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Vietnam hit by the worst drought in 90 years


Channel News Asia
Tue, 01 Mar 2016 13:23 UTC
Drought in Vietnam

Drought in Vietnam
Vietnam is suffering its worst drought in nearly a century with salinisation hitting farmers especially hard in the crucial southern Mekong delta, experts said Monday (Mar 1).

"The water level of the Mekong River has gone down to its lowest level since 1926, leading to the worst drought and salinisation there," Nguyen Van Tinh, deputy head of the hydraulics department under the Ministry of Agriculture, told AFP.

The low-lying and heavily cultivated Mekong region is home to more than 20 million people and is the country's rice basket. Intensive cultivation and rising sea levels already make it one of the world's most ecologically sensitive regions.

Scientists blame the ongoing 2015-2016 El Nino weather phenomenon, one of the most powerful on record, for the current drought. Water shortages have also hampered agriculture in nearby Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
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Attention

Over 180 infrared videos show extent of methane pollution across the US


Ecowatch
Wed, 24 Feb 2016 14:20 UTC
Infrared methane PRanch
© www.dailykos.com
Infrared exposes invisible air pollution, Porter Ranch, CA
Just as the worst methane leak in California's history is sealed and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged that America pollutes much more methane than previously estimated, Earthworks—the group that filmed the videos revealing the scope of the methane disaster in Los Angeles County—released a map of 180+ infrared videos of oil and gas methane pollution events across the country.


The map, created with the help of FracTracker Alliance, includes two new videos that epitomize the national methane pollution problem.

The first is of a well near Longmont, Colorado:


Comment: See also:

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Snowflake Cold

Major winter storm coming Tuesday to central Canada


CBC News
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:00 UTC
snow storm canada
© Paul Palmeter/CBC
Environment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Quebec City. Many areas in southern Ontario and Quebec could see heavy snow. Driving could be treacherous.
Environment Canada says a major winter storm is expected to sweep into parts of southern Ontario and southern Quebec on Tuesday, bringing heavy snow to some areas and freezing rain elsewhere.

Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Quebec City are under winter storm warnings. Windsor is under a snowfall warning, while Ottawa is under a winter storm watch.

Parts of Quebec including Montreal and Quebec City could get more than 30 centimetres of snow.

Environment Canada has issued a series of winter storm warnings and watches that cover a large swath of southern Ontario and southern Quebec.

The storm, travelling north from central United States, is expected to bring snow to southern Ontario on Tuesday afternoon and southern Quebec on Tuesday evening. Snow in Quebec will intensify overnight and continue Wednesday.

Environment Canada says drivers should be prepared for messy conditions.

"There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas," it says.
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Wolf

Wild wolf caught on camera for first time in Sweden


RT
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:44 UTC
Wild wolf in Sweden
© Länsstyrelsen Skåne / YouTube
An elusive wild wolf roaming around Sweden has been caught on camera for the first time ever in the Scandinavian country.

Recorded in the rural village of Lonsboda, it's rare for such sightings at all, let alone capturing it on video.

The estimated population of Swedish wild wolves stands at just over 400, according to Sweden's Environmental Protection Agency, but local authorities wanted to pin down how many were roaming the lands of the Skane region, so they set up a number of hidden cameras.

"We have also secured droppings from the wolf, which we have sent for analysis," said Skåne's wildlife officer Nils Carlsson told The Local. "Soon we shall know the wolf's gender and where it comes from."


Comment: Wolf pack seen in California for the first time in 100 years

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Arrow Down

Another hole forms in beach at Inskip Point, Queensland, Australia

Nathanael Cooper
Brisbane Times
Tue, 01 Mar 2016 05:57 UTC
Sinkhole at Inskip Point
© Seven News
A picture from the Seven News chopper of the sinkhole that has formed at Inskip Point
Another collapsing sandy hole has formed at Inskip Point at the northern end of rainbow beach.

According to Queensland Parks and Wildlife the activity started at the surface of the sand about 8am and ended at 10.15am.

The service is describing it as an erosion event better termed as a "near-shore landslide" than a sinkhole.

The erosion has not affected any campsites nor access to the barge to Fraser Island.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has erected traffic barriers and warning signs around the sites.

A statement on the parks and wildlife website said it was likely to be "another occurrence of the natural phenomenon which occurred in September 2015 at Inskip".

In that incident 300 people had to be evacuated after campsites came under threat, and some cars that were swallowed up by sinking sand are still underwater.


Comment: See also:

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Attention

Elephant kills mahout at trekking camp in Thailand

Kritsada Mueanhawong
Phuket Gazette
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 20:44 UTC
Twelve-year-old bull elephant
© Kritsada Mueanhawong
Killer Elephant: Twelve-year-old bull elephant Plai Sridor Nakorn remains chained up after killing his mahout in a fit of rage.
An enraged bull elephant stomped his mahout to death at a trekking camp in Ao Nang on Saturday.

