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80,000 homes without power after 100 mph storms hit north and west Wales


bbc.co.uk
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:02 UTC
Image

Gusts up to 80mph battered west and north west Wales
Some 80,000 homes are without power as winds of over 100 mph batter the coast forcing the closure of roads, rail lines and schools.

Wales has been offered military help following Wednesday's storms.

Secretary of State David Jones spoke to First Minister Carwyn Jones after the UK government's emergency Cobra meeting and offered the Army's help.

A red "take action" weather warning was issued by the Met Office as exceptionally strong winds hit.

The west and north west coast have been worst hit, and a gust of 108 mph has been recorded at Aberdaron, according to the Met Office.

Scottish Power says 45,000 homes are without power in mid and north Wales, while Western Distribution has 35,000 homes affected in south and west Wales.

Phil Davies, network services manager for Western Power Distribution, said: "We've got staff out there. We were prepared for it.
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Ice Cube

U.S. Bone-chilling winter blast wipes out power to 300,000 in southern states

Alastair Jamieson and Daniel Arkin
nbcnews.com
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 12:06 UTC
Image

Deep freeze
An army of emergency crews were gearing up for battle Wednesday with a vicious ice storm in Georgia that had already cut off power for tens of thousands of people across a long arm of the Southeast and left the streets of Atlanta looking like a sci-fi wasteland.

Nearly 300,000 customers across Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and the Carolinas were without power early Wednesday. But Georgia was bearing the brunt of the wicked weather, with more than 200,000 customers in the dark Wednesday after frozen tree limbs slashed power lines, while emergency planners urged drivers across the state to stay off "deceptively dangerous" roads.

Metro Atlanta was a veritable ghost town as an eerie calm settled over desolate streets slick with ice. The highways were deserted as freezing rain and ferocious wind gusts kept drivers at home. At local retailers, shoppers scrambled to stock up on supplies before the brunt of the storm came crashing down.
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Cloud Lightning

Hurricane-force winds leave over a quarter of a million customers without power In Ireland


news.sky.com
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:39 UTC
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A crushed van in Limerick
Hurricane-force winds have left more than a quarter of a million customers without power in Ireland.

It is the biggest power outage in the country for more than 15 years, with more than 2,000 separate faults across the network.

Among the worst affected areas are Cork, Kerry and Clare.

The worst of the storm battering the country is expected to pass by 7pm, but not before bringing winds which could reach 100mph (160kph).
      Read More...
Cloud Lightning

UK is on permanent red alert this winter: 170kph winds, 1.6 million homes without power and widespread damage from worst flooding in centuries

Adam Withnall
The Independent, UK
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 10:12 UTC
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People living on Britain's west coast have been advised to take action and stay indoors after the Met Office issued a red alert for 100mph winds set to batter the country.

Forecasters said a storm front was on its way that would bring heavy rain, powerful winds, blizzards and snow across the UK today, but the red severe weather warning - the highest level possible - is a rare occurrence.

It means that there is a high likelihood of power outages, fallen trees and significant damage to property across north Wales and north-west England.
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Bizarro Earth

USGS: Earthquake Magnitude 6.9 - 268km ESE of Hotan, China


US Geological Survey
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 10:03 UTC
Hotan Quake_120214
© USGS
Event Time
2014-02-12 09:19:48 UTC
2014-02-12 17:19:48 UTC+08:00 at epicenter

Location
35.922°N 82.549°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)

Nearby Cities
268km (167mi) ESE of Hotan, China
493km (306mi) ENE of Leh, India
522km (324mi) SSE of Aral, China
546km (339mi) ESE of Shache, China
902km (560mi) ENE of Islamabad, Pakistan

Technical Details
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Attention

Warning as sharks flock to Blue Whale carcass at Cape Bridgewater, Victoria, Australia

Peter Collins
The Standard ( Australia)
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:24 UTC
Image
Increased numbers of sharks have been drawn to Cape Bridgewater by a recently beached blue whale, prompting warnings for swimmers, surfers and sightseers.

