Mountain communities fear melting glaciers, flooding

Nepal

May 28, 2007

Only 27 years ago Imjha Tse Valley was filled with glaciers but due to a rise in temperature, they have melted at an average rate of 10 metres a year and formed a huge lake containing 28 million cubic metres of water. The lake is 100m deep, 500m wide and 2km long. "The lake is absolute proof of the dangerous impact of global warming in this world, and the worst consequence is in the Himalayan region." In the past few decades, there have been several incidents of glacial lakes bursting, flooding villages, causing landslides, killing people and destroying farms and houses. Over 20 glacial lakes are at risk of bursting out of moraine dams. Of Nepal's 3,000 glacial lakes, over 2,000 have gradually melted and contain lakes, but up to now there has been little study of this phenomenon. Climate change experts are concerned that glaciers formed by over two million years of snowfall are now receding faster in the Himalayas than anywhere else in the world.

Moscow Swelters in Heat Wave

Breaking Earth News
Russia

Yesterday was the HOTTEST MAY DAY IN MOSCOW FOR OVER A CENTURY: thermometers on May 28 read +32.9 degrees Celsius (91.2 degrees Fahrenheit), and meteorologists say that the Russian capital HAS NOT SEEN SUCH A SUSTAINED STREAK OF +30-DEGREE DAYS IN MAY FOR 128 YEARS. "It's really an extreme event." Due to the heat, some Moscow businesses are being obliged to cut down on energy consumption, something that usually only happens during winter's most severe frosts. Meteorologists warn that the heat will last at least until the end of the week, when Moscow will get a brief reprieve before the abnormally hot weather returns. "For the last week – May 23, 27, and 28 – several temperature records have been broken." The UNUSUAL heat is due to a massive high-pressure system sitting over Kazakhstan. "As it revolves, it is sending hot air from Central Asia to Russia. As a result of the high-pressure system, all of European Russia is experiencing hot weather – since last week, every other city in this region has seen new temperature records set. Moscow is experiencing almost the same temperature as in Cairo or the Arabian Desert."

Rain leaves two people dead in Cuba

Cuba

May 28, 2007

Havana - Heavy rain in Cuba and the resulting floods over the weekend have left two people dead, forced the evacuation of some 3,000 others and caused damage to some 370 buildings, local media reported Monday.

The rain affecting areas in the eastern part of the country also damaged sugar cane fields, forcing an early end to the harvest.

Storms cause chaos across Europe

Breaking Storm News

Europe

Nine people died in eastern Turkey, including six killed in severe flooding in mountainous Agri province near the Iranian border, where river waters were swollen by melting snows. Two more people were missing. In nearby Van province, a two-year-old child died when landslides triggered by heavy rain demolished a house. Two other girls also died and another person was injured after being struck by lightning. Six hikers died in Greece while trying to cross a river in the south. In France, two divers and a yachtsman drowned yesterday off the western coast of Brittany in extreme weather. The yachtsman fell into the sea from his 21-metre boat in heavy seas. The two divers were part of a group of six who were caught up in strong waves. The others made it safely to shore. In northern Bosnia, two 11-year-old children, a boy and a girl, died after being struck by lightning on Saturday. In Germany, three construction workers building a windmill in the eastern state of Brandenburg were killed yesterday when lightning hit a tractor they were sheltering under. In Russia, by contrast, meteorologists said today was the HOTTEST MAY DAY IN MOSCOW SINCE RECORDS BEGAN with temperatures hitting 32.7 degrees Celsius. Extreme weather - including drought, heavy storms, flooding and flash frost - have wreaked havoc across Europe this spring. Aside from the human toll, it has also destroyed crops and damaged infrastructure in France, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria, Turkey and other countries.

Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Kamchatka spews ash to 7 km

Russia

May 28, 2007

The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is spewing a major ash column to a height of up to seven kilometres (more than four miles) above sea level. There is no danger to nearby settlements. Major incandescence is observed at nighttime above the volcano summit. Hot volcanic bombs are spewed from the crater every five-ten seconds. The spews height reaches 500 metres. Several lava flows heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius are descending on the slopes. “At least three such flows are clearly visible.” Lava is melting the glacier and water and mudflows are coming down the volcano slopes, but they pose no direct danger for the Klyuchi settlement. The volcano roar and explosions could be heard in this settlement. House windows have repeatedly been shaken by massive explosions from the volcano.

Freak weather brings winds of change to the West Coast

Seattle, Washington
May 25, 2007
Ottawa's experience on the Rideau Canal during the winter of 2007 may be considered Canada's tipping point for the idea of climate change. When the canal freezes over in winter, it becomes the world's longest skating rink. Except last winter there was no winter. The canal didn't freeze until a brief period much later in the season. Ottawa is the second coldest national capital in the world, behind only Ulaanbaatar, in Mongolia. But on Jan. 5 it was a balmy 50 degrees Fahrenheit, by far the WARMEST SUCH DATE THERE IN RECORDED HISTORY. People were out golfing, the FIRST TIME IN RECORDED MEMORY people could golf in eastern Ontario in January. The sustained summer threw Central Canada for a loop. Meanwhile, British Columbia was also left aghast, as a prolonged series of ferocious storms battered the coast and buried the interior of the province in yards of snow. The subtropical weather pattern known as the Pineapple Express drenched the coast four times in two weeks during November, accompanied by hurricane-force winds. Then a series of snowstorms hit the length of the coast in December, leaving hundreds of thousands without power for days on end. Followed by more pounding rain in early January. Victoria got three times its normal rainfall for the month. The west coast rain-forest town of Tofino recorded 10 inches in 30 hours. Vancouver's Stanley Park was the prime topic in the west, as the winds blew down huge swaths of old-growth timber and wreaked $3 million in damage. The federal environment minister pronounced the storms a direct example of climate change in action. In the blink of an eye, climate change rocketed up the Canadian public agenda to become the dominant problem in people's minds. "Little has been done to seriously address this problem which is literally threatening life on Earth as we know it." "The more timid our response is, the harsher the consequences will be." There is regional frustration on both sides of the U.S./Canada border about both national governments' stances on climate change. One thing Westerners have in common no matter where they live is a certain dubious skepticism about how they're running things back East. Schwarzenegger last week told President Bush to "get out of the way" and stop hampering California's efforts to curtail emissions or he'll go to court. A "Hydrogen Highway" network of filling stations from Whistler to San Diego is envisioned for alternate-fuel vehicles and a green ports strategy is in the works. "Out of the blue British Columbia has taken everyone by surprise. Nationally we've got made-in-Canada and made-in-America non-solutions. B.C. has stepped aside and done it on it's own, similar to California."

