Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Deadly deluge

Bangladesh
With floodwater pouring in through their windows, thousands of people affected by South Asia's deadly deluge are being forced to share the limited high ground with venomous snakes, surrounded by filthy water. With almost half of Bangladesh submerged, and torrential rains pelting Nepal and India, more than 25 people have died as a result of the weather since Saturday. In Indian states Assam and Bihar, more than 24 people, including three children, were killed in weather-related incidents since Sunday morning, bringing the death toll to 75 in a week. "The floods situation has turned worse overnight." Bihar's residents fear an epidemic as bodies cannot be buried or cremated, with graveyards and cremation grounds under water. Torrential rains in Nepal's western Gulmi district caused a landslide that smothered seven farm workers. Snakes driven out of their usual habitat fatally bit nine people in villages in Bangladesh's flooded northern Pabna district in the last few days. The lives of millions of other people in the subcontinent are simply on hold as they sit on their roofs, high ground or in relief camps, most relying on their governments to bring food, clean water, clothes and medicine. In China, floods, landslides and mud flows triggered by torrential rains have killed 652 people so far this year, with more heavy rains forecast. Authorities in central China's Henan province were scrambling to save 69 miners trapped in an underground coal mine for more than 24 hours after flooding and landslides blocked their exit routes.

Related News: New Zealand

Stewart Island deluge causes floods, slips

Satellite Image of Stewart Island
More than a month's worth of rain has fallen on Stewart Island in the past five days, causing flooding and widespread slips which have left some residents with no access to their homes.

MetService readings show a record 177mm has pelted the island at the South West Cape since Wednesday, while further north in Oban, 118mm has fallen.

High winds and heavy seas also played havoc, pulling roads into the sea and causing landslips 30m wide.

Heat wave wreaks havoc across Southeast Europe

Southeast Europe
Drought, fire, electricity outages and water shortages are among the effects of a heat wave that has afflicted Southeast Europe during the past weeks. Rivers are drying up, and crops are being destroyed at an UNPRECEDENTED level. Even when the searing temperatures have abated, the impact – in terms of the economy – could be felt for a long time to come.

RELATED NEWS
VIETNAM - A heat wave threatens to accompany droughts and spark epidemics in Vietnam until September, experts say. Localities in the northern-lowlands, northern-central provinces and the west-Central Highlands region will be hardest hit by the hot spell, which might bring water shortages and human and cattle disease outbreaks. However, the heat will also be accompanied by heavy rains in all other areas of the country through October. Severe hot spells have already hurt the central region, triggering in several forest fires and prolonged droughts in Nghe An province, where rivers and lakes have dried up, causing a serious shortage of water.

Source: earthfrenzyradio.blogspot.com

NowPublic

Panic in the Philippines, as Bulusan Volcano Shows Unrest

Philippines
Photo: A column of ash and volcanic debris shooting up from the Mt. Bulusan volcano in the central Philippines on Tuesday.

(AP Photo)

MANILA, Philippines: The Bulusan volcano in the central Philippines spewed ash early Tuesday, blanketing fields and villages as far as five kilometers (three miles) away, but there was no immediate sign of a major eruption, scientists said.

The 1,560-meter (5,150-foot) Mount Bulusan has been showing signs of unrest with on-and-off ash and steam explosions since March 2006.

"We are keeping an eye on some villages in Juban and Irosin town. An ash explosion can occur there anytime," said Bella Tubianosa from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

She said the latest burst sent ash falling five kilometers (three miles) west of the volcano, which is in Sorsogon province about 390 kilometers (240 miles) southeast of Manila.

Television reports said the ash column caused panic in the surrounding area, with residents running out of their homes.

Floods, fires ravage South Africa

South Africa

Flooding in Cape Town has displaced some 38,000 people, mostly from squatter camps around the South African city, a local official says.

Food and blankets are being distributed to those affected, who are being housed in municipal buildings.

On the other side of the country, in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, bushfires have killed at least 19 people and destroyed over 30,000 acres of land.

Fires force mass evacuations on Spain's Canary Islands

Bushfires sweeping across Spain's Canary Islands have ravaged thousands of hectares and forced authorities to evacuate about 11,000 people.

Spanish Environment Minister Cristina Narbona announced a state of "maximum alert" and said additional planes were being sent to the picturesque archipelago off Africa's western coast to battle the flames.

The fires, which broke out on Friday, have covered 24,000 hectares on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife after being fanned by strong winds.

Heat wave sizzles past six-day stretch

California, USA
Photo: Javier Rodriguez of Selma stays afloat on the Kings River with the help of a child's raft while cooling off Sunday with his family at Reedley Beach.

Temperatures in Fresno reached a high of 100 degrees Sunday, tying a six-day stretch of triple-digit weather from earlier this month.

The 100-degree-plus weather is expected to last through at least Thursday, said meteorologist David Spector with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Tornado spotted in south Iceland

Iceland

A tornado, which is a very rare sight in Iceland, was spotted on Skeidarársandur plane of sand in south Iceland of Friday. The tornado touched the ground for about five minutes and whirled up sand and dust.

Rain, hail and lighting followed the tornado, as picked up by the Icelandic Meteorological Office’s lightning sensors, Fréttabladid reports.

According to meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson weather conditions that create tornados are very rare in Iceland and therefore tornados aren’t spotted often on the island, though they have been spotted on a few occasions before.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Drip, drip of global warming spells change in northern Russia

Russia
Photo: A herder tends to his herd of reindeer in Kanchalan, Chukotka region, 12 July 2007. Questions are being asked about global warming across northern Russia. While there are fears for wildlife, there is growing optimism about the Arctic maritime passage that runs across the top of Russia from the Bering Straits to the north Atlantic.(AFP/File/Natalia Kolesnikova)

KANCHALAN, Russia (AFP) - It is summer in this reindeer-herding village in northern Russia and with not an iceberg in sight, residents are acquiring a taste for bathing in the local river.

"We used to have ice on the river all year round. The warming process is speeding up," said the worried head of the state-controlled reindeer company at Kanchalan, Arkady Makhushkin.

"The reindeers' health is suffering. Their meat isn't so tasty," he said, explaining that the animals had to be herded greater distances to find cooler grazing grounds in upland areas.

As he tries to work out the effects of rising temperatures on his 32,000 reindeer, questions are being asked about global warming across northern Russia, from Chukotka region in the east, where Kanchalan is located, to Murmansk in the west.

Firefighters struggle to contain blazes in south Europe

Spain
Photo: A member of the new military team "Unidad Militar de Emergencia" (Emergency Military Team) looks at a fire burning in Cercado on the Spanish Canary Island of Gran Canaria.(AFP/Desiree Martin)

MADRID (AFP) - Firefighters backed by helicopters struggled Sunday to douse major forest fires across southern Europe as special prayers were held in Romania for an end to a deadly heatwave searing the continent.

Firefighters staged an uphill battle to extinguish the flames which have ravaged forests in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, as well as Spain's Canary Islands off the western coast of Africa.

In Bulgaria, where 23,000 hectares (nearly 57,000 acres) of woodland have been burned in the scorching temperatures of the past week, fires continued to rage in the south and centre. Photo:This image of fires burning across Greece and the Balkans was acquired by Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on 26 July 2007 Credits: ESA.

The region around Chepelare was on high alert amid warnings that the 10th century monastery of Rila -- which has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO -- could be in danger.

Bulgarian police said they have now arrested 20 people on suspicion of starting the forest fires.

Meanwhile, some 1,000 people gathered Sunday in the Romanian town of Iasi, offering prayers to seek deliverance from a heatwave that is a vast swathe of southern Europe. Click

The ceremony, organised by the Orthodox church, was held in the country's heat-ravaged north-east.

The faithful gathered around a 30-metre (99-foot-) high cross built on a hilltop to pray for lower temperatures and much-needed rain for their crops.

Unnatural sea waves, cause of concern

Bhubaneswar, Jul 29 (PTI)
Waves crashing against the shore is nothing new for the inhabitants of two of Orissa's seaside tourist resorts - Puri and Gopalpur. But what they have been witnessing for the last few months has come as a shock. "The sea has been behaving in an UNNATURAL manner with high waves lashing against the coast and damaging structures. It seems the sea is inching inside." While the sea waves have washed away nearly 500 metres of a newly-constructed road on the outskirts of Puri, several walls of hotels and a lighthouse at Gopalpur, down south in Ganjam district, have collapsed under the pounding of the sea. "I have been observing this phenomenon since August last year, but no action has been initiated about it." There have been reports about the Bay of Bengal eroding the coast in the Satbhaya area of Kendrapara district and swallowing up at least five of the seven coastal villages in a cluster over the last few years. However, this was something new in towns like Puri and Gopalpur where the administration is monitoring the situation with concern. A study conducted recently said that 23% of India's shoreline was getting eroded with four states - Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala - being the worst affected. In Orissa, over 100 km out of the state's 480-km coastline was facing erosion while the problem was more acute in Kerala. It also said that the growth of long sand pits at the Chilika Lagoon on the coast indicated littoral movement and subsequent silt deposition. Within the last fortnight, the sea has devoured a large portion of the road in Puri linking Baliapanda with Sipasarubali - where a tourist resort is proposed to be developed - causing panic among the inhabitants. The road had been constructed recently, even as new buildings, apartment blocks and hotels were coming up in the areas as the resort town was expanding. Six new buildings are now facing direct threat from the sea. Grave concern was expressed about the situation in Penthakata area of the town where a population of about 20,000 fishermen are living virtually on the edge of the sea.

Landslides, Flashfloods Kill 32, Displace Over 20,000 People In Nepal

Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) - New landslides and flashfloods, triggered by torrential rain have killed 13 more people across Nepal, with the death toll reaching 32 for the week, officials said.

The floods have displaced more than 20,000 families, Nepal's Home Ministry said.

The Ministry said it has deployed rescue helicopters, food and other relief materials to those affected areas.

The floods have seriously affected the southern districts of Nepal, especially Nepalgunj and Janakpur, where the rescue efforts have been hampered by the increasing water levels. Market places, educational institutions and transportation service have remained closed down for about a week because of the flooding in southern Nepal.

Related News
Floods, torrential rains wreak havoc across South Asia

Thousands marooned, dozens dead in India, Nepal and Bangladesh

PATNA: Floods caused by incessant rains and rising water levels in major levels have displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the South Asia.

Country gasps through heat wave

Israel
Even as temperatures began to drop on Sunday, the heat wave that has rocked Israel continued to wreak havoc. Electricity consumption in Israel reached a NEW HIGH on Sunday, hitting a RECORD 10,040 megawatts consumed by 3 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, a French tourist died of heat stroke while hiking. Over the weekend, a 15-year-old yeshiva student collapsed and died during a hike, due to dehydration. Another 14 people in northern Israel have been hospitalized for dehydration since the heat wave started last week. Injuries resulting from direct exposure to the sun were not the only dangers of the most recent heat wave. Fires have been flaring up all over the country. Over the last thirty years, Israel's average temperature at dawn has risen by over two degrees centigrade.

Oldonyo L'engai Residents Refuse to Vacate Area

Tanzania
Members of the Maasai community living around Oldonyo L'engai mountain of Ngorongoro have refused to vacate the area, despite recent advisory from local authorities, that the active volcano in the vicinity may erupt due to ongoing tremors. The local residents said that some experts have just assured them that the volcanic mountain will not erupt in two centuries time. The Maasai have also expressed their surprise regarding what they described as recent 'speculations' that the L'engai Volcano had both 'erupted' and 'caused damage.' The residents refuted reports of serious eruption, though they admitted that the Mountain had been releasing some fumes in the last ten days. Being the epicenter for the ongoing series of earthquakes, the area around the L'engai has been suffering from constant tremors and rumblings, however as far as the local residents are concerned, it is a 'normal' occurrence and doesn't necessarily spell danger. As it happens, the entire area surrounding both Oldonyo L'engai and the adjacent Lake Natron have, since last week, been experiencing a number gigantic earth movements resulting in rocks catapulting into the air. Oldonyo L'engai is the only volcano in the world that erupts Natro-carbonatite, a highly fluid lava, containing almost no silicon. About 15 tremors have so far rocked the area and out of those 13 were minor quakes, while the two that struck on July 15 were so big that some of the ridges criss-crossing the vast landscape cracked and threw out huge rocks, some of which hit and damaged a number of residential houses in the vicinity. Similar incidents have been reported in Engaruka parts of Monduli where the surrounding hills have been sending huge rocks down due to the quakes. However reports were refuted that some school buildings in Engaruka had collapsed due to the volcano. Only one house suffered deep cracks but it was due to tremors, not the volcano. Two girls of Orkum village were hit by rocks while drawing water from a deep valley. The tremors caused the rock above to fall below where the children were. They both suffered only minor injuries. This is also contrary to some reports that the children had been scalded by volcanic lava. A March 2006 major volcanic eruption was the first ferocious eruption to be recorded since

200,000 marooned in northern Bangladesh floods

Bangladesh
Photo: Pedestrians wade through a flooded street in Dhaka.

July 29, 2007
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) - At least 200,000 people have been marooned in northern Bangladesh, as monsoon rains and snow melt from the Himalayas hit the flood-prone nation, state-run media said.

The military has begun to evacuate people and distribute relief as major rivers burst their banks and inundated low areas in the north, the state-run BSS news agency said.

Unconfirmed reports said at least 10 people have so far died of drowning and snake-bites in the area. Last month, landslides triggered by heavy rains killed at least 126 people in southeastern city of Chittagong on the bay of Bengal.

The government's flood forecasting and warning centre said the situation could worsen in the next few days as major monsoon and Himalayan-glacier fed rivers -- the Ganges and the Brahmaputra that flow through Bangladesh -- are expected to crest.

The Brahmaputra, the source of two-thirds of river water in the country, was flowing at least 25 centimetres (one foot) above danger levels, the centre said.

Humanitarian Crisis

Iraq
Photo: Iraqi refugees wait to register their names at the U.N. Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) centre in the Douma suburb of Damascus July 19, 2007. Syria hosts more than one million Iraqi refugees who fled their homeland after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri (SYRIA)

Related News
LONDON - About 8 million Iraqis — nearly a third of the population — need immediate emergency aid because of the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, relief agencies said Monday.
Those Iraqis are in urgent need of water, sanitation, food and shelter, said the report by Oxfam and the NGO Coordination Committee network in Iraq.
The report said 15 percent of Iraqis cannot regularly afford to eat, and 70 percent are without adequate water supplies, up from 50 percent in 2003. It also said 28 percent of children are malnourished, compared with 19 percent before the 2003 invasion.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Fires still rage across southern Europe

Southern Europe

Photo: A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire close to the Croatian southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik [AFP]

July 28, 2007

An extreme heatwave continues to rage across southern Europe as firefighters struggle to contain the blazes that have burned thousands of hectares in the region.
In Bulgaria, 23,000 hectares of forest and farmland have burned over the past week.
The country also experienced its hottest temperatures since records began, above 45 degrees Celsius in some places.
Some 7,000 firefighters and 2,500 army troops continued to battle blazes.

27 die, nearly three million hit by floods in eastern India

India
Photo: This skinny cow was trying to find a bit of shelter from today's rain storms, July 29

July 28, 2007
GUWAHATI, India (AFP) - At least 27 people have died and nearly three million hit by floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains in eastern India, officials said Saturday.

