Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

El Nino will bring disastrous weather this winter, increased likelihood of civil unrest

Pacific Ocean El Nino
© NOAA
When an unusually powerful El Niño struck in 1997, civil conflicts erupted across the tropics, from Sudan to Peru -- as floods, droughts and fires devastated crops, fisheries and livelihoods.

It wasn't an isolated case, suggests growing evidence that links El Niño's extreme weather with a spike in violent conflicts in tropical regions. As one of the strongest El Niño events in recorded history gains steam this fall, some experts are warning of the potential for more unrest to come - and the urgent need to take preventive action.

"Half the world's population is exposed to a higher risk of violence this year," says Solomon Hsiang, professor of public policy at Berkeley. "Now that we know what to expect, we shouldn't necessarily sit back and watch sparks fly. There are a lot of things we can do."

Comment: The SOTT Earth Changes Summaries that have been tracking the weather have already shown the planet to be in a state of extreme turmoil, and now things are expected to get worse? How long before the cumulative effect of localized disasters reaches critical mass and causes the global supply chain to be unable to function, leaving most people of the world without access to basic necessities?


Snowflake

Unseasonal snowfall brings winter in October to parts of Kashmir, India

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Met department officials say they have no record of heavy snowfall in the Valley during the month of October
Even though it's the middle of autumn, in parts of Kashmir it seems like winter. Cold temperatures have brought unseasonal snowfall at higher reaches of the valley.

For last two days Mughal Road that connects Kashmir valley with Pirpanjal region has remained closed and hundreds of trucks were stranded along the key passage.

At an altitude of 11,000 feet, Peer Ki Gali, the highest spot on Mughal Road has seen about two feet of snowfall in last 48 hours. But as the weather improved today and sun came out, officials increased their efforts to clear the road.

"Snow clearance machines are at work since yesterday and road will be fully functional today. We have already cleared over 500 trucks yesterday evening," said Nisar Ahmad, an engineer at Mughal Road.

Comment: See also: Heaviest blizzard in at least 10 years hits Omsk, Russia... and it's still October


Attention

Magnitude 4.7 earthquake registered off northern Vancouver Island

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 occurred off northwest Vancouver Island this afternoon.

The earthquake occurred at 4:07 p.m., about 200 kilometres west of Port Hardy, according to Earthquakes Canada. It occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Port Hardy Coun. Patricia Corbett-Labatt was at a meeting at the district's office and said no one there noticed it.

Earthquakes Canada said it had not received any reports from people who felt the quake. There are no reports of damage, and none would be expected, the federal agency said.

Attention

Magnitude 4 earthquake hits off Queensland coast, Australia

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© Geoscience AustraliaThe location of an earthquake that struck off the Queensland coast on Friday morning.

More aftershocks are on the cards in the wake of the latest earthquake to strike off Queensland's Fraser Coast.

A magnitude 4 quake was recorded at 6.45am on Friday, about 120 kilometres east of Fraser Island at a depth of 10km.

It was felt by people as far south as Brisbane but no damage was reported.

Geoscience Australia say the tremor is the 13th aftershock in the area following a 5.4 magnitude quake in late July.

Seismologist Marco Maldoni says plate activity could be ongoing but is not unusual.

"You get a large one but they tend to die off ... that's usually the pattern, so we assume it is part of that," he said.

Arrow Down

Massive section of Swiss mountain breaks off and destroys forest below

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2,000 cubic metres of solid rock that fell caused an avalanche on the mountain of Mel de la Niva

This is the incredible moment a huge piece of rock broke free from the side of a mountain and plummeted 1,000 feet in Switzerland.

The incredible footage was captured by a geologist who just happened to be filming when the rock fall occurred on a mountain in the Swiss Alps.

According to local reports the 2,000 cubic metres of solid rock that fell caused an avalanche on the mountain of Mel de la Niva, near Evolene.

Geologists studying the mountain had noted geological activity prior to the incident and the site had been under surveillance since 2013, reported Le Nouvelliste.

Major movements were detected last week and the hamlet of Arbey and a road below the mountain had been evacuated and shut the day before.


Attention

Signs and Portents: Missouri family finds a two-headed snake

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A two-headed snake
At first glance, you might do a double take. That's because it's a double snake...sort of, anyway. A Missouri family found a two-headed snake, and kept it as a pet, reports television station WDAF.

The Simpson family recently moved out to the country so their kids could experience nature. But they probably didn't expect to find what was slithering near their new home.

"I hadn't seen one before," said Azure Simpson, whose 3-year-old daughter found the rare snake. "But it was so tiny I guess it didn't really take me back too much."

Simpson decided to let her kids keep the snake for now. And while her kids are loving it, the family really did the snake a favor. Researchers say two-headed snakes usually don't last long in the wild.



