Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Flooding prompts emergency rescues and evacuations in Romania


Floodlist
Fri, 07 Jun 2019 13:39 UTC
Flooding in Romania, June 2019.
© Inspectoratul General pentru Situatii de Urgenta (IGSU)Flooding in Romania, June 2019.
The Ministry of Interior in Romania reports that 8 people were rescued from floods and over 260 people have been evacuated in 6 counties of the country.

Fire services and civil protection have been responding to flooding in the country since 31 May, carrying out flood prevention, pumping and flood clearance. Around 200 homes and other buildings have been damaged. The Ministry of Interior said that emergency services have carried out interventions in 23 counties in total, with evacuations and rescues carried out in Arges, Arad, Bihor, Buzău, Botoșani and Timiș over the last few days.

Four people were saved from a car trapped in flood water in Lăpuşnic, Timiş county. In Botoșani County, 3 people were rescued from floods in Stroeşti, and another in Câmpeni.


Comment: A continuation of the same situation that been ongoing since the 24th of May: Heavy rain floods Bucharest, Romania

Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Floods and landslides hit 3 departments of Guatemala - up to 14 inches of rain in 24 hours


Floodlist
Fri, 07 Jun 2019 13:25 UTC
flood
© CONRED
Guatemala National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) reported that severe weather including heavy rain and strong winds affected the departments of Alta Verapaz, Petén and San Marcos from 03 June, 2019.

The heavy rain caused a landslide in Cobán, Alta Verapaz and flooding in Sayaxché, Petén after a river overflowed. Flood waters also caused a collapse of a highway between San Pablo and San Marcos cities.

In total 2,275 people were affected and 46 injured. Around 50 homes were damaged and 275 people evacuated.


Read More...
Eye 2

Crocodile attacks have increased 20-fold over the past decade in East Timor

Matthew Abbott
The New York Times
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 12:59 UTC
Crocodile attacks in East Timor have increased in recent years, and scientists are trying to figure out why. This crocodile is having a DNA sample drawn.
© Matthew AbbottCrocodile attacks in East Timor have increased in recent years, and scientists are trying to figure out why. This crocodile is having a DNA sample drawn.
The two scientists, crammed in the back of a sweltering car, had come a long way hoping to encounter what most people try to avoid: man-eating crocodiles.

Yusuke Fukuda and Sam Banks, biologists from Australia, traveled in March to East Timor, one of the world's least developed countries, to investigate what has become a deadly national mystery: Why are so many Timorese being killed by crocodiles?

Crocodile attacks here have increased 20-fold in the past decade, numbering at least one death a month in a country of 1.2 million people.

"We became concerned after many people were taken by crocodiles in East Timor," said Mr. Fukuda, a Ph.D. candidate at Australian National University in Darwin, adding that it had taken years of bureaucratic wrangling between the researchers and the governments in both Australia and East Timor to be permitted to conduct research.

The people of East Timor, also know as Timor-Leste, have for centuries revered and even worshiped crocodiles.
Read More...
Bug

Honey bee colonies down by 16 percent


Science Daily
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:44 UTC
honey bee
Honeybee
The number of honey bee colonies fell by 16% in the winter of 2017-18, according to an international study led by the University of Strathclyde.

The survey of 25,363 beekeepers in 36 countries found that, out of 544,879 colonies being managed at the start of winter, 89,124 were lost, through a combination of circumstances including various effects of weather conditions, unsolvable problems with a colony's queen, and natural disaster.

Portugal, Northern Ireland, Italy and England experienced losses above 25%, while Belarus, Israel and Serbia were among those with loss rates below 10%. There were also significant regional variations within some countries, including Germany, Sweden and Greece.

The total loss rate was down from 20.9% in 2016-17 but was still higher than the 2015-16 figure of 12.0%. The total loss rate for Scotland increased over these three years, from 18.0% to 20.4% to 23.7%.

Comment: See in addition: A third of the honeybee colonies in America died in 2016: Why you should care

The death and global extinction of honeybees

Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Rise in lightning deaths in Odisha, India - 1,256 killed in 3 years

Vikash Sharma
Odishatv.in
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 09:32 UTC
lightning
Concerns are now being expressed over alarming rise in the number of lightning deaths in Odisha. In the past two days, at least ten persons have been killed in separate lightning strikes.

