A preliminary-magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Peru near the Ecuador border region on Thursday morning, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake occurred shortly before 11 a.m. and was centered about 32 miles northwest of Barranca and 110 miles north of Rioja, according to the USGS. Whether it resulted in any significant injuries or damage was not immediately clear.
The temblor's depth was measured at about 62 miles.
At least 11 people have died and 9 are missing after catastrophic flash flooding swept through parts of Quito, capital of Ecuador, on 31 January 2022.
Heavy rainfall, floods and landslides have affected other areas of the country over the last few days, in particular the provinces of Guayas, Cotopáxi, El Oro and Los Ríos.
In a statement, Mayor of Quito Dr. Santiago Guarderas Izquierdo said flooding struck in western parts of the city after 75 mm of rain fell in a short period during the afternoon of 31 January 2022. This is the highest rainfall intensity seen in the city since 2003 the mayor said. The mayor said flood debris blocked the flow of the swollen El Tejado creek, which in turn sent torrents of mud, flood water and debris through the streets of the La Gasca neighbourhood of the city.
Landslides kill at least 24 as rains deluge Ecuador capital
A rain-weakened hillside collapsed in Ecuador's capital, sweeping over homes and a sports field and killing at least 24 people, city officials said Tuesday.
The Quito Security Department said at least 48 more people were injured, while eight houses collapsed and others were damaged when the hillside gave way late Monday. The authorities also reported 12 missing people.
Neighbors joined rescue workers in hunting through the ruins for survivors of the disaster that hit following nearly 24 hours of rainfall.
The storm was pounding outside when Imelda Pacheco said she felt her house move as if an earthquake had struck. Suddenly water and rocks began to pour in through doors and windows and she fled before the building was destroyed.
"I barely had time to grab the hand of my 4-year-old son and I ran to the stairs, to the terrace. Suddenly the walls in front and to the side disappeared," she told The Associated Press.
"We shouted to the neighbors on the first floor, but the water carried away the mother and daughter," she said, standing before the ruins of her home.
"I thought I was going to die with my son. I hugged him strongly and we shook, I think from the cold and the fear.. We barely survived," she added, breaking into tears.
Waves of mud, some 3 meters (10-feet) high, carried vehicles, motorcycles, trash bins and other debris under a heavy rain in the neighborhoods of La Gasca and La Comuna below the slopes of the Ruco Pinchincha mountain.
As the rescue began, police called for silence so cries of those trapped could be heard.
Quito Mayor Santiago Guarderas said the intense rains saturated the soils, setting off the landslide.
Smaller waves of muddy water continued pouring down the ravine Tuesday past weary neighbors trying to move stones, tree trunks and debris. An overturned taxi and other vehicles were partly buried in mud on a sports field.
"I've lost everything. I don't have anything. Everything is over," said 65-year-old Laura Quiñónez, who stood beside an ambulance as her neighbors tried to recover appliances from their destroyed homes.
A massive winter storm is bringing snow, rain and ice to more than a dozen states, causing thousands of flight cancellations. Janet Shamlian takes a look.
A large explosion has been heard for miles around after Volcan du Fuego erupted in Guatemala and deposited molten lava.
A tweet from the National Seismological agency of Guatemala (Sismología Nacional de Guatemala) said that an "explosion of moderate to strong characteristics" was recorded at 10:57pm on Wednesday evening (4:57am UK time).
The agency added that they are not currently aware of ash fall or "generation of pyroclastic flows" that could affect nearby communities, and wrote: "At first glance, it can be seen that the explosion generated a column of ash at approximately 4,500 metres above sea level, in addition to expelling incandescent material (lava, boiling rocks) which completely covered the volcanic cone."
They added that the activity at the volcano could be seen from long distances.
A single bolt of lightning measuring 477.2 miles has been confirmed as the longest ever - leaping across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas in 2020, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
The so-called megaflash, which was detected by scientists using satellite technology on April 19 that year, beat the previous record by a whopping 37 miles.
The old record of 440.6 miles was set in Brazil on Oct. 31, 2018.
