Earth ChangesS


Snowflake Cold

Cold wave sweeps northwestern Tunisia - snow blocks 31 roads

Mu Xuequan
Xinhua
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 13:34 UTC
Local authorities clear a road blocked by snowfall in Tunisia on January 25, 2019
© AFPLocal authorities clear a road blocked by snowfall in Tunisia on January 25, 2019
A freezing cold wave ravaged 24 provinces of Tunisia in the last two days with 31 roads blocked by snowfall and rains, the National Guard spokesman told local press on Friday.

In the northwest of the country, dozens of roads had been closed until new orders from security units, said Houssem Jbabli.

Heavy snowfall interrupted the traffic in the northwestern provinces of Jendouba, Kef, Beja and Siliana, where authorities decided to close all schools and universities, he added.


Comment: Elsewhere in North Africa: Flooding kills five in snow-hit Algeria

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 2 women in Zambia


Mwebantu
Fri, 25 Jan 2019 13:14 UTC
lightning
© Johannes Plenio
Two women aged 17 and 23 years in Chiengi district have died after they were struck by lightning.

Meanwhile another 57 year old woman in Mwansabombwe District had died after her grass-thatched house in which she was collapsed due to heavy rains.

The first incident involved a 23 year old Jane Mumba and 17 year old Janet Muyamba both of Musinsa village, Chief Puta who were struck by lightning and died on the spot.

The incident occured on Thursday around 13:00 hours at the named village.

Comment: On the same day another bolt claimed the lives of a mother and her baby in Tanzania while in India recently lightning strikes killed 2 people in Uttar Pradesh.

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Seismograph

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes off Fiji island


The Gulf Today
Sun, 27 Jan 2019 13:08 UTC
earthquake
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit near the Pacific island nation of Fiji just before 8:00 local time (2:30 am IST) on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.

Shortly after, the area felt another smaller tremor, which registered 5.2 magnitude.

The earthquakes hit just south of the island between Fiji and Tonga, and were detected at a depth of over 500 km.

So far, there has been no tsunami alert issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service
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Tornado2

Fifth tornado in FOUR days strikes Turkey's Antalya, flipping buses and damaging aircraft


Daily Sabah
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 12:47 UTC
Turkey airport tornado
© DHA
The fifth tornado in four days struck Turkey's southern Antalya province Saturday, flipping buses and causing damage to planes and the city's international airport.

After a rough evening, authorities said 12 people had been injured, two buses and a minibus had overturned and two sets of airstairs had toppled over due to high winds.

Speaking to Turkish news channel NTV, Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu said that two planes and a police helicopter had suffered significant damage in the storm. He stated that none of the injured were in critical condition.

He said authorities are surveying the damage and doing their best to clean up the airport to avoid further delays.

Meanwhile Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said 229 buildings had sustained damage in the powerful storm and tornadoes.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said that the freak weather had also caused major damage to 140 transformer stations in Antalya, adding that power will be restored to most households by the end of the day.


Comment: Three days ago a powerful tornado hit Turkey's Antalya region leaving two dead.

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Snowflake

Blizzard paralyses Moscow with 50+ car collisions & dozens of flight delays


RT
Sun, 27 Jan 2019 02:08 UTC
Moscow blizzard
© YouTube
Dozens of accidents, including massive pileups blocking major motorways, have virtually brought the Russian capital to a standstill amid an extreme snowstorm that also temporarily disrupted air traffic in Moscow.

The Moscow authorities have deployed over 12,000 pieces of equipment to clear snow from roads and sidewalks across the city. Nevertheless, severe weather conditions in and around Moscow caused massive pileups on Saturday.

On the Simferopol highway, more than 50 vehicles were involved in several collisions, halting traffic in both directions for miles. Videos from the scene shared on social media show the extent of the damage. Luckily, no one died in the accidents, with only three injuries being reported. It took the authorities hours to clear the road before motorists could finally proceed.

