Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Wild Weather, the Wobble Effect
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Weather: |
Tides and Whirlpools:
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"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, that unpredictable weather extremes, switching about from drought to deluge, would occur and increase on a lineal basis up until the pole shift. Where this occurred steadily, it has only recently become undeniable. ZetaTalk, and only ZetaTalk, warned of these weather changes, at that early date. Our early warnings spoke to the issue of global heating from the core outward, hardly Global Warming, a surface or atmospheric issue, but caused by consternation in the core. Affected by the approach of Planet X, which was by then starting to zoom rapidly toward the inner solar system for its periodic passage, the core was churning, melting the permafrost and glaciers and riling up volcanoes. When the passage did not occur as expected in 2003 because Planet X had stalled in the inner solar system, we explained the increasing weather irregularities in the context of the global wobble that had ensued - weather wobbles where the Earth is suddenly forced under air masses, churning them. This evolved by 2005 into a looping jet stream, loops breaking away and turning like a tornado to affect the air masses underneath. Meanwhile, on Planet Earth, droughts had become more intractable and deluges positively frightening, temperature swings bringing snow in summer in the tropics and searing heat in Artic regions, with the violence of storms increasing in number and ferocity."
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for February 4, 2012:
The wobble seems to have changed, as the temperature in Europe suddenly plunged after being like an early Spring, Alaska has its coldest temps ever while the US and much of Canada is having an extremely mild winter. India went from fatal cold spell to balmy again. Has the Earth changed position vs a vs Planet X to cause this? [and from another] Bitter cold records broken in Alaska - all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy's Law intervenes [Jan 30] http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/30/bitter-cold-records-broken-in-alaska Jim River, AK closed in on the all time record coldest temperature of -80°F set in 1971, which is not only the Alaska all-time record, but the record for the entire United States. Unfortunately, it seems the battery died in the weather station just at the critical moment. While the continental USA has a mild winter and has set a number of high temperature records in the last week and pundits ponder whether they will be blaming the dreaded "global warming" for those temperatures, Alaska and Canada have been suffering through some of the coldest temperatures on record during the last week.
There has been no change in the wobble pattern, the wobble has merely become more severe. Nancy noted a Figure 8 format when the Earth wobble first became noticeable, in early 2005, after Planet X moved into the inner solar system at the end of 2003. The Figure 8 shifted along to the east a bit on the globe between 2005 and 2009, (the last time Nancy took its measure) as Planet X came closer to the Earth, encountering the magnetic N Pole with a violent push earlier in the day. But the pattern of the Figure 8 remained essentially the same. So what changed recently that the weather patterns became noticeably different in late January, 2012?
The N Pole is pushed away when it comes over the horizon, when the noon Sun is centered over the Pacific. This regularly puts Alaska under colder air, with less sunlight, and thus the historically low temps there this January, 2012 as the wobble has gotten stronger. But by the time the Sun is positioned over India, the N Pole has swung during the Figure 8 so the globe tilts, and this tilt is visible in the weather maps from Asia. The tilt has forced the globe under the hot air closer to the Equator, warming the land along a discernable tilt demarcation line.
The next loop of the Figure 8 swings the globe so that the N Pole moves in the other direction, putting the globe again at a tilt but this time in the other direction. This tilt is discernable in weather maps of Europe, again along a diagonal line. Depending upon air pressure and temperature differences, the weather on either side of this diagonal line may be suddenly warm or suddenly cold. The tilt and diagonal line lingers to affect much of the US and Canada, but the Figure 8 changes at this point to be an up and down motion, pulling the geographic N Pole south so the US is experiencing a warmer than expected winter under a stronger Sun. Then the cycle repeats, with the magnetic N Pole of Earth pushed violently away again as the Sun is positioned over the Pacific.
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for April 6, 2013:
Would the Zetas be able to let us know what is causing the early break-up of the Arctic Ice, the ice seems to have taken on a swirling pattern at the same time, would this be wobble related? [and from another] http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/Canada+Arctic+cracks+spectacular+event/8185609/story.html The ice in Canada’s western Arctic ripped open in a massive “fracturing event” this spring that spread like a wave across 1,000 kilometres of the Beaufort Sea. Huge leads of water – some more than 500 kilometres long and as much as 70 kilometres across – opened up from Alaska to Canada’s Arctic islands as the massive ice sheet cracked as it was pushed around by strong winds and currents. It took just seven days for the fractures to progress across the entire area from west to east. [and from another] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80752&src=iotdrss A high-pressure weather system was parked over the region, producing warmer temperatures and winds that flowed in a southwesterly direction. That fueled the Beaufort Gyre, a wind-driven ocean current that flows clockwise. The gyre was the key force pulling pieces of ice west past Point Barrow, the northern nub of Alaska that protrudes into the Beaufort Sea.
The Figure 8 formed by the N Pole during the daily Earth wobble has shifted somewhat to the East, due to Planet X positioned more to the right of the Earth during its approach. This was anticipated, and well described in ZetaTalk, the Earth crowding to the left in the cup to escape the approach of Planet X, so the angle between these two planets would change slightly. This shift of the Figure 8 to the East is due to the push against the Earth’s magnetic N Pole occurring sooner each day than prior. Thus instead of occurring when the Sun is high over the Pacific, over New Zealand, it is now occurring when the Sun is high over Alaska. All the wobble points have shifted eastward accordingly.
This has brought a lingering Winter to the western US, and a changed sloshing pattern to the Arctic waters. Instead of Pacific waters being pushed through the Bering Straits into the Arctic when the polar push occurs, the wobble is swinging the Arctic to the right, and then later to the left, creating a circular motion in the waters trapped in the Arctic. Since the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the motion also takes this path. This is yet another piece of evidence that the establishment is hard pressed to explain. They are attempting to ascribe this to high pressure and wind, all of which are not new to the Arctic, but this circular early breakup of ice in the Arctic is new.
KM
http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/deadly-storms-hit-washington-state-...
Deadly storms hit Washington state
Seattle - About 185 000 homes and businesses remained without power in Washington state late on Wednesday, after a storm blew down trees and triggered mudslides, killing at least three people, authorities said.
Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide emergency because of the storm, which left a wide swath of the Puget Sound region under flood watches and warnings.
In the Spokane area of eastern Washington, utility Avista warned it could take three to five days to restore services to nearly 115 000 customers without power. The city closed schools after winds up to 70 mph (113kph) tore through the area.
In Oregon, fallen trees, mudslides and floods shut down roads across the western part of the state on Tuesday night, including a 80km stretch of Interstate 84 that authorities declared impassible into midday Wednesday.
Several other highways remained closed, Washington state police said.
At least three people were confirmed to have died in storm-related accidents, authorities in Washington state said.
A motorist was killed on Tuesday near the city of Monroe, northeast of Seattle, when a tree fell from a cliff onto his car, said Snohomish County Fire Chief Merlin Halverson.
“Many roads are closed from downed trees, active power lines, flood waters,” Halverson said. “It's a hell of a mess here.”
In Spokane, police said a woman was killed by a falling tree, while another woman died on State Route 904 southwest of the city when a tree struck her car, state police said on Twitter.
Puget Sound Energy, which supplies customers in parts of Seattle and its suburbs, said fewer than 30 000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of 220 000 customers.
To the north, in Snohomish County, the public utility district said about 40 000 customers were without power late on Wednesday, down from 150 000 the night before.
Mudslides and other debris blocked roads.
King County, home to Seattle, reported severe flooding on the Snoqualmie River, moderate flooding on the Green River and minor flooding on the Cedar River.
An airport in Olympia received record daily rainfall of 2.08 inches on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
The previous record was 1.61 inches, set in 1959.
Nov 20, 2015
KM
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-winter...
Season's first snow is Chicago's largest November snowfall in 120 years
The season's first snowfall dropped as much as 17 inches across Chicago's northern suburbs, and the total of 11.2 inches at O'Hare International Airport made it the largest November snowfall in 120 years.
The steady stream of snow began Friday evening and carried into Saturday, bringing cold winds and slushy puddles to Michigan Avenue. But it also fashioned a wintry backdrop to the annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, transporting Chicagoans into a life-sized holiday snow globe.
The chill didn't bother the Kendalls, who traveled from Northwest Indiana for the festivities. They stood in Pioneer Court bundled in snow gear, relishing bites of candy-cane-garnished cheesecake as heavy snowflakes plopped onto their noses.
"It rings in the beginning of Christmas season," said Jessica Kendall. "The roads are warm, the snow's melting and we had a nice, wintry drive."
The storm hit hardest in the northern suburbs.
Lake County was walloped. By about 2 p.m. Saturday, there were reports of 17 inches in Grayslake, 16.5 in Hawthorn Woods, and 15.5 inches in Mundelein, said National Weather Servicemeteorologist Jamie Enderlen.
McHenry County also was socked, with 13.6 inches in Bull Valley, 12.5 inches in Woodstock and 9.5 inches in Hebron by about 7 a.m. Saturday, according to the weather service.
Communities further south saw less precipitation. Naperville had 6.4 inches of snow as of midafternoon, and Romeoville had 4.7 inches as of early evening, according to the weather service. Batavia had 7.5 inches by late afternoon.
As of about 6 p.m. Saturday, 11.2 inches of snow was measured at O'Hare International Airport, where some airlines reported delays of up to 20 minutes and more than 260 flights were canceled. Midway Airport reported 5.8 inches.
According to the weather service, this was the second-largest November snowstorm, behind only a 12-inch snowfall Nov. 25-26, 1895.
Nov 22, 2015
jorge namour
Three simultaneous polar vortex in America, Europe and Asia
News - Published Sunday, November 22, 2015 by The Weather Channel - la chaine meteo
This weekend marks several simultaneous winter offensives in North America, Europe and China.
http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2015-11-22-10h54...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...
The jet stream, high altitude wind, experienced this weekend three major waves: one in North America, the Western Europe and Asia.
These oscillations of the jet stream, called "polar vortex", causing cold air raids south. Thus, a major snowstorm affected the Great Lakes in North America: Chicago has undergone in the night from Saturday to Sunday the biggest snowstorm in 100 years for the month of November with 41 cm of snow. More than 500 flights were canceled.
