Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Flood ravages Villa General Belgrano in Argentina

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On a day of relentless rain, Villa General Belgrano, a quaint town nestled in the Córdoba province of Argentina, found itself at the mercy of a fierce and unforgiving flood. The incessant downpour led to an alarming surge in water levels, transforming peaceful streets into turbulent rivers, and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Houses, public infrastructure, and life as the residents knew it, were all caught in the relentless grip of the floodwaters.

The Onset of Crisis

The storm descended upon Córdoba with unrelenting vigor, causing severe flooding across various cities within the province. Villa General Belgrano bore the brunt of its fury, with overflowing streams flooding the streets, turning them into torrents of rushing water. The neighboring city of Los Reartes wasn't spared either, as it too faced intense rainfall, hail, and strong gusts. The storm's impact wasn't just limited to flooding, it also disrupted the rhythm of daily life, leading to the suspension of events like the Festival of Dressage and Folklore of Jesús María.


Attention

Mahout killed in elephant attack at safari centre in Sri Lanka

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A mahout was killed in an elephant attack at an elephant safari centre in Randenigala on Sunday.

The incident had occurred while two elephants were engaged in a safari carrying four people, including 2 children.

Following a photo shoot with the elephants and the children, one elephant had attacked the mahout after he signalled for the animals to move.

The mahout had died last morning after being admitted to the Kegalle Hospital following the incident.

The deceased has been identified as a 40-year-old resident of Kiriella in Ratnapura.


Tornado2

Tornado rips through Fort Lauderdale as storms march across Florida

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A tornado rolled through Fort Lauderdale, Florida, damaging boats and downing power lines on Saturday.

According to the National Weather Service office in Miami, officials received multiple phone calls and social media reports of a twister near Federal Highway about 5:50 p.m. ET. The NWS issued a Tornado Warning for the storm about 5 minutes before the twister was reported.

Fort Lauderdale officials said in a Facebook post that no injuries have been reported, and the damage from the storm appears to be minor.

A couple from New York was in South Florida to cheer on the Buffalo Bills when they got a Tornado Warning alert on their cellphones. Moments later, they witnessed the tornado roll through a residential area and a marina and captured the entire event on video.


Doberman

Woman mauled to death by stray dog in Uttar Pradesh, India

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In a tragic incident reported from Uttar Pradesh, a woman working in the fields in the rural Kotwali area of Mirzapur district was mauled to death by a stray dog even as her husband was also injured in the attack after he came to rescue her on Friday, sources said.

It is learnt that Basantu Bind Bhatauli and his wife Dulesara Devi, residents of Baraini Baripur in Kachwan area of Mirzapur were working in their fields when a stray dog suddenly appeared there and attacked Dulesara and mauled her in neck and face.

Hearing the screams, Basantu along with two others Shivlal and Hiravati, who were working nearby, rushed to the spot to save Dulesara.

However, the dog bit all three of them leaving them injured. An official said that Dulesara died on the spot in the attack, while the three people injured in the dog attack were admitted to the hospital.

Igloo

Winter storm threatens travel chaos on US east coast

East Coast Blizzard
© Phys OrgIn 2022 the US Northeast was battered by what authorities called the 'blizzard of the century'.
Forecasters warned on Friday that a deluge of snow and wintery conditions could bring travel chaos to the US northeast this weekend, with some 25 million people subject to a storm warning.

Several cities in the eastern United States including New York, the most-populous city in the country, have gone record periods without winter snowfall.

But the National Weather Service (NWS) said in a winter storm warning that "travel could be nearly impossible" in places over the weekend, threatening chaos for travelers returning from winter breaks.

The affected area stretches from just outside Boston, inland across the northeast through parts of New England down towards Baltimore and Washington, DC.

"This has the potential to be a real storm for the city," said Boston official Jascha Franklin-Hodge.

"The weather really will begin tomorrow evening into Sunday and hopefully let up in time for it to be taken care of before Monday commutes and Monday starts to school," said Boston's mayor Michelle Wu.

Ice was likely to cause power outages and fell trees, forecasters warned as winter storm Ember closed in on heavily populated areas.

Fire

Mount Merapi's first eruption of 2024: A dramatic display of Indonesia's volcanic activity

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The first volcanic eruption of 2024 painted the night sky with a fiery spectacle at Mount Merapi, one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. The dramatic event, captured in a long exposure photograph by Agung Supriyanto, took place in the early hours of January 4, 2024.

The image, taken from Tunggul Arum Village in Sleman, Yogyakarta, depicts the ejection of volcanic material, illuminating the darkness with its raw power.


Fire

Dukono volcano in Indonesia erupts, spewing ash 4,000 meters high

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The Dukono volcano in the eastern part of Indonesia erupted on Wednesday morning, sending volcanic ash as high as approximately 4,000 meters into the air, according to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG).

Mount Dukono is located in North Maluku province. It is among the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation home to over 17,500 islands.

Just a few days ago, on the morning of December 29, 2023, the volcano erupted, with the emission reaching 2,800 meters.


Binoculars

Wrong place, wrong time: Northern waterthrush from North America spotted in Essex, UK

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Northern waterthrush
Bird-lovers have been flocking to a village in Essex after a rare visitor from the other side of the Atlantic was spotted.

The northern waterthrush was seen at Heybridge near Maldon on Wednesday afternoon.

It is usually found in North America and the West Indies and according to one birdwatcher there had only been 10 previous sightings in the UK.

Brian Bolton said the bird was seen in a local birdwatcher's garden and seemed to be flitting between there and a creek near his house.


Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 84 people in Cambodia in 2023 - up a 3rd on previous year

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Lightning strikes killed 84 people in Cambodia in 2023, up 33 percent from 63 deaths a year earlier, a disaster control spokesman said on Friday.

Besides the fatalities, thunderbolts injured 59 others last year, said Soth Kim Kolmony, the spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM).

"Climate change was the main cause behind the growing number of lightning strike incidents," he told Xinhua.

The provinces with the highest number of lightning strikes were Battambang, Siem Reap, Kratie, Kampong Thom, Takeo, Svay Rieng and Kampong Chhnang.

Boat

France - Hundreds evacuated again after further floods in north

Floods in the Pas de Calais Department, France in early January 2023.
© Sapeurs Pompiers du Pas de Calais SDIS 62Floods in the Pas de Calais Department, France in early January 2023.
Wide areas of the Pas-de-Calais department in the north of France have been flooded for the second time in recent months after heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise.

Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, visited affected areas on 04 January. "I understand the exasperation, I understand the fatigue, I understand the anger and I understand the fear of reliving it again," the Minister said.

Rivers in the north of France have been on alert since late December 2023. As of 04 January, the Aa River was at Red Alert stage (highest) while the Hem, Canche, Lys-Plaine and Lys-Amont remained at Orange level. Authorities said levels of many rivers including the Aa peaked on 03 January but will likely remain high for some time.

According to the latest report from the government of Pas-de-Calais department, around 189 municipalities have been affected by the recent flooding. At least 1,299 homes have been damaged, some of them severely, promoting the fire departments and local authorities to evacuate a total of 371 people.