Earth ChangesS


Fish

Rare 'doomsday' oarfish sighted near La Jolla shores, California on August 10

Mike Peterson
LaJolla.com
Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:51 UTC
A 12-foot oarfish found near La Jolla Cove on Saturday.
© Michael WangA 12-foot oarfish found near La Jolla Cove on Saturday.
A rare oarfish, also known as a "doomsday fish," was found in the waters off the coast of La Jolla Shores — and it may have brought an ominous warning.

If you're not familiar with oarfish, they are a fish species known for having an elongated body and a length up to 30 feet. They are also rarely encountered by humans, given that they typically live deep under the sea.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, a group of scientific researchers found a dead oarfish in the waters of La Jolla Cove. The oarfish was carried back to shore and turned over to professional marine biologists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

According to Scripps, the dead oarfish found near La Jolla will help scientists further study the admittedly "mysterious species." A necropsy will be performed to see if a cause of death can be determined.


Comment: This is the 3rd such incident within 4 weeks off the Pacific coast of the Americas, the others:

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Cloud Lightning

101,309 killed by lightning from 1967 to 2020 in India, with the last 2 decades showing highest increase in deaths

Biswajeet Banerjee
Free Press Journal
Thu, 08 Aug 2024 16:57 UTC
Death From Sky: Lightning Kills 1,876 People Annually In India, Study Reveals
Lightning in India has emerged as one of the most lethal and challenging natural hazards. Over the past 54 years, lightning has caused a total of 101,309 human fatalities, averaging 1,876 deaths annually.

This was revealed in a study titled: "Lightning-related fatalities in India (1967-2020): A detailed overview of pattern and trends" carried out by Manoranjan Mishra, Tamoghna Acharya, Rajkumar Guria, Nihar Ranjan Rout and others.

Lightning fatality data from 1967 to 2020 (53 years) across the Indian states were collected from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). The NCRB provides the longest available time series of gender-disaggregated lightning fatality data.

The data highlights an increasing trend, with the last two decades showing the highest increase, an alarming development. The rising trend of extreme climate conditions will likely exacerbate the situation in a country like India.

"The increase in recorded lightning deaths in the last 20 years can be attributed to both improved recording methods of lightning deaths and the effects of climate change," Mishra told this reporter.

Comment: The number of recorded deaths for the subsequent 4 years also show an increasing trend as indicated by the reports below:

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Volcano

Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico spews clouds of gas and ash on August 12


Associated Press
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:23 UTC
mmmmm
The Popocatepetl volcano in central Mexico spewed water vapour, gas, and ash high into the sky on Monday, the country's disaster prevention agency (CENAPRED) reported.

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Cloud Precipitation

Tropical Storm Ernesto pummels northeast Caribbean and leaves hundreds of thousands in the dark

Dánica Coto
ABC News
Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:08 UTC
Tropical Storm Ernesto on Tuesday.
© NOAATropical Storm Ernesto on Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Ernesto dropped torrential rain on eastern Puerto Rico early Wednesday and left hundreds of thousands of people without power in the U.S. territory as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda.

A hurricane watch remained in effect for the British Virgin Islands as Ernesto began moving over open waters.

The storm was located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

"While it is possible Ernesto is already a hurricane, radar data does not yet support an upgrade," the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

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Tornado2

Waterspout glows off of Fort Lauderdale and Dania beaches in Florida

Briana Trujillo
nbcmiami.com
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:58 UTC
mmmmm
A waterspout off of Fort Lauderdale and Dania beaches glowed with the rising sun as a backdrop on Wednesday morning.

NBC6 caught aerial images of the water spout at around 6:30 a.m.

According to NOAA, waterspouts fall into two categories: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.

"Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water... They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning," NOAA details.

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Seismograph

Earthquake centered in Syria shakes already-jittery northern Israel and Lebanon


Times of Israel
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:40 UTC
Tremor measured between 4.8 and 5.5 doesn't cause any injuries or damage in Israel, but does see 25 people sustain minor to moderate injuries in central Syrian town of Hama
earthquake hama syria 2024
The quake was centered in Hama, Syria, August 13, 2024
An earthquake hit central Syria late Monday, with tremors felt in northern Israel along with Lebanon and Jordan.

Syria's National Center for Earthquakes said a 5.5 magnitude quake struck 28 kilometers (17 miles) east of the city of Hama at 11:56 p.m. local time. The US Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 5.0 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) placed the magnitude at 4.8. Jordan's state news agency reported a 3.9 magnitude aftershock less than an hour after the initial quake.