Lithuania swelters in record heat

Lithuania

May 25, 2007

NEW HEAT RECORDS were registered throughout Lithuania this week as more hot weather and thunder showers are forecast for the weekend. On Tuesday, May 22, the nation’s highs were 27 - 30 degrees Celsius, exceeding the temperature records for that day at as many as 15 meteorology stations. More heat records were expected to be broken Saturday.

China hit by deadly flooding, severe drought

China

May 26, 2007

Torrential rain in southwest China triggered flash floods and mudslides that have left 21 dead, while a neighboring region is suffering its worst drought in 60 years, state media reported Friday.
A further 11 people are missing following the rains in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality, Xinhua news agency said, in the latest extreme weather to ravage the country.
More than 360 people have been hurt and 112,000 evacuated in the disasters in a region that only last year endured its worst drought in half a century.
Meanwhile, more than 1.6 million people in Gansu province to the north face drinking water shortages due to the worst drought there since the 1940s.
The dry spell, which has had no significant rainfall in some areas for more than two months, is endangering crops or delaying planting on 1.46 million hectares (3.6 million acres) of cropland, Xinhua quoted officials with the Gansu provincial flood control and drought relief office as saying.
China last year suffered a range of extreme weather events including exceptionally strong typhoons, floods, and droughts, which meteorological officials have partly attributed to the affects of climate change.
Officials warned recently that similar weather is expected in 2007.

Quebec forest fires at critical level

Quebec, Canada

May 27, 2007

Forest fires have reached a critical level in Quebec, especially in the northwest and north-central regions, while forcing more than 1,000 people to flee an eastern reserve, officials say.
The provincial forest fire prevention agency, the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu, said 26 fires are burning in the province — six of them out of control.
A spokeswoman for the agency, Melanie Morin, said this year has been worse than usual for forest fires in the province.
"To date, we've had 280 forest fires since the beginning of the season. Our five-year average is 189 fires and only 2,600 hectares, so we're quite above that," she said.
The situation was particularly bad in the northwestern Abitibi region and in north-central Quebec near Senneterre, about 420 kilometres northwest of Montreal. The fire there was being contained Sunday afternoon, said Jacques Nadeau, a spokesman for the société.

Flooding causes damage in Colombia

Columbia, S.A.

May 27, 2007

Heavy rains in southern and western Colombia have caused a mudslide that has seriously affected 30 neighborhoods and left dozens homeless. The flooding took place in Cali, the country's third biggest city where rescue workers had to evacuate people from their residences and vehicles, AP reported. "Every time it rains there are floods; we and our neighbors are affected, so we cordially ask our mayor to help us because everybody has been affected. There are children also, and this (water) has a lot of bacteria, a lot of diseases," said German Arciniegas, a resident of Cali. ''All the underground pipes are blocked. This is getting bad, really bad,'' another resident said. In southern Colombia, authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday after a mudslide caused by heavy rains destroyed 12 houses and left dozens homeless.

Six km of Talakundha forest gutted in mysterious fire

India

Thalakundha (TN), May 27: About six-kilometre area of Talakundha forest in Tamil Nadu has been gutted in a fire, which is suspected to have broken out from a small volcano.

The fire and smoke from a crater in the forest continue to spread. Hot black coal-like material, possibly magma, can be seen inside it."We received information that a large amount of smoke was emerging from the forest. Initially, I thought it might be a forest fire. But when fire services went there, they saw a huge fire and smoke coming from the forest, and due to the heat, trees were falling down. We still cannot make out what has caused this. If the same situation continues, a major fire accident may take place," said Sardar, a fireman. "This seems to be very dangerous and also the gas coming out from the earth is causing nausea to people in the vicinity", he added.The forestland seems to have collapsed by about five-six feet because of the volcano-type situation. Geologists said methane gas could be coming out of the craters, which causes dizziness and nausea.Locals said they have been seeing the fire in the forest for the past one month. Some village elders even said that their ancestors had talked about similar fire some 100 years ago in the vicinity.Interestingly, the only active volcano in India is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

Quake shakes hill state, 2 killed

India

May 27, 2007

Gangtok: Two persons were killed in a quake-triggered landslip in South Sikkim yesterday.
As many as seven tremors, most of them between 3 and 5.5 on the Richter scale, were reported from several parts of the state.
Prakash Tamang, a resident of Darjeeling, and Ritesh Chettri of Kalimpong were buried alive when a pile of debris fell on them at a construction site on Ralong Road in Rabongla, 60 km from here. People watched in horror as Tamang, 25, and Chettri, 17, disappeared under almost 12 feet of loose soil after the 10 am quake. The bodies were dug out half-an-hour later by police and handed over to the families after post-mortem.
“Many of us did not feel most of the tremors during the day, but the last jolt around 5 pm was scary. It caused panic with people running helter-skelter,” said Ugyen Gyatso, a resident of Rabongla.

