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Indonesia flash flood death toll rises to at least 77 people


Deutsche Welle
Mon, 18 Mar 2019 13:58 UTC
flood
At least 77 people are now known to have died in flash floods and mudslides in Indonesia's eastern Papua province, the disaster agency says. Two more people died in an earthquake on Lombok island.

Indonesia's disaster agency on Monday raised the death toll from flash floods in the country's easternmost province, saying at least 77 people had died.

Scores were injured and more than three dozen left missing after torrential downpours sent flash floods and mudslides through mountainside villages in Papua, the agency said.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said rescue efforts had been hampered by the destruction of roads and bridges in several areas of Jayapura district after days of fierce rain.


Comment: Flash flooding in the province of Papua, Indonesia kills at least 50

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Cloud Precipitation

Weather extremes: Heavy hailstorms cause considerable damage to orchards in South Africa


Fresh Plaza
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 19:57 UTC
hail apples
On 12 March, heavy hailstorms caused considerable damage to soft fruit in Langkloof.

The extent of the hail damage is still being determined, but, according to Bokkie Kritzinger, some orchards have suffered a 100% loss. Kritizinger is the chairperson of the South African Langkloof agricultural association. Langkloof is situated in the Eastern Cape.

"What we have learned from this, is that we will never again establish new orchards without netting," he says. "In those places where we did have nets set up, the hail did not penetrate. So, 100% damage was prevented on the trees that did have fruit on them. Most of our nets were, however, spanned over young trees."

"This was also a good test to see how well the draping nets would hold up. The first evaluation shows that the fruit right against the nets was damaged. However, those deeper in the trees were well-protected," explains Kritzinger.
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Sun

Weather extremes: Drought in Costa Rica causes losses of up to 50% of vegetables


Fresh Plaza
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 19:46 UTC
horticulture in the upper area of ​​Cartago is one of the most affected areas with the absence of rain.

Horticulture in the upper area of ​​Cartago is one of the most affected areas with the absence of rain.
According to MAG officials, the region most affected by the drought, which has affected products such as onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans, is the upper part of Cartago. Banana producers fear a 15% drop in exports due to the drought's impact in the Caribbean.

The drought, which has been caused by the absence of rains since October, resulted in the loss of up to 50% of the expected crops in onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans, in the upper area of Cartago. It has also affected the livestock sector in regions such as Brunca (south), according to officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

Other areas are already beginning to experience problems, even in crop areas that have irrigation, due to the low level of natural water sources. Such is the case of Llano Grande de Cartago, where surface water sources (rivers and streams) are running out of liquid, which will impact strawberry, onion, flower, and milk farming.
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Arrow Down

North China landslide knocks over homes, killing at least 10 (UPDATE)


Miami Herald
Sat, 16 Mar 2019 13:14 UTC
LANDSLIDE
Hundreds of police, firefighters and medical personnel joined rescue efforts on Saturday after a landslide in northern China knocked down several buildings, killing seven people and leaving 13 others missing.

The landslide hit Xiangning county in Shanxi province early Friday evening, provincial authorities said. Two residential buildings, home to a total of 14 households, and a public bathhouse collapsed under the weight of the falling earth.

State television CCTV said seven people were confirmed dead as of Saturday afternoon. It said 20 others had been rescued from the debris and 13 remained missing.


Comment: Update: Al Arabiya on the 7th of March reports via AFP :
A landslide in northern China has killed at least 10 people and left 10 missing, state media reported on Sunday, after several buildings were demolished in the disaster.

Seven people were found dead at the scene and another three died in hospital, according to official news agency Xinhua.

The landslide occurred Friday in northern Shanxi province, Xinhua said.

The local government did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

More than 200 rescuers were at the scene of the disaster, according to state broadcaster CCTV, as the search for the missing continued.

Footage from CCTV showed debris strewn in heaps along the mountainside. The landslide took down residential buildings and a public bathhouse.

Rescue workers are seen at the debris of collapsed houses
© Reuters
Rescue workers at the debris of collapsed houses


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Attention

The true number of whales, dolphins, porpoises and birds which have died in the Atlantic in the first quarter of 2019 is unprecedented

Gary Walton
The Big Wobble
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 19:10 UTC
dead whale
For more than two years, scientists have been working to figure out the underlying cause of a so-called "unusual mortality event".

