Earth ChangesS


Lightning

Lightning strikes claimed 1,075 lives in last 3 years in Odisha, India


Odisha Bytes
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:23 UTC
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At least 1,075 people were killed due to lightning strikes during the last three years in Odisha, the state Assembly was informed on Thursday.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari shared this information while replying to a question in the House. The highest number of 81 deaths due to lightning strikes between 2022 and 2024 took place in the Mayurbhanj district followed by Balasore district (68) and Ganjam district (60), he said.

The data presented by the Minister in the House revealed that lightning strikes have claimed 306 lives during 2022-23 and 272 during 2023-24.

Similarly, 201 deaths have been confirmed during the current financial year so far. Ex-gratia has been paid to 77 victims' families and 124 cases are under consideration.
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Marijuana

Rare corpse flower blooming at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand

Ripu Bhatia
Stuff
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:39 UTC
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One of the world's rarest flowers is in the process of blooming at Auckland Zoo.

Amorphophallus titanum, or the corpse flower of Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom and only flowers once every seven to ten years.

The flower blooms for just two to three days, sometimes even less, and once fully opened emits a powerful stench to attract pollinators.

The unique specimen stands nearly two meters tall in its pot and is on display in the South East Asia Jungle Track's high canopy habitat, Auckland Zoo said.

It is usually based in the Indonesian swamp forest exhibition, which is a climate-controlled tropical drone, but this is currently closed for upgrades.

The zoo said it can't guarantee how long the flower is going to bloom for as individual specimens can vary.

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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: New research paper shows Little Ice Age, climate fueled by a number of natural driving factors

Klimanachrichten
No Tricks Zone
Sat, 30 Nov 2024 09:12 UTC
The Little Ice Age generated image
© Klimanachrichten/AI-generatedThe Little Ice Age, 1250 to 1860 AD
The period between 1250 and 1860 is also known as the Little Ice Age. We have already reported on it several times here. The Little Ice Age was the undoing of the Franklin expedition, among others. In search of the Northwest Passage, the crew failed because of the ice, even though they had set off in summer. Franklin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He paid with his death.

But what was the climate like at the time and what were the climate drivers? Volcanoes played a major role, but so did a minimum of solar activity. However, summers were by no means consistently wet and cool.

Comment: The importance of the NAO has been coming into focus in the last decade. It's potential collapse is perilous.

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Doberman

Dog attack claims life of 8-year-old boy in Onslow County, North Carolina

Alaina Laster
wcti12.com
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:56 UTC
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An 8-year-old boy tragically lost his life following a dog attack in Onslow County over the weekend. The incident occurred as the boy and his sibling were letting their family's pit bull and Great Dane mixes outside, according to investigators.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies responded to a home off Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville at approximately 2:54 p.m. on Friday, November 29. Upon arrival, they found the young boy suffering from a bite mark on his neck. He was transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

Authorities stated that neither of the dogs involved had any recorded history of violence with law enforcement or Onslow County Animal Services. The family also reported that the dogs had not shown any signs of aggression prior to the attack.

Both dogs have been quarantined as the investigation into the incident continues. The reason for the attack remains unknown.

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Volcano

This Week in Volcano News; Mammoth Mountain earthquake swarm, large Dukono eruption

GeologyHub
YouTube
Sun, 01 Dec 2024 13:33 UTC
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This week, an unusual earthquake swarm occurred at California's Mammoth Mountain volcano, involving more than two dozen events. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the largest eruption plume on record was generated due to a plug bursting at the Dukono volcano. And, in Sumatra, the Dempo volcano was the site of a likely shallow magmatic intrusion that evaporated a portion of its acidic crater lake.

This video will discuss these stories and list the 48 volcanoes which are actively erupting around the planet.


Thumbnail Photo Credit: Frame grab from a video by the ExtremePursuit YouTube channel, - Dukono Volcano erupts during expedition, Used with Permission. This image was mirrored horizontally (left became right, right became left).
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Volcano

Bledug Kesongo mud volcano erupts in Central Java, Indonesia

infomitigasi
YouTube
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:27 UTC
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The eruption of the Bledug Kesongo mud volcano in the Gabusan village area, Jati sub-district, Blora district this morning, Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Four days ago, this mud volcano also experienced an eruption, but not as big as the eruption that occurred this morning.

