Earth ChangesS


Windsock

Severe summer storms leave thousands in eastern Australia without power

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Thousands of residents in Australia's eastern state of Queensland remained without power after a "very dangerous" storm swept through the region for the second time in 12 hours, local media reported on Sunday.

Storms are expected to continue along the entire Australian east coast until Boxing Day due to an unusual weather pattern, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said, citing the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

A storm cell that stretched from the Darling Downs to northern New South Wales brought heavy rain, strong winds, and hail.

Thunderstorms have downed 120 power lines, leaving approximately 57,000 customers without power, said a spokesman for Energex, a Queensland government-owned electricity company that serves 1.5 million homes and businesses in the southeastern part of the state.


Cloud Precipitation

Lebanon floods: 4 refugee children killed, MP almost drowns

A man, background, drives his car in front a car submerged in flood water at a highway flooded by the rains, in Beirut on Dec. 23, 2023. (
© APA man, background, drives his car in front a car submerged in flood water at a highway flooded by the rains, in Beirut on Dec. 23, 2023.
Heavy rainfall in the Zgharta region in northern Lebanon has caused a landslide, killing four Syrian refugee children.

The Lebanese Civil Defense sent out rescue missions to help those trapped in their vehicles or homes, remove mud and rocks from the roads, and release water from flooded areas.

The children were killed after the ceiling of a room made of corrugated iron collapsed on them during heavy rain.

The quantity of rain that fell on Saturday along the Lebanese coasts and inland areas is being blamed for the tragedy.

MP Halima Kaakour nearly drowned while she was swimming in the sea during the stormy weather.

She was rushed to the hospital after swallowing a large amount of water.

The low-pressure system affecting Lebanon will last until early Monday morning before gradually subsiding.


Snowflake Cold

South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall

A man looks on a greenhous that was destroyed
© YonhapA man looks on a greenhous that was destroyed by a snowstorm in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Friday.
As winter tightens its grip across the globe, South Korea has found itself in the throes of its most intense cold wave of the season. On December 22, 2023, the nation was plunged into a deep freeze, with temperatures plummeting to perilous lows and snow blanketing the landscape in a scene as disruptive as it was picturesque. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) recorded some of the season's harshest conditions, with mercury levels dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius in areas of Gangwon Province and the nation's capital, Seoul, witnessing a chilling minus 14.7 degrees Celsius.

In an extraordinary turn of events, the frigid weather forced Jeju International Airport to suspend runway operations for over seven hours, leaving thousands of travelers in limbo as 286 flights were canceled. The heavy snowfall, which reached more than 30 centimeters on Jeju Island and up to 60 centimeters in western coastal regions, created an almost standstill condition, affecting daily life and mobility significantly.


Comment: Just across the Yellow Sea recently: Rare, extreme snowfall hits Shandong cities in east China


Snowflake

Huge snowfalls in the Alps - meter of snow in 24 hours

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Stormy weather has brought hurricane force winds and some huge snow accumulations to the Alps, with ski areas in Austria appearing to see some of the most extreme weather.

The Zillertal Arena (pictured) reports it has had a metre of snowfall in 24 hours, while other ski res including Kitzbuhel and Obergurgl largely closed by hurricane force winds giving blizzard conditions.

The heavy snowfall is expected to be short lived with the forecast now for clear skies and sunny week through the Christmas Holidays and up to New Year.


Snowflake

Rare, extreme snowfall hits Shandong cities in east China

The snow-capped seaside in Rongcheng, a county-level city of Weihai, Shandong province.
© Li XinjunThe snow-capped seaside in Rongcheng, a county-level city of Weihai, Shandong province.
In a rare and extreme weather event, Yantai and Weihai cities in East China's Shandong province experienced a severe cold wave accompanied by heavy snowfall this week.

The snowfall created a unique and picturesque landscape, with netizens likening it to an Arctic expedition.

From Tuesday to Thursday, Yantai weather station received a snowfall of 28.6 millimeters, with a snow depth of 52 centimeters, breaking historical records since meteorological documentation began in 1951.

As of Friday, Wendeng district in Weihai reported a snow depth of 74 centimeters, setting a record for the deepest snow accumulation in Shandong province.


Comment: Related: Rare snowfall in southern China as deep freeze grips the north


Cloud Precipitation

Hamburg, Germany hit by heavy floods in north Europe storm

A powerful storm swept across northern Europe, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding.
A powerful storm swept across northern Europe, bringing down trees and prompting warnings of flooding.
Parts of Hamburg were totally submerged on Friday after the Elbe river overflowed causing flooding in nearby streets.

The severe weather was triggered by a storm in northern Europe that brought heavy rains and strong winds.

Germany's railway authority reported travel disruption along certain routes out of Hamburg.

Source: AP


Comment: Related: High tides and storm Pia bring flooding to Dutch coastal towns


Fish

Hundreds of venomous deep sea creatures mysteriously wash up on beaches in Tamil Nadu, India

Blue Sea Dragons are rarely spotted on beaches
© Srivatsan Ramkumar/Environmentalist Foundation of IndiaBlue Sea Dragons are rarely spotted on beaches
Hundreds of deadly and rare deep sea creatures have washed up on a beach in the Indian city of Chennai.

A recent industrial oil spill and nearby flooding are thought to have brought the bizarre Blue Sea Dragons and Blue Buttons to the surface.

The creatures usually live in deep oceanic waters, but cyclone Michaung's heavy rains and flooding may have contributed to them surfacing.

Residents nearby have been warned not to touch the venomous animals, which are similar to jellyfish.


Comment: Note: Video below was taken further south near the town of Karaikal at a different beach.



Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 5 farm workers in Indonesia

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Tragedy struck the rural community of Jorong Bungo Pinang, Nagari Muaro Bodi, in the Sijunjung district of West Sumatra, Indonesia, on Thursday, 21 December 2023. Five farm workers were killed when they were struck by lightning. The deceased have been identified as Bruri (44), Ade Kurniawan (35), Ilham Mardatila (20), Hariyanto (37), and Hendra Putra (40), all of whom were residents of Jorong Koto Tuo, Nagari Muaro Bodi.

Caught in the Storm

The group of seven had been returning from their fields when they sought shelter from a heavy downpour in a hut. In the dimly lit structure, one of them turned on a mobile phone flashlight, moments before the deadly lightning strike. Two of the group, Farel and Arbi, survived the incident and rushed to get help.

Comment: On the same day 2 teenagers were hit and killed by a strike in Zambia.


Seismograph

Shallow 6.1 magnitude earthquake off South Africa

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A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the waters off southern South Africa, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported Thursday.

The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, with an epicenter recorded at 2,155 km SE of Cape Town.

No tsunamis have been reported so far.

Wolf

Boy bitten by dingo in 3rd attack in just 2 weeks on Fraser Island, Australia

The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gar, when the dog began to circle him (stock image)
The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gar, when the dog began to circle him (stock image)
A 12-year-old boy has been bitten by a dingo in the third incident on a popular holiday island in just two weeks.

The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gari, when the dog began to circle him.

'The boy tried to move the dingo on by yelling and moving his arms but as he stepped back the dingo lunged and bit him on the left knee,' a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) statement said.

The boy's parents were about 10m away from him at the time, QPWS said.

Rangers are investigating and attempting to identify the dingo.