Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Massive hail pelts Rosario, Argentina

hail
After an overwhelming day of humidity and heat, the storm broke into Rosario with great force and hail fell in some sectors, as well as in towns such as San Lorenzo, Roldán, Funes and Ybarlucea.

After a day of full sun, around 5:00 p.m. the sky darkened in Rosario and very extensive thunder was heard announcing the great storm that was coming. Minutes later, a downpour flooded many streets in moments, while hail fell in some parts of the city, particularly in the west.


Cloud Lightning

Seven farmers killed by lightning strikes in southern Tanzania

lightning
At least seven farmers were killed and 14 others injured on Saturday by lightning strike in Tanzania's southern highlands region of Rukwa, police said on Sunday.

William Mwampaghale, the Rukwa regional police commander, said the lightning strike that was accompanied by a heavy downpour killed five farmers in Luwa village in Nkasi district on Saturday at 3 p.m. local time.

"The five farmers were struck by the lightning when they were planting beans in their farm," Mwampaghale told a news conference, adding that 14 others were injured after the lightning struck a hut in which they had taken shelter after the rains started to fall.

In another separate incident, said the police official, a man and his son died after they were struck by lightning while farming in the same village, adding that the incident occurred on Saturday evening.

Source: Xinhua

Snowflake

Snow falls over Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia with phenomenon last recorded in 1993

snow
Climbers on Mount Kinabalu were given a surprise this morning when snow fell over the tallest peak in South East Asia.

One of the witnesses of the phenomenon was a Via Ferrata trainer, Hajiri Sulumin, 47, who recorded a video that was widely shared.

In the video, he could be heard exclaiming: "Salji turun! Salji turun! Opurak!" (Snow is falling! Snow is falling! It is white!)

Hajiri added further that it was a beautiful view and the snow was white, similar to snowfall in western countries.

It is understood that Hajiri was waiting for climbers at the Sayat-Sayat hut at about 7.18am when the snow begin to fall.


Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 7 people in Zambia

lightning
Seven people have died in Western province after they were struck by lightning in separate incidents.

Four died in Mongu while three children from the same family died in Nalolo.

Police recorded four cases which occurred on February 26, this year and at the same time, 15:00 hours in different locations within Mongu District.

Police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale said victims identified as Mwashekwa Lyamba aged 40 and his wife identified as Carol Nakakena Liisimba aged 35 of Ilute plots died on the spot after being struck by lightning at their house.

Boat

Thousands evacuate floods in Kelantan and Terengganu, Malaysia - 15.7 inches of rain in 48 hours

Floods in Malaysia, February 2022.
© Government of MalaysiaFloods in Malaysia, February 2022.
Flooding has forced thousands of families to evacuate their homes in Malaysia after days of heavy rainfall. Flooding was also reported in several provinces of neighbouring southern Thailand where authorities say around 60,000 people have been affected.

Malaysia

Flooding began in Peninsular Malaysia after heavy rainfall from 25 February 2022. The city of Kuala Trengganu in Terengganu recorded more than 400 mm of rain in 48 hours to 27 February 2022.

As of 28 February, the country's disaster management agency NADMA reported around 6,000 families (20,000 people) had evacuated their homes and moved to 224 evacuation centres across 15 districts in Kelantan and Terengganu states.

A total of 8,075 people have evacuated their homes in Kelantan, where the district of Pasir Mas (5,943 evacuated) is hardest hit. In Terengganu State, over 3,500 people were displaced in Hulu Terengganu district and 4,284 in Kemaman.


Arrow Down

1 dead in avalanche in Colorado

Looking to the north at the snowshoe track and the flank of the avalanche.
© CAICLooking to the north at the snowshoe track and the flank of the avalanche.
The body of a 27-year-old man was located after the backcountry hiker went missing during an avalanche in Gunnison County Friday afternoon.

Search teams found the man's body near Marble in Gunnison County Saturday. His body along with two dogs was completely buried in snow. His identity has not been released.

The man was snowshoeing with three other people when the avalanche occurred near Beaver Lake in the Yule Creek drainage area, according to a news release from the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, which provided mutual aid in the rescue attempt.

A witness in the group told rescue crews that an avalanche had slid from the area they were hiking in, and one friend could not be located. Two people from the group were partially buried but were able to dig themselves out of the snow.


