Earth ChangesS


Red Flag

Shanghai's worst smog in two years prompts introduction of emergency measures


Bloomberg
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 03:30 UTC
Shanghai smog
© Zhong Yang/Imaginechina via AP ImagesTourists walk on the Bund in Shanghai during heavy smog on Dec. 14
Shanghai ordered schools to keep children indoors and factories to limit production as a hazy smog enveloped the metropolis and the most dangerous air contaminants reached the highest levels in two years.

The city's air quality index hit 217 at 4 p.m., or "heavily polluted," the second worst in a 6-grade scale, the Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center said. It had improved from "severe" earlier, when PM2.5 levels -- particulates considered the must dangerous to health -- rose to as high as 281 micrograms per cubic meter, the most since Dec. 26, 2013, according to U.S. State Department data tracked by Bloomberg. The World Health Organization recommends no more than daily average exposures of 25 micrograms.

Shanghai's pollution hasn't been a major concern since 2013, when the city was shrouded in smog for weeks and prompted the American Chamber of Commerce to say it was hurting the city's image as it sought to attract foreign businesses. Tuesday's warning followed a red pollution alert by Beijing last week for the first time, that triggered limits on industrial production, bans on outdoor construction and primary school and kindergartens suspensions.

Comment: Last week, the Chinese capital Beijing, issued it's highest possible smog warning for the very first time.

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Windsock

Typhoon Melor: Three people dead as storm slams into the Philippines


The Guardian, UK
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 04:11 UTC
typhoon Melor
© Charism Sayat/AFP/Getty ImagesWaves spill over a wall in the city of Legaspi in Albay province, south of Manila, as typhoon Melor approached the city.

Millions left without power as typhoon's heavy rain and strong winds pound the Bicol peninsula and Romblon islands

Typhoon Melor carved through the central Philippines on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that left millions without power and at least three people dead, officials said.

One person died of hypothermia while two others drowned in floods in the fishing town of Catarman in Northern Samar province in the Visayas region south of Manila, municipal disaster officer Jonathan Baldo told DZMM radio.

The storm toppled trees and cut electricity to at least seven provinces, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Christmas lanterns and lights, tin roofs and branches littered the streets of the city of Legazpi, which was battered by strong winds.

People who fled from their coastal homes spent a sleepless night in evacuation centres, sprawled on classroom tables and chairs as flying debris swirled around outside.
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Boat

Heavy flooding still affecting Ireland as Shannon River levels rise

Elena Ugrin
The Watchers
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 00:39 UTC
Ireland flooding
© Irish Times/Brenda FitzsimonsFlooding Carrick on Shannon.
Parts of Ireland experienced more heavy flooding on December 12, 2015 after more heavy rain battered the country. At the same time, water levels of the Shannon river system are still rising and are expected to peak over the next few days, the National Emergency Coordination Group reported.

Abundant amount of precipitation over the weekend of December 12, triggered floods in the counties of Sligo, Leitrim and Dublin area, while parts of western Ireland, in the Shannon river basin suffered the worst hit. Local media reported heavy flooding in the Corbally area of the Limerick city and parts of Athlone on the night of December 12 (local time).

The level of water flow from the Shannon river is expected to increase to 440 cubic meters per second (15 538 cubic feet per second) over the coming days, and lead to increased risk of flooding the roads and grounds of Springfield, Montpelier, Castleconnel, Mountshannon, Lisnagry and the University of Limerick.
Ireland flooding
© Irish Times/Brenda FitzsimonsFlooding along the banks of the River Shannon Athlone Town with the N6 motorway.
14 homes, a secondary school and numerous cars have been overflown in the Corbally area, and the main road passage from Co. Clare into Limerick was left under water. The road has been opened to traffic, following the initial flooding, however, numerous roads in the Castleconnel area have remained closed. Homes in the Richmond Park and the area of Ardscoil Mhuire secondary school reported flooding, as well.

Over 400 homes have been cutoff the power supplies, according to the local media. Residents between Chapelizod and Islandbridge in Dublin area were urged to remove their vehicles from underground parking spots and other low-lying areas last night.

Comment: Communities on high flood alert along River Shannon, Ireland

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Snowflake

NOAA: Winter storm warnings-watches issued for 15 U.S. states

Robert
Ice Age Now
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 22:12 UTC
NOAA map snow
© NOAA
Heavy snow warnings for parts of Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Michigan and Maine.
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Arrow Down

Large sinkhole opens up on beach in Queensland, Australia

Shaya Laughlin
Gold Coast Bulletin
Sat, 12 Dec 2015 21:21 UTC
A large sinkhole has opened up at the northern end of The Spit.
A large sinkhole has opened up at the northern end of The Spit.
A large sinkhole has opened up at the northern end of The Spit about 5.30pm this afternoon.

The hole, about 5m by 7m in size, is surrounded by orange cones to warn beachgoers of a possible danger.

No one has been injured.

It is possible to get close to it but caution is advised.
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Attention

Dozens of dead birds found on Mississippi beaches


msnewsnow.com
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 19:56 UTC
pelican
© WLOX NewsWild at Heart Rescue workers are currently rehabilitating this pelican believed to be affected by the algal bloom.
It's a frightening sight along the coastline. First fish, now dozens of birds found dead on beaches in several coast cities.

"We got reports of several birds in the Gulfport area and after speaking with DEQ they got several more birds in the Biloxi area," said Missy Dubuisson with Wild at Heart Rescue.

Even in Long Beach, many species of birds have been found lifeless or clinging to life. Experts saying it all goes back to the unprecedented December red tide.

