Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Unusual rains over 2 months cause devastating floods in northern Vietnam with 48 dead and 12 missing

Hanoi's Chuong My District is flooded following torrential downpours after Storm Prapiroon, July 24, 2024.
© VnExpress/Giang HuyHanoi's Chuong My District is flooded following torrential downpours after Storm Prapiroon, July 24, 2024.
Northern Vietnam experienced less intense heat in June and July, and the total rainfall far exceeded forecasts, leading to major floods and landslides that resulted in 48 deaths and 12 missing persons.

Since June, which was the peak of summer in the north and before the peak rainy and flood season, the region has experienced 12 days of widespread heavy rains in two periods: June 4-10 and June 23-27. Rains were concentrated in the northeastern provinces, and the northern delta, home to Hanoi.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported that the total rainfall in June in the north ranged from 200-600 mm, which is 40-80% higher than the average from previous years, and in some places along the northern coast, it was over 100% higher.


Cloud Precipitation

Flash flood kills one in Saudi Arabia's Jazan

Al-Ekhbariya aired images of two vehicles caught up in the floodwaters, one of them crushed by a collapsed bridge support.
Al-Ekhbariya aired images of two vehicles caught up in the floodwaters, one of them crushed by a collapsed bridge support.
A flash flood from the mountains of southwestern Saudi Arabia swept away part of a bridge in Jazan province, killing one person on Saturday, Al-Ekhbariya reported.

The news channel aired images of two vehicles caught up in the floodwaters, one of them crushed by a collapsed bridge support.

It said several people were also injured in the bridge collapse at an important crossroads inland from the city of Jazan.

The National Center for Meteorology warned Saturday that more heavy rainfall was still to come in Jazan province, with thunderstorms forecast in the mountains.


Volcano

Mount Etna volcanic eruption disrupts flights at Catania international airport

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© Piero Bertino
Travel to and from the Italian island of Sicily is currently disrupted due to a volcanic eruption.

Catania international airport has delayed flights due to an eruption from Mount Etna billowing smoke into the air. The smoke affects visibility for pilots.

Nearby towns have also been covered in black volcanic ash after the Voragine crater began erupting last night.

Arrivals are currently limited to six per hour at Catania, which is on the east coast of Sicily and at the foot of Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano.


Eye 2

Man feared to have been attacked by crocodile in north Queensland, Australia

Crocodile resting on the bank of Billabong in Australia.
Crocodile resting on the bank of Billabong in Australia.
A man is feared to have been attacked by a crocodile after failing to resurface from water in Cooktown.

Emergency services were called after a 40-year-old man entered the water and failed to resurface at the Annan River Bridge in Cooktown just after 2pm on Saturday.

Police confirmed they were called to a reported crocodile attack.


Officers say the man was fishing when he went missing, and they are confirming the identity of the man and his next of kin.

The Queensland Ambulance Service said paramedics were called to the scene near Mulligan Highway.

Attention

Woman in her 30s is seriously injured in shark attack off the coast of Western Australia

Great white shark
A snorkeller has been bitten by a shark off the coast of Western Australia.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was swimming off Rat Island in the Abrolhos Islands, about 80km west of Geraldton, at around 5.25pm when she was attacked.

She was treated on the island before being airlifted to Geraldton Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

It is not clear what species of shark was involved in the attack.

The attack comes a week after surfer Kai McKenzie had his leg severed when he was bitten by a shark at the isolated North Shore Beach, near Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast.

Attention

Sloth bear attack kills one, injures two in Chhattisgarh, India

Sloth bear
Sloth bear
A 28-year-old man was killed and two others were seriously injured after they were attacked by a wild sloth bear in Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place this morning near Badraudi village when deceased Chhablal along with Ghasiram (45) and Santlal (42) went to collect wood to celebrate a local festival, said Marwahi division forest officer (DFO) Raunak Goyal.

"After coming face to face with the bear, the three tried to confront it. Chhablal was mauled to death, while Ghasiram and Santlal sustained critical injuries. The injured persons were shifted to the community health centre in Marwahi and then to Bilaspur for advanced treatment," Goyal said.

The kin of the deceased will be given compensation as per state government rules, officials said.

PTI

Black Cat

349 people killed in tiger attacks during past 5 years in India

tiger
There has been a 127% rise in deaths due to tiger attacks in UP in 2023 in comparison to past years as per govt records. Data showed that 59 people were killed in tiger attacks in the state in five years from 2019 to 2023. In 2019, eight people died, four in 2020 while in 2021, 11 were killed. In 2022, too, 11 people lost their lives. In 2023, the number shot up to 25.

The data was presented by minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in response to questions recently raised by Rajya Sabha MPs Mukul Wasnik and V Sivadasan.

At the national level, 349 people were killed in tiger attacks during the past five years, with Maharashtra recording a maximum of 200 deaths. However, the number of human deaths there decreased from 82 in 2022 to 35 a year later. The minister's response further mentioned that information on human deaths caused by tigers in 2023 was not received from 11 states, including Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

Comment: See also these reports from the period concerned indicating a rising trend in fatal attacks:



Seismograph

Very shallow 3.0 magnitude earthquake near Volcano, Hawaii - 1km deep

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3.0 magnitude earthquake 6 km from Volcano, Hawaii, United States

UTC time: Saturday, August 03, 2024 11:48 AM
Your time: Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 12:48 PM GMT+1
Magnitude Type: ml
USGS page: M 3.0 - 6 km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii
USGS status: Not reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 2 people

1 km depth

Cloud Lightning

Beachgoers in Italy struck by lightning

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At least three people were injured, one of them seriously, when lightning struck a beach packed with holidaymakers on Italy's Adriatic coast on Saturday, news reports said.

The bolt of lightning hit the stretch of beach near Alba Adriatica, in the central Abruzzo region, just after midday, said the reports, which put the number of people injured at between three and seven.

Photos posted on social media showed emergency workers crowded around what appeared to be a woman on a stretcher on the beach.

Italian news agency ANSA said one of the injured had been flown to a nearby hospital.

The civil protection department warned on Saturday of unstable weather conditions in central Italy, with scattered thunderstorms and "frequent electrical activity".

AFP

Doberman

Woman dead after dog attack in Indianapolis, Indiana

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Indianapolis metro police are investigating after a woman was fatally attacked by two dogs on the city's near west side Friday night.

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called around 6:16 p.m. to the 600 block of Olin Avenue to conduct a death investigation. IMPD confirmed that one individual has died after being bitten by two loose dogs.

IMPD said the location is currently an active scene and that investigators are working to learn more about the circumstances of the incident. According to IMPD, there is no indication of foul play at this time.

The Marion County Coroner's Office has also been called to assist at the scene.