Andrea Mayes and Nicolas Perpitch abc.net.au Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:46 UTC
Stranded sperm whale dies despite rescue attempts
A whale that stranded itself at two Perth beaches in recent days has died after becoming stuck on a sand bar at Rockingham.
The huge sperm whale, which was more than 15 metres long and weighed more than 30 tonnes, surprised swimmers at Port Beach in Fremantle on Saturday when it briefly came to shore before swimming out to sea.
Yesterday dozens of people flocked to the Rockingham Naval Memorial Park Beach after the whale reappeared close to shore, with authorities closing the beach to the public as they tried to assist it.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) says the whale was in poor condition with an injury to its head and sunburn, due to being in shallow water for an extended period of time.
On Monday afternoon, authorities began spraying the animal with water using a hose from a boat to minimise its blistering and sunburn.
6.1 magnitude earthquake 158 km from Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
UTC time: Monday, December 11, 2023 06:33 AM
Your time: Monday, December 11, 2023 at 6:33 AM GMT
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page:M 6.1 - 158 km W of Neiafu, Tonga USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 5 people
Overnight snowfall across much of northern China prompted road closures and the suspension of classes and train service on Monday.
A red alert for a blizzard was in effect until mid-morning in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, and schools were closed there and in two other cities in Henan, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The Zhengzhou airport was also closed until 11 a.m.
A total of 134 road sections in 12 provinces, including 95 on highways, were closed as of 7 a.m. because of snowfall and icy conditions, CCTV said. Several trains in two parts of Shanxi province were suspended.
It was the first significant snowfall this year in much of China, outside of mountainous areas and in the northeast near the border with Russia's Siberia.
A thin layer of snow blanketed rooftops and parked cars in downtown Beijing. The roads were mostly clear and workers swept remaining snow from the sidewalks. The Beijing Public Transport Group said that 187 bus routes were suspended on Monday morning. Some subway lines were adding additional trains during the morning rush hour, CCTV said.
A dead 52-foot fin whale washed up on Pacific Beach in San Diego Sunday.
The whale came ashore sometime before 9:30 a.m. local time, NBC San Diego reported, off of Santa Rita Place near the border of Mission Beach and Pacific Beach.
The dead whale was bleeding from its side, but it appeared to be from birds pecking at it rather than a major injury, Michael Milstein, a public affairs officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told NBC San Diego.
Lifeguards made an unsuccessful attempt this morning to tow the massive mammal back out to sea by tying its tail to a small boat, NBC San Diego reported.
Heavy rains and thunderstorms hit areas of Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to the country's National Centre of Meteorology.
Videos surfaced online showing streets in Makkah flooded as heavy rains lashed the region. The NCM has issued a yellow alert in several parts of the country.
Rains, thunderstorms and dust storms are expected to continue until Wednesday, as per the country's weather authority.
Several videos from Arab Storms show cars trying to get past flooded streets with water reaching window level near some parked vehicles.
Seishi Sato had an ominous feeling when he saw something rustling in a bush during a recent stroll in a forest in northern Japan.
Before he knew it, two Asiatic bears had sprung from the shrub, one charging at him as he frantically tried to fend it off while fearing for his life.
"When I saw them, I was so close and I thought I was in deep trouble," the 57-year-old from Iwate prefecture, in northeast Japan, told CNN.
He survived the attack — but not without plenty of scratches and puncture wounds on his arm and thigh.
Sato is among at least 212 people who survived what has been a record year for bear attacks in Japan, according to the Ministry of Environment. Six people have died.
A 50-year-old Greek woman has died after she was attacked by three shepherd dogs in her garden in the village of Neochorouda, Greece, Sky News reports Monday.
According to police sources, the dogs escaped through a hole in their owner's fence about 80 metres away and ran to the woman's garden where she was working.
A man, who police said was deaf-mute, was helping the woman with the gardening but was far from her at the moment of the attack and could not hear her screams, the report stated.
The woman was severely mauled and bleeding heavily and was confirmed dead at the scene after the arrival of emergency workers with an ambulance.
Comment: A tornado... in Ireland... in winter! We're definitely in a 'new climate normal'...
Serious damage was caused property and cars in Leitrim Village this lunch time when a tornado struck.
A freak weather event this lunch time has caused serious damage to property and cars in Leitrim Village.
With Storm Fergus descending on the country this afternoon, there was serious thunder and lightning witnessed at about 12.30pm in the Carrick-on-Shannon area.
Reports then came in of a tornado ripping through Leitrim Village at about 12.40pm, causing damage to properties, knocking trees and walls as well as damaging cars.
The National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred) has declared a red alert for the Marga Marga Province due to the wildfires that have affected Villa Alemana and Limache. At least 370 hectares have been affected by the fires in both municipalities of the Valparaíso Region.
The fire is close to populated sectors and has affected an area of at least 70 hectares in Limache, prompting the deployment of a technician, nine brigades, two helicopters, four planes, and a tanker truck from Conaf, in addition to personnel from the Limache Fire Department and the municipality.
