Earth ChangesS


Attention

Lifeguards try to stop humpback whale carcass from reaching shore at Newport Beach, California

Hannah Fry
Los Angeles Times
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 17:20 UTC
A Newport Beach lifeguard ties a rope around a dead humpback whale, nicknamed Scarlet, in an effort to tow the carcass out to sea Thursday.
© Mark GirardeauA Newport Beach lifeguard ties a rope around a dead humpback whale, nicknamed Scarlet, in an effort to tow the carcass out to sea Thursday.
Newport Beach lifeguards had their eyes trained on the horizon early Friday trying to make sure a 55-foot dead humpback whale — nicknamed Scarlet by local boaters — that was seen Thursday afternoon didn't make its way to the beach.

A dead whale onshore can create a very smelly problem, lifeguards said.

"If it hits the beach, it's going to stay here until it can be chopped up and towed off," said Marine Safety Capt. Skeeter Leeper. "It's a mess and it stinks."

Lifeguards saw the massive figure heading toward shore near the Newport Pier at about 3 p.m. Thursday. At first it looked like a large boat, but on closer inspection, they realized it was a humpback whale, Leeper said.

They tied a rope around the whale's tail and used a lifeguard boat to tow the carcass about 6½ miles out to sea. The whale's massive size — about twice the size of the lifeguard boat — meant the journey took about an hour.
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Cloud Precipitation

Torrential rains pound Dundas and Hamilton, Ontario; flash flooding on roadways

Amara McLaughlin
cp24.com
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:41 UTC
Dundas, Ont. has been hit by flash flooding along the Niagara escarpment due to heavy rains.
© Rebuild HamiltonDundas, Ont. has been hit by flash flooding along the Niagara escarpment due to heavy rains.
Torrential-like rain in Hamilton area has created flash flooding conditions and is forcing road closures throughout the region.

Hamilton Conservation Authority has put the city on a flood watch.

""Residents should continue to exercise caution near all water bodies and structures such as bridges, culverts and dams at this time," the statement said. "Elevated water levels, faster moving water, rapidly changing levels and flows, and slippery banks may pose a significant hazard."

City crews are working around the clock to deal with the wet weather, general manager of Hamilton Public Works Dan McKinnon said.

This comes after Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Hamilton.

Between 40 and 70 mm of rain is expected to fall by tonight, the federal weather agency said.

Dundas, Ont. was particularly hard hit by the weather.

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Attention

Volcano on Nishinoshima island erupts, lava heads to sea


The Asahi Shimbun
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:20 UTC
A photograph taken on April 21 from an Asahi Shimbun aircraft shows smoke mixed with ashes being blown out from a vent on Nishinoshima island, part of the Ogasawara island chain.
© Kotaro EbaraA photograph taken on April 21 from an Asahi Shimbun aircraft shows smoke mixed with ashes being blown out from a vent on Nishinoshima island, part of the Ogasawara island chain.
A volcanic bomb shot up about 100 meters into the sky and molten rock rolled down toward the sea on April 21 as Nishinoshima island, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, erupted for the first time in 17 months.

"Intensive volcanic activity will continue for a while. Lava will eventually reach to the sea," said Setsuya Nakada, a volcanology professor at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute.

An estimated 100,000 cubic meters of lava has flowed to the surface since the eruption, according to Nakada, who observed the erupting volcano from an Asahi Shimbun aircraft.

"The volcanic activity level of Nishinoshima island is nearly the same level of that in 2014 when it was active," he added.
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Wolf

Horrific moment pit bull attacks toddler playing in the street in Spring Valley, New York

Regina F. Graham
Daily Mail
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:42 UTC
A disturbing video shows the shocking moment a pit bull attacked an unassuming toddler in New York on Thursday.
A disturbing video shows the shocking moment a pit bull attacked an unassuming toddler in New York on Thursday.
A disturbing video shows the shocking moment a pit bull attacked an unassuming toddler in New York on Thursday.

The three-year-old boy is recovering and has been released from the hospital, WABC reported.

The footage shows the toddler playing on a sidewalk with other children outside of a Spring Valley home when the dog runs across the street and charges at him.

The boy, who is wearing bright yellow pants, is immediately attacked by the pit bull and dragged across the ground for a few seconds as the other children run away out of fear.