Spring snowfall sets city record

Alberta, Canada

May 25, 2007

Homes were left without power, downed trees damaged dozens of cars and school was cancelled for thousands of kids as a blast of record snow slammed many parts of southern Alberta yesterday.
Blustery winds and a record 7 cm of snow for this day in history took down trees and electrical and telephone lines, causing power outages for more than 7,000 homes and damaging cars and buildings around Calgary, say city fire and Enmax officials.
The wintry blast topped the previous snowfall mark of 5.1 cm for May 24, set in 1911, with communities on the city's northwestern edge among the hardest hit

Phivolcs notes bulges near Bulusan

Breaking Volcanic Alert
Philippines

Residents of Irosin town in Sorsogon province in Bicol are starting to feel the "wrath" of Bulusan volcano as some of them reported smelling sulfur from it.This developed as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) noted bulges in the grounds at the volcano's south sector, indicating magma flow underneath.Radio dzBB reported Friday morning that residents in Irosin town have started complaining of "sulfur smell" that they said likely came from the volcano.On the other hand, Solidum noted 62 volcanic quakes and an increase in sulfur dioxide levels in Bulusan in the last 24 hours.

Volcanoes

COLUMBIA - On April 26th, facing the risk of possible new eruptions from the Nevado del Huila volcano, the Nasa indigenous authorities in Tierradentro resolved that 2,307 families in the Tierradentro reservations should leave their sacred territories to safe identified locations. On May 3, the indigenous authorities reported that to date, 1,792 families had been relocated. There is information that indicates that to date, 100 people from the Caloto and Tóez reservations have not left from their shelters. In addition, there are reports that another 30 inhabitants of the reservations are returning daily to care for their belongings. The instability of the system continues, and it's possible that new eruptions will occur.

Third wildfire cuts through Pender

Breaking Earth News
North Carolina, USA

Pender County's third fire in a month burned out of control Wednesday night after consuming 600 to 1,000 acres, forest service officials said.The fire began on residential property near Stag Drive then spread into the adjoining Holly Shelter Gamelands, which is owned by the state, said Pender County Fire Marshal Charles Newman.Winds blowing at 10 to 15 mph aided the blaze, spreading it through the Carolina bay and pocosin swamp vegetation in the game land.

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Rain puts parts of Kansas under water

Aerial Views of Farmland underwater: Photo provided by Toni Kelley

Breaking Earth News
Kansas, USA
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Torrential rainfall hit parts of the Plains and Midwest, flooding towns in Kansas Thursday, toppling trees and power lines and pelting the countryside with hail.
Some central Kansas towns recorded as much as 7 inches of rain — in some places up to 2 inches per hour — starting Wednesday.
The deluge closed dozens of roads, some flooded for the second time in three weeks, said Dean Speaks, deputy emergency management director for Saline County.
"It's taken out the roads that we fixed (after the first flooding)," Speaks said. Numerous government facilities, homes and businesses in the Salina area were flooded.
Everyone in the Saline County towns of Bavaria and Hedville — about 80 people — evacuated their homes overnight. Fifty homes in Ogden, near Fort Riley, were being voluntarily evacuated as area creeks rose.
In Hutchinson, many motorists had to be helped from their cars as water flooded streets.
"In some places, there are people with water up to their porches," Hutchinson Fire Chief Kim Forbes said. Fire trucks were used to help move people to higher ground or to shelters.

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Flooding in Kansas Causes Millions in Damage

Massive floods are wreaking havoc in Kansas -- 5-7-inch rainfalls have put areas of the state underwater and dozens of roads out of business. Right now it's worst in Saline County.

Rains bring floods, transport chaos

Breaking Earth News

Spain

MADRID: Heavy rain flooded Spanish towns yesterday, stranding thousands as roads and railways were submerged and washing away olive trees and vineyards.Hail and rain destroyed hundreds of millions of euros worth of crops. Farmers in Extremadura near the border with Portugal said fruit harvests like early cherries had been ruined.Over 400 people fled their homes in the town of Alcazar de San Juan as a dike came close to bursting in the normally parched province of Ciudad Real, south of Madrid.Thunderstorms were set to keep pounding the central grain and wine producing region of Castilla La Mancha until the weekend.A wetter-than-normal spring had helped to alleviate drought conditions in central and southern Spain. However, as much rain has fallen on the central region’s rolling plains in the last few days as in the whole of 2005.Train services, including links between Madrid and major Mediterranean coast cities, were suspended yesterday as tracks disappeared under water.“We can’t say when they will restart because it’s still raining,” a spokesman for the state railway operator Renfe said.Farm union Asaja reported extensive damage.“Overflowing rivers have dragged away centuries old olive trees and destroyed hillsides,” it said on its webpage.

Floods, Mudslides Kill 21 in China

China

May 24, 2007

Heavy rainstorms in southwest China triggered flash floods and mudslides that killed 21 people and left 11 missing, state media said Friday. The storms that pummeled Sichuan province on Wednesday and Thursday left 11 people dead in the areas of Ganzi and Liangshan, and another five people missing, the Xinhua News Agency said.A mudslide also damaged a 1,000-foot stretch of highway, it said.In the city of Chongqing, floods and lightning killed 10 people and left six missing. Earlier this week, state media said seven children in Chongqing died Wednesday when lightning struck their school and set it on fire.Some 112,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes, Xinhua said, citing She Mingzhe, head of Chongqing's Civil Affairs Bureau.

