Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

'Historic' blizzard expected to hit US east coast on Friday

David Lawler
The Telegraph (UK)
Thu, 21 Jan 2016 00:10 UTC
Snow ploughs in Philadelphia after 2010 'Snowpocalypse'
© AP
Snow ploughs in Philadelphia after 'Snowpocalypse' storm hit US in 2010
National Weather Service warns of "life-threatenting conditions" and "impossible" travel in Washington, with snow also expected in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York

A blizzard of historic proportions is expected to hit Washington, Baltimore and other East Coast cities beginning on Friday, with snowfalls of more than two feet predicted in some areas.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard watch for the Washington area, warning that "potential life-threatening conditions are expected Friday night into Saturday night."

"Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm," the warning reads.


Coupled with the snow - which meteorologists say could be as much as 30 inches deep in Washington - will be high winds that may reach more than 50 miles per hour.
Read More...
Cloud Grey

Heart-shaped punch hole cloud surprises residents of Houston, Texas


Strange Sounds
Sun, 17 Jan 2016 02:11 UTC
This beautiful heart-shaped fallstreak hole appeared in the sky of Houston, Texas on January 17, 2016 and baffled many skywatchers.

Heart-shaped hole punch cloud
© Gloria Youngblood via Travis Herzog
One day after tubular clouds rolled across Texas, a heart-shaped hole punch cloud unexpectedly appeared in the sky of Houston.

Heart-shaped punch cloud
© Via twitter@CEO4SHO

Comment: Mysterious hole punch clouds appear over Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

Read More...
Tornado2

Unusual cold air waterspouts seen off Lake Michigan

Alana Nehring
Detroit Free Press
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 11:35 UTC
Lake Michigan waterpout
A cold air funnel spotted off the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Lake-effect snow and arctic air have both made their presence known during the last several days but another, more unique weather phenomenon was also witnessed.

Viewer Debbie Maglothin snapped a few pictures of cold air waterspouts spinning not too far from the Ludington State Park beach.

Funnels of any kind are hard enough to spot in west Michigan, but cold air funnels are even more unique.
Lake Michigan waterspouts
How does a cold air waterspout form?

- A drastic temperature difference between the air an water is required. In the most recent event, water temperatures were near 32 degrees while air temperatures were closer to 10 degrees.

- A steady breeze needs to be present to jump-start the process of evaporation.

- In most cases, this is also how lake-effect snow is produced but in some unique situations, a slight twisting motion will occur in the steam above the water. If it is maintained long enough, eventually weak funnels will develop.

Read More...
Umbrella

Huge waves flood Havana, Cuba


Strange Sounds
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 20:26 UTC
large wave Cuba
The ocean was so furious that giant waves flooded the Malecon in Havana on January 17, 2016.

Although in the middle of the ocean, such extreme weather is extrememly rare in Cuba.

Giant wave Havana
© Sergio Abel REYES REINOSOGiant wave Havana
The storm was so strong that the stone parapet could not hold back the assault of giant waves.

wave Cuba
© Sergio Abel REYES REINOSO
As a result, parts of Havana, the capital of Cuba and some coastal distraicts were flooded.

Here a first video of these Havana's waves:

Read More...
Alarm Clock

Strong earthquake frequency dramatically increasing for January in Oklahoma

Brad Sowder
koco.com
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 19:06 UTC
earthquake
It has been no secret that the occurrence of earthquakes have increased over the last few years in Oklahoma. In 2015, the state recorded 857 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater, it was 585 in 2014 and 106 in 2013.

Recently, strong earthquakes that are known to cause damage are increasing dramatically. The occurrence of damaging 4.0 or greater quakes is now seeing a dramatic uptick. Through the first 19 days of January, the state has recorded eight quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater.

Eight quakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater is now the new state record for a single month. The previous record for quakes of this magnitude was seven occurrences in November, 2015.

Oklahoma recorded 30 earthquakes of 4.0 or greater in 2015, 15 in 2014, only 3 in 2013.