Comment: 2015 does seems to be the year of the two-headed animal and of other freak critters. Check out the following list -

Signs and Portents: Lizard with 3 tails found in Kosovo

Signs and Portents: Weird mutant buffalo born in Thailand

Signs and Portents: Two-headed turtle hatched in China

Signs and Portents: Two-headed piglet found abandoned outside Buddhist temple in China

Signs and Portents: Two-headed calf found in dead cow's womb, Paraguay

Signs and Portents: Two-headed calf born in Peru

Signs and Portents: Two-headed sea slug found in Malaysian waters

Signs and Portents: Two-headed snake born in Chinese zoo

Signs and Portents: 4 rare albino green sea turtles born on Vamizi Island, Mozambique

Portents and signs: Cops nab 3 poachers with two-headed snake in India

Portents and signs: Two-headed pig born in Raeford, North Carolina

Portents and signs: Doubled-headed bullock sold at auction in Mareeba, Australia

Portents and signs: Two-headed lizard hatched in Birkenhead, UK

Portents and signs: Rare two-headed Russell's viper born in Hyderabad, India

Portents and signs: Piglet born with two heads in the Philippines

Portents and signs: Pig born with two heads and three eyes in Columbia

Portents and signs: Piglet born with 2 heads in China

Portents and signs: Dog with two bodies and eight legs born on Tonga

Portents and signs: Mutant pig born with strange features and appendage in China

Portents and signs: Mutant pig born in Scotland

Portents and signs: Calf born with 2 heads at Florida farm

Portents and signs: Lamb born with face like an 'angry old man' in Dagestan

Portents and signs: 5-legged lamb born in Wales


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain and hail hits West Texas; floats away travel trailers, mobile home from RV park

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Central El Paso resident Serina Hernandez trudges through deep hail on Edsel Connecticut. which fell during a storm Wednesday afternoon, October 21, 2015, in El Paso, Texas.
Heavy rain in West Texas on Thursday led to flooding that floated several travel trailers and a double-wide mobile home away from an RV park.

Upton County Sheriff Dan Brown said nobody was in the trailers during the flooding in Rankin, 60 miles south of Odessa. The occupants safely evacuated.

A hailstorm with the same slow-moving system blanketed parts of El Paso on Wednesday. The rain is expected to increase in intensity Friday and Saturday as Hurricane Patricia in the eastern Pacific Ocean makes landfall Friday near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and moves north toward Texas.

Odessa Emergency Management said crews there on Thursday conducted about 30 swift-water rescues from stranded vehicles and flooded structures. Forecasters say 3.7 inches of rain soaked Odessa, flooding more than a dozen homes. Midland recorded at least 2.2 inches of rain. Up to 3 inches of rain was reported in the cattle country west of Fort Worth.



Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods in Athens kill at least one: Cars swept away following heavy rain

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Flood damage in Athens
Emergency rescue workers and firefighters were searching parts of northern and western Athens on Thursday night after flash floods in the capital left at least one person dead.

The rescue teams were looking for others who may have been swept away or drowned following fierce rain in the capital. Some 560 people were to remain on duty overnight.

During the day, the fire service received more than 800 calls to help pump water out of basements as a result of the flooding.

A 41-year-old man lost his life in Acharnes, northern Athens, after his car became trapped. Passers-by were able to remove the man and his 71-year-old mother from the vehicle but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.



Binoculars

Birds from the Arctic arrive early at Point Calimere, India

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Northern Shoveler
With the beginning of migratory season, thousands of birds, mostly from the Arctic region, have started arriving at the Point Calimere birds sanctuary here. Though the season is yet to peak, ornithologists fear there might be a significant drop in numbers and variety this year as even the common migratory wader species are scarce now. They attribute the phenomenon partially to climate change.

Headed by the Greater Flamingos, the flock of birds, including numerous near-threatened species, is flying into the internationally recognised 'Important Bird Area', while some of them use the sanctuary as a stopover before proceeding elsewhere.

Birds migrate when the weather in their breeding areas turns colder and beyond freezing point and food becomes scarce.

This migratory season some species have arrived early this season. Ducks, which normally arrive by October-end, are already here three weeks in advance. Northern Shoveller, a long-distance migratory duck species, which breed in the Arctic region, has come in several hundreds. Many species that are globally near-threatened, are now seen in significant numbers.

Comment: See also these similar recent reports from Europe and North America -

Migrating birds arrive early at nature reserve in Lincolnshire, UK - so are we in for an extra cold winter?

Britain faces longest winter in 50 years after earliest ever arrival of Siberian swan

30 Arctic Snowy owls arrive in Wisconsin; earliest date ever reported and record numbers


Windsock

Hurricane Patricia becomes strongest hurricane ever recorded

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© Weather.com
Mexico's Pacific coast is in the crosshairs of Hurricane Patricia, which became the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere on Friday morning as its maximum sustained winds reached an unprecedented 200 mph (320 kph).

The hurricane is forecast to make landfall in the Mexican state of Jalisco Friday evening as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane capable of causing widespread destruction. Residents and authorities in Mexico are rushing to prepare for what will likely be the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall on that country's Pacific coastline.

Comment: Track Hurricane Patricia with Weather.com's New Interactive Storm Tracker