Intense Tropical Cyclone Berguitta was a strong tropical cyclone which
originated southwest of the Chagos Archipelago on 10 January 2018. It
achieved its peak intensity on 15 January and degraded to a tropical
storm by 17 January. It accelerated southwestwards over Mauritius and
Réunion on 18 January and degenerated to a post-tropical cyclone the
next day. Parts of Mauritius experienced a quarter of its average annual
rainfall in three days, resulting in widespread floods. Economic losses
in Mauritius were estimated at ₨ 2 billion (US$59 million). The
southern part of Réunion was hard-hit by floods and landslides and
several rainfall records were broken. Grand Coude experienced 1,862 mm
(73.3 in) of rain in eight days, including 848 mm (33.4 in) in
24 hours. Flooding caused widespread damage to roads and agriculture.
Nearly 100,000 customers were left without electricity, while water
supplies were widely interrupted. Economic losses in Réunion were
estimated at €41 million (US$48 million).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Berguitta>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1894:
First Sino-Japanese War: After capturing the Chinese city of
Port Arthur, the Japanese army began a massacre of the city's soldiers
and civilians.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_%28China%29>
1959:
American disc jockey Alan Freed, who popularized the term rock
and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola scandal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Freed>
1974:
Bombs exploded in two pubs in central Birmingham, England,
killing 21 people and leading to the imprisonment of six people who were
later exonerated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_pub_bombings>
2009:
An explosion in a coal mine in Heilongjiang, China, killed 108
miners.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Heilongjiang_mine_explosion>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
well-boat:
(nautical) a fishing vessel designed to carry live fish in a tank or
well.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/well-boat>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
All men would then be necessarily equal, if they were without
needs. It is the poverty connected with our species which subordinates
one man to another. It is not inequality which is the real misfortune,
it is dependence.
--Voltaire
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Voltaire>
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