Earth Changes

Transformer fire leaves Philadelphia residents without heat, power in bitter cold

Todd Quinones
CBS Philly
Thu, 23 Jan 2014 21:28 UTC

It took about six hours for PECO to return power to residents in West Philly. Power Returns After Transformer Fire

In this bitter cold there is nothing like a toasty warm house to sleep in, but for some residents in North Philadelphia that wasn't an option.

As these exclusive videos show, the transformer turned into a ball of fire that scared residents and knocked out power as neighbors scrambled to get help.

The transformer fire knocked out power to much of the 1600 block of Willington Street at Cecil B. Moore Avenue right near Temple University.

Strange snowballs invade the U.S.

Becky Oskin
LiveScience
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 16:23 UTC

A strange and rare winter weather marvel appeared overnight in Eastern states blasted by blustery winds - snow sculpted into fanciful shapes such as doughnuts and hollow tubes.

Known as snow rollers, the delicate formations are as light as meringues and may crumble when touched, but others are icy enough for play. They were a social media phenomenon today (Jan. 27), sweeping Twitter and Facebook as people from Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania posted images of their yards dotted with strange snowballs.

According to the National Weather Service, snow rollers need just the right combination of light, sticky snow, strong (but not too strong) winds and cold temperatures to form. It's been about 10 years since snow rollers were reported in western Pennsylvania, but snow rollers appeared in near Spokane, Wash., in 2009.

Seven injured in earthquake on Greek island of Kefalonia

The Guardian
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 13:44 UTC

© AP.
Supermarket damaged by the earthquakes on Kefalonia, western Greece. Schools have been closed and a state of emergency has been declared.

Schools were ordered to close and a state of emergency was declared on the Greek island of Kefalonia on Monday after an earthquake damaged homes and injured at least seven people.

Hundreds of the island's residents slept in their cars after a quake listed by the US Geological Survey as having 6.1 magnitude struck near the town of Lixouri on the western Greek island on Sunday, and was followed by dozens of aftershocks.

Seismologists noted it was too soon to tell whether the Sunday quake, was the main earthquake or whether a stronger one is to come.

"We need 48 hours to say with 99% certainty that this was the main quake," Thanassis Ganas, head of research at the Athens Geodynamic Institute, said on Skai television. He added, however, that the situation after the quake appeared to be as well as could be expected, and that multiple aftershocks were normal and expected.

Endangered turtle washed up on West Wales beach

Rachael Misstear
Western Mail
Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:03 UTC

The warm water Kemp’s ridley turtle was reported to the Marine Conservation Society after being found dead at Cefn Sidan beach, Pembrey.

The critically endangered marine animal, normally found in the Gulf of Mexico was found dead at Cefn Sidan beach in Pembrey

A critically endangered marine turtle more at home in the Gulf of Mexico has been washed up on a beach in Carmarthenshire.

The warm water Kemp's ridley turtle was reported to the Marine Conservation Society after being found dead at Cefn Sidan beach, Pembrey.

Dog walker Louise Panes discovered the animal while walking her three dogs on the beach. The dogs became interested in a patch of washed up sea grass, and Louise initially thought it was a dead seagull.

"I went over to pull them away and was surprised to find what looked like a turtle lying alongside the grass," she said.

"At first I thought it looked like a large tortoise but I could see from its front legs that these were more like flippers than legs.

"I could see it was dead as it had been damaged by something around the back of its neck, but as I had never seen a turtle on the beach before I was pretty certain that it was an uncommon sight in the waters around Wales."

Ireland: Thousands without electricity as storm lashes the country

Fiona Dillon
Irish Independent
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 09:14 UTC

Coastal areas have taken another heavy battering as winds of up to 130kph swept the country leaving some homes without power and causing hazardous driving conditions.

Met Eireann said that the severe weather warning would remain in place for many parts of the country today, with the potential for it to be upgraded to a 'Red' warning if conditions worsen.

