Earth ChangesS


Attention

Extremely rare deep sea megamouth shark found on coast of Negros Oriental, Philippines


The Star (UK)
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 09:46 UTC
RARE SIGHT: The extremely rare megamouth shark washed ashore in Negros Oriental
© VIRAL PRESSThe extremely rare megamouth shark washed ashore in Negros Oriental
Fishermen in remote village were fearing armageddon after a super-rare shark washed up on their shores

Locals spotted the stranded 15ft-long megamouth shark on the beach in Negros Oriental, Philippines.

There have only been a handful of sightings of the extremely rare species in the world and superstitious locals believe a dead creature being washed ashore is a sign of impending doom.

Villager Paulino Ocana said: "This is very bad luck. There is a sense that something very bad is coming.

"A big disaster could be coming and we're preparing for it."

Peter Ramirez, a fisherman who was among those who hauled ashore the shark, said: "The animal was dead.
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Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain leaves 4 dead in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


Yahoo News
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 15:28 UTC
Heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro flood streets
© Tomaz Silva/Agência BrasilHeavy rains in Rio de Janeiro flood streets across neighborhoods in the city
Heavy rain and high winds in Rio de Janeiro have left four people dead.

Overnight storms flooded roads, downed trees and damaged several homes. Several hospitals lost power and were forced to run on generators.

By Thursday evening, authorities had cordoned off more than 50 homes that had been severely damaged in the Alemao slum complex and another neighborhood.
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Seismograph

Rare small earthquake rocks Beijing, China


eTurboNews
Mon, 12 Feb 2018 07:02 UTC
4.3-magnitude quake struck near China's capital
© US Geological SurveyThe 4.3-magnitude quake struck near China's capital
A rare small earthquake rattled the Chinese capital Beijing on Monday, the government said.

The 4.3-magnitude quake was centered in an area just south of the city in the neighboring province of Hebei.

The epicenter was in a county that is part of Hebei's Langfang city.

There were no immediate reports of any damage, and buildings in Beijing shook only slightly.

China is frequently hit by earthquakes, many of which are centered in the southwest of the country.
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Blue Planet

The polar vortex just split into a double vortex - cold temps for Europe will persist

Andrew Freedman
Mashable
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 03:08 UTC
Polar vortex january 2018
© AER/Judah CohenComputer model simulation showing a split of the polar vortex into two pieces (blue areas), with an unusually mild area (red) in between.
The polar vortex, the notorious swirl of winds around a low pressure area in the upper atmosphere over the Arctic, has split in two. Since the polar vortex tends to be associated with some of the coldest air during the winter, the split - which is more like a temporary separation than a lasting divorce - means that ultra cold air is on the move.

A split in the polar vortex may sound like a complicated weather concept, but it has huge consequences for weather patterns from Canada to Eurasia. The latest split is likely to put Western Europe and much of Eurasia into the deep freeze for the rest of February, and will offer glimpses of hope for snow lovers along the U.S. East Coast.

Figuring out where the coldest air will go and how it will affect worldwide weather patterns for the next several weeks is a key task facing weather forecasters now.
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Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rains cause widespread flooding across Jakarta, Indonesia

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya
The Jakarta Post
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:36 UTC
Motorists steer a stalled motorcycle to the median strip on Jl. Letjen Suprapto in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta
© kompas.comMotorists steer a stalled motorcycle to the median strip on Jl. Letjen Suprapto in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, which was flooded on Feb. 15. Prolonged heavy rains on Thursday morning saw flooding in several areas across the capital.
Heavy rains on Thursday morning caused mild to severe flooding across Jakarta that paralyzed traffic along several major streets in the capital.

According to the official Twitter account of the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), at least six streets in Central Jakarta had been flooded since 10 a.m.

Floodwaters reached a height of 100 centimeters along an underpass in Kebon Kosong, Kemayoran.