Fourteen people were swept away in swirling floods in eastern Bihar state that wreaked havoc with most rivers running in spate, officials said.

Two million people were hit by the floods which inundated homes and farms in 11 districts of Bihar, India's second most populous state, they said.

Landslips and flash-floods killed 13 more people in Assam and Meghalaya and displaced around 750,000 people in the two adjoining states, prompting authorities to send an appeal for help to military units, officials said.

The overnight deaths took the rain- and flood-related national toll to almost 800 since the onset of monsoon in India in June from a tally compiled from local officials and media reports.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Army on alert as floods displace 600,000 in India's northeast

Photo: Indian villagers navigate through floodwaters near the village of Bordoloni in Dhemaji district

GUWAHATI, India (AFP) - Indian army soldiers and civil rescue teams remain on standby in north-eastern Assam state as flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains displaced 600,000 people, officials said Friday.

"The overall flood situation is grim with all the rivers and their tributaries in spate," Bhumidhar Barman, Assam's revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister, told AFP.
"We have asked the army and other security and civil agencies to be on standby."
A government statement said 600,000 people were hit by the floods in 12 of Assams 27 districts in the past week.

EXTREME WEATHER

The latest headlines, photos, and video about weather around the globe

Flood areas brace for more heavy rain

Breaking Earth News

Great Britain

Photo: Camilla greets residents in Tewkesbury

Flood victims still trying to recover from the last deluge have been warned to stay home tonight as torrential rain is forecast to hit southern Britain in the next 24 hours.
The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for central and southern England and Wales and said there was a risk of further flooding.
Heavy and persistent rain will begin tonight and continue tomorrow, bringing further misery to Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire, where widespread flooding has affected thousands of households.
Chief Constable Tim Brain from Gloucestershire Police today warned residents to stay home tonight, and only venture out unless absolutely necessary.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Farm worries mount as drought expands across Minnesota

Breaking Earth News
Minnesota, USA

MINNEAPOLIS
Minnesota is dry and getting drier.
A band of severe drought now extends from the southwestern corner of the state, through the Twin Cities, up to the northeastern tip. The only part of Minnesota that isn't short on rain is a portion of the northwest, an updated map released Thursday by the National Drought Mitigation Center shows.
"We are in desperate need of rainfall," said Curt Watson, a farmer in Renville County in west-central Minnesota.
Eighty-two percent of the state is now rated abnormally dry, while 35 percent is in moderate drought and 24 percent is in severe drought, according to the drought center. Only 18 percent of the state is close to normal.

The Environmental Crossroads 2007

Click Here to Learn More

Related Regional News
1,100 cattle die in heat wave

As many as 1,100 cattle, most of them being finished for sale in feedlots, died in the high heat and humidity. It's a rare occurrence that caught many off guard."I don't remember that kind of loss in our state in recent years," Holland said. "It's a disaster for some people.''
The lethal combination of heat and humidity, coupled with a lack of breeze and the continued hot temperatures overnight, contributed to the deaths, he said."If we can get some cooler temperatures, even at night, and some breeze, it should ease," Holland said.
Temperatures, which have held steady in the 90s, are expected to fall into the low 80s in much of eastern South Dakota on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Breaking News

More Cattle Deaths Reported

The heat-related death toll for cattle in northeastern and east-central South Dakota continues to mount. It's now estimated that more than 2,800 cattle were killed during the heat spell earlier this week.

Sweltering Europe braces for more fires

Breaking Earth News

European Continent

Three heat-related deaths were reported in Greece overnight as southern Europe blistered under a devastating heatwave and environmentalists blamed many of the fires raging in Italy on arsonists. Greek authorities said two elderly women were found dead in the Peloponnese village of Diakofto where a fire was raging for a third day. A 76-year-old man died on Wednesday evening in another fire in the village of Mamoussia. The blaze destroyed homes there and in two other towns, Pyrgaki and Melissia. The inferno broke out in the area some 200km from Athens on Tuesday and has yet to be brought under control. A dozen other fires were still burning across the country, much of which wilted under temperatures of 45 C. There were major blazes on the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos in the Ionian sea, at Chios island in the Aegean, Hydra south of Athens and in Kastoria and Kozani, in the north. Two Greek Canadair pilots have already died while trying to douse a forest fire, as well as three firefighters. In Italy, at least 4500ha of protected areas have burned in the past three weeks. "Most of the fires of the past few days have been of a criminal nature. It is well known that fire almost always serves to get rid of trees and other natural obstacles to make way for new hotels, villas or pastures." In Bulgaria, some 950ha in the centre and northeast were on fire, prompting Sofia to seek aid from the European Union, NATO and Russia. A state of emergency was declared Wednesday in the central Kazanlak region and northeastern Dabovo. Temperatures have dropped, but winds are still fanning the fires. In Slovakia, a fire sparked by lightning raged overnight through the Slovensky Raj national park in the country's east. Croatia's Dalmatian coast was ablaze with dozens of fires, and 1400 tourists and residents were evacuated on Wednesday from the island of Solta, where some 400ha of forest and olive groves burned down and homes were threatened. Worst-hit Hungary, where up to 500 people may have died last week from heat-related causes, was enjoying a significant drop in temperatures with the welcome arrival of a cool front.

RELATED NEWS ARCHIVES

ASH RAINS DOWN ON THE CAPITAL(ATHENS)

Hundreds killed in European heatwave

While Britain wades through its washed-out summer, hundreds of lives in Eastern and southern Europe have been lost in a week of stifling temperatures and forest fires.
An estimated 500 deaths were attributed to the hottest weather for a century in Hungary, while temperature records were also set in Bulgaria and Greece. The mercury soared to 45C (113F) in Athens yesterday.
Albania, Bosnia and Macedonia each declared a state of emergency as hospitals struggled to cope with victims of heat-related conditions.

Flooding Reaching Unprecedented Levels in Sudan

Sudan, Africa
July 26, 2007

Khartoum
Floods that have already left thousands of families homeless in Sudan have reached a critical stage in several states, an official from the government's emergency response committee said.

"The river levels have exceeded those of previous years, especially in the Nile River state [northern Sudan]," said General Awad Widatallah Hussein, spokesman for the committee, on 26 July.

The government Humanitarian Aid Commission reported on 24 July that the level of the Blue Nile at Khartoum, the capital, was "far above" the record levels seen at this time of year in 1988. Readings from several monitoring stations show the Nile to be more than a metre higher than in 1988.

At least 59 people have been killed and more than 35,000 families left homeless by rains and floods affecting 12 of the 26 states, he said.

RELATED NEWS ARCHIVES

Floods destroy 15,000 homes in Sudan

FLASH floods across central and eastern Sudan have killed 20 people and destroyed 15,000 houses, the head of the civil defence authority said, predicting worse weather conditions to come.

RELATED VIDEO

Heavy rain triggers landslides in quake-damaged Niigata

Japan

Photo: A collapsed utility pole is pictured in an area where heavy rain triggered a landslide, on Thursday morning in Kariwa, Niigata Prefecture.

July 26, 2007

NIIGATA -- Heavy rain hit earthquake-damaged areas of Niigata Prefecture on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, triggering landslides that cut off roads, officials said.
Local officials said heavy rain was recorded in both Kashiwazaki and the town of Kariwa, which received major damage in the earthquake that struck Niigata Prefecture on July 16.
The rain triggered landslides that cut off roads in some areas, officials said.
The downpour sparked fears of river flooding in Kashiwazaki, prompting officials to move 13 elderly people from an elementary school housing about 130 evacuees to a separate shelter.

More areas go under flood waters

Breading Earth News

Bangladesh

Photo: Floodwater washed away 60 metres of Brahmaputra Flood Control Embankment at Khokshabari near Sirajganj town yesterday, leaving many areas of the town inundated. PHOTO: STAR

The flood situation across the country worsened yesterday as heavy rain continued raising the water level in almost all the major rivers including the Jamuna and Padma. In the next couple of days, it is likely to take a more alarming turn in the districts adjacent to the rivers. Many fresh areas went under water forcing more and more people to leave their houses and herd themselves to a higher ground. Ferry service on Aricha-Nagarbari route remained snapped due to floods, after the flood waters washed away the pontoons at the Nagarbari end. Collapse of levees in some districts including Sirajganj and river erosion in Bogra have also contributed to inundation of new areas. Low-lying areas in Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Pabna and Tangail are likely to go under water by the next 24 to 72 hours. The Ganges-Padma too kept rising at all points and was flowing 30 cm and 11 cm above danger level. In the 24 hours ending at 6:00pm yesterday, the Met Office recorded 200 millimetres of rain in Sunamganj and 180mms at Lorergarh. Four villages at Bera upazila and low laying areas at Shujanagar upazila went under water. More than 20 villages in Belkuchi, Sirajganj sadar, Shahzadpur and Chowhaly upazila headquarters and Kazipur municipality have gone under water, forcing some 500 weaving factories and 40 educational institutions to be closed. About 1,000 ponds in Kalmakanda, Durgapur, Atpara, Madan, Mohonganj and Khaliajuri upazilas have been inundated and fish of an estimated price of Tk 10 crore has been carried away in flood waters.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Sun Loses Its Spots As Solar Cycle 23 Bottoms With A Cold Wet Southern Winter

The latest image of the Sun from SOHO. To See more of the Sun Click here. Credit: NASA/ESA.

Boulder CO (SPX) Jul 25, 2007
While sidewalks crackle in the summer heat, NASA scientists are keeping a close eye on the sun. It is almost spotless, a sign that the Sun may have reached solar minimum. Scientists are now watching for the first spot of the new solar cycle to appear. The 11 year long solar cycle is marked by two extremes, solar minimum and solar maximum. Solar minimum is the period of least solar activity in the solar cycle of the sun. During this time sunspot and solar flare activity diminishes, and often does not occur for days at a time.
NOAA's Space Environment Center, Boulder CO, forecasts that the next solar cycle should begin in March 2008 and should peak in late 2011 or mid 2012.

Earth facing ever-growing water shortage

Photo: Canadian Pakistan Sind Technician and local farmer test the quality of water from a new artesian well.

TORONTO -- Some of the world's most powerful nations are getting increasingly desperate for fresh water and observers are concerned that a day will come when countries will fight for the dwindling resource.
Countries in the Middle East and Africa have long dealt with water shortages but now the likes of China, India and the United States are grappling with the problem.
And the United Nations says five billion people will be living in areas with limited water availability by 2025, which will only exacerbate tensions and demand for the limited supply.
Water management has been pushed to the top of the political agenda in some countries and military leaders are now being drawn into long-term planning to help strategize how governments will face their dry futures.
Climate change and subsequent consequences like water scarcity present a serious threat to national security, said a panel of 11 retired three-star and four-star American admirals and generals in a recent report for the CNA Corp., a non-profit organization.
While it's not yet expected that water will be the sole cause of a war, the report suggests a fight over natural resources could be the final straw that pushes countries into conflict.

Death toll grows as heat sizzles to record

Breaking Earth News

Hong Kong

The heatwave has continued to take its toll, with two deaths and more than a dozen people falling ill in the past few days, and the temperature soaring to a record high on southern Hong Kong Island.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the temperature hit a record high of 38 degrees Celsius at Repulse Bay on Hong Kong Island yesterday, while temperatures of above 36 degrees Celsius were recorded in parts of northern New Territories.
The highest temperature on record was 36.1 degrees, which was registered on August 19, 1900, and August 18, 1990.

HEATWAVE/DROUGHT

TAIWAN - Taitung County in eastern Taiwan has been hit hard by the MOST SERIOUS DROUGHT IN 30 YEARS, leaving government officials scratching their heads trying to find water to save crops. Officials said Wednesday that although they have diverted water from four streams in the county to help farmers, the volume of water still falls short of what farmers need to begin second-stage rice planting, and more than 50 percent of the tea crop has already withered. Taitung County has not had its usual share of rain since early this year. Citing an example, they noted that the county's Chihshang township, one of Taiwan's main centers for producing organic rice, has recorded a total rainfall of only 258 mm thus far this year - less than one third of the normal amount - and that the expected plum rain season between May and July has never appeared. Now water wells in Chihshang township are running dry, something local residents say they have not seen in 60 years.

TURKEY is facing a new heat wave coming in from the Balkans and the middle Mediterranean region. Temperatures are expected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius across the country, with meteorologists predicting the thermometer to rise over 40 C in western Turkey. In particular, experts say the heat will be at its peak at 5 p.m. The whole country is experiencing ONE OF ITS HOTTEST SUMMERS SINCE RECORDS BEGAN. Temperatures are already 8 to 10 degrees above seasonal norms. The same problem is being experienced throughout the Balkans and southeast Europe, leaving no one untouched by the extreme weather. The western and Aegean regions of Turkey are already being hit by the new heat wave. In Ýstanbul, the mercury is predicted to shoot to 40 degrees, but coupled with a 60-percent humidity rate it will feel much higher. In the Aegean region, the temperatures are expected to range between 38 and 44 degrees. The highest temperatures observed in Turkey yesterday: 43 in Edirne, 41 in Kýrklareli, 40 in Balýkesir. Forests in Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece have been ravaged by flames this week, blamed on record-high temperatures after the dry winter.

58 dead in Indonesia floods, landslides

Indonesia

Map showing the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, where search and rescue workers struggled in bad weatherto reach survivors in flooded and landslide-hit Central Sulawesi, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 58.
(AFP/Graphic)

Indonesian search and rescue workers struggled in bad weather Tuesday to reach survivors in flooded and landslide-hit Central Sulawesi, as the death toll from the disaster rose to 58.

The floods have affected some 36,000 people and are the latest in a string of natural catastrophes to hit Indonesia, where activists have long warned that logging and a failure to reforest denuded land will lead to repeat tragedies.

The head of the Central Sulawesi disaster control task force, Frits Abbas, said that 58 people had been killed, but the bodies of most victims were still buried under debris.

Days of heavy rains sparked floods that inundated Central Sulawesi's Morowali district on Sunday, demolishing hundreds of homes and severing transport links.

On Tuesday, two-metre (-yard) high waters also swept through Banggai district to the east, said Rustam Pakaya, from the health ministry's crisis centre in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

The floods have affected some 20,000 people in 16 villages there, he said, while the homes of some 16,000 others in Morowali were inundated.

Video: 2000 Evacuated From Oxford

Breaking Earth News Video
London - Large parts of southern and central Britain remained in the grip of severe flooding on Wednesday, with the university town of Oxford the latest to be hit by the rising water of the Thames.

The authorities said some 250 people left their homes in Oxford voluntarily overnight as the river Thames burst its banks following the volumes of water flowing into it from tributaries.

Up to 2 000 people in the renowned university city have now been evacuated to take shelter in a football stadium.

Assam Villages Washed Away Without a Trace

India
Photo: People wade through a flooded road after heavy rains in the eastern Indian state of Bihar July 25, 2007. Floods have inundated large stretches of the country since the start of this year's monsoon season, killing about 750 people and displacing more than eight million.
REUTERS/KRISHNA MURARI KISHAN

July 25, 2007
Elderly Tulan Dutta stared blankly from a raised mud embankment with the swirling grey floodwaters washing away a cluster of huts in his village in front of his eyes.

