Earth ChangesS


Snowflake Cold

Severe winter conditions strike eastern Turkey

Snow in Turkey
Heavy snow has begun to fall as temperatures hit early winter lows in eastern Turkey, hitting daily life for many locals.

Snowfall began on Nov. 1 in the eastern provinces of Erzurum, Ardahan, Kars and Ağrı, blocking hundreds of roads to a number of remote villages and snarling traffic, particularly on the road linking Erzurum and Ağrı. The road linking Ağrı to the eastern province of Iğdır was also closed to traffic due to heavy snow.

A number of vehicles drifted off roads, while heavy trucks became trapped, as the height of snow rose to 50 centimeters in some areas.

Highway officials worked to clear the roads and prevent traffic congestions caused by the tough conditions.
The district governor's office in the Diyadin district of Ağrı province suspended education for one day on Nov. 2 across the district due to the snow.

Snowflake

Early snowfall adding up on Mammoth Mountain, California

Several early storms have coated Mammoth Mountain, a major resort five hours from Los Angeles.
Several early storms have coated Mammoth Mountain, a major resort five hours from Los Angeles.
October was kind to Central and Northern California resorts. One Lake Tahoe resort is already open, and the Eastern Sierra's Mammoth Mountain received 18 inches over the weekend, giving it a 36-inch base at higher elevations.

Meanwhile, popular Mountain High, usually the first resort to open in Southern California, has been running snow-making operations and could start spinning the lifts before its planned mid-November debut.

Snowflake

'It's exceptionally bad': Farmers bracing for losses after early snowfall in British Columbia

Walter Fritsche inspects a bushel of snow-covered canola on his field east of Dawson Creek. Early snowfall caught Fritsche and other farmers in the region with crops still in the field.
Walter Fritsche inspects a bushel of snow-covered canola on his field east of Dawson Creek. Early snowfall caught Fritsche and other farmers in the region with crops still in the field.
Walter Fritsche felt ill as he watched the first snow settle on his crops earlier this month.

"It's kind of a sickening feeling to watch it snow and know you're not done," said Fritsche, a grain farmer east of Dawson Creek.

Fritsche is one of many farmers in the region who are at risk of losing crops after the one-two punch of a wet fall and early winter.

Some say the snowfall is among the earliest they've seen.

With crops still in the fields, the snow threatens to have a broader economic impact.

"I can't recall being shut down this early," Fritsche said Oct. 19. "Usually we do a lot of combining in October, and we haven't combined one day this October."

Cloud Precipitation

River overflows and floods Phetchaburi, Thailand

Water from the rain swollen Phetchaburi River flows through downtown Phetchaburi on Wednesday morning. All roads in the town were flooded.
© Chaiwat SatyaemWater from the rain swollen Phetchaburi River flows through downtown Phetchaburi on Wednesday morning. All roads in the town were flooded.
The army has deployed hundreds of soldiers to help flood-hit residents in the Phetchaburi town while a district in Ratchaburi may be declared a flood disaster zone.

Military personnel are also working with city officials and the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation department to drain water and distribute supplies to residents.

The flooding, which inundated the whole of Phetchaburi, started at about 3am on Wednesday and followed several days of rain that filled Phetchaburi dam in Tha Yang district to capacity.

A strong current destroyed floodwalls in tambon Khlong Krachang and Tha Rarb, causing the water to rush into several main roads in Phetchaburi Municipality and other areas, with the water level being measured at 30-40 centimetres on Wednesday evening. In some areas, roadside shops and houses were inundated.

The flooding has affected at least 2,000 households in the city. The Salaloy-Na Morn housing estate in tambon Nong Sanoe was the hardest-hit neighbourhood, with floodwater rising to 1.5 metres and damaging 30 houses.




Tornado2

Tornado touches down in Akita, Japan; displaces, damages several cars

Tornado in Akita, Japan
© NTV/NBC
Police in northern Japan found several cars damaged and displaced after responding to a call from a resident reporting a tornado Monday afternoon.

