Cyclone Roanu: Half a million flee in Bangladesh

Cyclone Roanu has pounded coastal areas of Bangladesh, forcing half a million people to flee their homes and leaving at least 21 dead.

It made landfall at noon local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, causing floods, landslides and submerging homes.

Hundreds dead, millions displaced as monsoon rains heap misery across Asia

Monsoon rains have claimed the lives of hundreds across Asia, authorities said Monday, as rescue workers scrambled to reach remote areas of India, Pakistan and Myanmar in the wake of flash floods and landslides.

Britain prepares for ‘most serious coastal surge’ for 60 years/UK to witness serious coastal tidal surge

Hurricane-force winds cut transport and power in northern Britain and and blasted towards mainland Europe, as meteorologists warned Storm Xaver could be the worst to hit the continent in years.

British authorities said the Thames Barrier, designed to protect London from flooding during exceptional tides, would shut tonight and warned of “the most serious coastal tidal surge for over 60 years in England”.

Prime minister David Cameron called two emergency meetings to discuss strategy.

Millions face starvation as world warms, say scientists ... World is unprepared for changes that will see parts of Africa turned into disaster areas, say food experts

Millions of people could become destitute in Africa and Asia as staple foods more than double in price by 2050 as a result of extreme temperatures, floods and droughts that will transform the way the world farms.
As food experts gather at two major conferences to discuss how to feed the nine billion people expected to be alive in 2050, leading scientists have told the Observer that food insecurity risks turning parts of Africa into permanent disaster areas. Rising temperatures will also have a drastic effect on access to basic foodstuffs, with potentially dire consequences for the poor.