A status orange wind warning was in place for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick throughout yesterday.

ESB crews worked yesterday to restore electricity with around 2,000 homes without power in pockets throughout the country, but crews had managed to restore supply to well over half of those affected by lunchtime.

In Co Galway alone, more than 500 ESB customers were without electricity yesterday.

The worst affected areas included Renvyle and Clifden, where over 350 customers were without power.

Parts of west Mayo were similarly hit as the high winds tore down power lines and left customers in the dark.

Siobhan Ryan, a Met Eireann forecaster, warned the winds will only really "begin to ease off" tomorrow.

"But even at that stage there is still the risk of scattered heavy, squally thundery downpours. The weather is very unsettled," she explained.

UK: Chobham tornado 'lifts cats into air' - storms and rain sweep across country - more risk of flooding

Adam Withnall
The Independent, UK
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 09:02 UTC

The Met Office issued an amber warning of rain for the Somerset Levels, where villages have now been dubbed ‘islands’

As heavy rain and strong winds continued to cause disruption across the UK and experts warning of an ongoing flood risk into next week, one eye-witness said the extreme weather had claimed some unusual victims - a group of feral cats.

Residents in Chobham, Surrey, told BBC News the storm which swept across Kent, Sussex and Surrey yesterday afternoon whipped up a tornado so powerful that "shattered" buildings.

The Met Office issued an amber warning ahead of severe weather across the southwest today, and a band of heavy rain has now moved across the country to the east.

UK Power Networks said yesterday's storm left around 13,000 homes without power, and stable owner Shirley Blay described a "mini-tornado" which was lifting roofs.

"My granddaughter went to make some food up for the pony and the shed she was in lifted," she told BBC News. "She jumped out of it and it just shattered, it was thrown backwards and broke into four pieces.

"We've got four feral cats in the yard and they were being lifted off the ground, they just went round like a big paper bag." Ms Blay added that none of the people or animals involved were injured during the storm.

Meanwhile, Somerset County Council has declared a "major incident" for all areas affected by flooding in the county.

Despite near-freezing temperatures, wildfire rages in Hot Springs, Arkansas

kait8.com
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 08:48 UTC

The U.S. Forest Service is battling a 50-acre wildfire northwest of Lake Ouachita State Park near Hot Springs.

Forest Service officials say the blaze began about noon Friday and has closed all trails within the Little Blakely Trail System. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire is located in a remote location and away from private lands or structures. Officials say it is expected to burn over the next several days.

Officials are managing the wildfire using a strategy that will allow it to burn to existing barriers such as roads or creeks, resulting in less damage to natural resources.

They say managing the fire that way will also reduce the chance that current wind conditions move heavy smoke through the Hot Springs area.

Source: Associated Press

Comment: The daytime high temperature is currently 3C/37F in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

What is UP with these winter wildfires?!

'Unprecedented' for January: Wildfire breaks out in middle of the night in cold mountains of California

More winter wildfire weirdness as forest fires break out in Oregon

Winter wildfire weirdness continues as warnings spread to chilly Arkansas

Storm leaves 13 dead in Argentina

DNA India
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:53 UTC

The storm that hit the western Argentine province of Catamarca late last week killed at least 13 people and left 12 others missing, the official Telam news agency reported Sunday.

The number of people missing in the storm, which hit the area Thursday and Friday, was reduced from an earlier estimate of 25, Telam said, citing government figures.

A mudslide hit the towns of El Rodeo and Sijan Thursday night.

Extensive damage was reported in the region and hundreds of people have been evacuated, and emergency services personnel have not ruled out the possibility that the death toll could climb as the search for the missing continues.

"This was a disaster, but we are going to rebuild all the affected areas," Catamarca Governor Lucia Corpacci said.

Corpacci visited the towns affected by the mudslide Saturday.

A cold wave followed by strong thunderstorms, heavy rains, powerful winds and hail hit much of Argentina Thursday.

