Earth Changes

Lightning strikes start bushfires in Goomalling, Kalbarri, Australia

Phil Hickey
Perth Now
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 17:23 UTC

© Matt Fricker and Perth Weather Live
A tree fallen across the Goomallng-Toodyay Road after lightning strikes around the Wheatbelt.

Lightening strikes are believed to have sparked several bushfires across WA on Saturday.

Thunderstorms and lightning strikes in the Wheatbelt are believed to have sparked fires west of Goomalling on Saturday afternoon.

Pictures of fallen down trees on major roads near Goomalling, which is about 45km northeast of Northam, also emerged online.

Lightning strikes kill four in Iringa, Tanzania

Friday Simbaya
IPP Media
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 17:02 UTC

Lightning strikes killed four people including a student and a woman and hospitalized four others in Iringa District, Iringa Region on Friday.

Timoteo Mlamka, a Form IV student at Idodi Secondary School in Idodi Division, died instantly after being struck by lightning when he was playing school games at the school grounds.

Nurfatika Ngahema, 16, Grace Njati, 17, Jacqueline Kombo, 19, and Michael Ndawa, 16 all Form III students who playing with Mlamka were rushed to the nearby hospital following serious injuries.

Iringa Regional Police Commander (RPC) Ramadhani Mungi confirmed the incident and said the students were playing football under the rain at around 18:00hrs when they were struck by the lightning.

NASA satellites indicate slowdown of Gulf Stream

Mark Leberfinger
Accuweather
Thu, 05 Nov 2015 08:00 UTC

© NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA's GRACE satellites (artist's concept) measured Atlantic Ocean bottom pressure as an indicator of deep ocean current speed. In 2009, this pattern of above-average (blue) and below-average (red) seafloor pressure revealed a temporary slowing of the deep currents.

A major player in the transportation of heat in the Atlantic Ocean is slowing down and may affect higher latitude climates in the Northern Hemisphere, according to a NASA analysis of satellite data.

The cold "blob" that developed off Greenland may be the drag on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) by producing very chilly to record cold water, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said earlier this year.

Global warming may be responsible for AMOC's slowdown but natural forces may also be at work, NASA said. AMOC is part of the complex circulation of currents that help take the warmer Gulf Stream water and move it through the basin.

Data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites correspond with similar findings that were not satellite-based. The GRACE findings were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

An AMOC slowdown would impact other currents throughout the Atlantic.

Comment: As the global warming hoax spirals out of control, evidence suggests that the world is on the brink of a new ice age. See also:

Signs and Portents: Three-eared cat found in Norfolk, UK

Kate Royall
Eastern Daily Press
Thu, 12 Nov 2015 15:48 UTC

Brian, who has three ears, is believed to be between four and ten years old.

Staff at a Norfolk rescue centre were equally perplexed when one intrepid feline arrived sporting an extra ear.

As Feline Care Cat Rescue in East Harling continue to care for the moggie, it is hoped its owner will now step forward. Brian, as he has been affectionately called, arrived at the centre on Monday after being caught in one of the centre's traps after setting off security alarms at a nearby business.

Manager of the centre, Molly Farrar, said: "We expected it to be one of our own cats who'd been causing problems so this handsome, mature gentleman was quite a surprise to us.

"We've cared for plenty of cats with one eye, three legs or six toes and several cats with no tail left, but this is our first three-eared cat.

The centre is hoping that Brian has not been dumped but has simply got lost.

Magnitude 3.1 earthquake recorded in northeast Bulgaria

Focus Information Agency
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 15:18 UTC

A slight earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on the Richter scale has been reported close to the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna at around 10:44 p.m. on Saturday, the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography with the Bulgarian Academy of Science announced for FOCUS News Agency reported.

The epicentre of the quake was close to the town of Novi Pazar.

The jolt was just slightly felt by the local residents.

There is no information about damages or injured people.

Magnitude 4.3 earthquake shakes south-central Kansas

Julie Mah
The Wichita Eagle
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 15:07 UTC

An early Sunday morning earthquake was felt by some south-central Kansas residents.

The magnitude-4.3 earthquake occurred at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. It was centered near Fairview, Okla., west of Enid.

Residents in Wichita, Hutchinson, Kiowa, Conway Springs, Medicine Lodge, Pratt, Kingman, Andover, Winfield, Udall, Haysville, Derby and Valley Center reported feeling the quake to the Geological Survey site.

If you felt it, you can report it on the Geological Survey's Did You Feel It? webpage.

Three earthquakes rock Southland, New Zealand

Blake Foden
stuff.co.nz
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 15:01 UTC

Three earthquakes shook Southland overnight, the strongest measuring 4.6.

GeoNet reported a 3.8 magnitude rumble centred 50km north-west of Te Anau at 10.57pm on Saturday. It was 39km deep and described as being of "light" intensity.

Just over two hours later at 2.05am, a 4.6 magnitude shake was felt 120km west of Tuatapere. The earthquake was described as "strong" and was 12km deep.

The third earthquake to strike came at 3.31am. GeoNet reported the third shake, measuring 4.1, was centred 75km west of Tuatapere at a depth of 15km. It was described as being of "moderate" intensity.

Snowfall shuts 290 village roads in eastern Anatolia, Turkey

Robert Felix
Ice Age Now
Sat, 14 Nov 2015 14:16 UTC

Meteorological officials warned citizens to be careful and cautious, being particularly alert for high avalanche danger.

In Erzurum 173 village roads are closed due to snow, and 117 were closed in Ardahan, for a total of 290.

Highways teams continue to work for the opening of village roads so that transport can resume.

Also yesterday, Erzurum Regional Directorate of Highways 12 and Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality were stranded due to snow and subsequently rescued.

Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for these links

Just before the Climate Summit in Paris, the MSM keeps quiet about this kind of news," says Argiris.

Severe flood warnings issued for northern England

Sky News
Sat, 14 Nov 2015 20:13 UTC

Two towns in Cumbria are warned to take immediate action and prepare for flooding as torrential rain sweeps across the UK.

The Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings - indicating a risk to life - in northern England this weekend.

There are fears of "significant river flooding" as a band of torrential rain sweeps across the UK, drenching already saturated ground.

Cumbria - which suffered severe flooding in November 2009 - and North Lancashire are expected to be the worst-hit areas.

There is still concern over southwest Scotland and other parts of northwest England and north Wales.

The Environment Agency has issued 6 severe flood warnings, mostly in and around the towns of Egremont and Kendal, on opposite sides of the Lake District.

Death toll rises to 21 in east China landslide

Yahoo! News
Sun, 15 Nov 2015 09:15 UTC

© Associated Press
Officials and state media say a torrent of mud and rocks unleashed by heavy rains has buried nearly 20 homes at a village in eastern China

The death toll from a landslide that buried homes in eastern China has risen to 21 people with 16 others still missing, a local government said Sunday.

A torrent of mud and rocks unleashed by heavy rains buried nearly 30 homes in a village in Zhejiang province on Friday night. Four people were confirmed dead soon after the landslide.

The Lishui city government, which administers Lidong village, where the landslide happened, said that 21 bodies had been found as well as one survivor, who was in stable condition.