Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Almost 2 million lightning strikes recorded as storms batter eastern Australia - 5 inches of rain in 24 hours

Jenny Campbell
wsws.org
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 20:07 UTC
Lightning over Sydney Harbour on January 15, 2025.
© X/@JarvFromOzLightning over Sydney Harbour on January 15, 2025.
The New South Wales State Emergency Services (NSW SES) has responded to more than 7,000 storm-related incidents across the state since Wednesday morning, as fierce storms battered large swathes of Australia's east.

Wild weather is expected to continue through the weekend, with ongoing thunderstorms on the east coast and a tropical cyclone developing just off the coast of Western Australia (WA), threatening gale force winds from Port Hedland to Exmouth in the state's northwest. Meanwhile, large areas of Queensland and WA are experiencing a severe heatwave.

With heavy rainfall expected for much of the NSW coast, numerous flood warnings have been issued. North of Newcastle, Ferndale Caravan Park residents were told to evacuate this morning due to the risk of flooding.

Wednesday's severe weather was the result of a cold front "that triggered a massive line of storms... At one stage we basically had a line of storms extending from almost the Queensland border down to Tasmania," meteorologist Christie Johnson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). That represents a staggering storm front spanning more than 1,500 kilometres.


Comment: See also this earlier report and other videos: Severe thunderstorms smash Australia's east coast leaving one dead - Sydney Airport shut - 200,000 homes without power - warnings over dangerous winds, lightning and hailstones

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Doberman

Woman killed by own dog, another attacked in Apalachin, New York

Gillian Friebis
Binghamtonhomepage.com
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 19:43 UTC
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A Tioga County, New York, woman was killed after her dog attacked her and another person on Thursday.

The Tioga County Sheriff's Office reported that Darnelle A. Greeno, 51, of Apalachin, was attacked by her own dog on Pleasant View Drive on Jan. 16. Authorities say the dog then attacked a man who was walking his dog nearby, and the man killed the attacking dog.

Greeno sustained multiple injuries during the attack, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not specify if the man, who has not been publically identified, was injured.

The Tioga County Sheriff's Office Road Patrol, the Tioga County Criminal Investigation Division, the Town of Owego Dog Control, and the Tioga County Coroner's Office responded to the scene.
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Attention

Mass whale stranding in Golden Bay, New Zealand


RNZ
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 19:33 UTC
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Between 20 and 30 whales have stranded at Golden Bay, near the top of the South Island.
Between 20 to 30 whales have stranded in Golden Bay, near the top of the South Island.

Project Jonah received reports of a pod of whales coming onshore about 7pm Saturday.

Local medics were on site, and the senior Project Jonah team was en route.

General manager Daren Grover said they would stay with the whales until last light.

Crews were expected to return to the beach just before 6am Sunday.

It is the third stranding in the area in the past two months.
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Tsunami

Floods hit southern Brazil's State of Santa Catarina - 5 inches of rain in just a few hours, over half of normal January total


Merco Press
Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:34 UTC
In just a few hours, more than half the volume expected for the entire month of January fell, Mello pointed out
In just a few hours, more than half the volume expected for the entire month of January fell, Mello pointed out
First responders have been working around the clock while State authorities also set up shelters as the need for improved drainage systems and flood prevention infrastructure has been highlighted. Residents were also advised to exercise extreme caution in flood-prone areas.

Camboriú Mayor Juliana Pavan declared the emergency after more than 120 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in just a few hours flooding city streets and adjacent roads such as BR-101, where the Morro do Boi tunnel is closed. Argentine tourists were reported to be arriving en masse for the second half of January as a convenient exchange rate advises against vacationing in their home country.

"It rained, in a few hours, about 130 millimeters in the cities of Itajaí, Camboriú and Balneário Camboriú. More than half the volume expected for the entire month of January," Santa Catarina Governor Jorginho Mello pointed out.

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Tornado2

Waterspout seen off Dampier, Western Australia

Rosemary Murphy
abc.net.au
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:01 UTC
Some locals caught a glimpse of a waterspout off the Pilbara coast.
© Michael DoddSome locals caught a glimpse of a waterspout off the Pilbara coast.
Heavy rainfall, a strange skyline and a waterspout over the ocean are just some of the weather phenomena witnessed across Western Australia's Pilbara region over the past 24 hours.

The stormy weather has delighted many locals who watched on in awe.

Dampier resident Eloise Dortch was out walking her dog on Monday morning when something caught her eye off the coast.

"I didn't know what I was looking at," Ms Dortch said.

"I saw this weird, dark trail going from the rain clouds down into ocean.