The caller said that strong winds had blown away a vehicle.

Police found a parked car overturned and the bumper of another in a distant parking lot.

No injuries have been reported.

An eyewitness said that a tornado came out of nowhere. The woman said it blew a car skyward to the height of power lines and pounded her building in a noisy storm of gravel.

Several people in the city of Akita witnessed funnel-like winds that appeared to be a tornado.


Snowflake Cold

Animals slaughted due to record snowfall with five times the monthly normal precipitation in Yakutia, Russia

horse frozen yakutia russia

A heavy snowfall in northern Yakutia set a record of thirty years with five times monthly precipitation norm. Local residents were forced to slaughter horses due to difficulties with the organization of winter camps for cattle.

According to Ykt.ru, communication between the regional center and villages was interrupted because of snowy weather. Yakutia's Minister for Agriculture Peter Alekseyev recommended district authorities should search for suitable pastures for horses and observe emaciated animals. The works to clear roads of snow to reach forage locations have already begun.

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Wolf

Dog bites sending people to hospitals in California increasing; up 44% in 10 years

Dog attack
A growing number of people in California are being sent to the hospital for dog bites.

Dog owners were surprised to learn that serious dog bites, requiring an emergency room visit are up 44-percent in California over the last ten years.

"I think when a dog bite happens, it's largely the owners fault," dog owner Elisa Alvarado said.

Newly released numbers from the California's office of statewide health planning and development show the dramatic increases in dog bites between 2005 and 2015 for adults, not including children.

Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, as well as the state of California showed increases.


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt sets a car on fire in Eilat, Israel

A car struck by a lightning in Eilat, Israel, October 27, 2016.
© Ilya FainshteinA car struck by a lightning in Eilat, Israel, October 27, 2016.
Intense thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy rainfall swept Eilat, Israel on October 27, 2016. Severe flooding forced the officials to shut down the roads as several weather-related incidents occurred. Luckily, no serious injuries or deaths were reported.

The National Weather Service reported 27.7 mm (1 inch) of rainfall in the city during October 27 with 21.4 mm (0.8 inches) observed in only two hours during the morning (local time). The amount of precipitation recorded in only one day can be compared to an entire annual average rainfall in Eilat.

The local airport was forced to shut down on the occasion but was reopened again on the same day.

Two vehicles got stranded in flood waters, while one of them was set on fire, as it got hit by a lightning.

A car struck by a lightning in Eilat, Israel, October 27, 2016.
© Ilya FainshteinA car struck by a lightning in Eilat, Israel, October 27, 2016.

Cloud Lightning

Woman struck by lightning bolt while sheltering under tree with umbrella in Zimbabwe (VIDEO)

She is suddenly hit by lightning and disappears in a cloud of smoke
She is suddenly hit by lightning and disappears in a cloud of smoke
This is the astonishing moment a woman was struck by a lightning bolt after sheltering under a tree with an umbrella during a thunderstorm.

CCTV footage shows the woman walking along a path in torrential rain , keeping close to the foliage in a desperate bid to stay dry.

But as she walks under a tree to take cover from the rain, she is suddenly hit by lightning and disappears in a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke disperses, the woman can be seen lying on the floor, with her umbrella lying a few feet away.


Cloud Lightning

Farmer killed by lightning while checking weather in the Philippines

Lightning
A farmer was killed and his wife was seriously injured early last Friday morning when lightning struck their house in the farming village of Jose Dalman town, Zamboanga del Norte.

Superintendent Michael Nicolas, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 9, said Narciso Gumias Calongo, 52, was killed and his was Arlene Calongo, 45, was hurt in the lightning strike.

According to police, Calongo was standing at the doorstep of his house to check the weather when lightning struck a coconut tree meters away and caught him and his wife.

Calongo died on the spot while his wife was brought to the local rural health unit before she was transferred to Zanorte Hospital for further treatment.