Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

Mt Hutt skifield in New Zealand sees nearly a meter of late snow - 5 meter snowdrifts

mmmmmmm
Mt Hutt skifield isn't ruling out reopening for a spell after a heavy dumping of snow over the weekend.

Heavy snow fell in the South Island during the long weekend as wild weather lashed much of the country.

Mt Hutt in Methven got nearly a metre of fresh snow.

Mt Hutt ski area manager James McKenzie told Morning Report it was one of the biggest October snowfalls he'd seen in nearly 20 years on the mountain.


Comment: Related: South Island roads remain closed after spring snow, heavy rain in New Zealand


Cloud Lightning

Stormy night in Mallorca, Spain: Heavy rainfall, flash floods, road closures, 8 rescues and 77 emergency operations

mmmmmm
The impact of the DANA (Isolated High Level Depression) that hit Mallorca early this morning has put emergency services on high alert. So far, road closures, eight rescues, and 77 emergency operations have been reported as of 6am. According to the 112, incidents have been recorded across various municipalities: 25 in Manacor, 14 in Campos, 10 in Palma, 8 in Calvia, 4 in Montuïri, 3 in Marratxi, 2 each in Ses Salines and Pollensa, and one in Felanitx, Vilafranca, Algaida, Llucmajor, Binissalem, Sant Llorenç, Soller, Porreres, and Sencelles.

The heavy storm has also forced the following roads to be closed: MA-2203 at KM 2.2, MA-2200, MA-4015 from Manacor to Calas (impassable at kilometer 3), MA-15 from Manacor to Sant Llorenç near the radar, MA-3321 in Manacor, MA-19 from Santanyí to Campos, MA-6040 from Campos to Porreres (between kilometers 3 and 9), and both MA-3200 and MA-3201 (Montuïri to Pina).


Snowflake

'Winter is here': Early snow blankets Mauna Kea summit in Hawaii

Image from the Maunakea Visitor Information Station Facebook page
Image from the Maunakea Visitor Information Station Facebook page
Mother Nature is definitely being tricky with the weather today at the summit of Mauna Kea, but with precautions in place such as the access road being closed, many Big Islanders are finding the scenery to be more of a treat just in time for Halloween.

"Winter is here," proclaimed the Maunakea Visitor Information Station in an 8:36 a.m. post on its Facebook page Sunday sharing several webcam images from telescopes and observatories on the volcanic mountain's summit showing it lightly blanketed with snow.

One of the photos also showed what was either fog and/or snow continuing to fall or blow in the wind.

The post added that the summit access road was closed because of ice and hazardous driving conditions. The road was still closed as of 12:30 p.m.


Tornado2

Towering waterspout swirls off Florida's Boynton Beach on October 24

nnnnnn
Video captured by a lifeguard off the coast of Boynton Beach, Florida shows a large waterspout.


Attention

Boy, 12, says brutal kangaroo attack left him 'traumatised and scared'

mmmmmmm
A 12-year-old boy who was hospitalised after a terrifying kangaroo attack says the backyard was terrifying.

Phoenix Bond said the animal pinned him down for minutes before a neighbour heard his cries for help just in time.

"I just feel like pretty traumatised, really scared," he told 9News.

Bond was left with blood streaming from his head, and suffered a massive gash to his right thigh.

The 12-year-old was looking at a mob of roos in his backyard when a large male bounded towards him.

Bond tried to run away but slipped.


Volcano

West Sumatra volcano Marapi erupts, ash column reaches 1,000 meters

mmmmm
The West Sumatra volcano Mount Marapi erupted on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The eruption was recorded on the seismogram of the Marapi Volcano Monitoring Post with a column of 1,000 meters above the summit.

"Ash column of about 1,000 meters observed from the summit. Meanwhile, if measured from sea level, the height of the ash column reaches 3,891 meters," said Aziz Yuliawan, an officer at the Marapi Volcano Monitoring Post, in a written report on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

The eruption occurred at 17:10 Western Indonesia Time. The ash column was grayish in color and emitted with moderate intensity. "The ash tends to head northwest," he said. The eruption was recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 4.7 millimeters in 1 minute and 30 seconds.


Cloud Precipitation

Severe hailstorm and flooding in Zafarraya, Spain

NNNNN
Flooding in Zafarraya in Granada, Spain


Tsunami

Floods hit Saint-Tropez as rains lash south of France - 6 inches of rainfall in a few hours, equivalent of 5 weeks' worth

Floodwater lapped at the shopfronts
© AFPFloodwater lapped at the shopfronts around the port of glitzy Saint-Tropez
Floodwaters lapped the shopfronts in the glitzy French resort of Saint Tropez on Saturday as torrential rains closed roads and train lines across the south of the country.

Firefighters were called out at least 10 times to help people trapped in their homes and cars by rising waters in the Var region that includes the town that where Brigitte Bardot and other celebrities live.

In the port, normally dominated by the fashion-conscious on a Saturday night, water washed around the doors of stores. Several restaurant managers and shop owners were spotted trying to push the water out of their businesses with mops. Police blocked some roads.

The Saint Tropez region and Var department were among the worst hit by the rains.

In the nearby commune of Muy, shopkeeper Patrick Gaillard set up a temporary dyke to protect his business.


Comment: From midilibre.fr:
In Le Luc, 152.5 mm of rain fell in a few hours, the equivalent of five weeks of precipitation, while in Vidauban, 119 mm of rain fell in the space of an hour, reports BFMTV.



Snowflake

South Island roads remain closed after spring snow, heavy rain in New Zealand

Heavy snow in Lake Ōhau yesterday. Photo: Aaron Jones
© Aaron JonesHeavy snow in Lake Ōhau yesterday.
Some roads in the South Island remain closed this morning because of rain, snow and slips.

Flooding in the upper South Island has closed State Highway 6 between Inangahua and Lower Buller Gorge, and State Highway 7 between Kaiata and Stillwater.

Slips have closed State Highway 6 between Kohatu to Murchison.

Snow has closed State Highway 73 from Springfield to Arthur's Pass, and State Highway 6 between Haast and Makarora.

A section of State Highway 6 between Te Anau and Milford was also closed.

On Saturday, Westland mayor Helen Lash said there was a lot of surface flooding, but no rivers had reached their banks.


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall blankets eastern city of Magadan in Russia

MMMMMM
Although winter hasn't officially arrived, the eastern city of Magadan has been hit hard by heavy snowfall from a cyclone, causing major disruptions in traffic and trapping cars, emergency vehicles, and even snowplows.

The cyclone is expected to move on to Kamchatka and Chukotka next.