Dutta and his family of 12, including three grandchildren, are among an estimated 5,000 people in Assam's Dhemaji district whose lives will never be the same again. Dhemaji is about 500 km east of Guwahati, the principal city in the northeast Indian state of Assam.

'God's curse has fallen on us. The floodwaters washed away everything without a trace,' Dutta told IANS as tears welled in his eyes.

The flash floods a fortnight ago caught everyone by surprise with the river Kumatia, a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, suddenly changing its course.

'The Kumatia is now flowing through some 15 villages comprising about 1,000 families. Its course has changed and it seems these people have very little chance to get back to their homes in the future,' Dhemaji District Magistrate D.N. Mishra said with a voice filled with emotions.

China floods spread to north after at least 500 die

Breaking Earth News
China
Photo: People take photos at a flooded bank area of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, July 25, 2007

BEIJING, July 26 (Reuters) - Water levels have risen to critical levels along vast Chinese rivers and floods have spread to the north while a tornado hammered 33 villages in the east and two central provinces suffered drought, media said on Thursday. More than 500 people have been killed since the summer floods started, but the disaster has failed to gain world attention surrounding floods in England in which three deaths have been reported.

State television showed pictures of uprooted trees, downed electricity poles and houses without roofs by the tornado. Nearly 100,000 trees were uprooted or severed and large areas of crops were destroyed, causing economic losses of 22 million yuan ($2.9 million), the China Youth Daily said. There have been no reports of casualties from the tornado, which hit in the early morning, but water levels along the Huai remained at alarming levels.

IN PHOTOS: DEADLY CHINA FLOODS
Click the Photo to View

Point Radix on alert

Trinidad & Tobago
Photo: On the lookout: Shayana Rahim looks through binoculars to view signs of a suspected underwater volcano off Point Radix, Ortoire yesterday.

July 25, 2007
Fishermen and small craft operators have been warned to avoid sailing offshore at Point Radix, Ortoire as emergency agencies investigate reports of an active underwater volcano.

Office of Disaster Prepared-ness and Management (ODPM) CEO Paul Saunders yesterday confirmed the authorities had issued safety warnings for ships and other vessels to exercise caution off the Point Radix coastline. However, Saunders advised that it was too early to say what was the nature of the activity out at sea.
The suspected volcanic activity was discovered some five miles off Point Radix on Monday by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio League (TTARL) which immediately notified the ODPM and the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Unit.

'Mud volcano' growing offshore

THE ROILING waters five miles off Trinidad's east coast might be a sign of a mud volcano growing on the ocean floor, belching out methane gas along with a slurry of mud and sediment, experts believe.
Photo: RUMBLING SEA: A pirogue, bottom right, moves past what appears to be the activities of a "mud volcano" off Radix Point, Mayaro yesterday.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The Worst Flooding In Living Memory

Great Britain

Photo: Sunset over flooded Gloucestershire pic: Andy Coates

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings for several stretches of the Thames from Oxford, through Windsor to Shepperton and Teddington.

Worst flooding for decades
Monsoon-like rainstorms have overwhelmed swathes of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire - and insurers have said the final repair bill could top £2bn.

The floods have been described as the worst in modern history.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We have not seen flooding of this magnitude before. The benchmark was 1947 and this has already exceeded it."

BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF FLOOD DEVASTATION

Video footage captured from Sky News's helicopter highlights the extent of the flooding across Gloucestershire

Floods, Rains Wreak Havoc Across Nepal

Breaking Earth News
Nepal

Fires RAGE Across Italy

Breaking Earth News
Italy
CLICK PHOTO TO VIEW VIDEO PRESENTATION

Dozens of fires were raging in central and southern Italy on Tuesday, killing four people and destroying hundreds of acres of forest, according to news reports.

From Castel Gandolfo in the hills south of Rome to the Amalfi coast and the Puglia region on the heel of Italy, firefighters were battling blazes amid soaring temperatures and strong winds.

In Rome, which registered 36 degrees Celsius ( 96.8 Fahrenheit) earlier in the day, tourists sought refuge by dipping their feet in the city's fountains.

Italy has been hit by a heat wave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 Fahrenheit) in some cities, while many others registered temperatures in the high 30s Celsius (about 100 Fahrenheit).

Brisbane heads for record dry

Breaking Earth News
Australia

Photo: REMEMBER this? ... well it might be some time before we see rainy days again, according to the weather bureau.

DRY and warm weather is predicted for much of Queensland in the next three months, especially in the north.
July is expected to end as ONE OF THE DRIEST MONTHS ON RECORD for Brisbane and large parts of the Darling Downs. Apart from odd showers, no rain is forecast for the coming week. Dry and warm weather is predicted for much of Queensland in the next three months, especially in the north. There is an 80 per cent chance of above normal maximum temperatures in southern Queensland into October. It would be a freak event for the southeast to receive drought-breaking rain in July and there is little prospect of major precipitation into spring.

Record temperatures, rainfall baste Northern Califoria coast

California, USA
July 24, 2007

Weather forecasters blame the extreme weather on warmer surface sea temperatures, extensive cloud cover, and winds blowing from the southwest to west.

CRESCENT CITY, Calif.—Record temperatures and rain are basting the northern coast of California, a region known for brisk ocean breezes and chilly nights all year long.

In Crescent City, a coastal town just south of the Oregon border, the mercury dipped to 60 degrees early Monday morning—3 degrees higher than the previous overnight low-temperature record, which stood for 15 years. The overnight record is also known as the "maximum minimum."

Also last week in Del Norte County, the northernmost county along the California coast, a storm front dumped .36 inches of rain in a single day. That easily topped the previous daily record of .29, set in 1958.

In Eureka, about 270 miles north of San Francisco, temperatures in the low 70s broke records four days straight, from Friday to Monday. On Saturday, the temperature hit 74 degrees, shattering a 1901 record by 5 degrees and exceeding the daytime average high by 11 degrees, according to a National Weather Service climate report.

Disastrous cold snap in Peru

Breaking Earth News
Peru, S.A.

South America is experiencing unusually low temperatures, even for the winter season in the southern hemisphere. The result is snowfall -exceptional for this time of year - of up to 50cm. "The people here are resilient. They even wear sandals in winter," explains Jeanette Weller, Welthungerhilfe's Regional Director in Lima. "But they can't cope with temperatures like this." Experts forecast the next cold snap in August and it's expected to be worse. The most badly affected parts of the country are those regions of the Andes above 3,500 meters where three million people have their homes. Due to the heavy snowfall, some villages are only accessible by air, impeding the distribution of supplies. As a result Peru has declared a state of emergency for half of its regions. Reliable numbers on the victims of the cold snap are not available since not everybody is registered in the isolated Andean regions of Peru. Data from public authorities and non-governmental organizations vary from 67 to 167 deaths. The country was already hampered by unusually low temperatures in January and February. 60% of its farming produce was devastated in the process. There is now a danger of crop shortfall.

Indonesia Susceptible To Giant Waves Raging Until July 28

Indonesia Tsunami Warning
YOGYAKARTA, July 24 (Bernama) -- Giant waves ranging from 2.5 meters to five meters high may still hit several parts of Indonesia, and in Indian Ocean south of Java island until July 28.

Head of the Data and Informatiion section of the Geophysics Stations at the Yogyakarta Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) Yogyakarta Tiar Prasetya said here that the giant waves had been hitting certain parts of the country since last Saturday, and predicted to continue raging until this Saturday.

Quoting Tiar, Antara, Indonesian news agency reported that the giant waves hit the waters west of Aceh, in the Indian Ocean west of Bengkulu and Lampung, in the Indian Ocean south of Java island, in the Java Sea, southern parts of Karimata strait, Masalembo waters, Southeast Sulawesi waters, South Sulawesi waters, Indian Ocean south of Bali and Nusa Tenggara.

The giant waves also hit the Bali Sea, Flores Sea, Sawu Sea, Rote strait, Fak Fak strait, Arafura and Merauke Seas.

Tiar also said that the wind was blowing from the east to southeast at a speed of 28-40 km per hour and the giant waves such as these are a real threat to all kinds of ships," he said.

Britain battles worst floods for 60 years

Photo: A bridge emerges, briefly, from floodwaters near Tewkesbury.
Photo: AP

Great Britain
July 24, 2007

GLOUCESTER (Reuters) - Emergency workers battled to hold back overflowing rivers on Tuesday after Britain's worst floods in 60 years engulfed towns and villages and cut off water supplies to hundreds of thousands of people.

Days of rain have turned swathes of central and western England into lakes, flooding 4,500 houses, threatening many more and leaving cars submerged. Harvesting of crops such as barley and rapeseed has been delayed and milk production has dropped, triggering fears of possible food shortages.

River Thames bursts banks in UK

Photo: Sand bags protect the bank along a canal in Oxford city centre in England as water levels rose on Wednesday.

London: The River Thames burst its banks on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the university city of Oxford in Britain's worst floods for 60 years.

About 350,000 people faced two weeks without running water, the insurance bill could soar to 3 billion pounds and farmers say harvests have been badly hit.

Oxford became the new frontline when tributaries of the Thames spilled over into its streets, forcing police to evacuate 250 homes. Residents of historic towns such as Windsor were warned they could be next and more rain is expected.

Sudan urges people living in flood plains to evacuate

Sudan, Africa
Photo: A Sudanese sits amongst the remains of his home following floods in Kassala, near Khartoum, Sudan Tuesday, July 10, 2007. At least fifteen were killed and some five thousand houses were destroyed in Khartoum, Kassala and the White Nile states in central Sudan. (AP Photos/Abd Raouf)

KHARTOUM, July 24 (Reuters) - Sudan has advised people residing along flood paths to relocate to safer areas as heavy rains that have already killed 55 people and destroyed 25,000 homes continue to batter much of the country. "We are also urging those living along river banks and in areas previously affected by floods to leave immediately," Hamadallah Adam Ali, the head of the civil defense authority, told Reuters on Tuesday. Sudan is experiencing its worst floods in living memory. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement last week the floods could affect some 2.4 million people across 16 of Sudan's 26 states. Sudanese Interior Minister Zubeir Bashir Taha warned the situation was almost critical, predicting heavier rains in the coming days or weeks. "The levels are now fluctuating between alert and critical. We haven't as yet exceeded the critical level. We have exceeded the alert level," the minister told Reuters earlier this week.

Heat wave kills dozens in Balkans, sparking forest fires, power outages

The Balkans, Europe
Photo: People try to extinguish a forest fire just outside the southern Macedonia's town of Bitola. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

July 24, 2007

BITOLA, Macedonia (AP) - Southeastern Europe baked in its second major heat wave in a month Tuesday, with at least 27 heat-related deaths in Romania, four in Italy, dozens of houses destroyed by forest fires in Macedonia and a countrywide power outage in Albania.

Romanian Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu said at least 27 people, including another 12 on Monday, had died from the heat. Hundreds of others, most elderly, had collapsed in the streets from the heat.

In Macedonia, one person died and 20 were evacuated from burning houses near Bitola, the country's second-largest city, as temperatures reached 42 C amid a declared national emergency.

Thousands of firefighters and local residents battled into Tuesday to contain the huge blaze, while President Branko Crvenkovski ordered army units mobilized to help with the effort. Firefighting airplanes and helicopters were expected to arrive Tuesday from Croatia, Turkey and Austria.

Hail rains down on Abingdon

Virginia/Tn, USA
Photo: Shawn Reap, 16, holds some of the Hail that feel in Abingdon on Monday. Shawn was riding in a car during the rain/hail storm along Main St. Photo Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier

July 24, 2007
Add one more thing to this year’s list of wacky weather – balls of ice resembling tiny snowballs in July.Thirty minutes after a surprise thunderstorm crashed overhead and rolled through town, the piles of marble-sized hail were still melting in downtown Abingdon.

The hail wasn’t large enough to dent cars or cause other damage, but there was lots of it.

Shaun Reap, 16, was driving down Main Street when the storm hit, and he said he’d never seen such hail. He said it sounded like “someone throwing rocks at the car.”
“You couldn’t see. There were cars pulled all over the side of the road and stuff,” he said. “It’s pretty scary to drive in. I probably don’t want to do it again.”

Devastated China Braces for More Storms

China
Photo: Three Chinese paramilitary officers struggle in flood waters during rescue efforts in Hami, northwestern China's Xinjiang province.

BEIJING, July 23--Storms are expected to batter large swathes of China again this week after floods, landslides and lightning killed more than 150 people last week alone, state media said.

Flooding and typhoons killed 2,704 people last year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. That was the second-deadliest year on record after 1998, when summer floods killed 4,150.

Since the start of the annual rainy season in May, floods have hit nearly half of China and killed at least 400 people, Xinhua news agency said.

State television on Sunday showed President Hu Jintao slogging through Chongqing's flooded streets in black galoshes and visiting residents whose homes had been inundated.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Could climate change herald mass migration?

Skywatch-Media Newsletter
July 24, 2007
Image at left: Click to learn more

In the U.S., says McLeman, the stresses of climate change will be most keenly felt in the "dry belt" states of the Southwest. Given that many sun belt residents fled the rust belt for warmer climes in the first place, a backtracking isn't out of the question in the climate-changed world.

"Once the heat becomes unbearable, they may find the freezing cold a little more bearable–especially if it's not quite so freezing cold as they remember."

To Read More Visit the Newsletter Archives

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Hungary heatwave kills hundreds

Breaking Earth News
Hungary

Photo: Budapest is having a hotter summer than last year

Up to 500 people have died in the past week from a heatwave in Hungary, a top health official has said.

Anna Paldy, deputy director of the National Institute of Environmental Health, told the BBC that the figure included 230 deaths in central Hungary.

The deaths - from 15 to 22 July - were caused by heatstroke, cardiovascular problems and other illnesses aggravated by the heat, she said.

Some 30 people have also died in the heatwave in neighbouring Romania.

Ms Paldy told the BBC News website that the death rate from heat in Hungary was the highest in recent years.

The daily mean temperature in the past week had reached 30C, she said.

In the southern city of Kiskunhalas, the temperature reached a record high of 41.9C.

Maps: Why this summer has seen such extreme weather

In a 'normal' summer, the Atlantic jetstream directs areas of low pressure, which bring cloud and rain, to the north of the UK. High pressure systems over Europe and the Atlantic bring warm, settled conditions.

This summer, the jetstream is flowing further south allowing low pressure systems to sweep straight over the centre of Britain. It is also pulling in warmer air from the sub-tropics and Africa which is sweeping over south-eastern Europe.

Pressure chart: 24/07/07. Source: Met Office

Pristina Declares Emergency over Heat Wave

Serbia
July 23, 2007

Pristina_ The city of Pristina a declared state of emergency on Monday, citing extreme high temperatures and a potential shortage of drinking water.

“Citizens have to be very careful… they have to save drinking water”, said Ismet Beqiri, mayor of the Kosovo capital after an emergency meeting of Pristina’s local authority.

High temperatures exceeding 40 degrees have caused fires all around Kosovo in recent days. The directory for civil protection and emergency registered 71 fires last week alone.

In the meanwhile, reservoirs providing drinking water for the region are seven or eight metres below their usual level.

To prevent a possible water shortage, the mayor said harsh actions would be taken towards citizens who abuse supplies. Careless citizens may be disconnected from the water supply altogether.

Nationally, the Kosovo government has yet to declare a state of emergency, but it has created a ministerial group for the management of the crisis.

