Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 3 in Malawi

Kondwani Magombo
All Africa
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:38 UTC
Lightning
Lightning killed three men and injured one in Lilongwe on Friday afternoon in the city's low density Area 43 where the four were working, Police confirmed.

Lilongwe Police identified the three as Wedson Nkhunumbu,37, of Magombo Village, T/A Champiti, Ntcheu; Douglas Kachuma, 38, of Kaunde Village, T/A Mlumbe in Zomba; and 22-year-old, Isaac Ngolombe, from Donda Village, T/A Chimoka in Lilongwe.

The police further identified the survivor as Enusu Pinto, 23 from Kanyenda Village, T/A Maganga in Salima.

Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Kingsley Dandaula, told Mana that the men met their fate as they were working on the foundations of a brick fence on a plot belonging to one of the residents of the area.

"Rain started pouring and before the four men could find shelter lightning struck them killing Nkhunumbu, Kachuma and Ngolombe on spot while Pinto lied unconscious," explained Dandaula.
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Question

Unexplained boom rattles residents and homes in southeastern Wisconsin

Jennifer Eisenbart
My Racine County
Thu, 25 Feb 2016 18:35 UTC
Kansasville, WI
© mywisconsinspace/Traveler John
Kansasville and Dover residents looking for an answer to Saturday's loud noise are still waiting for an explanation.

Described as an explosion by some and a sonic boom as others, residents near Eagle Lake at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday started phoning 911 regarding an explosion.

The only problem? The Racine County Sheriff's Department and Kansasville Fire couldn't find anything.

"We investigated it and nothing found," said Kansasville Fire Chief Scott Remer. "We have no cause or origin.

"I heard a lot of things about 'my house shook,'" he added.

Area residents also flooded social media seeking an explanation for what happened. On a local area 'buy, sell, trade' list on Facebook, people referred to the noise as something "blowing up" and said the noise shook homes.

Another person later explained there were some fireworks going off, and called the situation "all good." However, that was about two hours after the initial report.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Warden Mike Hirschboeck said ice heaves on the lake could have created a loud booming noise.

Comment: See also: Unexplained loud booms: A compilation from 2015

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Eye 1

Great white shark repeatedly attempts to bite fishing boat off New Zealand coast

Ben Hooper
UPI
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 15:37 UTC
Shark
A group of fishermen off the coast of New Zealand captured video of a hungry great white shark repeatedly trying to bite different parts of their boat.

The video, posted to YouTube by Hamish Clarke, shows the shark swimming around the boat and putting its mouth on different parks of the vessel while the astonished humans look on and film it with their phones.

"It then hit its nose on the boat which made its attitude become more aggressive," the filmer wrote online. "Eventually it then left."

The video, filmed Feb. 20 near Frenchman Island, involved the same boat and crew seen in an earlier released video showing one of the passengers reaching down to pet a passing shark on the same day.

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Attention

Fears of imminent eruption of largest active volcano on Earth; small earthquakes recorded at Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Sean Martin
Daily Express (UK)
Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:47 UTC
Mauna Loa could erupt at any minute
© GettyMauna Loa could erupt at any minute
Small earthquakes dotted around the world's biggest active volcano has Hawaiians in a stir in fears that it may begin spewing lava at any minute.

Mauna Loa, located on the Island of Hawaii, is one of the biggest active volcanoes and in recent years, the USGS (US Geological Survey) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has detected more frequent seismic activity in the region.

The volcano has not erupted since 1984 and is long overdue an eruption having blown 10 times in the 20th century prior to this.

The US's National Park Service writes: "When Mauna Loa erupts, voluminous, fast-moving lava flows can reach the ocean in only a few hours, severing roads and utilities and repaving the volcano's flanks along the way.

"Since 1843, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times, most recently in 1984, when lava flows reached to within 4 miles (6.4 km) of Hilo."
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Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods hit Montego Bay, Jamaica


The Gleaner
Sat, 27 Feb 2016 14:15 UTC
Creek Street in Montego Bay St. James.
© Abka Fitz-HenleyCreek Street in Montego Bay St. James.
Western Bureau:

The heavy rains that have been lashing section of St James since late Friday afternoon resulted in significant flooding in several sections of downtown Montego Bay and has left several houses in the newly constructed Port Bello Housing Scheme, near Cornwall Courts, under water.

"We have had reports of Creek Street, Dome Street and the Sign main road being under water at this time," Montego Bay's mayor, Councillor Glendon Harris, told The Gleaner shortly after 1 p.m.