"Of course there probably has been this issue before on a smaller scale and we might have just had a bird or two that maybe came in and didn't make it, but we weren't seeing what we're seeing now," said Dubuisson.

Caretakers at Wild at Heart Rescue are currently rehabilitating a pelican who started with a hook injury, but is now battling respiratory distress due to the algal bloom.

"We have been informed that we cannot release him until the algae bloom is gone," said Dubuisson.

Comment: See also this recent report from the same general area: Widespread fish kill reported in Mobile Bay, Alabama

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Tornado2

Rare winter tornadoes touch down in East Texas, surprising residents and damaging 50 homes

Kiri Blakeley
Daily Mail, UK
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 16:05 UTC
texas tornado damage
© KETKThere are reports of at least 50 homes damaged in Lindale, Texas, including the one pictured here. Residents in the area said that there were no storm warnings and alerts were not sent out

Rare December tornadoes surprised East Texas on Saturday afternoon, damaging 50 homes, destroying a bridge and injuring two people.

At least one tornado, probably two, touched down around 4pm in Lindale, about 90 miles southeast of Dallas, according to KETK.

The mayor has issued a declaration of disaster for the city.

'We saw these clouds and these little tornadoes that were shooting down and then one hit the ground. We saw it hit the ground, witness Melissa Malone told the outlet. 'From there we called 911 and immediately alerted them and the sirens started going off.'

Eyewitness Autum Green spotted the twisters forming on Iron Mountain Road in Lindale and captured them with her cell phone.

'It was kind of cool watching it build up, but I was really scared,' Green said, adding that she normally gets weather alerts, but none came with the tornado.

'On the movie Twister where they had the two tunnels come through, they twirled around each other, that's what it looked like,' she said.

The National Weather Service did not send out warnings and people in Lindale were caught completely unawares, reports the outlet.

Comment: Another 'rare' winter tornado in the United States, just a few days after another one battered homes in Battle Ground, Washington. Last month another 'rare' tornado hit a Californian town, a massive mile wide tornado reportedly leveled a Halliburton plant and a tornado outbreak of more than 20 touched down across western Kansas, which was called "unprecedented" by a weather official.

Meanwhile other 'rare' tornadoes continue to strike all over the planet this year, including Northern Ireland, England, Australia, Hawaii and India.

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Attention

Massive sinkholes, landslides endanger northwestern Oregon neighborhood

Laura Gunderson
Oregon Live
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 07:01 UTC
Seven families in a cluster of hillside homes above the Tillamook River spent the past week watching the two roads they live on slip, buckle and tangle into a slide of rocks, mud and trees.

It began Monday as a few little cracks on Burton Hill Road, just outside Tillamook. By Wednesday the cracks had collapsed into a quarter-mile series of sinkholes and creeping mud that put three homes at risk, pushed a barn off its foundation and left homeowners fearful of what will move next.

As the rains continue, they say only one thing is clear: No one is coming to the rescue.
Oregon neighborhood
© The Oregonian
Oregon neighborhood
© Oregonian
Morgan Kottre, 27, said she and her neighbors - some of them relatives - have been told by county, state and federal officials that they don't qualify for assistance because Burton Hill Road and the lower Hillside Drive are private roads on private land. Same story from at least one insurance company. Kottre said a representative told one family the devastation qualifies as an "act of god," which the insurer doesn't cover.

"In theory, we could try to fight it," she said, "but right now we're just trying to fight the land." Storms over the past week that have brought flooding and landslides across northwestern Oregon. On Saturday afternoon, blizzard conditions closed three highways in Southern Oregon. The extreme weather has caused at least two deaths in Oregon and federal officials set early damage estimates at about $15 million.

Tillamook County was among the 13 counties where Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency. In fact, not far from Kottre's home on Saturday night, the town of Oceanside was cut off as the only road out of town was closed due to a failed culvert.
Oregon road
© Oregonian

Comment: At the end of October this year, there was a massive swarm of earthquakes about 250 miles away from Tillamook County: Swarm of 29 earthquakes in 24 hours near central Oregon volcanic complex

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Attention

Dead Minke whale found near Dutch island


dutchnews.nl
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:28 UTC
Dead minke whale
© Hans Eelman/EcomareDead minke whale found near Den Helder, Dec 13th 2015
A nine-metre long whale has washed up on a sandbank in the Wadden Sea, close to the holiday island of Texel.

The whale, thought to be a female Minke, has been dead for some time, experts at the Ecomare wildlife centre said. She probably washed up on the sandbank known as the Razende Bol where the water is shallow.

Researchers from Utrecht University will try to establish the cause of death and what the animal had been eating. Minke whales are one of the smallest species of balleen whale and common in the North Sea. They are a primary target for the whaling industry.

In December 2012 a humpback whale died after becoming stranded on the same sandbank.
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Attention

2015 has been the worst wildfire season in U.S. history


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:48 UTC
fire wildfire
© Unknown
The nation is closing in on its worst wildfire season in recorded history, with nearly 9.8 million acres already burned -- the equivalent of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of New Hampshire going up in flames.

Two large fires and more than 160 smaller ones remain active, and more fires are expected to be reported before the month ends. Together, they're likely to push the 2015 total past the record 9.87 million acres burned in 2006.

The extent of scorched earth reflects a warming trend that has made the United States considerably drier, scientists and fire expects say, with less mountain snowpack particularly in Alaska and the southwest.

Comment: It looks like the US is going up in flames.

See also: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - November 2015: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

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