Comment: A collection of video clips from Hama and the region comparing them with the devastating earthquake that occurred a year ago:



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Cassiopaea

Solar flare brings Northern Lights to parts of the US

Chrissy Kohler
FoxCarolina.com
Mon, 12 Aug 2024 12:13 UTC
Images of the aurora as seen from New York
Images of the aurora as seen from New York
A strong geomagnetic storm was observed Monday bringing the change for some parts of the US to see the Northern Lights.

Even Sunday night, the Northern Lights were seen in parts of Wisconsin and Illinois.

Monday night, parts of the US including Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana could see the aurora borealis in the night sky. And places as far south as Northern Virginia, Southern Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming and Northern Oregon could see the lights low on the horizon.

So if you're in the Western Carolinas, you'll have to hop in the car and drive at a chance to see them Monday night. the closest places would be West Virginia, Cincinnati, Ohio or far Northern Virginia.

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Cassiopaea

Northern lights illuminate skies as far south as Cornwall, UK

Simon King
BBC
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 12:03 UTC
Star gazers were treated to the Northern lights along with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, such as this Holyhead, Anglesey
Star gazers were treated to the Northern lights along with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, such as this Holyhead, Anglesey
Stunning displays of the Northern lights have been seen right across the UK, coinciding for the second night in a row with the Perseid meteor shower.

Skies as far south as Cornwall were lit up by the auroral display.

The Northern lights - or aurora borealis - has made regular appearances in the UK over the last few months but it takes a particularly strong geomagnetic storm for it to be visible in southern England.

With enhanced solar activity continuing, there will be more chances to see the aurora over the coming months.

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Cloud Precipitation

Record rainfall hits parts of northern New South Wales, Australia - 6 inches of rain in a day

Elloise Farrow-Smith and Max Tillman
abc.net.au
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:57 UTC
Water over Wyrallah Road on the NSW north coast.
© Joanne ShoebridgeWater over Wyrallah Road on the NSW north coast.
Record-breaking rain has fallen in northern New South Wales as emergency services prepare for further falls in an already soaked catchment.

On Monday, Evans Head broke the daily record for August with 157mm, the highest August daily rainfall in 28 years, according to meteorologist Jiwon Park from the Bureau of Meteorology.

"This event so far has brought more than 200mm in several stations in the northern rivers," he said.

"Goonengerry received more than 247mm in two days."
A coastal trough is expected to extend from Queensland to the NSW north coast on Tuesday evening and the SES is warning the state's north to be prepared as further rain begins to fall.

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Arrow Down

25 killed in landfill collapse after heavy rainfall in Kampala, Uganda (UPDATE)

Samson Waswa
pulse.ug
Sat, 10 Aug 2024 19:55 UTC
Eight people were killed in the accident
Eight people were killed in the accident
Eight people, including two children, lost their lives when a landfill in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, collapsed on Saturday, according to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The tragic incident occurred in Kiteezi, a district in the northern part of Kampala, following heavy rainfall that triggered a landslide at the garbage dump.

Local media reported that the landslide engulfed homes, people, and animals in the area, leading to the significant loss of life and damage. The KCCA, which manages the landfill, confirmed the deaths in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "On a very sad note, eight people have so far been found dead, six adults and two children," the statement read.

In addition to the fatalities, the KCCA reported that 14 people had been rescued and taken to the hospital. However, the authority did not provide details about the condition of those injured. "The rescue operation is still ongoing and we shall share updates as they come in," the KCCA stated, indicating that efforts to find more survivors or victims were continuing.


Comment: Update August 13

AFP reports:
The death toll from a mountain of garbage that collapsed in Kampala has risen to 25 with no hope of finding survivors, a minister said on Tuesday (Aug 13).

The huge mound in the Ugandan capital's northern district of Kiteezi collapsed on Saturday, burying people and livestock.

"By late yesterday evening, we had recovered 25 bodies and no survivors found," said Lillian Aber, Uganda's state minister for disaster preparedness and relief.

"We don't expect more survivors," she told AFP. It was not immediately clear how many people were unaccounted for. The Ugandan prime minister's office said three children whose parents were still missing were being sheltered.

Heavy rain has hampered the rescue as excavators churned through the garbage. President Yoweri Museveni directed the army's special forces to help in the search.


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