Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

11 die, 48,000 displaced in heavy rains in Malawi

Jessica Okonkwo
Independent (Nigeria)
Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:47 UTC
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At least 11 people have died and 80 others have been injured during torrential rains in Malawi over the past few days, the country's disaster management agency said Wednesday.

Addressing the media in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, Chipiliro Khamula, spokesperson for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), said lightning, flooding, and collapsing walls caused the fatalities and injuries.

"During the last few days, most parts of the country have received heavy rains which have caused heavy damage to both households and schools. About 48,000 people have been affected through displacement," Khamula said.

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Doberman

92-year-old woman found dead after pit bull attack in Rochester, New York


13wham.com
Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:38 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
Police said a woman's suspicious death on the city's west side Tuesday night was discovered after a dog attack.

Officers responded to a home on Orange Street around 9 p.m. and found Velma Leake, 92, "clearly deceased."

Police said Leake lived at the home with other family members, one of whom woke up and went downstairs to find Leake had been mauled by a pit bull owned by the residents.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the cause of death. Police said it's unclear whether she died as a result of the mauling or from other causes.

The dog is in the custody of Rochester Animal Services pending further investigation.
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Lightning

Lightning strikes claimed 1,075 lives in last 3 years in Odisha, India


Odisha Bytes
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:23 UTC
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At least 1,075 people were killed due to lightning strikes during the last three years in Odisha, the state Assembly was informed on Thursday.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari shared this information while replying to a question in the House. The highest number of 81 deaths due to lightning strikes between 2022 and 2024 took place in the Mayurbhanj district followed by Balasore district (68) and Ganjam district (60), he said.

The data presented by the Minister in the House revealed that lightning strikes have claimed 306 lives during 2022-23 and 272 during 2023-24.

Similarly, 201 deaths have been confirmed during the current financial year so far. Ex-gratia has been paid to 77 victims' families and 124 cases are under consideration.
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Marijuana

Rare corpse flower blooming at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand

Ripu Bhatia
Stuff
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:39 UTC
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One of the world's rarest flowers is in the process of blooming at Auckland Zoo.

Amorphophallus titanum, or the corpse flower of Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom and only flowers once every seven to ten years.

The flower blooms for just two to three days, sometimes even less, and once fully opened emits a powerful stench to attract pollinators.

The unique specimen stands nearly two meters tall in its pot and is on display in the South East Asia Jungle Track's high canopy habitat, Auckland Zoo said.

It is usually based in the Indonesian swamp forest exhibition, which is a climate-controlled tropical drone, but this is currently closed for upgrades.

The zoo said it can't guarantee how long the flower is going to bloom for as individual specimens can vary.

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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: New research paper shows Little Ice Age, climate fueled by a number of natural driving factors

Klimanachrichten
No Tricks Zone
Sat, 30 Nov 2024 09:12 UTC
The Little Ice Age generated image
© Klimanachrichten/AI-generatedThe Little Ice Age, 1250 to 1860 AD
The period between 1250 and 1860 is also known as the Little Ice Age. We have already reported on it several times here. The Little Ice Age was the undoing of the Franklin expedition, among others. In search of the Northwest Passage, the crew failed because of the ice, even though they had set off in summer. Franklin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He paid with his death.

But what was the climate like at the time and what were the climate drivers? Volcanoes played a major role, but so did a minimum of solar activity. However, summers were by no means consistently wet and cool.

Comment: The importance of the NAO has been coming into focus in the last decade. It's potential collapse is perilous.

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Doberman

Dog attack claims life of 8-year-old boy in Onslow County, North Carolina

Alaina Laster
wcti12.com
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:56 UTC
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An 8-year-old boy tragically lost his life following a dog attack in Onslow County over the weekend. The incident occurred as the boy and his sibling were letting their family's pit bull and Great Dane mixes outside, according to investigators.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies responded to a home off Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville at approximately 2:54 p.m. on Friday, November 29. Upon arrival, they found the young boy suffering from a bite mark on his neck. He was transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

Authorities stated that neither of the dogs involved had any recorded history of violence with law enforcement or Onslow County Animal Services. The family also reported that the dogs had not shown any signs of aggression prior to the attack.

Both dogs have been quarantined as the investigation into the incident continues. The reason for the attack remains unknown.