Worst yet to come, warns govt agency

Breaking Earth News
Great Britain

LONDON: The Environment Agency was facing questions yesterday over its handling of Britain’s flood crisis as its chairman warned the risk had not yet peaked and told thousands of people to be ready to evacuate.
Critics accused the agency of squandering £1bn in flood defence cash and failing to protect vulnerable areas.

This came as new flood warnings were issued along the Thames and tens of thousands of commuters faced days of travel misery.

Heavy rain pattern likely to continue in Texas

Texas, USA
Photo: Search One Rescue volunteers from Dallas, Sue Daniel, left, and Neil Benton, with dog Pepper, search for flood victims near Pecan Creek in Gainesville, Texas, on Tuesday. Donna Mcwilliam (AP)

July 23, 2007

The so-called "rain bomb" that hit South Texas over the weeked was just the latest in a series of record breaking rainfall events. The soaking summer weather pattern has been wreaking havoc across much of the State of Texas.

On June 28, Marble Falls got close to 19 inches of rain -- sweeping cars, trailers and even people downstream. Joe Arellano, the meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service says it was rather unusual.

"I would classify it at least as a 100-year event -- getting 18 inches plus is not something we see very often," he said.

Full week of dangerously wild weather ahead

South Africa
July 23, 2007

Monster swells are building up in the South Atlantic.

Massive swells, gale-force winds and heavy falls of rain are in store for large parts of the Western Cape throughout most of this week, weather forecasters warn.

The first in a series of cold fronts is likely to make landfall later on Monday, with a full week of wild weather ahead.

The SA Weather Service issued a special warning on Sunday that gale-force northwesterly winds, reaching 35 knots, or 65km/h, accompanied by "very rough seas" would stretch from Table Bay to Cape Agulhas, reaching Plettenberg Bay.

Related News
July 24, 2007

Toti beach still closed

Officials say it is still too early to tell when the Amanzimtoti main beach will be reopened. The beach is temporarily closed due to damage caused by unusual wave activity…

High spring tides on Monday caused erosion of infrastructure along the beach and put the lifeguard tower under threat.

Scientists Watching Turrialba Volcano

Costa Rica, C.A.
July 23, 2007

Is the Ring of Fire Becoming More Active?

Costa Rican scientists are keeping an eye on Turrialba Volcano, on the Caribbean-slope, where thousands of small earthquakes have occurred over the past couple of days, according to experts from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) based at Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Heredia, north of San José.

The volcano, located in the community by the same name, recently registered more than 2,000 mini-earthquakes too faint to be felt by residents.

This seismic activity is characterized by its low frequencies and it is associated with an intense flux of gas and steam through volcanic channels, said a statement from OVSICORI.

Experts, who continue to study the volcano, believe it's possible it could experience a mild eruption, spewing sediment and materials accumulated in its crater, not lava.

Turrialba is an active volcano that last erupted lava in 1866, according to OVSICORI.

Floods force many to face climate change reality

July 22, 2007

Photo: Before and After Image of Flooding

BRIESKOW-FINKENHEERD, Germany (Reuters) - Fisherman Peter Schneider knows the floods come each year and says they are good for business -- but few other people see any benefit as experts warn of more high water to come.

"We fishermen have always lived with that. We're happy when the floods come, because it can only be good for the fish," he said in his village close to the Oder river that forms the border between Germany and Poland.

Schneider's business almost went belly-up 10 years ago, when the river gushed through the dykes protecting a low-lying swath of land in this former East German region and immersed the building where he keeps his boats and nets.

The catastrophe forced thousands from their homes in Germany and elsewhere, and experts now say climate change may cause more disasters in Europe and across the world, with evidence increasing that global temperatures are rising.

"It would be wrong to deny the possible impact of climate change on flooding because if we (waited for more) statistical proof it may be too late," said Wolfgang Grabs at the World Meteorological Organisation of the United Nations.

Warmer air can hold more water and will unleash more energy when the weather turns bad, Grabs said, making storms heavier and boosting rainfall.

Floods bring chaos across the United Kingdom

United Kingdom
July 23, 2007

"I must emphasise that the situation we face remains unprecedented

Tim Brain, Chief Constable"

Some 350,000 homes in Gloucestershire will soon be without water because of flooding at a treatment works.

Tens of thousands of homes are without tap water and supplies in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury will run dry in hours, Severn Trent Water said.

About 600,000 people could lose electricity if flooding overwhelms defences around a key substation.

THE HAVOC CAUSED BY UNPRECEDENTED TORRENTIAL RAINS

Go to Warwickshire Floods
Go to Warcestershire Flooods
Go to Glouchestershire Floods

Do you have any pictures of flooding in your area? If so, you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk

Monday, July 23, 2007

Western US Wildfire Races Onward

Utah, USA

July, 2007

SALT LAKE CITY: High temperatures and low humidity prevented firefighters from extinguishing a fire Saturday that threatened at least two dozen homes in a small town in central Utah.
Fire crews were waiting for more firefighters to arrive so they could work to extinguish the fire rather than just protect cabins, homes and trailers threatened by the 22-square-mile (57-square- kilometer) fire about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the town of Indianola.
Temperatures were expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), and humidity was forecast to be about 10 percent Saturday in many areas where the Utah's 10 wildfires were burning.
The blaze began Thursday in a private campground in Salt Creek Canyon, 85 miles (137 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. A motel and some vehicles and trailers were burned, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The fire had forced several evacuations and rescues along a 32-mile (51.5-kilometer) scenic road in the Uinta National Forest since Thursday.

HEATWAVE/WILDFIRES

Fires Ablaze Across Italy

Rome - Officials say forest and brush fires have engulfed parts of central and southern Italy amid searing temperatures, with firefighters battling about 1 500 blazes in the past 24 hours.
More than 8 000 firefighters, 1 700 firetrucks and 10 helicopters have been deployed along with 21 planes including 13 "scoopers" used to drop water on fires.

Forestry officials say nearly 7 000 hectares of brush and forest burned in Italy in the first two weeks of July.
A surge in fires in recent days has been blamed on a combination of high winds and soaring temperatures.
Eleven cities - including Rome, Venice, Naples and Palermo - are on "high alert" for heat-related health problems amid temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some places.

'Human Tsunami' Hits Country As Thousands of Zimbabweans Flee

ZIMBABWE - most of the major supermarkets in Zimbabwe are empty, causing serious food shortages. While long queues of people searching for food and fuel have resurfaced, others prefer to cross the crocodile-infested Limpopo River into South Africa in search of food - and hope. Experts say between two and three thousand desperate people are crossing the border every night, as a result of the price cuts crisis that began a couple of weeks ago. "Whereas people used to cross just by the Beit Bridge area, people are now going across the entire length of the South Africa border with Zimbabwe - which is almost 200km - and they are using the whole river to come into South Africa." The flow of economic and political refugees crossing South Africa's northern border has become "a tsunami." Questions are now being raised as to whether or not South Africa has the capacity to deal with the ever-increasing flood of refugees.

'Weird' July Cold Front Brings Severe Weather To Central Florida

Florida, USA

July, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An unusual July cold front moving into Florida Saturday brought heavy rain and some severe weather throughout Central Florida.

"Here comes a cold front," Local 6 meteorologist Tom Sorrell said. "How long since we've seen a cold front?

This is not supposed to happen until late September or maybe middle of October when the cold front makes it to the Florida state line. How weird is that?"

Hundreds At Epicentre of Tremor Spend Nights in the Cold

Tanzania
July 20, 2007

Nairobi
Hundreds of families around Ol Doinyo Lengai volcanic mountain in Tanzania are spending nights in the cold following earthquakes that have hit the area.
On Thursday, the Tanzanian government declared the mountain of bounds for tourists.
Magadini location chief, Mr Mwasuni ole Finigi, said a number of schools, houses and roads had been destroyed by the tremors.
The chief said the mountain has been spewing fire in the past nine days.
Mr Finigi said 765 families have been spending nights in the cold fearing their houses could crumble due to the tremors.
The tremors have also destroyed neighbouring hills in the area, interfered with the flow of rivers into Lake Natron, and forced some wild animals to migrate.
Tourist camps near the epicentre of tremors have been dismantled.
Tanzania's Lake Natron has been the epicentre of the seismic waves which have hit the northern part of the country and several areas in Kenya.

RELATED ARTICLE

Video: Wildfires and Floods Sweep the Globe

BREAKING EARTH NEWS VIDEO

EXTREME WEATHER ACROSS THE GLOBE

Torrential Rains,Landslides Inundate Indonesian Islands

Breaking Earth News
Indonesia

FLASH floods and landslides in central Indonesia have killed at least 30 people, and the death toll looks set to rise, Associated Press (AP) has reported.A senior health official confirmed the toll, and predicted the number of deaths would rise as rescuers reach remote areas in the disaster zone. Days of torrential rains have flooded dozens of villages on Sulawesi island, said Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, AP reported."Rescuers have found at least 30 bodies,'' he said.According to AP, emergency supplies such as rice, instant noodles, blankets, and medicine are being distributed to thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes.

No end in sight to floods in China

Breaking Earth News

China

BEIJING (Reuters) - Storms are expected to batter large swathes of China again on Monday after floods, landslides and lightning killed more than 150 people last week alone, state media said.
Storms are likely to hit the already swollen Yangtze and Huai river valleys, bringing strong wind or hail.
"Meteorologists warned people in southwestern Chongqing, central Hubei and Henan and eastern Shandong to be on the alert for floods and landslides in the coming three days," the China Daily said.
The provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanxi and the Guangxi autonomous region would suffer heavy rainfall, meteorologists said.

VIEW SLIDESHOW PHOTOS: China Devastation

Texas floods strand Amtrak passengers

Texas, USA

Photo: A Border Patrol agent looks for people needing assistance Saturday near D'Hanis, Texas, after heavy rains caused the Seco Creek to overflow its banks. flooding the town and closing U.S. Highway 90 in both directions.
William Luther / AP

July 22, 2007

KNIPPA, Texas - Storms dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of Texas on Saturday, stranding more than 170 passengers on an Amtrak train for hours and forcing rescue crews elsewhere to pull at least 50 people to safety.

Parts of northern Uvalde and Medina counties got as much as 17 inches of rain between 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday, said Pat McDonald, a National Weather Service forecaster.
Seco Creek overflowed, inundating the town of D’Hanis near San Antonio, said Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown. Many businesses were flooded with 3 to 4 feet of water.

Earthquake destroys more than 2,000 houses in northwest China

China

BEIJING, July 22 (RIA Novosti) - An earthquake in a northwest region of China destroyed 2,100 houses and left 8,000 people homeless, Xinhua news agency said Sunday.
The earthquake measuring 5.7 points on the Richter scale rocked northwest China's Xinjiang Yugur autonomous region, on the border with Kazakhstan, Friday.
According to Xinhua, no casualties have yet been reported in the quake.
The earthquake jolted Tekes county, with its epicenter in a mountainous region some 430 km (270 miles) from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, Xinhua said.
Rescuers evacuated 8,250 persons as their houses, mostly made of mud brick, were either destroyed or became dangerous, Xinhua said.

Thousands Evacuate In British Floods

Breaking Earth News
Great Britain

"The misery is set to continue."

LONDON (AP) -- Forecasters say torrential rains that have been sweeping wide parts of Britain for the past month are not likely to peak until tomorrow.

Flooding has caused disruptions nationwide and insurance companies expect losses to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.Thousands of homes have been evacuated. And tens of thousands people in two counties in western England have lost power because of a flooded-out power station.Prime Minister Gordon Brown has had a first-hand look at some of the damage and promises government aid.Britain's Environment Agency has issued flood warnings and says the Thames and Severn Rivers could reach dangerous levels in western England.

ENGLISH SUMMER: An aerial view shows flood water around Upton upon Severn in central England, where torrential rain has caused flash floods and brought transport chaos.

BREAKING NEWS

British floods threaten water supplies

The company's Mythe Water Treatment Works in Tewkesbury, which also serves the towns of Gloucester and Cheltenham, was submerged by rising flood water and was evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning.
"We're urgently appealing to customers to use water sparingly and, in that way, help one another to make the remaining supplies last longer," Severn Trent's director of water services Andy Smith said in a statement.

RELATED VIDEO

Southeast Europe sizzles, north hit by storms, tornado

Europe

July 21, 2007

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Temperatures across central and southwest Europe threatened to top 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) on Saturday in a heat wave that has killed nine people in Romania and caused havoc from Hungary to Greece.
While the region sizzled, parts of northern Europe shivered in unseasonably fresh weather and flash flooding forced Britain to call out its Royal Air Force to rescue hundreds of people stranded in central England.
Poland was hit by a tornado, which is rare in Europe. News channel tvn24 showed roofs ripped off farmhouses and barns and cars destroyed near the southern Polish city of Czestochowa on Friday night.

Related News Content

Large earthquake rumbles through Amazon Basin

Brazil, S.A.

July 21, 2007

Rio de Janeiro - A earthquake with estimated 6.1 magnitude on the Richter scale shook the Amazonian rainforest Saturday in Brazil, but no significant damage was reported.
The epicentre was at an estimated depth of 600 kilometres below the border between the Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas, the Brazilian Seismology Institute spokesman Lucas Vieira de Barros said in Brasilia.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Heatwave continues to parch northern, central Vietnam

Breaking Earth News
Vietnam
Ha Noi (VNA) - A fierce heatwave that has scorched the northern and central regions since the beginning of this month will continue over the next several days, the Central Hydro-meteorology Forecast Centre has warned.Temperatures will remain at between 35-36 degrees Celsius in the northern region for the next three or four days or more and could peak at 38 degrees Celsius in the central region for a week, the centre said.The ferocious heatwave struck northern localities from July 7, with the highest temperature recorded at 37.3 degrees Celsius in Ha Noi on July 15.The central provinces of Nghe An, Ha The Tinh and Quang Binh were hit particularly hard. On July 2 temperatures in the area ranged from between 37-40 degrees Celsius.According to the Central Hydro-meteorology Forecast Centre, similar heatwaves of over two weeks in length hit the country twice in 2003.

Macedonia Declares State of Emergency in Heat Wave

SE Europe
July 19, 2007

Skopje_ Macedonia, suffering a heat wave that is expected to get still worse, declared a state of emergency on Thursday as forest fires raged across the country.

"A total of 217 fires have been registered so far. Roughly 2,500 hectares, which is mainly forests, have been burned," he said.

Meteorologists from the Hydro-Meteorology Directorate warned that temperatures as high as 43 degrees Celsius were still to come in the next few days.

The country’s south was expected to suffer temperatures as high as 44 degrees over the weekend, while temperatures in the capital Skopje were expected to be two degrees lower.

The Macedonian Red Cross has already put emergency intervention health teams on standby, while the State Institute for Health issued a warning to stay out of the sun.

HEATWAVE

HUNGARY - As the sun continues to beat down on Hungary and temperatures hover around the 40 degree Celsius mark, the National Medical Officer's Service announced on Thursday that a health warning would remain in effect until next Tuesday. The environment ministry has warned of dust and ozone levels due to high temperatures, little wind, and heavy traffic. Budapest's Mayor told a news conference on Thursday the city would never again try to save money by buying buses or trams that were not air-conditioned. Farmers have reported weather problems. Their crops are baking in the heat. The harvest is on two million hectares and involves six million tonnes of crops and 70,000-75,000 people. Farmers have reported fruit crops drying on trees and maize that is so dry it is going straight into silos.
Hungary on Wednesday saw temperatures EXCEED THE PREVIOUS NATIONAL RECORD of 38 degrees centigrade recorded in 1904. The temperature reached 38.3 degrees in certain regions as the country continued to swelter in the heat wave.