In Western Europe, the cold air raid caused a winter time in France and a violent storm in the Mediterranean. The temperature dropped to -32 ° on Mont Blanc (4750 m in altitude). In Denmark, the snow falls since last night with accumulations of 25-40 cm on the East Coast.
In China, the temperature plunged to -15 ° in Beijing and did not thaw at least before December 5, or 10 degrees below average (however indicate that Beijing has a continental climate with harsh winters).
These offensives cold do not allow however to consider a harsh winter, especially since a rapid thaw is expected this week in the United States and Europe.
The polar vortex plunges to France
News - Updated Saturday, November 21, 2015 by The Weather Channel - LA CHAINE METEO
The polar vortex, the term was widely publicized during cold waves that affected the United States in recent winters, will experience a stall from the Arctic and plunges towards France.
This is actually a "stall" the jet stream, the wind blowing at high altitudes and contains polar air at high latitudes. Sometimes the jet stream is diverted from its usual trajectory (from west to east) and dips to the south: this is what happened during cold spells occurred in North America in recent years .
A chill of short duration
Thereafter, the cold air mass will cut its Arctic power on Tuesday, the Jet Stream resuming his usual traces (from the west).
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COLD winter across Europe, blizzards in many countries: accumulations of 60cm in the plain in Denmark!
November 22, 2015
http://www.meteoweb.eu/video-gallery/eccezionali-nevicate-in-danima...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...
VIDEO: http://www.meteoweb.eu/video-gallery/eccezionali-nevicate-in-danima...
COLD and snow arrived over Europe: heavy snowfalls in many countries with freezing temperatures. At the time, in broad daylight, we -3 ° C in Oslo and Tromso, -2 ° C in Trondheim and Bergen, -1 ° C
Stockholm, 0 ° C in Moscow and Helsinki, + 2 ° C in Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, St. Petersburg, Belgrade and Copenhagen, + 3 ° C in London and Sarajevo, + 4 ° C in Vienna, Budapest and Brussels, + 5 ° C in Paris
The abnormal heat goes back to the Black Sea in the areas south / east of the continent, from the Balkans as well as in Greece and Turkey with the current + 21 ° C in Istanbul and Athens and + 17 ° C in Bucharest. Last night occurred authentic blizzards in many countries, especially in Denmark with accumulations up to 60cm in the plain. Here are the images:
Nov 22, 2015
Stanislav
UN: Weather disasters occur almost daily
Full report Relief Web
Weather-related disasters such as floods and heat waves have occurred almost daily in the past decade — nearly twice as often as two decades ago — and Asia is the hardest-hit region, the United Nations said in a report released Monday.
While the report’s authors didn’t pin the increase wholly on climate change, they said extreme weather events were likely to increase.
Weather disasters have killed 606,000 people and left 4.1 billion injured, homeless or in need of aid, and have accounted for 90 percent of all disasters since 1995, the report said.
A recent peak year was 2002, when drought in India affected 200 million people and a sandstorm in China affected 100 million. But the standout mega-disaster in the report was Cyclone Nargis, which killed 138,000 in Myanmar in 2008.
While geophysical events like earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis often grab headlines, they only make up one in 10 of the disasters trawled from a database of events defined by their impact.
The report, titled “The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters,” found an average of 335 weather-related disasters annually between 2005 and August 2015 — up 14 percent from 1995 to 2004, and almost twice as many as in the years from 1985 to 1994.
“While scientists cannot calculate what percentage of this rise is due to climate change, predictions of more extreme weather in future almost certainly mean that we will witness a continued upward trend in weather-related disasters in the decades ahead,” the report said.
The release of the report comes a week before world leaders were set to gather in Paris to discuss plans to curb greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate a global rise in temperatures.
The U.N. has said atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, have risen to a new record every year for the past 30 years.
“All we can say is that certain disaster types are increasing. Floods are definitely increasing,” said Debarati Guha-Sapir, professor at the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCL University in Louvain, Belgium, which co-authored the report.
“Whether it's increasing due to global warming, I think it's safe to say the jury's out on that. But rather than focus on the ifs, whys and wherefores, I think we should focus on how to manage floods.”
Margareta Wahlstrom, head of the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), said floods were not just caused by heavy rains but also by poorly planned construction.
The UNISDR estimates natural disasters of all types cause losses of $250 billion-$300 billion globally each year.
The report drew on a database of weather events that defines an event as a disaster if 10 or more people are killed, if 100 or more are affected, if a state of emergency is declared or if there is a call for international assistance.
The countries hit by the highest number of weather-related disasters over the past decade were the United States with 472, China with 441, India with 288, the Philippines with 274 and Indonesia with 163. Source: america.aljazeera.com
Nov 23, 2015
KM
http://floodlist.com/asia/floods-riyadh-saudi-arabia-qatar-november...
1 Dead after Floods in Saudi Arabia, Qatar sees 1 Year of Rain in 1 Day
Seasonal storms brought heavy rain to Qatar and central and eastern parts of Saudi Arabia on 25 November 2015.
Doha, Qatar, recorded more than a year’s worth of rain in one day. One person has been reported as killed in the floods in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia in what is the third deadly flood event to hit the country in the last 4 weeks.
Saudi Arabia
The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported earlier today that seasonal storms brought heavy rainfall in central and eastern areas of the country, causing severe flooding in Riyadh and Al-Qassim Regions.
Saudi Arabia civil defence report that 1 person has died in the floods in the province of Rimah, Riyadh Region, which is located about 120 kilometres north-east of the capital Riyadh.
Schools have been closed, roads blocked and in some cases flooding has forced drivers to abandon their vehicles. Saudi Arabia civil defence say they have responded to dozens of emergency calls. The city of Buraidah, Al-Qassim Region, is reported as one of the worst hit.
This is the third deadly flood to strike in Saudi Arabia in the last few weeks. Floods struck in Jeddah, Makkah and other western parts of the country on 17 November 2015, leaving as many as 12 dead. Six people died in floods that struck in late October.
Qatar
Parts of Qatar, including Doha, also saw heavy rainfall and floods. Qatar Meteorology Department say at least 80.8 mm of rain fell at Hamad International Airport in Doha, the highest ever recorded at that location and more than Doha would typically see in a whole year.
According to WMO figures, 3.3 mm is the typical monthly average for November and the total yearly average is around 75 mm.
The floods caused major problems for drivers. Qatar’s Interior Ministry warned drivers of the dangers of driving in floods and severe weather. No deaths or injuries have been reported in Qatar.
Some flooding was reported at Doha’s new $17 billion Hamad international airport. Social media photos and videos showed water pouring in from a leaking roof. However, flights were operating normally despite the weather conditions.
Nov 26, 2015
KM
http://maldivesindependent.com/environment/addu-city-suffers-worst-...
Addu City suffers worst floods in 40 years
Southern Addu City has suffered the worst storm damage in 40 years after 12 continuous hours of torrential rain left streets inundated and flooded some 200 households.
“This is the worst flooding I’ve seen in decades. The water is knee-deep in most areas, and a majority of houses are under a foot of water,” saud Abdulla Thoyyib, the deputy mayor.
The Feydhoo and Maradhoo-Feydhoo wards suffered the most damage. According to the Maldives Red Crescent, some 32 houses in Feydhoo and 11 houses in Maradhoo-Feydhoo suffered major damage. A majority of household appliances were destroyed, a spokesperson said.
Residents are now worried of water contamination as sewers are full and overflowing. The city, home to some 20,000 people, and the second most populous region, is out of chlorine, according to Thoyyib.
The Maldives National Defence Forces have set up water pumps in the three worst affected wards. Sand bags have been piled up to stop water entering into 17 houses in the Feydhoo ward.
The rain, which started at 3pm on Tuesday, continued for 12 hours. The department of meteorology recorded 228mm of rain, the worst in 40 years in the Maldives.
“This kind of rain is not common and it has damaged houses that are normally safe,” Thoyyib said.
Photos shared by the MRC show a foot of water inside some households.
Nov 27, 2015
KM
https://www.rt.com/news/323666-vladivostok-tempest-epic-photos/
Freeze frames: Russia’s Far East hit by icy tempest (PHOTOS)
This Thursday Vladivostok’s port turned into a giant slushy machine as sea water mixed with sand started freezing under gusts of cold wind in subzero temperatures.
Although locals took it as a photo opportunity and flooded social media with impressive shots, the tempest had its consequences: trucks were banned from crossing the city’s Russky Bridge, some power cables came down and electricity supplies weren’t restored in certain areas even by Friday, some parked cars got damaged, not to mention car accidents on slippery roads, the wind tore down roofing, a bus stop and overturned some kiosks.
No casualties have been reported so far although a video posted on-line shows a girl who apparently fell, thrown by the strong wind. She is lying on her side on the pavement, holding her head. The video was filmed at the Far Eastern Federal University, on Russky Island.
Nov 28, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3337673/The-Latest-Freezing...
Nine dead as ICE STORMS batter Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas and cause travel chaos for millions heading home after the Thanksgiving weekend
At least five people have died in accidents related to a ice storm in Kansas and Oklahoma and another three people were killed in North Texas flash floods.
The band of storms moving slowly through the nation's midsection is set to leave Texas but will likely dump more freezing rain on parts of Oklahoma and Kansas.
The National Weather Service says the storms causing icy conditions in Oklahoma and Kansas are expected to last through Saturday night.
Temperatures are expected to be above-freezing in the region on Sunday.
Saturday's forecast shows rain in many areas - and there is still a severe threat of freezing rain tonight
One person is still missing. Thousands of people are without power as accumulated ice downed power lines.
Meanwhile, with up to four inches of rain expected in northeast Texas and central Arkansas, a flash flood threat continues in North Texas and most of Arkansas.
More rain is forecast on Sunday from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic states. Freezing rain is expected in southern Nebraska and central Kansas.
Authorities in Kansas are blaming four more traffic deaths in the Wichita area on the icy conditions gripping the state and other parts of the nation's midsection.
