Earth ChangesS


Rainbow

Rare 'rainbow cloud' spotted over Ireland

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© Met ÉireannNacreous or polar stratospheric clouds seen over Ireland this morning

Rare 'rainbow' clouds have been spotted across Ireland this morning.

The clouds have an iridescent or rainbow appearance and their presence is rare in Ireland.

The technical name for the eye-catching clouds are nacreous or polar stratospheric clouds.


Snowflake Cold

Extremely rare 'rainbow clouds' light up Arctic skies for 3 days in a row

In and around the Arctic Circle, stunning multicolor clouds have been shining in the sky for days on end. It is very unusual to see so many of these vibrant clouds over such a long period.
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© Ramunė ŠapailaitėIridescent, rainbow-colored clouds, known as polar stratospheric clouds, have been spotted across the Arctic for days on end.
"Spectacular" rainbow-colored clouds have been shimmering in the skies over and around the Arctic for more than three days thanks to an unusual cold snap in the upper atmosphere. And even more of these technicolor treats could appear during the next few months, experts say.

The colorful clouds, known as polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), were spotted floating high in the sky above parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Alaska, and even as far south as Scotland. They began to emerge on Dec. 18 and continued to appear clearly until Dec. 20, according to Spaceweather.com. Some smaller, less distinct clouds were also spotted on Dec. 21, but in general they seem to be disappearing.

Photographer Ramunė Šapailaitė captured staggering photos of the rare phenomenon above Gran in southern Norway. Her photos revealed the rainbow hues of PSCs and their iridescent shimmer that has inspired the nickname nacreous clouds, due to their similarity with nacre — an iridescent material, also known as mother-of-pearl, that is found in the shells of some mollusks.

"The colors are spectacular," Šapailaitė told Spaceweather.com. "The clouds were visible in the sky all day, but the colors really exploded just before sunset."

The PSCs were caused by a prolonged period of unusually cold temperatures in the sky, according to Spaceweather.com.

Cloud Precipitation

Flood, landslide kill 2 in western Indonesia

Photo shows houses submerged by floods due heavy rain at Lima Puluh Kota district in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Dec. 18, 2023.
© National Disaster Management Agency of IndonesiaPhoto shows houses submerged by floods due heavy rain at Lima Puluh Kota district in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Dec. 18, 2023.
Hydrometeorological disasters have hit some areas in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra, killing two people, an official said.

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah told local media on Monday that the two people were killed after being buried in a landslide that hit the regency of Agam on Monday morning. The identified victims, he said, are aged 18-year-old and 33-year-old.

He added that in another regency of Lima Puluh Kota, a flood and a landslide occurred, cutting off some major roads and inundating dozens of buildings.

The governor also called on the public living near rivers that have waters flowing from Marapi volcano to be aware of the cold lava floods that potentially occur if the intensity of rain increases.

Citing the government's official data, he said that 23 rivers originate from the mountain. He said that his subordinates are currently observing the rivers and will further inform the public of the results.

Indonesia frequently experiences hydrometeorological disasters during the rainy season.


Fire

NSW, Australia bushfires: major blaze in Pilliga downgraded with 63 burning across state

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Firefighters are tackling more than 60 blazes across New South Wales, including a giant out-of-control bushfire in the Pilliga forest in the state's north-west that has been fuelling dangerous fire-generated thunderstorms.

The fast-spreading bushfire at Duck Creek in the Pilliga forest was burning about 17km south of the town of Narrabri, home to more than 12,000 people, and 21km west of Boggabri on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire was downgraded from emergency level to a watch and act about 1pm as crews had success controlling pockets of the fire when it entered farmland from the Pilliga.

"With easing conditions across the fire ground, firefighters are gaining the upper hand," the NSW Rural fire service said.

Smoke from the blaze was being carried as far as the Hunter and Sydney regions, affecting air quality ahead of a forecast southerly change.


Comment: At the same time in the north of the country: Australia summer floods: Airport submerged and crocodiles seen after record rain in Queensland - 7 FEET of rainfall dumped from Cyclone Jasper


Attention

Anglers discover dead 16-ton sperm whale on beach in North Carolina

This 16-ton dead Sperm Whale recently washed up on shore at Cape Lookout.
© NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and TechnologyThis 16-ton dead Sperm Whale recently washed up on shore at Cape Lookout.
A team of anglers in North Carolina got more than they expected last week when they discovered a dead 16-ton sperm whale stranded on the beach.