Major U.S. winter storm to bring snow, ice to Gulf Coast, Georgia and Carolinas

Nick Wiltgen
The Weather Channel
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:41 UTC

We are watching for a potentially major winter storm to affect a long swath of the Deep South this week - including places better known for their beaches, balmy breezes and hurricanes. This will include some of the areas affected by Winter Storm Kronos just last week - but it includes millions of people farther east as well.

The threat stems from the combination of a bitterly cold arctic air mass plunging southward behind a sharp cold front, while moisture streams northward from the Gulf Coast. As the moisture crosses into the cold air behind the front, a swath of frozen and freezing precipitation is likely to break out.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches, warnings and advisories from southeast Texas eastward along the Gulf Coast through Georgia, the southern half of South Carolina, eastern North Carolina and far southeast Virginia. For Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, Ga., it's the first winter storm watch issued for those two cities since Feb. 11, 2010. For Houston, it's the second time with a winter storm watch in just five days.

Let's step through the forecast and get into the details and uncertainties.

Long Stretch of Ice and Snow

The latest blast of arctic air, already bursting south into the Midwest, will reach the Deep South Monday night. Temperatures should be at or below freezing by Tuesday morning along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Pensacola, Fla., as well as portions of the Carolina coast.

As Tuesday wears on, a broad zone of rising air will develop across the entire Gulf Coast (except for southwest Florida) and the Atlantic Coast of the Southeast, along and behind the arctic cold front. This will allow an elongated area of precipitation to develop from South Texas all the way to the Carolinas.

U.S. Winter storm watch expanded to include most of metro Atlanta

Mike Morris
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 06:11 UTC

The winter storm watch posted for Tuesday for the southern suburbs southward through middle Georgia has been expanded northward to include almost all of metro Atlanta, with forecasters warning that a "significant" winter storm is likely.

The watch, which goes into effect Tuesday morning and continues into early Wednesday, was initially issued Sunday for Clayton, Coweta, Fayette and Henry counties southward. But early Monday, the National Weather Service added Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Paulding, Douglas, Carroll, Haralson, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties to the watch area.

The Weather Service said snow accumulations of a half inch to 2 inches are possible in those new counties, while south of there, accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible.

"The potential exists for significant impacts from this storm system" the Weather Service said at daybreak Monday. "Confidence is increasing in this event occurring."

The snow is expected to begin early Tuesday in the far south and continue through early Wednesday, with the heaviest precipitation expected Tuesday night. In metro Atlanta, the snow is expected to begin as early as mid-morning Tuesday.

Overall, the winter storm watch extends from the Gulf coast of Texas to coastal Virginia.

"You've got nothing to worry about today," Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said before daybreak Monday. "Tomorrow is when we'll start dealing with it."

Minton said "very cold air is going to come diving in here starting this evening, and those temperatures will drop fairly quickly."

New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good...

parzival

Bill Gates is going to be the one with the uncertain future,,, * New Lt. Governor of Virginia Winsome Sears: "We're going to have safer...

parzival

The more we hear about adverse affects the more we will merely shrug. It's a catch 22. Is that an asteroid trail in the photo?

sass

Welcome to the new normal. The more sensory exposure we have about such things, the less it is an issue.

sass

more misbehaving phuqqin' jewzskies starring on the sott; speaks for itself

Jibrish

Earth Changes

Transformer fire leaves Philadelphia residents without heat, power in bitter cold

Strange snowballs invade the U.S.

Seven injured in earthquake on Greek island of Kefalonia

Endangered turtle washed up on West Wales beach

Ireland: Thousands without electricity as storm lashes the country

UK: Chobham tornado 'lifts cats into air' - storms and rain sweep across country - more risk of flooding

Despite near-freezing temperatures, wildfire rages in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Storm leaves 13 dead in Argentina

Major U.S. winter storm to bring snow, ice to Gulf Coast, Georgia and Carolinas

U.S. Winter storm watch expanded to include most of metro Atlanta

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