Earth ChangesS


Hardhat

Best of the Web: Severe hailstorms increased by 21% in the 3 years from 2022 to 2024 across the US

David Knowles
Yahoo! News
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:35 UTC
Large hailstone from Arrora, Nebraska.
© Associated PressLarge hailstone from Arrora, Nebraska.
The number of severe hailstorms in the United States rose significantly over the last three years, and the damage from increasingly massive hailstones is pushing up insurance rates in the hardest hit states, according to a new study.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that severe hail events increased by 21% from 2022 to 2024, the study by Insurify, an insurance shopping company, found.

"Hailstones are formed when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze," NOAA says on its website. "Hailstones then grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto the hailstone's surface."

When hail comes crashing down, however, it can cause significant damage to cars and property, not to mention human health.
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Snowflake

Heavy spring snowfall affects Turkey's central Anatolia, eastern regions


Xinhua
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:38 UTC
People walk on a snow-covered road in Malatya, Türkiye, on March 21, 2025. Heavy snowfall has impacted Türkiye
© Mustafa KayaPeople walk on a snow-covered road in Malatya, Türkiye, on March 21, 2025. Heavy snowfall has impacted Türkiye's central Anatolia area and eastern regions, disrupting transportation and daily life, local IHA news agency reported on Friday.
Heavy snowfall has impacted Türkiye's central Anatolia area and eastern regions, disrupting transportation and daily life, local IHA news agency reported on Friday.

The report said 911 people were stranded on the highways connecting Kayseri to Malatya, Gurun, and Goksun in Anatolia, adding they were later rescued by emergency teams.

In Sivas province, east of Anatolia, the Sivas-Gurun highway was closed due to blizzards. Security teams took precautions by blocking the road and preventing vehicle passage. However, rescue teams reportedly responded to four traffic accidents, and one missing person was found.

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Seismograph

Earthquake swarm near Adak, Alaska includes magnitude 6.2 tremor

Aaron Morrison
Alaska's News Source
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:04 UTC
A swarm of earthquakes have been impacting the Aleutian Islands just southeast of Adak
© Alaska's News SourceA swarm of earthquakes have been impacting the Aleutian Islands just southeast of Adak
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck shortly before 7 a.m. Friday morning, just 54 miles southeast of Adak.

It was one in a series of earthquakes that have occurred this week in the region, which is notorious for earthquake swarms. There was another swarm back in December of 2024.

Since Wednesday, more than a dozen earthquakes have occurred in this region, with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater. Eight earthquakes have seen a magnitude of 4.0 to 4.9, with eight others being greater than 5.0. This swarm is still showing signs of new movement in the earth, with additional earthquakes still occurring in the region.


Comment: Further south just 3 minutes earlier but also in the North Pacific: Shallow earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes south of Panama

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Seismograph

Shallow earthquake of magnitude 6.2 strikes south of Panama


The Indian Express
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 18:13 UTC
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An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck the Pacific Ocean in south of Panama near the island of Coiba on Friday. The quake caused heavy tremors in parts of Panama and neighboring Costa Rica. However, local authorities did not immediately report any damages.

The quake occurred about 78 km (45 miles) southwest of Coiba—a national park and former penal colony—at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to the United States Geological Survey and local officials.

Watch centers across the region stated that a tsunami was not expected.

A video shared on social media showed suitcases shaking heavily for about a minute in a room in Burica, a town on the southern end of Panama's shared border with Costa Rica, approximately 123 km from the epicenter.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Comment: Just 3 minutes later also in the North Pacific another mag. 6.2 quake struck: Earthquake swarm near Adak, Alaska includes magnitude 6.2 tremor

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Snowflake Cold

Snow and frost threaten fruit crops in Korça, Albania


Fresh Plaza
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:29 UTC
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The recent snowfall in Korça, Albania, accompanied by a temperature drop, has impacted the agricultural sector, particularly affecting certain crops.

Arben Hysolli, a specialist at the Directorate of Agriculture in Korça, outlined the factors influencing the extent of damage. Notably, almonds, peaches, apricots, and cherries, especially early cherry cultivars, are at risk. The situation is under observation with an assessment expected within 72 hours.

Hysolli stated, "Yesterday's snowfall was also accompanied by a drop in temperatures, which reached -5.2/-6 degrees Celsius. The damage caused by the drop in temperatures depends on a number of factors, which are the duration of the minimum temperature, how far this minimum temperature has reached, the species or cultivar of the agricultural crop, as well as the phenological phase in which the agricultural crop is located."


