Earth ChangesS


Windsock

Statue of Liberty replica falls over during major storm in Brazil

William Hallowell
Metro (UK)
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:49 UTC
The ‘symbolic’ moment the Statue of Liberty replica was knocked down
© ReutersThe ‘symbolic’ moment the Statue of Liberty replica was knocked down
This is the dramatic moment a 24-metres-tall replica of the world-famous Statue of Liberty was toppled in Brazil.

The monument, installed in 2020, was knocked down in the city of Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, in front of the Havan store on December 15 during a storm as winds reached speeds of 55mph, according to Brazil's civil defence authority Defesa Civil.

But the 11-metres-high concrete base remained in tact.

Dramatic footage of the incident, which appears to have been taken from a nearby building, showed the statue, in a large car park near a McDonald's, leaning forward as it eventually begins to fall.

It then crashes to the ground.

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Lightning

Lightning kills mother and 4-year-old son in Ghana


myjoyonline.com
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:30 UTC
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A 29-year-old woman and her four-year-old son have died after being struck by lightning during a heavy rainstorm at Akyeremade, a community in the Asante Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The woman, identified as Victoria, was reportedly out fetching pieces of charcoal with her two sons when the lightning struck.

An eyewitness said the lightning killed Victoria and her younger son instantly.

Her seven-year-old son, who was with them at the time, survived the strike but sustained injuries. Despite his condition, the boy was able to explain what had happened and led rescuers to the exact location where his mother and brother had collapsed.

The injured child was rushed to a nearby health facility, where he is currently responding to treatment.
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Tsunami

Flash floods in Bolivia kill 20

Sinan Dogan and Seda Sevencan
Anadolu Agency
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:27 UTC
A drone view shows flooded areas that left communities isolated after torrential rain in the community of El Torno, in Santa Cruz region, Bolivia, December 14, 2025.
A drone view shows flooded areas that left communities isolated after torrential rain in the community of El Torno, in Santa Cruz region, Bolivia, December 14, 2025.
Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Bolivia over the weekend have killed at least 20 people, authorities said.

Vice Minister of Civil Defense Alfredo Troche told reporters on Sunday that severe flooding struck the city of Santa Cruz after the Pirai River overflowed its banks.

Many people remain missing, Troche said, adding that search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock.

President Rodrigo Paz said a crisis and situation room was established at the Government Palace in the administrative capital La Paz to closely monitor developments in the affected areas.

Paz said efforts are underway to declare a national state of emergency in the flood-hit regions.

He warned that the effects of the El Nino and La Nina climate patterns are continuing and the country could face heavy rainfall over the next three to five months, followed by periods of drought.

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Cloud Grey

Huge fog formation has left central California 'trapped' in colder temps

Carla Russo
The Guardian
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 19:55 UTC
San Joaquin Valley tule fog california sunrise
© Matthew Baker/Getty Images/iStockphotoSunrise in San Joaquin Valley, California with tule fog and low visibility.
Dense, 450-mile-long fog bank lingering over central valley as experts blames unusual combination of weather factors

New Nasa satellite images reveal the scope of central California's dreary December, caused by an enormous fog formation that has been haunting the Central Valley for weeks, trapping residents in colder-than-usual temperatures.

The low cloud formation, known as tule fog, first formed over central California in November and persisted into early December. The Central Valley typically sees this type of fog during the colder months of the year, when the air near the ground is cold and moist, and the winds are calmer, allowing moisture in the air to transform into a thick layer of fog.

As the cold blanket of fog forms, it becomes trapped in the bowl-like shape of the Central Valley. The warmer temperatures of the air above keep the fog stuck in the valley like a lid over a pot, also known as temperature inversion.
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Snowflake Cold

Blizzard hits Hokkaido, Japan disrupting train and flight schedules - 26.7 inches of snowfall in 24 hours


Inquirer.net
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:34 UTC
Heavy snow in just 5 hours in Kitami, Hokkaido
Heavy snow in just 5 hours in Kitami, Hokkaido
Due to a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system, Hokkaido experienced heavy snowfall and strong winds across the prefecture on Dec 15, causing disruptions to train and flight schedules.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Sapporo Regional Headquarters, 14 locations, mainly in eastern Hokkaido, recorded 50cm or more of snowfall in 24 hours ending at 8am local time, including 68cm in Kamisatsunai and Taiki in the Tokachi area, and 56cm near Lake Akan in the Kushiro area.

As at 11am local time, Hokkaido Railway Company was expected to cancel or partially cancel a total of 104 trains, including 21 limited express services. Over 40 flights bound for or from New Chitose Airport were expected to be cancelled as at 8am local time.

According to the Hokkaido Electric Power Network, strong winds caused power outages affecting 35,910 households across Hokkaido around 6.30am local time, primarily in the Okhotsk and Kushiro areas.

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Tsunami

At least 37 dead after flash floods hit Morocco's Safi - 2.3 inches of rain in just 3 hours


Al Jazeera
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:48 UTC
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At least 37 have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, according to authorities.

State-owned broadcaster SNRT News on Monday quoted local authorities as saying at least 14 people had received hospital treatment, including two in the intensive care unit, after the sudden bout of heavy rain on Sunday.

