw a tornado,' she said. 'There was like a column of swirling wind, there was things flying in the air, bits of roof flying, tree branches, rubbish and it was all quite high up in the air, above the tree line. 'When I saw the bits of roof flying, I was worried it was going to come through the window, so I actually ducked under the table at one stage.' Another resident, Carlene, said she didn't see the storm coming but the sound of the wind outside was 'extraordinary.' 'All of a sudden, we heard this amazing, like, a roar, like a jet engine … the wind came through the house,' she told the radio station. 'The next door neighbour's trees are split in half.' The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) received more than 100 calls for help. A Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman said its initial assessment of footage and radar observations indicate the wild weather was likely a tornado. 'Australia experiences 30 to 80 tornadoes each year, but it is possible that many more tornadoes occur in remote, unpopulated parts of Australia and therefore go unreported,' she said. 'During the cool season, there is an average of around five tornadoes reported in southwest Western Australia.' She said there are two main types of tornadoes - supercells and non-supercells. 'Radar observations suggest this tornado may have been associated with a small supercell, although the mechanism is not actually clear-cut.' The Bureau said predicting tornadoes is difficult and specific warnings are only issued if signs consistent with tornadoes occurring are visible on radars or direct observations are received. In 2016, at least 7 tornadoes affected South Australia, leading to a state-wide power outage.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Turkey wildfires leave 10 dead and 14 in hospital
At least 10 people have been killed and many other injured while battling wildfire in Turkey, the government in the country has said. Those who lost their lives were firefighters and rescue workers battling the fires in northwestern Turkey. The five forestry workers and five members of the AKUT rescue organization died while trying to put out the wildfire raging through a forested area of Eskisehir province, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. At least 14 other rescuers and forestry workers were hospitalized. The deaths bring the number of fatalities in wildfires that have flared amid strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions so far in the country this year to 13. The minister said the wind suddenly changed direction, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the forest workers. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Yumakli said firefighters were currently battling seven wildfires in Turkey, including the one in Eskisehir, adding that extreme heat and volatile wind conditions also were expected in Turkey on Thursday. 'Starting tomorrow, we are facing extraordinary temperatures and extreme wind shifts. 'Once again, I call on all 86 million citizens to be vigilant and exercise extra caution," he said. In a message of condolence to the families, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the victims had fought 'to protect our forests at cost of their lives.' Two prosecutors were assigned to investigate the incident, the country's justice minister said. Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26. An elderly man and two forestry workers were killed in a wildfire that raged near the town of Odemis, in Izmir province, earlier this month.
