Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Storm Trami floodwaters near rooftops in central Vietnam - 17 inches of rainfall in 24 hours - 5 killed (UPDATE)

Floodwaters in the Kien Giang River have reached rooftop levels in Loc Thuy and An Thuy communes, Le Thuy District, causing widespread damage.
Floodwaters in the Kien Giang River have reached rooftop levels in Loc Thuy and An Thuy communes, Le Thuy District, causing widespread damage.
As of Monday afternoon, over 28,340 households in Quang Binh have been affected by the flooding, with 15,800 households in Le Thuy District, 11,540 in Quang Ninh District, and 1,000 in Dong Hoi City.

The floods have isolated 58 villages.

Floodwaters have submerged 84 locations along the province's roadways, including five points on National Highway 1, where flood depths have reached up to 60 cm. An 800-meter stretch of the Ho Chi Minh Highway, runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, passing through Truong Thuy Commune in Le Thuy District is also underwater, with the deepest point reaching 80 cm.

This marks the second major flood to hit Quang Binh, home to world's largest cave Son Doong, in the last four years, following a similar incident in October 2020.

Le Thuy, in southern Quang Binh, is the hardest hit, with over 15,800 homes submerged.


Comment: Update October 31

NKTV Digital reports:
In Vietnam, flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm Trami have killed five people and injured five others. The storm brought heavy rain that swelled rivers, downed power lines, and swept through communities in Quang Binh province. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, over 300 homes and nearly 1,300 hectares of crops were damaged. Trami made landfall in central Vietnam on Sunday, after tearing through the Philippines, where it killed more than 100 people.

Vietnam is prone to tropical storms, which often cause deadly flash floods and landslides, hitting the country between June and November every year. Last month, northern Vietnam was devastated by Typhoon Yagi, which claimed 345 lives and caused an estimated economic loss of 3.3 billion US Dollars.



Binoculars

Barau's Petrel seabird from the Indian Ocean appears off coast of France on Oct.10th - 1st record for the Western Palearctic

Barau's Petrel reeds only on Réunion in the Indian Ocean
© Guillaume ReyBarau's Petrel reeds only on Réunion in the Indian Ocean
On 10 October 2024, following ex-Hurricane Kirk, I decided undertake a seawatch at Lège-Cap Ferret, Gironde, in the hope of observing some storm-driven seabirds. I took up position at dawn on top of a sand dune that overlooked the beach and permitted good views out to sea. I had a strong sense of anticipation, but I did not think that shortly I would observe a new species for the Western Palearctic ...

At 8.20 am I picked up a very interesting-looking, long-winged seabird among a group of Sandwich Terns, heading north at about 300 m offshore. I could see that it was a Pterodroma petrel but was uncertain about its identification. The most likely species is Desertas Petrel, but it has a largely dark underwing and the bird in front of me had extensive white in the underwings. The other likely candidate was Zino's Petrel and some of them have quite a lot of white in the underwings, though nothing like this bird.

Despite the distance, I decided to take some record photographs and, as it turned out, this proved to be critical to clinching identification of a wholly unexpected species. The petrel continued northwards and was lost to view.
Barau's Petrel, Lège-Cap-Ferret, Gironde, 10 October 2024
© Guillaume ReyBarau's Petrel, Lège-Cap-Ferret, Gironde, 10 October 2024

Snowflake

Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada digs out after another heavy dump of October snow

A statue in downtown Whitehorse after a heavy snowfall, Oct. 30, 2024.
A statue in downtown Whitehorse after a heavy snowfall, Oct. 30, 2024.
Jan Polivka was already relishing the early start to the cross-country ski season a couple of days ago.

"I have never seen that much snow at the end of October," the operations manager of the Whitehorse Nordic Centre said on Monday.

"We had a couple seasons when we had some actually decent snow conditions — but nothing like this."

Then on Wednesday, Polivka and the rest of the Whitehorse woke to find another thick blanket of white stuff had covered the city overnight. Out came the shovels, again, and any lingering back or muscle aches from the last driveway-clearing would have to wait a bit longer for rest and recovery.

October snow is definitely not unheard of in the Yukon, and Halloween costumes, whatever they may be, often involve snow boots. Still, the amount that's fallen so far this month has been unusual.


Cloud Lightning

At least 3 killed in Taiwan as Super Typhoon Kong-rey makes landfall (UPDATE)

A wave crashing over a sea wall as Super Typhoon Kong-rey neared the coast in Taitung on Oct. 31.
© CNAA wave crashing over a sea wall as Super Typhoon Kong-rey neared the coast in Taitung on Oct. 31.
One person has been killed and 73 injured in Taiwan where Super Typhoon Kong-rey, one of the most powerful storms to threaten the island in decades, made landfall.

Packing maximum wind speeds of 184km/h (114mph), Kong-rey slammed into eastern Taiwan on Thursday afternoon, the Central Weather Administration said.

The death was reported in the central county of Nantou when a falling tree crushed a vehicle, the National Fire Agency said.