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton says icy roads caused a Friday afternoon crash about 10 miles southeast of Newton that killed two people.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority says two other people were killed hours later when a tractor trailer jackknifed on an icy stretch of Interstate 35 near Andover and struck an SUV.
Nov 29, 2015
KM
http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/11/30/floods-landslides-hit-w...
Floods, landslides hit West, North Sumatra, cut off access
Torrential rain has caused landslides in parts of West and North Sumatra, cutting off access and disrupting economic activity.
A 150-meter stretch of the highway connecting West Sumatra and Riau in Jorong Sopang, Pangkalan Koto Baru, Limapuluh Kota regency, was engulfed by up to a meter of floodwater on Sunday at 5 a.m. local time.
Limapuluh Kota Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Nasriyanto said the flooding was triggered by the overflowing Batang Manggilang River.
“Only large trucks were able to pass, resulting in other vehicles from Pekanbaru and Payakumbuh backing up 2 kilometers for eight hours,” Nasriyanto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He said the heavy rain that had drenched the region in the past three days had triggered floods and landslides in a number of locations in the regency. At least 500 homes were engulfed by over 50 centimeters of floodwater and eight homes were reportedly damaged by a landslide on Sunday morning.
“We, together with residents, are currently moving residents and livestock to safer areas. Reports are coming in, but no casualties have been reported so far,” said Nasriyanto.
Floods have taken place in Taram and Sarilamak villages in Harau district, Payakumbuh, Guguk, Lareh Sago Halaban and Kapur Sembilan districts.
Dec 1, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/11/terrifying-green-storm-clouds-engu...
Terrifying green storm clouds engulf Brisbane, Australia in apocalyptical scenery
Look at these terrifying green storm clouds engulfing Brisbane, Queensland on November 29, 2015.
And I am pretty surprised that no tornadoes have been reported.
Green clouds are often associated with extreme weather phenomena such as tornadoes – in the Great Plains region of the U.S. – or apocalyptic... in large thunderstorms – in Queensland.
Well, yesterday on November 29, 2015, terrifying greens storm clouds engulfed the sky of Brisbane and surrounding areas in southeast Queensland, Australia. Pictures are just insane. Enjoy…
Dec 1, 2015
Scott
IBM is supplementing its weather prediction supercomputing with magma flow modeling.
IBM wants to predict earthquakes and volcanoes with Watson (11/23/15)
http://qz.com/556172/ibm-wants-to-predict-earthquakes-and-volcanoes...
Quote: "A team of computer scientists at IBM, in partnership with researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, New York University and the California Institute for Technology, created a model that simulated the entire flow of mantle under the Earth’s surface. ... IBM is working with the US Department of Energy on this model, as well as its work on attempting to predict the weather. The company also recently bought most of the assets of Weather Company—the owners of the Weather Channel—including its myriad weather sensors around the world."
See ZetaTalk: Heralding
http://www.zetatalk.com/poleshft/p24.htm
All attempts to explain the changes based on Global Warming from the Greenhouse effect will run into snags as the weather will refuse to be predictable. Areas of the world which have been deserts throughout mankind's memory will become swamps under constant and repeated rains. Temperate climates used to periodic gentle rainfall will suffer intractable droughts. Then this will switch about, for no apparent reason. The reason lies deep within the Earth's core, an area the meteorologists refuse to consider, and thus their predictions on the atmosphere will never be based on the right parameters.
Also:
Weather Predictions
http://www.zetatalk.com/index/blog1005.htm
Weather Channel Depicts Planet X/Passage (NEW ZetaTalk)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/weather-channel-depicts-pl...
Dec 1, 2015
KM
https://www.rt.com/news/324223-india-torrential-rains-floods/
Worst in 100 years: Non-stop torrential rains ravage southern India (PHOTOS,VIDEO)
The city of Chennai, capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has been almost cut off from the outside world. According to local media, the rains have set a 100-year-old record in the city, which is home to about 6 million people.
"Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds may make the situation worse in Chennai," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the rains may continue for at least four days.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The authorities have already canceled all flights and the trains have also stopped running, due to water on the tracks. Chennai International Airport, the fourth busiest in India, will remain shuttered until Thursday, Indian media reported.The Indian Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the worst affected areas of the city.
"We have started the rescue operation but the biggest challenge is to find a way to clear the inundated airport and main roads," Anurag Gupta, a senior official at the National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi said, as cited by Reuters.
Photos and videos of people floating in boats along streets that have turned into rivers have literally flooded social media, with residents helping each other and even rescuing pets. Hundreds of people in less-affected areas have opened their homes for those in need.
Dec 3, 2015
KM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/in-pics-lucknow-goes-dark-at-...
In Pics | Darkness, showers hit normal life in Lucknow
It was the first time in over a decade that the city witnessed zero visibility on a December afternoon
Several parts of Uttar Pradesh experienced freak weather on Tuesday afternoon after being hit by sudden dust storm and heavy rainfall.
Lightning claimed seven lives in the state. While a woman and her minor sister died in Auraiyya district, three people perished in Mathura, one in Mainpuri and one in Etah.
Lucknow and Kanpur were plunged into darkness, followed by storm and heavy rain. Allahabad, Agra and some other areas witnessed storm and rain but the intensity was less in comparison to Lucknow and Kanpur.
The unexpected showers and storm threw normal life out of gear and affected vehicular traffic.
Several trees were also uprooted and there were reports of some people receiving injuries.
Waterlogging and power cuts added to the people’s woes.
Met department director JP Gupta said the weather had changed significantly due to an upper cyclonic air circulation over Madhya Pradesh which had shifted towards UP.
It was the first time in over a decade that the city witnessed zero visibility on a December afternoon.
Several Lucknow residents took to social media to post updates about the storm. “Never seen such a phenomenon. I had heard about Kaali Aandhi (black storm). Saw it today.
Dec 4, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3345578/Get-ready-stormy-we...
Get ready for another stormy weekend! Britain is braced for floods and 80mph winds as snow causes travel chaos across Scotland
Britain has been told to brace for another stormy weekend with heavy downpours and gales expected to cause widespread disruption.
The Met Office has issued an amber 'be prepared' warning for rain across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England, on both Saturday and Sunday, with the north-west of the country set to experience the first and most severe gusts – measuring between 70 and 80mph.
There is also a yellow-graded warning for rain in place for much of the country north of the Midlands, advising residents to expect more than an inch of rain, with more than two inches on higher ground. And the Environment Agency has issued 27 flood warnings and 89 alerts, covering much of the UK.
Meanwhile, sudden heavy snowfall last night led to road closures across Scotland and had a major impact on key routes through the Borders while downpours across the UK - from Swansea to the Isle of Man - caused chaos for motorists and even saw a school bus crash when a bridge collapsed.
Dramatic pictures show the overturned bus in a river on the Isle of Man after it was forced off the road when a bridge in Laxey collapsed in heavy rain.
Stricken: Dramatic pictures show an overturned school bus in a river on the Isle of Man after it was forced off the road when a bridge in Old Laxey collapsed in heavy rain last night. The driver managed to escape the vehicle unharmed and there were fortunately no others onboard
The Rivers Dee in Wales as floods hit the Llangollen Bridge on a day which saw parts of Britain battered by stormy weather
Overturned: Police confirmed the bridge in Laxey remained closed to motorists today and said the stricken school bus is not likely to be recovered until the weekend 'at the earliest' because the salvage operation involves moving overhead power cables and gas pipes
Dec 4, 2015
KM
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/records-broken-as-mi...
Records broken as mild conditions persist across Prairies
Friday, December 4, 2015, 4:03 PM - Record warmth was felt across all three Prairie provinces Thursday, with temperatures hitting the upper single digits and there are no signs of cooling down.
A ridge of high pressure across southeastern United States has helped push a southerly flow up into the southern Prairies. Temperatures are about 10 degrees above the seasonal average for many cities.
For instance, Winnipeg's daytime high for Friday is 4C, meanwhile the average this time of year is a cool -8C.
Manitoba shattered 18 temperature records on Thursday, according to Environment Canada. The village of McCreary hit a balmy 10.6C, breaking a record of 7.5C set in 1989. Morden was the second runner up with 9.6C, breaking 7.1C set in 2004.
On Friday, 25 heat records were broken.
Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to continue for the Prairies into the middle of next week.
While many residents are enjoying the mild December temperatures, a lack of snow has had an impact on many seasonal businesses.
University of Saskatchewan business student Chris Thorimbert and his two friends were hopeful their snow removal business would take off this winter. And he was expecting to see, "A lot more snow than this," Thorimbert told Global News.
"A lot more clients too. But people are kind of shying away just because there's nothing really on the ground," he said.
Meanwhile, in Saskatoon, snow clearing companies have offered discounts to customers. In 2014, Table Mountain Regional Park kicked off their ski and snowboard season the first weekend of December and with no snow in the foreseeable future, the slopes likely won't open until Dec. 19, Global News reports.
The Weather Network meteorologists suggest El Niño could have an impact this winter, as the phenomenon has a reputation of bringing mild winters across southern Canada.
Dec 5, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/apocalytical-storm-sweeps-through-...
That’s the most powerful storm in the past 18 years of Paraguay.
The storm hit the capital and surrounding on Friday, December 4, 2015 and killed a boy and a baby. Moreover, drinkable water, electricity were and roads collapsed. The state of Emergency has been declared.
The storm mainly affected the capital city and the metropolitan area iss the largest in the last 18 years according to wind and precipitation data.
The storm began at 4.20 am. 90 millimeters of rain fell in just two hours and wind speeds reached 100 mph.
A teenager and a two-old month baby died in the storm. The young man was squashed by a wall that collapsed on his room. The baby got swept away by the resulting floods.
18 landslides have blocked streets and engulfed city buildings.
At least hundred trees were uprooted.
A lot of sections of roads and routes were literally destroyed by the waters that swept away everything in its path as seen between San Antonio to Villa Elisa.