The 12-year-old male elephant named 'Plai Sridor Nakorn' was in musth - an annual period of heightened testosterone levels - and had been chained up after becoming highly aggressive.

The animal killed Anantamek Thongtae, 21, when the mahout attempted to unchain him.

"According to witnesses, the elephant grabbed Mr Anantamek with his trunk, threw him to the ground and then repeatedly stomped on him," said Lt Col Noppadol Mukda of the Krabi City Police.

The elephant had been chained up for about five days; a sign was put up warning visitors not to approach the aggressive pachyderm.
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Attention

6,000 emergency and military personnel to conduct Pacific North West megaquake exercise

Sandi Doughton
Seattle Times
Sat, 27 Feb 2016 19:56 UTC
Earthquake damage
Sunday's 15th anniversary of the Nisqually quake finds FEMA preparing for a June exercise to simulate a much more powerful megaquake and tsunami.

The last damaging earthquake in Washington struck 15 years ago, on Feb. 28, 2001.

The next one is scheduled for June 7.

The ground isn't expected to actually shake this spring. But nearly 6,000 emergency and military personnel will pretend it is during a four-day exercise to test response to a seismic event that will dwarf the 2001 Nisqually quake: A Cascadia megaquake and tsunami.

Called "Cascadia Rising," the exercise will be the biggest ever conducted in the Pacific Northwest. Which is fitting, because a rupture on the offshore fault called the Cascadia Subduction Zone could be the biggest natural disaster in U.S. history.

"It's really going to require the entire nation to respond to an event like this," said Kenneth Murphy, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is coordinating the exercise.

While the Nisqually earthquake measured magnitude 6.8, a Cascadia megaquake is likely to hit magnitude 9 — which is nearly 2,000 times more powerful. It will affect the entire West Coast from British Columbia to Northern California, including Seattle, Portland, Tacoma and Vancouver, B.C. The quake will be closely followed by tsunamis 30 feet high — or bigger — that will slam into oceanfront communities.
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Attention

Dead whale found on beach in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates


Emirates 247
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:03 UTC
The remains of a decomposing whale
© Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority
The remains of a decomposing whale wash up at Kalba beach in Sharjah.
The dead body of a 15-metre long whale has washed up on the beach of Al Qarm near Kalba in the emirate of Sharjah, the Arabic newspaper Al Bayan has reported.

The carcass of the whale was 6 feet high.

The Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority and the municipality of Kalba began dealing with carcass of the whale.

Witnesses said the whale was afloat since yesterday in the Gulf waters.

The Kalba Municipality provided the machines and equipment to drag the whale's body and bury it.
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Cloud Lightning

Two children killed by lightning bolt in Namibia


New Era
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:54 UTC
Lightning
© Warren Dick
Two minors died after being struck by lightning at Kambowo village, the Kavango East Police confrmed on Thursday.

The lightning strike happened at around 18h00 on Wednesday at a homestead at Kambowo village. According to police sources the incident reportedly happened while the children were playing at home.

The deceased minors who died instantly after being struck by lightning were identified as six-year-old Tracy Shitoka Likoro and five-year-old Gloria Kantema.

The police mortuary services were called to the scene shortly after the fatal incident to collect the children's remains.

"The two bodies were transported to Rundu State Hospital mortuary," Chief Inspector Chrispin Mubebo, the acting regional crime investigations coordinator of Kavango East, confirmed.

Kambowo village is some 25 km east of Rundu along the Trans-Caprivi Highway in Rundu Rural Constituency of Kavango East Region.
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Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 3 in Malawi

Kondwani Magombo
All Africa
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 18:38 UTC
Lightning
Lightning killed three men and injured one in Lilongwe on Friday afternoon in the city's low density Area 43 where the four were working, Police confirmed.

Lilongwe Police identified the three as Wedson Nkhunumbu,37, of Magombo Village, T/A Champiti, Ntcheu; Douglas Kachuma, 38, of Kaunde Village, T/A Mlumbe in Zomba; and 22-year-old, Isaac Ngolombe, from Donda Village, T/A Chimoka in Lilongwe.

The police further identified the survivor as Enusu Pinto, 23 from Kanyenda Village, T/A Maganga in Salima.

Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Kingsley Dandaula, told Mana that the men met their fate as they were working on the foundations of a brick fence on a plot belonging to one of the residents of the area.

"Rain started pouring and before the four men could find shelter lightning struck them killing Nkhunumbu, Kachuma and Ngolombe on spot while Pinto lied unconscious," explained Dandaula.
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