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'Wall of dirt': Huge dust storm rolls over Phoenix, Arizona


RT
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:00 UTC
Phoenix dust storm
© Flashwing / YouTube
A dust storm swept through Arizona's largest city Sunday, delaying flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and creating spectacular visuals. The phenomenon is also known by its Arabic name, "haboob."

Phoenix on Sunday evening resembled a scene from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. While such sandstorms cannot actually happen in Dubai, as depicted in the movie, they are fairly common in the American Southwest.

Visibility at Sky Harbor International Airport was reduced to a quarter-mile or less, with winds gusting to 60 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. At least 16 flights were delayed, with the average delay running about 49 minutes, according to FlightAware.

"It was impressive. I've been watching it on the news, and it looks pretty imposing as you see it rolling through the Valley, and then you look outside and it's all hazy and orange with the sunset," Simon Norton, who was traveling through Sky Harbor, told KNXV-TV.
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Telescope

Discharge event? Bright flashes of circular 'light' seen via telescope over Pacific Ocean

MrMBB333
You Tube
Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:26 UTC
Bright flash over the Pacific
© Via YouTube/MrBB333
The bright flashes you will see in this video transpired over the course of 40 minutes. It is not a fireball and is not thunderstorm related. Very odd...

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills two and injures five in Bajaur, Pakistan


The International News
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 10:05 UTC
lIGHTNING
Two persons were killed and five others sustained injuries when lightning struck them in Adad Banda in tehsil of Bajaur Agency on Sunday.

The two persons identified as Kashif and Inam were killed and five others injured when they were struck by lightning.

The Frontier Corps personnel reached the area and shifted the injured to the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Khar.

The torrential rain also destroyed crops in several villages of the Bajaur tribal region.
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Cloud Lightning

Man dies after being struck by lightning in Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado

Anica Padilla and Ashley Michels
kdvr.com
Sat, 20 Aug 2016 09:38 UTC
lIGHTNING
An Arvada man died after being struck by lighting Friday in the Roosevelt National Forest in northern Colorado.

Chad Trover, 45, was at a cabin near Red Feathers Lakes in Larimer County Friday afternoon when a storm rolled through.

A friend who was with Trover at the time told FOX31 Denver the storm seemed mild and they did not see a lot of lightning.

Trover was talking to his daughter on his cell phone while standing between two 60-feet-tall trees when he was struck.
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Windsock

Typhoon Mindulle hits Tokyo, bringing risk of floods and landslides

Chris Cooper
Bloomberg
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 01:35 UTC
Typhoon Mindulle
© Japan Meterological Agency
Typhoon Mindulle
Typhoon Mindulle unleashed heavy rains on Tokyo, bringing the risk of floods and landslides as the tropical storm made landfall near the Japanese capital shortly after noon Monday.

The typhoon's center was about 74 kilometers (46 miles) south of Tokyo as of 1 p.m. local time and heading north, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. With maximum sustained winds of 126 kilometers per hour (78 mph) and a maximum wind gust speed of 180 kilometers per hour, Mindulle is the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane, the weakest on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

The weather agency issued heavy rain and flood warnings for all 23 wards of central Tokyo, while the Prime Minister's Office warned of possible landslides and damage from strong waves. A total of 250 millimeters of rain was predicted in the Tokyo region for the 24 hours to noon, the agency said, and it issued tornado warnings for Tokyo and surrounding areas. Nine rivers were at a dangerous risk of flooding, according to national broadcaster NHK.

Japan Airlines Co. canceled 148 domestic flights, affecting about 28,000 passengers, while ANA Holdings Inc. scrubbed 112 flights, affecting about 26,500 passengers, according to statements from the airlines. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said about 66,000 homes were without power as of 2:25 p.m., mostly in Chiba prefecture where the typhoon made landfall.
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Alarm Clock

Another magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes off northern Japan; third strong quake in region in consecutive days


The Japan Times
Sun, 21 Aug 2016 10:19 UTC
japan earthquake map
© U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
A strong earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan for a third consecutive day early Sunday, but there were no reports of tsunami, injuries or damage.

The shallow magnitude-6.0 quake hit at 12:58 a.m. 170 km east-northeast of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by a magnitude-5.3 aftershock.

The Meteorological Agency, which logged the quake's magnitude at 5.9, said there was no threat of tsunami.

The temblor struck seven hours after another magnitude-6.0 quake struck the same area on Saturday, and followed a 5.3-magnitude jolt due east of Miyako on Friday.

Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences a number of relatively violent quakes every year. Rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even strong tremors often do little damage.