Dec 7, 2015
Mark
The devastation from above: Aerial photographs show widespread flooding across Cumbria caused by Storm Desmond as residents tell of despair after £48million flood defences fail to do their job
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3348001/Storm-Desmond-wreak...
And the shocking scenes in the North West have come despite £48million being spent on flood defences in recent years in a bid to stop such events.
Fury is mounting today over a lack of protection for Cumbria, with the Keswick Mayor criticising the 'completely overwhelmed' defences in his town.
Paul Titley said the defences 'were designed for a one-in-100-year event - and since it's six years since we had the last one, we are sort of surprised'.
Cumbria council leader Stuart Young called today for an investigation into adequacy of flood defences as families said they had not been protected.
Sian Lawson, 46, and her daughter Emilie, 18, suffered £200,000 of damage to their home last time and could not return for seven months.
Fields, homes and even Carlisle United's football ground have been left underwater after rivers burst their banks following the huge amount of rainfall.
And there is more to come, with Met Office severe warnings in place until Thursday - and up to seven inches of rain expected between now and then.
Flooding was so severe in Cumbria that a major incident had to be declared and Army personnel and Chinook helicopters were called in to help.
Police, mountain rescue teams and firefighters were also trying to reach those stranded in their homes, as the water rose to waist-height.
Some 40,000 properties in the North West were still without power this morning, although this figure was down from 60,000 yesterday.
Water supplies in a number of main towns were also affected by flood water and at least 20 schools are expected to remain closed today.
Dec 7, 2015
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2015/12/southern-hemisphere-misery-temp...
Southern Hemisphere misery: Temperatures of more than 45 degrees Celcius grips South Australia: Philippines heat index pushing 45 degrees Celsius: South Africa in the high 30's
South Australians have endured one of the state's hottest starts to summer with temperatures reaching the high 30s and low 40s.
Fire crews remain on high alert as the heatwave, which is expected to continue until Monday, grips the state.
Total fire bans are in place for six districts, with extreme fire danger forecast for the West Coast.
By early afternoon Adelaide had reached 39.5 degrees Celsius, while towns in Flinders, Mid North, North West Pastoral and North East Pastoral areas recorded temperatures in the lows 40s.
At 2:30pm Ceduna hit 45.3C.
The mean maximum temperature for Adelaide in December is 27.1C.
Country Fire Service's (CFS) Phil McDonough said crews would be keeping a close eye on the Pinery fire ground over the coming days, to ensure there were no flare-ups.
"There is an increased fire danger over that area," he said.
"Local crews are continuing to patrol and mop-up and respond to anything that does occur in those areas and that will be maintained over the next few days."
The Pinery fire burnt more than 85,000 hectares of land, destroyed 87 homes, killed two people, tens of thousands of livestock and razed more than 300 farm sheds and outbuildings.
He warned the weather was creating increased fire risks across the state and noted Monday was "probably the worst day of the lot".
The weather bureau has forecast high temperatures for Monday, with possible showers.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Darren Ray told 891 ABC the weekend's heatwave was "pretty unusual".
He noted the last time the state had seen "runs of days in the high 30s" at the start of summer was November 2009 and in 1908.
"We've come out of a pretty warm spring where temperatures were quiet a bit warmer than average and rainfall was about half the average," he said.
"We are seeing a pretty unusual burst of heat for this early coming through spring and into summer." He forecast "spikes" of hot weather throughout summer and tipped the next one with be around Christmas.
Mr Ray said January was "not looking to be a super hot month" but February would be dry and warm.
Heat Wave - Philippines
The temperature in General Santos City hit 36.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, making it the hottest day in the city so far this year.
With the heat index also hitting 44 degrees Celsius, GenSan has become the area with the highest temperature in the country since October.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration noted that since November 27, the heat index in GenSan started to reach 43 degrees Celsius and could go even higher in the coming weeks.
Heat Wave - South Africa
Temperatures in Pretoria are set to soar over the next week and could be accompanied by thunder and lightning storms.
Forecasters from the SA Weather Service on Tuesday said the heat conditions would remain high and in the upper 30s through to the weekend, dipping slightly on Thursday but offering no real relief. Forecaster Christina Theale said Wednesday's minimum temperatures would be 20 ºC and the maximum could hit 37 ºC:
She said a 60 percent chance of rainfall was predicted for Pretoria and the northern region of the province on Friday morning.
Temperatures could be at a low of 20 ºC and reach 34 ºC on Friday. Saturday and Sunday morning are expected to be cooler at 17 C, but will rise to 34 ºC by midday, Theale said.
The country was recently caught in the grip of a severe heatwave, accompanied by dry conditions, which, with the drought, has seen water levels drop very low.
Temperatures at the height of the heatwave last month went as high as 38 ºC and had weather experts predicting that the country would experience the highest temperatures reached in years this summer. The extreme weather conditions are expected to last until the end of the summer in April next year. Theale on Tuesday said there were a lot of hot conditions being experienced across the country, which were expected to spread.
Dec 7, 2015
jorge namour
Heavy frost between Syria, Lebanon and Jordan touched the -10 ° C, several deaths among the fighters of ISIS
6 dicembre 2015
Strong frosts affecting Syria, Lebanon and the inside of Jordan, thermometers dropped to below -10 ° C
http://www.meteoweb.eu/2015/12/forti-gelate-tra-siria-libano-e-gior...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...
In recent days severe frosts, induced by intense inversions, have affected various locations inside and valleys of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, where locally the mercury dropped to below -8 ° C -9 ° C.
A portion of the very cold polar continental extraction, which in recent days from the Ukraine, after crossing the Black Sea, reached the east of Turkey and Armenia has managed to spill over from the eastern Anatolian plateau , slipping to Syria, the west of Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan
Among the lowest minimum temperatures reached in the night between Saturday 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2015 stand out -8.8 ° C stored by the weather station of the airport of the Syrian capital Damascus.
hese intense frosts produced by high insolation and night with intense inversions that are developing within the valleys and canyons of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, unfortunately, are also looming in the Syrian conflict
Only last night the bitter cold caused the death of several fighters against Al Nusra Front (group near Al Qaida) and militants fighting for the Islamic State, which is not placing the thermal suits and jackets have made up for the very low temperatures of the long night of Syria.
Suffice it to say that in Jordan's Queen Alia Airport has recorded a minimum temperature of no less than -7.5 ° C, while the minimum night Mafraq touched -7.0 ° C
Moving in neighboring Lebanon, however, stand out the -8.8 ° C Deir El Ahamar, representing a minimum temperature never before achieved within Lebanese territory.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Frost comes to visit: Temperatures reach -9 degrees in Golan Heights - ISRAEL
Published: 12.06.15
Israel endures a particularly cold couple of days with below-zero and near-freezing temperatures measured throughout the north and coastal area.
Israel endured a particularly cold weekend, with temperatures in the Golan Heights reaching as low as -9 degrees Celsius (15.8 Fahrenheit) in Kibbutz Merom Golan overnight Saturday. On Sunday morning, temperatures in the kibbutz climbed up to 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 Fahrenheit).
Other places that experienced below-zero temperatures were Majdal Shams that experienced -3.8 degrees Celsius (25.16 Fahrenheit); moshav Dalton, where residents had to deal with -1.3 degrees Celsius (29.66 Fahrenheit); and Emek Yezreel (the Jezreel Valley), were temperatures dropped to -1 degrees Celsius (30.2 Fahrenheit) in Nahalal.
In Safed, also in northern Israel, temperatures reached as low as 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 Fahrenheit), while Kibbutz Ortal in the Golan Heights endured 4.2 degrees Celsius (39.56 Fahrenheit). CONTINUE...
Frozen lawn in Beit Dagan
Dec 7, 2015
KM
http://floodlist.com/europe/norway-record-rain-causes-flooding-in-s...
Norway – Record Rain Causes Flooding in South
Severe flooding has been reported in parts of southern Norway after heavy rain brought by storm Synne between 04 and 06 December 2015. Maudal in Gjesdal, Rogaland saw just under 300 mm of rain in 3 days.
No injuries or deaths have been reported. However the flooding has caused some damage to roads, bridges and homes in Rogaland, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties. Around 100 families had to be evacuated from their homes in Eigersund, Rogaland county. Norway’s state broadcaster, NRK, reports that around 30 farms have also been severely hit, suffering major damage.
The rain has now stopped but river levels remain high. Authorities in Sweden also report high river levels in western parts of Götaland and nothern part of Halland.
Parts of southern Norway saw flooding earlier this year after 97 mm of rain fell in Melsom during a 24 hour period between 01 and 02 September 2015.
The last major floods to hit Norway were in October last year when rivers overflowed in the coun...
Sweden saw severe flooding just a few months ago when 97 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 05 and 06 September in Hjortkvarn, Örebro County.
Norway – Record Rainfall
178 mm of rain fell was recorded in Eik-Hove, Rogaland, and 175 mm in Bakke, Vest-Agder over a 2 day period, breaking previous records according to YR Norway, a weather service run by Meteorologisk institutt and state broadcaster NRK.
Figures below are from Norway’s Meteorologisk institutt for a 24 hour period:
05 December 2015
Eikemo, Hordaland – 178 mm
Krittle, Hordaland- 101.3 mm
06 December 2015
Maudal, Rogaland – 140.5 mm
Bakke, Vest-Agder – 110 mm
Eik-Hove, Rogaland – 109.1mm
Dec 9, 2015
KM
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/07/heavy-rains-drench-portland-no...
Heavy rains drench Portland, northwest Oregon, causing flooding, landslides, sewer overflow
PORTLAND, Ore. – Heavy rains turned streets in the Portland area into creeks, interrupted bus and light rail service and forced the evacuation of at least one neighborhood.
Monday's flooding caused the closure of numerous roads, and heavy rains triggered landslides.
The rain also caused Portland's sewer system to overflow into the Willamette River. Officials said people should avoid contact with the river for at least 48 hours because of bacteria in the water.
A big sinkhole developed in a street in Gresham, a Portland suburb. Crews were pumping water from an elementary school in Gresham, as well as cleaning up hallways and classrooms.