GREECE - It will get even warmer across Greece over the next few days as the country heads into its second heat wave this summer, but experts said that temperatures are unlikely to reach 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Temperatures in Athens are expected to reach 37C (99F), with a further increase early next week. The anticipated heat wave is likely to peak on Tuesday. �From our estimates it looks as though we will not have temperatures as high as 46C, as in June. But it will still be a fairly strong heat wave, as on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we are expecting temperatures to rise to 42C (108F).�

China storms, record rain claim many lives

Breaking Earth News
China

Photo: A girl sits in front of a flooded shop in Chongqing, southwest China, on Thursday.

No letup seen after weeks of flooding that has claimed hundreds of lives

Torrential rains, mud flows and lightning strikes have killed at least 79 people in China this week, state media reported Thursday. Weeks of heavy rain show no sign of letup and one round of storms hit an eastern city Wednesday, killing 31 people and injuring 171. The Health Ministry warned citizens that drinking water supplies were under threat. The most recent deaths were in Jinan, capital of coastal Shandong province, which received a RECORD 7 INCHES OF RAIN within three hours on Wednesday.

Amazing Slideshow Presentation
Scroll down page and click Deadly Downpours

RELATED NEWS CONTENT

Japan nuclear-site damage worse than reported

July 18, 2007
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan: The Japanese operator of a nuclear power plant stricken by an earthquake earlier this week said Wednesday that damage was worse than previously reported and that a leak of water was 50 percent more radioactive than initially announced.

For the third time in three days, Tokyo Electric Power apologized for delays and errors in announcing the extent of damage at the plant in this northwestern coastal city, which was struck Monday by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake. The company also said that tremors had tipped over "several hundred" barrels of radioactive waste, not 100 as it reported Tuesday, and that the lids had opened on "a few dozen" of those barrels. Photo Above: Fire fighters inspected the incinerator at the nuclear power plant in Kashiwazaki on Wednesday.

West Under Highest Wildfire Alert

Breaking Earth News
USA

Photo: In this photo provided by the National Park Service, a view of a wildfire burning in Zion National Park in Utah, is seen from Lava Point Lookout Wednesday, July 18, 2007. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

BOISE, Idaho Jul 19, 2007 (AP)

The West had been at level four for only a few weeks when officials decided to raise it to level five, effective Thursday.

"It's driven by a couple of things: The number of large fires we have, and also the fires are occurring in several states and in several geographic areas," said Randy Eardley, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center. "The resources we have are being stretched thin."

Heat Wave Brings Serbia to a Standstill

Serbia
July 19, 2007
Belgrade _ Serbs have been warned to avoid swimming, driving and working in the middle of the day as the country sweats through a heat wave above 40 degrees Celsius.
Calls to emergency services throughout the country have skyrocketed, mainly from the sick and the elderly. In Belgrade alone hundreds of people asked for emergency medical aid due to heat exhaustion.
Belgrade city officials deployed some 30 water tankers to bus and train stations and major squares, urging citizens to drink and wet their head to avoid heatstroke.

Sudan flood death toll triples to 100

Sudan
July 18, 2007

KHARTOUM (AFP) - The death toll from floods that have ravaged Sudan over the past fortnight has tripled to around 100 people since last week.

At least another 100 people were injured while some 5,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the worst flooding to have hit the country since 1988, said a crisis centre cited by Sudan's official SUNA news agency.

Caused by rising waters of the Nile and Gash rivers due to the rainy season, the flooding has inundated large swathes of land in eight out of Sudan's 26 states over the past two weeks.

"The crisis centre thinks that this year's floods will last long, with the average rainfall already having exceeded that of 1946 and 1988," when some 60 people drowned, the agency reported.

Intense Hailstorm Hits Wawa

Wawa, Ontario Canada
July 19, 2007

At 11:42 p.m. last night it seemed as if it was the middle of winter. The hail, lightning and wind storm that lasted for nearly half an hour tore leaves from the trees as it seemed to hail sideways!

This animation from the Montreal River Weather Radar site shows the passage of the storm over Wawa.

Wawaweather.com reported at 12:00 a.m. that the wind had gusted to 62 km/h during the storm. The hail was landing with so much force that hail was spread all over the carpet under my roofed deck. The deck is 10 feet wide under the deck, and there was hail spread from edge to edge.

Tanzanians flee in volcano fear

Tanzania
July 19. 2007

Hundreds of villagers have fled their homes on the slopes of Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai, in northern Tanzania, fearing an imminent volcanic eruption.

A BBC correspondent says lava is flowing from one side of the mountain, causing panic among the villagers.

Tremors measuring six on the Richter scale have shaken the area over recent days with aftershocks reaching Kenya.

Some 3,000 villagers were displaced last year after a volcanic eruption from the mountain.

Several mud-walled houses belonging to the Maasai herdsmen collapsed following tremors triggered by volcanic activity.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

NOAA Issues Grim Weather Report

July 17, 2007

Lighthearted weather stories are quick becoming a thing of the past. Extreme weather in the form of drought and heat dominated the United States in the first half of 2007, according to a report issued this morning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The dry conditions also killed crops and triggered local drought emergencies, spelling more trouble for parched areas in the western United States.

But the Plains states suffered most from moody weather, with droughts followed by heavy rain that flooded areas from Texas to Kansas. In the Southeast, meanwhile, NOAA recorded the second-driest January to June period on record, and the driest-ever April to June in the Southeast. Worldwide, the year to date is the second-warmest on record, which could spell increasing trouble for water-stressed nations.

A recent United Nations report warned that as many as 250 million Africans will face water shortages within 15 years. Perhaps most ominously, the South Pole experienced the warmest June on record.

Storms hammer Iowa

Iowa, USA
July 18, 2007

DES MOINES (AP) — Another round of thunderstorms brought more heavy rain to eastern Iowa early Wednesday, sending the Little Maquoketa River out of its banks north of Dubuque.

It is estimated the area received 7 inches of rain.

"It started raining around 10:30 last night and hasn't quit. It's been torrential and it's still coming down," said Dan Bannon, lead dispatcher with the Dubuque County sheriff's office.

The National Weather Service said McGregor, which is about 40 miles north of Dubuque, also received 7 inches of rain. No flooding problems were immediately reported.

In the past 48 hours, eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois received 1-8 inches of rain, said Bill Nichols, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport.

Queensland breaks cold weather record

Breaking Climate News
Australia

SOUTH-EAST Queenslanders have woken to a record-breaking cold morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures fell to a record low at Brisbane Airport shortly after sunrise today, with a temperature of -0.1 degrees celsius recorded at 6.39am (AEST).

The previous record for the airport was 0.6 degrees, recorded in 1971 and 1994.

Elsewhere in the region, Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, recorded a low of -4.8 degrees overnight, just 0.1 degree short of the lowest temperature recorded there, in 1995.

There have also been reports of -7 degrees in Stanthorpe, in Queensland's south, while nearby Warwick recorded a temperature of -6.4 degrees.

Kingaroy, north-west of Brisbane, plunged to -3.2 degrees, while Amberley, in Brisbane's south-west, fell to -1.9 degrees.

The cold weather is a result of a combination of dry air and clear night skies as well cold air being pushed up from the south by a strong low pressure system in the Tasman Sea, a bureau spokesman said.

Freak storm wreaks havoc

Long Island, New York
Photo: Close up of a car stuck in the water at the Long Island Railroad underpass on Nassau Blvd in Garden City, from the downpour this morning.

(Newsday Photo/Karen Wiles Stabile)

Jul 18, 2007 MORE PHOTOS

The skies opened up just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, unleashing a torrential downpour that has wreaked havoc on the metro-New York area, closing most major roads and most major north shore branches of the Long Island Rail Road due to excessive flooding, knocking out electrical power to more than 40,000 Long Island Power Authority customers and causing delays of more than four hours on flights at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, as well as causing excessive delays at Newark-Liberty International.
The storm caused 42,000 LIPA customers across Long Island to lose power due to downed lines, according to LIPA CEO and President Richard Kessel.

RELATED VIDEO

Japan closes nuclear plant damaged by earthquake

Japan
Latest Photos

July, 2007

TOKYO: The Japanese authorities on Tuesday shut down a nuclear power plant after a radiation leak and other damage from an earthquake in the nation's northwest raised new concerns about the safety of Japan's nuclear industry.

Tokyo Electric Power, which operates the nuclear plant near the city of Kashiwazaki, said it had found more than 50 problems had been caused by the earthquake Monday. Most were minor, but the most serious involved 100 drums of radioactive waste that fell over. The lids on some of them opened, the company said, and the contents spilled out.

The earthquake, the first of two that struck Japan on Monday - one with the same intensity rattled the sea off Kyoto - also caused a small fire at the plant and the leakage of 317 gallons of water containing trace levels of radioactive materials into the Sea of Japan, the company said.

Seismic 'Swarm' Close to Active Volcano

East Africa
Photo: Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, altitude 2886 meters (9524 feet), towers above the East African Rift Valley in northern
Tanzania. The white deposits are weathered natrocarbonatite ash and lava. This photo was made in July of 2000,

July 18, 2007
At least 10 major tremors were felt in Tanzania and Kenya between July 12 and 18. Investigations into the tremors, which a geologist described as "ABNORMAL AND STRANGE", will continue. "It is extremely interesting that the quakes are centred near Ol Doinyo Lengai [volcano] but this does not mean it will erupt. The quakes may just be tectonic, indicating movement in the Rift Valley, and do not necessarily mean lava is moving."

Related Content
Click the Map to Enlarge
Reports that the epicentre of the tremors, earlier traced to Lake Natron, Tanzania, some 240km away from Nairobi, could be moving closer to the city caused fear and concern. The earthquakes have also reportedly risen in strength from 4.4 on the Richter Scale last Thursday to 6.1 by 5.10pm on Tuesday. Tuesday's tremors hit in succession within a difference of five seconds. The first - which measured 6.0 on the Richter scale - was felt at 5.10.43pm, followed by a more powerful one at 5.10.50pm. The epicentre of the first tremor was in Tanzania near the Kenyan border, just 145km from Nairobi while the second was some 246km away. The third hit at 9.27.51pm and measured 5.0 on the Richter scale, with the epicentre traced to Tanzania some 185km South South West of Nairobi. In Nairobi, people dashed out of buildings fearing they could collapse, while in Mombasa, the tremors caused ocean turbulence and was experienced by people travelling by ferry. "I felt like my heart missed a beat as the ferry I was in was being rocked by fierce sea waves. There was turbulence in the waters and at one point, I thought we were going to sink." According to a geologist, the tremor shook buildings, power and telephone lines. "This thing is terrible and the members of the public should be careful. We have never witnessed earth tremors persisting for more than a week consecutively in the country." Reports say temporary structures in some areas of the town either caved in or cracked. Areas of Maasai Mara game reserve, Loita and most trading centres on the Kenya/Tanzania border experienced long durations of the tremors, spreading panic.

Heatwave grips Balkans, kills five in Romania

The Balkans

July 18, 2007

BUCHAREST, July 18 (Reuters) - Five Romanians died this week as a heatwave gripped parts of the Balkans where temperatures have hit 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit), causing wild fires, power shortages and traffic disruption.
Off the coast of Croatia, even sea temperatures were expected to hit a record 30 degrees in the coming days.
"We have five people who died of heat. The heatwave could last until July 27," Romanian Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu told reporters.
A previous heatwave in June claimed the lives of 30 people in the Black Sea state over a two-week period and scorched thousands of hectares of farmland, badly hitting the country's cereal crop.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Storm kills 15, brings 40,000 lightning strikes

Breaking Earth News
China

A 16-hour storm unleashed more than 40,000 lightning strikes in China, killing 15 people, injuring more than 100 and bringing air, road and rail traffic to a halt. The storm, in the southwestern city of Chongqing, left five people missing and caused some 10,000 homes to collapse. It also left the landlocked and mountainous city almost cut off from the outside world as roads flooded, the airport closed, electricity was shut off and gas stations stopped working. Railway lines were also blocked. The storm killed 10 people in Chongqing and five people in neighbouring Sichuan province. Large swathes of China have been hit by severe floods this summer which have killed more than 400 people.

Record rain hits Osaka, Nara areas

Breaking Earth News
Japan
Floods/Landslides

The record-setting downpour that hit southern Osaka Prefecture and northwest Nara Prefecture caused floods and landslides in various cities and suspended traffic services between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

In Yamato-Takada, Nara Prefecture, overflow from a swollen channel flooded 50 houses, and nearly reached floor level in 300 others.

According to the Nara and Osaka prefectural governments, 57 houses and buildings suffered flooding above floor level, while water rose to just-below floor level of more than 550 buildings, leading 48 people to evacuate voluntarily.

According to the Osaka District Meteorological Observatory, 112 millimeters of rain fell in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, in a three-hour period from Monday night to early Tuesday morning, and 106 millimeters was recorded in Kumatoricho, Osaka Prefecture. Both measurements were records for the municipalities.

Since the rain began last week, 106 millimeters of rainfall has been recorded in Kawachi-Nagano, Osaka Prefecture, 94 millimeters in Nara and 80 millimeters in Naka Ward, Sakai.

TORRENTIAL RAINS/ FLOODS/ LANDSLIDES

INDIA - The flood situation in Assam turned grim on Tuesday with the Brahmaputra and its tributaries witnessing rising water level in catchment areas in several districts following incessant rainfall. Official sources have said the situation in worst-hit Dhemaji district remained critical with road and rail traffic remaining cut off for nearly a week and several villages still under water, though flood water was receding. Over 40,000 people in 120 villages were marooned after a breach in the embankment of river Kumotia, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, in the flood-prone district. Vast tracts of land were inundated in Lakhimpur district after heavy rainfall and road communication was snapped in several places. The water level of Barak river was also showing a rising trend and inundated vast areas in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.

TEXAS -USA: The Dallas-Fort Worth area should see a decrease in rainfall for the rest of the summer as low pressure areas have begun to clear out. “The UNUSUAL thing about it is that (the low pressure) persisted. We usually get a low for a couple of days at least once a summer, but we had one most of June and into July, that was the unusual part. We’ve kind of broken out of that pattern now.” As the weather returns to normal, some areas could see heavy rains while other areas may not get any rain. “It’s going to be a lot more hit and miss than it has been.”

Nuclear safety fears after quake

Japan
July 17, 2007

Officials at a Japanese nuclear power plant have reported 50 malfunctions caused by Monday's strong earthquake near the town of Kashiwazaki.

In addition to a fire, there were leaks of radioactive water and gas and drums containing nuclear waste burst open. The company running the plant has said none of the leaks are harmful to people or the environment. But the industry's safety is being questioned and the problems were not reported soon enough. Large parts of Kashiwazaki remain without power and water and about 10,000 people are spending a second night in evacuation centres. Riken Corp, which makes car parts for companies such as Honda and Toyota, says it is unsure when it will be able to resume production at its factory in Kashiwazaki after the quake injured some of its employees and damaged equipment. Fuji Xerox has also had to halt production at its Kashiwazaki plant, which mainly assembles printers, because it is without power and there has been some damage to the building.

