Earth ChangesS


Volcano

Yet another Mount Etna volcanic eruption shuts down Catania international airport

Ruth Wright & Angela Symons
Euronews
Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:36 UTC
Lava rises from Mount Etna in Italy on Aug. 14.
© Marco RestivoLava rises from Mount Etna in Italy on Aug. 14.
All flights have been cancelled or diverted to other airports in Sicily on Italy's busy Ferragosto public holiday.

Travel to and from the Italian island of Sicily is currently disrupted due to a volcanic eruption that happened overnight.

Catania international airport remains closed on Thursday 15 August, with all arrivals and departures suspended after Mount Etna billowed smoke into the air. The volcanic ash affects visibility for pilots.

It is estimated that operations will resume at around 6pm but passengers have been advised to check their flight status before leaving home.

The disruption comes on one of the busiest days for travel as Italy celebrates its biggest national public holiday, Ferragosto.

Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills boy in Torit, South Sudan


radiotamazuj.org
Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:53 UTC
nnnnnnn
A 12-year-old boy identified as Obiala Cyprian Oyo was on Wednesday killed by lightning that struck at the Christ Bright Academy Football ground in Torit, Eastern Equatoria.

Area Chief Michael Obusuk told Radio Tamazuj that the boy had climbed a tree as his colleagues played football.

Chief Obusuk said that the incident happened at around 4pm.

Mayor Mustafa Albino Zachariah confirmed the incident, and urged the local residents to erect lightning arresters on their house to minimize tragedies.

The Mayor dismissed the belief that lightning targeted people wearing red clothing, saying it is a natural phenomenon.

Last year, a similar incident killed an SSPDF soldier at the Shrikat Sector Three of Torit town.
Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 60 sheep in Kyrgyzstan

Nuris Alymbaev
24.kg news agency
Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:08 UTC
Lightning reportedly struck to death a flock of 60 sheep in Ton district of Issyk-Kul region
Lightning reportedly struck to death a flock of 60 sheep in Ton district of Issyk-Kul region
Lightning killed 60 sheep on Kichi-Angi pasture in Ton district. The press service of the Presidential Envoy to Issyk-Kul region confirmed the information.

The incident occurred on August 15 on the pasture above Konur-Olon village in Ton district.

During a heavy rain on the pasture, one of the lightning bolts hit a flock of sheep and killed 60 heads of cattle. The shepherd was not injured.

According to the press service, vehicles cannot reach the scene of the incident, so veterinary service employees were sent there together with local residents to remove the sheep carcasses.

Local authorities and the veterinary service were instructed to form a special commission, go to the scene of the incident and organize the burial of the carcasses.
Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

At least 54 people killed in floods in Northern Chad


Gulf Today
Fri, 16 Aug 2024 09:39 UTC
Massive flooding in eastern Chad has decimated the town of Koukou, thousands are now stranded with inadequate food, shelter or drinking water
© MSFMassive flooding in eastern Chad has decimated the town of Koukou, thousands are now stranded with inadequate food, shelter or drinking water
At least 54 people were killed in floods that hit the Tibesti region in the far north of Chad's desert.

The governor of the region said in statements Thursday that the torrential floods caused by heavy rains that continued for several days killed at least 54 people in six districts in the Tibesti region, and swept away thousands of shops and cars.

For its part, the National Meteorological Agency in Chad explained that the floods were caused by heavy rains that were considered higher than the normal rates in the region, noting that what happened is considered a climatic phenomenon that occurs every five to ten years.

It is worth noting that floods are common during the rainy season in Chad, which usually extends from May to October in the southern regions.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in West and Central Africa warned, in a statement published last Tuesday, of the severity of heavy rains and floods in the region, especially in Chad.

Read More...
Seismograph

Shallow magnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes Taiwan


Inquirer.net
Fri, 16 Aug 2024 08:50 UTC
mmmmmmmm
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan's east coast Friday morning, the United States Geological Survey said, with the island's government confirming there were no reports of major damage.

