Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Large hail stones reported as thunderstorm hits Malta


Independent (Malta)
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:12 UTC
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© Stephanie Camilleri
A thunderstorm has hit various parts of Malta, with hail being reported in various localities.

Reader Stephanie Camilleri sent in pictures of huge hailstones in Qormi.

The bad weather is expected to abate over the weekend, with another thunder storm predicted for next Tuesday.

In a statement, the police advised motorists to avoid low-lying areas, especially Triq Marina and Triq ix-Xatt in Msida, and Triq il-Wied in Birkirkara, following reports of high rainwater levels.

Video was taken by Charles Bartolo in Luqa

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 3 soldiers and injures 11 in Turkey


en.trend.az
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:01 UTC
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Three soldiers were killed and 11 more injured as a result of a lightning strike in the Yuksekova district of Turkey's Hakkari province, the Haber 7 news channel reported Oct. 22.

Reportedly, the soldiers were carrying out an operation in the village of Daglica against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The wounded soldiers were taken to a state hospital in Hakkari.
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Cloud Lightning

Stormchasers catch impressive time-lapse video of huge Colorado tornado


RT
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:44 UTC
colorado tornado 2015
© NZP Chasers / YouTubeTornado forming in Colorado
A group of storm chasers have captured an amazing tornado using time-lapse technology. They filmed the twister in Colorado, showing a number of stages of the storm's development.

The tornado in the video is spawned from a supercell thunderstorm, which has the ability to last for hours and normally cause much greater damage than regular storms. They can travel at speeds of over 160 km/h and produce hail the size of golf balls.

The group behind the video calls themselves 'NZP Chasers.' NZP or 'Near Zero Probability' explains the level of dedication the team will go to as even if there is no chance of a tornado appearing. They are eager to get their cameras ready on the off chance that something might develop, no matter how small the probability.

"This dedication enables us to capture amazing pictures and never regret for having decided not to chase that day," the group stated on their website.

Find out more about the Near Zero Probability storm chaser group here.

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Attention

Mexico's Popocatepetl pumps ash and smoke 2,500 meters into the sky


The Telegraph, UK
Wed, 21 Oct 2015 21:33 UTC
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© The Telegraph, UK
Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano put on a spectacular display as it spewed out huge clouds of ash in to the sky.

The volcano, which is 50 miles south east of Mexico City spat ash and smoke 2500 metres above the volcano's crater.

Mexico's volcano experts says the volcano had around 40 exhalations with a series a of rumblings in the past three months.

There are around 3000 volcanoes in Mexico, but only 14 are active. Popocatepetl is one of the biggest and spans across three Mexican states and is the country's second highest peak.

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Blue Planet

The strongest El Nino in decades is going to mess with weather and economies

Brian K Sullivan
Bloomberg
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:25 UTC
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© Nicky Loh/BloombergThe Marina Bay district shrouded in smog in Singapore, on Sept. 24, 2015.
It has choked Singapore with smoke, triggered Pacific typhoons and left Vietnamese coffee growers staring nervously at dwindling reservoirs. In Africa, cocoa farmers are blaming it for bad harvests, and in the Americas, it has Argentines bracing for lower milk production and Californians believing that rain is finally, mercifully on the way.

El Nino is back and in a big way.

Its effects are just beginning in much of the world -- for the most part, it hasn't really reached North America -- and yet it's already shaping up potentially as one of the three strongest El Nino patterns since record-keeping began in 1950. It will dominate weather's many twists and turns through the end of this year and well into next. And it's causing gyrations in everything from the price of Colombian coffee to the fate of cold-water fish.

Comment: This El Nino is still brewing and could turn out to be the biggest one yet.

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Cloud Precipitation

Storm Koppu death toll rises to 54 in the Philippines; over a million people affected (Updated)

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:48 UTC
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© Noel Celis / IFRCResidents stay on the roof of their houses at Barangay Camunatan, Isabela, north of Manila on October 19, 2015.
As of 22 October 2015, The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that over 1 million people have been affected and over 18 000 homes have been fully or partially damaged as a result of Tropical Cyclone Koppu, known locally as Lando. NDRRMC say that 41 people have died. Many of the victims died in flooding, landslides or as a result of storm damage such as fallen trees. Media say the death toll is 54. At least 78 people have been injured, 5 are missing.


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Attention

Dead humpback whale found on beach in Costa Rica


The Costa Rican Times
Tue, 13 Oct 2015 13:38 UTC
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Dead baby humpback whale
Costa Rica's south Pacific is world renowned for its whale watching excursions.

Unfortunately, a baby humpback whale was found dead on a beach on the Osa Peninsula on Sunday.

Zeni Hernandez, a local tour guide, made the discovery. The whale appeared at the very edge of the beach. Photographs were taken. By Monday the whale was gone and locals assume it was taken away by the strong tides.

A marine biology specialist, Frank Garita, described the baby whale as being just one to two weeks old, according to its size. It was between seven and eight meters long and weighed about a ton.

Full grown members of this species weigh up to 40 tons and measure up to 16 meters long.

He added that it is highly unusual to find a whale stranded on a Costa Rican beach, especially such a young baby.
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Attention

Sperm whale found dead off Taiwan

Huang Kuo-fang and Elizabeth Hsu
Focus Taiwan
Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:25 UTC
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Dead sperm whale
A sperm whale that was rescued off the coast of Chiayi County last week was found dead at sea Sunday, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), which was part of the effort to release the stranded whale.

Local fishermen discovered the carcass of the 15-meter-long whale on a shoal in an area south of Bajhang River (八掌溪) estuary, the CGA said.

An examination of the carcass confirmed that it was the same the sperm whale that had become stranded near the shoreline of Chiayi on Oct. 15, the coast guard said.

A team of coast guard personnel and marine experts had rescued the whale and released it back into the open sea the same day.
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Snowflake Cold

Heaviest blizzard in at least 10 years hits Omsk, Russia... and it's still October


RT
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:53 UTC
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tatiana_radchenko / Instagram
The snow has gotten off to an incredible start in Siberia, where a record snowfall has paralyzed many areas of the city of Omsk, with thousands of drivers hopelessly stuck in hellish snowstorm traffic for hours.

You might say it's nothing special for Siberia, but those who know - namely weather forecasters - believe it could be the most significant snowfall in 10 years.

Imagine parking your car safely outside your house in the evening only to find it gone the next morning. The streets and vehicles have nearly disappeared under the blanket of snow, with over 40cm falling overnight. All one can currently see in Omsk is snow, snow and nothing else

.
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Attention

4.8 magnitude earthquake recorded north of Opunake, New Zealand

Hannah Lee
stuff.co.nz
Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:28 UTC
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© GeonetA Geonet map shows an earthquake centred in Taranaki was felt as far away as Nelson.
There was little time to drop, cover and hold when an earthquake hit in Taranaki this morning.

A strong 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 20km north of Opunake at 9:05am, at a depth of only 18km, according to GeoNet.

The short, sharp jolt was almost over before it began, but sent hearts racing throughout the region.

Rocking and rolling over breakfast in Hawera! #eqnz

— Jayde Meech (@JaydeyMeechey) October 21, 2015

Ten minutes later, a 2.6 magnitude aftershock hit 15km north of Opunake at a depth of 17km.

The first quake was far felt as far north as Hamilton as far east as Hawkes Bay and far south as Blenheim.

GeoNet scientist Caroline Little said it was a moderately strong shake which was felt by many.
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