Earth ChangesS


Attention

Switzerland at risk of potentially 'devastating' floods this spring


The Local Switzerland
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 09:27 UTC
Flooding in Switzerland in 2006
© Fabrice Coffrini/AFPFlooding in Switzerland in 2006.
The amount of snow in the mountains this winter and rainfall on the lowlands could have serious consequences for lakes and rivers in Switzerland this spring, one expert has warned.

"Devastating flooding" is a possibility, canton Bern's head of property insurance Ueli Winzenried told the media, saying he was extremely concerned by the situation.

Cantons should take steps to lower the level of lakes so they can absorb the coming meltwater, he advised, while owners of property in risk areas should empty their cellars and arm themselves with sandbags.

The aim is to avoid a repeat of the situation in 1999, when heavy rain after a snowy winter caused lakes and rivers to break their banks, creating millions of francs of damage.

However it is still too early to know if Switzerland will face the same risks of flooding as back then. "We are not, for the moment, in the same situation as in 1999," Philippe Hohl, head of the water division in canton Vaud's environment department, told 20 Minutes.

In 1999 there was more snow in the mountains and the month of May was extremely rainy, a combination that led to the flooding.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Thousands of birds fill the sky over Adelaide in Australia as they flee oncoming storm

Thomas Peter McLavin
Austin American-Stateman
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 20:42 UTC
Thousands of birds flee incoming storm in Australia
Thousands of birds flee incoming storm in Australia
Hordes of white birds screeched and flew away from an approaching storm at Andrews Farm, South Australia, on March 25.In the footage, the noisy birds, which appear to be corellas, fill the sky in Adelaide's north.


Source: Storyful
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Red Flag

Study warns Mt. Etna sliding into Mediterranean and could trigger landslides and tsunamis


RT
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 20:27 UTC
volcano
© Antonio Parrinello / Reuters
Mount Etna is slowly sliding into the Mediterranean Sea, according to the first study which confirms the entire active volcano is shifting and could trigger catastrophic landslides and devastating tsunamis.

Scientists have confirmed for the first time that the entire volcano is moving in an east-south-east direction towards the town of Giarre, at an average rate of 14mm (.55 inches) a year. That's according to the study published in the Bulletin of Volcanology.

"This is the first time it's been observed in an active volcano," the study's lead author, John Murray, of the Open University told RT. "While it has been known to happen in extinct volcanoes, this is the first time it's been demonstrated for the whole volcano to be moving like this."

Researchers were able to determine the whole volcano is on the move by using a series of more than 100 GPS stations located around Mount Etna, which they monitored for 12 years.
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Cloud Precipitation

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Record rains, early snows in southern hemisphere and newest cosmic ray count


Adapt 2030
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 19:49 UTC
Flash flood
Torrential rain causes flash floods in Belo Horizonte in Brazil
Just weeks after David Taylor forecast record cold for Australia this year, early snows and frost appear, 8 weeks ahead of schedule. Record rains now confirmed for Brazil and Dominican Republic in March. Floods and Freak Storms during the dry season in eastern Thailand. Newest cosmic ray counts by Carlos Ramirez.


Sources
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Cloud Precipitation

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Southern hemisphere climate cycles repeat


Adapt 2030
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 19:42 UTC
Floodwater in Queensland, Australia
Floodwater in Queensland, Australia
New Report, "Large floods in South East Queensland, Australia" Greg M. McMahon & Anthony S. Kiem - Australasian Journal of Water Resources show that floods are cyclical an can be predicted in cycles. In the same breath, Australia is heading towards it's coldest winter on record predicts David Taylor, which if true will take out some South Australian wheat production in 2018-2019. Snows in Losotho, twice this month. Lets add in sunspot cycles with the flood cycles and see what the forecasts will be.


Sources
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Fish

Large amount of dead fish wash up on the coast of Oman


GDN Online
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 16:35 UTC
dead fish
A large quantity of dead fish washed ashore along the Seeb coastline over the past days.

The Muscat Municipality deployed teams of workers to clean up the beaches, without giving details about the causes which might have killed the fish.
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Snowflake

Spring snowstorm dumps up to a foot of snow on central and northeast Wyoming


Bristol Herald Courier
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 12:10 UTC
Gillette
© Rhianna GelhartSnow in Gillette
A snowstorm dumped up to a foot (30 centimeters) of snow in northeast Wyoming, closing schools and causing hazardous travel conditions.

Slick and hazardous driving conditions were common on many roads and highways, including stretches of Interstate 90, in the region Monday afternoon.

The Gillette News Record reported that about 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the Gillette area by Monday morning. There were reports of 12 inches (30 centimeters) north of Rozet.
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Cloud Precipitation

Raging river kills 8 people on board a minibus in Lesotho

Chris Pleasance
Daily Mail
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:33 UTC
A taxi carrying 15 people in Lesotho attempted to cross a flooded bridge in heavy rain (left) before being swept away (right), killing eight people
A taxi carrying 15 people in Lesotho attempted to cross a flooded bridge in heavy rain (left) before being swept away (right), killing eight people
This is the horrifying moment eight people including a mother and her newborn baby were killed after a minibus was swept away by a flooded river in Lesotho.

The bus, which was carrying 15 people at the time, was trying to cross a flooded bridge in central Thaba Tseka district when it was pushed into the river.

Video shot by another driver captures the moment the bus is swept away, and the desperate struggle of passengers as they try to make it to the shore.

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Wolf

Woman mauled to death by at least one of her pit bull terriers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jesse Garza
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 10:37 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
A Milwaukee woman was found dead in her near west side home after being mauled to death by at least one of her pet dogs, according to the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office.

Hong Saengsamly, 49, was found by her son about 10 p.m. Saturday in the kitchen of her home in the 500 block of N. 28th St., according to a medical examiner's report.

Saengsamly suffered multiple puncture and blunt force injuries on her arms and shoulders and her death was due to "mauling by dogs," according to the report.


Comment: This was the second instance of a human fatality caused by a family pit bull-type within 2 days, for details of the other, see: Boy killed by family pit bull terrier in Converse, Texas.

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Attention

Dead gray whale found off San Diego, California

Teri Figueroa
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Mon, 26 Mar 2018 09:39 UTC
A dead whale was found off the coast of Black's Beach Monday morning.
© San Diego Fire-Rescue DepartmentA dead whale was found off the coast of Black's Beach Monday morning.
A dead gray whale found in the water west of Black's Beach on Monday morning will be hauled to a landfill, officials said.

Lifeguards spotted the lifeless mammal around 11 a.m., San Diego Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Mónica Muñoz said.

National Marine Fisheries decided that lifeguards could tow the carcass to Fiesta Island, she said. It will be anchored there for the night, then a city crew will haul it to a landfill in the morning.
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