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Weather tracker: Further flood watches issued across California
After prolonged heavy rainfall and devastating flooding across the Pacific north-west in the past few weeks, further flood watches have been issued across California through this week.
With 50-75mm (2-3in) of rainfall already reported across northern California this weekend, a series of atmospheric rivers will continue to bring periods of heavy rain and mountain snow across the northern and central parts of the state, with flood watches extending until Friday.
Cumulative rainfall totals are expected to widely exceed 50mm (2in) across a vast swathe of California by Boxing Day, but with totals around 200-300mm (8-12in) possible for the north-western corner of California and western-facing slopes of the northern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Los Angeles could receive 100-150mm (4-6in) of rainfall between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which could make it one of the wettest Christmases on record for the city. River and urban flooding are likely – particularly where there is run-off from high ground – with additional risks of mudslides and rockslides in mountain and foothill areas.
Winter storm warnings are also in effect for Yosemite national park, with the potential for 1.8-2.4 metres (6-8ft) of accumulating snow by Boxing Day. Heavy snow alongside strong winds will make travel very difficult over the festive period.
Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds are forecast across large parts of Zimbabwe leading up to Christmas. A level 2 weather warning has been issued by the Meteorological Services Department from Sunday 21 December to Wednesday 24 December. Some areas are expected to see more than 50mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period. The rain will be accompanied by hail, frequent lightning, and strong winds. These conditions have been attributed to the interaction between warm, moist air with low-pressure systems over the western and northern parts of the country.
Australia will see some large variations in temperatures over the festive period. Sydney, which is experiencing temperatures above 40C, is expected to tumble down to about 22C by Christmas Day, about 5C below average for this time of year. Perth is going to see temperatures gradually creep up, reaching a peak of 40C around Christmas Day. This is about 10C above average for this time of year.
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Hawaii faces flash flooding, blizzard conditions and landslides with more rain to come
Rain continued falling in Hawaii on Sunday where a strong storm brought flash flooding, blizzard conditions and landslides to the islands as residents reported collapsed roads and one home washing away in rising waters.
Flash flooding has been a major problem in recent days in places such as Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, where rain had been falling between 1 and 2in (2.5 and 5cm) an hour overnight, according to the Hawaii emergency management agency.
According to the National Weather Service, the worst of the storm has passed but the rain isn’t finished yet. A flood watch is still in effect for Maui county and Hawaii island as well as a wind advisory for those areas and flash flooding warnings remain in effect until Sunday night.
“Winds this strong can make driving and walking dangerous. The winds can forcefully open doors and damage hinges or slam doors shut, possibly causing injuries,” according to the NWS forecast.
Richard Bissen, the Maui county mayor, said in a social media post late Saturday that some areas of Maui had received more than 20in (51cm) of rain in the previous 24 hours.
PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide, reported more than 35,000 electric customers in Hawaii without power as of midday Sunday.
“We’re seeing flooding, landslides, sinkholes, debris and downed power lines across the county,” he said. Expressing gratitude in the Hawaiian language, the mayor added “mahalo for continuing to look out for one another”.
Footage incorporated into the mayor’s video showed washed out or collapsed roads, a car stuck by floodwaters and raging waterways. National guard and fire department workers have made multiple floodwater rescues, Bissen said.
Tom and Carrie Bashaw said they could do little to prevent part of their home in Maui’s Iao Valley from collapsing beneath rising waters. On Friday, the water’s force starting overtaking nearby trees.
“When we lost the mango and monkey pod, we started throwing stuff in bags and packing up,” Tom Bashaw told HawaiiNewsNow. They returned on Saturday morning and “the whole backside of the house” was gone, he said.
The kona storm – so called because it is created from winds coming from the kona, or westerly, direction – brought snowfall to the highest peaks with reports of up to 20in on the Big Island’s highest summits. On Mauna Kea, snow and ice on the Nasa cameras there caused them to stop functioning on Sunday.
Jesse Wald, a Maui resident and real estate broker who recorded video of a coastal road’s collapse on Saturday, said other parts of road were flooded out by mud and sediment.