The parking lot at Multnomah Falls, a popular tourist stop in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, was closed after a creek overflowed its banks.
In Lake Oswego, just south of Portland, several cars were stranded in high water.
Residents were evacuated from a neighborhood in Clackamas County, and the American Red Cross was opening a shelter there.
Several school districts in northwest Oregon sent students home early and canceled afternoon and evening activities. The Oregon Zoo in Portland also closed.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. It's in effect through Thursday afternoon, but rain likely won't stop until the week's end, forecasters said.
Excessive rainfall could lead to a rise in area rivers, weather officials said.
Officials say residents should avoid traveling and should watch for flash floods, mudslides, falling trees and power outages. They are also advised to keep children and pets away from floodwaters and avoid walking and driving through high water. Residents whose property is at risk for flooding should use sandbags.
The rains are caused by several low-pressure systems moving through the region, one after the other, forecasters said.
Dec 9, 2015
KM
http://www.india.com/news/world/earthquake-of-6-9-magnitude-strikes...
Earthquake of 6.9 magnitude strikes Indonesia’s Ambon islands, Tsunami threat issued
Bali, Dec 9: Earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck Ambon islands located at 174 km away from the South-Eastern coast of mainland Indonesia. The tremors were first reported at 10:21 hours according to Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The United States Geological Survey has also issued a Tsunami threat in the region.
Heavy tremors were felt in Ambon islands, whereas, the parts of Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Mendan and Jabung also felt the impact of quake. However, major loss to life or property is not reported since the quake struck 75 km below the surface of the Earth. But the major threat is posed to people residing in the coastal regions of the island country since the USGC has issued a Tsunami alert.
Due to tremors, and its impact on the tectonic plates, the chances of Tsunami exist.
On Monday, earthquake struck parts of Hindukush region with its impact in major parts of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and northern India. This marks the third instance of earthquake in the past one week.
Dec 9, 2015
KM
http://www.trust.org/item/20151208175721-x64gf/
Floods in Congo capital kill at least 31 in three weeks
KINSHASA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - At least 31 people have died in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa in the last three weeks in the worst flooding in years, the provincial interior minister said on Tuesday, warning conditions could get even worse.
The deaths since Nov. 17, concentrated in neighbourhoods along the Congo River and its tributary, the Ndjili, have resulted mainly from home collapses, Emmanuel Akweti said.
The flooding has made 20,000 families homeless and inundated the main water collection station, preventing two-thirds of Kinshasa's communes from accessing drinkable water, he added.
An employee at the public water utility said officials hoped to resume service there by Thursday.
Kinshasa, a sprawling city of more than 10 million people, has notoriously poor infrastructure, with improvised wooden shacks lining the waterfront and dirt roads that often flood with the first rainfall.
Akweti said that precipitation levels this rainy season - which runs from October to April - were unusually high with Kinshasa registering 450 millimetres (18 inches) of rainfall, or nearly a third of its annual average, between Nov. 17 and Dec. 6 alone.
He warned that weather forecasters were predicting above average rainfall through to February and urged all residents living in riverside areas to evacuate.
Congo's government has invested considerably in Kinshasa's infrastructure in recent years, but critics complain that the upgrades have almost exclusively targeted the city's upscale neighbourhoods and prominent landmarks.
Dec 9, 2015
SongStar101
10 million people facing food shortages as drought grips Ethiopia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/drought-and-food-shortages-in...
Drought still grips much of the productive agricultural land across eastern Australia thanks to the El Nino, but the same weather system is affecting millions of people around the world and it could have deadly ramifications, especially in Africa.
The purpose of this article is not to take away from Australians doing it tough, especially in western and northern parts of Queensland, where some of my family live.
Rather, it is to highlight the fact that drought affects people in many different ways.
The Ethiopian government is not particularly fond of pointing out flaws inside its own borders, so it is a big step for the country to admit that more than 10 million people will require food in the coming months.
That is 10 per cent of the population.
As always in slow burn natural disasters like this one. Women and children will be worst affected.
The charity Save the Children estimates that 5.75 million children will face critical food shortages.
"People are becoming very dependent on assistance from the government and humanitarian agencies," said Charlie Mason, humanitarian director for Save the Children in Ethiopia.
"The government has been extremely proactive and forward thinking in trying to future roof the food pipeline — but there is only so much food that can be procured on the international market and brought in — so aid agencies are also rushing to try to fill that gap."
The 'worst drought' in Ethiopia for 50 years
The famine that gripped Ethiopia during the mid-1980s is well known.
It is thought about 400,000 people lost their lives either through direct starvation, or abuses that occurred because of the country's then insurgency.
While the government is far better equipped to deal with the disaster now, there are warning signs that the current climatic situation is even worse.
"The worst drought in Ethiopia for 50 years is happening right now," said Save the Children's country director in Ethiopia, John Graham.
"The overall emergency response is estimated to cost $1.4 billion, so the world leaders meeting at the Paris climate talks this week must take the opportunity to wake up and act before it's too late."
Other agencies like the World Food Program are working to feed people as well.
It should be remembered that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees in Ethiopia, many from neighbouring South Sudan, where conflict has torn apart the youngest nation on earth.
Others come from Somalia and Eritrea, also neighbours and respectively home to and Islamist terrorists and an authoritarian government.
More than 125 million will need assistance to survive 2016: UN
Right across southern and eastern Africa, El Nino is responsible for a series of droughts.
For many, there are two rainy seasons a year and neither have delivered.
In South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and Somalia not enough rain has fallen to sustain the herds of cattle and goats that sustain so many people.
If people are forced to flee in an effort to find enough to eat the world will learn about food refugees.
"El Nino has led to central America's worst ever recorded drought and Ethiopia's worst drought in 30 years," said the United Nations under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien.
"Natural disasters are also expected to worsen next year, linked to the El Nino climatic event which is estimated to be the strongest on record."
The United Nations estimates that across the globe more than 125 million people will need humanitarian assistance to survive 2016 — about 8 per cent are Ethiopians.
The government has asked for $US1.4 billion to feed its population, but the global figure is much higher.
"We need $US20.1 billion to do so," Mr O'Brien said.
"This amount is five times the level of funding we needed a decade ago and this is the largest appeal we have ever launched."
Dec 10, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353561/Torment-goes-victim...
Dramatic moment residents in flooded town form a HUMAN CHAIN to rescue people trapped in the local shop as burst river swamped community
Displaying bravery and fortitude to save their own, villagers in a tiny Cumbrian community have told of the dramatic moment they formed a human chain to rescue several people trapped by rapidly rising floodwater.
Glenridding's 500 residents are used to a sleepy, laid-back existence, but the community was again forced to take drastic action last night after being hit by a second wave of destruction when a nearby river burst its banks.
It sent raging torrents filled with trees, rocks and other debris racing through the village - the sheer speed of which caught some people unawares.
Several villagers were trapped in the local shop, sparking a desperate rescue attempt by their neighbours.
Mark Hook, 57, who was himself saved on Saturday from the guest house he owns in the village, told MailOnline how residents immediately sprang into action.
He said: 'There were people [trapped] in the mini-mart so locals got together with the emergency services to help them out. At one point there was a human chain – it was quite dramatic. They wouldn’t have got out of there without help.
This picture was taken seconds after residents in Glenridding formed a human chain to rescue several people trapped by rapidly rising floodwater. Emergency rescuers arrived to help and after installing a rope were able to guide the rest of those stuck in the shop to safety
Earth movers attempt to stem the tide of flood water this morning as Glenridding is swamped by flash floods for the second time in a week
Dec 10, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3352321/Northwest-pumme...
2 deaths, many rescues in Pacific Northwest storms
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Torrential rains pummeled parts of the Pacific Northwest early Wednesday causing mudslides and flooding roads, leaving two women dead in Oregon and sweeping seven people into a Washington river, where they were rescued.
A large Douglas fir tree crashed into a Portland home early Wednesday, killing a 60-year-old woman who was in bed.
The tree, roughly 30 inches in diameter, was uprooted and sliced through the house, pinning the woman underneath.
A large fir tree fell on a house overnight and killed an 60-year-old woman in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, as the Pacific Northwest was soaked by another night of heavy rain. More than 5 inches of rain have fallen on Portland since Sunday, and strong winds have uprooted trees from the saturated ground. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)
Next door neighbor Sam Choumxay said he watched in horror as the tree fell onto his neighbor's house with a thud. The tree top slammed into two cars in Choumxay's driveway.
Choumxay said he ran outside, made it around the tree, and raced to his neighbors' front door.
"Is anybody hurt? Is anybody hurt? I just kept calling to them," he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, a woman drowned after her car became submerged on a flooded road about 60 miles northwest of Portland in Clatskanie, Oregon, The Oregonian reported.
Firefighters rescued a man they found standing on top of a car in knee-to-waist deep water. They said the man drove himself and the woman into high water where the road was closed near U.S. Highway 30 and Lost Creek Road. The car then sank.
Responders found the woman dead at the scene.
More than 5 inches of rain have fallen on Portland since Sunday, and strong winds have uprooted trees from the saturated ground. At Sea-Tac Airport, where the official weather for Seattle is recorded, the weather service says 2.13 inches of rain fell Tuesday. That beats the previous Dec. 8 record of 1.61 inches.
In western Washington, seven people were swept into the Puyallup River from a riverbank homeless camp Wednesday morning.
Dec 10, 2015
KM
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/downpour-causes-flash-floods-a...
Flash floods hit parts of S’pore for second day in a row
SINGAPORE — For a second day in a row, roads clogged up with traffic after heavy downpours triggered flash floods in several parts across the island this afternoon (Dec 11).
Flash floods were reported in areas at Thomson Road, Balestier Road, Cambridge Road and at several junctions, including Mandalay Road/Balestier Road and Boon Keng Road/Bendemeer Road, although these cleared up by 2.50pm, according to national water agency PUB’s Twitter posts.
On social media, users posted pictures of ankle-deep waters at bus stops, and traffic congestion on flooded roads. A tree came crashing down outside Orchard Central while parts of Junction 8 shopping mall in Bishan were flooded.
