Earth ChangesS


Windsock

4 people killed as "powerful gust of wind" causes giant crane to collapse at Google campus, Seattle


RT
Sun, 28 Apr 2019 02:10 UTC
crane google
© Reuters / Lindsey Wasson
Four people have died and four others have been injured after a crane collapsed onto a street in Seattle, slamming into a Google office building under construction and trapping people inside cars.

The collapse took place on Mercer Street in downtown Seattle on Saturday afternoon. Four people were already dead when rescuers arrived at the scene, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins told a press conference.

The death toll includes two crane operators and two people who died in separate cars after the crane wreckage crumpled their roofs. Three people were taken to hospital and one was treated at the scene.

Comment: Construction and infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with the rise in anomalous and violent downbursts and storms: Also check out SOTT radio's Behind the Headlines: Earth changes in an electric universe: Is climate change really man-made? as well as SOTTs monthly documentary SOTT Earth Changes Summary - March 2019: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs:



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Arrow Down

Four skiers from Germany killed by avalanche in Swiss Alps


Swissinfo.ch
Sun, 28 Apr 2019 11:06 UTC
SNOW
File photo
Four German ski tourers were killed by an avalanche last Friday in the eastern Bernese Alps, the police reported on Sunday.

The group of skiers set off at 9am on Friday from the Finsteraarhorn mountain hut, north of Fieschertal in canton Valais, heading to the Konkordia hut above the Aletsch Glacier.

After being swept away by an avalanche on Friday, their bodies were recovered on Saturday after the warden at the Konkordia hut alerted the police.

Bad weather delayed the rescue effort and the four bodies were only found on Saturday afternoon by the Goms and Air Zermatt rescue services below an avalanche.

Several avalanches were observed on the route taken by the skiers above 3,000 metres altitude, the Valais cantonal police said on Sunday.
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Doberman

Toddler killed by dog in Las Vegas, Nevada

Ricardo Torres-Cortez
Las Vegas Sun
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 10:30 UTC
canine attack
© Angela Antunes / CC by 2.0
A toddler was killed by a family friend's Rottweiler this morning in a Henderson neighborhood, according to city police.

The 15-month-old girl died at Henderson Hospital, police said.

First responders were summoned at about 7:50 a.m. to the 100 block of Appian Way, near Horizon Drive and Canyon Road, Henderson Police said.

Details of what transpired were scarce, but police said the child was bit by a 4-year-old dog that belonged to a family friend.

Police said the dog was euthanized by the owner's request. The investigation is ongoing.

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Snowflake

Unusual spring storm blankets Chicago in snow - 2 inches fell for first time in over a century

Chaffin Mitchell
AccuWeather.com
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 22:39 UTC
Late April storm dumps record snow across Chicago
© Fox NewsLate April storm dumps record snow across Chicago.
With only a mere four days until May, north-central United States residents witnessed an unusual sight as more than 2 inches of snow fell in Chicago for the first time in more than a century.

"The last time 2 inches of snow fell this late was back in 1910, so it is very uncommon for this late in the year," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

The highest snowfall total as of Sunday evening is in Beloit, Illinois, which saw 4 inches of snow.

A winter storm warning was in effect on Saturday for northern Chicago areas as a mix of snow and rain continues into the evening.

"With it being April, we can still see some snowfall in the city, but most of the snow for April falls early in the month," Reppert said.

In order for snow to accumulate in late April outside of high-elevation areas, it must come down at a fast pace.


Comment: Meanwhile some farmers in America's Northwest face two month planting delays due to frozen or flooded fields.

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Eye 1

"Sea of Plastic" Discovered in the Caribbean stretches for miles

Sara Burrows
Return to Now
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 02:02 UTC
A shocking "blanket of plastic" discovered off the coast of an idyllic Caribbean island stretches nearly 5 miles long and is choking wildlife
Sea of garbage
© Caroline Power Photography
An underwater photographer recently stumbled across a scene that shocked and "devastated" her - a blanket of plastic waste several miles wide floating off the coast of her previously pristine island home.

She discovered the "Great Caribbean Garbage Patch" about 15 miles from the tiny 12-mile-long island of Roatan, which has often been described as resembling "paradise."

"We were on a dive trip to a set of islands that don't quite break the ocean surface," photographer Caroline Power told The Telegraph.

