Earth Changes

Farmer seriously injured by sun bear in Indonesia

Rizal Harahap
The Jakarta Post
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:10 UTC

Sun bear

Residents in some villages in Rambah district, Rokan Hulu regency, Riau, have become restless after a bear attacked a farmer and caused serious injuries to the 54-year-old woman.

Rasmi Hasibuan of Hulu Sei Deras hamlet, Rambah Tengah Barat village, was attacked by the wild animal during a lunch break on her rubber plantation last Friday.

The bear, believed to be of the sun bear species, attacked her from behind and caused injuries to her head and back.

Rasmi managed to escape and tried to walk home, only to collapse from exhaustion when she was about to reach her house 1 kilometer away from the farm.

She was helped by her son-in-law who took her to the hospital. Rasmi received a number of stitches for wounds caused by bear scratches and bites.

"The bear has actually been terrorizing the community since it first appeared in early September," said Koto Tinggi villager Amran Maksum. Residents had often spotted the bear when walking along village roads, he added.

Lightning bolt kills 3 in Luapula, Zambia

Christine Chihame
Daily Mail (Zambia)
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 14:46 UTC

Three people of Chief Puta's area in Chienge district in Luapula Province have died after being struck by lightning.

Luapula Province commissioner of police Hudson Namachila said in an interview yesterday that the incident happened on Sunday around 17:00 hours.

Mr Namachila identified the victims as Agnes Chanda, 4, Kabaya Chipili, 22, and Kakaso Makamba, 55, all of Kapata village.

"We received a report of death in which the three, all of Kapata village in Chief Puta, were struck by lightning and died on the spot," Mr Namachila said.

He said the bodies have since been buried.

Record snowfall for Stockholm, Sweden; also record early snow

Robert Felix
Ice Age Now
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 12:13 UTC

Stockholm hasn't seen this much snow in November since they started snow depth measurement in the capital 1905, 111 years ago!

And it's only 9 November!

On Wednesday morning, SMHI measured 21 cm of snow. At midday there was an unofficial listing of 30 cm (12 inches.

The previous snow depth in Stockholm in November was 29 cm, set in 1985.

Also, record early snowfall

Further, it has not snowed in Stockholm this early in the winter since SMHI statistics started in 1905.

See video:

Thanks to Andreas Forsman and Andy S for these links

Lightning bolt kills three in East Java

Wahyoe Boediwardhana
The Jakarta Post
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 12:01 UTC

Authorities in East Java province called on local residents to stay alert during heavy rainstorms after three villagers were fatally struck by lightning on Wednesday.

The three victims, who lived in Tragah district in Bangkalan regency, were taking shelter from heavy rain and thunderstorms in a small, semi-open hut in the middle of a paddy field when they were struck by lightning.

"Witnesses reported that the victims were squeezing together in the hut when the lightning struck them," East Java provincial administration's National and Political Unity Office (Kesbangpol) head Eddy Supriyanto confirmed to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday evening.

Seven houses evacuated after huge sinkhole opens up in Ripon, UK

The Guardian
Thu, 10 Nov 2016 10:19 UTC

A huge sinkhole appeared behind a row of terrace houses in Yorkshire late yesterday evening

Seven houses have been evacuated after a sinkhole of unknown depth appeared in gardens in North Yorkshire.

Emergency crews were called to the 20-metre-wide (66ft) hole in Magdalen's Road, Ripon, on Tuesday night, fire and rescue service confirmed.

A spokesman said: "Two fire crews and an officer from Ripon attended a sinkhole that had appeared at the rear of two properties. There were no injuries but seven properties were evacuated.

"The hole measured approximately 20 metres by 10 metres, with an unknown depth.

Heavy rains cause deadly flooding across Balkans

KSBY San Luis Obispo News
Tue, 08 Nov 2016 17:34 UTC

© AP Photo/Hektor Pustina
A man crawls onto the roof of a flooded car in Kashar, 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Albanian capital Tirana.

Heavy rain in the Balkans caused swollen rivers to overflow Tuesday, flooding some homes and cutting electricity to remote areas. Authorities in Albania reported two deaths.

