Earth ChangesS


Attention

Dead 12 meter-long white whale washes ashore in Hatay, Turkey


Hurriyet Daily News
Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:43 UTC
DEAD WHALE
A 12 meter-long white whale washed ashore in the southern Turkish province of Hatay on June 20, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Locals who live in Hatay's Karaağaç neighborhood noticed the dead whale due to its odor and informed the local authorities.

Following news of the dead whale, officials from the marine sciences faculty of İskenderun Technical University and coast guard crews arrived at the scene.

Officials could not remove the body of the whale due to the bad weather and sea conditions. According to initial reports, scratches and slits were also detected on the whale's body.
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Wolf

Two separate attacks by pit bull terriers send children to hospital in Dallas, Texas

Kristin Weisell
cbslocal.com
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:48 UTC
pit bull
Two separate dog attacks over the weekend sent two young kids to the hospital with serious injuries.

Investigators in Farmersville say a family's pitbull suddenly attacked their 4-year-old daughter early Sunday afternoon. She was bitten in the face and rushed to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.

The incident happened at the home on Windom Street near Highway 78 and 380. The dog was taken by animal control officers to the pound.

About 4 hours later, a 5-year-old boy was attacked by another pit bull less than a mile away.
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Tornado2

Large water spout filmed off Singapore's East Coast


Channel News Asia
Sun, 18 Jun 2017 19:12 UTC
Waterspout off Singapore coast
© Yik Lim
A large water spout was spotted off Singapore's East Coast on Sunday morning (Jun 18).

Mediacorp news hotline caller Yik Lim, who shared a photo of the water spout, said it appeared "only briefly, but it was quite a huge one". He and his wife saw it at about 9.15am from their condominium in Marine Parade, before morning showers.

Rudi, another caller told Channel NewsAsia he could see the water spout from the DBS Asia Hub at Changi Business Park.

A water spout is a weather phenomenon usually observed during intense weather conditions associated with thunderstorms, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on its website.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes claim 6 lives in Telangana, India


The Hans India
Mon, 19 Jun 2017 15:50 UTC
lightning
With heavy rains lashing out continuously in since last evening, lightning claimed six lives in the past 24 hours. Another person succumbed to death in a wall collapse.

Heavy rain of 52 cms was recorded in Karimnagar where the downpour continued for three hours. Lakes and streams are already overflowing, roads seem to be waterlogged at various junctions.

While paddy and cotton farmers are content with the rains, drainage has caused a huge problem with overflowing water in Hyderabad with people living in these areas are finding it difficult to travel.
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Sun

It's so hot in Phoenix, Arizona, planes can't fly

Zachary Hansen
The Arizona Republic
Mon, 19 Jun 2017 16:03 UTC
Heat wave in Phoenix
© Michael Chow/The Republic
The extreme heat forecast for Phoenix on Tuesday has caused the cancellation of 20 American Airlines flights out of Sky Harbor International Airport.

According to a statement from American Airlines, the American Eagle regional flights use the Bombardier CRJ aircraft, which has a maximum operating temperature of 118 degrees. Tuesday's forecast for Phoenix included a high of 120 degrees, and the flights that are affected were to take off between 3 and 6 p.m. MT.

Customers affected were told to contact American Airlines for rebooking options or to request a refund.

Extreme heat affects a plane's ability to take off. Hot air is less dense than cold air, and the hotter the temperature, the more speed a plane needs to lift off. A runway might not be long enough to allow a plane to achieve the necessary extra speed.

Comment: The number of cancelled American Airlines flights has almost reached 50.

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Attention

River otter boards boats and bites 2 people in Monongalia County, West Virginia


Metro News
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 11:13 UTC
otter
A group spending the day on the water got a closer encounter with West Virginia's great outdoors than they would have liked.

The Division of Natural Resources reports a group of 20 to 25 people were celebrating Mother's Day back in May with a float trip on Monongalia County's Dunkard Creek. At some point, the party encountered a river otter winch inadvertently climbed into one of the canoes and bit a man, then ended up biting another in one of the other boats in the group.

The victims went to the emergency room for treatment and took precautionary rabies shots.
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Attention

Second fatal mauling by black bear in just 2 days for Alaska


CBS News
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 10:33 UTC
Black bear
Black bear
Alaska has been left shocked by two fatal maulings by wild black bears in the space of just two days.

On Monday, officials with an underground gold mine reported a contract employee hired to take geological samples was killed and another injured in a black bear attack. That attack took place about 300 miles northeast of Anchorage.

The names of the victims have not been released. Alaska State Troopers and federal mine officials were investigating the mauling at Pogo Mine.

Officials told CBS affiliate KTVA that the contractors were working several miles from the main mine camp when they were attacked.

"Right now we have more questions than answers. Everyone on site is concerned for those involved," Pogo Mine general manager Chris Kennedy said, according to KTVA. "Our condolences have been shared with our contractor and our hearts go out to the individuals, their colleagues, and their families."

Comment: See also: Young runner is mauled to death by black bear during mountain race in Alaska

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Fish

Imperiled North America Atlantic salmon decline worsens; returning fish decline by 27% in a year


NT News
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 10:06 UTC
Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
Fewer of North America's Atlantic salmon are making it back to rivers to spawn, which bodes poorly for the future of the imperiled fish, an international conservation group says.

Atlantic salmon were once abundant in the rivers of New England and Atlantic Canada, but are now endangered or have disappeared in parts of both areas. The salmon are born in rivers, swim to the Atlantic and return to their natal river to spawn.

The New Brunswick, Canada-based Atlantic Salmon Federation released a report this month that says total estimated returns of the fish to North America in 2016 was a little more than a half million salmon. That is a 27 percent decrease from the previous year.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning kills 22 in 48 hours across Bangladesh


Phys.org
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 09:45 UTC
lightning
Lightning strikes have killed at least 22 people in Bangladesh in the last 48 hours, authorities said Tuesday, a week after monsoon rains triggered a series of deadly landslides in the country.

The deaths came as storms swept the country on Sunday and Monday, the head of the disaster management department Reaz Ahmed told AFP.

Among the dead were a couple and their young daughter who were were working on a peanut farm when they were struck by lightning.

Hundreds of people die every year from lightning strikes in Bangladesh and experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem.

They also blame deforestation and the loss of taller trees like palms that used to act as lightning conductors.

Comment: See also: Record 350 people died after being struck by lightning in 2016 across Bangladesh

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Attention

Nishinoshima volcano erupting again on Ogasawara Island, Japan


The Mainichi
Tue, 20 Jun 2017 09:00 UTC
The island of Nishinoshima is seen dyed bright red by lava
© Meteorological Research InstituteThe island of Nishinoshima is seen dyed bright red by lava
Nishinoshima Island is erupting again after about a year and a half, and the level of volcanic activity is about the same as the 2014-2015 eruptions that saw the island's surface area expand at a remarkable rate, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)'s Meteorological Research Institute announced on June 19.

Based on analysis of gases emanating from the volcano in the Ogasawara Island chain, the institute believes there is a steady supply of magma and the eruption is likely to continue for some time.

The JMA observation vessel Keifu Maru took the readings from May 25 to 27, and recorded Strombolian eruptions -- small to medium explosive lava eruptions -- about once every 46 seconds. The JMA also observed Vulcanian eruptions -- short and violent explosions -- about once an hour, scattering ash and other ejecta around the area. The volcano is spewing out about 500 metric tons of sulfur dioxide per day, indicating a high level of activity not seen on Nishinoshima since October 2015.
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