A 6.5 magnitude quake hit an area near Santiago, Chile on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor reportedly shook buildings in the capital.
The earthquake occurred some 130 miles (210 kilometers) to the northwest of Santiago, USGS reported on Monday. The epicenter of the quake was at a depth of 15.3 miles (24.7 kilometers), USGS said.
More than 1,600 structures have been destroyed as three deadly wildfires continued to burn through thousands of the acres in Northern California.
As firefighters made progress on the Valley and Butte fires, hundreds of people displaced by the blazes returned over the weekend to find the charred remains of their homes and towns.
The Valley fire, one of the most destructive in the state's history, has burned 75,781 acres, destroyed 1,050 structures and left three dead. It ignited Sept. 12 and traveled 10 miles in 10 hours, expanding to 50,000 acres in the space of a day.
Teams of firefighters were still crisscrossing the burn area Sunday, stamping out remaining hotspots and putting out smoldering stumps. By Monday morning, the fire was 70% contained.
"We're in the mopping-up stages now, just extinguishing smoke and hotspots," said Capt. Richard Cordova, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "You're not going to see any flames."
Comment: According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the 2015 wildfire season in the United States is a record breaker. All over the world we are witnessing extensive wildfires, which in some regions have been described as "unprecedented".
Could some of these wildfires have been fueled from outgassing, then possibly 'sparked' by an increase in atmospheric electric discharge events, such as lightning strikes? See also:
A recent colorful cloud formation over Costa Rica left many residents amazed and terrified, prompting them to speculate whether it was an omen.
A very rare cloud formation with multicolored light was reported earlier this week in the sky over San Jose, Parrita, Pavas, Escazu and Hatillo in Costa Rica.
In scenes similar to a sci-fi horror flick, the alien-type species swarmed over a coastline as warm weather sparked a peak in the breeding season.
Bathers have been stung by the transparent jellyfish as they grow in numbers and doctors have warned people to wash the stings with cold water, take painkillers and seek urgent medical assistance.
Even elderly locals living in Andreevka village - one of the badly hit areas - say they have never seen so many of the sea monsters.
Marine experts hope colder and wetter weather will disperse the stingers back into the Pacific.
Andreevka village in Khaan disctrict is among the badly hit areas.
The hole that is believed to have appeared yesterday
There have been long delays throughout Brentwood this weekend due to roadworks on Ongar Road - and the worksite has been enlarged by the apparent appearance of a 'sinkhole'.
Anglian Water are undertaking water main repair works at the junction of Ongar Road and Doddinghurst Road and have installed a four-way traffic light system, which has lead to long queues building up all the way up to Wilson's Corner, Ongar Road, Doddinghurst Road and on other approaches such as from Geary Drive.
But today (Sunday), the area of works appears to have been widened, to fence off a huge 'sinkhole' - which appears to have part of a white road marking collapsed into it.
This afternoon, stunned residents could be seen taking photographs of the hole.
An explosion has rocked a firearms plant in the Czech Republic, 60 km south of Prague. According to local media reports, two to three people may have been killed in the incident.
No fire followed the Monday blast at the Sellier & Bellot plant in the town of Vlašim, said a spokesman for the Fire Rescue Service of Central Bohemia.
"Explosion hit the plant that produces firearms around 12:35pm (local time). No fire followed the blast," Ladislav Holomčík said.
Approximately 320 metric tons of gunpowder blew the Sellier & Bellot manufacturing plant roof about 164 feet in the air.
Parts of north-eastern New Zealand are experiencing severe flooding after one month of rain fell in one day.
During the last 24 hours, 97.2 mm of rain was recorded at Gisborne Aerodrome, according to WMO figures. Typical monthly averages for the whole of September stand at around 75 mm.
Flooding has been reported in Gisborne city, closing several roads in the area. Gisborne Civil Defence officials report that State Highway 2 north of Ormond is closed and anyone unable to return to their homes outside of Gisborne would need to find alternative accommodation.
Many rural areas of the East Coast have also seen severe flooding, in particular the small settlement of Te Karaka, where at one point during the day the Waipaoa River was rising at 0.8 metre an hour. Earlier today, civil defence authorities said that evacuation is being considered for Te Karaka residents as further rainfall of around 50 to 70 mm was expected during the evening.
A 6.3-magnitude jolt has shaken Chile, which is still recovering from a deadly earthquake last week.
The new quake hit off the Chilean coast 230km north of the capital Santiago, about 50km west of the coastal city of Illapel in the Choapa Province, according to USGS.
A powerful 8.3 earthquake shook Chile on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami and the evacuation of over 1 million people.
The quake was the sixth-strongest in Chile's recorded history and was felt thousands of kilometers from the center as far away as California.
Comment: 2010 saw 3 major Chilean earthquakes over 6.0; 2011, 2012 and 2013 each brought 1 such quake. In 2014 there were 7 (3 of which occurred on the same day, April 1). This latest quake makes for the 5th in 2015. By contrast, there were apparently no such quakes from 1987 to 1994, or in 1996, 1999-2001 and 2006. See:
Flooding hit parts of the New Territories today after more than 90 millimeters of rain fell in just two hours in some places - almost double Hong Kong's total monthly rainfall for September.
Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rainstorm warning at 6.15am and warned residents of the chance of flash flooding in some places.
Pat Heung, Kam Tin and Sheung Shui in the northern New Territories were particularly badly hit after about 90 millimetres of rain fell in just two hours.
In Yuen Long rainfall exceeded 40 millimeters, while many other parts of the New Territories recorded 20 millimeters.
Comment: All around the world flooding, in particular flash flooding following torrential rainfall, is becoming more common and intense with new records being broken.
Keep informed on these increasingly chaotic and 'unprecedented' events by viewing the monthly SOTT Earth Changes Summary.
A 46-year-old man was injured in what the Michigan Department of Natural Resources suspects was a black bear attack.
The man was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released, the DNR said.
About 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, the man was hunting for porcupine and alone in a ground blind. He reported to police that a black bear came from behind, knocked him over and attacked him.
"Using his hunting knife, the man stabbed the bear, which scared it off. The bear is thought to be injured," the DNR said in a news release. "The DNR was informed about 45 minutes later."
Sgt. Jon Wood spoke with the hunter and advised him to seek medical attention. The DNR's Law Enforcement Division is continuing to investigate the incident.
Comment: Since the 8.3 on September 16, Chile has been getting hit hard, with 10 quakes or aftershocks of magnitude 6.0 or greater. See: