Earth ChangesS

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 5 farm workers in Indonesia

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Tragedy struck the rural community of Jorong Bungo Pinang, Nagari Muaro Bodi, in the Sijunjung district of West Sumatra, Indonesia, on Thursday, 21 December 2023. Five farm workers were killed when they were struck by lightning. The deceased have been identified as Bruri (44), Ade Kurniawan (35), Ilham Mardatila (20), Hariyanto (37), and Hendra Putra (40), all of whom were residents of Jorong Koto Tuo, Nagari Muaro Bodi.

Caught in the Storm

The group of seven had been returning from their fields when they sought shelter from a heavy downpour in a hut. In the dimly lit structure, one of them turned on a mobile phone flashlight, moments before the deadly lightning strike. Two of the group, Farel and Arbi, survived the incident and rushed to get help.

Comment: On the same day 2 teenagers were hit and killed by a strike in Zambia.


Seismograph

Shallow 6.1 magnitude earthquake off South Africa

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A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the waters off southern South Africa, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported Thursday.

The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, with an epicenter recorded at 2,155 km SE of Cape Town.

No tsunamis have been reported so far.

Wolf

Boy bitten by dingo in 3rd attack in just 2 weeks on Fraser Island, Australia

The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gar, when the dog began to circle him (stock image)
The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gar, when the dog began to circle him (stock image)
A 12-year-old boy has been bitten by a dingo in the third incident on a popular holiday island in just two weeks.

The child was knee-boarding in waters off Fraser Island on Monday, which has the Indigenous name K'gari, when the dog began to circle him.

'The boy tried to move the dingo on by yelling and moving his arms but as he stepped back the dingo lunged and bit him on the left knee,' a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) statement said.

The boy's parents were about 10m away from him at the time, QPWS said.

Rangers are investigating and attempting to identify the dingo.

Fire

Reykjanes Volcano Update: Magma pooling again at depth, overflight of the eruption's aftermath

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The 49 hour eruption of Iceland's Reykjanes volcano has come to an end. However, magma is once again pooling at depth, and could be setting the stage for another magmatic intrusion 1 to 2 months from now. This video will show what the lava field from Iceland's newest eruption looks like, via an overflight from a remotely operated drone.


Doberman

Disabled man killed by 2 pit bull terriers in Thailand

PIT BULL ATTACK
In a chilling episode in Ban Pa Mueat, Wiang Phang Kham, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, a 64-year-old disabled man fell victim to a fatal dog attack. The man, known locally as Mr. Thong, was tragically mauled by two Pitbull dogs that had escaped from their home. Mr. Thong, who was reliant on two canes due to a disability in his right leg, was bitten on the neck by the dogs during his pass-by near their residence.

Witness Recounts the Horrifying Incident

A 73-year-old witness, Mrs. Kham Mulkaew, who resides adjacent to the dog owner's house, was the unfortunate spectator of this horrific incident. She raised an alarm, calling out to the dog owner for assistance. It took an agonizing three minutes to secure the dogs back into their cage. By then, the damage was irreparable. Mr. Thong had sustained severe neck injuries and was rushed to Mae Sai Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Cloud Precipitation

High tides and storm Pia bring flooding to Dutch coastal towns

Flooding in Den Oever.
© ANP / Hollandse HoogteFlooding in Den Oever.
The combination of high tides and strong winds brought by storm Pia led to overnight flooding in several parts of the Netherlands on Thursday night, and storm surge barriers all along the coast were closed.

The Maeslantkering, the 420 metre flood defence barrier at Hoek van Holland closed automatically for the first time because of the high water but opened again in the early hours of the morning.

In Oudeschild, on the Wadden island of Texel, the water level reached 2.7 metres above NAP, or Normaal Amsterdams Peil. NAP is equivalent to the average level of the North Sea and is the standard for measuring water levels in rivers and canals in the Netherlands.


