Earth Changes

Ireland Battered by New Storms

Jason O'Brien
Irish Independent
Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00 UTC

Heavy rain and winds of 140kmh cause havoc nationwide

Stormy conditions rolled right across the country again yesterday afternoon and last night, as strong winds and heavy rain spread in from the Atlantic.

With a severe weather alert issued well in advance by Met Eireann, most areas had done as much as they could in preparation, but winds of 120kmh and heavy rain uprooted trees and caused localised flooding in a number of locations.

The west of the country got the worst of the storm, as the Atlantic coast from Kerry to Donegal was battered by huge swells and gusts of up to 140kmh yesterday afternoon. The coastguard said a record swell of 11.5 metres was recorded in the sea off Valentia.

On dryer land, uprooted trees and fallen telephone lines proved to be a significant concern for motorists, with gardai and the emergency services called out to various locations to deal with traffic disruptions in Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Limerick, Westmeath, Louth and Dublin.

Philippine Volcano Spews Ash

The Straits Times
Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00 UTC

Manila - An explosion of ash and smoke from the rumbling Bulusan volcano in the central Philippines has jolted residents awake but scientists say an eruption is not imminent.

One of the country's 23 active volcanoes, Bulusan came back to life last weekend after emitting lava three years ago.

The state institute of volcanology says its analysis of the ashfall, which has blanketed about six municipalities, showed it contains no magma and there is no danger of eruption.

The latest blast early Friday shot up ash and steam some 500m above the 1,560m summit.

Authorities have distributed face masks, opened up evacuation centers and warned aircraft to avoid flying near the volcano.

Woman Passenger Killed After Being Impaled by Branch as 100mph Winds Sweep Britain

The Daily Mail, UK
Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:00 UTC

© Yorkshire News/Media Services
Winds of up to 100mph struck the country leading to the woman's death in Wakefield, West Yorkshire

A woman has been killed after being impaled by a branch when a tree crashed into a car as high winds battered Britain, police said today.

The woman was a passenger in a Vauxhall Zafira travelling through Wakefield last night when the tree smashed into the road, causing the freak accident.

She was taken to Pinderfield's Hospital a short distance away but died soon afterwards. The male driver of the vehicle was also hurt but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

West Yorkshire police said a number of homes in the area were evacuated overnight and part of the road - the A642 - is likely to remain closed until this afternoon.

Three fire crews were called to the scene last night to free the casualties. A fire service spokesman described the woman as having been 'impaled'.

Neighbour Christine Wright said: 'It is a freak accident. I heard a loud thud about nine-ish, but there was so much noise with the wind I didn't think much of it, initially.

'Something made me look out of my window and I saw two police officers in yellow jackets. I then heard the ambulance sirens. It's so worrying, there are lots of tall, old trees around here. Someone needs to look at them.'

The incident happened as high winds and heavy rain battered many parts of the UK.

Record high temperatures return to Russia

RIA Novosti
Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:12 UTC

Not for the first time this year, a number of Russian regions are experiencing record high temperatures, with the mercury rising to up to 14.5 degrees Celsius (58.1 degrees Fahrenheit) in Moscow on Thursday, the Meteonovosti weather portal said.

The first weather records since the start of this fall were registered on Tuesday and Wednesday, when temperatures in the capital rose to 11.9 degrees Celsius (53.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and 13 degrees Celsius (55.4 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively.

"A third temperature record was recorded on Thursday. At night, the temperature [in Moscow] was almost two degrees higher that the previous absolute maximum of 12.6 degrees Celsius (54.7 degrees Fahrenheit) registered in 1927," the statement said.

Kiwifruit Virus Could Affect 18 New Zealand Orchards

Bloomberg
Wed, 10 Nov 2010 04:00 UTC

A vine disease threatening New Zealand's NZ$1.4 billion ($1.1 billion) kiwifruit industry may have affected as many as 18 orchards, the government said, confirming that a second North Island orchard has the infection.

