Earth ChangesS


Bizarro Earth

Hurricane Irene Marks First Big US Threat in Years

Curt Anderson
The Associated Press
Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:42 UTC
Image
© AP Photo/NOAAAn image released by the NOAA made from the GEOS East satellite shows Hurricane Irene on Aug. 23, 2011 as it passes over Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The rapidly intensifying Irene that's already cut a destructive path through the Caribbean is the first hurricane to seriously threaten the U.S. in almost three years, a worry for some emergency management officials who hope people haven't become complacent about the dangers.

Predictions by the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Irene was likely to become a major Category 3 hurricane Tuesday. By Thursday as it roars toward the U.S. coast over warm open waters, it could become a Category 4, NHC hurricane specialist John Cangialosi said late Monday. Winds in such a storm can blow from 131 to 155 mph (210-249 kph).

The last hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. was Ike, which pounded Texas in 2008.

For now, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season had maximum sustained winds early Tuesday around 100 mph (160 kph) and was centered about 50 miles (85 kilometers) northeast of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. The hurricane was moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph) and could eventually land in Florida, Georgia or South Carolina.
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Bizarro Earth

Hurricane Irene Spotted From Space


OurAmazingPlanet
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:17 UTC
Hurricane Irene
© NASA
Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, was seen from space today (Aug. 22) as it roared past Puerto Rico.

Irene formed as a tropical storm east of the Leeward Islands on Aug. 20. By early Aug. 22, the storm had strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Irene had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with higher gusts. The storm was located about 150 miles (240 kilometers) west-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this natural-color image at 11:20 a.m. local time (15:20 UTC) on Aug. 22. Storm clouds cover part of the Dominican Republic, and all of Puerto Rico.

As of Aug. 22, Irene had cut power to more than a million residents of Puerto Rico, according to ABC News. The Miami Herald reported that heavy rains had pushed at least five rivers over their banks on the island. Citing continuing rains, downed power lines, and potential landslides, the Puerto Rico governor urged residents to stay indoors.
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Bizarro Earth

Indonesia - Earthquake Magnitude 6.0


USGS
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:15 UTC
Indon Quake_220811
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Monday, August 22, 2011 at 20:12:20 UTC

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 03:12:20 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
6.410°S, 103.985°E

Depth:
31.3 km (19.4 miles)

Region:
SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Distances:
176 km (109 miles) SW of T.-Telukbetung, Sumatra, Indonesia

232 km (144 miles) W of Cilegon, Java, Indonesia

315 km (195 miles) W of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

329 km (204 miles) W of Sukabumi, Java, Indonesia
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Cloud Lightning

Heavy Rain Kills Seven, Wrecks Property in Niger


Agence France-Presse
Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:15 UTC
Niger flood
© AFP/File, Boureima HamaPeople protect their houses from flood water in 2010 in Niger
Heavy rain has killed seven people and done considerable damage to property in Niger, the government and radio stations said Friday.

"The toll is two dead in the Maradi region and two others in Tillaberi," according to an official statement read on national radio, while the private radio Anfani announced the further deaths of three children aged between eight and ten when their house collapsed in a village in Maradi.

In the southern Maradi province, floodwaters destroyed almost 600 homes, a mosque and three business establishments, the communique added.
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Cloud Lightning

'If you're in south Florida, get ready': Official warning as Hurricane Irene hits Puerto Rico and has U.S. mainland in its sights

Mike O'brien
The Daily Mail
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:38 UTC
'If you're in south Florida, now is the time to get prepared,' the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency warned on Monday.

National Hurricane Centre spokesman Dennis Feltgen urged south Florida residents to monitor the storm carefully, to double check their supplies of food and fuel and to review their hurricane plans.

Forecasters say because of its track, the mountains of Hispaniola will probably do little to weaken the storm that is projected to hit the U.S. mainland on Thursday or Friday.

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© Associated PressHeading inland: A national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image from 1.45am EDT shows patches of dense cloud from Tropical Storm Irene heading towards Puerto Rico
Irene is the first hurricane of the Atlantic storm season.

The heavily-populated south east Florida coast is in the direct line of numerous forecast cones.

However, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) stressed Irene's path still remains uncertain and it could make landfall anywhere from the Florida Keys to the Carolinas.
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Igloo

Colder Than Average Winter Forecast For Ireland And UK

Mark Dunphy
Irish Weather Online
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:30 UTC
Image
© Val RobusWhite out in Coolaney, Co Sligo, January 2011.
Yet another long range forecasting agency has pinned its colours to the mast by predicting a colder than average winter 2011-12 across Ireland and the United Kingdom.