Earthquake rattles Hawaii near volcano

Breaking Earth News
Hawaii, USA

San Francisco - An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale shook Hawaii's Big Island on Thursday, but no injuries or damage were reported, local media reported.
The epicentre of the quake was near the Kilauea volcano in Volcanoes National Park, reported the Honolulu Star Bulletin. It was the largest earthquake in the area for at least 50 years.
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck in October near the Big Island, causing millions of dollars in damage but no deaths or serious injuries.

Softball Hail, Floods, 80 MPH Winds, Tornadoes

Breaking Storm News

Kansas, USA

14 Tornado reports, 54 wind reports (to 80 mph) and 135 hail reports were received on Wednesday evening and overnight in the Central Plains, according to The WeatherMatrix StormMatrix. As of 6 AM Central time, the tornadoes appear to have been in rural areas and have not caused any injuries, according to Google News.

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Storm dumps about 7 inches of rain on already soaked area

The town of Hutchinson, Kansas endured flooding from the storms. Photo: A Hutchinson Police vehicle pushes water that was bumper deep as it crosses 4th on Adams Wednesday afternoon. Torrential rains dumped 4 inches on Hutchinson in two hours Wednesday, causing major street flooding. The water was lapping the doorsteps of some houses. Photo by Travis Morisse

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Icy weather grips South Africa

Breaking Earth News
South Africa

Freezing temperatures gripping South Africa killed at least 22 people this week as millions of the country's poor battled to keep warm.

Snow has fallen in large parts of the country, closing mountain passes and leaving people and buses trapped. Temperatures are expected to drop further with the onset of the coldest weather of the year.

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Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Kamchatka spews ash column

Russia
May 23, 2007

The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed a major ash column to a height of up to eight kilometres above sea level. The plume is moving to the southeast. There is no danger to nearby populated localities. Klyuchi settlement is located 32 kilometres from the volcano and no fallout of volcanic dust has been registered there. However, the volcano roar and explosions can be heard in this settlement with a population of about 5,000. “House windows are trembling from them.” Two lava flows over two kilometres in length are observed on the volcano slope. They are melting the mount’s glacier at a height of about three kilometres. Phreatic explosions occur when the hot lava with a temperature of 1,000 degrees comes in contact with ice. Volcanic bombs are spewed from the crater to a height of up to 500 metres.

VOLCANOES

PAPUA NEW GUINEA - The hundreds of people who fled their home on Siassi Island in Papua New Guinea are refusing to return home until they get an assurance that the volanic eruption which drove them to higher ground at the weekend won’t happen again. Reports from the local disaster and emergency centre in Morobe province say up to two thousand people fled their home after the eruption on nearby Ritter Island. A resident on Siassi Island, Stella Aitova, says they’re still waiting for the experts to assess the volcano and people won’t return home until then.

Unusual high-tides indicate another tsunami

May 23, 2007

Port Blair: The abnormal rise in sea-level during high-tides in the last three days has re-opened the tsunami scars of thousands on the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar. However, officials have failed to provide any concrete data regarding this. This UNUSUAL PHENOMENON has left huge heaps of sand deposited in front of houses and hotels nearby, causing problems for the people. "The coastal road is overloaded with sea sand of nearly one meter height." After getting similar reports from Phuket and Bangkok, people in tsunami hit Car Nicobar Islands feared this as an indication of another disaster, but local administration dismissed it, saying everything was normal. However, the Port Management Board Harbour Master said that there might be three main reasons - monsoon, change in the beach profile after the tsunami and the timing of tides coinciding with office timings. "This is normal after heavy monsoon as water from hilly areas mix up with seawater which raises the sea level." Normally reading of high-tides in these Islands is 1.8 to 1.9 meters but during monsoon and full moon nights, the reading goes up to 2.4 meters. In this case monsoon and full-moon came together. The waves smashed into the premises of a few restaurants along coastal areas on May 19 and 20, overturning tables and chairs. The National Institute of Ocean Technology had installed nearly 15 tide gauges across the country to measure tidal variations, but officials failed to provide any reading behind this ABNORMAL rise of tide level. "We have readings of rise in the wave height of sea but not of tides. Due to Southwest monsoon, the wave heights are higher and the beach profile of Andaman has already changed which can be the reason behind this." Apart from the changes in the beach profile, many believe that Sea Walls had prevented seawater entry in these places, thereby forcing the sea to flood other adjacent areas. Massive Sea walls have been constructed in various places of South Andaman to reclaim land, inundated by seawater after the tsunami due to tilting of the land mass. The project, Post Seismic Relaxation in Andaman and Nicobar, had already recorded a tilt of four-and-a-half metres along the North-South belt of the 572 island conglomerate in the Indian Ocean and an East-West tilt of two-and-a-half metres, explaining why most of the 1700 hectares of paddy fields in Port Blair's eastern coast were still submerged in water. People and fishermen have not ventured into the sea during the last few days, fearing another disastrous tsunami.

FREAK WAVES/ HIGH TIDES

Mentawai Islands, off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia - Thursday, May 17 & Friday, May 18, has seen an amazing 20-25 feet plus swell hit the Mentawai Island chain. A number of surfers ventured out and scored some of the most epic barrels of their lives. "On Thursday, there was a set of at least 9 waves that were maxing 20 feet - but absolutely perfect...some of the most amazing waves I've ever seen. They were every bit of 25 feet. Just wish I had a camera! " Not everyone was so lucky though. The local villagers of Katiet were swamped by the swell which combined with a seasonal Monsoonal King Tide and has left their village under 0.5 metres of water. "This is the first time we have had so much water in the village. Normally we get a little but spend our time watching the surfers in the big waves. This time, we were too busy to watch as we were bailing out the water. " A resort owner was amazed at the size of the swell. "I've never seen anything like this first hand. The surf was massive."

