Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills one, injures 29 at school in northwestern Thailand

lightning
One pupil was killed and 29 pupils and teachers were injured after lightning hit a school in Thailand's northwestern Tak province on Tuesday.

According to daily newspaper Thai Rath, the pupils and teachers of Ban Mae Klong Yai School were relaxing under a big tree outside their classroom when lightning hit the tree at about 3 p.m. local time.

The injured were rushed to a local hospital as they suffered numbness and temporary deafness.

A 12-year-old boy died of serious injury in an intensive care unit at the hospital.

Nebula

Birkeland currents glowing in Earth's skies as the atmosphere electrifies further

Steve
Just one month after "Steve" a new type of plasma streamer in glow mode due to strong electrification in Earth's atmosphere in April 2017, that never before observed phenomenon is back again, but this time the intensity is so strong that the field aligned currents are visible twisting in the skies. Follow that with ground to sky lightning and sprites, blue ionospheric lightning all while we still have a 6x increase in intensity ramp up into the grand solar minimum.


Sources

Snowflake Cold

Increase in moss growth turning Antarctic Peninsula greener

antarctica moss
© Matt AmesburyIcebergs dot the sea off the moss-covered coast of Green Island in Antarctica.
Rising temperatures have boosted the growth rates of seasonal moss on the southern continent over the last 50 years.

The icy landscape of Antarctica is getting decidedly greener.

By drilling down into layers of moss that have accumulated on the southern continent over the last 150 years, researchers discovered that those diminutive plants have done more growing than usual in the last five decades.

Comment: There could be many reasons this particular area of Antarctica is seeing greater moss growth. But it would be foolish to apply that to the entire planet. Other studies indicate the period of increased growth may be at an end.


Sun

Heat reaches 50 degrees Celsius in India, more than 200 dead

Indian man in pool
© AFP 2017/ DOMINIQUE FAGET
Scorching heat, coupled with drought, which has prompted a water crisis in several parts of India, has led to more than a 200 deaths as the temperature has soared to 49.3 degrees Celsius in India.

According to the meteorological department of the eastern state of Chhattisgarh, the temperature on Tuesday morning recorded at 49.3 degree Celsius in Bilaspur which is highest ever temperature here. The department has predicted the temperature will be above 46 degree Celsius for a few more days. In other states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, temperature is still hovering above 45 degree Celsius for the last few weeks and has reportedly claimed more than 200 lives in the state.

Attention

Carcass of whale washes ashore on the coast of Newfoundland

A dead humpback whale is seen beached in Outer Cove on Monday, May 22.
© Melissa RoyleA dead humpback whale is seen beached in Outer Cove on Monday, May 22.
A steady stream of people was making its way to Outer Cove beach Monday afternoon after a dead whale washed ashore in the area.

The whale, which appears to be a humpback but has not yet to be confirmed, was lying on the rocky beach at the waterline, with waves moving the carcass back and forth as the surf washed over the dead animal. Curious adults and children made their way down the beach to examine the sad sight and to pose for photos. It wasn't known exactly how long the carcass had been on the beach but most of the onlookers thought it had probably washed up some time on Monday. Some people were a little overwhelmed as the onshore wind was blowing the odour of the decomposing animal directly at the sightseers.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills youth in Nepal

lightning
Lightning that struck amidst thunderstorm has killed a youth in the district on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Bal Bahadur Tamang alias Bibas of Yangrak Rural Municipality-5, District Police Office, Panchthar told Republica Online.

According to police, Tamang was critically electrocuted while he was charging his mobile when the lightning struck.

Tamang passed away while being rushed to hospital for treatment.

His postmortem was carried out at District Hospital Panchthar, said police.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike claims 39th victim of year in Cambodia

lightning
A farmer died after being struck by lightning on Sunday evening while herding his cattle home in Kandal province's Khsach Kandal district.

Chey Thom Commune Police Chief Kong An said yesterday that the victim, Mao Yean, 53, was tending to his cattle at a rice field located about 300 metres away from his home when it started to rain at around 4:30pm, and he decided to herd the cattle home.

"According to his wife, the victim was struck on his way home," An said.

According to a report by the National Committee for Disaster Management, the number of deaths caused by lightning this year has risen to a total of 39 cases as of yesterday, with an additional 46 cases of injuries.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 3 children in Karnataka, India

Lightning
Three children were struck dead by lightning, while another was seriously injured, at Aladageri village of Hirekerur taluk on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Alfaz Khan Ahmed Khan Pathan, Afreed Khan Imam Sab Pathan and Abdul Khader Geelani Abdul Ghani Kod, all aged 14 and residents of Ranebennur. The condition of another boy, Shameer Khan Pathan, is stated to be critical.

According to police, the children had come to the Barpur Shah Wali Dargah in the village with their families. Lightning struck them when they were returning home.

Windsock

Destructive storm closes US-Mexico border bridge in Nuevo Laredo

storm at Nuevo Laredo
© ExcelsiorBorder between USA and Mexico closed after an extreme storm destroys custom facilities in Nuevo Laredo (Mexico)

Strong winds, heavy rain shut down World Trade Bridge


A busy commercial truck crossing on the Mexico-United States border was closed yesterday after a severe storm brought strong winds and heavy rain, flipping tractor-trailers on their sides and causing damage to the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo.

The governments of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Laredo reported that damage from the storm, initially thought to be a tornado, was considerable, knocking down communications antennas and leaving many areas without electricity.

The storm struck about 8:30pm and knocked out power to Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Valle Hermoso and Matamoros, among other locations, delivering gusts of wind of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

At the border crossing, signs and trees were blown over and Mexican Customs facilities sustained severe damages.

The bridge, which carries more than 12,000 cargo vehicles a day between Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, Texas, remained closed this morning until further notice.

Neither fatalities nor injuries were reported as a result of the storm.

Cloud Precipitation

U.S. corn fields turn into lakes as late spring deluge floods Midwest

A flooded field in northwest Ohio.
A flooded field in northwest Ohio.
Nebraska's corn fields are so flooded that farmers are posting videos of themselves wakeboarding.

Spring downpours are pummeling U.S. grain farmers, causing soggy fields and threatening crop disease. In the past 30 days, about 40 percent of the Midwest got twice the amount of normal rainfall, with soils saturated from Arkansas to Ohio, according to MDA Weather Services. While spring showers usually benefit crops, the precipitation has come fast enough to flood some corn and rice fields and trigger quality concerns about maturing wheat.

"Bad conditions got worse with rain on Friday," said Brandon Bowser, regional manager for Harvest Land Cooperative, which has 26 agronomy locations in Indiana and Ohio. "There are lakes in some fields."

Bowser said planting was off to a fast start in the second half of April, before 10 inches (25 centimeters) of May rainfall and lower temperatures erased early optimism. He estimates about a third of his region's corn will be replanted, and surviving seedlings are at risk of blight.

"It's the worst corn replant in our area I've ever seen in 28 years," Bowser, 47, said.