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rainfall floods streets, causes mudslides across Southern California

City workers close a road after a creek overflows during heavy rains in Zuma Beach on December 21, 2023 in Malibu, California.
© Apu Gomes/Getty ImagesCity workers close a road after a creek overflows during heavy rains in Zuma Beach on December 21, 2023 in Malibu, California.
Heavy rainfall on Thursday left Southern California residents dealing with hazardous road conditions due to floods, debris and mudslides.


Cloud Precipitation

At least 31 dead, nearly 1k stranded in train as rain fury rages on in Tamil Nadu, India - 3 FEET of rainfall in 24 hours (UPDATE)

The Indian Air Force, the army, and other rescue teams are conducting relief operations.
The Indian Air Force, the army, and other rescue teams are conducting relief operations.
Extremely heavy rains lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu over the past 24 hours, inundating vast swathes in at least four southern districts, including Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, where villages and towns resembled rivers, prompting authorities to shift at least 7,500 people marooned in residential colonies to relief camps, officials said.

At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents on Monday, officials said and added that details regarding the incidents have been sought from local authorities.

Intense rainfall and heavy inundation have wreaked havoc in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts in southern Tamil Nadu, with several parts witnessing their highest-ever downpour in a day. Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi registered 96 cm rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Monday, according to the Met department.


Comment: Update December 22

REUTERS reports:
At least 31 people were killed in floods and heavy rain in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu this week, a top federal minister said on Friday, as rescuers struggled to reach scores still stranded in high waters.

Heavy rains have paralyzed several districts of the state, inundating entire neighborhoods, roads and railway tracks, days after a cyclone hit India's south-eastern coast, causing widespread damage.

"The (toll) number could change," federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman told reporters, adding that more than 40,000 people have been rescued so far and efforts are underway to reach those still stranded.

The state is one of the major electronics and manufacturing hubs in India. Some southern neighborhoods remained waterlogged on Friday.

"We're struggling to get tractors and boats with food and essentials through water in the worst-affected areas," said M. Balamurugan, who along with other volunteers have been distributing foods and essentials.

Tamil Nadu recorded over 64 mm of rainfall this week, more than triple the 20 mm that would be normal at this time of year, the weather department said, predicting more rainfall in parts of the state over the next five days.

For some the floods are reminiscent of rains eight years ago in state capital Chennai that killed 290 people and inundated large swathes of the city.



Doberman

Man mauled to death by own dog in Kendall, Miami

dog attack
Authorities are investigating after a 29-year-old man was mauled to death by his own dog in his Miami-Dade County home.

Miami-Dade police identified the victim as Alexander Andres Torres, of Miami.

Police said the incident happened just after 7 p.m. at a home near the 1200 block of Southwest 104th Terrace in Kendall.

Miami-Dade police said a friend of Torres hadn't heard from him in some time and did a wellness check where he found him dead in the garage of his home.


Comment: Meanwhile over in Roorkee, India an elderly woman died a week after being attacked by a pit bull terrier:
A 70-year-old woman, who was injured after being attacked by a pet Pitbull dog in Roorkee a week ago, died during treatment at AIIMS, Rishikesh.

On getting information about the elderly woman's death, Roorkee police reached the hospital and sent the body for post-mortem. They are now seeking legal opinion for further action.On December 8, Kela Devi (70), a resident of Dhandera village of Roorkee Civil Line in Kotwali area, was going to her acquaintance's house in the post office street when a Pitbull dog attacked her. When she raised an alarm, passersby somehow rescued her from the dog. She was seriously injured with severe wounds on many parts of her body.

The woman was admitted to Roorkee Civil Hospital, where she was given first-aid. Seeing her serious condition, doctors referred her to AIIMS Rishikesh. She was on a ventilator in AIIMS and was undergoing treatment. It was learnt that her jugular vein had been damaged when the dog had attacked her and she could not recover. Finally, she succumbed to her injuries.



Seismograph

Alaska struck by 6.1-magnitude quake

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck off the coast of Alaska on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said on Friday.

The quake's epicenter was registered about 107 kilometers southeast of the city of Adak on Alaska's Adak Island, at a depth of 30.1 kilometers.

There have been no immediate reports of potential damage or casualties.