SPAIN - A quiet holiday in Alicante, Spain ended in tragedy for a British couple when they were swallowed up by a FREAK WAVE, sucked out to sea and one of them drowned. It was before lunchtime on Friday, May 18, when they were walking from the water after a swim in the sea at Cala Estaca beach when a freak wave sucked them under the water and pulled them both out to sea. The woman was able to free herself from the water, however, the 21-year-old male was unable to extricate himself and tragically drowned.

Lahar deposits found at Bulusan; UK warning up

Breaking Volcanic Alert

Philippines

After finding lahar deposits in Bulusan Volcano in Bicol, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned Sorsogon residents to take precaution.Radio dzBB reported Thursday that Phivolcs head Renato Solidum Jr. issued the warning after a Phivolcs team conducted an aerial survey of the volcano.Citing the team's report, Solidum said the volcano had at least three cracks from where steam came out.But he said what prompted them to issue the warning was the lahar deposits that he said may endanger villages around the volcano when the rains come.Weather forecasters expect heavy rains to come in the next few months because of the La Niña phenomenon.On the other hand, the Sorsogon provincial government convened its provincial disaster coordinating council to discuss ways to address potential problems.In a related development, two days after the United States warned its citizens against travel near Bulusan volcano, the United Kingdom followed suit in a travel advisory updated Thursday.In its advisory dated Thursday (Manila time), the UK Embassy cited the raising of the alert level from “1" to “2" by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).“There is a four-kilometre Permanent Danger Zone within which no entry is allowed. Furthermore, areas beyond this zone which are downwind are likely to be affected by ash falls," it said.

Tornado reported in Texas Panhandle

Texas, USA

May 23, 2007

Thunderstorms swept across the northern area of the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, bringing up to tennis-ball sized hail, high winds and heavy rains.
A tornado touched down near the small town of Darrouzett in Lipscomb County and several others were spotted in the Panhandle in open country, authorities said. No damage or injuries were reported.
There was one report of 60 mph winds, said Rich Wynne, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Amarillo.

Tornado Strikes Ontario

Breaking Storm News
Ontario, Canada

At the same time Sherry McCall and her family were watching two funnel clouds approaching the Winthrop-area farm of her parents, Orville and Lila Storey, meteorologist Geoff Coulson was watching “strong rotation signatures” near Winthrop on the radar.“We did have at least one touch down near Winthrop. It was confirmed as an F1 on the Fujita scale, which is winds between 120 and 180 km/h,” says the Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist.Coulson says a damage team sent from Environment Canada and the University of Western Ontario to the area after last Tuesday evening’s storm found plenty of evidence of a tornado.While the exact path and number of funnel clouds haven’t been determined, Coulson says there was wind damage from Winthrop through Brodhagen to Bornholm and Monkton.“We’re not sure if it all links up,” he says.The worst of the damage occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with flattened barns, toppled silos, downed trees and debris sprayed at a wide angle throughout country fields.Luckily, no one was hurt and no one lost their home during the storm.“There was very selective damage in a narrow path, which is very tornadic in nature,” says Coulson.

Drought Lowers Lake Levels; Threatens Drinking Water Supply

Alabama, USA

Click the Photo to View Video

May 21, 2007
It's being called the worst drought in Alabama in nearly fifty years. The lack of rain taking its toll on everything from drinking water in some towns to electricity production.
The dry conditions are perhaps most obvious on the state's lakes and rivers. A close look at the shore line and bridges at Lake Martin reveals a 4-foot drop in the water level over recent weeks.
"All of our lakes and reservoirs are significantly down this spring," said Alabama Power Spokeswoman Jan Ellis.
The power company's Tallapoosa River Manager, David Waites, added, "this is the lowest the reservoir has been since 1960."

Tornado, Hail Nip Two More Bulgarian Villages

Bulgaria
May 22, 2007

Tornado and hail stroke Bulgaria's villages of Yoglav and Gumoshtnik on Tuesday, causing serious damages to dozens of houses.The roofs of numerous of houses were blown by the strong winds in Yoglav. There are also demolished chimneys in the village.Three people have been injured as a result of the hail, which fell in the village of Gumoshtnik. One man has a head trauma and two women were wounded in their arms.All the vehicles that were parked in the open were smashed.

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Bulgarian River Overflows

May 22, 2007

A purifying station near Bulgaria's second city of Plovdiv has been submerged after Tamrashka River has overflown on Tuesday.Teams of Civil Defence services are still fortifying the river's bed using boughs and sacks full of sand.The accident occurred as a result of the torrential rains, which continue pouring over the whole country. Photo: A woman looks terrified at the swollen waters of the Vladayska river near Sofia that threatened to flood residential houses on Monday. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)

Clean-up under way following Nelson floods

Breaking Earth News

New Zealand

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A massive clean-up operation is underway across Nelson after the city was hit by heavy rain and flash flooding this morning. Nearly 100-millimetres fell in the 24 hours leading up to10:00am, with the suburb of Stoke the worst affected. Three schools were closed and the New World supermarket was also forced to delay opening its doors by a number of hours. Nayland College was one of the worst places hit and had to send students home,,,, Principal Charles Newton says it took them all by surprise. Further north parts of Taranaki were also badly affected, where several homes had to be evacuated after the Oakura River burst its banks.