Flesh and liquid from the sub-adult whale measuring about 20 metres has washed into the ocean, leaving a trail which has drawn sharks from afar.

One family which ventured to the secluded rocky beach in a rubber dinghy to view the carcass reportedly saw a shark leap out of the water to kill a seal.

"If these people had fallen into the water it could have been very life-threatening for them," said Mandy Watson, Warrnambool-based senior regional biodiversity officer with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.
      Read More...
Arrow Down

Sinkhole opens up in Barnehurst back garden, UK

Melissa Hills
thisislocallondon.co.uk
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 08:49 UTC
Image

Gretel Davidson, 55, of Holmesdale Crescent, thought her daughter Mia, 12, was exaggerating when she called her to say a huge black hole had appeared in the middle of their lawn.
A giant sinkhole measuring 17 feet deep and 10 feet wide has appeared in a Barnehurst back garden.

Gretel Davidson, 55, of Holmesdale Crescent, thought her daughter Mia, 12, was exaggerating when she called her to say a huge black hole had appeared in the middle of their lawn.

The radiographer at Darent Valley Hospital did not realise the extent of the hole until she got home and peered into the void last Wednesday.

Gretel said: "I just feel totally helpless. Mia rang me to say 'Mum there is a massive hole in the garden'.

"I didn't really believe her and just thought she was going over the top.

"It is just unbelievable to think a hole that size could appear over night and out of nowhere." Feeling totally helpless Gretel knocked on her neighbour's doors to try and get some help but nobody had any idea what to do.

She added: "I got in touch with the council but they said they couldn't help because it's my own property.
      Read More...
Attention

Alert level raised on Indoneisa's Kelut volcano for second time in two weeks


Extinction Protocols
Wed, 12 Feb 2014 07:25 UTC
Kelud Volcano
© Unknown
VSI raised the alert status to the second highest level 3 (out of 4), "Siaga" (meaning eruption warning) on Kelut or Kelud volcano. In its latest report, VSI informs that an ongoing slight deformation, suggesting magma intrusion, has been detected since September and that a strong increase in seismic activity started on 7 February. A seismic swarm occurred with hypocenters between 1.5-3.5 km depth beneath the summit area. The increased seismic activity triggered the decision to raise the status once more, after the volcano had put on alert level 2 already on 2 Feb. -
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Cloud Precipitation

UK Floods Could Last Months, Scientist Warns

Thomas Moore
Sky News
Tue, 11 Feb 2014 06:31 UTC
Image
Some 1.6 million properties across Britain are now at risk of groundwater flooding and there is no end in sight, an expert says.


Scientists have told Sky News that groundwater levels are now so high that parts of Britain face a serious risk of flooding for weeks or even months to come.

Andy McKenzie, a groundwater scientist at the British Geological Survey, told Sky News that even if the rain stopped today, so much water is soaking through the soil that levels are likely to keep rising for another two months.

The risk of flooding could remain high until May, he said.

Comment:
Image
© Breaking News Somerset and Beyond


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Music

Mysterious humming sound in UK leaves residents baffled - Council issues noise diaries

Jon Sharman
This is Local London
Mon, 10 Feb 2014 11:20 UTC
Mystery Sound
© This is Local London
Hum: Is it coming from Surbiton Station?
A mysterious background hum has led Kingston Council to issue noise diaries to Surbiton residents.

The noise has been an irritation for weeks, but the source of the noise itself remains unknown.

One Surbiton forum user said: "I can only describe it [as] white noise and quite low frequency."

Another added: "The noise is very low frequency and is a humming, whirling motor sound. You can hear the sound in every room of our flat."

Glenbuck Road and Avenue Elmers residents reported hearing the hum throughout the day and night.

Forum users speculated it may be emanating from within Surbiton station, or behind McDonald's.
      Read More...
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