© Srdjan Zivulovic / Reuters
Ice covers a World War II monument in Pivka.
Ice covers a World War II monument in Pivka.
© Srdjan Zivulovic / Reuters
Ice-covered road signs in Postojna.
Ice-covered road signs in Postojna.
Earth Changes
The European country has been paralyzed by severe ice storms. Thousands were left without electricity, 40% of schools were shut, and residents were advised not to drink tap water, the BBC reported.
© Scottish SPCA
Dermot the Californian king snake after being rescued from the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow.
Dermot the Californian king snake after being rescued from the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow.
The Scottish SPCA was called in to rescue the reptile on Friday after he was discovered in the palm house at the popular gardens.
Now named Dermot, the two foot long snake is being cared for at the charity's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Cardonald.
Assistant manager Katrina Cavanagh said: "Snakes need heat to survive so it's not surprising Dermot was keeping warm inside the palm house. We can't be sure how he got there but it's possible someone abandoned him, thinking it was a suitable environment. If this was the case it was very irresponsible as well as an offence."
She continued: "Snakes are really good escape artists though so there's also a chance Dermot has gone missing from his home nearby and was drawn towards the heat.
"We're asking anyone who recognises Dermot and knows who might have owned him to contact us so we can try to establish how he came to be there."
Ms Cavanagh added: "If no-one comes forward for Dermot we'll find him a knowledgeable new home where his needs will be met for the rest of his life."
Anyone who recognises Dermot is being asked to call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
© Rspca/PA
The dead Burmese python that was found under a tree in Northfleet.
The dead Burmese python that was found under a tree in Northfleet.
The giant reptile was found by a member of the public trapped under the tree in Wallis Park in Northfleet, Kent, on Wednesday morning.
RSPCA investigators are trying to locate its owner and find out how it came to rest there. They believe it died at least 24 hours before it was found.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "It's a bit of a strange one. Our first assumption was that it became trapped under the tree after being released.
"But it then became apparent that it had been dead for some time, at least 24 hours before it was found. The injury to its skull was caused by blunt trauma.
Aaron Kent, of Atlanta, said his wife, who is 74, was leaving for work Wednesday morning when she stepped outside and plunged into the sinkhole, which he estimated to be 8 feet deep and 12 feet wide.
By himself, Kent managed to pull her out. She only suffered minor injuries, according to MyFoxAtlanta.com.
"I think it scared her more than... anything else" he told the station.
Watershed management officials said the sinkhole opened up overnight because of a faulty storm water line installed underneath the house, perhaps decades ago, that washed away the soil.
Source: myfoxatlanta.com
© NOAA
Oklahoma's tornado count well above average in 2013, NOAA says.
Oklahoma's tornado count well above average in 2013, NOAA says.
Oklahoma's 79 tornadoes in 2013 was the second-greatest total in the nation, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The total topped the state's average of 57 tornadoes per year between 1981 and 2010, according to NOAA data. But the number didn't eclipse the 145 reported in 1999, the most since officials began recording tornado data in 1950.
Kansas, Texas and Florida annually average more. Only Texas, with 81 tornadoes in 2013, had more than Oklahoma last year.
© Mountain Republic
According to research done by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, climate change will likely contribute to increasing prices for basic foodstuffs in the coming decades. The study suggests that, as in the past, the agricultural industry cannot adapt to the changing climate, and everything it entails, leading to a drop in food production.
Of course, the result is not the same everywhere, as shortened growing seasons in one area may reduce food production, lengthened growing seasons in other areas may increase food production. At the same time, climate change may increase the incidence of agricultural pests and diseases in certain areas, reducing food production. Climate-change-driven rainfall, sunlight, and temperature variations also account for drastic changes in food production.
© BBC News
Dramatic footage shows how unusually fierce winter storms have brought severe flooding to several coastal areas in Southern England. Ireland is also suffering severe flooding.
© Hilton/Hofford for WildLifeRisk
An undercover operation has revealed that sharks are killed for food and cosmetic products each year in China.
An undercover operation has revealed that sharks are killed for food and cosmetic products each year in China.
Paul Hilton, a conservation photo journalist and co-director of Hong Kong based NGO, WildLife Risk made three trips between 2010 and 2013 to the town of Puqi in China's south east following a tip-off.
"We decided to set up a small seafood trading company and we organised a business trip," he told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program.
"We met with a gentleman called Mr Li who runs the China Wenzhou Yueqing Marine Organisms Health Protection Foods Co Ltd and there (to) the processing plant and the courtyard was just full of giant whale shark fins."
Whale shark hunting as well as the sale and export of products are banned in China which has signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Despite that, the Fisheries authorities say they lack the resources to stop the trade.
"Recently this week there was a spokesperson who wanted to remain anonymous from the Chinese Fisheries side saying they are just totally understaffed and they don't have the resources to do more for endangered species," Mr Hilton said.
"So there's loopholes all through the system, people are taking backhanders."
Several streets in Cork city were under water after the river Lee overflowed its banks - the fourth time in just four weeks that parts of the city were flooded.
Some shops that had been flooded just 24 hours earlier, were hit by rising water again.
At the height of the flooding, one of the city's main streets, Oliver Plunkett Street, was under several feet of water.
Cobh and Kinsale in Co Cork, and Clonmel in Co Tipperary were also badly flooded.
Towns in eastern and southern counties, particularly Waterford and Wexford, were battered by hurricane-force winds and high waves last night.
Heavy rain and strong gusts of rain also hit the north, with eastern counties particularly badly hit.
© www.surfhog.com
A buoy set close to Penzance triggered a reading of 74.8 feet at 3.00am this morning, according to Cornwall-based surf website www.surfhog.com
It confirms the world's largest waves were off the coast of the Duchy this morning - higher than the swell off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, and dwarfing the 6ft surf that lapped against Australia's Bondi Beach.
West Cornwall has seen widespread flooding and destruction after a series of devastating storms blasted the coast.
In comparison big wave surfer, Devon-born Andrew Cotton, is believed to have ridden the 'biggest ever wave' in Nazare Portugal which stood at 80 feet.
According to surf forecasting website, Surf Storm, the largest waves on the face of the planet today have been crashing into the Cornwall, though most are unsurfable due to strong winds and large tides.
Emergency services have all issued a co-ordinated warning to only travel if absolutely necessary.
Comment: The global food crisis is not going to get any better:
Climate change could lead to global food crisis, scientists warn
Food prices to rise 40%, study says
Global food system vulnerable due to growing population and climate change
Climate Change to Cut Crop Yields, Boost Prices, Study Shows
Billions face climate change risk
Recipe for Catastrophe: Climate, Fuel, and Food
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