Earth ChangesS


Stock Down

Climate Depot report: Extreme weather at record lows in US

drought monitor map 2017
On Eve of DC climate march, drought drops to record lows in U.S. as nearly all extreme weather is either declining or at or near record lows (See: Climate Bullies Take to the Streets for 'People's Climate March' in DC on April 29th')

The federal government has just released yet another key piece of scientific data that counters the man-made global warming narrative. The federal U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that droughts in the U.S. are at record lows in 2017. See: Feds: U.S. drought reaches record low in 2017 as rain reigns - Sees lowest levels of drought ever monitored

"Drought in the U.S. fell to a record low this week, with just 6.1% of the lower 48 states currently experiencing such dry conditions, federal officials announced Thursday. That's the lowest percentage in the 17-year history of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report," USA Today reported on April 27. (Ironically, climate activists had declared California to be in a permanent drought: Flashback 2016: Warmist wrong claim: 'Thanks El Niño, But California's Drought Is Probably Forever')

Seismograph

Shallow 5.7 magnitude earthquake registered off Kagoshima, Japan

chart
5.7 magnitude earthquake 42 km from Nishinoomote, Kagoshima, Japan
2017-04-29 12:32:32 UTC

UTC time: Saturday, April 29, 2017 12:32 PM
Your time: 2017-04-29T12:32:32Z
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 5.7 - 42km ENE of Nishinoomote, Japan
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 5 people

2017-04-29 12:32:32 UTC 5.7 magnitude, 21 km depth
Nishinoomote, Kagoshima, Japan

Seismograph

Shallow 5.6 magnitude earthquake recorded off East Java, Indonesia

chart

5.6 magnitude earthquake 170 km from Boyolangu, East Java, Indonesia

2017-04-29 10:02:12 UTC

UTC time: Saturday, April 29, 2017 10:02 AM
Your time: 2017-04-29T10:02:12Z
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 5.6 - 152km SSW of Tambakrejo, Indonesia
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people

Snowflake

8 inches of snow hits Denver, Colorado

 snow falls in the foothills outside of Denver
Snow near Denver
The Denver metro area saw 2-8 inches of snow overnight as flakes continued to fall in the morning.

Snow began falling along the Front Range Friday, hitting the Palmer Divide area in the afternoon and downtown Denver by the evening commute. The snowfall should stop across the metro area Saturday morning without much accumulation, National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina said. The other side of the Palmer Divide could see snow into the evening.

Saturday's temperatures should hang in the mid-30s, dropping down to the lower to mid-20s at night. Many parts of Denver are likely to experience a hard freeze. Sunday will bring some relief with sunny skies and highs around the lower to mid-50s, Kalina said.

Comment: See also this report concerning the surrounding region: Latest Totals: Storm Dumps Over Foot Of Snow Near Denver


Bizarro Earth

At least 24 people, including 11 children buried in massive landslide in Kyrgyzstan

Massive landslide swept over a village in Kyrgyzstan
© AFPMassive landslide swept over a village in Kyrgyzstan
At least 24 people, including 11 children, have been buried in mud and rubble after a massive landslide swept over a village in Kyrgyzstan, preliminary information from the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry said.

The landslide hit several houses in a village in the Uzgen district of the southern Osh region early on Saturday. The victims, who were in their houses at the time, are believed to be buried under mud and rubble, the ministry added.

"All 24 citizens of Kyrgzystan, nine of them children, died under the landslide in the south of the country," Emergencies Ministry spokeswoman Elmira Sheripova told AFP.

So far no survivors or bodies of the killed have been recovered. On Saturday evening, the search was suspended until morning.

Attention

Rampaging rhino kills man on street in southern Nepal

A crowd of worried onlookers can be heard screaming and shouting in the background
A crowd of worried onlookers can be heard screaming and shouting in the background
Next time you're stuck in traffic complaining about your commute remember it could be a lot worse.

You could have a 5,000 pound rhino charging at you.

Terrifying footage has emerged showing the huge horned beast rampaging down a street in southern Nepal town of Hetauda.

Two unfortunate motorcyclists can be seen fleeing the beast in front of it, while screams and panicked shouts can be heard in the background.

A crowd of curious onlookers can be seen following the beast at a distance.


Attention

Bodyboarder killed by shark off Reunion Island; second such death in 2 months

Shark attacks
A bodyboarder was mauled to death by a shark just two months after one of his best friends was killed in almost identical circumstances.

Adrien Dubosc, 28, was bitten in the leg in shark-infested waters off Pointe au Sel, Reunion, on Saturday morning.

The trained shark spotter was dragged to shore and given CPR in front of his horrified family members, but rescuers could not save him.

His death comes weeks after his friend Alexandre Naussac, 26, died on a nearby beach on the French island, which lies off the coast of Madagascar.

Comment: For details of previous attack, see: Man killed by shark off Reunion Island


Arrow Down

Large sinkhole opens along Florida interstate near Walt Disney World

Lake Buena Vista sinkhole
© Fox35
Authorities are assessing a sinkhole in the median of Interstate 4, near Walt Disney World​. It is located at the World Drive interchange and is delaying westbound traffic.

"It is 10 feet deep and 15 feet in diameter," explained Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Olson. "FDOT crews are securing the area and will continue to monitor it."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Binoculars

Loud booms heard across San Diego, California

San Diego skyline
© Fox5
Several loud "booms" were heard across San Diego and a resident in Pacific Beach said it shook his home Tuesday morning.

What caused the noise was unknown as of 9:10 a.m., but many people speculated it was a sonic boom caused by some kind of aircraft.

Polly Kanavel was getting ready to walk in San Carlos when she heard two booms.

"I was getting out of the car getting ready to put my hat on and I heard boom, and I thought there goes the military again," said Kanavel.

A man in Pacific Beach said he heard it and the garage doors of his home shook around 9 a.m. Viewers in Poway, Mira Mesa and Santee also reported hearing the boom.

"TWO booms were heard today - one at about 9:10 a.m. The second, just before 11 a.m. My glass door shook with the boom," Carmel Valley resident Latha Sundar told FOX 5.

FOX 5 has calls out to military officials to find out if one of their airplanes caused it. MCAS Miramar Officer 1st Lt. Christopher Harrison said the sound was not produced by any of their aircraft.

Comment: From January of this year: Mysterious boom rattles San Diego residents


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 2 in Andhra Pradesh, India

lightning
Two persons were killed by lightning during rainfall and gales in several parts of Kurnool district on Thursday night.

An agricultural labourer Eerappa, 46, of Doddanageri village in Adoni mandal and Adinarayana, 27, of Rampuram village in Tuggali mandal lost their lives when they were struck by lightning. Eerappa turned unconscious and another worker Pedda Urukundappa suffered burns.

They were rushed to the Government hospital at Adoni, where doctors declared Eerappa as brought dead.

Peddathumbalam Sub-Inspector Hussain Basha registered a case.

A Sakshara Bharathi village coordinator, Adinarayana, was hit by lightning when he was trying to cover his chilli crop from getting damp in rain.