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Volcano

This Week in Volcano News; Mammoth Mountain earthquake swarm, large Dukono eruption

GeologyHub
YouTube
Sun, 01 Dec 2024 13:33 UTC
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This week, an unusual earthquake swarm occurred at California's Mammoth Mountain volcano, involving more than two dozen events. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the largest eruption plume on record was generated due to a plug bursting at the Dukono volcano. And, in Sumatra, the Dempo volcano was the site of a likely shallow magmatic intrusion that evaporated a portion of its acidic crater lake.

This video will discuss these stories and list the 48 volcanoes which are actively erupting around the planet.


Thumbnail Photo Credit: Frame grab from a video by the ExtremePursuit YouTube channel, - Dukono Volcano erupts during expedition, Used with Permission. This image was mirrored horizontally (left became right, right became left).
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Volcano

Bledug Kesongo mud volcano erupts in Central Java, Indonesia

infomitigasi
YouTube
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:27 UTC
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The eruption of the Bledug Kesongo mud volcano in the Gabusan village area, Jati sub-district, Blora district this morning, Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Four days ago, this mud volcano also experienced an eruption, but not as big as the eruption that occurred this morning.

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Arrow Down

7 feared dead in landslide due to continuous downpour caused by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu, India - year's worth of rain in just 36 hours


Times of India
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 20:54 UTC
Rescue operations underway in Tiruvannamalai where a landslide claimed two lives on Monday, December 2, 2004
Rescue operations underway in Tiruvannamalai where a landslide claimed two lives
A family of seven, including five children, were feared to be trapped in a landslide in Tiruvannamalai. The family resided close to Annamalayar Hills in Tiruvannamalai.

According to police sources, the landslide occurred at around 4.30 pm on Sunday due to continuous downpour caused by Cyclone Fengal. The family members were identified as Rajkumar, his wife Meena, their two children, and three children of Meena's brother. The family was residing on the 11th Street in VOC Nagar in Tiruvannamalai.

As soon as the landslide occurred, their neighbours alerted the police and fire servicemen to rescue the family. Immediately, the police and fire servicemen arrived at the spot and tried to rescue them, but as rain continued to batter Tiruvannamalai, the rescue operation could not be carried out.


Comment: The Indian Express reports:
Cyclone Fengal unleashed unprecedented rainfall, with Tamil Nadu witnessing a year's worth of rain in just 36 hours and Puducherry recording its highest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years. Flooding disrupted transport and inundated housing colonies. Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin inspected affected areas as rescue operations evacuated hundreds. The IMD forecasts heavy rain till December 2 and issued an orange alert for Kanchipuram due to overflowing dams.



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Tsunami

Severe flooding Thailand, 22 dead, trains disrupted - 19.7 inches of rain in a day - 43 inches in 7 days (UPDATE)

Apinya Wipatayotin
Bangkok Post
Thu, 28 Nov 2024 20:24 UTC
A man looks at the flooded Road 43 in Nong Chik
© Pattani Public Relations OfficeA man looks at the flooded Road 43 in Nong Chik district of Pattani on Thursday. The road serves as a main link between Songkhla and other southernmost provinces.
More than 130,000 households in seven southern provinces have been hit by floods following downpours that are forecast to continue in many areas until Dec 3.

Heavy rain continues to pound all southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, and many train services have been suspended due to flooded tracks between Pattani and Yala.

The weather office issued another warning on Thursday about downpours until Sunday in eight provinces: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. This could further exacerbate flooding.

Water levels in key southern rivers — Pattani, Saiburi, Kolok and Tanyongmas — are forecast to rise significantly in the coming days, overflowing the banks and surging by 1.5 to 2 metres, said Thanaroj Woraratprasert, director of the National Water Administration Center at the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).

The accumulated rainfall in vast areas of the South has been substantial, with Narathiwat recording the highest rainfall over the past seven days, totalling 1,100 millimetres.


Comment: Update December 2

The Star (Malaysia) reports:
Death toll from Thai floods jumps to 22 as more rain forecast in south

The death toll from the worst flooding to hit southern Thailand in decades rose to 22 as several thousand people remained confined to relief camps, and authorities warned of more heavy rain over the next few days.

Thailand's southern provinces have been battered by heavy rainfall and flash floods since Nov 22, which have affected 664,173 households, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Around 22,000 people have been moved to temporary shelters as of Monday (Dec 2) and seven provinces still faced flooding, the department said in a statement.

While rain has eased in the past couple of days, a fresh spell of heavy downpour may lash the region due to a low pressure from the South China Sea that's expected to move through the Gulf of Thailand, the Meteorological Department said. The weather system may cause heavy rain and flash floods during Dec 3-5, the bureau said.


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