"They are one of the most pristine dive sites in this part of the Caribbean."
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Info

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Planetary chills in both hemispheres


Adapt 2030
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 18:27 UTC
snow
20-30 F below normal temperatures invade both hemispheres signaling an early start for the Southern Hemisphere and very late spring for the Northern Hemisphere.

These abnormal temps are pelting the Middle East with rain, floods, hail and new abundant rainfall weather patterns not seen in millennia. US potato crop delayed in NW grow zone with more snow on the way, compressing the planting season into three weeks what they usually do in 2.5 months.


Sources

Comment: Also relevant: 'Water is life': Unexpected rainfall revives Iraq's historic marshlands

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Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain triggers flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia


The Straits Times
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 14:22 UTC
Floods hit residential areas in Pejaten Timur
© Warta Kota/Adhy KelanaFloods hit residential areas in Pejaten Timur subdistrict in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta on Friday.
Torrential rain triggered flooding in parts of the Indonesian capital on Thursday night, the country's disaster agency said yesterday, forcing the evacuation of residents.

Heavy rain pounded the greater Jakarta area, causing the Ciliwung River to burst its banks and cause flash floods in at least 17 communities.

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Snowflake

"The longest winter ever": Farmers in America's Northwest face 2 month planting delays


Electroverse
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:00 UTC
Northwest America snow
This year's long and record-breaking winter has left many fields of Northwest America either frozen or flooded much later than normal and, as a result, farmers are struggling to get their seeds sown on time.

"We've had the longest winter ever," said Chris Voight, director of the Washington State Potato Commission. "Normally we start planting potatoes the end of February, but this year we weren't able to start planting until April 1."

After looking at the GFS Total Snowfall 10-Day Forecast, further delays appear to be on the cards.

As much as 24 inches of snow could fall in southern Montana early next week, with Wyoming and Idaho also badly affected. The totals appear even higher in northern Colorado.

Comment: Meanwhile vast swathes of Europe has seen an unusually mild winter and spring leading to unprecedented wildfires: For more on why we're seeing these anomalous weather patterns, check out SOTT radio's Behind the Headlines: Earth changes in an electric universe: Is climate change really man-made? as well as SOTTs monthly documentary SOTT Earth Changes Summary - March 2019: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs:



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Cloud Precipitation

Apple crop suffers heavy damage due to hailstorm in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh


Fresh Plaza
Fri, 26 Apr 2019 10:19 UTC
How do you like them apples?
How do you like them apples?
Thursday, the Horticulture department of Himachal Pradesh said that the apple crops have suffered a lot of damage in different areas of the state in the last few days, due to hailstorms.

All the development blocks of Shimla district, Ani development block of Kullu district and Karsog, Seraj, Gohar and Sundernagar the development blocks of Mandi district have suffered heavy losses, a spokesman of the Horticulture Department said.

He said instructions have been issued to the Regional Officers to take stock of the estimate of the damage caused by recent hailstorm. They have been asked to assess the loss along with the officials of Revenue department and send a detailed report to the Directorate of Horticulture department soon.

Comment: Elsewhere in India severe hailstorms have also recently caused significant damage to other crops in Arunachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Telangana.

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Fire

The UK has already had more wildfires in 2019 than any year on record

Adam Vaughan
New Scientist
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 07:19 UTC
Firefighters tackle a blaze on moorland in northwest England
© OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty ImagesFirefighters tackle a blaze on moorland in northwest England on 21 April
The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already.

The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.

Researchers told New Scientist that the figures, collated by the European Forest Fire Information System, were evidence that climate change had already heightened the risk of wildfires in the UK.

More than 100 firefighters battled wildfires over the Easter weekend across Illkley Moor and Marsden Moor in West Yorkshire. Another fire broke out on moorland near Marsden on Tuesday afternoon, requiring ten fire engines to attend.

Fires throughout the year

There were also wildfires in Cornwall, Dorset, Derbyshire, Northern Ireland, the Peak District, Rotherham, Wiltshire and Wales, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Scotland was affected by fires across the Highlands, including a large one that posed a "serious risk" to the Moray windfarm.

The spate of blazes follows a series of major wildfires during the hot, dry weather of 2018, including the Saddleworth Moor fire near Manchester, which burned for five days and made pollution levels spike.

Paul Hedley, national wildfires lead for the NFCC, said it was "really significant" that the number of large wildfires in 2019 had already overtaken 2018's tally so early in the year.

Comment: Europe's record breaking warm winter leads to unprecedented wildfires

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