Beleaguered town sees more floods

Great Britain
July 17, 2007

Fire crews had to rescue a dozen residents from their homes after about 0.6in (15mm) of rain fell in one hour in a town already affected by flooding.

People in Tenbury Wells have only just cleaned up after last month's floods but have again seen water seep under the doors and into their houses.

A hotel has been booked by the local council to house those who cannot go back to their homes overnight.

The fire service said an amazing amount of rain had fallen on the town.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Service spokesman, Alec Mackie, said water had reached 3ft (0.9m) following a heavy burst of rain

MORE PHOTOS: TENBURY FLOODS

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Large Dust Storm Covers Arizona

Breaking Earth News
Arizona, USA

PHOENIX -- A large Arizona dust storm caused visibility to drop near zero in some places.
The storm had winds gusting up to 50 mph as it churned toward the cities of Chandler, Gilbert and Phoenix.Temperatures in the area fell 18 degrees in one hour -- from 109 degrees to 91 degrees.Officials said the dust reduced visibility so much that people were not able to see in front of themselves.

VIDEO: DUST STORM PUTS ARIZONA IN THE DARK

SLIDESHOW PHOTOS

News Source: VIRTUAL/MATTER BY Jordy

Sydney Council: Prepare for emergencies

Breaking Earth News
Australia
Residents of Sydney are being urged to have a "Go Bag" packed ready for serious emergencies, such as big storms, fires and terrorist attacks. The bags should be easy to carry, stored at home and at work and contain important documents, maps, phone numbers, insurance details, AM/FM radio, first-aid kit, spare set of keys, coins and spare glasses or contact lenses. A 'Let's Get Ready Sydney' guide encourages developing a personal emergency plan with family and friends, so that they all know what to do, where to meet and how to communicate in an emergency, when mobile phone services might be disrupted. The guide also suggests becoming familiar with workplace evacuation points and remembering to tune in to radio and TV stations for updates. "A serious emergency such as a fire, hazardous materials incident, flood, severe storm or transport accident, could cause significant disruption to the community and will require a coordinated and immediate response. "These incidents would have an impact on Sydneysiders and their families and friends and it's important that people think about what to do if they are directly involved, or if regular transport arrangements or mobile phones are affected."

Utility continues record pace for power amid heat wave

Idaho, USA
July 16, 2007

The scorching heat blanketing Idaho is creating ALL-TIME HIGH DEMANDS for electricity. Idaho Power set a new record Friday when usage topped out at 3,193 megawatts at about 4 p.m. It marked the third time this month the utility has had to rewrite its record books. Temperatures in July have consistently surged into the 100s across the state, a streak that was expected to continue for several more days before easing by this weekend with temperatures predicted in the low 90s. Low snowpack and drought have reduced flows and hydroelectric energy production on Snake River dams, forcing the utility to supplement about 33 percent of its peak afternoon demand with imported electricity.

Related News
CANADA - Alberta - Consumers in Alberta can look forward to hefty electricity bills as continued heat and RECORD DEMAND jack up prices in Canada's first deregulated electricity market. Power prices in Alberta red-lined Monday at $999.99 per megawatt hour - the maximum allowable by the province - as hot weather blanketed most cities, driving up cooling and generation loads. Even the province's power plants were overheating, forcing some generators to ramp down power output by 10 to 15 per cent as temperatures remained well above seasonal values for the third week in a row.

Coldest Sydney morning since 1986

Breaking Earth News
Australia

SYDNEY Sydney has experienced its coldest start to a July day for 21 years.

The temperature plunged to 3.7 degrees in the city at 6.54am (AEST), which the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed as the most frigid recorded since 1986.

Meteorologist Peter Zmijewski said a calm, clear night was to blame for the shivery conditions.

The bureau has forecast snow and sleet today for the Southern and Central Tablelands (including the Blue Mountains) above 500 metres.

Blizzards are also expected over much of the NSW snowfields this afternoon.

Japan quake victims take shelter, mudslides feared

Breaking Earth News
Japan
Photo: Residents queue for water supplies near a gymnasium used as a shelter in Kashiwazaki July 17, 2007. More than 10,000 people huddled in evacuation centres in northwest Japan on Tuesday after an earthquake flattened homes, killing nine people, injuring more than 900 and triggering a leak of contaminated water from a nuclear plant. REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota

More than 10,000 people huddled in evacuation centres in northwest Japan on Tuesday after the earthquake flattened homes, killing nine people, injuring more than 900 and triggering a leak of contaminated water from a nuclear plant. As aftershocks continued, forecasts for two days of wet weather raised fears of mudslides that could add to the devastation. A small fire and a leak of contaminated water at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant - the world's largest - reignited fears about nuclear safety in a country that relies on atomic power for about one third of its electricity. The quake was stronger than those its reactors had been designed to withstand. About 100 drums containing low-level nuclear waste at the plant were knocked over by the quake and some lost their lids. The quake halted gas service to about 35,000 homes and disrupted the water supply to all of Kashiwazaki. It was unclear when production would re-start at some factories in the area. Houses, many wooden with traditional heavy tile roofs, collapsed and roads cracked in Monday's quake, centred in the same northwestern area as a tremor three

China glaciers melting at alarming rate

July 12, 2007
Photo: A woman carries her baby at the foot of the 7,191 metre Nojing Kangtsang glacier. Massive glaciers in northwest China have melted at an alarming rate over the past 40 years, with global warming believed to be the culprit,

BEIJING (AFP) - Massive glaciers in northwest China have melted at an alarming rate over the past 40 years, with global warming believed to be the culprit, scientists said in published comments.

China's remote Xinjiang region is home to nearly half of the nation's glaciers that supply the rest of the country and other parts of Asia with water.
However they have shrunk by 20 percent and snow lines there have receded by about 60 metres (200 feet) since 1964, the Chinese Academy of Sciences said in a report, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Global warming is believed to be to blame, with the internal temperature of the glaciers rising by 10 percent over the past two decades, the academy said.
"Like the hard drive of a computer, glaciers record how the environment has changed. Warm weather has been the major cause of the glaciers' retreat," Xinhua quoted Wang Feiteng, a researcher with the academy, as saying.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Clarifying some important issues about climate change

Scientific American
Date: July 15, 2007
Original URL

1) The relative magnitudes of solar versus anthropogenic forcing of the climate
There is now much better understanding of the relative roles of these forcing terms. For a start there are now decades-long, high-quality satellite solar measurements: These establish that there have been no significant changes in solar irradiance since 1979. In the longer term, reconstructions suggest a solar forcing since preindustrial times less than 10 percent that of the total human-induced forcing (Figure 2). In addition, the pattern of observed temperature changes-warming throughout the troposphere (the lowest 10 kilometers or so of the atmosphere), but cooling above that in the stratosphere-is inconsistent with solar-dominated forcing, but consistent with greenhouse gas (and other human-induced) forcing. There have been some suggestions that cosmic rays could affect clouds. However, these have been based on correlations using limited records. These have generally not stood up when tested with additional data, and furthermore, their physical mechanisms remain only speculative.

2) Surface and tropospheric warming records
The third assessment report (2001) noted an apparent mismatch between the instrumental surface temperature record (which showed significant warming over recent decades, consistent with a human impact) and the balloon and satellite atmospheric record (which showed little of the expected warming). This discrepancy is now largely resolved-with consistent warming now found between surface and atmosphere-following several new studies of the satellite- and balloon-derived atmospheric temperature record. These have corrected some significant biases and errors in the record, such as that caused by the "decay" of satellite orbits with time.

3) The role of water vapor in climate change
Although water vapor is the strongest greenhouse gas, direct human emissions are small, and its importance for climate change has long been known to arise from the way it responds to temperature changes. If forcing by another factor (such as CO2) produces a warmer atmosphere, this can hold more water vapor, further amplifying the warming. This feedback is critical in determining the overall magnitude of expected climate change. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)[FIRST REF] report reaffirms these essential aspects. In particular there are new observations showing recent water vapor increases along the lines expected from observed warming trends as well as new evidence suggesting that models are getting their water vapor responses to warming about right.

4) The heating that is now clearly identifiable in the ocean
Warming has been observed not only averaged over land stations but also over the ocean. This underscores that the urban "heat island" effect, although real, is only local, because it cannot be present in ocean data. Indeed, it is found to be negligible in hemispheric or global averages. Improved and expanded ocean data also demonstrateR that a large amount of heat is being taken up by the ocean. This demonstratesR[OR, TO VARY: indicates] that the planet's energy budget has been pushed out of balance in our warming world, just as expected due to increases in greenhouse gases.

5) The new assessment of future sea level rise.

Estimates of future sea level rise from thermal expansion [see main text] are now taken from climate models that include a much more realistic simulation of ocean circulation compared with the simpler models used in the previous report (2001). Notably, however, central estimates for total climate-related sea level rise remain within 10 percent of previous estimates (when adjusted for the same time period). The modeled range, however, is now smaller (at both upper and lower ends) because of new constraints on the contributions from melting glaciers and ice caps and a more careful consideration of correlations between uncertainties in different terms. Importantly, the report gives no cause for any reduction in concern about future sea level rise. Recent observations show evidence for faster than expected breakup of ice around the edges of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets indicating that some of the processes causing ice sheets to discharge into the ocean in a warmer world are not included in current models. Thus, whereas the uncertainties in what can be modeled have been reduced, this is offset by the emergence of an additional factor for which no quantitative estimates exist in the literature.

China warns of more flood misery in river basin

China
Photo: Local farmer Yang Shizhi displays her dead chickens, which were killed by floods, at Jingshan county in central China's Hubei province July 14, 2007. Rainstorms continued to hit central China's Henan and Hubei provinces, with nearly 10 million people affected in the two provinces, said the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency reported. Picture taken July 14, 2007. REUTERS/China Daily

July 15: Rainstorms continued to hit central China's Henan and Hubei provinces, with nearly 10 million people affected in the two provinces. Hundreds of thousands of villagers in east China's Huai river basin, already suffering the region's worst flooding in 50 years, have been told to brace for more heavy rains this week. Government authorities warned that water levels along tributaries feeding the Huai river, which originates in central Henan province and runs east through densely populated and impoverished parts of Anhui and coastal Jiangsu provinces, were rising again and threatening to breach embankments. The Mengwa area, where crops and homes of 157,000 people have already been submerged, faces another bout of deliberate flooding to ease pressure at Wangjiaba. Authorities have already flooded nine buffer zones along the Huai to relieve more than 2 million flood-hit residents in Henan. Further south, officials in Hunan province were battling to contain a plague of more than 2 billion rats fleeing the rising waters of Dongting Lake. Scientists blamed China's massive Three Gorges Dam project and climate change for the rodents, whose flight to dry land has seen them ruin cropland in some 22 counties surrounding the lake.

Summer In Britain Is a Washout

Breaking Earth News
UK
Britain's summer may be an utter washout with weather from Iceland about to hit them next. On Sunday, torrential downpours began in the South of England and continued to move northwards battering much of the rest of England. A Met Office forecaster said there was “no end in sight” to the rain. He said the FREAK conditions were due to an area of low pressure — which normally lies between the north coast of Scotland and Iceland — but was now off central Britain. “It’s been there the last two months and shows no sign of moving.” The Met Office has warned the miserable weather will be “relentless” with “showers, showers and more showers”. Yesterday severe weather warnings were still in force for many areas and there were three flood warnings. The rainfall is expected to continue into the week, causing temperatures to drop, with further showers forecast for next weekend. Floods, weather warnings and plummeting temperatures — summer 2007 will go down as ONE OF THE WORST EVER.
Image Above: Floods caused chaos for moped riders and cyclists in South London

Czech Republic hit by heat wave

Breaking Earth News
Czech Republic

A heat wave coming all the way from Africa arrived in the Czech Republic at the weekend, with Prague seeing a new record temperature of 35.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday. But Czechs are now bracing themselves for even hotter weather: forecasters say Monday could be the hottest day ever recorded in this country, with temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius expected.

At lunchtime on Monday, temperatures were already climbing up fast.
Health officials have warned people, especially children and elderly as well as those suffering from heart or respiration problems, against going outside in the mid-day sun. Jirina Ernestova, spokesperson for Prague ambulance service, confirms that paramedics have been twice as busy as usual since the arrival of the heat-wave.

Radio Broadcast Posted at Earth Frenzy Radio Blog

Storm rips off roofs, cuts power in northwestern Saskatchewan

Breaking Storm News
Saskatchewan, Canada

SASKATOON -- Lorraine McSween thought someone had thrown a rock through her triple-paned bedroom window. It turns out it was her new fence, which had been blown three metres into the air by a powerful storm that wreaked havoc on northwestern Saskatchewan early Sunday.

McSween's home and several other homes in Warman were the victims of a powerful thunderstorm that ripped through the province after just midnight Saturday, leaving behind a trail of damage from just outside Saskatoon all the way to the Spiritwood area, 175 kilometres northwest of the city.

Environment Canada said a powerful downdraft -- a sudden descent of cool air to the ground -- created winds of up to 110 km/h, ripped roofs off of homes, sent golf carts through the air and uprooted and bent trees in some parts of the province. They had several reports of high plow winds and funnel clouds.

Tornado Rips Through San Antonio

Texas, USA
July 15, 2007
SAN ANTONIO -- The National Weather Service said a tornado damaged homes in a neighborhood on the city's Northeast Side overnight Saturday.NWS inspectors said the tornado was an EF-1 on the enhanced Fujita Scale with wind gusts of 80 to 100 mph.
Residents said the storm shook houses, tore down fences, uprooted trees and left holes in rooftops. Video

Powerful Quake Jolts Japan

Breaking Earth News
Japan

Photo: Smoke rises from the Kashiwazaki power plant after the quake.

A STRONG earthquake killed at least six people in Japan yesterday,injured more than 600, flattened houses and triggered a fire at the world's largest nuclear power plant.

Flames and billows of black smoke poured from the Kashiwazaki nuclear plant, which automatically shut down during the quake.

Fire sirens could be heard in hard-hit Kashiwazaki city, and older buildings were reduced to piles of timber.

National broadcaster NHK reported that more than 600 people were hurt, with injuries including broken bones, cuts and bruises.

About 2200 people were evacuated from their homes, city official Takashi Otsuka said.

Second earthquake hits Japan
J

uly 16, 2007

A second earthquake has struck Japan hours after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolted the country's north-west coast, leaving at least eight people dead, hundreds injured and causing a nuclear reactor to leak water containing radioactive material into the sea.

The second tremor, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, struck just after 11pm on Monday.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Video: Massive Japanese Storm

Breaking Earth News Video
Japan

Plan responds to severe weather in Peru

Peru S.A.