Comment: Other notable dog attacks in recent days: Elderly woman attacked by own dog in South Africa

Pit bull attacks toddler in Puyallup, Washington

Fort Hall toddler nearly killed by dog pack is bitten again

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Attention

Elephant runs amok, kills mahout in Parassala, India


Mathrubhumi
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:54 UTC
An elephant brought for a temple festival ran amok and killed its mahout.
An elephant brought for a temple festival ran amok and killed its mahout.
Another mahout escaped by climbing atop a nearby palm tree.

An elephant, which ran amok, killed its mahout near here on Thursday, police said.

The incident occurred as the elephant was being brought for a nearby temple festival at Parassala, police said.

The elephant suddenly ran amok and lifted the mahout with its truck and hurled him to the ground, police said.

The mahout succumbed to his injuries before reaching hospital.

Another mahout escaped by climbing atop a nearby palm tree.

Source: PTI

Comment: According to another report this is now the third mahout killed by this particular elephant.

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Cloud Lightning

Five killed by lightning strikes across Bangladesh


Dhaka Tribune
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:46 UTC
LIGHTNING
Two fishermen named Marzan and Yusuf were struck by lightning while catching fish in the Kalbadar River in Mehendiganj

Five persons including two siblings were killed when they got struck by lightning in three districts Thursday.

Our Noakhali correspondent reported that lightning strikes accompanied by thundershowers claimed the lives of two siblings in the district in the evening.

Anowar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sudharam police station, said that Lipi Akter, 11, and Shariful Islam, 8, of Dakkhinchar Sulukia village were struck by lightning when they went to nearby field to call his father home during the shower.
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Attention

Hey NASA, check out DMI's Greenland ice graph to obtain correct information

Adapt 2030
YouTube
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 06:33 UTC
Greenland ice growth
© YouTube/Adapt 2030 (screen capture)
Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) has for the second year shown record ice growth across the Greenland Ice Sheet, but NASA shows a 281 gigaton loss, oops that off by 200 gt. Also new coloration on NSIDC Greenland ice changes now use red and orange to indicate ice gains and blue indicates losses. Now you will see what fake news is.

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Snowflake Cold

Coldest temperatures in decades recorded across the Netherlands

Janene Pieters
NL Times.
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:11 UTC
Frosty daisy.
© Johan NevenFrosty daisy.
After a mild start to April, it seems the Netherlands has been dropped back into winter. Tuesday night brought frost to large parts of the country, and many places across the Netherlands measured the coldest temperatures in decades, according to Weerplaza.

Heino and Achterhoek had the coldest minimum temps on April 19th since 1991 with temperatures of -3.9 and -3.6 degrees Celsius respectively. Eindhoven measured its coldest April 19th minimum in 38 years with -2.4 degrees. On the ground Heino measured -6.4 degrees and Twente -8.6 degrees - coldest its been on April 19th in 26 years.

Weerplaza expects minimum temperatures tonight to again drop to below freezing, both on the ground and on observable height - about half a meter above the ground. Minimum temperatures will range from -1 to -4 degrees. On the ground temperatures may drop to -8 degrees. Weerplaza expects that tonight will again break some cold records.
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Snowflake Cold

Central Europe shivers as snowfall covers spring blossoms


Euro News
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 14:46 UTC
snow in Slovakia
Snow in Slovakia
A cold spell sweeping across central Europe has brought snow back to some countries including Germany, Poland and Slovakia.

Most of Romania is shivering under sub-zero temperatures and winds exceeding 70 kilometres per hour, and the mountainous regions have been blanketed in snow.

In eastern Ukraine, a white coat, 30 centimetres thick in some areas, has covered the early spring blossoms. In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, the weight of the snow pulled down trees and electric supply lines, leaving over a thousand homes without any power.

In Switzerland too, more than 20 centimeters of snow has fallen in two days, and the freezing temperatures are starting to worry farmers and winegrowers alike.

The cold spell could bite until the middle of next week.

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Snowflake Cold

Snow and frost put spring on hold in Switzerland


The Local ch
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 14:31 UTC
Spring in Switzerland 2017
Spring in Switzerland 2017
Winter is experiencing a comeback in Switzerland where temperatures plunged as low as -5 overnight.

Frost was widespread on Thursday morning, causing headaches for farmers and gardeners. It followed snowfalls across much of the country on Wednesday.

In Reconvilier in the canton of Bern a low of -5.8C was measured, with -5.3C recorded in Visp in the Rhone valley, 20 Minuten reported.

It quoted MeteoNews as saying it was the coldest night in the second half of April for 20 years in the Rhone valley.

In the central plateau a wind prevented temperatures from falling quite so low, but they were still around -1 to -4, sinking as low as -5 at above 600 metres altitude, MeteoNews said.
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