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Thu, 04 Nov 2021
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Alarm Clock

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Vanuatu; THIRD large quake in region this week

6.7 Vanuatu earthquake
© US Geological Service
The epicentre of Thursday's 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu's Torba province.
An earthquake measuring 6.7 has struck the northwest of Vanuatu, the third large earthquake in the same region this week.

The United States Geological Service said the earthquake struck 109km west of Sola, in Torba province, at a depth of 33km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake posed no tsunami threat.

Thursday afternoon's quake came less than 24 hours after another 6.9 magnitude struck slightly to the west in Santo at a depth of 10km.

Another quake of the same magnitude struck the area on Sunday.

Alarm Clock

Swarm of small earthquakes hit northwestern Arizona

Arizona earthquake swarm
© ABC15/KNXV (screen capture)
A series of small earthquakes swarmed the state's northwest corner after an initial magnitude 2.3 earthquake on the Arizona strip March 29, officials said Tuesday.

The earthquake that struck near Littlefield, Ariz., a community about 20 miles southwest of St. George, Utah, was the first of 18 small-magnitude tremors that lasted through Sunday, according to the Arizona Geological Survey.

The largest event was a 2.6 magnitude quake at about 8:36 a.m. Sunday. The Arizona Geological Survey has not reported any injuries or damage from the series of tremors.

While the amount of quakes to hit the area may seem unusual, Geological Survey researcher Michael Conway said the state has seen swarms before.

Conway said the area is "tectonically active," but this was the first time a swarm has been recorded in the northwest corner of the state, bordering Utah and Nevada.

"Active faults in the vicinity of the earthquake swarm include the Mesquite/Overton Arm," according to an Arizona Geological Survey statement. The area has extensive earthquake history.

Snowflake Cold

Ontario, Canada breaks cold temperature records for Spring

Ontario ice storm
© Dustin O'Donnell/Flicker
Ice Storm 2013
After a mild winter where temperatures in Ontario more typical of April often appeared, a large arctic high-pressure area sent temperatures plummeting to values more typical of mid-winter on April 5.

As a result of unseasonable cold, new record low minimums were set in a number of localities across Southern and Northeastern Ontario. "We used up some of our spring-like weather too early, and now we're paying for it," Environment Canada Meteorologist Geoff Coulson said. Coulson added that cold temperatures can be blamed on a combination of a weakening El Niño and polar vortex coming down south.

"The vortex brought with it some colder air, not just for Ontario but also for Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and a good chunk of the midwestern US and northeastern US as well. And with this pattern being fairly stubborn at this point, this cold air is expected to linger at least through mid-month, giving us temperatures more like single digit highs anywhere between 2, 3 °C (35.6, 37.4 °F) when we'd normally be seeing daytime highs of around 10 °C (50 °F)."

The following is a summary of weather event information received by Environment Canada on April 5:

London Airport -12.0 °C (10.4 °F) breaks previous record -10.5 °C (13.1 °F) set in 1995
Delhi -12.2 °C (10.04 °F) breaks previous record -10.5 °C set in 1995
Kitchener -15.5 °C (4.1 °F) breaks previous record -11.5 °C (11.3 °F) set in 1982
Guelph -16.7 °C (1.94 °F) breaks previous record -12.8 °C (8.96 °F) set in 1903
Hamilton -10.9 °C (12.38 °F) breaks previous record -10.8 °C (12.56 °F) set in 1995
Barrie -15.0 °C (5 °F) breaks previous record -14.0 °C (6.8 °F) set in 1982
Timmins -24.5 °C (-12.1 °F) breaks previous record -22.9 °C (-9.22 °F) set in 1995
Kirkland Lake -26.5 °C (-15.7 °F) breaks previous record -22.8 °C (-9.04 °F) set in 1970

Snowflake Cold

Large, anomalous area of colder-than-normal sea-surface temperatures to be wild card in 2016 Atlantic hurricane season

Potential ocean cooling
The potential movement of a 'cold blob' of water in the North Atlantic Ocean may be the wild card in the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, experts say.

The cold blob refers to a large, anomalous area of colder-than-normal sea-surface temperatures, located east of Newfoundland and south of Greenland.

"This area of colder water started to show up a few years ago and has become larger and more persistent during the past couple of years," AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.

Whether or not ocean currents draw cold water from this blob southward into tropical regions of the Atlantic could determine how active the season becomes. With all potential factors in mind, forecasters are predicting that tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic will total 14 this season, two more than what is considered normal.

If the cooler water migrates southward across the eastern Atlantic, then westward into tropical breeding grounds, it will lower sea-surface temperatures over the region where 85 percent of Atlantic tropical systems develop.Another possibility is that the water from the cold blob could alter the makeup of deep ocean currents and affect the salinity of the water. If this happens, the pattern of warming waters that has been occurring since 1995 will reverse, leading to a period of cooling.

Comment: See also:


Bizarro Earth

Yellowstone Volcano: "Whole lot a shakin' goin' on"

Yellow Stone Chart
© SuperStation95
Less than 48 hours after public display of volcanic activity at Yellowstone was intentionally taken OFFLINE from public view, we now know why: Looks like "there's a whole lot a shakin' goin' on!"

Take a look at this reading from Bore Hole 944 inside the super-volcano at Yellowstone National Park:
Yellowstone Bore Hole 944
© SuperStation95
Yellowstone Bore Hole 944
Folks within 500 miles of Yellowstone National Park may want to keep close watch on the super-volcano there. With readings like you see above, now closed-off to the public, it seems there's something taking place at the deadly volcano.

