Naturkatastrophen (weltweit)

[Schneemann]

Tornados, Flutwellen am Mississippi - und jetzt eine Hitzewelle...

Heatwave spreads across central and eastern US

A punishing heatwave has settled over central and eastern parts of the US, pushing temperatures as high as 37C (99F) and causing up to 22 deaths.

The National Weather Service warned of "dangerous" levels of heat and humidity creeping east, with no relief expected in eastern states until Sunday. As much as 50% of the US population was under a heat advisory, officials said. Meteorologists have put the temperatures down to a "dome" of high pressure in the atmosphere.

On Thursday, many regions in the central US and parts of the eastern seaboard also saw heat indexes - a combination of temperature and humidity - topping 43C.

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...derweilen in Chile...

Chilean officials declare 'catastrophe' after heavy snow

(CNN) -- Chilean officials declared a "catastrophe" in eight municipalities Wednesday after heavy snow blanketed communities and blocked roads in what the nation's interior minister called a "white earthquake."

"It has snowed more than ever," Curacautin Mayor Jorge Saquel told CNN Chile Tuesday. "This is an anomaly. ... This worries us because the meteorologists assure us that new snowstorms are coming."

In the city of Lonquimay, officials said snow had piled more than 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) high. [...] More than 6,500 people remained isolated Wednesday in Lonquimay, a town with many living in outlying, rural areas, CNN Chile affiliate Universidad Autonoma Television reported.

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Schneemann.