"We have teams from the National Works Agency, the Police and the St James Fire Department out there monitoring the situation".

As a result of the number of flooded roadways across the western city, traffic was reduced to a snarl in some areas and came to a complete standstill in many other sections, creating a nightmare for motorists and pedestrians.


Montego Bay city flooded after heavy rain
© Abka Fitz-HenleyMontego Bay city flooded after heavy rain
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Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods in Kuching, Malaysia following 300 mm (nearly 1 foot) of rain in 24 hours

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 13:51 UTC
Floods in Kuching
© Bomba MalaysiaFloods in Kuching
Heavy rainfall in Malaysia has caused the third wave of flooding in the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

A torrential downpour that began early on Saturday 27 February caused severe flooding in and some landslides in the district of Serian. Other areas affected included Padawan, Penrissen and Bau-Lundu.

The state's capital city, Kuching, was also badly affected, with some streets under 70 cm of water at the peak of the floods.

Local media say that much as 300 mm of rain fell in Kuching in 24 hours between 27 and 28 February, 2016. The city's drainage system is designed for a maximum of 180 mm of rain and was unable to cope. However, much of the flood water had subsided by late morning of Sunday 28 February.


Floods in Kuching
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Arrow Up

Manhole explosion in New Jersey sends cover flying over 20 feet into the air


CBS Local
Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:03 UTC
New Jersey manhole explosions
© CBS New York (screen capture)
The wet weather on Wednesday caused some alarming moments in Elizabeth, New Jersey, when electrical installations underground began to explode.

As CBS2's Steve Langford reported, cellphone video captured the explosion that sent a manhole cover flying into the air.

With brutal force, the manhole cover was propelled skyward by a powerful explosion in a business district Wednesday in Elizabeth, as underground electrical wires once again proved to be an incendiary mix with salt and rain and snow.

The dangerous conditions in the manhole sparked one blast after the other mid-morning near Elizabeth Avenue and 7th Street.

"The explosion looked like it's the flames, they come. The flames maybe about maybe 6-foot high and they start to smoke - a lot of smoke," said witness Carlos Aviles.

The call first came in at 10:10 a.m. after the manhole exploded. Just as fire units were pulling up, the manhole cover blasted into the air.

"I stepped out of the vehicle and a manhole, probably 20, 25 feet away, shot right up in the air," said Elizabeth Deputy Fire Chief Lathey Wirkus. "It was a massive explosion."

Comment: Last year in New York, manhole covers rained down on a busy street after three manholes exploded, and a manhole cover blasted through the floor of a moving New York City bus injuring a passenger.

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Attention

Eruption warning issued for Mount Io volcano in Japan


Xinhua
Sun, 28 Feb 2016 19:51 UTC
Mount Io
© Wikipedia/ Miya.mMount Io
Japan's weather agency on Sunday issued an alert for the possible eruption of a volcano in the southwest of the country.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that following an increase in noticeable seismic activity and based on recent eruptions, Mt. Io, which spans both Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, has been issued with a no-entry warning.

The municipal government of Ebino city has declared a no-entry zone around the crater of Mt. Io, which is part of the Kirishima mountains, according to the Kyodo News Agency.

JMA said the alert was issued in light of more than 30 volcanic-related temblors being recorded as of noon Sunday, following increased volcanic activity at the 1,317-meter volcano since last year, in the Kyushu region of Japan.
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Cloud Lightning

Five die as storm hits Durban, South Africa


eNCA
Sat, 27 Feb 2016 16:34 UTC
Durban storm
Durban was on Saturday counting the cost of a storm that left at least five people dead and a dozen injured.

The storm that ripped through the Durban area on Friday night delivered a deluge of rain and hail with strong winds that uprooted trees and collapsed walls.

One of those walls collapsed in Durban's Westville suburb, killing a 55-year-old man.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak said paramedics on the scene were informed that the man, another adult and two teenagers went to inspect the wall before it collapsed.

"‎At this stage it is not clear if they suspected damage to the wall and thus went to investigate. The wall collapsed on the man and pinned him under the rubble and water for some time."

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Attention

5.9 magnitude earthquake at Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge


Earthquake Track
Sat, 27 Feb 2016 15:39 UTC
earthquake
2016-02-27 21:29:43 UTC

UTC time: Saturday, February 27, 2016 21:29 PM

Your time: 2016-02-27T21:29:43Z

Magnitude Type: mb

USGS page: M 5.9 - Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge

USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Reports from the public: 0 people
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