PICTURES OF THE MONTH
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PICTURES OF THE MONTH
Flash Floods And Mudslides Devastate Nuwakot, Nepal
August 26, 2026, Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal: NUWAKOT, NEPAL - AUGUST 26: An aftermath view of flash floods and mudslides along the Trishuli River in Nuwakot, Nepal, on August 26, 2026. A catastrophic flash flood swept through Nepal’s northern border region after an ice-and-rock avalanche, reportedly triggered by an earthquake, caused a sudden surge in the Lhende River on the Nepal-China border and sent massive volumes of water, mud and debris downstream into the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. The disaster devastated settlements in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, sweeping away homes, roads, bridges, vehicles and other infrastructure and severely damaging hydropower and power facilities. In Nuwakot, riverside settlements including Trishuli Bazaar, Devighat, Betrawati and surrounding areas suffered extensive destruction, with homes swept away and large quantities of mud and debris deposited across communities. The flood also disrupted communications and transportation routes and prompted authorities to evacuate vulnerable riverside communities and issue warnings along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. The death toll from the disaster had climbed to 97, while at least 384 tourists and travelers, including foreign nationals, as well as soldiers and police personnel, were reported missing as search-and-rescue operations continued. Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel were deployed to affected areas, while rescue operations were also underway on the Chinese side of the border. Authorities continued to assess the scale of casualties and destruction as access to several affected areas remained difficult because of damaged roads, bridges, heavy sediment and continuing flood risks. The disaster has been described as one of the most severe sudden flood events to strike the Nepal-China border region in recent years. (Credit Image: © Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire)
Flash Floods And Mudslides Devastate Nuwakot, Nepal
August 26, 2026, Nuwakot, Bagmati, Nepal: NUWAKOT, NEPAL - AUGUST 26, 2026: An aftermath view of flash floods and mudslides along the Trishuli River. A catastrophic flash flood swept through Nepal’s northern border region after an ice-and-rock avalanche, reportedly triggered by an earthquake, caused a sudden surge in the Lhende River on the Nepal-China border and sent massive volumes of water, mud and debris downstream into the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. The disaster devastated settlements in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, sweeping away homes, roads, bridges, vehicles and other infrastructure and severely damaging hydropower and power facilities. In Nuwakot, riverside settlements including Trishuli Bazaar, Devighat, Betrawati and surrounding areas suffered extensive destruction, with homes swept away and large quantities of mud and debris deposited across communities. The flood also disrupted communications and transportation routes and prompted authorities to evacuate vulnerable riverside communities and issue warnings along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. The death toll from the disaster had climbed to 97, while at least 384 tourists and travelers, including foreign nationals, as well as soldiers and police personnel, were reported missing as search-and-rescue operations continued. Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel were deployed to affected areas, while rescue operations were also underway on the Chinese side of the border. Authorities continued to assess the scale of casualties and destruction as access to several affected areas remained difficult because of damaged roads, bridges, heavy sediment and continuing flood risks. The disaster has been described as one of the most severe sudden flood events to strike the Nepal-China border region in recent years. (Credit Image: © Safal Prakash Shrestha/JNA via ZUMA Press Wire)
Dutch Wildfires Growing
August 5, 2026, Oostrum, Limburg, The Netherlands: Burned area following forest fire destruction in a nature reserve in the eastern Netherlands. Firefighters rushed to contain a forest blaze in the southeast of the Netherlands that spread overnight to engulf 100 hectares on Tuesday, authorities said. It was the latest in a string of wildfires to hit western Europe, following deadly heatwaves that have dried up riverbeds and vegetation, extreme weather events scientists have linked to human-made climate change. The fire started around Monday afternoon in a nature reserve near the village of Oostrum in Limburg province, close to the border with Germany. The blaze spread to 100 hectares as of early Tuesday and was still not under control, provincial authorities said on their website. The winds kept changing direction and sped up the fire's spread, a regional safety spokesperson told the ANP news agency. Trains passing through the area been suspended. 'Because of the drought, fire can spread quickly in nature reserves,' provincial authorities said, without specifying the cause of the fire. European countries are facing a major drought, marked by dried-up rivers, water restrictions and devastating forest fires, following an unprecedented heat wave in June. Human-fuelled climate change has accelerated moisture loss from soil, lakes and rivers, heightening the risk of extreme droughts, scientists from World Weather Attribution warned last month. (Credit Image: © Roland Heitink/dpa via ZUMA Press)