July 12, 2007

For the past 6 weeks Peru has been in the grip of extremly cold weather with temperatures ranging between -22º and -15º C. The RECORD-BREAKING COLD SPELL has already affected over 200,000 people, caused the death of 55 children under five and is responsible for over 6,000 cases of pneumonia. The Government of Peru has declared a National Emergency in 14 of the 24 Peruvian provinces as severe weather continues to sweep the country and has began moving large supplies of warm clothing, blankets and materials to the affected areas. In January this year, an unexpected cold spell hit the high Andean community of Peru and destroyed around 60% of the crops. The severe weather was then followed by the onset of Winter in June and now this second spell of extreme cold has wiped out the remainder of the crops and is causing considerable hardship for children and communities. The worst hit areas are in the provinces of Puno, Apurimac, Ancash, Cajamarca and Cusco. With ten weeks of Winter left, forecasters predict temperatures will drop further.

‘Cyclone Yemyin fuels separatist movement’

Karachi, Pakistan

The devastation caused as a result of Cyclone Yemyin in Balochistan has fueled the separatist movement in that province. “Districts Kech, Panjgur, Gwadur, Kharan, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Naseerabad, Katchi and Jhal Magsi have been completely destroyed by the cyclone and there was no help either from the federal or the provincial government for five days. The Pakistan government should have sought help from the United Nations and other aid agencies but it was totally indifferent to the plight of the Baloch people...It’s true that there is a movement in Balochistan for an independent state and the devastation caused by Cyclone Yemyin and the aloofness and indifference of the State has acted as a catalyst in the movement.”

Government Warns on High Waves and Eruptions

Indonesia

July, 2007

Earth Changes

The government warned of the possibility that natural disasters could strike in several of the country’s regions in the coming weeks. Senior government officials have asked the Indonesian people to brace for potential volcanic eruptions and huge waves expected to pound numerous coastal regions.

Speaking after a limited Cabinet meeting, Energy and Mineral

Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that at least 12 volcanoes were active throughout the country, while Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Jamal cautioned that huge waves, in excess of six meters in height, could persist until August.

Purnomo said the danger rating of 10 volcanoes is on the third highest level and that they require close monitoring. They are Talang in West Sumatra, Minor Krakatau in Lampung, Merapi in Yogyakarta, Semeru and Bromo in East Java, Batutara in East Nusa Tenggara, Karang Etan and Lokon in North Sulawesi and Dukono and Ibu in North Maluku.

Sri Woro said waves of between three and six meters in height will likely crash against the Eastern shores of the country near the Seram, Aru and Arafuru seas, the Fak Fak and Merauke coasts and most of Maluku.

The government also warned of the possibility of flooding and forest fires in the coming months.

Half of China drenched, bedraggled by unprecedented floods

Vehicles run through flooded water in a street in Xiangfan, a city in central China's Hubei Province July 14, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

China

July 14, 2007

JINGSHAN, Hubei, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Zheng Xiaoling trekked in the knee-deep water, careful not to fall and be washed into a swollen river 500 meters away.
On Friday, the worst rainstorm to attack her home county of Jingshan in central China's Hubei Province since records began interrupted power and water supplies for six hours and inundated at least 140 homes in her community, including her own.
"I left home at 7:00 a.m. and when I came back two hours later, the flood water was more than a meter deep in the house and even our bed and fridge were floating," said the miserable 35-year-old housewife who has just been laid off from a local building material supplier.
Her home was furnished only six months ago and the family spent more than 50,000 yuan on new furniture and electrical appliances. "The flood destroyed everything -- even the junkmen don't want them now."
Even worse, her family had to move out to live with their relatives. "God knows for how long."
The torrential rain that started to hit Jingshan county on Friday forced 17,104 people to evacuate, injured 23 and left one person missing, the county's drought prevention and flood control office said.
"The rain started at midnight and when I got up at 7:00 a.m., I found the water outside was so deep that I couldn't open the door," said Zhang Yinxiu, 55. "I called my daughter and her husband. Together, we forced it open to escape."
By 10:00 a.m., the water was chest deep.

Thousands evacuated as super typhoon unleashes 145mph winds on islands

July 14, 2007

Okinawa, Japan

OKINAWA Typhoon Man-Yi caused devastation as it pounded the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) southwest of Tokyo, forcing the evacuation of thousands and the cancellation of hundreds of flights as it headed north.
About 100,000 people were left without electricity and 23 people were hurt. Up to 500mm (20 inches) of rain were expected to fall on the southernmost main island of Kyushu by today, further battering areas hit earlier by heavy rains.
Man-Yi had winds at its centre of 160km/h (100mph) and gusts of up to 234km/h (145mph), according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency. An official said: “Rain is the biggest worry with this storm. Given the rain that has already fallen in Kyushu, the chance of damage is high.” The storm could brush Tokyo on Monday.

Indonesia volcano ups activity

Indonesia

July 13, 2007

JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Indonesian volcano resumed shooting out flaming rocks on Friday, while thousands more people fled the mountain in the remote east of the country as ash clouds showered nearby villages, an official said.
After a quiet spell, a series of volcanic earthquakes jolted the area around Mount Gamkonora, which started emitting towering columns of ash and smoke last week, said Saut Simatupang, head of Indonesia's Vulcanological Survey.
The flaming material spitting from the volcano, which towers above the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, indicates magma is close to the crater's surface, officials say.

Assam floods displace 40,000, over 120 villages washed away

India

July 13, 2007

GUWAHATI: Flash floods triggered by breaches in embankments of Assamese rivers have displaced about 40,000 people, and military helicopters are dropping food and other essentials, officials said on Friday.

Friday, July 13, 2007

British Columbia swelters under record highs

B.C. Canada
July 12, 2007

Seven all-time temperature highs were set across British Columbia on Wednesday, with most of the records falling in the Fraser Valley, the Greater Vancouver area and on Vancouver Island.

Yet cooler heads prevailed as consumers responded to calls to conserve energy, despite the blistering heat, after a BC Hydro transformer in downtown Vancouver failed earlier in the week.

Environment Canada said the Interior town of Lillooet was B.C.'s hot spot Wednesday at 39.9 C.

Video: Volcanic Alert

Earth News Video
Indonesia
July 12, 2007

Thousands flee as volcano spews lava, ash

Indonesia
Photo: Volcanic ash and smoke spew out of Mount Gamkonora as it erupts in this photo taken Monday on Halmahera island in Indonesia. (Purwanto, Malut Post/AP)

July 12, 2007
JAKARTA — A rumbling volcano in eastern Indonesia spewed ash and lava Thursday, as authorities expressed fears that a shift in winds could send hot clouds of volcanic debris onto villages below.

Thousands of people have been evacuated and others have been told to stay away from the eight-kilometre danger zone along the mountain's slopes, said Saut Simatupang of the government's volcano monitoring agency.

Mount Gamkonora on Halmahera island has put authorities on the highest alert since Monday, and lava and debris have spilled from its mouth for days. Hot clouds of ash were shooting more than 1,000 metres into the sky on Thursday, a slight decrease in activity.

Authorities are worried that potential shifts in wind could send the debris over villages along the western flank of the 1,630-metre peak.

Powerful Typhoon Hits Japan

Breaking Storm News
Japan
Photo: Surging waves hit the shore line as strong wind blows over the Amami Oshima island, southern Japan following the approach of a powerful typhoon Man-Yi on Friday.

(TOKYO) — A powerful typhoon pounded Japan's southern Okinawa island chain Friday, cutting power to tens of thousands of households and grounding hundreds of flights.

Man-Yi clocked sustained wind speeds of up to 112 miles per hour as it slammed into Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa, the Meteorological Agency said.

The typhoon was moving northward at a speed of 12 miles per hour and was forecast to hit the southern main island of Kyushu on Saturday, the agency said.

It is expected to then rake the Japan's Pacific coast toward Tokyo, but the agency did not say if the typhoon would hit the capital.

About 60,000 households were without power — 11 percent of all households in Okinawa, according to Tomoko Sunagawa, an official of Okinawa Electric Power Co. It was not immediately clear when power would be restored.

"It is raining hard and the wind is very strong. It looks all white outside," Sunagawa said by phone from Naha.

Airlines have canceled more than 300 flights to and from Okinawa and Kyushu, according to Kyodo News agency.

Heavy rain falling at a rate of more than 2 inches an hour inundated Kyushu Friday morning, the Meteorological Agency said. The agency warned of heavy rains, high waves, and strong winds. Up to 20 inches of rain was expected to fall on Kyushu by noon Saturday, it said.

Heat wave in Europe breaks 100-year record

Europe
July 12, 2007
ATHENS, Greece — A severe nine-day heat wave in Europe has broken 100-year temperature records. Throughout southern Europe and the Balkans, unusually high temperatures caused many deaths, including 29 in Romania where temperatures reached 113 degrees in Bucharest, the highest in 90 years.

Here in Greece, 11 people died and more than 50 were hospitalized due to the heat wave, in which temperatures soared to 116 degrees, the highest on record since 1897. Several deaths were noted in Italy, Turkey and Cyprus as well.

Most of the major cities in southeastern Europe were woefully unprepared for the record heat, running electricity on ancient power systems that cannot cope with such high temperatures.

Greece is an example. Here the majority of the electric power stations are 30 to 50 years old. During the worst days of the heat wave, the demand for electricity was 10,512 megawatts, essentially maxing out a system whose total capacity is 11,000 megawatts.

Fierce storm Rocks Romania

Romania
July 12,2007

One person was killed and two were injured following a violent storm that hit Romania overnight, causing serious damage around the country, local media reported Thursday.

A total of 12 provinces have been put on orange alert because of the strong downpour, it added.

Dozens of cars in Bucharest and around the country were damaged by the storm which also caused power outages.

In several provinces in central and eastern Romania, including Dambovita, Arges and Buzau, fallen trees and rocks caused road blockages and traffic delays.

Strong winds and rain are expected to continue until Friday, prompting fears of floods.

The bad weather comes shortly after Romania experienced a heat wave that killed several dozen people.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Warming Report Warns of Increased Flooding

July 11, 2007

The New York Times

One-hundred-year floods could come as often as once every 10 years by the end of this century, Long Island lobsters could disappear and New York apples could be just a memory if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report on the impact of global warming by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The report, which covers New York, New Jersey along with the entire Northeast, was released at a news conference at the New York Botanical Garden this morning, in the wake of an intense heat wave of the kind that scientists warned could come far more frequently if business continues as usual.

Speaking at the news conference, James McCarthy, professor of biological oceanography at Harvard University and president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, predicted that New York City might have to swelter through a full month with temperatures over 100 degrees. The prolonged heat could dry up the Catskill Mountain waters that supply the city, and air quality could decline, worsening conditions for people with asthma and allergies.

Some changes, like earlier springs, longer summers and less snowy winters are already being seen are the result of heat trapping gasses released over the last century. But scientists said things would become far worse, and much more costly, unless steps are taken now to limit the impact.

Without reductions in emissions, sea levels could rise, inundating coastal areas on southern Long Island and pushing water over parts of lower Manhattan, flooding the financial district and pouring water into the subways, making them inoperable.

Towns Hit by Extreme Weather May Have to Move

New Zealand
July 11, 2007: New Zealand settlements being repeatedly hit by adverse weather conditions may have to consider moving, the Prime Minister has said.
A state of civil emergency was declared in the Far North yesterday after torrential rain and violent winds caused flooding and slips, before moving south and battering Auckland and Coromandel.

Audio & Photos Available

News Source: Earth Frenzy Radio Blog

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Heavy Rains Inundate Japan

Japan

July 11, 2007

On Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency alerted eastern and western Japan as well as the Pacific side of the Kyushu region to the possibility of landslides and flooding as heavy rain, accompanied by thunder, may fall in the areas from Wednesday to Thursday morning.
Warm, humid air from the south is flowing toward a rain front, which extends to the Sea of Japan coast, making the atmosphere unstable on the south side of the rain front, the agency said. Torrential rain of 40-60 millimeters an hour hit eastern and western Japan as well as the Pacific side of Kyushu.
A record 89 mm of rain per hour was logged at Mt. Hoyoshi in Kagoshima Prefecture, while 107 mm rain, also a record, fell in Cape Sata in the same prefecture.
Cumulative rainfall through 6 a.m. Thursday may reach 300 mm in southern Kinki, 200 mm in each of southern Kyushu and the Pacific side of Shikoku, 180 mm in Tokai, and 150 mm each in northern Kyushu and the Koshin region.

Storm's sandy deluge

Breaking Storm News

Photo: Sand, sand, sand. High winds desposited stand on The Esplanade and Eastern Beach Rd on Tuesday night. Times photos Dean Wedlake.

New Zealand

In almost 30 years living on the shores of Eastern Beach, residents have never seen anything to rival the wild weather events of Tuesday night. Sand, sand, sand. High winds desposited sand on The Esplanade and Eastern Beach Rd on Tuesday night. Reported winds of about 140 to 160km/h blasted the beachfront, sending residents into a minor panic as sandstorms whipped up and trees hung on for dear life. “The sand was like teaming rain, it was really unbelievable.” When residents awoke, the usually picturesque surroundings of The Esplanade and Eastern Beach Rd were covered in sand. Massive volumes were dumped on the road by high gusting winds and on properties, leaving a nasty clean-up job. Having witnessed gusts of up to 150km/hr in the past, one resident says Tuesday night’s south-easterly blasts FAR EXCEEDED ANY HE'S EVER SEEN PREVIOUSLY in terms of brute strength

'Bebeng' brings strong winds

Breaking Storm News

CEBU, Philippines—Coast Guard detachments in the Visayas were placed on heightened alert yesterday in anticipation of huge waves and massive rains brought by typhoon “Bebeng” that may endanger the lives of sea travelers.

Packing winds of 140 km per hour with gustiness up to 170 kph, typhoon "Bebeng" (international name "Man-yi") entered the Philippine area of responsibility before dawn yesterday, bringing rains to the western section of the country.

The second typhoon to hit the country would cause downpour in Palawan, Mindoro and Panay Island in Western Visayas and Batangas in Southern Luzon for the next couple of days, said Pagasa. The cyclone, which developed from a tropical storm, was moving at a speed of 24 kph, veering northwest along the eastern section of the country towards Taiwan.

Lightning, winds hamper firefighting

Western USA

July 11, 2007

FRESNO, Calif - High winds and lightening created a one-two punch for firefighters battling Western wildfires, both whipping up old flames and sparking new ones.
A 35,000-acre wildfire, or almost 55 square miles, in the Inyo National Forest — California's largest — remained 80 percent contained for much of the day as crews worked to control the new spot fires, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Nancy Upham.
"We were hit with these thunderstorms, so there were a lot of winds in the area," Upham said. "It did not jump the containment lines at all, but clearly we were not able to extend them any further."
The storm system threatened to bring more lightning — and little rain — to the Inyo fire and other parts of the western Sierra through Thursday, said Weather Service meteorologist Will Pi.

