Earth ChangesS


Attention

Minnesota woman loses arm, life in U.S. Virgin Islands shark attack

Shark attacks
A shark attacked and killed a Minnesota woman while she swam in waters along Dorsch Beach in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Thursday afternoon.

The Virgin Islands Police Department received an emergency call reporting the shark attack at 4:28 p.m. local time, and marine units and fire and emergency medical services personnel responded.

They found a woman who lost an arm in the attack and searched for a possible second victim, but found no one else.

The woman later was identified as Arlene Lillis, 56, of Minnesota, and she eventually died from her injuries.

Fire

Best of the Web: Wildfires rage out of control in Patagonia, Argentina, as thousands of tourists evacuated


Comment: Is there a 'hidden hand' behind these fires?


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Argentine authorities have evacuated some 3,000 tourists from a sparsely populated Patagonian district ravaged by wildfires for days, officials said Wednesday.
Wildfires have raged through Patagonia, forcing the evacuation of at least 3,000 tourists.

Several forest areas near the Andes mountains in Chubut province have been blazing since Monday (5 January), with video footage showing billows of smoke and flames rising from the trees.

More than 2,000 hectares of vegetation across various points in the Argentine Patagonia have been affected by the blazes. "Comarca Andina", a popular tourist destination, has been hit by the flames.

At least one of the fires was the result of arson, officials said.

It comes a year after the country was hit by its worst wildfires in three decades, which saw tens of thousands of hectares razed to the ground and left one person dead.


Comment: Social media in Argentina is rife with reports of evidence of arson at more than one of the fires:


And Argentine media is reporting the discovery of 'grenades' of some type being found 'around a lake' somewhere in Patagonia:


DD Geopolitics has a whole theory as to what may be happening here: preparation for partitioning Argentina into another 'Jewish state'?

Unmasking the Flames: Israel's Shadow Over Patagonia and Milei's Betrayal of Argentina

The Grayzone also finds the theory to have merit:




Cloud Precipitation

Germany braces for more heavy snowfall as Storm Goretti hits northern Europe

France and Germany battered by strong winds and plunging temperatures, as schools closed and travel disrupted
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© Daniel Reinhardt/AFP/Getty ImagesWorkers clear snow from the platforms at Hamburg's main railway station during heavy snowfall on Friday.
Germany is expecting heavy snowfalls of up to 20cm after record winds of more than 210kph left almost 400,000 homes in France without electricity, as Storm Goretti battered north-western Europe.

No major or widespread damage to property was reported in France on Friday but one man was seriously hurt after slipping from his roof while trying to replace fallen tiles and 27 others suffered minor injuries, several requiring hospital treatment.

France's national weather service, Météo-France, had issued severe weather warnings urging residents to remain home. Gusts of 213kph (132mph) and 216kph (134mph) were recorded overnight at Gatteville and Val-de-Saire in Normandy.

Windspeed records were also broken in Brittany, and a gust of 148kph (92mph) was registered at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. More than 380,000 homes mainly, in Normandy and Brittany, were without power on Friday lunchtime.


SOTT Logo Media

SOTT Focus: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - December 2025: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

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December 2025 witnessed escalating solar activity within Solar Cycle 25. Early in the month, a full-halo coronal mass ejection from an M8.1 flare on December 6 led to a strong G3 geomagnetic storm on December 9, enhancing auroral displays. Mid-month featured an X1.1 flare on December 8 — the most intense of the period — along with multiple C- and M-class flares.

Activity intensified late, with an M5.1 flare on December 27, an M4.2 on December 28, and peaking at an M7.1 on December 31, accompanied by potential Earth-grazing CMEs. Sunspot clusters and coronal hole high-speed streams contributed to minor geomagnetic disturbances throughout the period.

We can anticipate additional extreme weather, earthquakes, and increased solar activity over the next few months.

December 2025 was marked by severe flooding and landslides in Southeast Asia, resulting in over 1,500 fatalities across Sri Lanka and Indonesia, alongside notable seismic activity, including a 7.6 magnitude earthquake off Japan's east coast that prompted a tsunami warning.

Volcanic eruptions occurred at Mount Semeru in Indonesia and mud volcanoes in India and Trinidad, while unseasonal snowfalls and cold snaps affected regions from Australia to Canada. Multiple meteor fireball sightings were reported globally, and extreme weather events like atmospheric rivers and storms caused widespread disruptions in North America and Europe.

Windsock

Storm Goretti SLAMS UK, 90 mph winds leave thousands without power in South-West

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An extremely rare red warning has been issued for a 'weather bomb' as snow is causing carnage across the UK. Two airports have stopped a number of flights as Storm Goretti sweeps across the country, bringing up to 30cm of snow.

