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Since 2015, very heavy rainfall events have nearly tripled in Kerala: IMD data

Since 2015, very heavy rainfall events have nearly tripled in Kerala: IMD data

Forty-three incidences of very heavy rainfall were registered in Kerala in 2015, of which 19 were in June.

Nearly a three-fold increase was witnessed in incidences of very heavy rainfall across districts of Kerala since 2015, according to data maintained by the India Meteorological Department. While the coastal state experienced 43 very heavy rainfall events in 2015, the number of such extreme weather events increased to 115 in 2021, the weather office data showed. Very heavy rainfall events are categorised as days that experience rainfall between 115.6 and 204.4 mm.

Forty-three incidences of very heavy rainfall were registered in 2015, of which 19 were in June; year 2016 registered 23, of which 16 alone were in June; 2017 registered 38 such events, with September witnessing 14 incidences.

The year 2018 registered 163 such events, with August recording 74 such events, June 35 and June 34. Next year, there were 117 incidences, with 71 being registered in August and 22 in July.

In 2020, 110 events of very heavy rainfall were witnessed, 40 being recorded in August, followed by 26 in September and 20 in July. The year 2021 recorded 115 such incidences, of which 51 were recorded in May alone.

“Frequency of extreme precipitation events may increase all over India, and more prominently so over the central and southern parts in the near future as a response to enhanced warming,” Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh had said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha to a question posed by Congress member Shashi Tharoor.

In Kerala, the total incidences of heavy rain (64.5-115.5 mm per day) in 2015 were 360 across 10 months, with the maximum being recorded in June (116), followed by July (61).

In 2016, a total of 225 events were registered, with the maximum in June at 108, followed by 44 in July. The year 2017 again saw incidences of heavy rain climbing to 360, with the maximum 114 in June, followed by 98 in September, and 48 in August.

In 2018, the number of heavy rainfall events increased to 607, with July recording the maximum at 198, followed by 147 in June and 144 in August. In 2019, the total number of such events was 528, with 184 being witnessed in August alone, followed by 123 in July and 101 in October, respectively.

Kerala witnessed 484 incidences of heavy rainfall in 2020, with August recording the maximum (132), followed by September (124). In 2021, there were 574 such events with the maximum being recorded in May (130), followed by October (112 days) and July 107 days.

The state witnessed extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.4 mm per day) on one day each in 2015 and 2016, and two days in 2017. The year 2018 witnessed 32 such days, of which 25 were in August . In 2019, 33 such days were recorded with 29 being in August. The number of days when there was extremely heavy rain in 2020 was eight and in 2021, it was 11.

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‘Citizen scientists’ invited to join global bird watching event

'Citizen scientists' invited to join global bird watching event

MONTREAL —
Saturday marked the beginning of the 25th annual “Great Backyard Bird Count” — a global birding event where all “citizen scientists” are welcome to participate with no experience necessary.

People all over the world are looking to the skies, and of course, their own backyards, to admire and note the birds in their communities.

Organizers hope the event sheds light on nearby bird species, and how their ecosystems have changed. 

— Watch CTV’s Christine Long’s report above for the full story.  

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Snowstorm prompts City of Ottawa to declare ‘significant weather event’

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A snowstorm that started Thursday afternoon prompted the City of Ottawa to declare a “significant weather event.”

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On-street parking will be banned Friday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. as crews clean up from the anticipated heavy snowfall. Anyone with an on-street monthly parking permit is exempted from the ban, but the city is encouraging motorists to find off-street parking options to help plow operators.

The city makes OC Transpo park-and-ride lots and some recreation centres available for parking during on-street parking bans.

Environment Canada predicted as much as 30 centimetres of snow could fall by Friday morning. The city said it could take longer than usual to clear roads, sidewalks and bike lanes. The downtown occupation could also impact snow clearing in that area.

Public transit will be heavily impacted on Friday and in the coming days because of the snowstorm and the downtown occupation, which is coming under stronger police enforcement.

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OC Transpo warned transit customers that a limited number of articulated buses would be deployed to routes, with the agency relying heavily on double-decker buses and 40-foot buses for service. Buses will run on reduced schedules across the city.

The articulated buses have had a difficult time operating in deep snow, as illustrated during a blizzard last month, when 48 centimetres of snow fell on Ottawa in one day.

