Firefighters continued their battle against raging wildfires in northern Algeria, footage posted on August 13 shows.Dozens of wildfires burning in the region have killed at least 70 people, local news reports said on August 12.L’Expression said 42 civilians were killed, along with 28 service personnel fighting the flames.The civil protection agency for Jijel province posted this footage shortly after midnight on the night of August 12-13, showing crews fighting to contain the fire in Ziama Mansouriah. Credit: Civil Protection Directorate of Jijel via Storyful
Lightning crept across the Milwaukee night sky on August 10, after a severe thunderstorm warning was given for the area.Footage by Brandon Schmitz, posted to the East Side Neighborhood-Milwaukee Facebook group, shows the lightning streaking along the dark sky. Credit: Brandon Schmitz via Storyful
A 96-year-old World War Two veteran delivered his rendition of the American national anthem before a Minor League Baseball game in Comstock, Michigan, on August 5, creating a special moment for spectators.John Pylman demonstrated his patriotism with The Star-Spangled Banner at the home game for the West Michigan Whitecaps.The Whitecaps lost the game to the Dayton Dragons 8-0. Credit: West Michigan Whitecaps via Storyful
An intense storm swept through Wentzville, Missouri, bringing heavy rain and strong winds on August 12.This footage, taken by Twitter user @RainsvilleEF5, shows a suburban Wentzville street being drenched by an intense deluge and hit by powerful winds.The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the region, cautioning locals of possible hail and wind gusts of up to 60 mph. Credit: @RainsvilleEF5 via Storyful
A Wisconsin storm chaser had a close encounter with a lightning bolt on August 11.William Kranski was on a tornado chase in Norwalk when he filmed the moment when lightning struck the ground close to him.“Did you guys see that? Wow,” Kranski said in the video.The local National Weather Service bureau issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Norwalk on Wednesday. Credit: William Kranski via Storyful
The Monument Fire grew to over 67,000 acres in northern California on August 12.This timelapse video taken by Dave Feral, who said he filmed it from Burnt Ranch, shows the wildfire burning Ironside Mountain.As of August 12, the fire had grown to 67,190 acres (nearly 150 square miles) and was 3 percent contained, according to official reports. Credit: Dave Feral via Storyful
An overprotective puppy refused to let his owner touch her newborn baby, as captured in a viral TikTok video taken on August 5 in Fort Worth, Texas.In this video taken by new mom Eryn Ferguson-Billings, her 8-month-old dog Toby repeatedly moves her hand away from the baby, either with his paw or mouth. Three-month-old baby girl Zaine, meanwhile, seems oblivious to the epic power struggle unfolding inches away from her.“Toby loves his tiny human,” Ferguson-Billings wrote in the video’s caption, accompanied by the hashtag #BestFriendsForever. Credit: Eryn Ferguson-Billings via Storyful
Protesters rallied against a mask mandate in Franklin, Tennessee, on August 10, before the Williamson County school board voted in favor of requiring masks in elementary schools until September 21.With cases of the Delta variant surging across the state, the Williamson County Board of Education called a special session in Franklin to vote on a temporary mandate, and to hear from various members of the community.Many speaking in favor of the mandate were doctors and nurses, some of whom also identified themselves as parents of schoolchildren. At numerous points during the meeting, anti-mask demonstrators jeered and shouted as people spoke in favor of the measures, prompting board chair Nancy Garrett to order some people to be removed by security.Footage posted by Moms for Liberty shows demonstrators chanting “no more masks” outside the Williamson County Administrative Complex, where the school board meeting was held. Credit: Moms for Liberty via Storyful
Authorities were battling a wildfire in La Pobla de Massaluca, Spain, on August 12, with aerial footage showing a plume of smoke billowing into the sky.Agents Rurals, a division of the Catalan Department of Agriculture, said the fire was approximately 33 hectares (about 80 acres), adding that an investigation was underway into the cause.Two roads had been closed and a nearby campsite evacuated as a result of the fire, according to a local news report. Credit: Agents Rurals via Storyful
