Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

South Korean capital records heaviest one-day snowfall in December for 40 years

Visitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
© Jung Yeon-je / AFPVisitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
South Korea's capital received the biggest single-day snowfall recorded in December for more than 40 years on Saturday.

The country's weather agency said on Sunday that 4.8in (12.2cm) of snow fell on Seoul the previous day, the heaviest since 1981.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said a heavy snow advisory was issued for the entire Seoul entire area on Saturday before it was lifted later in the day.

It said other parts of South Korea also received snow or rain on Saturday.

South Korea's safety agency said Saturday's snow in Seoul and other areas caused traffic congestion, but no snowfall-related deaths or injuries have been reported.

Source: AP


Comment: Also for the same month: South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia

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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake was at a depth of 39 km (24.23 miles) the EMSC said.

EMSC earlier pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.2, with a depth of 46 km (28.58 miles).

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake.

Cloud Precipitation

At least 21 dead after floods in Ladysmith, South Africa (UPDATE)

Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the
Heavy rains on Christmas eve resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, bursting its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town. Six people are dead and 10 are missing.
Six people have died and 10 people are missing following floods that swept through Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve.

KZN department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs said search and rescue teams who worked on Christmas day to find those missing, will resume on Tuesday,

Heavy rains on December 24 resulted in the Bellspruit River, which runs under the Mbonontathu bridge, to burst its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill robots, in Ladysmith town.

This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure, and several vehicles were swept away.


Comment: Update December 30

The Associated Press reports:
Flash floods killed over a dozen people in the small town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal province, South African officials said Saturday.

"As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered," said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.

The floods hit the town on Christmas Day, destroying about 1400 homes, with the death toll expected to rise as an unconfirmed number of people are still missing, he said.

Search and rescue teams have been scouring rivers to recover bodies, Netshiunda added. The operation is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Tragedy hit one family in Ladysmith set to bury seven of its members who were killed when floods swept their vehicle into the river. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vincent Msimango, his wife, two children, brother and niece, and nephew earlier this week, local news outlet Eyewitness News reported on Saturday.

KwaZulu-Nata province has witnessed devastating floods lately.

In June, heavy rainfall triggered deluges that killed seven people, and another seven went missing, in and around the city of Durban.

In April last year, devastating floods hit the coastal province killing more than 440 people.



Fire

Santiaguito volcano erupts in Guatemala

Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
Eruption of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. December 28, 2023.
The Santiaguito Volcano, situated in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, has witnessed a considerable explosion, underscoring the volatile yet fascinating nature of volcanic regions.

The volcanic activity at Santiaguito is ongoing, with the recent eruption forming a part of its moderate explosive activity.

The event's significance lies in the fact that the volcanic activity is more prevalent in regions like Central America, making the monitoring of these events crucial for the safety and well-being of nearby communities.


Cloud Precipitation

Unusual hailstorm blankets Saudi Arabian city

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The city of Buraidah in Saudi Arabia woke to an unusual spectacle on Thursday, as a wave of hail showers transformed the arid cityscape into a winter wonderland. A phenomenon seldom seen in this part of the world, the hailstorm left the city blanketed in white, turning streets, vehicles, and buildings into a surreal icy tableau.


Bizarro Earth

Catastrophic waves flood Calif. beach bringing flooding and rip currents

california storm giant waves mini tsunami
© Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesMen watch from a balcony in Faria Beach as huge waves crash on the shore Thursday in Ventura County, California.
Offshore storms shoved waves toward communities along the California coast, bringing flooding and road closures, as well as fright to nearly 20 people who were briefly swept away along a Ventura beach on Thursday. Eight people were taken to the hospital, officials said.

The swells will not be a one-day thing: Some areas of the California coast will see towering waves - some up to 30 feet - through the weekend. The waves will usher high water and rip currents. Coastal flood alerts and high-surf alerts stretch from the US-Mexico border to north of the Bay Area.

Waves, coupled with high tides, sent torrents of seawater into Santa Cruz along the central coast.

Tornado2

Storm Gerrit tears '£3m' wind turbine as 85mph gales barreled down on Britain

storm gerritt destroy wind turbine england
© X/Dedicated_beingDebris from the lone wind turbine was flung into the seemingly empty field surrounding it, December 28, 2023 in Ayrshire, England
There are many potential hazards of Net Zero but who'd have thought being decapitated might be one of them? According to the Mail it seems that Storm Gerritt had the same effect as trying to do a crash dive in a Tiger Moth:
Shocking footage showed the energy generator in Ayrshire, Scotland, wracking up speed before the blades suddenly come loose and are flung across a seemingly deserted field in opposite directions.

