Earth ChangesS


Sun

Australia evacuates towns as dangerous heatwave triggers blazes

Attracta Mooney, Steven Bernard and Nic Fildes
Financial Times
Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:05 UTC
Australia’s firefighters have been grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria
© Peter Cookson/Little Yarra CFAAustralia’s firefighters have been grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria
Australia has been hit by an intense heatwave as temperatures soar above 40C, sparking warnings of "extreme fire danger" and risks to life.

The country's Bureau of Meteorology said more than half of Australia was in the grips of extreme heat, especially South Australia and Victoria, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 47C in inland areas.

Firefighters were grappling with blazes in several areas of Victoria on Thursday and a number of towns near Seymour were evacuated as responders struggled to contain outbreaks. A segment of the Hume Highway, the main road between Melbourne and Sydney, was also closed due to fire threats.

Friday "is going to be the peak fire danger day, especially for Victoria", said Sarah Scully, a meteorologist at the Bureau.

High temperatures, strong gusty winds and "dry lightning", where thunder storms had little rain, all increased the risk of fires, she added.

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Windsock

Storm batters Istanbul, disrupts transport across western Türkiye


Hurriyet Daily News
Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:29 UTC
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A powerful storm hit Istanbul on Jan. 8, bringing strong winds, towering waves and widespread disruption to sea transport, while also affecting several other provinces across western Türkiye.

Following warnings from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, gale-force winds began sweeping through Istanbul in the morning hours, intensifying over the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea.

In Beşiktaş, large waves slammed into the shoreline, creating hazardous conditions along the coast.

Maritime operations were brought to a grinding halt, as treacherous sea conditions made navigation impossible.

Beşiktaş - Kadıköy passenger boat services were suspended, while some ferry lines announced multiple cancellations.

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Snowflake Cold

Red alert for polar cold in Spain: the European country recorded record temperatures of up to -17 °C


noticiasambientales.com
Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:19 UTC
Red alert for polar cold in Spain.
© EuronewsRed alert for polar cold in Spain.
The beginning of January was marked by an intense and persistent cold in much of Spain. Thus, the red alert was activated in Parameras de Molina, in Guadalajara, due to exceptional lows, as well as orange and yellow warnings, which extended across wide regions of the interior.

During the early morning of the Day of the Kings, thermometers dropped abruptly. In mountain areas, values close to −17 °C were reached. Meanwhile, Molina de Aragón recorded some of the lowest temperatures in Spain.

This winter scenario was not an isolated event. On the contrary, it is part of a succession of increasingly frequent extreme episodes. Thus, the cold once again tested infrastructures and daily routines.

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Snowflake Cold

Record cold hits eastern Türkiye as temperatures drop to −39.7°C


ilkha.com
Sun, 04 Jan 2026 13:00 UTC
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Eastern Türkiye has been hit by severe winter conditions as temperatures plunged to record lows, with one district recording the coldest temperature in the country this season, according to official data.

The Gole district of Ardahan province registered a temperature of minus 39.7 degrees Celsius overnight, making it the coldest location in Türkiye, the Turkish State Meteorological Service reported. The extreme cold created hazardous conditions across several eastern provinces, freezing water bodies and significantly disrupting daily life.

Altinyayla district in Sivas province recorded the second-lowest temperature at minus 33.8 degrees Celsius, while Yavuzlar village, also in Gole district, followed closely at minus 33.2 degrees Celsius.

In Ardahan, the intense cold led to widespread ice formation and heavy frost. Windows of homes, vehicles, and businesses froze over, while roads turned dangerously icy, making transportation difficult. Ponds and streams across the city developed thick layers of ice as residents struggled to cope with the harsh conditions.

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Doberman

Man dies after being found with three shot dogs in Philadelphia home


6abc.com
Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:32 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
Philadelphia police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was found unresponsive in an Ogontz home with three dogs that had been shot.

Officers were called to the 1900 block of Medary Avenue just after 6:30 p.m. Friday.

