Earth Changes

Hurricane Irma intensifies, now Category 4 storm threatening Cuba and Florida

Bob Henson
Weather Underground
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 20:36 UTC

Dangerous Hurricane Irma was intensifying as it approached the northern Lesser Antilles Islands on Monday morning, and island residents in the path of Irma need to rush preparations to completion as the storm heads west-southwest at 14 mph. A NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft in the storm found that Irma's central pressure was steadily dropping Monday morning, reaching 944 mb at 11 am EDT. Irma's top sustained winds are estimated at 120 mph, and winds may not yet have fully responded to this pressure drop. Update: Based on Hurricane Hunter measurements, NHC raised Irma's top sustained winds at 5:00 pm EDT to 130 mph, making it a Category 4 storm. Irma is expected to be a major Category 4 hurricane when it passes very close to the northern Lesser Antilles Islands on Tuesday, near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Wednesday, and the Turks and Caicos Islands and Hispaniola on Thursday. As of 5 pm EDT Monday, Hurricane Warnings are in effect for the northern Leeward Islands, and Hurricane Watches are up for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Tropical storm-force winds are expected to begin affecting the east coast of Florida and the Florida Keys on Friday night (Figure 1 below). An evacuation decision for the Florida Keys may have to come as early as Tuesday, since the Keys require 3+ days to evacuate. As of 5 pm EDT, far southeast Florida, including Miami, was in the 5-day cone of uncertainty for Irma.

Huge storm system quickly rolls through Santa Barbara, California

keyt.com
Sun, 03 Sep 2017 15:55 UTC

Santa Barbara had a microburst Sunday, bringing unexpectedly high winds and heavy rain

Microburst overturned boats, toppled power lines

A quick-hitting storm system rolled through Santa Barbara overturning boats, leaving flooded roadways and power lines knocked down.

Just before 3 p.m., a violent weather event rolled through Santa Barbara with massive amounts of rain and wind.

The storm is believed to be a microburst, a sudden localized and powerful air current. Some areas in Santa Barbara were left unscathed with the majority of damage coming to the Santa Barbara Harbor and lower State Street.

Trees were knocked over near lower State Street and U.S. Highway 101 was at a crawl as debris slowed traffic. Several downtown area visitors took shelter inside nearby businesses.

At least 74 wildfires rage in 8 Western states; over a million acres burnt

CBS News
Sun, 03 Sep 2017 14:40 UTC

At least 74 wildfires are burning in eight Western states and consumed more than a million acres combined. Jamie Yuccas reports.

La Cumbre volcano erupts in the Galapagos Islands

Judith Beermann
The Georgetown Dish
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 13:47 UTC

La Cumbre volcano erupts

Shortly after noon on September 4, 2017, crew on Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic ship Endeavor II observed a volcanic eruption at Fernandina Island in the Galapagos of Ecuador. The National Park of Galapagos was immediately notified.

It was confirmed as a new eruptive phase of Fernandina's La Cumbre volcano.

After eight years of relative calm, this volcano began generating a column of water vapor and magmatic gases that were about four kilometers high.

By early evening, a volcanic ash advisory was reported.

Beached Gray's whale loses its beak from illegal chainsaw removal at Greymouth, New Zealand

Stuff
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:07 UTC

© DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
A Gray's beaked whale that washed up dead on a Greymouth beach had its beak illegally removed.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is appealing for information after a 5-metre-long Gray's beaked whale had its beak sawed off.

The dead whale washed up on a Greymouth, West Coast beach, a DOC statement said.

It was believed the beak was illegally removed with a chainsaw on Saturday afternoon.

It was an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 to take whalebone or any other part of a marine mammal without a permit.

DOC ranger Glen Newton said dead, rotting whales could carry diseases that contaminated skin and clothing.

Two struck dead by lightning bolt in Tamil Nadu, India

The Hindu
Sun, 03 Sep 2017 12:46 UTC

Two persons were killed and another person was injured when lightning struck them at Puliyankudi in Mudukulathur block in the district on Sunday.