PUB’s director of catchment and waterways Ridzuan Ismail said the heaviest rainfall was recorded at Beatty Secondary School’s rain gauge station, with 80.4mm of rain falling from 1.05pm to 2.45pm. The bulk of the rain beat down in the first 30 minutes of the skies opening up.
PUB said it is investigating the flooding incidents but Mr Ismail said certain locations are more prone to flooding as they are situated in low-lying areas or have localised depressions, citing the examples of Cambridge Road and Thomson Road.
The junctions at Mandalay Road/Balestier Road, Boon Keng Road/Bendemeer Road and Boon Lay Way/Corporation Road are also “known hotspots”, he added.
Mr Ismail said drainage upgrading works in areas like Novena Rise/Thomson Road and Balestier Road/Mandalay Road are set to be completed by the third quarter of next year and the second quarter of 2017, respectively.
Drainage upgrading works at the junctions of Boon Lay Way/Corporation Road and Boon Keng Road/Bendeemer Road have been planned to start in the first quarter next year.
According to information posted on the National Environment Agency’s website, thundery showers in the afternoons and evenings are forecast for the next four days.
PUB advised the public to exercise caution as flash floods may occur in the event of heavy storms.
Dec 13, 2015
KM
https://www.rt.com/usa/325682-oregon-storms-state-emergency/
Oregon declares state of emergency in 13 counties due to winter storms
The affected counties include: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill.
The declaration allows the counties to apply for state funding to repair damage, in addition to providing them with emergency response personnel that can respond to communities if local resources are stretched too thin.
A series of powerful storms and record rainfall have slammed the state since Monday, causing widespread flooding that has closed roads from Portland to the coast. At least two storm-related deaths have been confirmed by officials.
"Heavy rains and wind have required the evacuation of residences, and mudslides and high water have severely damaged or blocked major roadways in these areas of the state,” Governor Brown said in a statement. "The emergency declaration ensures state resources, emergency response personnel, and equipment can be activated to respond to communities in need if their local resources are exhausted."
The deluge set a daily record in Portland, which saw 2.75 inches of rain on Monday alone, CNN affiliate KOIN said.
The storms also brought lightning strikes, and an F1-rating twister that reached maximum wind speeds of 15 miles an hour.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until the governor’s office lifts it.
Dec 13, 2015
Derrick Johnson
Summer's back! Record-breaking temperatures soar THIRTY degrees above normal... and it's not over yet!
By DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 19:15 EST, 13 December 2015 | UPDATED: 20:33 EST, 13 December 2015
Those looking to get in to the holiday spirit are receiving no help from Mother Nature, with temperatures in the eastern United States fitting better with April and Easter than Christmas.
Highs in the 70s were seen as far north as New Jersey, with other Northeastern and Midwestern cities breaking records on consecutive days with unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s.
Dozens of cities east of the Mississippi broke or threatened daily temperatures records on Sunday, with more record highs expected as warm air continues to move eastward during the beginning of the week.
Scroll down for video
Temperatures in the 70s were seen as far north as New Jersey as unseasonably warm weather continued across much of the eastern US
The warmth is expected to continue for much of the East Coast on Monday, though it will be accompanied by rain heading eastwards from the northern Midwest
A snowstorm is beginning to bring winter precipitation to the interior West in states such as Utah and Colorado, which will eventually cause above average temperatures to sink slightly
Temperatures in New York City reached 67 degrees on Sunday, above the previous record of 64 set in 1923.
It was 23 degrees above the average for December 13, 44, which was also the temperature exactly one year ago.
Toledo, Ohio, Milwaukee and Cedar Rapids, Iowa had also all broken records by noon.
More than 70 of 235 weather-monitoring locations in the Lower 48 states were expected to threaten highs, according to Weather.com, with more than 40 thought to do so on Monday despite rain heading towards the East Coast.
The beginning of the week will also see much the East Coast experience temperatures roughly 30 degrees higher than normal.
New York, Detroit, Cleveland and Trenton, New Jersey, set records on Saturday, continuing a run that had seen previous marks beaten everywhere from Oregon to Ontario in the past week.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information said that 2.6 percent of the daily high temperature reports it received for the first 10 days of December have broken records for warmth.
Buffalo, New York, normally sees more than a foot of snow by mid December, but broke a record for lack of snow earlier this month after failing to record at least a tenth of an inch for the longest time in 116 years.
Last year the city saw five feet of snow as early as November, with the precipitation helped on by the lake effect from Lake Erie causing at least 14 deaths.
No snow is expected for at least another week, according to CNN.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358624/Temperature-records...
Dec 14, 2015
jorge namour
Christmas Forecast: climate unrecognizable, it seems Easter Monday with sun and warm [MAPS] - ITALY
14 December 2015
Christmas Forecast: farewell from the authentic atmosphere of the winter holiday season, the weather will remain mild and sunny throughout much of Italy
http://www.meteoweb.eu/2015/12/previsioni-meteo-natale-2/554131/
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...
ou know the typical Christmas atmosphere, the hushed in white snow, wrapped in the freezing winter cold and decked with lights, colors and festoons in tune with typical scenarios of Alaska or Lapland? Well, forget quickly about all this because this year, for the umpteenth time (now more and more often) throughout Italy and in much of Europe will be a Christmas from spring weather, with lots of sunshine and temperatures far higher than the average for the period. It seems almost Easter Monday, with ideal weather conditions for all types of outdoor activities.
The anomalous anticyclone that by the end of October (with the exception of the brief period of the end of November) occupies the Euro-Mediterranean region will persist at least until Christmas, and probably beyond, as we can see in the images accompanying the article.
but the temperatures are far superior compared to the average of the period and even though for some there may be a feeling that cold face, in fact the climate is insanely warmer than normal for the season, as evidenced by the maps and data on thermal anomalies.
he most worrying aspect is that in Russia and in Siberia are really monstrous act positive anomalies (see map opposite), and it is from there that should - in theory - get the cold at this time. It 'impossible to say even now that winter is compromise: there is January, February and also in March when we will have numerous cold waves and snow, but for the moment the situation is exactly the opposite of the winter season and there' It is not even a shadow.
The anticyclone will insist for a long time resulting in high temperatures: the scenery of the Alps is bleak, there is no snow in places.
The images that come from Livigno are scandalous, with a little 'of artificial snow to allow skiers to practice winter sports, but in the coming days the temperature will rise further and probably also the artificial snow will melt and will not spararne other
An economic drama, tourism
Dec 15, 2015
KM
http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2015/12/14/floods-still-affecting-...
Floods still affecting Ireland as river levels rise again
Parts of Ireland experienced more heavy flooding on December 12, 2015 after more heavy rain battered the country. At the same time, water levels of the Shannon river system are still rising and are expected to peak over the next few days, the National Emergency Coordination Group reported.
Abundant amount of precipitation over the weekend of December 12, triggered floods in the counties of Sligo, Leitrim and Dublin area, while parts of western Ireland, in the Shannon river basin suffered the worst hit. Local media reported heavy flooding in the Corbally area of the Limerick city and parts of Athlone on the night of December 12 (local time).
The level of water flow from the Shannon river is expected to increase to 440 cubic meters per second (15 538 cubic feet per second) over the coming days, and lead to increased risk of flooding the roads and grounds of Springfield, Montpelier, Castleconnel, Mountshannon, Lisnagry and the University of Limerick.
14 homes, a secondary school and numerous cars have been overflown in the Corbally area, and the main road passage from Co. Clare into Limerick was left under water. The road has been opened to traffic, following the initial flooding, however, numerous roads in the Castleconnel area have remained closed. Homes in the Richmond Park and the area of Ardscoil Mhuire secondary school reported flooding, as well.
Over 400 homes have been cutoff the power supplies, according to the local media. Residents between Chapelizod and Islandbridge in Dublin area were urged to remove their vehicles from underground parking spots and other low-lying areas last night.
Dec 15, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358273/Winter-tornadoes-to...
Winter tornadoes touch down in East Texas damaging 50 homes and injuring two
Rare December tornadoes surprised East Texas on Saturday afternoon, damaging 50 homes, destroying a bridge and injuring two people.
At least one tornado, probably two, touched down around 4pm in Lindale, about 90 miles southeast of Dallas, according to KETK.
The mayor has issued a declaration of disaster for the city.
'We saw these clouds and these little tornadoes that were shooting down and then one hit the ground. We saw it hit the ground, witness Melissa Malone told the outlet. 'From there we called 911 and immediately alerted them and the sirens started going off.'
Residents of Lindale, Texas took cell phone video of a tornado touching down on Saturday afternoon - above, Ryan Alexander posted a video to Facebook of the freak winter storm
Eyewitness Autum Green spotted the twisters forming on Iron Mountain Road in Lindale and captured them with her cell phone.
'It was kind of cool watching it build up, but I was really scared,' Green said, adding that she normally gets weather alerts, but none came with the tornado.
'On the movie Twister where they had the two tunnels come through, they twirled around each other, that's what it looked like,' she said.
The National Weather Service did not send out warnings and people in Lindale were caught completely unawares, reports the outlet.
A tornado, or possibly two, touched down unexpectedly in East Texas on Saturday afternoon
Dec 15, 2015
Howard
Alaska Storm Among Strongest Non-Tropical Cyclones on Record (Dec 13)
The lowest barometric pressure in the storm was estimated to be 924 millibars at 9 p.m. Alaska time on Saturday night, or 1 a.m. EDT Sunday, according to an analysis done by NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center. That ties a Bering Sea storm in November of last year that also had a lowest estimated pressure of 924 millibars.
Interestingly, last year's storm formed partially from the remnants of Super Typhoon Nuri, while the storm this weekend did not develop from a former typhoon or tropical storm.
Those pressure readings were estimated based on surface observations and buoys in the area, so the official record lowest pressure for the north Pacific remains 925 millibars. That was measured in a similar storm on October 25, 1977 on a ship docked at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Two other storms have produced directly-measured pressures lower than 929.8 millibars over the extratropical North Pacific.