RELATED NEWS
South Dakota, USA
Most Intense Black Hills Fire, Ever

A deadly wildland fire burning in western South Dakota that began as a single lightning strike grew to more than 9 square miles. Officials are calling it the most intense fire that's ever burned in the Black Hills. The Alabaugh Fire is located in extreme southwest South Dakota, about 5 miles southwest of Hot Springs. It exploded in size last weekend, fueled by dry land, and strong winds. The flames are burning over rough terrain, which makes controlling the fire difficult. A total of 268 people are currently working to contain the flames. It all began Saturday night as the fire started as just a few hundred acres of down and dead fuels from the forest floor, but soon the fire grew into what is now being called one of the most intense fires in South Dakota history, charring nearly 4,900 acres. The fire’s incident commander, Joe Lowe says, “This is a very dangerous fire. It burns with a vengeance.” Hot Springs resident, Joyce Farrell, says, “It’s very scary, but it’s very dry, and we knew that the potential was there and it's a catastrophe.” Photo Above: A fire smolders on Sunday, July 8, 2007, near Hot Springs, S.D. A state official said the blaze is the most intense wildfire ever recorded in the Black Hills. (AP Photo/Joe Kafka)

RELATED VIDEO

Sleepless and Sizzling in Seattle

Breaking Earth News

Washington State, USA

They are suffering in Seattle, and throughout western Washington, with record heat. A heatwave of historic proportions peaked today. The high in Seattle: 98 degrees. That broke the old record of 95, set back in 1951, but fell short of the all-time Seattle record of 100 degrees. Hoquiam set their all-time record high of 99 degrees on Tuesday. Today, Bellingham tied their all-time record when it hit 94. The heat on the west side prompted the National Weather Service to issue an "Excessive Heat Warning", and cooling centers were opened in many areas to help the west-siders get a break from their mostly un-airconditioned homes.
For MUCH more on the west-side heat, CLICK HERE.

More Bad Weather Rocks Suffolk

July 10, 2007

TORNADOS, heavy rain, thunder and lightning which have blighted Suffolk were today expected to make way for more seasonal weather.The recent tropical conditions have left the county wondering where summer has gone - but a more settled, warmer and drier outlook is forecast for the next few days.While parts of Europe have basked in searing temperatures as high as 46 degrees, the UK has taken a soaking.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Sun's in the clear over global warming, says study

Breaking Earth News

Photo: Sun shines over The Concorde Obelisque in Paris, July 2006

Scientists on Wednesday said that the rise in global temperatures that has been detected over the past two decades cannot be blamed on the Sun, a theory espoused by climate-change sceptics.

British and Swiss researchers looked at data for radiation from the Sun, levels of which can cool or warm our planet's atmosphere. They factored in a cycle which solar radiation goes through peaks and troughs of activity over a period of about 11 years. Writing in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, a journal of Britain's de-facto academy of sciences, the team said that the Sun had been less active since 1985, even though global temperatures have continued to rise. "Over the past 20 years, all the trends in the Sun that could have had an influence on the Earth's climate have been in the opposite direction to that required to explain the observed rise in global mean temperatures," they write. The study is co-authored by Mike Lockwood of Britain's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Claus Froehlich of the World Radiation Centre in Switzerland. The overwhelming consensus among scientists is that human activity is to blame for the rise in global temperatures. In its latest report, issued this year, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that this warming is already affecting the climate system.

Fire threat rises with record-breaking temps

Oregon, USA

Photo: Crews fight a house fire on Lansing Ave. in Salem

July 10, 2007

Crews around Portland and the Willamette Valley battled the fire threat as record-breaking temperatures soared above 100 degrees Tuesday. Fire crews regularily start patrols around the first of August, but because temperatures are heating up so quickly in Portland, this year they're getting a jump start.

Switzerland experiences unseasonably cold weather

Breaking Earth News

Switzerland

Heavy rain and unseasonably low temperatures have marred the beginning of the summer holiday period in many parts of Switzerland. Authorities issued warnings as the levels of several lakes reached a critical point. Several weeks of bad weather with violent thunderstorms and intermittently heavy rain have filled up many riverbeds and lakes, particularly in the region around the capital, Bern, as well as in southwestern Switzerland. On Monday regions in central and eastern Switzerland were also hit by heavy rain. A drop in temperatures led to snow falling in the Alps above 1,800 meters at the beginning of the week. In lower-lying areas the mercury climbed to a maximum of 11 degrees Celsius on average. Experts have forecast a major improvement for the coming weekend with temperatures reaching more than 30 degrees. In April Switzerland recorded a heat wave followed by a period with heavy local thunderstorms. A freak storm in June caused damage worth hundreds of millions of francs. Farmers are concerned that the wet weather will lead to a poor harvest and difficulties in organizing work.

China floods 75 villages to ease swollen river

China

Photo: Local residents check a bridge which is partially submerged by the floods in southwest China's Chongqing municipality July 9, 2007. China was evacuating 150,000 people on Tuesday from villages in eastern China that may have to be deliberately flooded to combat torrential rains which have led to the deaths of more than 100 people nationwide.
REUTERS/Stringer

July 10, 2007

CHINA flooded dozens of evacuated villages on Tuesday to ease pressure from a swollen river after torrential rains that have killed more than 100 people nationwide. Flood waters were diverted from the Huai River in the eastern province of Anhui, after the Mengwa area, with 75 villages, was evacuated. "The move is expected to bring relief to residents in Henan province, where the upper reaches of the Huai River run, and alleviate pressure on downstream sections. However, the impact on the residents ... will be limited as most of them have built their houses on elevated platforms. Those who live in low-lying locations have moved to higher ground." Eleven people have been killed in floods in Anhui so far and more than 430,000 residents were stranded, with a quarter of them facing drinking water shortages. The Mengwa area, in an impoverished wheat-growing part of north Anhui, has been submerged by the notorious Huai River flood waters more than 10 times since it was set up in 1953. The rain has caused floods and landslides which have killed at least 101 people in at least six provinces since late June. At least 26 people were missing. More rain was forecast for the next three days along the Huai River, flowing through the central province of Henan and the eastern provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu.

Indonesian volcano spits flaming rocks

Breaking Earth News

Indonesia

Photo Slideshow

INDONESIA'S Mount Gamkonora has started spitting out flaming rocks and sending showers of sparks into the air, indicating the volcano in the east of the country is likely to erupt, an official has said.
Thousands of people living close to the volcano have been evacuated since it started sending out towering columns of ash and smoke on Saturday. Although less smoke and ash were spotted on Wednesday, flaming material started to appear on Tuesday evening, indicating magma was approaching the crater's surface, said Saut Simatupang, head of Indonesia's Vulcanological Survey. "The volcano spit flaming rock as high as 15 metres (50 ft)... this indicates magma is now close to the crater's surface," Mr Simatupang said by telephone.

VOLCANIC NEWS

RUSSIA - Klyuchevskaya Volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula released another plume on July 9.

WASHINGTON - Mount St. Helens, which has been steadily and quietly erupting for almost three years, offered a stark reminder Friday night that it retains its capacity to surprise. This time, scientists believe a sun-baked glacier is stirring up trouble. Remote acoustic flow devices detected a sudden increase in stream flow near the top of Loowit Falls north of the volcano’s crater between 6 and 9 p.m. Friday. By 5 a.m. the next morning, the level of turbidity — the muddiness of the water — spiked on the North Fork of the Toutle River almost 20 miles away. By Sunday morning, bystanders reported a cloud of mud in the Cowlitz River at Kelso. “Our speculation at the moment is that some water burped out of the glacier. The exact cause right now, we don’t know. But it certainly wasn’t rain-induced.” The glacier accumulated along the base of the rounded crater wall. It wrapped itself around the old 876-foot-tall lava dome, which emerged in a series of eruptions between 1980 and 1986. Since then, a burgeoning new lava dome has eviscerated the glacier. The new dome has split the glacier into two arms, radically upended it, and shoved its two arms on the downward slope to the north. “Clearly, it is changing. It’s much more fractured, and it is moving to a lower elevation. The farther north it moves, it’s going to get a little more out of the shadow of the crater rim.” Meanwhile, the eruption of lava continues unabated.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Video: Extreme Heat Hits NYC

Breaking Earth News Video
New York City

Mysterious Earth Boom Reported

July 09,

Colombo: The residents of Lunugamwehera in the Hambanthota district of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province say they experienced something similar to an earthquake in the early hours today.

The residents of Beralihela and adjacent villages say that the tremor was unexpected and the houses quivered with the earth shock around 12 to 12.30 in the middle of the night.

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Rise in sea level temperature not a good omen for city

Breaking Earth News

Pakistan

Photo: Rising seas ... report warns of cost of inaction. Photo by Stephanie Johnson

The sea level temperature in the Arabian Sea is rising gradually as a result of global warming, threatening the costal areas of Pakistan , including Karachi, according to experts. “The sea level temperature of the Arabian Sea has risen between 0.2 Celsius to 0.8 Celsius over the last decade or so. That is also contributing in the increase of extreme weather events in our coastal areas. The tropical cyclones or monsoon depressions in the Arabian Sea were quite rare weather events but during the last 10 years or so the frequency of these extreme weather events has been on the rise." Global warming will also disrupt food security to millions of people because it paves the way for drought, disease and cyclones. In fact, droughts are the first sign of global warming. Countries such as Pakistan, which mainly depend on irrigation, will be badly affected by global warming, thereby making it difficult to feed their fast growing population. “Plants that cling on through heat and drought by special adaptations will suffer greater stress. Climate change will make life tougher because even the small amounts of water available will evaporate more quickly, reducing the growing time available. One of the problems of drier soils is erosion. This is made worse when people remove the natural vegetation to make room for crops." Pakistan is already suffering immensely due to salinity and land degradation and hundreds of thousands acres of fertile land are becoming uncultivable. Almost 37 per cent of the irrigated area of Sindh and 17 per cent of Punjab has become water logged and saline. These areas have not only lost their soil fertility but the underground pockets of sweet water have also become brackish and saline. As a result of global warming, desertification has started in Pakistan and sandy tracks generated by moving sand dunes are engulfing productive areas in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.”

Buenos Aires sees rare snowfall

Breaking Earth News

Argentina, USA

Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, has seen snow for the first time in 89 years, as a cold snap continues to grip several South American nations.
Temperatures plunged to -22C (-8F) in parts of Argentina's province of Rio Negro, while snow fell on Buenos Aires for several hours on Monday.
Two deaths from exposure were reported in Argentina and one in Chile.
In Bolivia, heavy snowfall blocked the nation's main motorway and forced the closure of several airports.
In Argentina, several provinces in the Andes have been placed under a storm alert, according to the national weather centre.
But thousands of people cheered in the streets of Buenos Aires at the sight of the capital's first snowfall since 1918.
"Despite all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen snow in Buenos Aires," 82-year-old Juana Benitez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Snow/ Cold

A blizzard with winds of up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour shut down the Cristo Redentor tunnel between Chile and Argentina, stranding some 3,000 trucks. Even in Peru, where warm climate prevails, the cold snap forced authorities to place half of the country's 24 departments under a state of emergency. Weather forecasters expect this third cold snap in the southern hemisphere's winter season to last until Wednesday. Photo: Argentinian girls take a picture with a mobile phone at Plaza de Mayo square in Buenos Aires, while snow is falling in the country. A cold snap sent thermometers plunging in South America in recent days, killing three people in Chile and Argentina while Buenos Aires saw snow on Monday for the first time in 89 years.

BRITAIN - Parts of Britain could see ground frost next week as summer weather continues to avoid northern Europe, lashing it instead with strong winds and heavy rain. After the wettest June since record began many Britons enjoyed a weekend of good weather. But more wind and rain forecast for this week is likely to be followed by plunging temperatures across the region next week as the abnormally bleak weather returns, including frost. "They are talking about rural areas in central England, the glens of Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is VERY UNUSUAL for the time of year." Before the frost bites Britain next week, most of northern Europe will be blanketed in dark clouds, chilled by cold fronts and doused by thunderstorms. "The weather over Europe and the eastern Atlantic continues to be plagued by low pressure, keeping many areas fairly unsettled and cool. Further out in the Atlantic, more cloud can be seen, and this is likely to arrive on Wednesday night."

Thousand Flee Smoking Volcano

Breaking Earth News
Jakarta,Indonesia

East swelters in 2nd day of heat wave

Breaking Earth News

USA
Photo: A boy cools off in a fountain Monday, July 9, 2007 in Princeton, N.J. Temperatures hit 90 degrees by 1 p.m. on Monday, and temperatures in the 90s were forecast through Wednesday, said Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

A high of around 93 was predicted for Tuesday in New York — but combined with humidity it was expected to feel like 98 degrees. On Monday, the temperature hit 92 in Central Park. Cooler weather and storms were forecast by Wednesday.
It was even hotter in Oregon, where temperatures in the southwest were expected to hit 105 and north-central's Pendleton was forecast to reach 106.
More than a week of high temperatures across the West have also raised wildfire concerns. Conditions have gotten "super-dry," said Roger Peterson, a spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. "And it's only going to get drier over the next few days."
In the East, the heat spread as far south as Virginia, where temperatures in the 90s prompted state officials to issue a hazardous weather alert. Richmond opened three cooling shelters Monday.
The West Virginia town of Bluefield offered free lemonade Tuesday after temps surpassed 90 degrees the day before, following a decades-old tradition.
In Washington, D.C., forecasters predicted a high of 96 degrees, which will feel like 101 with the humidity.

Earth Frenzy Radio Network: Program Note

Skywatch-Media News

Public Announcement

July 09, 2007

The Facts about Planet X

The Sumerian description of our solar system includes one more planet which they called "Nibiru", which means "Planet of the Crossing". The Description of this planet by the Sumerians describes precisely the specifications of Planet X (the 10th planet).

The Sumerian culture, which is the oldest known culture on Earth, had an amazing knowledge of the solar system. They recorded stories such as the great flood which have been preserved through the modern-day biblical passages found in both the old and new testiment. They also speak of a time in which man lived among their living gods here on earth. They called their gods, "Anunnaki", which is translated to mean, "those who from heaven to earth came."

Our Special Guest on the Earth Frenzy Radio Network, will be Nancy Lieder of Zetatalk. Nancy who claims to be an envoy for the Zeta-Reticuli, has the uncanny ability to relay messages to citizens of planet Earth through extra-sensory communications with Alien Beings. Her telepathic communication with the external world has astounded scores of listeners during her many talk show appearances and media lectures.

During this program segment, Nancy will discuss the whereabouts of Planet X, and give our listeners a better understanding of why this Rogue Planet is the real menace behind the sudden climate and earth changes we are now experiencing on earth, including the magnetic disturbances affecting our solar system, as a result of this incoming planet.

For those who may be curious as to why this planet is not yet visible to the naked eye, you may be interested in knowing that a rather startling depiction of an incoming red object (seen Below) was sent into
Coast to Coast AM during Nancy's recent interview with George Noory

Further Evidence Does Exist

In the Spring of 2003 I decided to Search the skies for myself to see if there was any truthfulness behind the theoretical existence of Planet X. To my amazement I captured what appears to be an incoming object from the far side of the Sun. Was it Planet X?

This is your opportunity to learn more than what is being told by the mainstream media or world governments.

The program is scheduled to air live tomorrow, July 10 at 12 noon CST.

You may listen to the show here

For Additional Information click here

Sudanese Flood Waters Rise

Sudan
Photo: Asad Ali Fadla shows the aftermath of a flash flood on his home in a suburb of Sennar in eastern Sudan, July 8, 2007. Asad, his parents, five brothers and sisters, are among thousands whose homes have been swept

Videos On Demand

Skywatch Media Entertainment

Multi-Media Information

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Stewart Island deluge causes floods, slips

Fires force mass evacuations on Spain's Canary Islands

Monday, July 30, 2007

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Friday, July 27, 2007

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Monday, July 23, 2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

No letup seen after weeks of flooding that has claimed hundreds of lives

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Monday, July 16, 2007

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Friday, July 13, 2007

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Wednesday, July 11, 2007