The victims, R. Dhanasekaran (33), L. Thirunavukarasu (26) and P. Nagaraj (45), all hailing from Puliyankudi, took shelter under a tamarind tree after it started raining when the lightning struck them, police said.

Dhanasekaran, who was working abroad and returned to the village recently, and Thirunavukarasu, who was employed at a petrol pumping station at Abiramam, died on the spot, the police said.

Nagaraj, who suffered injuries, was admitted to the government headquarters hospital here after given first aid at the local government hospital. He was working as a clerk in a primary agriculture cooperative credit society, the police said.

Mudukulathur police have registered a case under Section 174 of the Cr PC.

Man yells in panic as lightning bolt blasts tree at Bryson Lake Lodge, Quebec

Scott Campbell
Daily Mail
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:09 UTC

In the dramatic clip a bolt strikes the towering timber with an explosive flash breaking off several branches and just missing the hut

This is the moment that a lightning bolt blasted a tree sending tons of wood smashing onto the roof of a Canadian hunting lodge.

In the dramatic clip a bolt strikes the towering timber with an explosive flash breaking off several branches and just missing the hut.

But suddenly the tree splits and heavy blocks of wood rain down towards the lodge below.

When the splintered timber hits, the building's roof is completely smashed as the man filming the video can not help but swear and yell in shock.

At least 8 killed by lightning bolt in the Democratic Republic of Congo

News 24
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 11:01 UTC

At least eight people have died after a bolt of lightning struck a small-scale goldmine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said on Monday.

"Thirty people were struck, including seven who were killed instantly and an eighth who died of their injuries in hospital," local official Christophe Ikando told AFP.

The lightning strike occurred in the northeastern town of Dungu in the Haut-Uele province, near the border with South Sudan, under heavy rains that battered the area where the victims were mining for gold.

According to human rights groups, such strikes are common in the gold-rich eastern region.

In 2016, a primary school was struck by lighting, killing three pupils and severely injuring a teacher.

Lightning strike kills student on motorbike in Cambodia

Khouth Sophak Chakrya
The Phnom Penh Post
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:55 UTC

A medical student was struck and killed by lightning in Stung Treng on Sunday as he was driving his motorbike, which then spun out of control and injured two passengers on a motorbike travelling in the opposite direction, officials said yesterday.

Nhem Heang, Stung Treng district traffic police chief, identified the victim as Phuoy Narim, a 22-year-old ethnic Jarai. Narim was a sophomore at Stung Treng Provincial Medical School but lived in Kaleng commune in Lumphat district in Ratanakkiri.

"The forensic police examining the body at the site claimed that victim died of lightning, not [due to] the traffic accident because the body had a burnt mark on the neck and his hair was burned as well as the victim's helmet," Heang said.

The victim was travelling on National Road 7 when he was struck and his uncontrolled motorbike hit and injured a couple, Pheoun Ven, 45, and Sok Deoun, 42, from Kratie province.

Man trampled to death by elephant after trying to take a SELFIE with it in Odisha, India

Sara Malm
Daily Mail
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 10:40 UTC

Dangerous: Ashok Bharti, 50, had reportedly spottet the wild elephant and approached it to take a selfie, but the animal became angry and charged at him

This is the moment when an Indian man is trampled to death by a wild elephant after he tried to pose for a photo with the animal.

Ashok Bharti, 50, had reportedly been drinking alcohol before approaching the lone elephant near Kuanrmunda, Odisha state, eastern India.

However, as he tried to take a selfie with the elephant, the animal charged at him, leaving Mr Bharti running for his life.

The incident was caught on video, filmed by onlookers from a safe distance, and sees Mr Bharti tripping as he tries to flee the elephant.

The elephant then runs over Mr Bharti, from Rourkela, Odisha, and injured him severely.