Earth Changes

A potentially record-breaking 'heat dome' is coming in the US

Nadia Prupis
Common Dreams
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:00 UTC

A massive "heat dome" is heading for the U.S. that will bake much of the country to potentially record-breaking temperatures next week, the Washington Post reports.

Only the Pacific Northwest is expected to escape the heat wave, while the rest of the country can look forward to some of its "hottest weather with respect to normal," the Post's weather editor Jason Samenow writes.

Although it is too early to know exactly how hot it will get, temperatures in the central U.S. and Upper Midwest could reach 10 to 20 degrees above average. Highs in Des Moines, Iowa, for example, may surpass 100°F for three days straight.

Rare earthquake hits off Palm Coast, Florida

Andrew Wulfkeck
First Coast News
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 23:58 UTC

A rare 3.7 magnitude earthquake was reported off Florida's Atlantic coast on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located just over 100 miles east of Palm Coast and occurred just after 4 p.m.

Residents of the Sunshine State didn't report feeling the minor earthquake. Feeling the effects of an earthquake is a rarity in Florida. Scientists say Florida has felt the effects of only around two dozen seismic events.

According to the USGS, one of the last earthquakes to cause damage happened back in 1879. Records state settlers in St. Augustine reported heavy shaking that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves.

Punjab, Pakistan jolted by 4.4 earthquake

Al Jazeera
Sun, 17 Jul 2016 00:00 UTC

An earthquake has hit the city of Lahore in northern Pakistan, witnesses said. Buildings sway as 4.4 magnitude quake strikes about 37km southwest of Lahore at depth of 10km.

The epicentre of the 4.4 magnitude quake was located about 37km southwest of Lahore, at a depth of 10km.

Waqas Habib Rana, a resident of Lahore said the earthquake was "very intense" and might have caused damage.

Terrible scenes as mountain torrents crush houses in China

RT
Sun, 17 Jul 2016 13:47 UTC

A video footage captured the shocking scenes of ferocious mountain torrents crashing down a row of wooden houses in a village of central China's Hunan Province.The mountain torrents, along with landslides and mudslides, were triggered by heavy rains Sunday morning in Hunan's Guzhang County, with precipitation reaching as much as 199.1 mm in Morong Town, where the terrible scenes were captured. No casualties have been reported as of Sunday afternoon.

2 women hit by separate lightning strikes at Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey

abc7ny.com
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 12:12 UTC

Two women are hospitalized after being struck by lightning in two separate incidents on Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean County, New Jersey.

The first incident occurred just before 3 p.m. Saturday at New Jersey Avenue and the Beach.

Police say a 62-year-old woman was struck by lightning at that location.

Less than 10 minutes later, a 54-year-old woman was struck by lightning on the 300 block of Ocean Avenue.

Police say she was sitting in an enclosed vehicle when she was struck.

Both victims were taken to Ocean Medical Center and are expected to be OK.

Lightning bolt kills 3 women and injures 2 others in Bihar, India

Business Standard
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 11:53 UTC

At least three persons were killed today in rain-related incidents in Bihar as the flood situation remained critical in Assam while heavy rainfall in Karauli district of Rajasthan has led to a deluge-like condition there.

The national capital also received heavy rains, leading to water-logging in several areas and heavy traffic jams on many busy intersections.

The observatories at Safdarjung, Lodhi Road, Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar recorded 12 mm, 12.5 mm, 4 mm, 7.4 mm and 9.1 mm rainfall respectively between 8.30 AM and 5.30 PM, said a Met department official.

Three women were killed while two others sustained burn injuries when lightning struck them in Bihar's Jamui district. The incident occurred when the victims were transplanting paddy saplings.

Lightning kills man at Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina

Kevin Ellis
Gaston Gazette
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 11:40 UTC

Scott Pasour

A Dallas man who led other motorcyclists to Christ through Bible studies at his auto repair business died Saturday from a lightning strike that occurred on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the entrance of Mount Mitchell State Park.

Scott Pasour, a lay minister at Venture Church and owner of Pasour Auto Repair, was riding down from the peak of Mount Mitchell with two other motorcyclists when they stopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the entrance of the park to put on rain gear, according to friends and park officials. The other men reported that they did not see any lightning or hear any thunder in the area until witnessing a bolt come down and strike the helmet Pasour was wearing.

A medical professional on the scene worked to revive Pasour for about 45 minutes and he was flown by helicopter to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead, according to friends. The incident occurred around 1 p.m., according to park officials.

July snow for 5 European countries; strawberry and tomato crops lost

Adapt 2030
You Tube
Fri, 15 Jul 2016 11:10 UTC

Summer Interrupted in Italy, Switzerland as Snow Whitens the Alps

Snow continues to fall across Europe in July 2016.

A total of 10 days of snow in this extremely rare round of bizarre snowy weather during the European summer.

Strawberry crops lost in Switzerland due to cold and rain.

India suffers extreme drought effecting tomato crops country wide along with the dairy industry.

After 36,000 years, an ancient volcano near Rome is rumbling to life

The Extinction Protocol
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:57 UTC

The country of Italy, home to one of the most famous volcanic disasters in history, is showing signs that another massive eruption is brewing, according to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Almost 2,000 years after the burial of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., an ancient volcano near Rome is rumbling to life, say scientists. About 19 miles away from the heart of Rome, an ancient volcanic district called the Colli Albani is stirring. The Colli Albani, a 9-mile-long semicircle of hills on the outskirts of Rome, last erupted 36,000 years ago, so geologists had classified it as extinct - until about 20 years ago.

Huge hailstorms damage thousands of houses in Brazil; 20 inches of ice on the streets

Robert Felix
Ice Age Now
Fri, 15 Jul 2016 17:27 UTC

50 cm (20 inches) of ice accumulated on the streets

A strong hailstorm hit parts of Rio Grande do Sul on Wednesday night, damaging 2,563 buildings.

Some 50 cm (20 inches) of ice accumulated on the streets in northern parts of the city of Não-Me-Toque (lit. Don't-Touch-Me). The ice also felled trees on the ERS-142 between Carazinho and the city.

The mayors of Vale do Sinos, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo declared an emergency.

The storm, which hit municipalities in the North, Northeast and Metropolitan and the Valleys of Taquari, Rio Pardo and Paranhana, was the second hail storm in the state in the week - Northern cities had already been punished by hail on Sunday night.