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine visited the site of the deadly Charlottesville vehicle attack in 2017 on its fourth anniversary on Thursday, August 12.On August 12, 2017, a vehicle intentionally drove into protesters peacefully demonstrating a white nationalist rally taking place in Charlottesville.Heather Heyer, who was protesting, was killed in the attack. The driver of the vehicle, James Alex Fields Jr, was sentenced to life in prison.Two Virginia State Troopers, Lieutenant H Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke Bates, were also killed on August 12 when their helicopter crashed as they responded to the white nationalist ‘Unite the Right’ rally.Senator Kaine is seen standing before an arrangement of flowers and messages left at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville on Thursday morning.“Four years ago, white supremacists descended on Charlottesville to spread bigotry,” Kaine wrote on Twitter. “Today, we remember Heather Heyer and Virginia state troopers Jay Cullen and Berke Bates, whose lives were cruelly cut short that day—and we stand against the hate that led to their deaths.” Credit: Senator Tim Kaine via Storyful
An acting police chief in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, became a dancing police chief on August 3 as he joined a group doing the Cupid Shuffle during National Night Out, an event that promotes police-community camaraderie.Law enforcement officers from Milwaukee’s District Three and city residents gathered at Johnsons Park on August 3 for the yearly event dedicated to fostering a sense of community, the National Night Out site says.The Milwaukee police department shared footage of Acting Chief Jeffrey Norman’s moves on YouTube on August 11. Credit: Milwaukee Police via Storyful
At least nine people have died due to severe flooding in northern Turkey, the interior ministry’s emergency agency, AFAD, said on August 12, while the search continued for at least one missing person.This video shows a person in the town of Babacay, in the Turkish province of Sinop, standing on their roof as torrents of floodwater tear through the streets below. One hundred and six people from the province of Sinop have been evacuated by helicopters and other vehicles, reports said.Turkey’s Coast Guard Command said on August 12 that “the evacuation of our citizens trapped in the flood-affected areas" along the Black Sea was continuing. Credit: @Elif33282539 via Storyful
Over 300,000 families lost power in the Dominican Republic, local news reported on August 12, as Tropical Depression Fred struck the country.Listin Diario said operations were forced to cease at two airports, with 26 aqueduct systems out of service due to the weather conditions.Jose Ismael Gomez Castanos says this footage shows the scene in Santo Domingo on August 11.The entire country remained under alert on August 12, with Santo Domingo one of the areas with a lingering status red warning.The weather system is expected to reach Florida by Friday. Credit: Jose Ismael Gomez Castanos via Storyful
Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for parts of western North Carolina on Wednesday, August 11, as severe weather continued to impact the state.The National Weather Service issued a flurry of warnings on Wednesday for winds of up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hailstones in parts of North Carolina.This video, taken in Denver, North Carolina, shows lightning streaking across the sky on Wednesday night. Credit: Charles Brian Rosenstein via Storyful
The American Red Cross said disaster responders were on standby as severe weather brought flooding to parts of Michigan on August 12.This footage, posted on Twitter by Aaron Walsh, shows vehicles driving through several inches of floodwater on US Route 127 near the Frandor Shopping Center in Lansing. The road was later closed to traffic, WLNS reported.“Just watch the blue Chevy Cruze at the bottom nearly stall and somehow get out,” Walsh said. Credit: Aaron Walsh via Storyful
California’s destructive Dixie Fire grew to 510,227 acres (about 797 square miles) on August 12. Containment increased slightly to 30 percent overnight, according to the latest update from Cal Fire.More than 1,100 structures had been destroyed by the Dixie Fire by August 12, Cal Fire said.The wildfire is the largest single-source wildfire in the state’s history.Video by Sutter County Firefighters shows the conditions faced by their crew just north of Chester, California.“Both our Strike Teams are at this fire currently. Crews were assigned to structure protection but [got] cut off by the fire,” the department wrote on Instagram. Credit: Sutter County Firefighters via Storyful
Over 300,000 customers were without power in the Dominican Republic after Tropical Depression Fred struck the country, according to local news on August 12.The weather conditions prompted two airports to close, according to local news.The Dominican Republic remained under alert on August 12, with Santo Domingo one of the areas with a status red warning.Nick Underwood posted this footage to Twitter on August 11, showing the tropical depression from one of the NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunter” planes. “We flew around the storm today as it worked its way over Hispaniola,” he said.Forecasts showed the storm could strengthen again as it moved toward Florida by the weekend. Credit: Nick Underwood/NOAA via Storyful