The streets of the capital, Taipei, were largely deserted as heavy rains and fierce winds lashed the city.

Island-wide, nearly 35,000 soldiers were on standby to help with relief efforts.


Comment: Update November 1

CGTN reports:
Typhoon Kong-rey, the 21st typhoon of the year, made landfall in southeastern Taitung County of China's Taiwan region at around 2 p.m. on Thursday, resulting in three deaths and leaving dozens injured.

The eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung experienced strong winds and torrential rain throughout the day. Due to severe weather conditions, work and school were suspended across the island. The typhoon has also caused massive disruptions to travel, with most trains, flights and ferries canceled.



Seismograph

Shallow 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Oregon coast; no tsunami expected, officials say

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A preliminary magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Wednesday afternoon off the southern coast of Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck at 1:15 p.m., according to the USGS. Its epicenter was located about 170 miles west of Bandon and 250 miles west-southwest of Salem, at a depth of 6 miles.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was not expected.

A person who answered the phone at the front desk of the Best Western Inn at Face Rock, in Bandon, said the quake was not felt there.

The USGS initially measured the quake's magnitude as 6.1 before it was downgraded to 6.0.

Comment: 8 hours earlier: 6.0-magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea


Seismograph

6.0-magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 shook the New Britain island of Papua New Guinea at 12:18 UTC, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Wednesday.

The quake's epicenter was registered 123 kilometers north-northwest of Kimbe town in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 18,800 inhabitants, and 646 km away from the capital city Port Moresby with a population of 283,000. The earthquake hit at a depth of 521 kilometers.

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake and the event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Comment: 8 hours later: Shallow 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Oregon coast; no tsunami expected, officials say


Lightning

Lightning strike kills 2 shepherds, another bolt kills 17 sheep in Telangana, India

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Lightning killed two cattle herders at Dhanura village in Tekmal mandal on Wednesday.

According to villagers, Bethaiah (40) and Bharath (17) were grazing their sheep on the outskirts of the village when the area witnessed heavy rains coupled with lightning. The duo died on the spot.

In another incident, lightning killed 17 sheep at Dakur village in Andole mandal. Luckily, the cattle herders escaped unhurt as they were few metres away from the spot. The erstwhile Medak district witnessed heavy rains coupled with strong winds.

Snowflake

Heavy rainfall and snow disrupt traffic in several Moroccan regions

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Rain and snowfall have once again caused widespread disruptions in road traffic across parts of Morocco, with key routes, particularly in Boulemane and Midelt provinces, completely closed and leaving some areas almost isolated as of Wednesday morning.

According to a bulletin from the Ministry of Equipment and Transport, several roads have been closed to vehicles. These include routes connecting Missour to Guercif, Serghina to Skoura in Boulemane, as well as the Tinghir route leading to the Todgha Gorges, and the routes of Bouretrat and Amersid in Midelt, where alternative routes are currently unavailable.

The bulletin also noted that rainfall had led to closures on four national roads, two regional roads, and six provincial roads. Authorities managed to reopen four provincial roads, three national roads, and one regional road in Boulemane last night, partially restoring movement in the region.

In Midelt, heavy snowfall blanketed large areas and blocked two critical regional roads connecting the town of Rich with the rural Imilchil area, as well as the road linking the rural center of Tounfite with Imilchil, affecting numerous villages along these routes.


Tsunami

Heavy rains lead to flash flooding on roads in Saudi Arabia

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Heavy rainfall in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, has led to significant flooding, affecting local roads and disrupting daily activities. Videos on social media show intense flash floods sweeping through areas around Makkah, including Al Jumum Governorate, with key roadways submerged and parts of the holy city impacted.

The severe downpours have also caused nearby wadis, or seasonal riverbeds, to overflow, which is unusual in this region known for its arid climate.

Local authorities, including Saudi Arabia's National Center for Meteorology, issued safety warnings and urged residents to avoid affected areas. Roads connecting Makkah to nearby cities, such as Jeddah, saw water accumulations, and transportation was heavily disrupted.

In response to the risks posed by ongoing storms, civil defense teams are on alert to assist residents​.


Tsunami

1 missing after flash flood and severe weather hit Italy

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Italian police said they didn't give up hope on locating a man swept away by flash floods on the island of Sardinia on Sunday, and the search will continue on Tuesday, APA reports citing Xinhua.

Davide Manda, a 41-year-old sailor, was carried off in his Jeep Wrangler by swift currents during a violent thunderstorm in southern Sardinia early Sunday morning, near Monte Arcosu. Local rescue teams began searching by land and helicopter on Sunday, resuming efforts at first light on Monday before halting as night fell. The search is set to continue Tuesday morning.

The same severe weather system also hit northwestern Italy, especially the Liguria and Piedmont regions, although conditions have begun to ease as of Monday.

Last week, severe flooding in Emilia Romagna delayed a football match between Bologna and AC Milan.

Over the past three years, Italy has been repeatedly struck by extreme weather events, from record heatwaves and drought in summer to hailstorms and flooding in other seasons.