From January 2016 to mid-February 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 88 humpback whale strandings with New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts at the top of the list.

Those numbers are more than double the number that of whales stranded between 2013 and 2016.

This increase prompted NOAA to declare an "unusual mortality event" in April 2017 for humpbacks from Maine to Florida. Nearly two years later, the declaration still stands.

NOAA is flirting with shipping channels as the reason for the huge spike in humpback whale strandings.
But if we step back and look at the bigger picture we can see the problem is on both sides of the Atlantic and not just with humpback whales.
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Cow

Police cam captures bull attack on owner at New Jersey Farm


Inside Edition
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 17:27 UTC
Bull Mounts Car

Bull mounts car
Police had to shoot what they say was a "highly aggressive" bull after it got loose in New Jersey and attacked its owner.

The bull was recorded on police dashboard camera in Sparta, New Jersey, after cops say they received multiple calls about the animal loose on the streets that was attacking cars.

The owner got out of her car and was trying to coax the animal with food but the bull opted to mount her car.

"The owner said the bull had been acting in an aggressive manner and recently attacked her husband," Lt. John Lamon of the Sparta Police Department told Inside Edition.

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Fire

Europe's record breaking warm winter leads to unprecedented wildfires

Rafael Cereceda
Euronews
Fri, 01 Mar 2019 14:45 UTC
wildfire torrox spain
© Twitter / @Plan_INFOCA
WILDFIRE: Specialist crews are on the scene at Torrox, Spain
It's not really unexpected, but it's still alarming. Along with high pollution levels, the record hot temperatures many of us experienced this February led to an exceptional number of wildfires in western Europe.

According to the Emergency Management Service of the EU agency Copernicus as of today, March 1, there have been 480 wildfires in 2019 across Europe.

Compared to the 2008-2018 average number of fires, this corresponds to the number of fires usually recorded mid-August.

The area of surface burnt is slightly lower, with 74,482 hectares, the typical situation in mid-July. In March, the 2008-2018 average is of 4,872 hectares burnt for all Europa.

Comment: Following the unusually warm winter and wildfires, many areas of the UK are now struggling with serious flooding. The US is also seeing epic floods but winter brought them record breaking cold.

See also:

And check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Earth changes in an electric universe: Is climate change really man-made?

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Snowflake

Incredible snow amounts across the Sierra Nevada

Robert W. Felix
Ice Age Now
Sat, 16 Mar 2019 13:46 UTC
SNOW TOTAL
Some ski resorts have received 550 to 600+ inches (14 to 15 m) of snow so far.

Seasonal snowfall totals for California's Sierra Nevada mountains are now out:


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Attention

Two explosions reported from Mexico's Popocatépetl Volcano


Aol
Sun, 17 Mar 2019 13:10 UTC
Popocatépetl volcano

Popocatépetl volcano
Two explosions were observed from the Popocatépetl volcano in central Mexico on the morning of Saturday, March 16, the country's civil protection agency (CNPC) said.

This footage shows an observation flight over the volcano, shared on Friday, and national disaster management agency footage showing the two explosions at 2.57am and 9.30am on Saturday, according to CNPC.The agency on Friday had shared footage from a observation flight over the volcano, which erupted a week prior.

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Arrow Down

At least 5 killed by earthquake-triggered landslide on Lombok, Indonesia

Panca Nugraha and Kharishar Kahfi
The Jakarta Post
Sun, 17 Mar 2019 12:53 UTC
A resident of Montong Gading district, East Lombok, stands by her collapsed house after an earthquake on Sunday
© BPBD NTB
A resident of Montong Gading district, East Lombok, stands by her collapsed house after an earthquake on Sunday
A 5.4-magnitude earthquake on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, has caused a landslide in North Lombok regency, killing at least five people and injuring more than 30 - most of whom were foreign and domestic tourists.

According to a statement issued by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency on Sunday afternoon, a 5.4-magnitude tectonic earthquake jolted East Lombok regency. The earthquake struck at about 2 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located approximately 20 kilometers north of the regency's Selong city. It was estimated to be 20 km deep.

While the agency stated the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami, North Lombok regency administration said it had caused a landslide at the Tiu Kelep Waterfall in Bayan district. The earthquake also destroyed several houses.
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