Heavy rain brought flooding to parts of Michigan on Thursday, August 12, causing road closures and affecting traffic, city officials said.The National Weather Service (NWS) in Detroit advised of an enhanced risk for severe weather in the area overnight Wednesday into Thursday, warning of large hail, isolated tornadoes, and “torrential rainfall.”Video from the City of Jackson shows flooding that led to the closure of parts of Boardman Road for the “rest of the day” Thursday “as floodwaters recede and stranded vehicles are removed,” the city said. Credit: City of Jackson, MI via Storyful
At least nine people have died due to severe flooding in northern Turkey, the interior ministry’s emergency agency, AFAD, said on August 12, while the search continued for at least one missing person.This video shows torrential floodwater churning down the channel of a river in the Black Sea town of Turkeli.Local media said the river overflowed, causing houses, workplaces and a concrete plant to flood. Several bridges were destroyed.Interruptions were reported to phone networks, water supplies, and electricity, while over 900 people were evacuated, according to official information published on August 12. Credit: @gecicisecirgen via Storyful
Wildfires on the Greek isle of Evia lit up the night sky on August 9, creating an eerie spectacle for visitors to Eleni Beach on the neighboring island of Skiathos.Photographer and videographer Philip Bloom captured the dissonant sight of festive boats moving slowly across the water, while wildfires scorch Evia in the background.Bloom said he ventured to the beach to visit a local cat named Severus and “when the orange from the sun went below the horizon, the orange from across the water took over,” he said in his Instagram post.There were still active fires on the island of Evia on August 12, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Credit: Philip Bloom via Storyful
A funnel cloud was spotted hovering over homes in Odessa, Florida, on August 10, as the National Weather Service issued a special marine warning for the Tampa area.This footage was filmed by Odessa local Valeria Janelle Weatherman, and shows the dark cloud looming over buildings. Credit: Valeria Janelle Weatherman via Storyful
The BepiColombo, the European-Japanese spacecraft making its way to Mercury, made a close approach to Venus on August 10, the European Space Agency said, snapping 89 images of the planet.The pictures were taken from cameras on the craft’s Mercury Transfer Module, the ESA said, before being “lightly processed to enhance contrast.”The BepiColombo craft consists of the ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. The two modules will separate on arrival in Mercury’s orbit, in late 2025.The images that make up this footage were captured during one of a series of flybys that the ESA said are needed to help steer the BepiColombo toward Mercury. The first flyby of Mercury, at a distance of 200 km, is scheduled for October this year. Credit: European Space Agency via Storyful
Fire crews in Sicily continued to battle fires across the island into August 12, with footage released by the region’s Civil Protection Department showing towering flames in woods and along roads.The first clip here was filmed near the town of Linguaglossa, according to the department, with crews there were “deployed to save the woods”.The second clip was filmed in the town of Polizzi Generosa, the department said, as flames approached a petrol station.As the fires continued to plague the island and much of Italy’s south, a temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius was reported near Syracuse. The reading had yet to be verified by the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation. If it is, it would surpass a European record of 48 degrees, set in Athens in 1977. Credit: DPC Sicily | ONVGI via Storyful
A baby goat was filmed expertly jumping from one rock to another at the summit of Mount Evans, Colorado. The lively little animal was following an older goat among its herd, hopping between the rocks.Footage of the mountain’s resident herd passing by was recorded by Mandy Paull as her sister posed for a selfie. Credit: Mandy Paull via Storyful
The Taliban said they had captured the provincial capital of Ghazni on August 12, as their advances continued amid US fears Kabul could fall within weeks.The city was the 10th provincial capital captured by the group in a week. Afghan officials offered the Taliban a “share in power” in a exchange for a reduction in violence, Al Jazeera reported.This footage shows armed men in Ghazni. Credit: Taliban via Storyful