The government has placed entry restrictions on four orchards in the Bay of Plenty area, two of which have been infected with Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae, said Annie Wright, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in an interview. The region produces 77 percent of New Zealand's kiwifruit crop, according to Zespri Group Ltd., the world's largest marketer of the fruit.

The ministry is studying images from 18 New Zealand kiwifruit orchards suspected to be showing symptoms, Wright said. The ministry put a "restricted place notice" on another orchard today, placing precautions on entering and leaving the property, she said.

"We have four restricted places notices and two confirmed as having PSA," said Wright.

Southeast Indian Ridge - Earthquake Magnitude 6.3

USGS
Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:27 UTC

Date-Time:
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 04:05:24 UTC

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 10:05:24 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
45.538°S, 96.394°E

Depth:
10.7 km (6.6 miles)

Region:
SOUTHEAST INDIAN RIDGE

Distances:
2250 km (1400 miles) SW of PERTH, Western Australia, Australia

Montana, US: Efforts Fail to Halt Pneumonia Outbreak in Bighorn Sheep

NECN
Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:08 UTC

Helena - Wildlife officials will let a pneumonia outbreak run its course through a herd of bighorn sheep west of Anaconda after killing dozens of sick animals failed to keep the disease in check.

There are no known vaccines to prevent pneumonia in bighorn sheep, which is usually fatal for the animals, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said Tuesday. Instead, wildlife officials kill sick sheep to prevent other animals from being exposed.

The agency has killed 44 bighorn sheep in the herd of about 300 animals west of Anaconda since confirming the pneumonia outbreak in August. But FWP officials say the outbreak has now spread beyond management control.

The whole population appears to be exposed and there is nothing to gain by killing more sheep, FWP Regional Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson said in a statement. Instead, the focus is now on trying to keep alive every animal that has a chance of surviving the outbreak.

Anak Krakatau's Latest Rumbling Growing Pains

Dessy Sagita
The Jakarta Globe
Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:20 UTC

Jakarta - The crater of Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait has expanded to a diameter of 25-26 meters, an Indonesian volcanologist says.

The news comes as the frequency of eruptions of the volcano increases.

On Friday there were 615 eruptions, on Saturday there were 623 and on Sunday 668.

Anton S. Pambudi, a Banten province official who monitors the volcano, said the latest eruptions had changed the shape of the crater and his team would continue to monitor it.

Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah said Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) did not pose a threat and the eruptions, which can be seen from the western tip of Java, were spectacular to watch.

Krakatoa exploded in 1883, with the resulting tsunamis killing an estimated 40,000 people, though some estimates put the death toll much higher.

The explosion is still considered to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history, with reports of it being heard nearly 4,800 kilometers away.

Severe Weather Alert as Britain Battered by 70mph Winds, Snow in the North and Up to Three Inches of Rain Across the South

The Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:47 UTC

Up to three inches of rain expected in the South East
Four flood warnings, 37 flood watches in place across UK
Motorists rescued by police as six cars are trapped in snow in Cumbria
Snow falls on high ground from the midlands to Scotland

Britain has been placed on flood alert after torrential rain and high winds battered the country.

Following a day of snowfall, gales and downpours that brought disruption to the roads, the Environment Agency issued flood warnings across the Midlands, the North East and Wales.

With thunderstorms and flash floods forecast for last night, a weather warning was also issued for the South East.

Gale-force winds and snow disrupted road, train and ferry services - but the worst of the wintry blast is yet to come.

Snow fell across high ground from the north Midlands towards Scotland, with the Highlands particularly affected.

Elsewhere, winds of up to 70mph and torrential downpours were in force.

Flash flooding in Vicenza, northern Italy (VIDEO)

81oettam
YouTube
Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:57 UTC

© 81oettam
The flooding did bring some relief to locals: it forced the closure of the enormous US military base there for two days.

Spectacular flash flooding swept away cars and forced the closure of the nearby US military base in Vicenza, northern Italy on November 1st. A low-pressure system over the western Mediterranean Sea dumped almost 10 inches of rain on the region since Halloween (October 31st).