Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Thunderstorms are bringing unprecedented greening to the southern Sahara desert

Thunderstorms have been ongoing in the region for days now.
Thunderstorms have been ongoing in the region for days now.
After an unusual influx of heavy rain and thunderstorms in recent days, parts of the Sahara are changing colour and turning green.

Satellite imagery below displays vegetation blooming, with its southern extent creeping further northward into the arid desert, particularly when observing the change between September 2023 and September 2024.

Since mid-July, the ITCZ has shifted further north, more so than usual, pushing thunderstorms into the southern Sahara, as noticeable on the WeatherRadar above.

This shift in the ITCZ may also impact the rest of the Atlantic hurricane season, with a northward shift in the ITCZ thunderstorms also displacing the usual location of atmospheric waves that travel westwards from Africa into the Atlantic, a key ingredient for the birth of tropical systems.

Green vegetation creeping northward in
© NASA MODISGreen vegetation creeping northward in the Sahara on September 13th 2024.

Seismograph

Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes San Luis, Argentina region

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An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck the San Luis region in western Argentina.

Reuters quoted European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) as saying that the earthquake struck at a depth of 129 kilometers below the surface of the earth, with no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake.

Last August, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Jujuy Province in northwestern Argentina.

Doberman

Another dog attack, another child: Boy, 4, mauled to death by pack of stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India

Women grieve the death of a boy in dog attack in Saharanpur
© ETV BharatWomen grieve the death of a boy in dog attack in Saharanpur
In another heart wrenching case of canine terror, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district on Thursday.

The incident unfolded in Rampur Maniharan police station area, where a pack of ferocious dogs attacked the boy while he was playing. It is learnt that the boy identified as Vishant, son of Vinay, a resident of village Mazra Qazipura of Rampur Maniharan police station area, was playing in the field on Thursday when a pack of dogs attacked Vishant.

Hearing the boy's screams, his father Vinay and mother Sapna, who were working in the field, ran towards the spot. But, before they could reach the spot, the pack of dogs dragged the child and entered the field leaving him writhing in pain due to grievous injuries in his belly.

Arrow Down

Massive sinkhole swallows truck in Pune, India

The driver of the truck escaped by jumping out of the window.
The driver of the truck escaped by jumping out of the window.
A massive sinkhole appeared on a road in the Samadhan Chowk area of Pune, swallowing a truck and two two-wheelers on Friday (September 20, 2024), a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Fire officer said.

"The incident occurred around 4 P.M. on the premises of the City Post building when the truck came for the cleaning of drainage line in the area," said Fire Officer Subhash Jadhav to The Hindu. The fire brigade rushed to the spot immediately and tried to retrieve the truck using JCB.

The officer also stated that no one was hurt in the incident. The driver also escaped by jumping out of the window. At least 500 sq. feet of the area around the place of the incident have been barricaded. The depth of the crater is 25 feet.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is in Pune, attending the programme organised to mark veteran journalist Nanasaheb Parulekar's birth anniversary. During the event, he remarked that the "transport sector of India is going to change". The development of infrastructure will increase employment opportunities, trade, and business.


Tornado2

At least 4 waterspouts seen off the coast of Malta

Waterspouts Spotted As Heavy Rain Intensifies Across The Island
Waterspouts spotted as heavy rain intensifies across the island
Waterspouts were spotted around the country on Friday amid scattered showers and heavy downpours in some localities.

Video footage sent to Times of Malta shows at least four waterspouts of different sizes across Marsascala and off the coasts of Mellieħa and Sliema.

The videos shows columns of rotating wind similar in appearance to the dense, dark storm clouds above stretching down from the sky.

In Mellieħa and Sliema, the waterspouts can be faintly seen throwing up water into the air as they intersect the surface of the sea below while in the footage shot in Marsascala, only the top of a waterspout is visible above the skyline.


Black Cat

Tiger kills cattle herder in a district of Maharashtra, India - 19th such fatality for the area in 2024

tiger
A 65-year-old cattle herder was mauled to death by a tiger in Mul (buffer) range of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) on Thursday evening. This is the 20th human kill in predator attacks in Chandrapur district this year.

The victim, identified as Devaji Raut of Chicholi village, was accompanied by fellow herders, when he ventured into compartment number 756 of the Katwan reserve forest with his cattle.

At around 5pm, a tiger attacked Raut and killed him on the spot. His companions narrowly escaped and alerted the villagers and foresters.

Forest department officials removed the body after inquest formality. Officials also extended immediate financial assistance of Rs20,000 to Raut's family. Officials claimed that an alert has been issued in the surrounding areas, and locals have been advised to remain cautious.