The tremor, which could be felt in the capital Taipei, hit at 7:35 am (2335 GMT) at a depth of 15 kilometers (about nine miles) near Hualien, epicenter of a major quake in April, according to the USGS.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, which initially reported a 6.3-magnitude quake, issued a mobile phone alert warning people to "keep calm and seek cover nearby".

Read More...
Fish

Rare 'doomsday' oarfish sighted near La Jolla shores, California on August 10

Mike Peterson
LaJolla.com
Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:51 UTC
A 12-foot oarfish found near La Jolla Cove on Saturday.
© Michael WangA 12-foot oarfish found near La Jolla Cove on Saturday.
A rare oarfish, also known as a "doomsday fish," was found in the waters off the coast of La Jolla Shores — and it may have brought an ominous warning.

If you're not familiar with oarfish, they are a fish species known for having an elongated body and a length up to 30 feet. They are also rarely encountered by humans, given that they typically live deep under the sea.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, a group of scientific researchers found a dead oarfish in the waters of La Jolla Cove. The oarfish was carried back to shore and turned over to professional marine biologists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

According to Scripps, the dead oarfish found near La Jolla will help scientists further study the admittedly "mysterious species." A necropsy will be performed to see if a cause of death can be determined.


Comment: This is the 3rd such incident within 4 weeks off the Pacific coast of the Americas, the others:

Read More...
Cloud Lightning

101,309 killed by lightning from 1967 to 2020 in India, with the last 2 decades showing highest increase in deaths

Biswajeet Banerjee
Free Press Journal
Thu, 08 Aug 2024 16:57 UTC
Death From Sky: Lightning Kills 1,876 People Annually In India, Study Reveals
Death From Sky: Lightning Kills 1,876 People Annually In India, Study Reveals
Lightning in India has emerged as one of the most lethal and challenging natural hazards. Over the past 54 years, lightning has caused a total of 101,309 human fatalities, averaging 1,876 deaths annually.

This was revealed in a study titled: "Lightning-related fatalities in India (1967-2020): A detailed overview of pattern and trends" carried out by Manoranjan Mishra, Tamoghna Acharya, Rajkumar Guria, Nihar Ranjan Rout and others.

Lightning fatality data from 1967 to 2020 (53 years) across the Indian states were collected from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). The NCRB provides the longest available time series of gender-disaggregated lightning fatality data.

The data highlights an increasing trend, with the last two decades showing the highest increase, an alarming development. The rising trend of extreme climate conditions will likely exacerbate the situation in a country like India.

"The increase in recorded lightning deaths in the last 20 years can be attributed to both improved recording methods of lightning deaths and the effects of climate change," Mishra told this reporter.

Comment: The number of recorded deaths for the subsequent 4 years also show an increasing trend as indicated by the reports below:

Read More...
Volcano

Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico spews clouds of gas and ash on August 12


Associated Press
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:23 UTC
mmmmm
The Popocatepetl volcano in central Mexico spewed water vapour, gas, and ash high into the sky on Monday, the country's disaster prevention agency (CENAPRED) reported.

Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Tropical Storm Ernesto pummels northeast Caribbean and leaves hundreds of thousands in the dark

Dánica Coto
ABC News
Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:08 UTC
Tropical Storm Ernesto on Tuesday.
© NOAATropical Storm Ernesto on Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Ernesto dropped torrential rain on eastern Puerto Rico early Wednesday and left hundreds of thousands of people without power in the U.S. territory as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.

A hurricane watch remained in effect for the British Virgin Islands as Ernesto began moving over open waters.

The storm was located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

"While it is possible Ernesto is already a hurricane, radar data does not yet support an upgrade," the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Read More...
Tornado2

Waterspout glows off of Fort Lauderdale and Dania beaches in Florida

Briana Trujillo
nbcmiami.com
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:58 UTC
mmmmm
A waterspout off of Fort Lauderdale and Dania beaches glowed with the rising sun as a backdrop on Wednesday morning.

NBC6 caught aerial images of the water spout at around 6:30 a.m.

According to NOAA, waterspouts fall into two categories: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.

"Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water... They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning," NOAA details.

Read More...