As per official records, as many as 1,256 people have been killed in lightning strikes in the past three years in Odisha. These deaths account for nearly 27 percent of the total deaths due to natural disasters.

Nearly 400 people died due to lightning strikes during 2018-19 with highest 130 deaths being reported from Mayurbhanj followed by 95 deaths in Balasore district.
Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Hailstorms cause serious damage to numerous crops in Salento, Italy


Fresh Plaza
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 08:55 UTC
Heavy rain, flooding in Puglia, Emilia-Romagna
Heavy rain, flooding in Puglia, Emilia-Romagna
The weekend of June 1st-2nd was rather a difficult one for many producers in Salento. Heavy rain and violent hailstorms hit the Monteroni, Galatina, Sternatia, Poggiardo, Surano, Ruffano, Parabita, Matino and Guagnano municipalities, causing serious damage to watermelon, melon, tomato, zucchini and potato crops as well as many others.

"Hail stones as big as walnuts fell for around half an hour on Saturday afternoon, completely destroying my crops. We will have to leave much of the watermelons, mini-watermelons, zucchini and melons in the fields because they are no longer suitable to be sold," reports Andrea Giannini, technician from Giannini Santo in Galatina.


Comment: Across the same country of late:

Read More...
Sun

Exceptional drought in the Canary Islands ruining onion, potato and grape production


Fresh Plaza
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 08:40 UTC
Farmers irrigating with water from a tank to alleviate the effects of the drought that affects the island this year, and because the irrigation water from Canal Gestión is not guaranteed to all areas of the island.
Farmers irrigating with water from a tank to alleviate the effects of the drought that affects the island this year, and because the irrigation water from Canal Gestión is not guaranteed to all areas of the island.
The most affected crops are onions, potatoes and grapes

The exceptional drought that is ravaging the Canary Islands has taken a toll on most agricultural crops in the region, ruining onion, potato and grape productions. The optimum amount of rainfall to ensure a good harvest is 400 to 450 liters, but this year, barely 150 liters fell in the months of October and November, and it has hardly rained since then. To this we must add the fact that the irrigation water of Canal Gestión doesn't reach all areas of the island.

This lack of rain has caused this year's onion harvest to be non-existent for the first time in history; a dramatic situation, taking into account that in the late 80's, Lanzarote's production reached up to 25 million kilos.
Read More...
Snowflake

Fresh snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, India


News Track
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 20:35 UTC
snow
The snowfall is reported on the high peaks of the state. In Rohtang, the tourists have been delighted with the snowfall once again in the month of June. The tourists are having a lot of fun in the snow. The weather has become pleasant with snow falling on high peaks including Rohtang.

According to information, while the plains of the country are facing heat wave, snow has fallen on high peaks including Rohtang. In the first week of June, the tourists were not happy to see the snow fall in Rohtang Pass.

Read More...
Snowflake

Midsummer snowfall in Kashmir


Kashmir Life
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 20:07 UTC
snow
File
Higher reaches of Gulmarg including the Affarwat peaks have witnessed a mild snowfall on Thursday, reports reaching here said.

The sudden drop in temperatures in the plains of the valley is the outcome of the freeze that took off from the Gulmarg peaks. Reports said the snowfall was mild and for a very brief time. Some people who had gone to cerebrate Eid in the area covered snowfall live on their camera and broadcast it through social media.

Gulmarg witnessed a similar snowfall in its upper reaches early May.

Read More...
Snowflake

Summer in Russia: Heavy snowfall hits cities on Arctic Circle


Sputnik
Thu, 06 Jun 2019 19:46 UTC
snow
Snow fell in Salekhard, the administrative centre of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, on the morning of 5 June for the second year in a row, Artem Koshkin, head of the Yamalo-Nenets Centre for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, told reporters.

The first week of summer has been marked by heavy snowfall in the Russian cities of Salekhard and Labytnangi.

"It is not for the first year. And last year was the same situation. It is not quite ordinary, but it is difficult to call the situation extreme. It's normal for us, we live on the Arctic Circle, such weather is quite possible", Koshkin stated.


Comment: Springtime blizzard strikes Russia's Urals Region

Read More...