The distance covered by the extreme bolt is equivalent to a direct flight from New York City to Columbus, Ohio, or from London to Hamburg, the WMO said Tuesday.
Visitors at a state park in Florida witnessed an unusual sight over the weekend. While it's not uncommon for Floridians to see alligators, they're usually moving around.
Robin Goff Austin shared photos to Facebook of a gator she spotted at Myakka State Park. The large animal was sitting near the river's bank, staying still and holding a fish in its mouth.
"The gator just laid there. He didn't move the whole time I watched him and taking pictures. He never moved," Austin told Fox 13 in Tampa. "I guess gator was cold. Caught this fish and kind of didn't know what to do with him at the time."
Patrick Thorne Inthesnow.com Tue, 01 Feb 2022 14:59 UTC
Zillertal Arena on Febuary 1
It's snowing heavily in parts of the Alps at present. Austria appears to be getting the most snowfall so far with the Zillertal Arena, pictured this morning, reporting 50cm (20 inches) of snowfall so far.
Snow resorts across Europe are almost all fully open this season and most reported big December snowfalls which got the current season off to as great start, however there has not been much fresh snowfall since and many areas had something of a "dry January" so the new snow is very welcome.
Comment: Update: Extremwetter TV reported (translated by Google) on February 2:
Over 2 meters of fresh snow in 48 hours in the Alps. The Alps have been struggling with enormous amounts of fresh snow since yesterday. And there is no end in sight.
In the lower regions of the Arlberg, mostly wet snow fell. Local residents are using snow blowers. Heavy equipment is also required. Large wheel loaders remove the mountains of snow from the villages. There are also obstacles in rail traffic.
The avalanche situation is tense in the entire Arlberg area and Tyrol. There are already road closures. Avalanche level 4 was reached last night. It is the second highest warning level. The masses of snow are also too much for some cable cars. Due to the high risk of avalanches and fresh snow, some gondolas and lifts are not in operation.
The slopes have to be groomed first. Avalanches were also blasted in large numbers in the morning to ensure the safety of the skiers. The load on some roofs also becomes too great. The first roofs are therefore shoveled off in Lech. If you are also looking for your car, you have to be sure where you parked it. The vehicles are buried meters high. Heavy snowfall will continue through Wednesday. In an interview, Rudi Mair also explains the current avalanche situation in the Alps.
Probolinggo Hari Ini YouTube Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:40 UTC
A water trunk or waterspout appears in sea waters near the Paiton PLTU, Probolinggo Regency, Monday (31/1/2022). Realizing that it is a dangerous natural phenomenon, a number of fishermen around the location rushed away.
Volcano erupted, there is danger in the skies due to a large ash cloud.
The Russian Chikurachki volcano erupted yesterday, emitting pyroclasts.
Located south of the Kamchatka Peninsula, on Paramushir Island, the 1,816-meter-high volcano began to emit ash and gases.
The activity caused the ash rise to first rise up to 5 kilometers above sea level, while the latest update from the Institute of Volcanology indicated that it has even reached 6 km above sea level 5 km above the crater.
The Volcanological Institute raised the alert level for air transport to Naranja a Chikurachki, since the ash cloud extends more than 104 km in the west-southwest direction of the massif.
To date, it is reported that there is no threat to the life of the population.
Thousands of people have been forced from their homes after flooding in parts of Haiti and Dominican Republic following a period of heavy rainfall.
Haiti
A cold front brought heavy rain and strong winds to the region from 30 January 2022. Civil Protection in Haiti said rain fell for 36 hours and several rivers have broken their banks including the Port-Margot, Les Trois Rivières and the Grande Rivière du Nord.
Flooding has affected 20 municipalities in the Nord, Nord-Est and Nippes departments. As many as 2,578 houses have been flooded and 3 destroyed. Civil Protection added that nearly 2,500 families were now in need of temporary shelter. Civil Protection also reported damage to a a power plant and a bridge, leaving some areas isolated.
Comment: Update: Fox News carried this AP report: Ecuador - Thousands affected after floods in 4 provinces