Dozens of flights are currently not arriving or departing from London Heathrow and Birmingham airports due to the weather conditions. The Met Office has issued several alerts across the country for snow, wind, rain and ice, including the red warning for strong winds in south-west England and an amber for heavy snow in central parts of the country.

Travel chaos is also hitting the roads with trees falling and road closures due to thick blankets of snow. As well as travel disruption the weather has also led to power outages. Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong described Storm Goretti as "a multi-hazard event", with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and very strong winds in the south-west.


Volcano

Heightened activity at Mayon Volcano in the Philippines raises safety concerns

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The Philippines' most active volcano, Mayon, is showing signs of escalating activity, prompting authorities to reinforce exclusion zones and warn of potentially dangerous eruptions, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Thursday.

Phivolcs said entry into the six-kilometer (3.7-mile) Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano is strictly prohibited, while aircraft have also been advised to avoid flying close to the summit.

Nearly 50 pyroclastic flows -- fast-moving currents of hot gas, ash and volcanic debris -- were recorded over a 24-hour period, the agency added.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol warned of the deadly potential of such flows, recalling they killed 77 people during Mayon's 1993 eruption, according to the Philippine News Agency.


Attention

One killed, two injured in wild boar attack in West Bengal, India

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A man was killed and two others were seriously injured after a wild boar attacked villagers in Phulati Para village under Shikarpur Gram Panchayat of Rajganj block in Jalpaiguri district on Thursday afternoon. The incident has triggered panic across the area.

The deceased has been identified as Ratiya Oraon (48), a tea garden worker by profession. The injured are Bablu Oraon and Madan Majhi. Bablu Oraon was discharged after receiving first aid, while Madan Majhi remains in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at Jalpaiguri Super Speciality Hospital.

According to local sources, Ratiya Oraon was resting under a tree near a tea garden close to his house after work when a wild boar suddenly attacked him. He suffered severe injuries and collapsed on the ground. The animal then went on to attack two other people present at the spot.

With the help of local residents, the injured Ratiya Oraon was rushed to Jalpaiguri Super Speciality Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Tornado1

Storms hit Oklahoma with high winds and 2 tornadoes - wind speed of up to 110 mph reported

Damage in Purcell, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after severe storms came through the state.
© KFORDamage in Purcell, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, after severe storms came through the state.
Severe storms moved through Oklahoma around sunrise Thursday, spinning off two tornadoes and high winds that damaged buildings, downed trees and caused power outages, officials said.

A tornado that was at least an EF1, with wind speeds between 86-110 mph (138-177 kph), struck the area of Purcell, some 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City, said Phillip Ware, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Norman. He said crews will also be surveying damage in the Shawnee area, where another tornado was confirmed by radar.

"We're confident we had at least two tornadoes this morning," Ware said.

There were no immediate reports of major injuries or deaths.

Much of Purcell, a city of about 7,000, was without power after the storm moved through there, said Bobby Elmore, chief of police and interim city manager. He said some metal barns were damaged, as were the roofs of some homes.


Sun

Australia evacuates towns as dangerous heatwave triggers blazes

Australia’s firefighters have been grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria
© Peter Cookson/Little Yarra CFAAustralia’s firefighters have been grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria
Australia has been hit by an intense heatwave as temperatures soar above 40C, sparking warnings of "extreme fire danger" and risks to life.

The country's Bureau of Meteorology said more than half of Australia was in the grips of extreme heat, especially South Australia and Victoria, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 47C in inland areas.

Firefighters were grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria on Thursday and a number of towns near Seymour were evacuated as responders struggled to contain outbreaks. A segment of the Hume Highway, the main road between Melbourne and Sydney, was also closed due to fire threats.

Friday "is going to be the peak fire danger day, especially for Victoria", said Sarah Scully, a meteorologist at the Bureau.

High temperatures, strong gusty winds and "dry lightning", where thunder storms had little rain, all increased the risk of fires, she added.


Windsock

Storm batters Istanbul, disrupts transport across western Türkiye

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A powerful storm hit Istanbul on Jan. 8, bringing strong winds, towering waves and widespread disruption to sea transport, while also affecting several other provinces across western Türkiye.

Following warnings from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, gale-force winds began sweeping through Istanbul in the morning hours, intensifying over the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea.

In Beşiktaş, large waves slammed into the shoreline, creating hazardous conditions along the coast.

Maritime operations were brought to a grinding halt, as treacherous sea conditions made navigation impossible.

Beşiktaş - Kadıköy passenger boat services were suspended, while some ferry lines announced multiple cancellations.