Earth ChangesS


Cloud Precipitation

Igor nears Bermuda as Category 1 hurricane

Jason Bronis
Associated Press
Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:48 UTC
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© AP Photo/Gerry BroomeWind and rain batter the trees and boats in Mangrove Bay as Hurricane Igor moves onto Bermuda, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010.
Fierce waves pounded the breakwaters and shores of Bermuda on Sunday, straining yacht moorings and battering oceanfront hotels as Hurricane Igor lashed the wealthy British enclave.

Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). Some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside to gawk at the 15-foot (5-meter) surf or to triple-tie boat moorings even as officials warned them to stay indoors.

"We are urging residents to please go home and stay in until it is all over," said government spokeswoman Beverle Lottimore.

Those who did venture outside were met with howling winds, and gusts of hurricane force were reported by midday. Flooding was reported in low-lying areas and streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris.
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USA

Ignorant Woman Shoots, Stabs Half Ton Alligator


The Daily Mail
Sun, 19 Sep 2010 11:44 UTC
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© Dan BrownMary Ellen Mara-Christian with the 1,025lb, 13 foot alligator she hooked in Lake Moultrie, South Carolina
She is just 5ft5in tall and weighs a little over 115 pounds.

But when Mary Ellen Mara-Christian spotted a 1,025 pound, 13-feet alligator, she wasn't going to let a little matter like size get in the way.

The 48-year-old embarked on a two-hour, titanic battle with the gigantic creature after sighting it in Lake Moultrie, South Carolina.

She was eventually able to reel it in on a heavy duty fishing pole before shooting it.

But the .22-calibre gun wasn't enough to finish off the monster and she eventually delivered the coup de grace by severing the beast's spinal column with a knife.

Comment: SOTT is speechless.

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Bizarro Earth

Taiwan: Typhoon Fanapi Cuts Power, Closes Airports, Forces Evacuations


NowPublic
Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:24 UTC

Typhoon Fanapi swept through Taiwan today with winds gusting as high as 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour, downing electric lines, forcing evacuations and closing schools, offices, airports and ground transport.

Power outages struck 313,596 households on the island, the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported on its website, adding that electricity was restored at 140,000. Emergency workers evacuated 6,775 people from 11 counties prone to landslides, the Central Emergency Operations Center said.

Fanapi made landfall south of Hualien on Taiwan's central east coast this morning, and is now 20 kilometers north of Tainan, heading west at 20 kilometers per hour, the Central Weather Bureau said on its website at 4:15 p.m.
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Bizarro Earth

New Zealand lashed by storm 'the size of Australia'


ZeeNews
Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:48 UTC
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© ONE NewsSnow on the Southern Alps
Wellington - A storm that meteorologists described as being the size of Australia buffeted New Zealand Friday, prompting severe weather warnings across most of the country.

The official MetService said gale-force winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour were lashing some areas, including the capital Wellington, accompanied by heavy rain, lightning and plunging temperatures.

"Winds of this strength have the potential to lift roofs, topple trees and powerlines and make driving conditions hazardous," it said.

Privately-owned forecaster weatherwatch.co.nz said the storm in the Southern Ocean was one of the largest currently on the planet, with a size roughly equivalent to Australia.
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Bizarro Earth

Wind, snow, surf lash Tasmania


TVNZ
Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:33 UTC
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© ONE NewsWaves spill onto roads in Tasmania
Tasmanians are going through one of their coldest days in years as snow, wind and surf lashes the state.

Thousands of homes have been left without electricity as a low pressure system moves across the area. Crews are working to restore power to about 4,000 homes but it is not known how long it will take, according to ABC weather zone.

Winds have exceeded prediction of 120 kilometres an hour in higher regions, said the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

The temperature at Mount Wellington was minus 4.2 degrees Celsius this morning, with snow forcing the area's main road to close.

Some visitors to Cradle Mountain, in the state's north, are also trapped by snow.

The extreme weather conditions has also generated giant waves off the state's west coast.
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Bizarro Earth

US, West Virginia: Brutal storms leave 1 dead

Natalee Seely
NewsandSentinel.com
Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:26 UTC
Belleville - One person was killed Thursday night when severe thunderstorms and winds swept through southern Wood County, ripping down power lines, overturning vehicles and leveling homes along W.Va. 68, a quarter mile south of the Belleville Homecoming grounds.