FLOODS

Overnight Storms Tear Through Central Texas

Texas, USA
Click Photo to View Video (Overnight Storms)

May 22, 2007
Loud storms packed with rain hit Central Texas after midnight Tuesday.
Floodwaters Shut Down Central Texas Roads
Flash floods also put roads underwater in the Waco area, and rescue crews scrambled to save people caught in the rising water.
Storms Wreak Havoc Through Hill CountryCurrents swept away parts of the Mesquite Creek Bridge just outside Lampasas.

Georgia Drought Intensifies in 30 Counties

May 21, 2007

ATLANTA (AP) -- After one of the driest springs in recent history, Georgia farmers, environmental officials and local authorities face some tough decisions about using water.The lingering drought is now categorized as "extreme" in more than 30 counties. It has already led state authorities to limit outdoor water use to only a few days each week. If it intensifies, state officials could soon decide whether to limit most outdoor water usage to one weekend day or even ban it altogether.Farmers are also facing their own tough decision: Whether planting some crops is even worth the hassle. Staples such as corn are particularly suffering. And peanut farmers, who typically plant the seeds in May, are holding off for now.

After a dry fall and winter, the state Environmental Protection Division decided in April to declare a "level two" drought, which triggered statewide restrictions.

RELATED NEWS

Thick Smoke Chokes Atlanta

May 22, 2007

ATLANTA -- Thick smoke settled over Atlanta Tuesday morning causing eyes to water and traffic to slow down.
Winds from the southeast carried smoke from wildfires burning in South Georgia and North Florida.
The smoke appeared almost like a London fog.
There is a code orange air quality warning in effect for the area. That means the air could be unhealthy for sensitive groups. View Slideshow

Weather cranky this year too?

Breaking Earth News

India

Is the weather pattern changing? Monsoons last year saw deficient rains. Winters were fogless. Now summers are witnessing more rains than usually witnessed during this time of the year. Average rainfall from March 1, 2007 to May 16, 2007 was 121% more than the normal standard set for the period. In fact, every district on an average received 48.5 mm rains in said period in comparison to 22.0 mm normally. The phenomenon was widespread. Out of 57-met-districts in the state, 37 witnessed rains more than normal standard. Rainfall exceeded normals by more than 100% at 26 districts. At five places it was more than 300%. In 26-met-districts rainfall was normal or below normal. Ghazipur topped the list by receiving 104.1 mm rains which was 428% above normal. In Bahraich, Azamgarh and Lucknow, the rainfall was 396%, 360% and 330% above normals, respectively. Auraiya, Badaun, Ferozabad and Jyotiba Phule Nagar witnessed rains 229%-297% above normal standards. Significantly, the weather trend has been irregular since the start of 2006. The usual chill was missing from the winters followed by ‘humid’ summers, while the entire month of May was lashed by rains and thunderstorms. Total rainfall in monsoon was 30% less than normal, followed by winters sans fog. Now summer 2007, which is also referred to as post-winter and pre-monsoon session by meteorologists, has also been continuously lashed by rains and thunder showers over the last two and half months, giving rise to fears that monsoon might again go dry this year, if the present situation continues. The change in wind pattern led to a rise in maximum temperatures all over the state on Monday. Dry hot westerly winds dominated the climate, replacing moisture laden easterlies. It was the FIRST TIME IN THE MONTH OF MAY THAT PEOPLE FACED DRY HOT WINDS popularly known as "loo" in this part of the world. While Kanpur was the hottest by recording 42.2 Degrees Celsius maximum temperature, Lucknow was simmering at 41 degrees Celsius. While the weather has been behaving in an HIGHLY UNUSUAL MANNER over the last year, the period taken for assessment is too small to make any sweeping remarks about change in weather pattern. "Weather calculations are based on a period not less than 20 years."

Storm Havoc in South Africa

South Africa

May 21, 2007

Snowfalls on the Boland mountains have contributed to plummeting temperatures as Cape Town today picked up the pieces in the wake of the weekend's vicious storm.
Residents in Cape Flats informal settlements were still mopping up today after their homes and the pathways in their areas were flooded by heavy rain overnight.
Snow fell on mountain peaks above Ceres, Franschhoek and Somerset West, as temperatures plummeted to below freezing point in higher-lying areas.
Temperatures are expected to remain low throughout the week, with a maximum of 13º C today.
And there's more rain on the way, as a weaker cold front approaches from the south-west to hit late on Wednesday or Thursday morning. Another is expected to arrive on Saturday, said forecaster Nick Koegelenberg.
The winter weather, caused by a north-westerly storm generated by a cut-off low pressure system, caused widespread flooding and damage that left more than 1 000 people temporarily homeless.

New Guinea villagers flee after eruption

Breaking Volcanic News
New Guinea

UP to 2000 villagers have fled to higher ground from their seaside homes on Siassi Island in Papua New Guinea after a volcanic eruption on nearby Ritter Island.
There were no reports from the island of casualties, but sea surges reportedly destroyed four houses and a boat following Saturday's eruption, Morobe Province disaster and emergency director Roy Kamen said today.
Around 1500 to 2000 people from two villages had moved to higher ground for fear of tsunamis and locals were too afraid to travel by sea, he said.
"They reported waves and the level of the sea rising," Mr Kamen said.
"They still hear rumbling noises and see smoke coming out of the island and had a few tremors last night."
The islands lie between the PNG mainland and the island of New Britain.