Six of the eight quakes this month have occurred in Woods County in northern Oklahoma.
Read More...
Attention

6.4 magnitude earthquake shakes NW China


CRI China
Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:58 UTC
Menyuan county of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province
© weibo.comAn earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Menyuan county of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Menyuan county of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province at 1:13 a.m. on Thursday.

The epicenter was monitored at 37.68 degrees north latitude and 101.62 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

An aftershock, measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale, was reported minutes following the initial quake.

Reports of casualties are not instantly available.

Tremors are felt in Xining, capital city of Qinghai Province, where local residents say they were waken up from sleep by the jolt.
Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Flooding in Manabí and Guayas, Ecuador

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Wed, 20 Jan 2016 18:14 UTC
Floods in Ecuador
© Xavier CastroFloods in Ecuador
Heavy rain that began on 19 January 2016 has caused flooding in the Manabí and Guayas provinces of Ecuador.

Manabí Province

In the province of Manabí, the heavy rain began yesterday, 19 January, 2016. Some of the worst affected areas are in the north of the province, in particular the town of Chone, where flood water in the town's streets is up to 1.5 metres deep. Houses and other buildings have been flooded and schools have been closed as a result.

The rain caused surface flooding within a few hours in the town of Chone. Local media say that since then the Garrapata river, a tributary of the Chone river, has overflowed, affecting farm land in rural areas

Surface flooding has also been reported in the provincial capital, Portoviejo. Elsewhere in the province, the cantons of El Carmen, Flavio Alfaro, Bolívar, Junín, Tosagua, San Vicente, Sucre, Jama and Pedernales have also been badly affected.

Guayas Province

Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Heavy snowfall wreaks havoc in Odessa, Ukraine


Reuters
Tue, 19 Jan 2016 18:00 UTC
Snow in Odessa
Snow in Odessa
Heavy snowfall is wreaking havoc in Ukraine's port city of Odesa. At least two homeless people have died after a snowstorm hit the southern city. Three others are in the hospital after suffering from hypothermia and frostbite.

Local authorities are now deploying tents that provide heating for the homeless and those caught up in the snowstorms. The freezing weather saw heavy snowfall forcing the international airport to cancel over a dozen flights this week.

Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Moscow has already received twice the average amount of snow for January


The Moscow Times
Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:36 UTC
Snowfall in Moscow
© Sergei Porter / VedomostiSnowfall in Moscow
Russia's weather center issued an orange weather warning on Tuesday as heavy snowfall threatened to disrupt traffic in Moscow.

Warning of rising wind speeds as a weather front moved into central Russia from the south, the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia said 12-15 centimeters of snow was expected to fall on Tuesday, the TASS news agency reported.

The new alert follows a week of heavy snowfall in Moscow. Since the start of the month 77 centimeters of snow has fallen in the capital — more than twice the average for January, TASS said.

The storm follows an outlandishly warm start to the Russian winter, with temperatures in the capital dropping below zero only in late December.

More than 18,000 machines and 60,000 people have been deployed in the city to clear snow, according to TASS.
Read More...
Question

'Bristol hum': Residents report mysterious noise has returned

Samuel Osborne
The Independent (UK)
Tue, 19 Jan 2016 21:04 UTC
Bristol hum
© Matt Cardy/Getty ImagesFor the past fortnight, Bristol residents have reported hearing the low-pitched humming noise
The noise has been blamed on various causes, such as submarines, phone masts, wind farms and gas pipes

Residents of Bristol are reporting the return of a mysterious hum which has been heard for more than three decades.

The "Bristol hum" made the news in the late 1970s, when residents complained to the council about a strange noise.

For the past fortnight, several Bristol residents have reported the low-pitched humming noise on social media.


In a YouTube video uploaded on 4 January, a man claims to have recorded a noise matching the description of the hum.


Comment: In the last few weeks strange sounds have also been heard in the Netherlands, Morocco, United States and Singapore. For more information on this mysterious phenomenon, also recorded in ancient texts, read:

SOTT Exclusive: Strange sounds are back: 'Sky trumpets' heard in the Netherlands, the UK and Morocco

Read More...