Floods also hit Jl. Sukarjo Wiryopranoto, Jl. Letjen Suprapto, Jl. Agus Salim, Jl. Wahid Hasyim and Jl. Palbatu, with floodwaters reaching up to 40 centimeters.

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Arrow Down

Three skiers killed by avalanche in the Pyrenees, France


BBC
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 18:55 UTC
avalanche
© AFP
Three skiers have been found dead in a resort in south-western France after being buried by an avalanche in an off-piste area, officials say.

The three French men, one aged 29 and two 38, had gone missing on Wednesday night in the Cauterets resort in the Pyrenees mountains.

On Tuesday, a 19-year-old skier died in an avalanche in the resort of Gavarnie, also in the Pyrenees.

Officials warn of the risks of going off-piste, where most accidents happen.

This year has seen heavy snowfall in the region and also across the Alps.

The bad weather reportedly continued in the Pyrenees and some lifts were closed.

Comment: Recently over a meter (3.5 feet) of snowfall in 3 days hit the Pyrenees.

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Attention

59 dolphins strand themselves in Baja California Sur, Mexico, 21 die


Maritime Herald
Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:46 UTC
Dead dolphins seen on a beach in Mexico on Tuesday
Dead dolphins seen on a beach in Mexico on Tuesday
On this Tuesday morning it was recorded the stranding of 59 dolphins, females and males, on the beach of El Saladito, 21 of which died before being able to be returned to the sea, says Hiram Rosales, collaborator of the Federal Attorney's Office Protection of the Environment (Profepa) and in turn of the Stranding Network of La Paz.

The specimens of gray color and white belly waved on a rocky beach called La Salinita, located in the north of La Paz Bay, capital of the state.

The research professor of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) said that 38 specimens were returned to the sea with the support of some 40 people, including collaborators of the Network and students of the UABCS.

He mentioned that a tourist informed the Network about the massive stranding of dolphins on the beach located near the port of Pichilingue, around eight in the morning, so they proceeded to rescue the marine mammals.

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Attention

Over 20 pilot whales die on the coast of Maio, Cape Verde Islands


SAPO 24
Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:23 UTC
More than two dozen pilot whales died
More than two dozen pilot whales died
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the marine biologist at the May Biodiversity Foundation (FMB) Sara Ratão reported that the 26 pilot whales, a dolphin-like species, came ashore on Wednesday afternoon at Porto Cais and Farol Beach, north of the island.

The biologist explained that the foundation received the alert at the end of the day, having moved teams to the place, where they found the whales already dead.

She said that since it was dark, it was only this morning that the technicians returned to collect samples and make measurements of cetaceans.

Sara Ratão indicated that the whales are mostly adults, with a maximum length of five meters, and there is still one calf.
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Attention

Dead sperm whale leaves stink in the air at Papamoa Beach, New Zealand

Andrew Campbell
Sunlive
Thu, 15 Feb 2018 13:28 UTC
The dead whale found on Papamoa Beach today by John Howlett.
© John HowlettThe dead whale found on Papamoa Beach today by John Howlett.
"It's pretty whiffy out on the East Papamoa Beach today," says fisherman John Howlett.

John is describing the smell in the air left by a dead whale he found on his way to a fish at the Kaituna cut.

He could still smell it when he got to the cut, which is about 2km downwind of the decaying carcass.

From its teeth in the narrow jaw and the square front to its head, it looks like a sperm whale, but not fully grown.

John sent his photos through to the Tauranga Department of Conservation office and a whale expert is on his way to inspect the find.

"It washed up with the last high tide overnight," says John.
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Windsock

Dust storm hits Melbourne, Australia


Triplem
Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:18 UTC
Dust storm hitting Melbourne
Incredible footage has emerged of a dust storm currently sweeping over Melbourne.

A combination of Victoria's recent dry weather and Wednesday's strong winds have caused a significant amount of dust unearthed and displaced across the city.

A severe weather warning has been issued due to a strong cold front which will cross Victoria this morning and early afternoon.
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