Photo: Rabaul Volcano on Ritter Island, New Guinea

Related News
Island blows up
THOUSANDS of people on the eastern side of the Siassi Island in Morobe province are homeless after fleeing to higher grounds after the nearby active Ritter Island blew up.The Disaster and Emergency Office in Lae last night said the island erupted last Saturday and was spewing ash and smoke, catching the Rabaul Volcanic Observatory by surprise.Disaster and Emergency director Roy Kamen said reports from the area confirmed that tidal waves created by the eruption smashed into Kabi and Kampalap villages on the eastern part of Siassi Island, flattening four houses and sending about 10,000 local villagers fleeing to the hills for safety.

Thunder, hail, rain hit NE Washington

Breaking Storm News

Washington State, USA

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A severe thunderstorm brought hail and nearly an inch of rain to Spokane County and eastern Lincoln County, caving in the roof of a state building, causing power outages and flooding streets,

Tanja Merriman, a janitor at the state Department of Social and Health Services building on North Maple in Spokane, stepped out of a restroom she was cleaning Monday evening to find the waiting room had become a wading pool - the ceiling collapsed and a torrent of rainwater rushed in.

The storm caused a quick temperature drop and gusty winds knocked down some branches in the area, said National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Koch. Before Monday's storm, the region was 2.5 inches below the normal amount of precipitation.

Video News: 13 Dead in Mudslides in Rain Soaked Columbia

Breaking Earth News
Columbia, S.A.

Effects of global warming can be reversed through proper planning

Global Warming Alert
PESHAWAR, May 20 (APP)
Earlier characterized as a remote threat, the effects of global warming have started emerging in Pakistan with summers becoming hotter and winters chillier, making it unbearable for human beings to adapt themselves to the sharply swinging mercury. In some areas of NWFP an unprecedented freezing cold weather was recorded this year that crippled life and its routine activities. The meteorologists' have predicted record hot weather this year which would enhance chances of health related problems apart from increasing shortages of food and water. Moreover, due to the changing global weather, the risk of heavy floods would increase that would inundate low lying areas. The world renowned meteorologists maintain that the lives of high number of people are at great risk due to the rapidly altering weather. According to the research of Psychology experts, the rising suicide ratio in the society is also caused by the altering atmosphere which is one of the major factors leading to the behavioral change in people. Likewise, meteorologists and weather experts have forewarned of acute dearth of food and water by the year 2020 and have said that 2007 would be the hottest year after 1850 when the recording of temperatures was started.

Landslide Blocks Major European Road in Sofia Suburb

Bulgaria
Photo: The torrential rains flooded Sofia and its suburbs, making some of the roads virtually impassable. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)

May 20, 2007
A landslide caused by the heavy torrential rains blocked the E79 European road in the Vladaya suburb of Bulgarian capital Sofia late on Sunday.

The road links the city to the southwestern part of the country, continuing on to Greece through the Kulata border checkpoint.

Emergency crews are cleaning up the debris, but their work is complicated by the downpour, while the traffic has been detoured to a bypass road.

Some emergency units had to be dispatched to clear another landslide, which blocked a lesser road, from Sofia to Samokov in the foothills of the Rila Mountains.

The torrential downpour has swelled the small rivers passing through the Bulgarian capital, causing minor damages and slowing down traffic.

Phivolcs raises alert at rumbling Bulusan volcano

Volcanic Alert
Philippines
May 20, 2007

MANILA, Philippines -- State volcanologists raised the alert level to 2 at the volatile Bulusan volcano effective noon Sunday, warning about the “possibility of an explosive eruption.”

Over the past three days, 673 earthquakes have been recorded in the area of the volcano, up from 223 tremors during the previous three-day period, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum Jr. said Sunday.

Volcanologist also observed “inflation” on the side of the volcano due to gas and fluid pressure.

“We raised the alert at level 2 after we observed an increase in volcanic unrest. At alert level 2 there’s a possibility of an explosive eruption,” Solidum said.

He “strongly advised” residents “to stay out of the four-kilometer radius of the volcano, which is a permanent danger zone.”

Bulusan last spewed ash on May 12, the 23rd such explosion since March 2006.

Huge waves continue to pound Indonesian coasts

Indonesia
May 20, 2007
Jakarta- After destroying hundreds of houses across the
coastal lines of Java, Bali and western Sumatra, tidal waves struck
the coasts of eastern Indonesian islands of Lombok and Flores, forced
to more than 1,000 people to flee their homes and keeping fishermen
onshore, local media reports said Sunday.

While residents across the southern coast of Java and Bali, and
the western coast of Sumatra, were cleaning out debris from their
homes which were damaged by the tidal waves two days earlier, the
huge waves heavily damaged or destroyed more than 150 homes along
coastlines on Lombok and Flores islands.

At least 1,000 residents were forced to abandon their homes on the
two islands, and the tidal waves also forced on fishermen to halt
their activity, a leading Kompas daily reported.

Weather officials say the waves were a result of the accumulation
of winds in one spot and are not linked with annual weather patterns.
Forecasters warned that high waves may reoccur in the coming days.

Swell Causing Serious Floods Across The Country

Maldives
May 16, 2007
Dozens of islands across the Maldives have reportedly been affected by a large swell that struck the country on Tuesday. The government says the number of inhabited islands affected is 55 out of a total of 197, but some local reports say 80.
The people of Fares Mathoda, Gaaf Dhaal atoll, reportedly abandoned the island, which was submerged, and took to boats at around 12:30 last night. Waves are also reportedly lashing Gadhdhoo, Gaaf Daal atoll.



The Maldives Meteorological Office warned all islands to be braced for further unusual tides through Wednesday and possibly Thursday. The Met Office cannot explain why the sudden swell has taken place but has said it is definitely not the result of a tsunami.