Comment: Also recently: Woman killed by tiger in village in Maharashtra, India - 5th such incident for the area in 7 months

Related: 349 people killed in tiger attacks during past 5 years in India


Tsunami

Heavy flooding and storms wash away cars in Guatemala

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Heavy rain in Escuintla, heavy flooding and storms washed away cars in Guatemala today.


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain and floods in Trabzon, Türkiye

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The rainfall, which continues intermittently throughout the province, has turned into a downpour, especially in the Arsin, Araklı and Sürmene districts. As a result of this heavy rainfall, the flow of streams increased and some rivers overflowed.

Roads were flooded due to the floods, and houses and workplaces on the ground floors of buildings were flooded. Landslides that occurred here and there caused some roads in these three districts to collapse.

Teams from relevant institutions such as the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) and municipalities continue their work with construction equipment in the problematic areas.


Tsunami

Best of the Web: Floods in Myanmar leave 419 dead, 89 missing and 631,000 displaced (UPDATED)

Flooding in Myanmar triggered by Typhoon Yagi has killed 17 people, the country's fire department said on Thursday.
Flooding in Myanmar triggered by Typhoon Yagi has killed 17 people, the country's fire department said on Thursday.
At least 19 people were killed in Myanmar after heavy rains triggered floods in and around the war-torn country's capital city, with rescuers moving some of the 3,600 people displaced to safer areas on boats, according to the national fire service.

Adverse weather brought on by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed more than 230 people in Vietnam and Thailand, and flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup in February 2021, and violence has engulfed large parts of the impoverished country.

An armed rebellion, comprising of new resistance groups and established ethnic minority armies, is challenging the well-armed military, amid a crippling economic crisis that could be exacerbated by the floods.


Comment: Update September 17

Al Jazeera reports:
At least 236 people have been confirmed dead after Typhoon Yagi caused severe flooding in several regions of Myanmar.

Some 77 people remain missing, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Tuesday, citing official figures.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated the toll could be even higher.

"Multiple sources indicate that hundreds of people have died, with many more missing," it said in an update on Monday, saying an estimated 631,000 people might have been affected by the floods.

Typhoon Yagi, one of the strongest storms to hit the region this year, swept across southern China, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar last week bringing torrential rain. Hundreds have already been confirmed dead in northern Vietnam.

In Myanmar, flooding has affected at least nine regions and states including the capital Naypyidaw, as well as the central Mandalay region as well as Kayah, Kayin and Shan States.
Update September 20

CGTN reports:
The death toll from Myanmar's floods has risen to 293, with 89 people still missing, as of Thursday morning, state-run daily The Mirror reported on Friday.

The floods have affected dozens of townships in regions and states across the country, including Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, according to the report.

As of Thursday morning, a total of 161,592 flood victims from 47,019 households were taking shelter at 425 relief facilities, the report said.

The floods have also submerged over 300,000 hectares of crops and killed 129,150 animals, the report added.

The widespread flooding in the Southeast Asian country was caused by heavy rains triggered by Typhoon Yagi and a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.
Update September 22

AFP reports:
The death toll in Myanmar in the wake of Typhoon Yagi has climbed to 384, with 89 people missing, the junta said on Saturday.

Yagi swept across northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar more than a week ago, triggering floods and landslides that have killed hundreds of people across the region.
Update September 25

Xinhua reports:
Severe floods in Myanmar have caused significant devastation with a death toll of 419 as of Tuesday morning, according to the State Administration Council.

Over 140,000 people were affected by the floods, which have devastated over 750,000 acres of paddy fields and killed over 100,000 animals.

Additionally, the floods have destroyed 253 religious buildings, 926 roads and bridges, lamp posts and communication towers.



Tsunami

Danube River almost at peak level, reaches Hungarian parliament building in Budapest

In Hungary, Danube burst its banks, flooding parliament in Budapest
In Hungary, Danube burst its banks, flooding parliament in Budapest
The Danube River in Budapest has almost reached its peak, and reached the Hungarian parliament building on Friday, according to media reports.

The water level is expected to rise another 50 centimeters (1.64 feet) by Saturday evening, according to the General Directorate of Water Management, Hungarian media reported.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a news conference on Friday that the population seemed calmer than in the 2013 floods and called for them to avoid mobility over the weekend, the national news agency MTI reported.

He added that the preparations made to counter the water will stay in place until next Thursday.

The Danube level reached 780 cm (25.5 ft) high on Thursday evening, and is expected to reach 850 cm (27.8 ft) on Saturday.