Wood County 911 center set up its mobile command unit near the former Humphrey School, which was being used as a triage center.

"We have one confirmed fatality right now, and the coroner has been called out," said Wood County Sheriff Jeff Sandy. "There is about a half-mile sweep of devastation we are just beginning to go through. Homes have been leveled to the ground. You would not believe the wreckage."

The name of the deceased male was not released Thursday night, officials said.

A spokesman at the National Weather Service in Charleston said it won't be known if a tornado struck Belleville until agency officials visit southern Wood County today.
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Bizarro Earth

US: Athens Ohio Tornado Damage Report

CaraB
AllVoices
Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:50 UTC
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© Unknown
The tornado that blasted through Athens, Ohio with devastating winds and massive hail left destruction at an Athens high school, flipped over mobile homes and injured several people. Residents from Athens reported violent wind, rain and hail around 5 p.m. when the storm struck. Tornado warnings were issued for many of the neighboring counties. Six tornadoes were reported yesterday. Four of them hit Athens County.

About 500 people were directy affected by the tornadoes. Eight people were sent to O'Bleness Memorial Hospital. Two more were sent to Doctor's Hospital of Nelsonville. This morning the sheriff's office confirmed that thirteen people were admitted to the area hospitals due to the storms.

The violent winds caused several road closures. The Pine-Air Villate Trailer Park in the Plains area suffered significant damage. Multiple trailers were overturned and several trees were knocked down. The trailer park is currently without gas due to a leak in the gas line.

Athens High School was also hit by the storm. The students present were safely sheltered during the storm.

There was a girl's soccer game at Basil Rutter Field when the storm hit. The players ran for cover and there are no reports of injury. The bleachers were knocked over and the press box was destroyed.
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Igloo

Early Winter Approaches As UK Temperatures Plunge Towards Zero


Daily Mail
Sat, 18 Sep 2010 03:50 UTC
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It's time to dig out the winter duvet, hunt for your thermals and think about putting the central heating back on.

For after a pleasant week, forecasters say the weather will take a chilly turn for the worse this weekend.

Millions are expected to wake up to a frost this morning, while the Scottish highlands could see a dusting of September snow.

Although the cold snap won't last, the first frost of the autumn for many is an unwelcome sign that winter is just around the corner.

The mercury fell to 3c (37f) last night for much of the UK, with forecasters saying there was a 'slight chance' temperatures could sink to minus 2c (28f) in Aberdeen. 'It's pretty cold at the moment, particularly at night,' said the Met Office's spokesman Barry Grommet.

'Generally we are looking at temperatures of 3c and 4c at the lowest and people who are out and about early in sheltered rural areas may see some ground frost.'
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Bizarro Earth

New Zealand: Severe Weather Batters The Country


Radio New Zealand
Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:13 UTC
Severe NZ Weather
© Martin SahlinStorm damage on the Auckland waterfront yesterday.
Severe weather battered many parts of New Zealand on Friday, closing roads and causing power outages for thousands of customers.

People are being warned to stay away from downed power lines, while roads in both islands have been shut due to heavy snow and debris falling on roads.

At least 14,000 customers are without electricity in the greater Auckland region on Friday night which has been battered by heavy rain and winds gusting over 100km/h in some places.

Electricity lines company Vector says crews are trying to restore power to pockets of affected residents in the Auckland region and parts of Waiheke Island.

A spokesperson says branches coming down from trees onto powerlines, as well as a large lightening strike, has caused the outages.

Emergency services have been inundated with weather related callouts, dealing with downed trees, powerlines and roofs blowing off houses.

The Coastguard says hurricane-force winds of more than 140km/h have been recorded at the Manukau Heads as the storm lashes the region.
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Bizarro Earth

Hindu Kush Region - Earthquake Magnitude 6.2 - Afghanistan


USGS
Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:44 UTC
Afghan Quake_170910
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Friday, September 17, 2010 at 19:21:13 UTC

Friday, September 17, 2010 at 11:51:13 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
36.488°N, 70.826°E

Depth:
199.7 km (124.1 miles)

Region:
HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN

Distances:
75 km (45 miles) SSE of Faizabad, Afghanistan

115 km (70 miles) NW of Chitral, Pakistan

130 km (80 miles) SSW of Khorugh, Tajikistan

265 km (165 miles) NE of KABUL, Afghanistan
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