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Boat

'Water is life': Unexpected rainfall revives Iraq's historic marshlands

Raya Jalabi
Reuters
Fri, 26 Apr 2019 09:27 UTC
An Iraqi Marsh Arab paddles his boat as he collects reeds at the Chebayesh marsh in Dhi Qar province, Iraq, April 14.
© Reuters
An Iraqi Marsh Arab paddles his boat as he collects reeds at the Chebayesh marsh in Dhi Qar province, Iraq, April 14.
This time last year, most of Iraq's historic marshlands were dry, desiccated by upstream damming and a chronic lack of rainfall.

Now, local farmers are counting their blessings after unexpected heavy rainfall at the end of 2018 caused the dams to overflow by early January and water came gushing back to the wetlands in southeastern Iraq.

For Yunus Khalil, a farmer raising water buffalo in the central marsh, the lack of water meant he had to sell most of his herd at a loss last year.

"We were terrified the water wouldn't come back," Khalil said. "It would've been the end for us."

The marshes, thought to be the biblical Garden of Eden and named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2016, are experiencing their highest water levels since they were reclaimed in 2003, said Jassim al-Asadi, southern director of local NGO Nature Iraq and a native of the marshlands, which stretch to the Iran border.

Comment: Climate change in the form of global cooling (with resulting increased precipitation) appears to be delivering some beneficial environmental improvements for many arid regions in recent years, see also these pertinent accounts -

Lake Eyre in Australia transforms from parched desert to prosperous waterway

Deserts across the planet bloom; heavier rains caused by cosmic rays creating more clouds

Rain brings 2nd California super bloom in 2 years

Incredible satellite images reveal hundreds of lakes in the world's largest sand desert after Cyclone Mekunu

Atacama desert in Chile erupts in floral beauty after unexpected rain falls in driest place on Earth

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Windsock

Cyclone Kenneth: Mozambique hit by its strongest storm ever - Just five weeks after Idai devastated country

Ruth Maclean
The Guardian
Fri, 26 Apr 2019 03:20 UTC
Tropical cyclone Kenneth
© EPA
Wind speeds of 140mph threatens fresh devastation for country reeling from Cyclone Idai

The strongest cyclone ever to hit Mozambique has made landfall in the country's north, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre, according to meteorologists.

Surpassing both Idai and the 2000 cyclone that had been the strongest to date, Cyclone Kenneth hit Cabo Delgado province with wind speeds of 140mph (225km/h), bringing the threat of extreme rainfall.

Some "precarious" houses had already collapsed and the provincial capital of Pemba has lost its power supply, local journalist Jonas Wazir told AFP.

Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could bring waves as much as five metres (16ft) higher than usual. Anabela Moreira, who owns a lodge on Wimby beach in the port town and provincial capital of Pemba, told AFP: "I've never seen anything like it in my 15 years in Pemba."

After forming off Madagascar's coast earlier this week, Kenneth passed to the north of the island nation of Comoros on Wednesday night, killing three people and causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.

The storm is expected to stall inland for several days and around one metre of rain is expected in the area north of the city of Pemba, more than the usual average for an entire year in the region.

Comment: Death toll rises to 732 with hundreds missing in devastating Cyclone Idai

For more information check out SOTT's monthly documentary SOTT Earth Changes Summary - March 2019: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs.



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Snowflake

Late-season snowfall records fall in far corners of US as winter makes last gasp

Brian Lada
Accuweather
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:45 UTC
A storm earlier this month

Near-whiteout conditions at the National Weather Service's office in Caribou, Maine in January
Spring is in full swing across most, but not all of, the United States as April begins its final week. Wintry weather has been lingering over some remote corners of the country.

Old Man Winter paid a long visit to Caribou, Maine, this year, with the town measuring at least one inch of snow on the ground for 163 consecutive days, starting on Nov. 10, 2018 and ending on April 21, 2019. This is the longest streak of its kind on record, burying the previous record of 155 days set from 2002 to 2003, according to the National Weather Service.

This unusually long stretch of snowy conditions kicked off during a stormy November when the town measured nearly 30 inches of snow. Two months later, Caribou saw its snowiest January on record when 59.8 inches fell, including a snowstorm that unloaded over 16 inches in one day.

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Fire

Raging wildfires in Russia's Trans-Baikal region have killed thousands of animals; national parks and conservation sites threatened


RT
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 17:27 UTC
wildfire Trans-Baikal Siberia
© Sputnik/ Evgeny Epanchintsev
According to the local Ministry of Agriculture, 10,000 sheep, 1,277 cattle, 500 horses, and 1,800 domestic birds were lost. The fires also threaten to destroy the area’s national parks and conservation sites.
Around 12,000 livestock have been killed - through smoke inhalation or burning - by massive wildfires in the Siberian Trans-Baikal region, which also threaten to destroy the area's national parks and conservation sites.

