© EPA/NASA/NOAA/Goddard MODIS Rapid Response / HANDOUT
Typhoon Sarika approaches the Philippines
Typhoon Sarika approaches the Philippines
Typhoon Sarika, locally known as Karen, blew into Aurora province early Sunday and was barreling fast through heavily-populated agricultural provinces with sustained winds of 130 kilometres (80 miles) per hour and gusts of 220 kph (136 mph), officials said.
Mayor Nelianto Bihasa of Baler, a popular surfing town in Aurora, said howling wind ripped tin roofs off many houses and knocked down trees and electric posts, causing power outages and blocking access roads to some villages.
Coastal villagers were warned early to move to safer areas and there have been no immediate reports of casualties other than two injured residents, he said.
In eastern Catanduanes province, a man drowned after being swept by strong river currents and a farmer died after his head hit the ground in fierce wind, provincial safety officer Gerry Beo said.
Three fishermen were reported missing, he said.
Comment: Website Space Weather noted a geomagnetic storm on Friday 14th October 2016 (though it began early on Thursday 13th):
'GEOMAGNETIC STORM UNDERWAY: Auroras are dancing around the Arctic Circle on Oct. 14th as Earth slowly exits the magnetized wake of a CME that struck two days ago. Currently, geomagnetic storms are flickering between categories G1 and G2.
WHAT'S NEXT? On Oct. 15th, another disturbance is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. This time it's coming from a coronal hole -- a gap in the sun's atmosphere from which solar wind flows:
More documentation of this increasing phenomenon:
- Rare 'red sprites' burst out of supercell storm in Texas
- Rare red sprites photographed over southern Arizona
- Photographs of rare red 'lightning' sprites taken in New Mexico and Europe
- Origin of mysterious jellyfish lightning 'sprites' revealed
For a deeper understanding of the changes occurring on the planet read Earth Changes and the Human Cosmic Connection by Pierre Lescaudron and Laura Knight-Jadczyk