Earth Changes

Moderate earthquake rattles Istanbul, Turkey

Al Arabiya News
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 20:31 UTC

A moderate earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale rattled Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Monday, causing a short panic but no initial reports of damage or injuries.

The Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul said that the tremor struck at a depth of 7.7 kilometers in the Sea of Marmara, to the south of the city, at 5:45 pm (1545 GMT).

The quake was felt throughout Istanbul, a metropolis of some 16 million that serves as the country's financial and cultural hub.

Istanbul residents felt the ground shift, causing a brief panic, an AFP correspondent said.

Troops deployed to build flood barriers as Northern England battered with torrential rain, flooding

RT
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:48 UTC

Torrential rain has brought flooding to counties across the north of England, causing major disruption to train services, roads and farmland. Soldiers have been deployed to build flood barriers in Lancashire and Cumbria. The Environmental Agency (EA) issued severe flood warnings this weekend, indicating a risk to life.

It confirmed that 180 millimeters of rain fell over some parts of northern England on Saturday night. A handful of homes are thought to have been affected. Experts fear up to 1,600 properties could be at risk. Train services in north Wales have been disrupted by higher river levels in Powys. According to the EA, flooding risks are higher for Cumbria and parts of Lancashire, western parts of North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Fifty British soldiers were deployed to build flood barriers to protect homes vulnerable to flooding, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed. The troops from 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment spent Friday and Saturday working in the region.

Several images, videos and vines have emerged on social media, showing the damage floods have caused to communities.

River Kent by Matt Leigh. Environment Agency reported flooding in 6 properties in Kendal. https://t.co/FjaZthexqx pic.twitter.com/PqwgqbHbNV
— BBC Cumbria (@BBC_Cumbria) November 15, 2015

Comment: Severe flood warnings issued for northern England

Trinidad shaken by early morning earthquake

Jamaica Observer
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 18:57 UTC

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 rattled Trinidad and Tobago on Monday, the Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI) has reported.

It said that the quake was felt at around 8:36 am and was located 10.89 degrees north and 62.32 west. It had a depth of 79 kilometers.

Meanwhile, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday night between Honduras and the Cayman islands.

The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake which struck at around 6:49 pm (Honduras time) was centered about 167 kilometers south, south west of Georgetown in the Cayman Islands.

The quake was also felt 420 kilometers west of Montego Bay in Jamaica.

Tennis-ball sized hail pummells Limpopo, South Africa

Times Live
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 18:31 UTC

This weekend saw tennis-ball sized hail stones pummelling Limpopo - as it went 'from 33 degrees to zero in three seconds' according to the person who uploaded this dramatic footage of the ice coming down.

Video posted to YouTube by limpopo cooling.

1 dead and thousands displaced after 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, Sri Lanka

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:17 UTC

Many areas of Sri Lanka have been affected by floods after heavy rainfall on Sunday 15 November 2015. Northern areas of the country have been among the worst hit. Mannar in Northern Province saw over 230 mm of rain in 24 hours.

According to Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC), one death has been reported in Kilinochchi district, Northern Province, as a result of the floods.

DMC also report that 19,916 people (6,310 families) have been affected by flooding in the districts of Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Trincomalee, Puttalam and Gampaha. As many 2,600 have been forced from their homes by the flooding. Relief camps have been set up in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Puttalam to house those displaced.

The Sri Lanka government say that the spill gates of 22 of the main reservoirs in the country have been opened, including in Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Hambantota and Kurunegala.

Volcano activity at Mount Marapi, Indonesia

RSOE EDIS
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 16:40 UTC

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi

Authorities in West Sumatra have raised the alert level of Mount Marapi after the volatile volcano began spewing clouds of hot ash late on Saturday.

Pyroclastic clouds over the volcano's dome were first spotted at 10.33 p.m. on Saturday, officials from the Marapi observation post told local media. The activity continued well into Sunday morning. The same post also reported a series of minor seismic quakes.

The eruption is considered fairly minor but authorities have issued a warning to locals and hikers to stay beyond a three-kilometer radius from Marapi's crater. Authorities also elevated the mountain's status to the second highest alert level.

The volcano registered a similar eruption on April 13.

Rare tornado hits central California town, damages buildings

CBS Local
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 17:50 UTC

© Deke Farrow, AP
Debris lies on the ground where Sabina and Zane Woodard's garage once stood after reports of a rare tornado in Denair, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015.

The National Weather Service confirms that a tornado did indeed touch down in Denair Sunday afternoon.

Authorities say the tornado hit near Zeering Road in Denair just before 2 p.m. and then headed east out of town. The tornado damaged some houses and trees, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

A church roof was also damaged, deputies say. No one was inside the church at the time, the pastor says.

No injuries due to the tornado have been reported. The sheriff's department does not have an official number yet on how many buildings were damaged.

Comment: 'Rare' tornadoes continue to strike all over the planet this year, including Northern Ireland, England, Australia, Hawaii and India.

Death toll rises to 59 as heavy rains lash Tamil Nadu, India

Firstpost
Mon, 16 Nov 2015 09:52 UTC

Tamil Nadu continued to experience monsoon fury on Sunday, with heavy rains pounding various parts of the state under the influence of a well marked low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, as the death toll from rain-related incidents climbed to 59.

There seemed to be no respite from the downpour with many parts of the city coming under water even as the weatherman forecast more rains for the next 24 hours, beginning 08:30 am.

The India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin on Sunday that the well-marked low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal adjoining Sri Lanka persisted and "it is likely to move west-northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu coast and would concentrate into a Depression during next 24 hours."

Under its influence, more rains were expected in the next 24 hours, the Regional Meteorological Department said.

Anaikaracharthiram (Nagapattinam) received the maximum rainfall of 18 cm recorded till 8:30 am, RMC Director SR Ramanan said, adding, Sirkali from the same district registered 17 cm. Chennai received three cm rainfall between 8:30 am and 11:30 am on Sunday.

He said heavy to very heavy rains could be expected in the northern coastal districts of the state in the next 24 hours while there could be rain in the rest of the districts.

Caribbean Sea earthquake: Strong 5.8 magnitude quake struck between Honduras and the Cayman Islands

BNO News
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:59 UTC

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 has struck the Caribbean Sea between Honduras and the Cayman Islands, seismologists say.

The earthquake, which struck at 6:39 p.m. local time in Honduras or 7:39 p.m. local time on the Cayman Islands, was centered about 167 kilometers (104 miles) south-southwest of George Town on the Cayman Islands, or 420 kilometers (261 miles) west of Montego Bay in Jamaica. It struck about 9.1 kilometers (5.7 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Computer models from the USGS estimated that some 54,000 people may have felt weak shaking from the earthquake, which is unlikely to have caused damage or casualties. Shaking could be felt in George Town, West Bay, Bodden Town, and some other towns in the region.

No tsunami watches or warnings have been issued. "Based on earthquake information and historic tsunami records the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami," the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.

Other details were not immediately available.

Weird glowing blue sea slug washes up on Australian beach

Ross Logan
Daily Mirror, UK
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:33 UTC

A strange and seldom-seen sea creature has made a rare public appearance.

This is the Blue Dragon - or glaucus atlanticus - which was caught on camera after washing up on Australia's Gold Coast.

The bizarre-looking creature is in fact a sea slug, and feeds on blue bottle jellyfish - otherwise known as Portugese Man O' War.

While the jellyfish has a powerful sting that can severely injure humans, the Blue Dragon is unaffected by the venom.

In fact, the Blue Dragon packs a fairly nasty sting of its own.