Weekly wrap-up: Catastrophic flooding persists in Peru; World Meteorological Agency debuts 1st new cloud types in 30 years
Relentless flooding continued to cause devastation in Peru this week.
El Niño-like storms have drenched the nation since December, leading to catastrophic mudslides and flooding. More than 80 people have been killed due to the storms. More than 650,000 citizens have been affected with more than 145,000 properties damaged, local officials reported.
Local media report significant damage to at least 400 hospitals, according to European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, creating a dangerous situation for those injured during the recent historic flooding.
Soldiers carry tools to use for helping neighbors cross a flooded street in Lima, Peru, Thursday, March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Less than 24 hours after record warmth was felt across the Colorado Front Range, windswept snow shutdown part of Interstates 25 and 70 on Friday morning.
Denver dropped from a record-breaking 77 F on Thursday afternoon to 33 F early on Friday morning, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.
The snow caused hazardous travel throughout Elbert County, Colorado, located in the southeastern part of the state.
High winds and snow helped result in cars becoming stranded in Elbert County, Colorado, on Friday. (Photo/Elbert County Sheriff)
Strong storms ripped across Georgia this week, cutting power to 100,000. One person was killed due to a falling tree in Braselton, Georgia, roughly 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Dozens of trees and power lines were downed as the intense storm roared over the region on Tuesday night.
To mark World Meteorological Day on March 23, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced a new species of cloud, the Volutus.
The WMO describes the new species as "a long, typically low, horizontal, detached, tube-shaped cloud mass, often appearing to roll slowly about a horizontal axis."
The World Meteorological Organization announced Volutus as a new species of cloud on March 23, 2017. (Photo/WMO)
In addition to the new species, the group introduced several new "special" clouds. The newly-named Flammagenitus are clouds that form during forest fires. Man-made clouds like those that form over power station cooling towers are called Homogenitus. Well defined wave-like structures in the underside of clouds will be called Asperitas.
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