"His wife returned from work and found him laying in front of the house unconscious," said Capt. Christopher Bradshaw.

The man had a bite mark on his ankle, authorities said. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.

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Tsunami

Floods cause disruption across Kosovo

Ardita Zeqiri
BalkanInsight.com
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 13:48 UTC
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Heavy rain has caused flooding in several municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting the electricity and water supplies and blocking roads.

Rainfall over the past two days has caused flooding across several western and central municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting electricity and water supplies, forcing evacuations, and disrupting traffic because of roads being blocked.

The situation is most severe in the municipality of Drenas, where the Drenica River has overflowed, flooding several homes and businesses. Multiple roads in the area are closed and several families living near high-risk zones were evacuated.

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Tsunami

Torrential rain causes severe floods in Albania


Intellinews.com
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:44 UTC
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Torrential rain caused flooding across parts of Albania's main port city of Durres on January 6, forcing evacuations, closing roads and prompting the government to deploy the army, pumps and emergency crews as rivers and drainage systems struggled to cope.

Defence Minister Pirro Vengu said authorities had activated the national emergency mechanism over the weekend and were concentrating resources in the worst-hit areas, particularly Durres and the northern region of Lezha.

"We formed the emergency committee and distributed the entire risk map at the national level, concentrating both forces and resources in those areas where the greatest risk was assessed," Vengu said in a joint briefing with Agriculture Minister Andis Salla, according to a government statement.

He said the situation had worsened early on January 6 in Durres, especially in the Kënetë Spitallë area and parts of the city centre, where water had entered homes and limited access to some schools.

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Volcano

Semeru Volcano in Indonesia erupts 31 times in 6 hours


VnExpress.net
Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:18 UTC
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Indonesia's Semeru Volcano Monitoring Station (PGA) in Lumajang regency, East Java Province, recorded 31 volcanic eruption-related earthquakes just within Tuesday morning.

A report from the PGA Semeru Station at Mount Sawur showed that the eruption-related earthquakes had amplitudes of 11-22 mm and lasted 64-115 seconds, indicating that volcanic activity remains complex.

Besides, the monitoring station also recorded one avalanche earthquake with an amplitude of 6 mm lasting 20 seconds, four wind-induced earthquakes, and two tremor events.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) advised people not to enter the southeast region along the Besuk Kobokan stream within a 13 km radius from the summit, which is a high-risk area affected by hot gas flows and lava.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes in the U.S. reach 8-year-high in 2025

Raymond Sanchez
Fox Weather
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:39 UTC
Multiple lightning strikes in Seattle during a thunderstorm on March 26, 2025.
© Aaron Johnson / FOX WeatherMultiple lightning strikes in Seattle during a thunderstorm on March 26, 2025.
In a recent report, Vaisala Xweather said that approximately 250 million lightning strikes occurred in 2025, a 20% increase from 2024.

Lightning strikes are always a serious threat, no matter what season it is. For the last year, lightning strikes in the U.S. have reached an 8-year-high, according to Vaisala Xweather.

Xweather operates the world's definitive lightning-detection infrastructure, capable of recording 99% of thunderstorms worldwide and detecting over two billion lightning events.

In a recent report, Vaisala Xweather said that approximately 250 million lightning strikes occurred in 2025, a 20% increase from 2024.
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Seismograph

6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Baculin, Philippines, no tsunami warning issued

Islamuddin Sajid
Anadolu Agency
Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:48 UTC
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A strong earthquake shook parts of the Philippines' southern islands on Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake was first reported as magnitude 6.7 before being revised to 6.4.

USGS said the tremor occurred at 3.02 am GMT, with the epicenter located 27 kilometers (16.8 miles) east of Santiago in the Cagayan Valley of northeastern Philippines.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that there was no tsunami risk to the Philippines, local media outlet Inquirer reported.

So far, there has been no immediate reports of casulaties or damage.

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