Earth ChangesS


Tornado1

Best of the Web: Nearly 80 tornadoes reported across at least 5 states in America

Debris is seen from a destroyed home northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, after a storm tore through the area on Friday
© Margery A. Beck/APDebris is seen from a destroyed home northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, after a storm tore through the area on Friday.
Destructive tornadoes gutted homes as they plowed through Nebraska and Iowa, and the dangerous storm threat could escalate Saturday as tornado-spawning storms pose a risk from Michigan to Texas.

The area of Elkhorn in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the hardest-hit communities after severe storms barreled through parts of the Plains and South early Friday afternoon. A powerful tornado leveled homes, which crews were searching for anyone trapped or injured, local authorities announced Friday during a news conference.

Meanwhile in nearby Iowa, a large tornado was reported in the small city of Minden, according to the National Weather Service. Footage obtained by CNN shows the devastation of mangled structures and widespread debris.

The severe weather threat is expected to continue through Sunday, with Saturday possibly being the most dangerous day. Strong tornadoes are possible from Michigan to Texas, including in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Kansas City, Wichita, Dallas, Austin, Milwaukee and Chicago.


Attention

Dead humpback whale washes up on beach in Marblehead, Massachusetts

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© Abby Nye
A dead whale has washed up on a beach in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The humpback whale was stranded in the surf near Preston Beach Thursday afternoon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

"Seacoast Science Center, Tufts University, town officials and NOAA Fisheries are working together this morning to evaluate options for examination of the carcass," a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries said Friday in a release.

The public was reminded to keep a safe distance from all marine mammals.

There are numerous organizations trained to respond to stranded or deceased marine animals. If you come across one, you're encouraged to report it. NOAA has a list of organizations by region here.


Seismograph

Japan's Bonin Islands hit by magnitude 6.5 earthquake

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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Japan's Bonin Islands, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Saturday (April 27).

The quake occurred at a depth of 503.2 km (312.7 miles).

The US National Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued based on the available data.

Seismograph

Shallow magnitude 6.0 earthquake - Mid-Indian Ridge in the Indian Ocean

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A very strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean 103 km (64 mi) from French Southern Territories Fri, Apr 26, 2024 22:23 GMT. The quake had a very shallow depth of 10 km (6 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).

No significant damage or impact is expected from this quake and no particular alert was issued.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 3 in Mansehra, Pakistan

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Lightning struck three people, including two brothers in Kundaw Kari forests in Oghi on Friday.

"Our teams rushed to the scene after receiving information about the incident and transported the dead to a hospital in Oghi," Amir Khadim, the Rescue 1122 official said.

All three shepherds leading their herds and sheep, according to locals, were hit by lightning and died instantly.The lightning, which was followed by heavy downpour, frightened locals and they ran to the forest where the three people were found dead.

The Rescue 1122 teams took the bodies to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Oghi.The deceased were identified as Mohammad Shafique, 28, belonging to Battagram, Ahmad Khan, 40, from Oghi and Mohammad Shakeel, 10, from Battagram.

Cloud Precipitation

Tanzania floods kill at least 155 people as heavy rains continue in Eastern Africa (UPDATE)

Visuals from the regions affected by flood
© X/@rcs1962) Asian News InternationalVisuals from the regions affected by flood in Tanzania.
Nearly 60 people have died since the start of April in heavy rains and flooding that has hit several parts of Tanzania, the government said.

The coastal region of the East African country is one of the worst affected, with floods damaging thousands of farms there, Mobhare Matinyi, the government spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday.

"Serious flood effects are experienced in the coast region where 11 people have so far died," Mr Matinyi added.

He said, so far, 58 deaths have been recorded across the country from the flooding.


Comment: Update April 26

CNN reports:
Flooding in Tanzania has killed 155 people and left at least 236 injured, the country's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday.

More than 10,000 houses have been damaged and upwards of 200,000 people have been affected, Majaliwa told the Tanzanian parliament in the capital Dodoma.


The prime minister added that "the heavy El Nino rains, accompanied by strong winds and flooding and landslides in various parts of the country, have caused adverse effects."

"These include deaths, damage to crops, homes property, infrastructure like roads, bridges and railways," Majaliwa said.

The flooding has also affected Kenya, which shares a border with Tanzania in East Africa.

As of Tuesday, at least 32 people had died from the flooding in Kenya, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHR).



Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 3, injures 4 in Rajasthan, India

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Three men were killed by lightning on Friday when they were sheltering under a tree to protect them from rain, police here said.

Four more people who were with them and were also struck by lightning are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The victims were identified as Chatra Bheel, 40, Deva Bheel, 60, and Sohan Bheel, 50, all residents of Bhainsrorgarh of Chittor district.

The seven were standing under a tree in the Gurjar Ghata area of Dabi Police Station jurisdiction when they were struck by lightning at around 3 pm, Deputy Superintendent of Police Tarunkant Somani said.

The seven men, all belonging to the Bheel community, had come to the Dabi area to seek labourer's work.

PTI

Volcano

Mount Semeru erupts 4 times in Indonesia, spews nearly one km high volcanic ash

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Mount Semeru in East Java erupted four times and spewed volcanic ash between 800 and one thousand meters above its peak on Thursday from 12:15 a.m. to 8:34 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB).

"The ash column was observed colored white to gray, with moderate intensity, (heading) towards the south," an officer of the Mount Semeru Observation Post Liswanto stated in a report received here on Thursday.

The first eruption at 12:15 a.m. had a volcanic ash height of 800 meters heading to the southeast and south. Thereafter, the second eruption occurred at 2:34 a.m., with a volcanic ash height of 800 meters heading to the southwest.


Arrow Down

Highway along China border washed away after massive landslide due to heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh, India

A massive landslide hit Arunachal Pradesh, washing away a major stretch of highway near India-China border.
© IANSA massive landslide hit Arunachal Pradesh, washing away a major stretch of highway near India-China border.
A massive landslide has washed away a major portion of a highway in Arunachal Pradesh, disrupting road connectivity with Dibang Valley, a district bordering China.

The district witnessed heavy landslides between Hunli and Anini on the National Highway-313 yesterday due to heavy rainfall over the past few days, authorities said.

Videos showed a stretch of the highway missing, making it impossible for vehicles to cross to the other side and posing difficulties for the locals and security forces who consider the highway a lifeline in this difficult terrain.


Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 17, injure 32 in Marathwada, India

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Unseasonal rainfall between April 9 and 22 wreaked havoc across 853 villages in Marathwada, claiming the lives of 17 people and injuring 32 others due to lightning strikes.

The relentless weather has significantly impacted the lives of over 15,438 farmers, damaging crops on a staggering 8008.13 hectares of land. The 17 deaths include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (4), Parbhani (2), Hingoli (1), Nanded (3), Beed (3), and Latur (4).

Livestock has not been spared either, with lightning strikes causing the deaths of 280 animals, with the highest number of casualties reported in Jalna (70). The unseasonal rains have damaged agricultural land across the region, affecting farmers in 853 villages. The breakdown of the damaged land includes 1255 hectares of non-irrigated land, 3416 hectares of irrigated land, and 3335 hectares of orchards.

The heavy rains have also caused significant damage to homes, with 18 houses completely collapsing and 574 houses partially collapsing, bringing the total number of damaged houses to 602. According to weather experts, the unseasonal rains might continue to fall till next week.