Loud crashes are heard as the debris lands on the ground, while bare trees surrounding the lone turbine are blown back and forth.

Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: Himalayas have been getting COLDER, Nature Geoscience journal reports

himalayas
© TwitterImage shows an ice-covered mountain of the Himalayan range
While this phenomenon may slow down the effects of global warming in some areas, its sustainability is not guaranteed over the coming decades.

A surprising phenomenon has emerged in the mighty Himalayas that might slow down the effects of the global climate crisis. Scientists have noted that when high temperatures hit high-altitude ice masses, 'katabatic' winds are triggered that blow cold air to lower-altitude areas.


Comment: That may be the case, although there's data showing that temperatures at higher altitudes in certain regions of the world have also been decreasing: Extremely rare 'rainbow clouds' light up Arctic skies for 3 days in a row


The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, was conducted using data from the Pyramid International Laboratory/Observatory climate station on Mount Everest, the world's tallest summit.

Comment: Their conclusion is that the cooling is local and that it's 'perhaps' not sufficient to counter 'global boiling', however data coming in from across the planet is showing that, overall, a period of significant cooling is upon us: Also check out SOTT radio's:


Boat

12 dead, 260,000 affected as severe flooding hits Thailand's south - worst in 5 decades (UPDATES)

Southern Thailand hit by severe floods, people take refuge on rooftops
Southern Thailand hit by severe floods, people take refuge on rooftops
Tens of thousands of people in southern Thailand have been affected by severe flooding that has submerged roads and railways, forced schools to close and left some residents trapped in their homes.

The province of Narathiwat in the country's far south near the border with Malaysia was most seriously affected, with some districts submerged for days, according to broadcaster Thai PBS.

It said that "scores of people" had requested assistance and some were sitting on the roofs of their flooded homes.

At least a dozen schools in the provinces of Narathiwat and neighbouring Yala have been forced to close, while footage from the region showed homes and shops inundated with water.


Comment: Update December 29

Thaipbsworld.com reports:
Seven people have drowned, one is still missing and more than 260,000 people are affected in the worst flooding in the southernmost province of Narathiwat in five decades, according to the Provincial Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office.

All 13 districts of the province have been hit by floods, although the water is receding as runoffs flow downstream towards neighbouring Yala and Pattani provinces, before reaching the sea.

In areas where flooding has receded, many people can be seen cleaning their houses of mud, which came with floodwaters. Others were seen examining damage caused to their property. Flooding is also easing in Yala province.

In neighbouring Pattani province, which is located downstream, the economic zone in the Mueang district was flooded yesterday, although the water is not yet very deep, ranging from 30cm to slightly over 50cm. Some roads have become impassable to small cars, as police put up signs to warn motorists. Draining water into the Pattani River is not possible because the river itself is swollen and has overflowed its banks.

In Pakaharang community, which is located by the Pattani River, more than 300 houses are inundated.

One climate expert pointed out that flood early warning systems are not efficient enough, as many people were had no advance notice of the flooding, leaving them unprepared and unable to move their valuables to higher ground in time.

Flooding in Pattani still remains serious, but the situation is expected to improve in the next few days, if there is no more heavy rain.
Update December 30

Bernama reports:
The devastating floods in southern Thailand have claimed at least 12 lives, with over 18,000 households in the Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala provinces still grappling with flooding.

The Public Health Ministry reported that eight people died in Narathiwat, three in Yala, and one in Pattani.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM) director-general Chaiwat Junthirapong said 109,282 households in five provinces — Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, and Satun — have been affected by the floods since December 22.



Cloud Precipitation

Flash floods hit East, Central Trinidad

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As heavy flash floods hit several parts of the country yesterday afternoon, firefighters were called to rescue people stranded in a car at Eleanor Street in Chaguanas.

Flooding was reported in East and Central Trinidad after rain descended around 2 p.m. for more than an hour, with lesser showers eventually creeping to other parts of the country.

Heavy street and some residential flooding was reported in Chaguanas and environs, and the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway in Tunapuna, including along the Priority Bus Route, Macoya and Maracas, St Joseph.

Around 3 p.m., the Fire Service was called out after a vehicle attempting to enter Eleanor Street from Chaguanas Main Road stalled in the flooded roadway.