Earth Changes
Resorts on all sides of Lake Tahoe reported snowfall ranging from 6 inches to 18 inches of new snow by Christmas morning after a system rolled through the region Christmas Eve and through the night.
"It was a good shot in the arm for winter in general," said Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe spokesperson Mike Pierce.
"Not that we were thin, but it put that nice fresh coat (of snow) on everything — making Tahoe shine and look spectacular."
The fresh snow allowed Mt. Rose to open new terrain on Christmas Day, including many previously-closed runs on the Slide Side.
Going by eyewitness accounts, a farmer named Bharathi was the first person to be attacked by the majestic cat while he was working at his fields in Vellore earlier in the day. One Ammani Ammal also incurred injuries after he tried to rescue the farmer. Following the attacks, the word about a stray leopard roaming the fields spread like wildfire attracting locals who gathered at the spot to catch a glimpse of the big cat.
The tremor, which struck at 7:37 a.m. on Saturday, was centered near Espungabera in central Mozambique, about 54 kilometers (33 miles) southeast of Chipinge and 92 kilometers (57 miles) northwest of Massangena.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) puts the magnitude at 5.5 with a depth of 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles), making it a very shallow earthquake. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre puts the magnitude at 5.6.
There was no immediate word on damage or casualties, but the USGS estimates that up to 21 million people could have felt the earthquake, including 274,000 people who may have felt "strong" to "very strong" shaking.
"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction," the USGS said in its assessment. "Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized."
"All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert," the government air-traffic control agency AirNav said in a release. After raising the volcano's alert level on Thursday, authorities went on to impose a five-kilometer exclusion zone.
Authorities continue to urge people to stay clear of the coast, already devastated after an underwater landslide caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau triggered a deadly tsunami that killed at least 430 people last Saturday night.
These are noctilucent clouds (NLCs), made of frosted "meteor smoke" glowing in the mesosphere 83 km above the frozen continent.
A four week time-lapse video shows their development since late November.
It was in fact a very white Christmas for many areas, particularly in Austria and Switzerland, with some reporting up to 90cm (three feet) of snowfall over the period from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.
Images are from Les Contamines in the French Alps on Christmas Day.
The preliminary figure, covering all prefectures apart from Ibaraki, Tochigi and Tokyo, is the highest since comparable data became available in 1982 and more than three times higher than the annual average of 1,015 through 2017, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said.
With concerns growing about an increase in downpours and typhoons linked to global warming, the government plans to enhance disaster preparedness for people living in areas prone to natural disasters by raising awareness of the potential hazards they may face.
On Wednesday, residents near Mt Etna were told to flee after a larger earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitudes struck about two kilometres underground.
Its epicentre was between the towns of Viagrande and Trecastagni.
Two people have been reportedly injured.
Buildings have been damaged in the area, with tremors felt in Catania, where around 300,000 people live.
The accident took place on the ground of sports complex "Beldersay" in the Bostanlyk district of Tashkent. The victims were found under the snow slide by rescuers at 19:05 local time (1405 GMT) on Monday.
"Three citizens, while practicing one of the types of alpine skiing, drove into the forbidden zone and as a result of their movement a snow avalanche came down. This led to the death under a snow slide," an official of the ministry said.
Beldersay is known for the longest alpine skiing track in Uzbekistan. The Ministry of Emergency Situations recommends strict safety compliance.
An investigation into the accident is underway.
Source: Xinhua















Comment: Indonesia 'volcano tsunami': Grim search for survivors continues as death toll reaches 430, almost 22,000 displaced after Krakatoa erupts - UPDATE