In this storm, the lowest pressure directly observed at a fixed airport-based observation site was 27.73 inches, or 938.9 millibars. This measurement came from the Adak Airport on Adak Island in the western Aleutians at 6:16 p.m. local time Saturday.
In general, a lower atmospheric pressure correlates with a more intense low pressure system. For reference, the lowest central pressure of Hurricane Andrew (1992) was 922 millibars. Despite the potential of a similar pressure at its peak, wind speeds in non-tropical cyclones such as the Bering Sea storm are much lower than hurricanes, because the pressure gradient is spread out over a much larger area than in a hurricane.
Late Saturday night and early Sunday, the storm produced some ferocious winds in the Aleutian Islands. At Adak, sustained winds reached 94 mph with gusts topping out at 122 mph. Those winds occurred within a 3-hour, 40-minute period of uninterrupted hurricane-force sustained winds of 74 mph or greater between 8:16 p.m. and 11:56 p.m. Saturday.
Wave heights of up to 40 feet were measured at one buoy in the Bering Sea as a result of the powerful winds.
The storm was weakening on Monday morning while spinning over the Bering Sea. However, its pressure was still very low. NOAA estimated its central pressure at 950 millibars as of 3 a.m. Alaska time.
Source
http://www.weather.com/news/weather/news/aleutian-storm-alaska-beri...
Dec 16, 2015
Mark
UK weather: Britain facing hottest Christmas on record
Southern England will be hotter than parts of Australia over the next few days thanks to sub-tropical air
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-britain-facing-hott...
Temperatures in southern England will be hotter than parts of Australia over the next few days thanks to sub-tropical air.
And forecasters say the balmy weather is here to stay - with Christmas Day predicted to be exceptionally warm.
Ladbrokes cut the odds of temperatures breaking the December 25 record of 15.6C from 10/1 to 3/1.
Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: "It looks like sunglasses rather than snowmen on Christmas Day."
The forecast is bad news for snow lovers - with only parts of the Scottish Highlands expected to see the white stuff.
Dec 16, 2015
KM
https://www.rt.com/news/326071-australia-storm-tornado-sydney/
Freak storm rips though Sydney with tornadoes, flooding, hail, 200kph winds
A Sydney suburb was labeled a disaster zone after a tornado ripped through its southern beaches with golf-sized hail stones and rattling winds that caused tremendous damage to the neighborhood.
The disaster toll already looks steep: over 10,000 homes and around 7,000 businesses have been left without electricity. State Emergency Service (SES) has received at least 160 calls out.
Heavy winds have torn roofs from houses, triggering evacuations in Sydney.
One of the biggest evacuations took place at the desalination plant in Kurnell. Staff was told to leave the Caltex refinery immediately, after it suffered significant damage from the storm.
Part of the roof collapsed at the Shoppers at Westfield mall in Bondi Junction, causing flooding and forcing quick evacuations. The major shopping center remains closed.
“There is flooding and people are being moved out of the mall,” Conor McGuinness told The Australian.
Flights are being delayed at Sydney’s airport, according to an airport spokeswoman.
In another shocking moment, a palm tree caught fire when it was struck by lightning in Sydney.
Some of the photos posted online show flipped and damaged cars, as well as flooded streets with random objects blown by the winds.
Social media users had posted pictures of ominous-looking dark grey clouds, resembling movie scenes from the end of the world, prior to the storm lashing out.
The freakishly strong winds have now moved offshore from Bondi Beach, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. However, a severe thunderstorm warning is still in effect for parts of Sydney and New South Wales.
More storm outbreaks are expected throughout the day.
Dec 16, 2015
KM
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/must-see-5-unearthly...
Must See: 5 unearthly shots of massive outback dust storm
A “larger than normal” dust storm billowed through the Australian outback town of Boulia Tuesday, creating an otherworldly spectacle.
Local photographers jumped at the opportunity to capture the Martian-like moment, where visibility was reportedly limited to just a few metres.
Although dust storms are common in the area, lifestyle photographer Ann Britton told the Brisbane Times that Tuesday’s happening was substantially larger than usual.
The outback is known for being Australia’s vast, mostly uninhabited desert region, where temperatures can soar to 50 C in the summer, while dipping to – 10 C in the winter.
Dec 17, 2015
KM
http://sputniknews.com/videoclub/20151217/1031908390/california-bea...
Rising Tide: Beach in California Swallowed by Ocean
An interesting weather phenomenon occurred on the West Coast of the US.
Whether it was caused by El Nino or not, the Carlsbad State Beach was almost completely swallowed by the ocean.
Dec 17, 2015
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2015/12/the-weather-has-gone-mad-warm.html
The weather has gone mad! warm temperatures being broken in the UK, Europe and US as Daffodils bloom in December! December set to be warmest on record along with 2015 set to be warmest year on record!
December set to be the warmest on record across the UK and many parts of Europe as the jet-stream is stuck above the UK and it is sucking warm air from northern Africa bringing balmy temperatures more accustomed to early May than December.
Yesterday here in Holland, just north of Amsterdam, I enjoyed temperatures hovering around 18C, or around 65F in old money, uncanny when you realise the average temperature here for this time of the year is 5C or 41F.
Daffodils are blooming across the UK and parts of Europe during unseasonal December weather
Flowers usually more associated with Easter than Christmas seen around the country in a week of above-average seasonal temperatures.
Incredibly, the forcast for today is set to be even warmer than yesterday and tomorrow will be the warmest day of all, so records are sure to be broken.
December will probably be the warmest on record along with November 2015 which was the warmest November on record, with 2015 will be the warmest year on record, maybe Al Gore was right after all?
It's not all good news though for the UK.
A series of storms will accompany the mild weather across the United Kingdom into Christmas, threatening to causing more floods and disruptions to travel for millions before and after the holiday.
Also asthmatics in Britain are preparing for a Saharan dust cloud to hit the country.
Forecasters said Saharan dust picked up by winds and carried in the atmosphere could fall in the South East, leaving a yellow or brown film on cars.
The phenomenon is often dubbed ‘blood rain’, but this reddish precipitation is only officially seen in countries with much higher red dust concentrations.
Across the pond it's the same story with, no sign of the polar vortex which devastated the US just one year ago when parts of America was colder than Mars, temperatures along the north east and Midwest have been in the 70's, around 23C, warm enough for shorts and t-shirt.
But just like the UK a series of storms more typical of spring will bring rounds of drenching rain to much of the eastern third of the nation during the week of Christmas.
Dec 18, 2015
Poli
Advent, Advent,
Europe is burning!
► winter too warm ► Even in Scandinavia Plus Grade
► the polar bear melt away the clods
A December on record course: In Germany, the last month of the year so far with an average of 6.2 degrees is much too warm - namely whopping 5.5 degrees!
► The US Forecast Centres (National Centers for Environmental Prediction; short NCEP) forecast for the coming days temperatures that differ significantly from the winter average.
While we can expect more with four to five degrees in Germany, Eastern Europe lays in the calculations eight to ten degrees!
The whole of Europe is sweating. December is in Europe too mild. As with us there will be for example in France most likely the warmest December since records began.
The expert: "The Atlantic and the Mediterranean have still partially up to 20 degrees warm water. This is completely unusual. "
... and so similar in Norway, England, Austria, Moscow.
http://www.bild.de/news/inland/wetter/temperaturen-auf-rekordkurs-h...
Dec 21, 2015
jorge namour
Softness record: the real reasons
News - Updated Monday, December 21, 2015 by The Weather Channel- LA CHAINE METEO
The exceptional softness affects almost the entire northern hemisphere. What are the reasons for the persistent discrepancy?
The record Softness that remains relates much of the northern hemisphere.
Softness to Eastern America and EUROPE . anticyclone mediterranean. . jet stream makes ripples that make up the heat on the east coast of the United States but also to the west of EUROPE.
While the cold is contained and condensed at the North Pole and Greenland.
Since autumn 2015 COLD is intense at high latitudes on the Arctic Greenland, temperature MINUS 50 degrees.
POLARF VORTEX
the polar vortex does not happens TO FALL ELAPSE this is why there is no cold wave on the American continent and europe.
POLAR VORTX seen above the North Pole
belt around the pole and this vortex keeps the cold at ArcticS.SO prevents the cold to elapse to fall
to Russia, `North America and Europe .
SO IT contributes to Softness generalized except at the pole.
http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2015-12-21-05h41...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...
Dec 22, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/sandstorm-boulia-queensland-austra...
Powerful sandstorm engulfs the city of Boulia, Queensland, Australia
An unusually powerful sandstorm swept through the central-western part of the Australian state of Queensland on Decmber 16, 2015.
And it turned the day into night at Boulia, where a strong wind was blowing during a few hours, cars were forced to stop.
Watch a hundred-meter-high wall of sand engulfing a city… It’s insane.
Dec 22, 2015
KM
http://nypost.com/2015/12/20/submerged-secrets-are-revealed-as-silv...
Submerged secrets are revealed as Silver Lake dries up
Staten Island’s Silver Lake is giving up decades of soggy secrets — from a vandalized street sign to an old motorcycle — as the massive city reservoir mysteriously drains away.
The water level is down six to seven feet since early October, photo comparisons show.
Leaks underneath the lake are going unaddressed by the city Department of Environmental Protection, which has also stopped pumping water into the lake.
The 56-acre lake was built as a city reservoir in 1917, but hasn’t been used for drinking water since 1971. Today, underground storage tanks next to the lake supply Staten Island’s water.
The lake collects the tanks’ overflow, and forms the centerpiece of picturesque Silver Lake Park.
“The water hasn’t been this low since the early 1980s,” said parkgoer Patty Ribeiro, who lives nearby.
In 1982, an interagency battle halted water flow into the lake for a year, sparking local uproar that made the lake’s maintenance a DEP responsibility.
Ribeiro sees more debris each day as the water recedes: “a plastic toy scooter, a rubber raft, traffic cones, broken ladders.”
The motorcycle, once totally submerged, is now eight feet from the water’s edge.
“You’d sometimes just see the tip of the wheel,” Ribeiro said of the landmark she uses to gauge the lake’s depth.
