As major floods engulfed entire cities in the northern part of the Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state last week, meteorologist Estael Sias knew the water would drain into capital Porto Alegre's metropolitan region and that she would need to find a safe place.

So she, her husband, three children, and two dogs left everything behind. Less than 24 hours later, water started filling her neighborhood in Canoas, now one of the state's most affected cities.

Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail, leaving two dead in Tennessee and one dead in North Carolina.

The storms continue an outbreak of torrential rain and tornadoes that has cut across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern U.S. At least four people have died in storms since Monday.

The opening ceremony of the third edition of the Middle East Clean Energy Exhibition and Conference took place on Wednesday afternoon, May 8th. The event was attended by Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayad. The exhibition and conference, specialized in clean and renewable energy, showcased cutting-edge technologies, along with a range of related solutions and services. Exhibitors presented their commercial products, including inverters, panels, batteries, solar heaters, and project financing. The event is scheduled to run until May 10th, 2024, at Hotel Phoenicia in the heart of Beirut.

The ceremony began with the Lebanese national anthem, followed by a speech by Beirut Expo's founder, Farhat Farhat, emphasizing the importance of holding such initiatives despite internal challenges and the war in southern Lebanon.

A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through a small Oklahoma town, one of several twisters that erupted in the central United States amid a series of powerful storms that stretched into Tuesday. At least one death was reported.

The tornado ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa, on Monday night. It was the second tornado to hit the town in five weeks — a twister on April 1 with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles in Barnsdall.

Jordan on Monday stationed two helicopters in Cyprus to help the Mediterranean island nation combat potential forest fires until it can lease firefighting aircraft of its own for the summer fire season.

Cypriot Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou said the Cypriot government considers firefighting and prevention a national security matter and is also moving to purchase 10 aircraft for that reason.

Spain's Catalonia region will ease restrictions on water use for a wide area including Barcelona after recent rainfall palliated a prolonged drought, regional authorities said Tuesday.

Catalonia declared a drought emergency in February when its reservoirs fell under 16% capacity after nearly three years of below-average rainfall. But steady rain in recent weeks has boosted reserves to nearly 25%. Spain's reservoirs overall are at 66% full.

Middle East Clean Energy conference & exhibition is back with its third edition, poised to revolutionize the landscape of clean and renewable energy in Lebanon. This pioneering exhibition and conference serve as a nexus for industry experts and executives to converge, showcasing cutting-edge advancements and fostering dialogue on the future of sustainable energy solutions.

Mission & Vision: The ethos of Middle East Clean Energy extends beyond mere discourse; it embodies a steadfast commitment to raising public awareness and catalyzing actionable initiatives in the realm of clean and renewable energy. With a vision to propel Lebanon towards a greener future, the expo serves as a comprehensive industry hub, facilitating collaboration and accelerating market penetration.

Several flights to Dubai were cancelled and diverted Thursday, airport authorities announced, as heavy rains hit the United Arab Emirates for the second time in a month.

An airport authority spokesperson said five inbound flights were diverted overnight, while nine arriving and four departing flights were cancelled.

The torrential rains and deadly floods that have hit Kenya since March have been some of the most catastrophic in the country in recent years.

At least 169 people have died due to the heavy rains, with at least 91 missing, according to the latest government figures.

Human Rights Watch accused Kenyan authorities on Thursday of not responding adequately to ongoing floods that have killed more than 170 people since the start of the rainy season.

The New York-based rights group said the government "has a human rights obligation to prevent foreseeable harm from climate change and extreme weather events and to protect people when a disaster strikes."