Seismograph

Shallow magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing at least 10 (UPDATE)

maps
At least two people have died and 20 people injured in West Pasaman regency in Indonesia, following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Friday (Feb 25) morning, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) chief Suharyanto said at a media briefing.

Some buildings, including a school and a bank in the Sumatra province, have also been damaged.

The agency is sending its quick response team to Pasaman and West Pasaman regencies, two most affected regions, Mr Suharyanto added.

The quake struck Sumatra island's north at a depth of 12km, about 70km from the town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra province, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

No tsunami warning was issued, but the quake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Riau and North Sumatra, and as far away as Singapore and Malaysia.


Comment: Update:The York Press reports on February 27:
At least 10 dead in Indonesia earthquake as search continues

Search efforts were continuing on Sunday in the hardest-hit areas of Indonesia's Sumatra island after a strong earthquake killed 10 people, injured nearly 400 others and left thousands displaced, a disaster official said.

Rescuers retrieved two more bodies late on Saturday from the rubble of homes toppled by the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that shook West Sumatra province on Friday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari.

Six people died in Pasaman district and four in neighboyring West Pasaman district, he said.

Rescuers were still searching for four villagers believed to be buried under tons of mud that tumbled down from the surrounding hills triggered by the quake.

At least 388 people were injured by the earthquake,
whose tremors were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore, and about 42 people were still receiving treatment for serious injuries, Mr Muhari said.

More than 13,000 people fled their homes to temporary shelters, mostly in devastated areas of Pasaman and West Pasaman districts, the closest areas to the epicentre as more than 1,400 houses and buildings were damaged, he said in a statement.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines across the Pacific.

The last major earthquake was in January 2021 when a magnitude 6.2 quake killed at least 105 people and injured nearly 6,500. More than 92,000 people were displaced after it struck Mamuju and Majene districts in West Sulawesi province.

A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed nearly 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.



Cloud Precipitation

'Rain bomb' hits Australia's northeast, killing seven in floods

Seven people have died so far as a result of flooding
Seven people have died so far as a result of flooding
A severe storm system pummelled Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to seven from accompanying flash floods.

More than 1,400 homes in the capital of Queensland state were at risk of flooding while more than 28,000 homes were without power statewide, as pristine beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, which are key tourist attractions, all closed.

"We never expected this rain," state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a briefing. "This rain bomb is just really, you know, it's unrelenting ... It's just coming down in buckets."

More than 100 schools across the southeast of a state famed for abundant sunshine will be closed on Monday. State rescue services said they received 100 requests an hour for help in recent days.

Among the six killed in the flooding were a 34-year-old man who tried to swim to safety after the waters submerged his car and another whose vehicle was swept away in the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW).


Comment: This latest deluge comes just 4 days after Queensland was hit by 300mm of rain in just 6 hours.


Snowflake

World Snow Wrap February 25 - Dry spell breaks in US, solid snow falls in Europe, good conditions in Canada and massive falls in Japan

Ski patrol doing the hard years in Lotte Arai on Wednesday morning after another 70cms n 24 hours
© Lotte Arai ResortSki patrol doing the hard years in Lotte Arai on Wednesday morning after another 70cms n 24 hours
Plenty of snow over the past two weeks with consistent top ups in Canada, solid falls earlier this week in Europe and massive 5-day totals in Honshu. The long drought finally broke in the US, delivering a few good days this week to the Rockies and northern Sierras. Read on for the details:

USA

The long dry spell finally broke across the western US with good snowfalls this week in California's Sierras and the Rockies while the Pacific Northwest had a round of fresh snow last weekend. The snow started falling in Colorado on Monday afternoon and continued through to Thursday and by all reports Wednesday was the best powder day of a good bunch. Totals were highest in central and southern Colorado resorts, Aspen with 65cms and Wolf Creek a huge 105cms. Further north the falls were not as heavy, with 35cms for Vail, and 22cms for Steamboat.

Snowflake

Several ski resorts in Colorado reporting up to 45 inches of new snow in 72 hours

A skier makes turns in deep powder at Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO, which has received 43″ of new snow in the past 72 hours
© Wolf Creek Ski AreaA skier makes turns in deep powder at Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO, which has received 43″ of new snow in the past 72 hours
Winter is back. Colorado is getting snow right now—big time. Several resorts have received 40+ inches of the good stuff in the last three days alone.

Here are current snow totals in Colorado:

Purgatory - 45″

Silverton - 44″