The draining of the lake came as a shock to leaders of local civic groups, including Dominick DeRubbio of the Silver Lake Conservancy.
“Maybe we can take advantage of this situation,” DeRubbio said, referring to the cleanup efforts of the now-dried up depths.
The DEP would not say how low the water level will go or when the lake will be restored.
Dec 23, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3372474/Paraguay-Floods...
Paraguay: Floods force evacuation of more than 70,000
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Flooding caused by heavy rains has forced the evacuation of more than 70,000 people in Paraguay.
Authorities say the Paraguay River rose to nearly 24 feet (7.2 meters) Wednesday after weeks of torrential rains. That's near its highest level of 1983, when it reached 25.3 feet (7.72 meters).
Paraguay's National Emergency Secretariat says about 72,000 people have been forced out of their homes in the Paraguayan capital.
Victor Ferreira, who is displaced by flooding, rows his boat through the streets of his Jukyty neighborhood in Asuncion, Paraguay, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. The Paraguay River is at its highest level since 1984 and threatening the poor districts that surround the capital, forcing about 100,000 people to shelters. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
But many more are expected to be affected nationwide by the swelling of the Parana and other rivers.
Communities living in low-lying slums are especially at risk.
Most are seeking shelter in camps on higher ground, where they're sleeping in improvised tents.
Congress issued a state of emergency last week and authorized the government to spend $4 million to assist flood-hit families.
Dec 25, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/devastating-wildfire-victoria-aust...
Devastating wildfires sweep along Victoria’s surf coast in Australia on December 25, 2015
Devastating wildfires are currently sweeping along Victoria’s surf coast southwest of Melbourne, Australia.
At least 2,000 hectares of forest and 50 homes were burned. Residents of four settlements were evacuated. It’s a really hot Christmas in Australia.
More than 300 firefighters are fighting the fire along the Great Ocean Road on Victoria’s surf coast.
The fire devastated 2,000 of forest and burned down at least 53 homes threatening to advance on Lorne.
The nearby townships of Wye River, Separation Creek, Kennett River and Grey River already on Friday afternoon.
Here a video of the ongoing situation:
Some light and patchy rain had started to fall and more was expected across the fire ground through Saturday.
Dec 25, 2015
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2015/12/a-heatwave-in-decemberwarm-reco...
A heatwave in December....Warm records smahed as New York hits 74F (23C): Records smashed in Washington, Boston and Philadelphia
New York City temperatures soared to 71 degrees Fahrenheit in Central Park by 10 a.m. yesterday, and a high of 74 was expected for the day, shattering the record high of 63 degrees back in 1996. Those with holiday shopping to do are still surely doing it, but retailers on the Eastern part of the country specializing in cold-weather gear continue to suffer from the absence of sweater weather. Record highs were already hit today in other cities, including Charlotte, N.C., Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Providence, R.I., and hundreds more were expected to join them.
In New York City, temperatures are 12 degrees Fahrenheit above the normal average in December. That means that people tend not to buy new coats, scarves and gloves, all of which are popular gift choices in normal years.
In fact, Berwyn, Pa.-based Planalytics data shows that outerwear sales are down 10 percent while sweater sales slipped 6 percent.
For retailers, this means bloated inventory and deep discounts in January to help them move it. Retailers such as Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch get hit hard by such weather fluctuations, an analyst told Fortune.
One possible bright spot comes for restaurants, which benefit from warmer weather, as do big-box retailers such as Target, because people don't mind driving to the stores.
Dec 25, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374506/Met-Office-issues-R...
Met Office issues TWO red alerts for deadly weather in the same day for the first time ever as five inches of rain is forecast and 300 flood warnings are issued across Britain
The Met Office has issued two red alerts for potentially deadly rain in the same day for the first time ever, as severe weather is battering parts of Britain.
Red alerts are the highest possible warnings, meaning there is 'a danger to life'. It is extremely rare for the weather agency to issue them, with the two previous ones coming a year apart.
The alert, which advises people to 'take action', expect disruption to travel and be prepared to evacuate their homes, is in place for Lancashire and Yorkshire & Humber.
Around five inches of rain is expected to fall today, almost as much as the average December rainfall in the UK, sparking more than 300 flood alerts.
Rescue teams have been sent out to help people evacuate their flooded homes, as Boxing Day football matches and racing events were cancelled.
Emergency services rescue residents from flooded homes on King Street in Whalley, Lancashire, as the rain batters down
A caravan park inundated by flood water after the River Nidd burst its banks in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
A Audi car driver takes the risk of driving through flood water in the village of Ribchester on the River Ribble, Lancashire
A police car struggles to make its away through the village of Ribchester, Lancashire, where the River Ribble has burst its banks
The Met Office has issued two red alerts for rain, which is deemed to be potentially deadly, as severe weather is battering parts of Britain today
Dec 26, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe...
Freak Christmas Day tornado rips across Alabama while the death toll hits 15 from deadly storms earlier this week
Severe weather has plagued the southern U.S. during Christmas week, and the misery continued as a tornado touched down in north-central Alabama on Christmas Day.
Unseasonably warm weather starting on Wednesday helped spawn torrential rain and deadly storms that left at least 15 people in three states dead and dozens of families homeless by Christmas Eve.
The tornado that touched down in Alabama on Friday was spotted by witnesses outside the city about 5 p.m.
An hour later the National Weather service confirmed that first responders were on the scene in a working class neighborhood less than 10 miles from downtown Birmingham.
Deadly weather: Lightning illuminates a house after a tornado touched down in Alabama damaging several houses on Christmas. Unseasonably warm weather starting on Wednesday helped spawn torrential rain and deadly storms that left at least 15 people in three states dead and dozens of families homeless
Injured: Emergency officials transport James Simmons by boat because water over Byler Road prevented them from reaching him in Alabama on Friday. They carried him by boat before loading him into an ambulance
Damage: irmingham firefighters work a scene after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County, damaging several houses. A Christmastime wave of severe weather continued on Friday. Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said trees were down and people were trapped inside damaged houses
Community: Birmingham firefighters work a scene after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County. Good Samaritan Ruthie Green went door-to-door in a coat and a bicycle helmet to check on neighbors after the storm and swept debris from her front porch as more emergency responders arrived in the neighborhood
Understaffed: Search teams combed damaged homes and businesses for people still missing, a hunt made complicated because many had left for the holidays
Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said trees were down and people were trapped inside damaged houses. Several people were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries. It wasn't clear if anyone was killed.
Ruthie Green went door-to-door in a coat and a bicycle helmet to check on neighbors after the storm and swept debris from her front porch as more emergency responders arrived in the neighborhood.
Dec 26, 2015
Mark
The day Britain went under: UK hit by worst floods in decades after a MONTH of rain falls in 24 hours... and more is on the way
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374917/The-day-Britain-wen...
Britain was overwhelmed by the most widespread flooding for decades yesterday as the dire weather left a trail of chaos stretching hundreds of miles and affecting 2,000 homes.
Huge swathes of the North of England, including parts of Manchester and Leeds and their satellite towns, were under up to 6ft of water after a month's rain fell in a single day.
Thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes and in some cases whole towns were cut off as the misery of flooding spread across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, as well as parts of Scotland and North Wales.
And for the first time since the waters started rising a month ago, densely populated urban areas were engulfed.
Flood waters were predicted to keep rising last night and police were going door-to-door in Salford, Greater Manchester, urging people to evacuate their homes with just what they could carry.
Ominously, a severe flood warning was also issued for Leeds city centre, due to the immediate 'risk to life in the area', and overnight flood pictures show rising waters engulfing homes and vehicles in major streets.
It came after a day of extraordinary scenes when rivers and waterways broke their banks and continued downpours caused flooding on already saturated ground.
The army and specialist emergency flood units were called in to rescue elderly residents from a care home in Croston, Lancashire, which was left under water after the River Yarrow burst its banks.
The Duke of Lancaster Regiment rescued people form the Croston Park Care Home, and more residents of the village were also evacuated from their homes as the water continued to rise.
Two streets in Leeds city centre turned into 'canals' after the River Aire reached its highest ever level and burst its banks.
Dec 27, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe...
Eight dead in Texas tornado: The South is battered by severe weather for another day as Christmas storm death toll reaches 26
Eight people were killed in Texas the day after Christmas when raging storms and tornadoes blew through the area, according to reports.
Five people died near I-30 in Garland, northeast of Dallas, when a large tornado moved through the area, according to Fox4News. All victims were believed to be in their cars, which were likely blown right off the highway.
'It looks like a war zone,' Zach Thompson, Dallas County Health and Human Services Director, told the outlet of Garland.
The tornado struck at 6:45pm according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, two people died in Copeville and one person in Blue Ridge, an unincorporated town in Collin County, next to Lake Levon.
This brings the death toll to 26 across Texas and three other states starting Christmas Eve.
About 50,000 people are without power across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, mainly in the eastern cities, according to the outlet.
At least two tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down south and east of Dallas beginning at around 6 p.m. local time (7 p.m. E.T.), according to the National Weather Service.
Four people were killed in Garland, Texas, after fierce storms and tornadoes swept through the region Saturday (above)
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe...
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Dec 27, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374851/California-wildfire...
Out-of-control wildfire is threatening dozens of homes north of Los Angeles and closes down 15-mile stretch of coastal highway
A wildfire in Southern California that is threatening dozens of homes has led to evacuations, burned more than 1,000 acres of land and forced the closure of parts of two major highways on Saturday.
The out-of-control brush fire forced the evacuation of dozens of homes northwest of Los Angeles and closed a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway after starting outside the city of Ventura late Friday.
Highway 101 - which runs north to south - was closed in both directions for roughly 15 miles from state Highway 150 to state Highway 33, forcing holiday travelers to take narrow, backcountry roads.
Scroll down for video
A wildfire in Southern California that started late on Friday night (seen) is threatening dozens of homes
The fire has led to mandatory and voluntary evacuations and has burned more than 1,000 acres of land
A burned Pacific Coast Highway sign was torched during the fire in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County
Dec 27, 2015