OC Transpo is also closing the LRT line between Pimisi and Hurdman stations for an unspecified period of time starting Friday morning. Trains will still run between Tunney’s Pasture and Pimisi stations, and between Hurdman and Blair stations. Downtown LRT stations will be closed.

jwilling@postmedia.com

twitter.com/JonathanWilling

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Significant Weather Event declared | City of Ottawa

Environment Canada has identified hazardous weather for Friday, February 18. As a result, the City of Ottawa has declared a Significant Weather Event. The Roads and Parking Services team will be out maintaining the City’s sidewalks, roads and the winter cycling network, but will take longer than usual to restore them to regular conditions.

A daytime winter weather parking ban will be in effect tomorrow from 10 am to 7 pm.

During a winter weather parking ban, parking is prohibited on city streets so crews can plow easily and effectively. Vehicles parked on the street during a ban may be ticketed and towed. Though on-street monthly parking permit holders are exempt from this restriction when they are parked in residential parking permit zones, we encourage those who can to find off-street parking options to avoid getting snowed-in.

Available parking

During winter weather parking bans, residents will have access to select OC Transpo park and rides as well as certain recreation centres. Visit ottawa.ca/winter for more information about which City facilities are available during winter weather parking bans.

OC Transpo cancellations and delays

Due to anticipated weather conditions, OC Transpo is advising customers of possible extensive cancellations that would result in significant delays to tomorrow’s bus service. Customers are advised to give themselves plenty of extra time when planning their commute and to exercise patience.

Stay up to date on the latest transit information by visiting octranspo.com/alerts, calling 613-560-5000 or following OC Transpo’s Twitter accounts.

Please exercise caution when using City sidewalks, roads and the winter cycling network.

The fluid situation around the ongoing demonstration will result in operating constraints that will make it difficult to accessing areas near the Parliamentary precinct. The City intends to keep focus on pedestrian and emergency access routes through the area, clearing and treating sidewalks and facilitating the safe movement of emergency vehicles, where possible. Residents are advised to avoid non-essential travel in the area.

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to receive updates or subscribe to our electronic email alerts. If you subscribe to e-Alerts, you will receive notification if a winter weather parking ban is put in place and lifted. There is no charge for this service, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today at ottawa.ca.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Weather delays 2nd run of men’s giant slalom

Weather delays 2nd run of men's giant slalom

The second run of the Olympic men’s giant slalom has been postponed amid heavy snowfall and low visibility at the Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center.

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland has a lead of 0.04 seconds over Stefan Brennsteiner of Austria and 0.08 over world champion Mathieu Faivre of France after the first run.

It is the first time snow has fallen during an Alpine skiing race at the Beijing Olympics.

Snow has been falling since Saturday at the Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center, where athletes had been racing and training on artificial snow. A second women’s downhill training run scheduled for Sunday was canceled.

The skiers said it is tough to see but good enough to race in.

Fourth-placed Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway said, “The light is more than skiable,” but added, “It just makes it difficult.”

Earlier, the second women’s downhill training run for American racer Mikaela Shiffrin, Italy’s Sofia Goggia and other Alpine skiers also was canceled because of snowfall.

A downhill race has faster speeds than the giant slalom and so is more dangerous to ski when visibility is poor.

Snow began falling Saturday at the Yanqing Alpine Skiing Center during the first women’s downhill practice session and continued into Sunday morning.

There is another downhill training scheduled for Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s race.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Europeans more likely to vote green after extreme weather events

Matching extreme weather events to voting patterns has revealed that in Europe people who have experienced flooding, heatwaves and forest fires are more likely to vote green. This trend has developed over six European elections between 1994 and 2019, a period when climate change has gone from a theoretical threat to voters to many having experienced devastating events not previously seen in their lifetimes.

The realisation that urgent action is needed for climate mitigation and adaptation has led voters to support green party candidates. Greens have done better wherever the calamities have been worst. The trend is more marked in the north and west of the EU where the climate is more moderate and colder, presumably because extremes have become more noticeable.

The researchers noted that the tendency to vote green was enhanced where the population was generally fairly affluent and economic conditions were good. When the economic conditions worsened, this factor again assumed greater importance in voting choices.