Sun

Unusually harsh summer heat kills 66 in India's Telangana state

Heatwave in India
© India Today
The unusually harsh summer heat in Telangana has already started taking a huge toll of human life.

With heatwave conditions prevailing across the state, 66 people have died due to sun stroke and other related problems, officials said.

The highest number of deaths — 28 — were reported from Mahbubnagar, followed by 11 in Medak and five each from Karimnagar and Khammam.

Other deaths were reported in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal and Nalgonda.

According to the Meteorological Department Nizamabad, north Telangana continues to be the hottest area in the state with maximum temperatures of 43.4C followed by Medak and Karimnagar with 43C. Hyderabad recorded 41C.

In an indication of the unbearable hot conditions in the state nowhere was the temperature below 40C.

The severe heatwave was forcing the people to stay indoors during the peak hours of the day and the roads and bazaars in Hyderabad and other major cities were wearing deserted look.

The state administration has advised the people to avoid going out into the open from 12 noon.

Telangana normally witnesses heatwave condition only in the month of May but this year the temperatures have been unusually high and harsh right from the beginning of summer.

Last year more than 2,000 people lost their lives in heatwave in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Officials were fearing worst this year as the Meteorological department has warned of even worse days ahead. Officials have warned that the highest temperature this year may reach 46 to 47 degrees at some places.

Cloud Precipitation

Update: Rains, landslides and floods kill over 200 in northern Pakistan

The weekend's heavy rains turned the streets on the outskirts of Peshawar in northern Pakistan into rivers

The weekend's heavy rains turned the streets on the outskirts of Peshawar in northern Pakistan into rivers
Rescue workers in northwestern Pakistan dug through debris and mud on Tuesday in hopes of finding survivors after a landslide buried at least 30 people alive on Monday as the death toll from days of torrential rains and flashfloods passed the 200-mark, local officials have said.

Footage aired on local television channels showed army troops and rescue workers digging through the rubble on the outskirts of the Kohistan district where they managed to recover six dead bodies and two survivors.

Some six hundred army troops and engineers are currently engaged in clearing the roads and assisting in rescue operations, an army spokesman said.

Traders try to prevent their vehicles being washed away by floodwaters near the city of Peshawar

Traders try to prevent their vehicles being washed away by floodwaters near the city of Peshawar
Ongoing bad weather has hampered rescue operations, in which desperate local residents have used spades, shovels — even their hands — to help find people trapped under the mud.

Comment: See also earlier video reports here: 24 killed as torrential rains wreak havoc in northern Pakistan


Fire

Amazing eruption at Sakurajima Volcano, South Japan - multiple static lightning discharges

Sakurajima Volcano erupts with lightning
© Youtube/dutchsinse (screen capture)
A large blast occurred overnight (April 3 2016 early AM) at Sakurajima Volcano in South Japan.

The volcanic eruption produced large flows of lava, and plumes of ash reaching multiple kilometers into the sky.

The ascending ash produced multiple impressive displays of static discharge lightning, ranging in color from blue and green, to white, purple and yellow.

The lightning is produced by friction between the hot billowing clouds of ash, and the colder moist air surrounding the volcano which resides in South Japan near the ocean.

Watch the volcano on live stream here.


Comment: Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano also lit up the night sky with a spectacular eruption on the same day.


Windsock

Lighthouse is swamped by 160ft waves in Quessant, France

The huge swell engulfs the entirety of the island lighthouse, meaning the enormous wave was as high as 11 double-decker buses

The huge swell engulfs the entirety of the island lighthouse, meaning the enormous wave was as high as 11 double-decker buses
This is the dramatic moment a lighthouse off the coast of France was pummeled by massive 160ft-high waves while in the epicentre of a storm.

Winds reaching 85mph helped whip up the massive swell - which was so powerful spray from the sea was felt in the helicopter carrying the photographer.

Mathieu Rivrin spent around five hours flying near the lighthouses located on the French island of Quessant, as well as Finistere and Penmarc'h.

The winds, which were blowing at 85mph during the storm frenzy, helped drag the wave up and over the tall building

The winds, which were blowing at 85mph during the storm frenzy, helped drag the wave up and over the tall building
This particular lighthouse in Quessant, off the coast of Brittany, with its white paned windows and a red lantern room, is 160ft tall and the waves easily engulfed it.

Mr Rivrin, 26, of Brest, said: 'The lighthouse is located in Quessant, an island 20km from the coast of Finistere.

Attention

Strong earthquake hits Indian ocean, south of Bandung, Indonesia

Indonesia earthquake
© USGS
8.198 °S 107.419 °E depth=35.4 km (22.0 mi)
The earthquake, which struck at 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, was centered 152 kilometers southwest of Tasikmalaya, or 163 kilometers south of Bandung. It struck about 10 kilometers deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to BMKG, which is Indonesia's seismological agency.

BMKG, which measured the earthquake at a preliminary 6.1, said there was no tsunami threat as a result of the tremor. The earthquake was felt throughout parts of Java Island but there was no immediate word on whether it had caused any damage or casualties.

Indonesia is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. In December 2004, a magnitude-9.1 tremor, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, struck off the west coast of Sumatra, unleashing a massive tsunami that struck scores of countries in the region and killed at least 227,898 people.