UK-based Positive Weather Solutions says the winter months will be colder than average everywhere and that some regions will experience significantly colder than average temperatures between December and March.

The agency, which has a relatively high success rate in its long range weather predictions, has also given a 36% chance of the Ireland and Britain experiencing a White Christmas. This prediction in reflected in the latest odds from Paddy Power Bookmakers who on Sunday shortened their odds of snow falling on Christmas Day to 11/4 in in London and 7/2 in Dublin.

The chilly outlook follows six weeks after another UK-based long range weather forecaster, also issued a severe winter weather warning. James Madden from weather organisation Exacta Weather is once again forecasting record breaking snowfall and freezing temperatures during November, December and January.

Though overall temperatures during the past two winters have been close to or slightly below normal for the season, both Ireland and the UK did experience periods of extreme weather.
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Bizarro Earth

Series Of Earth Tremors Felt In Western Scotland

Mark Dunphy
Irish Weather Online
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:27 UTC
A magnitude 2.9 earthquake, followed by at least six earth tremors, was recorded in western Scotland on Sunday, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).

The 2.9 quake struck at 8:37 AM GMT at a depth of 11.6 km. The epicentre was located a few kilometres south of Lochailort, a hamlet that lies at the head of Loch Ailort. Three tremors were recorded on Sunday, measuring 1.4 (11:13 AM), 0.9 (11:16 AM) and 2.0 (18:24 AM) on the Richter Scale. A further three tremors were recorded by the BGS on Monday.

Image
© Google MapsLocation of 2.9 mag earthquake marked on Google Maps.
The BGS reported that the largest of the quakes was felt in Lochailort, Glenfinnan and Acharacle.

Reports received by the BGS included: "there was a bang, then a rumbling, almost like a distant explosion"; "rumble lasted for two or three seconds with a distinct thump"; and "it was the loudest and most severe we've witnessed since living here but thankfully the shortest".
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Bizarro Earth

6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Japan Coast

Mark Dunphy
Irish Weather Online
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:10 UTC
Image
© Unknown
A strong earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Japan on early Monday evening, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake at 8.23 p.m. local time (1123 GMT) was centered about 113 kilometers (70 miles) east-southeast of Miko, the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture. It struck about 30 kilometers (18 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Tremors with an intensity of 3 on the Japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 were felt in several areas along the coast, which was heavily damaged by a massive quake and tsunami in March. Light shaking was also felt in Tokyo, the country's capital, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.9 on the Richter scale, estimated that some 4 million people may have felt light shaking. "There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage," the USGS said.
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Cloud Lightning

New York, US: Violent Weather Damages Homes in Wayne and Cayuga Counties

Susan McNamara and Brian Sharp
Democrat and Chronicle
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:59 UTC
Image
© Susan McNamaraOfficials are investigating the possibility of a tornado touching down in Wayne County that caused damage to this house on Route 89.
Witnesses said a tornado blew through Wayne and Cayuga counties Sunday afternoon, cutting a crooked path through cornfields and woods and severely damaging the few homes in its way.

There were no reported serious injuries.

Fire officials said the tornado appeared to have traveled about five miles from South Butler, Wayne County, crossing Route 89 northeast to the town of Conquest in Cayuga County.

The National Weather Service has not officially classified the event as a tornado, but you can't convince Michael Dunn otherwise.

"I saw it. Oh yeah, it was a tornado," said Dunn, a volunteer with the South Butler Fire Department.

Dunn was in his yard working on his lawnmower when it suddenly became "pitch black - like someone turned the lights off. I could see the debris field around it," he said.

Then he turned and - dodging flying tree limbs - ran for the mobile home where he lives with his wife and two children, ages 10 and 8. He said he made them get in the bathtub and he stood in a doorway.
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Bug

Entomologist Discovers New Wasp Species


PhysOrg
Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:00 UTC
Image
© Andrew Richards/Bohart Museum of EntomologySide view of wasp.
A warrior wasp? A wasp with jaws longer than its front legs? The new species of wasp that Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, discovered on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, has scientists abuzz.

The jaw-dropping, shiny black wasp appears to be the "Komodo dragon" of the wasp family.

"It's huge. The male measures about two-and-a-half-inches long," Kimsey said. "Its jaws are so large that they wrap up either side of the head when closed. When the jaws are open they are actually longer than the male's front legs. I don't know how it can walk. The females are smaller but still larger than other members of their subfamily, Larrinae."

Kimsey discovered the warrior wasp on the Mekongga Mountains in southeastern Sulawesi on a recent biodiversity expedition funded by a five-year grant from the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group Program.
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