The European elections are by proportional representation, so that minority parties, which the greens are in all of the 34 countries involved, will get some seats even if their overall vote is relatively small. Currently greens hold 69 seats out of 705 in the European parliament.

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You can now bet on single events, like the Super Bowl, at OLG retailers

You can now bet on single events, like the Super Bowl, at OLG retailers

It’s Super Bowl weekend; and, if you are confident in who will win or what colour the Gatorade will be, you can now place that single-game bet in-person at any OLG Lottery location.

It’s one of the biggest sporting events of the year; a winning moment just for the one of the teams, but also for anyone able to place the right bet.

“I think Cincinnati is a great story, but I think it’s a Ram’s weekend,” Bob Lawrence, a patron at ‘Local Heroes on Clyde Avenue, told CTV News Ottawa on Friday.

You can now place that bet in-person, anywhere you would normally buy your lottery tickets.

“Yeah, I may do that,” Lawrence says.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is now offering sports bettors a complete gaming experience with new sports betting products at retailers.

“We’ve been offering ‘PROLINE,’ at retail for 30 years; this was now embedding it into our retail sports-betting offering the ability to bet on individual one game,” David Pridmore, Chief Digital and Strategy Office with OLG, tells CTV News Ottawa. “That’s what they call single event wagering; so one event, before – you used to have to bet on multiple in one ticket.”

Changes to legislation last year allowed additions like single event wagering. While it’s been available through the OLG online since late August, opening it up to retail is new as of this month.

“There’s more options to have different types of betting experiences,” Pridmore says.

Pridmore adds that you can now also bet on an expanded list of sports too.

“We’ve added tennis, boxing, golf, mixed-martial arts, we have some Formula 1 racing,” he says.

Along with what the OLG calls ‘novelty’ betting – like, awards shows, including the Oscars; and yes, that also includes betting on the colour of Gatorade at the Super Bowl, according to Pridmore

“For Super Bowl, you have a lot of fun bets like coin toss, colour of Gatorade, length of the national anthem; some fun player bets, how many yards a quarterback would throw.”

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KPRC 2+ is your home for local news, weather, and live events on your television

KPRC 2+ is your home for local news, weather, and live events on your television

Download the free KPRC 2+ app for your Smart TV

(KPRC/Click2Houston.com)

The Olympic Games are on late tonight on KPRC 2. We’ll join you on TV at 11:30 p.m, but you can catch the top headlines and weather earlier by tuning in at 10 p.m. on Click2Houston.com and on KPRC 2+.

KPRC 2+ is an app you can download on your television by searching KPRC on your ROKU, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Google TV.  Get KPRC 2+ for free to gain access to local news, weather, live events, and more on your TV whenever you want.


RELATED: Download FREE apps from KPRC 2 on your Apple or Android phone!


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‘Freedom Convoy’ protest: How did we get here?

'Freedom Convoy' protest: How did we get here?

The so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest has paralyzed Ottawa for days, making parts of the nation’s capital inaccessible and forcing some businesses to close.

CTVNews.ca looks at the key events and dates that led to the demonstration.

JAN. 14, 2022

  • A GoFundMe fundraiser is started for the “Freedom Convoy 2022” by organizers Tamara Lich and BJ Dichter

JAN. 15, 2022

  • The trucker vaccine mandate comes into force that requires all travellers to be fully vaccinated before crossing the Canada-U.S. border
  • In a statement, convoy organizers say they came to the decision that the government “crossed a line” with the COVID-19 vaccine passport and vaccine mandates, announcing they plan to travel to Ottawa

JAN. 22, 2022

  • The U.S. begins barring unvaccinated truck drivers from Canada and Mexico as the country’s vaccine mandate comes into effect

JAN. 23, 2022

  • The Canadian Trucking Alliance condemns the planned protests 24 hours before a convoy of truckers left British Columbia en route to Ottawa

JAN. 24, 2022

  • One of the arms of the convoy passes through Regina

JAN. 25, 2022

  • Another convoy segment passes through Kenora, Ont.
  • GoFundMe suspends the “Freedom Convoy 2022” fundraiser for the first time to give organizers time to provide a plan for the distribution of funds

JAN. 26, 2022

  • Segments of the convoy enter Ontario from the Manitoba border

JAN. 27, 2022

  • GoFundMe releases an initial $1 million to the truckers from their fundraiser
  • A segment of the convoy passes through the Greater Toronto Area