The anglers, which included two veterinarians, contacted officials with a North Carolina marine mammal stranding response network team.

Those officials also contacted large whale specialists to carry out a post-mortem exam of the whale.

The necropsy exam was not able to determine the cause of death of the whale.

Officials said they did learn the whale was a young male, and they were able to collect tissue for further testing.


Boat

Widespread flooding spreads misery across Maine - 500,000 customers without power

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The Crooked River knocked Eric Ruby down Wednesday afternoon as he tried to return to his house and save a generator and other equipment from the rushing waters that flooded several homes at the end of Hancock Road in Casco.

Wearing camouflage bib waders, Ruby's voice wavered as he described the frustration and anxiety of dealing with flooding that has affected many homes in low-lying areas across Maine after Monday's storm. He's also one of nearly 500,000 customers who have lost power at some point during the last three days, and he doesn't expect to get it back anytime soon.

"I'm so screwed," he said, his eyes red from crying. "Everything I have is floating away."

Ruby, 36, and his neighbors found slight hope in seeing the river recede a few inches Wednesday afternoon, in keeping with what experts saw happening around the state.


Comment: Severe flooding was also apparent across other states in New England:



Related: Powerful storm leaves 4 dead and causes widespread power outages in US Northeast as snow and cold temperatures sweep in


Seismograph

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes Peru

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A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Peru on Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake, with its epicenter in the Iray region, occurred at a depth of 93.4 kilometers (57 miles), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of loss of lives and property damage.

Peru, one of the countries with the world's highest seismic movements, is located in the Pacific seismic zone, also known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire".

Fire

Best of the Web: Iceland volcano erupts! 4km-long, glowing-red fissure opens on same peninsula as capital Reykjavik


Comment: No media reports mention that this thing is located but a few miles from Iceland's capital! Never good to be that confident with what natural disasters will or won't do...


This image made from video provided by the Icelandic Coast Guard shows its helicopter flying near magma running on a hill near Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula sometime around late Monday, Dec. 18, or early Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
This image made from video provided by the Icelandic Coast Guard shows its helicopter flying near magma running on a hill near Grindavik on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula sometime around late Monday, Dec. 18, or early Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
A volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland has erupted after weeks of intense earthquake activity, spewing glowing orange jets of lava surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke.

"Warning: eruption has started north of Grindavík by Hagafell," the meteorological office said on its website on Monday. The eruption started a few kilometres from Grindavík, a fishing town located about 25 miles (40km) south-west of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. The town with a population of 4,000 was evacuated in November after the area was hit by a "seismic swarm" of more than 1,000 small earthquakes in 24 hours.

The government on Tuesday said the eruption did not present a threat to life, adding that there were no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, while international flight corridors remained open.


Comment: Reminder of what the 2021 fissure looked like:




Snowflake Cold

90 pct of Mongolian territory covered by heavy snow

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Around 90 percent of the Mongolian territory has been covered with snow of up to 38 cm thick, increasing the risk of the extreme wintry weather known as "dzud," the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday.

Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe a severely cold winter when a large number of livestock die because the ground is frozen or covered with snow.

Currently, at least 41 soums (administrative subdivisions) of 11 provinces of the country are experiencing dzud, NEMA said in a statement, adding that 48 soums of 11 provinces are suffering from near-dzud conditions.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of last week, a strong cold front originated in Siberia, Russia, has been sweeping across extensive areas of Mongolia, causing temperature drops and bringing strong winds and blizzards.

Heavy snow and blizzards are also expected to hit large parts of the country this week, said the weather monitoring agency.

Seismograph

China earthquake 'like being tossed by waves' as 126 dead and 155,000 homes damaged

Rescuers in orange outfits climb through damaged buildings in Kangdiao village in Jishishan county
© ReutersRescuers in orange outfits climb through damaged buildings in Kangdiao village in Jishishan county
The deadliest earthquake in over a decade has killed 126 people and injured 700 in northwestern China, leaving rescue teams scrambling to reach survivors in freezing weather conditions.

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck at 11.59pm (4pm GMT) on Monday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said, as residents in Gansu and neighbouring Qinghai provinces were sleeping or preparing to sleep.

It was followed by a second 5.5 magnitude earthquake hours later in neighbouring Xinjiang.

The earthquake triggered landslides and wrecked roads and infrastructure, snapping away communication, electricity and water lines in the region.

Thousands of survivors and rescue workers are bracing for a second night of sub-zero temperature as efforts to find missing people and survivors from the rubble ran into the evening.