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Arrow Down

7 feared dead in landslide due to continuous downpour caused by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu, India - year's worth of rain in just 36 hours


Times of India
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 20:54 UTC
Rescue operations underway in Tiruvannamalai where a landslide claimed two lives on Monday, December 2, 2004
Rescue operations underway in Tiruvannamalai where a landslide claimed two lives
A family of seven, including five children, were feared to be trapped in a landslide in Tiruvannamalai. The family resided close to Annamalayar Hills in Tiruvannamalai.

According to police sources, the landslide occurred at around 4.30 pm on Sunday due to continuous downpour caused by Cyclone Fengal. The family members were identified as Rajkumar, his wife Meena, their two children, and three children of Meena's brother. The family was residing on the 11th Street in VOC Nagar in Tiruvannamalai.

As soon as the landslide occurred, their neighbours alerted the police and fire servicemen to rescue the family. Immediately, the police and fire servicemen arrived at the spot and tried to rescue them, but as rain continued to batter Tiruvannamalai, the rescue operation could not be carried out.


Comment: The Indian Express reports:
Cyclone Fengal unleashed unprecedented rainfall, with Tamil Nadu witnessing a year's worth of rain in just 36 hours and Puducherry recording its highest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years. Flooding disrupted transport and inundated housing colonies. Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin inspected affected areas as rescue operations evacuated hundreds. The IMD forecasts heavy rain till December 2 and issued an orange alert for Kanchipuram due to overflowing dams.



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Tsunami

Severe flooding Thailand, 29 dead, trains disrupted - 19.7 inches of rain in a day - 43 inches in 7 days (UPDATE)

Apinya Wipatayotin
Bangkok Post
Thu, 28 Nov 2024 20:24 UTC
A man looks at the flooded Road 43 in Nong Chik
© Pattani Public Relations OfficeA man looks at the flooded Road 43 in Nong Chik district of Pattani on Thursday. The road serves as a main link between Songkhla and other southernmost provinces.
More than 130,000 households in seven southern provinces have been hit by floods following downpours that are forecast to continue in many areas until Dec 3.

Heavy rain continues to pound all southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, and many train services have been suspended due to flooded tracks between Pattani and Yala.

The weather office issued another warning on Thursday about downpours until Sunday in eight provinces: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. This could further exacerbate flooding.

Water levels in key southern rivers — Pattani, Saiburi, Kolok and Tanyongmas — are forecast to rise significantly in the coming days, overflowing the banks and surging by 1.5 to 2 metres, said Thanaroj Woraratprasert, director of the National Water Administration Center at the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).

The accumulated rainfall in vast areas of the South has been substantial, with Narathiwat recording the highest rainfall over the past seven days, totalling 1,100 millimetres.


Comment: Update December 4

AFP reports:
More than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe flooding in southern Thailand, where the death toll climbed to 29, officials said on December 4.

More heavy rain is forecast in the area, where over 155,000 households have already been affected by flooding, according to the Thai government's public relations department.

Five southern provinces have been hit -- Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung -- forcing more than 33,000 people to leave their homes, the spokesperson for Thailand's ministry of public health said in a statement.

Disaster response teams were working to drain floodwater and evacuate flood victims to dry areas, the country's disaster agency said on its Facebook page.

The death toll now stands at 29, up from 25 reported on December 3.


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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: 'It just keeps coming and coming': Heavy lake-effect snow dumps over 4 feet on parts of Great Lakes region - nearly 5 feet for Copenhagen, New York


CNN
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:13 UTC
Lake-effect snow buried a vehicle in Pennsylvania's Millcreek Township.
© Matt EisertLake-effect snow buried a vehicle in Pennsylvania's Millcreek Township.
As biting cold temperatures sweep across a large swath of the US, parts of the Great Lakes face up to two feet of additional lake-effect snow through Tuesday - the latest complication for cities already blanketed by snowfall amid post-Thanksgiving travel.

More than two million people downwind of the Great Lakes have been under winter weather warnings. Winter storm warnings were posted off Lakes Superior and Michigan, and lake-effect snow warnings are in place off Lakes Erie and Ontario, with heavy snow reported this weekend across parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state.

Nearly 4 feet of snow fell on parts of western New York the last few days, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, with some places exceeding the 4-foot mark Sunday. Copenhagen, New York, saw 58.8 inches - nearly 5 feet - by Sunday night, according to the weather service.

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Tornado2

Ominous waterspout looms over Crystal Beach, Ontario


MSN
Sun, 01 Dec 2024 11:31 UTC
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Ominous waterspout forms over Crystal Beach, ON, creating a dramatic scene. This natural phenomenon highlights the power of weather on December 1, 2024

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