In April, two strong quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture, followed by more than 1,700 aftershocks, leaving 49 dead and causing widespread damage.

A massive undersea quake in March 2011 sent tsunami barreling into the coast of the Tohoku region, leaving more than 18,000 people dead or missing, and tipping three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Comment: Seismic activity seems to be increasing worldwide recently. Also within the past week 6.4 and 7.3 magnitude quakes have struck near South Georgia island; while Queensland experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake - the 'biggest in 20 years'.

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Bizarro Earth

Severe drought impacts New England states: Bears are bolder, mosquitoes are multiplying and fish are stressed

Holly Ramer
Phys.org
Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:00 UTC
black bear

Beyond hurting crops and helping the tourism industry, New England's hot, dry summer also is affecting the region's wildlife. Bears are getting bolder, mosquitoes are multiplying and stream-dwelling fish are stressed.
Bears are bolder, mosquitoes are multiplying and stream-dwelling fish are stressed. Beyond hurting crops and helping the tourism industry, New England's hot, dry summer also is affecting the region's wildlife.

All six New England states are experiencing at least moderate drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, with severe patches in all but Vermont and pockets of extreme drought in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Low rainfall also means low stream flow levels across the region. The U.S. Geological Survey says all six states have areas exhibiting moderate hydrologic drought, with severe spots in Massachusetts and one extreme area in Maine.

Low and warm water stresses fish, such as trout and salmon, forcing them to seek out deeper pools or spring holes. On Friday, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection closed portions of the West Branch Farmington River and the Farmington River to fishing through Sept. 15 after several fish kills.
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Ice Cube

Golf ball sized hail hits Great Falls, Montana


KRTV Great Falls News
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 18:02 UTC
Giant hail in Great Falls
© Jeff Fenner Sr
People in and around Great Falls were awakened by the sound of huge hailstones coming down overnight.

Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported throughout Great Falls, causing damage to trees, vehicles, and property.

Among the damage - the Great Falls Police Department, who said: "Most of our fleet was damaged by last night's storm. We have dings and cracked windshields galore."

STORMTracker meteorologist Mike Rawlins says the storms virtually came out of nowhere.

"One minute we were fine and the next, the radar lit up with storms," said Rawlins.

The STORMTracker Weather Team was expecting showers and thunderstorms, but severe weather wasn't a big concern.

Rawlins noted, "I expected some small hail, but nothing like what we got in Great Falls."

The National Weather Service did issue a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the city of Great Falls at 12:33 a.m. Thursday, but the storm was already dropping large hail on the city by the time it was disseminated.

Much cooler, wetter weather is expected on Thursday, however severe thunderstorms are unlikely.

Comment: Meanwhile in France, a brutal hailstorm destroyed half the grape crop in Languedoc. See also:Atmospheric changes: Strange cloud anomalies, rare ball lighting and more hail damaged aircraft

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Attention

6.4 magnitude earthquake near South Georgia island


Earthquake Track
Sun, 21 Aug 2016 09:56 UTC
Graph
© Dimas Ardian, Getty Images
6.4 magnitude earthquake 325 km from Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

2016-08-21 03:45:23 UTC

UTC time: Sunday, August 21, 2016 03:45 AM

Your time: 2016-08-21T03:45:23Z

Magnitude Type: mwp

USGS page: M 6.4 - South Georgia Island region

USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Reports from the public: 0 people

Comment: This latest event comes just 2 days after another major quake in the region: Massive 7.3 magnitude earthquake near South Georgia island

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Fire

Rare force of nature: What is a firenado?

Charlie Northcott
BBC News
Sun, 21 Aug 2016 01:25 UTC
California firenado
© Getty Images
Amidst the devastation of a huge wildfire in the US state of California, photos have emerged of a rare force of nature.

Firenadoes, torrents of wind and flame that burn at extreme temperatures, have been spotted in the hills near San Bernardino, 60 miles (96km) east of Los Angeles.

The whirlwinds form when a fire heats air above it and pulls in cool air at its base, creating a self-sustaining vortex. When large enough, these swirling columns are capable of ripping trees from the ground and pulling roofs off houses.

California's inferno currently spans 58 sq mi (150 sq km) in a dry, drought-ridden region of hills. More than 82,000 people have evacuated their homes. Only 22% of the fire has been contained.

Firefighters tend to avoid firenadoes due to their extreme heat and volatility. They instead focus on tackling more stable areas, where the movement of a fire can be safely predicted.


Comment: Some other rare firenadoes observed over the last couple of months include:

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