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Snowflake

Deadly storm slams Italy, Balkan Peninsula, Turkey with heavy rain and snow

Eric Leister
Accuweather
Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:07 UTC
10 metres snow drifts near Muş, Turkey on Jan 24th.
10 metres snow drifts near Muş, Turkey on Jan 24th.
At least two people were killed in the the violent storm, that will impact much of the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey into this weekend.

There is the potential that this storm could be distinguished as a medicane, a more tropical-like cyclone moving through the Mediterranean Sea.

Snow is expected to fall from the Dinaric Alps into the interior Balkan Peninsula before expanding northward into eastern Poland, Belarus and western Ukraine.

The heaviest snow fell in the higher elevations of Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the beginning of the storm.

Heavy snow continues to expand across most of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and northeast Albania into Saturday with widespread snowfall of 8-15 cm (3-6 inches). The hardest hit lower elevations can expect up to 30 cm (12 inches) with mountainous locations receiving up to 60 cm (24 inches) of total snowfall by Saturday night.

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Attention

Scientist reveals molten rock 'rising five metres a day' at Mount St Helens, Washington

Callum Hoare
Express
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 08:02 UTC
Mount St Helen
© AMAZONMt St Helens is rising at 5m a day.
Mount St Helens could erupt again as scientists closely monitor a lava dome rising at five metres a day, a bombshell documentary revealed.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St Helens erupted in the US state of Washington. The blast, which measured 5 on the Volcanic Explosively Index, has been declared as the most disastrous volcanic eruption in modern US history. An huge column rose 80,000 feet into the atmosphere and deposited ash in 11 states, killing at least 57 people and causing more than $1billion (£770million) in damage.

Scientists are now closely watching the volcano to make sure they are prepared in case the same happens again.

Amazon Prime's "Mega Disaster: It's Happened Before, It Will Happen Again" series revealed how a team of volcanists monitor the ticking time bomb.

Rick LaHusen, from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), detailed how they use an instrument known as the "Spider" to keep an eye on volcanic activity.
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Cloud Precipitation

Couple dies after flash flood in Bodrum, Turkey


Hurriyet Daily News
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 15:37 UTC
SEARCH
A Turkish couple died after they were trapped in their car as flash floods hit the southwestern town of Bodrum late Jan. 25.

According to local media reports, the 27-year-old driver Çağlar Bilecik and his fiancee, Billur Atik, were in the Akarca area when their car stopped amid intense flooding of a nearby creek.

A passerby, who saw the car while drifting in the water, notified the police.

Rescue teams who arrived soon afterward found in the flooded car the body of Atik, a 23-year-old teacher.

Officials said Atik's fiancee, an electrical technician, was also presumed dead but his body remained missing on Jan. 26 despite search efforts in the area, which was still pounded by a heavy storm.
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Snowflake

Flooding kills five in snow-hit Algeria


New Indian Express
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 14:46 UTC
snow algeria
Deep snow in north Algeria, Jan 24th
While the victims were retrieved over the last 48 hours, around 100 people have been rescued in the last 24 hours in more than 17 areas.

Algeria's civil protection unit said on Saturday that five people died after being swept away by flood waters as a cold snap in the Maghreb brought snow to several of the country's regions. "All the victims have been retrieved over the last 48 hours after being swept away by waters in Annaba, El Tarf, Tizi Ouzou and Tipaza," the civil protection body said.

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Fire

Dozens of out-of-control fires tear through Tasmania, Australia


Cairns Post
Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:20 UTC
The blaze at Miena has been bought fought by crews on the ground and in the air.
© Claude Road Fire BrigadeThe blaze at Miena has been bought fought by crews on the ground and in the air.
Fire crews in Tasmania are preparing for what is expected to be the most dangerous day for bushfires due to hot and windy weather.

Residents have been told to enact their bushfire survival plans with 29 out-of-control fires burning across the state.

The bushfires have already ripped through more than 66,000 hectares, creating a line of fire more than 800 kilometres long.

A total fire ban remains in place.

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