"It was there for quite a few seconds, and at the base where the spout went into the ocean you could see a flurry of water spray."

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Doberman

Aggressive dogs kill Nigerian woman while visiting friend in Italy

Tola Owoyele
fij.ng
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:39 UTC
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Patricia Masithela, a 27-year-old Nigerian lady, has been killed by a pack of dogs in Latina, a town in the Lazio region of Italy.

Masithela, a mother of one, was hoping to meet with a male acquaintance in a derelict building when the dogs attacked her on Monday night.

Masithela visited the house while her friend, an unnamed 40-year-old man, was absent. While the dogs attacked her, people in the neighbourhood heard her screams around 3 am and raised the alarm.

After the dogs were chased off, the Nigerian was found critically injured, lying in a pool of blood with deep wounds across her body.
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Volcano

Lava shoots 100s of feet into air as Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts


wspd.iheart.com
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:25 UTC
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© Mario Tama
The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has resumed its eruption, marking the fourth eruptive episode. Lava fountains have been observed reaching heights of up to 200 feet. The renewed activity has drawn attention from both locals and tourists, eager to witness the natural spectacle.

Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is located on the Big Island of Hawaii. It has been erupting intermittently for decades, with its most recent significant activity occurring in 2018. The current eruption is being closely monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and local authorities to ensure public safety.

The lava flows are primarily contained within the volcano's summit caldera, minimizing the immediate threat to nearby communities. However, residents and visitors are advised to stay informed and heed any warnings or advisories issued by officials.

The eruption has also sparked interest among scientists, who are studying the volcanic activity to better understand the processes driving Kilauea's eruptions. This research could provide valuable insights into volcanic behavior and improve future eruption predictions.

As the situation develops, authorities will continue to monitor the eruption and provide updates to ensure the safety of those on the island.

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Volcano

Indonesia evacuates 3,000 residents near Mount Ibu after eruption


ABS-CBN News
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:14 UTC
BBBBBBB
Authorities have begun evacuating 3,000 residents near the Mount Ibu volcano on Indonesia's eastern island of Halmahera, the disaster agency said on Thursday (January 16), after an eruption this week sent a cloud of thick grey ash as high as four-km (2.5-mile) into the sky.

Ibu erupted on Wednesday (January 15) morning for about two minutes, Indonesia's volcanology agency said, forcing authorities to raise the alert level in the surrounding areas to the most severe.

The evacuations started late on Wednesday for about 3,000 residents around the area who were being prioritized due to their proximity to the volcano, Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the country's disaster mitigation agency, told Reuters.

Ibu's activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes.

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Doberman

Woman killed, man injured in dog attack in north St. Louis, Missouri

Nick Gladney
fox2now.com
Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:13 UTC
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A woman was left dead and a man was injured Wednesday night after being attacked by several dogs in north St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD), the incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. Wednesday night on the 5900 block of Theodore Avenue in the Walnut Park West neighborhood of north St. Louis, involving a husband and wife.

SLMPD spokesperson Mitch McCoy says officers were initially called to the scene for reports of shots fired but as authorities were in route, the call was updated to a call for help and that a woman was being attacked by multiple dogs in their backyard.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found the couple being bit by the dogs and the husband attempting to save his wife from the attack.

Police say officers used pepper spray on the dogs to stop them from attacking and immediately provided aid to the woman by applying tourniquets due to multiple severe bites. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead, McCoy says. The man involved in the attacks suffered from non-life-threatening injuries.

According to McCoy, three dogs were seized at the scene. The investigation is still ongoing.

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Tornado2

Waterspout rips off roofs of floating houses in Kudat, Malaysia


New Straits Times
Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:57 UTC
Residents of floating houses in Kudat had a rude awakening this morning when some of their houses which are built on stilts over the water at Kampung Pantai Bahagia were struck by a waterspout this morning.
© BULETIN TV3Residents of floating houses in Kudat had a rude awakening this morning when some of their houses which are built on stilts over the water at Kampung Pantai Bahagia were struck by a waterspout this morning.
Residents of floating houses in Kudat had a rude awakening this morning when some of their houses which are built on stilts over the water at Kampung Pantai Bahagia were struck by a waterspout this morning.

The 8.30am natural phenomenon caused damage to at least eight floating houses, leaving a few without their roofs.

The zinc roofs were reportedly blown off by the force of the waterspout, prompting residents to seek cover to avoid being struck by the debris flying in the strong winds.

One of the residents interviewed by Buletin TV3, Sakira Abdul Hassan said she heard a loud bang when it approached her house.

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