Related News: India Government Cover-up involved in Freak Tidal Surge
Government Wrong To Blame Storm Surges
A Meteorological Office forecaster has told Minivan News storm surges are not responsible for last week’s widespread flooding in the Maldives, despite the government’s insistence they are to blame.

On Thursday government spokesman, Mohamed Hussein Shareef, said “media reports of tidal waves are exaggerations… these are clearly storm surges [which] regularly happen in the Maldives at this time of year.”

Opposition parties have added to criticism of the government’s handling of the floods, by accusing the government of responding slowly and failing to involve the Disaster Management Centre early enough.

Water shortage knocks at Turkey's door

Thursday, May 17, 2007
ISTANBUL

The effects of global climate change will make itself felt this summer in Turkey, in the form of water shortages. Alarm bells are ringing in the country's three-largest cities. Officials, startled by the low level of water resources have been warning the public over the last few days about a possible water shortage crisis. Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir municipalities have been proposing measures to the public that if implemented will relegate activities like watering gardens or washing cars with a hose to the annals of history.

Water levels in dams serving Istanbul indicate supply will last just six more months at current levels, announced officials. Meteorology reports stating that the weather this summer will be warmer than in former years increases the worries. The percentage of water in the dams supplying Istanbul decreased by 47 percent announced the General Directorate of Istanbul Water and Canalization Administration (İSKİ), the Anatolia news agency reported. İSKİ advised people not to waste water suggesting that people close the tap while brushing teeth or shaving, and stop washing cars and carpets with a hose.

People could build cisterns and store rainwater to irrigate their gardens as a means of saving water, the Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş suggested. Environmentalists meanwhile, warned that long term and serious strategies were necessary to prevent drought.

Manhattan-sized ice island will be weather balloon of climate change

Canada

May 19, 2007

Climate Change Alert

Photo: Universite Laval Technician Dennis Sarrazin stands on Ayles Ice Island in the Arctic Ocean in May 2006. The ice island formed in August 2005 when the Ayles Ice Shelf, which was between 3,000 and 4,500 years old, cracked off Ellesmere Island and slid into the sea. It is 66 square kilometres in area and between 30 and 40 metres thick, making it the largest ice island in Canada in 30 years.Photograph by : The Canadian Press, file

A Manhattan-sized ice island off the northwest coast of Canada's Ellesmere Island could soon be on the move because of extraordinary conditions in the eastern Arctic - a "sentinel" of climate change, being fitted with a tracking device, that can be followed in real time as it travels the Arctic. Huge cracks and areas of open water have been appearing near the Ayles Ice Island in recent weeks. The ice island formed in August 2005 when the Ayles Ice Shelf, which was between 3,000 and 4,500 years old, cracked off Ellesmere Island and slid into the sea. It is 66 square kilometres in area and between 30 and 40 metres thick, making it the LARGEST ICE ISLAND IN CANADA IN 30 YEARS. The island could soon start moving because of the remarkable ice loss occurring in the nearby Lincoln Sea at the northeastern tip of Ellesmere. The sea is losing vast amounts of ice because the Nares Strait ice bridge, which normally forms between Ellesmere Island and Baffin Island in December - and prevents the Arctic ice from moving south, did not form this winter. The loss is also generating enormous fractures in the polar pack ice, some of them hundreds of kilometres long. Large parts of the Lincoln Sea "have essentially been ice-free for the last month or two, which is EXTREMELY UNUSUAL." Huge slabs of thick, hard multi-year ice up to 90-kilometres across have been breaking free in the Lincoln Sea and sailing south, bound for the waters off Labrador and Newfoundland. The ice is coming down and breaking up as it travels through Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea. Some chunks have been spotted as far south as Fogo Island off Newfoundland. In the past, large ice islands have migrated around the Arctic for 40 to 50 years. The big question now is whether Ayles Island, which is expected to head toward the southwest, will become stuck in Canada's Arctic islands, or head for the Beaufort Sea - a prospect that worries oil companies. The Ayles Ice Shelf was one of six ice shelves left in Canada, remnants of a vast icy fringe that covered the top end of Ellesmere for eons.

Torrential Rains Leave Farmers and Beachgoers Frustrated

Lebanon

Click Map to Enlarge

May 18, 2007

Beirut & Chouf - Spring-time storms have damaged crops across the Chouf Mountains and the Bekaa Valley and led to the flooding of Al-Assi River.

Torrential rains in the past few days caused flooding in several parts of the Bekaa, transforming streets into rivers and leaving residents stranded in their homes. The government deployed earth-moving equipment Thursday to redirect waters that had trapped residents in their homes.

Farmers in the upper Chouf villages say that high winds and hail this year have smashed both trees and fruits, cherry crops destroyed.

Changes in climate are widely suspected as an impact of global warming. The persistence of cloudy skies and rainfall in May may be part of a broad, long-term alteration of the country's weather patterns. The unpredictable weather has frustrated beachgoers, pedestrians, and farmers.

"We never saw such ugly weather since 1948," said Nidal Zeineddine, a longtime cherry farmer in the Chouf. "Our whole season is now at real risk."

TORRENTIAL RAINS/ FLOODS

TIBET - There's growing concern for people living in a remote county of Tibet where days of torrential rains have triggered an avalanche and mud-slide closing the only highway to Zayu County isolating more than 22,000 people. As of Thursday morning no casualties had been reported but there has been little contact with villagers and herders in the area. Zayu has received more than 140 millimeters of rainfall since Monday, more than half of the county's monthly average for May. Located in southeastern Tibet, Zayu County borders India and Myanmar and has a total population of 26,200. More than 1,000 cubic meters of snow covered a 90-meter-long stretch of highway, while the mud slide left a 35-meter-deep gully on another section of the road.

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