Images on social media showed a torrent of muddy water sweeping cars and rubbish bins from the streets in the town of Safi, located some 300km (186 miles) south of the capital, Rabat. At least 70 homes and businesses in the historic old city were flooded after just one hour of heavy rain, according to the authorities.

In a statement, the Safi governorate said search and rescue operations were ongoing and necessary measures had been taken to secure the affected areas and provide support to residents.


Comment: Morocco World News reports:
Abdelrahim Tannas, the Regional Director of Equipment in Safi said today that rainfall recorded in the city center on Sunday exceeded 60 millimeters within three hours.

Tannas made his remarks in a statement to Morocco's news agency MAP, where he said the rainfall that the city experienced varied from one area to another.

He said the city center recorded rainfall that exceeded 60 millimeters, "which explains the scale of the flooding that affected central Safi, particularly the Sidi Bozid area."

Floods that affected the city left 37 people dead, and several others injured.


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Lightning

Three killed, five injured after lightning strikes church service in Limpopo, South Africa

Khodani Mpilo
Times Live
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:21 UTC
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Three people died and five others were injured after lightning struck a church service in Radimana village in Limpopo in the early hours on Sunday.

According to police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba, the incident occurred at about 1am on Sunday while a congregation was attending a night church service inside a tent when it started to rain heavily.

"While they busy singing, lightning struck inside the tent in a field." Ledwaba said.

Eight people aged between 12 and 56, all residents of Sefihlampyana village, sustained injuries and were taken to a health-care centre.
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Arrow Down

Raging Montana creek swallows bridge as it collapses, flood emergency declared

Kieran Sullivan
Fox Weather
Sat, 13 Dec 2025 12:31 UTC
The power of an atmospheric river moisture fueled Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was
© (Mark Wigner/TMXThe power of an atmospheric river moisture fueled Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was
A raging creek tore through a bridge and claimed a road in Libby, Montana in a must-see moment captured on camera.

Onlookers could only watch on the afternoon of Dec. 11 when the power of the Libby Creek tore through a bridge on Farm to Market Road, completely destroying the bridge and road that once was.

Video footage displays the destroyed bridge, and the jaw-dropping moment a massive slab of concrete succumbs to the raging water.

A major atmospheric river event brought rounds of moisture to the Northwest, where the effects were felt in Lincoln County in Northwest Montana among a host of other locations throughout the region.

Across Lincoln County, like many communities in the region, flooding has inundated major roads and forced evacuations.


Comment: Related: Major river flooding unleashed as powerful atmospheric river slams Pacific Northwest

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Wolf

One-year-old girl snatched, killed by wolf in a district of Uttar Pradesh, India -12th such incident in 3 months

Pathikrit Chakraborty
Times of India
Sun, 14 Dec 2025 12:00 UTC
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Panic gripped the area around Kaiserganj police station in Bahraich after a wolf snatched a one-year-old girl from her home in Jaruwa-2 hamlet of Godahiya No. 4 gram panchayat in the early hours of Saturday. The child was later found dead, while the wolf was tracked and shot dead during a forest department operation along a riverbank in the same village in the evening.

According to officials, the incident occurred around 3.30 am on December 13, 2025, when RV, the infant daughter of Ramkumar, was sleeping beside her mother in the verandah of their house. The wolf suddenly appeared, lifted the child in its jaws and fled towards nearby sugarcane fields before villagers could react.

The mother raised an alarm moments later, triggering panic in the village. Residents rushed to the spot and informed the police, following which teams from the forest department and local police launched a joint search operation in surrounding agricultural fields and riverine areas.

During the combing operation, the skull and skeletal remains of the child were recovered around 1.5 km from the residence, confirming the fatal nature of the attack.
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Arrow Down

Konya Closed Basin records 684 sinkholes as Türkiye updates regional risk maps


Turkiye Today
Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:05 UTC
An aerial view of sinkholes in Konya, Türkiye, Dec. 5, 2025.
© AAAn aerial view of sinkholes in Konya, Türkiye, Dec. 5, 2025.
A new assessment by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has documented 684 sinkholes across Konya, Karaman and Aksaray, offering the most comprehensive picture to date of how climate change, prolonged drought and uncontrolled groundwater use are reshaping the Konya Closed Basin. The latest figure marks a continued rise in formations that have long troubled the region and prompted national risk-mapping efforts.

Climate pressures drive increasing land subsidence

Authorities note that the Konya Plain has seen a steady expansion in the number of sinkholes as groundwater levels fall, pushing the land surface to sag or collapse. AFAD's earlier work identified 655 sinkholes in Konya alone, and the newer phase of the project confirms that the overall impact now stretches well beyond provincial borders.

According to AFAD's classification based on formation mechanisms, 331 of Konya's sinkholes fall into what specialists describe as "cover collapse," a type that involves sudden and often deeper collapses. Another 273 relate to "cover subsidence," where the ground gradually sinks over time, while 51 were linked to failures in the underlying bedrock.


Comment: View also this short informative video: Sinkholes: The groundbreaking truth



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