© Phil McCarten / Reuters
The epicenter, with a depth of 117.74 km, was initially determined to be at 20.735 degrees south latitude and 169.8807 degrees east longitude.
Earth Changes
The epicenter, with a depth of 117.74 km, was initially determined to be at 20.735 degrees south latitude and 169.8807 degrees east longitude.
© Phil McCarten / Reuters
A powerful earthquake occurred on Friday in the sea near New Zealand's Kermadec Islands at a depth of 222.3 km. The magnitude of the tremor is 6.3, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
According to reports, the earthquake kick was registered at a distance of about 935.0 km northeast of the settlement of Ngunguru, New Zealand.
No possibility of a tsunami has been reported at the moment.
© AFP/Noel Celis
Temperatures in Beijing fell to the lowest level since 1966 this week.
Temperatures in Beijing fell to the lowest level since 1966 this week.
On Thursday morning the mercury dropped to minus 19.6 degrees Celsius, breaking a previous cold weather record set in 1969.
The cold reading was the lowest since 1966, when temperatures in the city fell to minus 27.4 degrees Celsius.
Thousands took to social media to complain about the city's weather, with the hashtags "How cold is this winter?" and "Beijing's temperature reaches the lowest since 1966" both trending topics on Weibo and garnering a collective 240 million views.
"I heard the wind shouting at me: I want to kill you," wrote one.
© PTI)
A man removes snow from a car after the town received fresh snowfall, at Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti District.
A man removes snow from a car after the town received fresh snowfall, at Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti District.
The minimum and maximum temperatures rose marginally even as the sky remained heavily overcast and icy winds, accompanied by showers, blew across the region. The local Met office has warned of dense fog at isolated places in lower and middle hills in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi districts till January 9 and predicted rain and snow at isolated places in middle and high hills on January 8, followed by dry weather.
© Rayann Elzein
"I've been chasing auroras in Arctic Finland for nearly a decade, and this is only the second time I have seen STEVE here at 70 degrees N," says Elzein.
Comment: STEVE (Strong Thermal Velocity Enhancement) is a relatively recent discovery, first spotted and photographed by Canadian citizen scientists around 10 years ago. It looks like an aurora, but it is not. See also:
- Astronomers studying novel atmospheric plasma phenomenon 'STEVE' publish paper on 'pure green sky canonballs'
- STEVE makes unusual summertime appearance, record breaking solar minimum update
- The phenomenon STEVE is not an Aurora after all
- "The Dunes": NEW type of aurora discovered, and the unexpected physics behind it
- Planetary wave supercharges extremely rare southern noctilucent clouds event
- Gigantic jet photographed piercing the sky in China
- Rarely-seen atmospheric gravity wave phenomenon captured by satellite over Australia
- Astronomers observe SIX galaxies undergo sudden, dramatic transitions into super-bright quasars
- Light from Betelgeuse faintest ever recorded, temperature way down in just 4 months, yet star has 'swollen' by 9%
© Travel News Twitter
Merapi volcano
Merapi volcano
The authorities evacuated an area of five kilometres around the volcano.
"So far the potential danger does not exceed five kilometres," said Hanik Humaira, director of the Indonesian Geology Agency, in a statement.
Activity at the Merapi, 400 kilometres southwest of Jakarta, began to increase last Thursday, according to the Indonesian Geology Agency, which indicated that the volcano was erupting.
Most of those affected were in Batticaloa, Eastern Province, where 12 division have seen flooding since 03 January 2021. Sri Lanka's Meteorological Department reported 142.4mm of rain fell in Batticaloa in 24 hours to 04 January.
Over 18,000 people have been affected by floods in Kattankudy, around 13,000 in Manmunai North and 8,000 in Eravur Pattu. DMC report 8 houses have been damaged across Batticaloa district as a result. No displacements or injuries were reported.
© BPBD Bima Regency
Floods in Bima Regency, Indonesia, 05 January 2021.
Floods in Bima Regency, Indonesia, 05 January 2021.
National Disaster Agency BNPB reported flash flooding in Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province from 05 January 2021. At least 2 people have died and around 90 homes were damaged.
The previous day, high intensity rain falling on unstable ground triggered landslides and flash flooding in soil conditions in the Sangihe Islands in North Sulawesi Province. BNPB reported the sub-districts of Tahuna, Kendahe, Maganitu, South Maganitu, Tabukan Selatan Tengah and Tabukan Selatan Tenggara were all affected. At least 1 person died, over 200 buildings damaged and 223 families displaced. Flood waters were up to 1.5 metres deep in some areas.
Comment: A couple of days ago a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the same Kermadec Islands region.