JAN. 28, 2022

  • A new convoy passes through Quebec and plans to head to Parliament Hill for Jan. 29
  • Nova Scotia bans gatherings along the Trans-Canada Highway between the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Border in relation to the convoy protests
  • Some members of the convoy begin arriving in Ottawa and blocking major streets in the downtown core

JAN. 29, 2022

  • The main rally for the convoy takes place
  • Police estimate approximately 3,000 trucks and up to 15,000 protesters took part
  • Hateful and anti-Semitic imagery is seen in the crowd, including yellow stars, the Confederate flag and swastikas
  • Widespread condemnation is voiced on some of the protesters behaviours, including harassing a homeless shelter, dancing on the National War Memorial, putting flags and signs on the Terry Fox statue, and public urination on national monuments
  • Former U.S. president Donald Trump praises the convoy in Ottawa while addressing supporters in Texas

JAN. 30, 2022 

  • Ottawa Police Service launched a criminal investigation into the desecration of the National War Memorial and the Terry Fox statue
  • A blockade at the Coutts, Alta., border crossing shuts down access to the U.S.-Canada border in solidarity with the main convoy in Ottawa

JAN. 31, 2022

  • Parliament resumes after the holidays
  • Ottawa paramedics confirm protesters threw rocks at an ambulance and used racial slurs against a paramedic, leading to a police escort being provided for all further calls for safety
  • Protesters host speeches on Parliament Hill
  • Trudeau delivers fiery remarks in a national address saying “we are not intimidated”

FEB. 1, 2022

  • Ottawa police set up a hotline for crimes related to the protest, including hate crimes, and announced two people were arrested and charged in connection with incidents that took place over the Jan. 29 weekend
  • Ottawa residents report being challenged, harassed and threatened with violence by protesters

FEB. 2, 2022

  • Freedom Convoy organizers issue a statement saying they plan to remain in Ottawa “as long as it takes” for all COVID-19 mandates to end
  • Ottawa Police Service Deputy Chief Steve Bell says at a press briefing the remaining protesters are “highly volatile” and that activities have shifted away from a protest to an occupation
  • GoFundMe suspends the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser for a second time

FEB. 3, 2022

  • Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced the RCMP has approved all requests from the Ottawa Police Service to address the convoy
  • Convoy organizers hold a press conference where they decried being painted as “racists, misogynists…and even terrorists”
  • One of the leaders of the convoy Tamara Lich says through a lawyer that the convoy has provided GoFundMe with plans for the funds raised
  • A second blockade in Alberta in Milk River appears, close to the one near Coutts

FEB. 4, 2022

  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump expresses support for the trucker convoy, calls Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “far left lunatic”
  • GoFundMe takes down the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser page, saying it violated its terms of service. At the time, the fundraiser had reached more than $10 million
  • A $9.8 million class-action lawsuit is filed on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents against the protest over incessant truck honking
  • Ottawa police announce they are enacting a “surge and contain” strategy moving forward

FEB. 5, 2022

  • U.S. Republicans promise to investigate GoFundMe’s decision to pull the plug on the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser
  • Solidarity protests take place over the weekend in Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax and New Brunswick

FEB. 6, 2022

  • A state of emergency is declared in Ottawa by Mayor Jim Watson
  • Ottawa police seize more than 3,000 litres of fuel from protesters, according to demonstrators

FEB. 7, 2022

  • Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson requests an additional 1,800 officers in a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Trudeau, calling the protest a “siege”
  • Ottawa city council votes to ask the province to bring legislation to be able to charge the protesters for the costs of damages caused by the demonstrations
  • An injunction is granted for 10 days in the class-action lawsuit against the convoy by Ottawa residents to stop the incessant honking
  • Trudeau addresses the House of Commons at an emergency debate requested by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
  • A blockage is erected in Windsor, Ont., at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Canada to the U.S. through Detroit
  • Protest organizers say at an “emergency press conference” they want to form a coalition of opposition parties with the Governor General of Canada

FEB. 8, 2022

  • Ottawa police estimate approximately 500 trucks and personal vehicles remain in the red demonstration zone of the downtown core
  • Liberal MP Joel Lightbound holds a press conference on Parliament Hill speaking out against Canadian COVID-19 policies