Intense rainfall linked to the El Niño Costero phenomenon battered southern Peru in mid-to-late February 2026, unleashing flash floods, mudslides (huaicos), and debris flows that devastated parts of Arequipa province. The crisis began escalating around February 19, with the Chullo torrentera (ravine) overflowing and dumping thick mud, rocks, and water into urban neighborhoods. PICS/AFP  

Cyclone Gezani has claimed 59 lives in Madagascar, displaced thousands, and injured hundreds, impacting lakhs of people. Coming just days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia, it has intensified the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. The storm is part of a series of recent tropical cyclones, underscoring Madagascar’s increasing vulnerability to extreme weather driven by climate change. (PICS and TEXT: AFP)