© YouTube/Mercury News (screen capture)
Earth Changes
Rangers are investigating mystery deaths at Djoudj bird sanctuary, a migratory pitstop for hundreds of bird species
Seven hundred and fifty pelicans have been found dead in a Unesco world heritage site in northern Senegal that provides refuge for millions of migratory birds, the country's parks director has said.
Rangers found the pelicans on Saturday in the Djoudj bird sanctuary, a remote pocket of wetland near the border with Mauritania and a resting place for birds that cross the Sahara into west Africa each year.
© Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
Senegal authorities are incinerating the dead pelicans and have closed Djoudj bird sanctuary while they investigate.
Senegal authorities are incinerating the dead pelicans and have closed Djoudj bird sanctuary while they investigate.
Rangers found the pelicans on Saturday in the Djoudj bird sanctuary, a remote pocket of wetland near the border with Mauritania and a resting place for birds that cross the Sahara into west Africa each year.
"Some say it's good for us, that this blood-like water is the cleansing we needed," said restaurant owner Rachel Jacobs.
"We are going through a lot. We are fighting Covid-19, load-shedding and even recession," she said.
The stream of red water she referred to was caused by the remnants of the iron-ore dust left behind after blasting at the nearby mining facilities.
© Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Rain at Melbourne Park. In the 24 hours to 9am Friday, widespread rainfall totals of 20-40mm were recorded, with 60-70mm in the upper Avoca and Wimmera catchments.
Rain at Melbourne Park. In the 24 hours to 9am Friday, widespread rainfall totals of 20-40mm were recorded, with 60-70mm in the upper Avoca and Wimmera catchments.
Parts of Victoria have recorded a month's worth of rain in less than 12 hours while New South Wales has been warned to batten down the hatches as strong winds and thunderstorms are forecast to continue following record downfalls in some regions.
Dean Narramore, a senior forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology, said on Friday evening that parts of Victoria "copped a drenching" in the past 24 hours, with heavy rain across large swathes of the state. Almost 70mm fell in some parts.
Melbourne and central and western Victoria saw a deluge on Friday. "Melbourne metro itself has seen 40mm in four hours and the month's average for January is 47mm," Narramore said.
In the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, widespread rainfall totals of 20-40mm were recorded across western Victoria, with the bureau recording higher totals of 60-70mm in the upper Avoca and Wimmera catchments.
"Many locations, not only in Melbourne but right across western and central Victoria, have had a month's worth of rain in less than six to 12 hours. That rain is continuing to move towards the east with falls continuing in the 20-40mm range," Narramore said.
The flurries came as part of a storm that crossed the state overnight, bringing 5 inches of snow to some eastern counties before crossing over the Outer Banks just before dawn.
Snowfall totals on the barrier islands included nearly an inch at Southern Shores and about a half inch in Duck and Kitty Hawk. Snow also fell in Buxton, Nags Head and Ocracoke, but accumulation was slight, the National Weather Service said.
Images of the snow began appearing just after dawn on social media, including video from the top of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
Flooding in Fiji: Tropical Cyclone hits Nadi Town cause heavy flooding
A flash flood warning remains in force for all low lying areas and small streams near major rivers in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
If you are living in a flood prone area, please move to high ground and don't leave things to the last minute.
National Disaster Management Office Director, Vasiti Soko says people should move to their nearest evacuation centre now.
19 centres are open in the North and 1 centre is open in the west.
© Yosemite National Park
A fallen giant sequoia tree at Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park after the Mono wind event on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.
A fallen giant sequoia tree at Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park after the Mono wind event on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.
Originally, officials thought that just two of the massive trees had fallen. But as they have inspected the area on the park's southern edges in recent days, they discovered wider destruction in the awe-inspiring grove, which was first set aside for protection in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln.
"We have extensive damage in the park," said Scott Gediman, a Yosemite park spokesman. "Millions and millions of dollars. There could be more giant sequoias down. We are continuing the damage assessment."
Zermatt under snow
The avalanche danger level has been raised to Level 5 in some parts of the Alps as the snow continues to fall.
It is the highest level on the scale.
A walker was buried under 2.5m of snow in Val d'Isere in France, but was rescued alive as the man was caught in an air pocket.
He was buried for two hours and 40 minutes.
The rescue services have described it as a "miracle".
The California Department of Transportation shared information that they were helping folks get turned around and back to safety, after witnessing multiple slide-offs, accidents, and having to retrieve stuck vehicles.
The status of roads is ever-changing. We encourage you to check the latest road conditions in California here:
California Department of Transportation | Caltrans
Snowfall was nearing 100″ as the sun was setting Thursday over Mammoth Mountain in California. Not far behind that was June Mountain, at 72″ or 6 FEET! Other noteworthy storm reports were in the four to five foot range in Northstar, Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows and Dodge Ridge.
Heavy rains triggered a landslide in the Mumeng area in Morobe province's Bulolo town where people were engaged in alluvial mining, daily The National reported.
There were 11 people at the makeshift camp when the landslide hit early Wednesday, the report said.
Three of them were able to save themselves, while the bodies of a couple and three siblings were found on Thursday.
Comment: See also: