Earth ChangesS


Attention

Massive anthrax outbreak kills 1,500 deer in Russia; largest for 75 years

Russia is keeping one eye on its venison as vets warn the virus area could increase
Russia is keeping one eye on its venison as vets warn the virus area could increase
An outbreak of anthrax has killed 1,500 northern deer in Russia and, with the figure set to rise, fears over exports of venison have begun to surface.

The anthrax outbreak in the Yamal Peninsula, the Arctic part of Russia, is believed to be the largest for 75 years. To fight against the disease, Russia has applied unprecedented measures, including the evacuation of farmers and their families.

Local veterinary services believe the disease probably emanated from animal burial sites - and some pastures where animals have been grazing will be banned for livestock use for the next 25 years.

"This disease has been present in our country for a long time and we have 35,000 officially registered animals with anthrax in burial sites," said Julia Demina, deputy head of Russian sanitary body Rospotrebnadzor. "These are the places where anthrax spores could be found in the soil."

Attention

Guatemala's 'Volcano of Fire' erupts spectacularly, authorities on alert

Guatemala’s Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire)
© redeyecollection / Instagram
Amazing images have been captured of Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) erupting spectacularly. Authorities remain on high alert as it continues to display intense activity.

The volcano, considered one of the most active in Central America, is being monitored by CONRED, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction of Guatemala, and INSIVUMEH, the National Institute for Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology.

Comment: Some recent activity:


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 2 and injures 3 in Rangpur, Bangladesh

Lightning
Two people were killed and three others injured by lightning in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur yesterday morning.

The deceased, Sumon Mia, 25, son of Mofazzal Hossain, and Abdur Razzak, 30, son of Abdul Matin, were residents of Arifpur village in the upazila.

Locals and witnesses said a thunderbolt struck five people while they were working in paddy field at the village around 9:00am, leaving them seriously injured.

Later, they were rushed to Pirganj Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared the duo dead, Officer-in-Charge Rezaul Karim of Pirganj Police Station said.

Cloud Lightning

Man hit by lightning as storm rips through Edmonton, Canada

A car is stranded in a flooded part of the Whitemud on Wednesday afternoon.
© Nicole TeeuwsenA car is stranded in a flooded part of the Whitemud on Wednesday afternoon.
Flooding so severe in some areas that boats had to rescue commuters from vehicles

A man was struck by lightning Wednesday as a sudden and violent thunderstorm raged through Edmonton.

Alberta Health Services confirmed the man was struck in south Edmonton at about 2:30 p.m. and was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Early in the afternoon, Environment Canada issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Edmonton and the surrounding communities of Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Morinvillle, Big Lake and Villeneuve.

Those warnings have since been lifted.



Cloud Lightning

Four killed by lightning bolt in Bihar, India

Lightning
Four women were today killed in lightning strike in Bihar, while rains continued to lash northern parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh, where major rivers were in spate.

Floods that occurred mainly due to heavy rains in Nepal's catchment area continued to affect the life of over 17 lakh people in 10 districts of Bihar and have so far claimed 22 lives.

Four women were killed and two others received burn injuries after being struck by lightning in East Champaran district, a police officer said.

Rains continued to lash northern parts of the country, including New Delhi, where 14.1 mm rainfall was recorded between 8.30 AM and 5.30 PM.

Windsock

Huge waves close roads and destroy seawall amid weather chaos in Wellington, New Zealand

While the wind and rain settled down on Sunday, rough seas continued to pound the Wellington coast.
© Kevin StentWhile the wind and rain settled down on Sunday, rough seas continued to pound the Wellington coast.
Large waves washed away a Porirua seawall and swallowed up a Kapiti Coast beach after a weekend of wild weather that saw highways washed out, trees toppled and trampolines sent flying across the Wellington region.

Parts of the Porirua coast, including a section of Steyne Avenue, were hammered by the sea on Sunday.

State Highway 58 between Joseph Banks Drive and Spinnaker Drive as well as Grays Rd reopened about 4.30pm on Sunday, after being closed in the middle of the day due to rising sea levels.

At the time a New Zealand Transport Agency spokeswoman said the combination of high tides and storm conditions had made the road conditions unsafe.

Two Porirua roads were also closed for four hours overnight on Saturday because waves were washing over them.



Cloud Precipitation

Update: Over 100 dead in South Asia flooding

Nepal flooding
© AFP PHOTO / NEPAL ARMYNepalese army personnel rescue flood victims at Nawalparasi, around 200 km west of Kathmandu on July 26th
More than 100 people have been killed in monsoon floods in South Asia, as torrential rain caused chaos in several countries.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, with many rescued from rising waters and housed in shelters.

Nepal has suffered the highest death toll with over 75 people killed this week in floods and landslides.

Hundreds die every year across the region during the monsoon season between June and September.

In Nepal the army has been evacuating hundreds of people from villages submerged by rising flood waters, with western parts of the country worst hit.

Interior ministry officials say they fear the death toll could rise as information comes in from remote areas.


Bizarro Earth

Iceland's largest volcano Katla rumbles with earthquakes

Mt. Katla
© Iceland Monitor/Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson

Two earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 occurred in the Katla caldera in Mýrdalsjökull glacier around 4:00 AM this morning. Ten smaller earthquakes followed.

Katla is one of Iceland's largest volcanoes, and with twenty eruptions being documented since the year 930, Katla remains on of the country's most active volcanoes.

Attention

Baboon attacks caretaker and his dogs in South Africa

Thula Makoa and the female Rottweiler, bearing its injuries. Beside them is Reverend Moeketsi Mototjane, of the Holy Cross Anglican Church in Nyanga
© Mandla Mahashe Thula Makoa and the female Rottweiler, bearing its injuries. Beside them is Reverend Moeketsi Mototjane, of the Holy Cross Anglican Church in Nyanga
An alleged stray baboon attack has left both master and man's best friend nursing a bruised ego and a broken left hind leg, respectively.

According to Thuso Makoa, the incident took place in the early hours of Sunday.

"I was sitting by the fire when I heard a strange sound and I went to investigate. It was as if someone had dropped something over the fence. As I was walking in an alley, I couldn't believe my eyes."

Makoa said there, in front of him, was a baboon with a chain around its waist.


Then it lunged at him, he said.

"I turned around and ran for my life, and hid in one of the alleys,"

"As the dogs chased the animal around the yard, I managed to scramble to my room where, after a few minutes, I heard one of the dogs yelping in pain. As Makoa opened the door of his room, he said he saw one of the guard dogs, a female Rottweiler, rushing towards him, dragging its left hind leg and in obvious pain. He said he stayed in his room until daybreak as he was too scared to even save the dog from the attacker.

Attention

Rabid bat attacks person in broad daylight in Terrace, Canada

When a bat
© Getty ImagesWhen a bat "dive-bombed" someone at Lakelse Lake near Terrace, B.C. recently, it was caught and tested positive for rabies.
The bat 'dive-bombed' a person near Lakelse Lake during the day

It was a bizarre sight: a bat, normally a nocturnal animal, dive-bombIng a person in broad daylight near Lakelse Lake in Terrace, B.C.

When the bat was caught, it tested positive for rabies.

The individual wasn't harmed, but Dr. Melissa McLaws, a veterinary epidemiologist with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, says rabies is a serious issue because it is "almost universally fatal if a person gets it or an animal gets it."

She says that less than one per cent of wild bats have rabies, but "we do find positive bats every year in every part of British Columbia".