Serbia's state TV said surging waters cut a regional road in the southwest of the country and forced a dozen people to leave their homes.

A second day of rain caused floods in northern Montenegro, near the border with Serbia. Authorities in the town of Berane warned residents not to drink tap water.

Albanian authorities said a body was found in a river in Tirana, the capital, while another man died while trying to cross a stream with his car, and there were unconfirmed reports of other deaths as the country struggled to cope with up to 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain in some areas.

About 3,500 soldiers and emergency personnel have spread across the country to evacuate residents, more than 100 families, mainly ones living near rivers.

Ice Age Cometh: Scientists concerned approaching solar minimum could plunge Earth into deep freeze

Mark Duell
Daily Mail
Wed, 09 Nov 2016 00:47 UTC

On the ice: Frost Fairs appaered on the River Thames in the latter part of the ‘Little Ice Age’ with the river freezing over at least 23 times since the 1300s - the last time in 1814

Britain has been plunged into a cold snap over the past week as the country heads towards winter, but things were a lot chillier only a few hundred years ago.

The period from the mid-14th century to the 19th century in Europe was referred to as the 'Little Ice Age' due to the severity of the climate at the time.

Frost Fairs used to spring up on the River Thames in the latter part of this period, with the river freezing over at least 23 times since the 1300s - the last time in 1814.

The structure of Old London Bridge at the time made the river more likely to freeze over because ice chunks got caught between breakwaters which slowed its flow.

But some scientists believe we could now be heading for a 'mini ice age' following concerns that the sun is currently in its quietest period for more than a century.

Giant lightning bolt photographed in Toowoomba, Australia

Andrew Backhouse
Chinchilla News
Wed, 09 Nov 2016 20:23 UTC

Garry Wilkinson captured the stunning moment a giant lightning bolt hit Toowoomba.

An amateur photographer has captured the stunning moment a giant lightning bolt hit Toowoomba.

Garry Wilkinson captured the impressive photo last night to the south-west of Toowoomba.

The photo shows dark clouds looming over the city.

He snapped his photo from Glenvale just at the moment a huge bolt of lightning struck close to homes.

The Bureau of Meteorology had warned yesterday that storms could hit the city, but they bypassed Toowoomba, bringing hail to the east including Brisbane and Kilcoy.

Heavy rain did fall in parts of the city late last night.

Floods, accidents and lightning strikes as storm hits Gauteng, South Africa

Eyewitness News
Wed, 09 Nov 2016 19:55 UTC

Heavy rains in Gauteng have seen several car accidents, flooding on several roads and reports of lightning strikes.

Flooding in Bedfordview at the Gillooly's Interchange Traffic brought traffic to a standstill with some vehicles left submerged. Traffic was also brought to a standstill on the R24 westbound due to flash flooding while Boksburg, Rondebult and Northrand are also heavily flooded.

️ Lightning bolt strikes a palm tree in Bedfordview this afternoon. More here: https://t.co/n5KJY4NAsM pic.twitter.com/u9oFrS5Zsv
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) November 9, 2016

Lightning bolt strikes a palm tree in Bedfordview this afternoon. More here: https://t.co/n5KJY4NAsM pic.twitter.com/u9oFrS5Zsv

— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) November 9, 2016

Huge hailstones and 3,000 lightning strikes hit Brisbane, Australia

Ollie Gillman
Daily Mail
Tue, 08 Nov 2016 19:31 UTC

Brisbane was battered by huge hailstones and more than 3,000 lightning strikes as fierce storms rolled into Queensland

Brisbane was battered by huge hailstones and more than 3,000 lightning strikes as fierce storms pounded south-east Queensland.

More than 2,000 homes were without power after the storm on Tuesday afternoon, which saw 18mm of rain fall in just 30 minutes.

Shocked residents filmed as massive hailstones crashed to the earth, with 5cm chunks of ice coming down in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.

The ferocious storm is the just the start of the bad weather in Queensland this week, with four more days of thunder and lightning ahead.