Earth ChangesS


Light Saber

Kamchatka's unique Geyser Valley reopened for tourists


Itar-Tass
Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:05 UTC
Following a decision of the Rosprirodnadzor environmental protection watchdog, the unique Geyser Valley on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula has been reopened for tourists after a powerful mudslide on June 3.

Tourist paths, destroyed by the mudslide, have been restored, as well as two helicopter landing sites, the head of the department for foreign economic ties and tourism at the regional administration told Tass on Friday.

According to Tamara Tutushkina, the valley has not lost its attractiveness after a natural calamity. Moreover, a lake that has formed in the lower part of the Geysernaya River, has made its landscape even more picturesque.
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Cloud Lightning

Weak La Nina event likely to develop this year


Reuters
Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:12 UTC
La Nina, the cooling of sea surfaces in the Pacific Ocean that can wreak havoc with weather patterns, is likely to develop by the end of the year, the World Meteorological Organization said today.
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Bizarro Earth

Quake jolts San Francisco Bay area


AP
Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:03 UTC
An earthquake jolted San Francisco Bay area residents awake early Friday, breaking glass and rattling nerves, although there were no immediate reports of injuries.
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Clock

One of world's oldest chimps dies at 60


AP
Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:05 UTC
One of the world's oldest chimps, Fifi, has died in Australia, zoo officials said Friday. Fifi was the matriarch of the 18 chimpanzees at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, and celebrated her 60th birthday in May with sugar-free cupcakes and coconuts among four generations of her family.
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Attention

Asian Parasite Killing Western Bees - Scientist


Reuters
Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:29 UTC
A parasite common in Asian bees has spread to Europe and the Americas and is behind the mass disappearance of honeybees in many countries, says a Spanish scientist who has been studying the phenomenon for years.
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Cloud Lightning

More thunderstorms hammer Iowa


Associated Press
Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:00 UTC
Another round of thunderstorms brought more heavy rain to eastern Iowa early Wednesday, sending the Little Maquoketa River out of its banks north of Dubuque.

No homes were flooded, but several roads and farm fields were under water, said Dan Bannon, lead dispatcher with the Dubuque County sheriff's office.

He estimated the area received 7 inches of rain.
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Padlock

Woman calls beekeeper to evict swarm from lounge chair


AP
Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:22 UTC
BANGOR, Pa. - A woman was dragging a lounge chair into the shade of a tree when a sudden buzzing told her it was already occupied - by thousands of bees.

"They were swarming like crazy and I ran into the house," Sheila Sabatine said.
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Cloud Lightning

Record storm in South China kills 37


BBC News
Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:20 UTC
At least 37 people were killed during a record 16-hour thunderstorm in south-west China that included 40,000 lightning strikes, state media said.

The city of Chongqing received more than 26cm (10 inches) of rain, the most in a 24-hour period since records began more than a century ago.



©AP
Rescuers had to evacuate stranded residents in Chongqing.

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Cloud Lightning

More flash floods coming to UK, warn forecasters

Paul Stokes
telegraph.co.uk
Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:56 UTC
Forecasters are warning of further flash flooding with torrential downpours expected to hit Britain in the coming days.

The alert came as residents were evacuated from one street in Filey, North Yorks, yesterday following a flood.

©PA
An RNLI lifeboat crew assisting people following flash floods in Filey.
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Cloud Lightning

US West Under Highest Wildfire Alert

John Miller
Associated Press
Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:03 UTC
The nation's wildfire preparedness was raised to its highest level Thursday as dozens of new fires started in the bone-dry West, including a rapidly growing blaze on the grounds of the Idaho National Laboratory.

The West had been at level four for only a few weeks when officials decided to raise it to level five, effective Thursday.
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