Earth ChangesS


Snowflake Cold

Winter Storm Inga: Travel chaos, power outages and at least 10 killed in southern US

Winter storm warnings US South
© The Weather ChannelWinter storm warnings have been issued for parts of Texas
Winter Storm Inga unloaded snow and ice on much of the South Tuesday and Wednesday, and with frigid temperatures moving in behind the snowstorm, travel in the region has been all but shut down and at least 100,000 homes and businesses were in the dark.

At least seven deaths have been blamed on the winter storm. Authorities in Bibb County, Georgia, confirmed a fatal crash caused by wintry conditions killed two people Wednesday morning along Interstate 75, and the roadway was shut down the road for an extended period of time. On Tuesday afternoon, a woman died in a crash on Interstate 64 in Cabell County, West Virginia, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

In Metairie, Louisiana, a baby died after a vehicle crashed into a canal, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The mother remains in critical condition following the crash that was likely caused by icy roads, the report added. The governor's office announced three more deaths caused by the storm.

Three other deaths were blamed on the brutally cold weather that rushed in behind the storm. Officials in Houston reported two deaths from cold-weather exposure and Memphis authorities said there was one confirmed fatality.

Hundreds of flights were canceled across the South again on Wednesday, including in Atlanta and Charlotte, where the former was in a ground stop in the morning hours and the latter was facing multi-hour delays.

Residents were urged to stay home and off the roads as several Southern cities attempted to avoid a repeat of recent "Snowpocalypse" events, when hundreds of thousands of motorists were stranded on icy roadways for several hours. Nevertheless, officials reported hundreds of accidents on slick roads in the metro Atlanta area on Wednesday


Comment: How treacherous did some of the roads get? Check out this tweet of the ice skating police officer:

Winter Storm Inga is the second major storm to hit the US in two weeks following Storm Grayson. A new storm system is forecast for the US West, Plains and Midwest into next week.


Snow Globe

Lost in time: Abandoned home in Russia encased in glistening sheets of ice and snow (VIDEO)

Housed encased in snow
© Ruptly
Winter's frosty embrace has transformed an abandoned Russian residence into an incredible icy palace, where frozen stalagmites hang like chandeliers.

The home in Ekaterinburg, where temperatures can easily reach minus 17 degrees celsius in January, appears locked in time thanks to a burst water mains that has almost entirely coated the interior rooms in ice.

Comment: See also: Oymyakon, Siberia: Thermometer breaks in world's coldest village as temperatures plunge to -62C


Play

Strange sounds heard in the skies of England

Strange sounds in England
© YouTube/Rickrocklane
Strange sounds coming from the sky in England. Any ideas?


Music

Trumpeting noises heard in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Trumpet sounds in Regina, SK
© YouTube/Riddler00010
Birds hit the back of the house and heard STRANGE sounds in the sky. Who else heard it??? EEEE LOLJK


Comment: Please excuse the foul language.



Question

Strange trumpet sounds heard in Garland, Texas

Strange sounds in Garland, TX
© YouTube/jajajaja beans
Strange Trumpet Sounds from Sky in Texas:


Rainbow

Rare iridescent rainbow cloud spotted above Darwin, Australia

A spectacular cloud formation caught the attention of Darwin residents during Sunday's storms
A spectacular cloud formation caught the attention of Darwin residents during Sunday's storms
We've heard of clouds having silver linings, but Northern Territory locals have been treated to the sight of clouds with a stunning rainbow lining.

On Sunday, just before a storm hit Darwin, several clouds began to shimmer with a multicoloured glow.

Those who saw it took to social media to try and describe the phenomenon. One called it an "ice prism," another a "cloud bow" due to its resemblance to a rainbow.

"It's incredible," said an Instagram user. "I'm totally not doing this justice".

Seismograph

Buildings shake as 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan

earthquake taipei 2018
© Central Weather Bureau
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake has rocked Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, according to the Central Meteorological Bureau. Local witnesses reported a slight rocking of buildings in the city.

The quake's epicenter was nearly 12km north of Taipei City Hall, at a depth of 140km.

Snowflake Cold

Another winter storm hits UK, hundreds of drivers spend night in cars after 15 inches of snowfall

A jackknifed lorry is recovered on the M74 today after motorists spent the night stranded on the road in Abington, Scotland
A jackknifed lorry is recovered on the M74 today after motorists spent the night stranded on the road in Abington, Scotland
Hundreds of stranded drivers have spent a freezing night in their cars as thundersnow causes havoc over Britain.

Mountain rescue teams were drafted in to check on drivers stuck in their vehicles on the M74 in Lanarkshire after heavy snow showers struck the country, with up to 15in (39cm) of the white stuff hitting Dumfries and Galloway.

All schools in the Scottish Borders have been shut today along with 200 in Northern Ireland, while commuters across Britain have been warned of treacherous conditions following the arrival of Storm Fionn over Ireland.

Severe 'be prepared' weather warnings were upgraded across the UK last night, with much of Scotland and Northern Ireland blanketed in snow and ice and drivers warned of lengthy disruptions during rush hour.


Snowflake Cold

Snow and ice across the southern US with record-breaking cold in Louisiana and Mississippi

A snow covered downtown is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Atlanta.
© Janelle CoganA snow covered downtown is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Atlanta.
The South awoke Wednesday to a two-part Arctic mess. First came a thin blanket of snow and ice, and then came the below-zero wind chills and record-breaking low temperatures in New Orleans and other cities.

The snowfall sabotaged morning rush hour before it even began, sending cars crashing into each other on major thoroughfares. Officials urged people to stay off the roads if possible, and to bundle up if they ventured outside.

With temperature hovering around 10 degrees, store clerk Susan Brown got to work an hour late Wednesday in the north Alabama city of Decatur. Snow and ice blanketed grassy areas and roadsides, she said, and neighborhood roads were much whiter than main highways.

Binoculars

Over 30,000 evacuated as Mayon Volcano threatens to erupt in Philippines

Mayon volcano
© AP Photo/Earl RecamundaLava cascades down the slopes of Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi city, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines, Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
More than 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes as the Philippines' most active volcano spews lava, sparking fears it may be about to erupt.

Glowing lava and ash clouds have begun to emir from Mount Mayon in Albay province, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila.

Officials ordered at least 34,038 people to evacuate amid fears that it may suddenly explode in a full eruption of deadly molten lava.

Police checkpoints have been set up to turn away curious tourists or residents trying to get into the danger zone reaching around 6 to 7 kilometers (3.7 to 4.3 miles) around Mayon.

"They say it's beauty juxtaposed with danger," Office of Civil Defense regional director Claudio Yucot said.

Residents from at least two cities and six towns were told to leave, with many forced to move into temporary shelters set up in schools.

Lava has already flowed as far as two kilometers (1.2 miles) from Mount Mayon tips, while an ash cloud shrouded the top of the volcano.

Albay officials declared a state of calamity in the province of more than a million people to allow more rapid disbursement of disaster funds.


Comment: Mayon Volcano in Philippines spews ash, threatens major eruption

Today (January 17), that number is approaching 40,000:
Mount Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, continued to erupt on Tuesday forcing nearly 40,000 people to evacuate, according to the Philippine National Risk Reduction and Management Council.

While the recent eruptions have been relatively weak, scientists warn that they could turn explosive at any time, according to the Associated Press.

A thick ash cloud around the volcano has made monitoring its eruptions difficult and also caused ash to settle on nearby villages.