Comment: Also recently: 20 cms of March snow in the mountainous areas of Shkodra, Albania

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Snowflake

First spring snowfall over Jordan's highlands in about 27 years


Arabiaweather.com
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:48 UTC
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Jordan was affected by a second-degree (winter) low-pressure system accompanied by an extremely cold air mass across all layers of the atmosphere. As a result of the extreme cold in the atmosphere, especially the low layers, the northern mountain peaks, especially the peaks of Jerash and Ajloun governorates, especially the Ras Munif area, witnessed snowfall. Snow accumulated during the hours of Thursday/Friday night and Friday morning and dawn.

As the extremely cold winds deepened, snow spread to some peaks of the central highlands, including the peaks of Balqa, and some high-altitude neighborhoods west of the capital, including Khalda and Tlaa Al-Ali. Accumulating for a short period, this snowfall is the first of its kind during Ramadan in about 27 years, and it coincides with the first day of the vernal equinox.

These are scenes of the first snowfall during the month of Ramadan in about 27 years.


Comment: At the same time in the region: Snow returns to Lebanon

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Volcano

Lewotobi volcano sends ash cloud 8km high, some flights cancelled in Indonesia


Al Jazeera
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:04 UTC
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An eruption by Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located in the southeastern part of Flores Island, spewed ash clouds more than 8km (5 miles) into the air, disrupting flights and raising emergency warnings to the highest level for residents and tourists.

Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation warned locals and visitors on Friday against activities within a radius of 7-8km (4.4-5 miles) in the southwest and northeast sectors of the eruption.

"The ash column was observed grey to black with thick intensity," Indonesia's volcanology agency said in a statement about the eruption that began at 10:56pm local time on Thursday night (14:56 GMT).

There were no immediate reports of damage to nearby villages, but the agency warned residents of the potential for volcanic mudflow due to heavy rainfall. The long eruption prompted the country's geological agency to raise the volcano's alert level to the highest of the four-tiered system.

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Doberman

Stray dog attack claims life of 4-year-old girl in Maharashtra, India


thelivenagpur.com
Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:51 UTC
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A 4-year-old girl lost her life after being mauled by a pack of stray dogs in the Hingna Police Station area on Thursday afternoon. The tragic incident took place around 2 pm under a bridge in Gumgaon, raising serious concerns about the increasing stray dog menace in the region.

The victim has been identified as Harshita Chaudhary.

According to police, Hshita wandered from her home towards a nearby river, assuming that her grandmother had gone there to wash clothes. As she reached the area, she was suddenly attacked by three to four stray dogs, suffering critical injuries.

Her parents were away at work when the incident occurred. After being alerted, police and locals rushed to the scene and took Harshita to a hospital, but doctors declared her brought dead.

The Hingna police have registered a case of accidental death and have sought clarification from the gram panchayat regarding steps taken to control the growing stray dog population.
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Arrow Down

2 dead after mudslide caused by rainfall in Andavilque, Bolivia on March 16


abi.bo
Thu, 20 Mar 2025 18:48 UTC
Satellite image of the aftermath of the 16 March 2025 tailings landslide at Andavilque in Bolivia. Image copyright Planet, used with permission.
Satellite image of the aftermath of the 16 March 2025 tailings landslide at Andavilque in Bolivia. Image copyright Planet, used with permission.
The Deputy Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, reported this Tuesday that a thorough assessment is being conducted to identify the causes of the collapse of the "El Kenko" lagoon, which triggered a mudslide in Andavilque, in the municipality of Llallagua in the department of Potosí.

"A thorough assessment is being conducted to determine the causes that triggered this phenomenon (...). We have no knowledge of who managed this lagoon. What does catch our attention is the color of the mud that has fallen, and that, apparently, could be some kind of mining deposit," the official said in an interview with Cadena A.

At approximately 7:30 a.m. last Sunday, the El Kenko lagoon overflowed and caused a mudslide in the community of Andavilque, burying homes and animals in lead-colored mud, causing great concern among authorities.


Comment: Elsewhere in the country during the same time period: Heavy rains devastate Viacha, Bolivia - floods displace thousands

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Tsunami

Hundreds of people evacuated in Russia's Urals due to floods caused by melting ice


MSN
Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:59 UTC
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Hundreds of residents of Russia's Chelyabinsk and Bashkortostan regions were evacuated as melting ice caused river levels to rise and flood villages.

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