According to the local Ministry of Agriculture, 10,000 sheep, 1,277 cattle, 500 horses, and 1,800 domestic birds were lost. Photos and videos posted online showed piles of burned animal remains among devastated fields covered in ash. The drone footage captured dozens of homes in the villages burned to the ground.


Comment: The fires have also destroyed more than 100 homes in the region, leaving hundreds homeless: Hundreds lose homes as huge wildfires ravage Russia's Trans-Baikal

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Rainbow

'Fire rainbow' seen in sky across San Luis Obispo County, California

John Lindsey
The Tribune
Sat, 20 Apr 2019 15:41 UTC
Fire rainbow over SLO County, CA
© Bob Bowles
Bob Bowles took this beautiful photograph Monday at Suey Creek Road about five miles east of Nipomo.

"It was a horizontal rainbow, never seen anything like it. It hung out in the sky to the east of us and changed colors for about an hour," he said. "I don't know if we were the only ones that got to enjoy this; didn't hear anything."

At around the same time, Teri Hunter tweeted a similar image of a weird rainbow from Nipomo High School.

Looking at Bowles' photo, I was astonished by its mother-of-pearl-like iridescence; it was almost like looking at the inside of an abalone shell.
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Cloud Precipitation

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Hailstorm kills 13 in Uganda as 6000 year pattern unfolds


Adapt 2030
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 15:34 UTC
Uganda floods
© EMLI
Massive hail storm kills 13 people in Uganda, as the area is deluged after a significant drought where flash floods ran off concrete hard ground. Monsoon flows are far off or non existent, which shows a more powerful cycle of 6000 year duration.


Comment: 13 killed, 40 injured by hailstorm in Uganda

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Cloud Lightning

Wild wind and hail batters students in Zhejiang Province, China


Yahoo! News
Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:14 UTC
storm
Wind, hail and heavy rain battered the city of Wenzho in the eastern Zhejiang province of China on April 24. Laundry was ripped into the air, people were sent flying and a student job fair was utterly destroyed.

The storm occurred at 3pm on April 24 as large convection clouds formed leading up to the devastating hail, wind and rain which affected the whole province.

Beijing news reported that five students at the job fair in Wenzho were hospitalized after suffering serious injuries while many sustained minor bruises.

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Cloud Precipitation

Texas storms bring deadly flash floods


Floodlist
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:40 UTC
flood

Flash flooding In Texas
Severe thunderstorms hit northern and central Texas from 23 April, 2019, bringing strong winds, hail, heavy rain and flash floods.

National Weather Service (NWS) Fort Worth said wind gusts of 60 mph / 96.5 km/h were measured at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW). Associated Press reported that a warehouse near Bryan in Central Texas was destroyed by the winds. NWS Fort Worth also reported dime-size hail near Breckenridge, about 90 miles / 148 km west of Fort Worth.

Dallas Love Field recorded 91.19 mm (3.59 inches) of rain in 24 hours to 24 April, 2019, according to NWS Fort Worth. Fort Worth Meacham recorded 85.34 mm (3.36 inches) and Temple 76.71mm (3.02 inches) during the same period.

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Cow

Signs and Portents: Mutant calf with 2 heads born in Montana - 'Never seen anything like it'

Henry Holloway
The Star (UK)
Wed, 24 Apr 2019 19:40 UTC
The animal died shortly after birth
© Pen News/Heather Herman
The animal died shortly after birth
Heather Herman made the discovery when inspecting the livestock at the family ranch in Montana.

The 30-year-old was looking after her herd when she discovered the two-headed creature amongst the newborns.

"I was doing one of my daily checks through our herd and noticed a cow alone so I went to check on her," she said.

"The calf was laying next to her but from a distance I could tell something wasn't quite right.

Comment: A similar mutant calf was born in Nebraska recently as reported by the Albion News:
Although it occurs on rare occasions, the birth of a two-headed calf is a rare occurrence for cattlemen. This two-headed calf was born dead at the Brugger farm near Akron on April 4. The calf had only one neck.

Two-headed calf at Brugger’s

Two-headed calf at Brugger Farm


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Fish

Signs and Portents: Two-headed fish discovered at Utah hatchery

McKenzie Stauffer
kutv.com
Wed, 24 Apr 2019 19:11 UTC
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) hatchery teams discovered a two-headed tiger muskie earlier this month.
© Utah DWR
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) hatchery teams discovered a two-headed tiger muskie earlier this month.
Your eyes aren't deceiving you.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) hatchery teams discovered a two-headed tiger muskie earlier this month.

According to utahfishinginfo.com, a Tiger Muskellunge are a sterile hybrid cross between a Northern Pike and a Muskellunge. Because it's produced in a hatchery, the fish doesn't occur naturally anywhere in the world.


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