“In the 20 years I’ve been here I’ve never seen this much rain,” Wald said. “I’m from Wisconsin and we get thunderstorms, you know pretty often in the summer, so it felt like a Wisconsin thunderstorm but times 10.”
News
These are the casualties and cost of the war in Iran 2 weeks into the conflict
An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes on March 3, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe
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Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe
After two weeks of war in Iran, hundreds of people have been killed, millions more displaced and billions of dollars have been spent. The war’s devastation has spilled across the region, throwing it into upheaval and leaving many questioning when the conflict will end and how much more will be lost. Experts who spoke to NPR said the numbers below only reflect information available right now, and could be far greater as more details are released, especially in terms of long-term economic impacts and civilian casualties.
For more reporting, analysis and different views of the conflict, go to NPR’s Middle East conflict series.
All figures are as of March 13, 2026, unless otherwise indicated. This is a developing story and figures may change.
Human impact
Iranians killed
More than 1,200 civilians
(Source: Iran Health Ministry)
People killed in strike on Iranian school
At least 165 civilians
(Source: Iranian state media)
Iranians injured
Over 10,000
(Source: Iranian health officials)
Iranians temporarily displaced
Up to 3.2 million
(Source: UNHCR)
U.S. service members killed
At least 13, including 7 by enemy fire
(Source: U.S. Central Command)
Iranian hospitals impacted
25 damaged, 9 out of service
(Source: Iranian health officials)
People in Lebanon killed
773 people
(Source: Lebanon’s Health Ministry)
People in Lebanon injured
1,933 people
(Source: Lebanon’s Health Ministry)
People displaced from Lebanon
830,000 people
(Source: Lebanon’s disaster management office)
People killed in Israel
12 civilians, 2 soldiers
(Source: Israeli authorities)
Gulf State deaths
At least 16
(Source: United Arab Emirates state media, Kuwait state media, Saudi Arabia state media, Bahrain state media, Oman state media)
Percentage of Americans against the war
56
(Source: NPR/PBS News/Marist poll)
Financial Toll
U.S. spending in the first 12 days of war
About $16.5 billion
(Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS))
U.S. spending in the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury
About $3.7 billion
(Source: CSIS)
Infrastructure Damage
Targets hit by the U.S.-Israeli campaign
More than 15,000
(Source: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine)
Iranian vessels damaged or destroyed
More than 90
(Source: U.S. Central Command)
Ships struck in the region
16
(Source: UK Maritime Trade Operations)
Iranian minelayers destroyed by the U.S.
More than 30
(Source: U.S. Central Command)
Israeli strikes in central Beirut
3
(Source: NPR reporter Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Beirut)
Oil Prices
Highest cost of brent crude oil over past week
$119.50 per barrel
(Source: Business Insider’s market tracker)
Amount of oil released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) because of oil supply disruptions
400 million barrels
(Source: International Energy Agency)
Of that total, amount of oil released by the U.S. from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
172 million barrels
(Source: U.S. Department of Energy)
Percentage of the world’s oil that crosses the Strait of Hormuz
20
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Average price of gas per gallon in the U.S.
$3.63, up 55 cents from same time last year
(Source: AAA)
News
U.S. service members killed in refueling aircraft crash in Iraq identified as Ohio National Guard members and Florida-based crew
Six U.S. service members who were killed in a military refueling aircraft crash over Iraq last week have been identified as members of the Ohio Air National Guard and Florida-based crew members.
The Department of Defense on Saturday identified them as:
- Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana
- Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio
- Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio
- Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama
- Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington
- Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky
Koval, Angst and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio.
Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
Simmons’ mother, Cheryl Simmons, recalled to CBS affiliate WBNS Friday the moment uniformed officers arrived at their home to deliver the news.
“When he opened the door he said, ‘Oh no,’ and I jumped up and ran in there and they were lined up out on the porch,” she told the station. “‘You got to be kidding me.’”
The six serviced members died on March 12 when an aerial refueling aircraft taking part in operations against Iran crashed in western Iraq. The KC-135 aircraft went down near Turaibil, which is along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, an Iraqi intelligence source told CBS News.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised them as “American heroes.”
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the crew was on a combat mission but flying over friendly territory when the crash happened. The incident is under investigation, the Defense Department said.
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