Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Wild Weather, the Wobble Effect
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Weather: |
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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
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
Scott
"The National Weather Service in Dallas-Fort Worth determined Sunday that the destruction left behind in hard-hit Garland was the work of an EF-4 tornado. That's the second most powerful tornado on the Fujita scale, with winds between 156 and 200 mph.
The agency also said the damage left behind in nearby Rowlett was from at least an EF-3 tornado with winds between 136 and 155 mph.
At least 11 people died in the severe weather that barreled through the region... and 600 structures were damaged."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/27/us/severe-weather/index.html
Dec 27, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/rotating-ice-circle-brainerd-minne...
Rotating ice circle surprises residents of Brainerd, Minnesota
Rare and strange winter phenomena start appearing in the US.
Watch this rotating ice circle spin where the Nokasippi River flows into Upper South Long Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota.
A rare and unexpected spinning ice circle formed just where the Nokasippi River flows into Upper South Long Lake in Minnesota.
It looks like a big pancake of ice that is moving slowly around in a circle.
The ice disc forms as flowing water creates an eddy where ice is forming. The water is more still in the middle of the eddy.
It’s really an amazing nature phenomenon.
And rare, people living around since more than 60 years had never seen the phenomenon before.
That’s really a perfect ice circle swirl in the black water.
Dec 28, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/us-strange-weather-warmest-christm...
The US is experiencing some very strange weather
The US is experiencing some very strange weather -Boston & NYC WARMER on Christmas Eve than on the 4th of July.
Yes, it was WARMER in Boston and New York than in LA on Christmas Eve…
First, let’s recap. January-June 2015 was the hottest on record. July was the hottest July on record. August was the hottest August on record. September was the hottest September on record. October was the hottest October on record. November was the hottest November on record. December is not over yet, but in all likelihood, it will be the hottest December on record.
Here’s a look at the meteorological surreality of the December 24 forecast.
Anyway, this was the warmest Christmas Eve ever for much of the country…
Dec 28, 2015
KM
Deaths and mass evacuations in South American floods
ASUNCION — Storms and floods battering South America claimed a sixth victim in Paraguay on Monday as river levels threatened to rise further after torrents drove tens of thousands from their homes.
The death of a technician who was electrocuted while trying to restore power to a Paraguayan village brought the toll across three countries to at least 12 overall.
Over recent days the storms blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon have killed four people in Brazil and two in Argentina. Officials say rainfall has driven at least 160,000 people from their homes in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
The director of Paraguay’s weather service, Julian Baez, told reporters the level of the Paraguay River had risen to nearly 8m.
If rains continue as forecasters expect, the flood levels could tie or pass their record of 9m in 1983, when the capital’s busy port area was under water, Mr Baez warned.
The National Emergency Secretariat warned that a dike near the village of Alberdi risked giving way if the Paraguay River kept rising.
The waterway, which forms a border between Paraguay and Argentina, rose by an additional 2cm on Monday.
"It is a situation of nature that we have to live with," said Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, while visiting Alberdi on Monday.
Elsewhere, driving rains in the Sao Paulo area in southern Brazil triggered a mudslide that killed four people, state officials said on Sunday.
In Uruguay, between Argentina and Brazil on the South Atlantic, more than 16,300 people had fled their homes because of the floods, the National Emergency System said on Monday.
In northeastern Argentina, two people were killed and about 20,000 were evacuated from their homes by the flooding of the Uruguay River.
"The situation has stabilised. There are still 20,000 people evacuated," Argentinian Interior Minister Rogelio Frigerio told a news conference.
Most of those were in the eastern city of Concordia.
"If it starts raining again like it did last week, we are going to have difficulties," said Gustavo Bordet, the governor of the surrounding province of Entre Rios.
International environmental group Greenpeace said in a statement that the flooding devastation was due to a combination of increased rain and deforestation, which destroys woodland that otherwise absorbs rainwater.
El Nino is associated with a sustained period of warming in the central and eastern tropical Pacific.
Last month the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation warned that the current El Nino was the worst in more than 15 years, and one of the strongest since 1950.
Dec 29, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3378490/19-levees-Illinois-...
17 MILLION under flood warning: Levees burst and rivers rise to historic levels as officials warn of fatalities to come and call in the National Guard
Federal officials were monitoring 19 vulnerable levees on the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries, warning that hundreds of homes in Illinois and Missouri could be threatened by a rare winter flood that already forced the partial closure of interstate highways and widespread evacuations.
As the swollen rivers and streams pushed to virtually unheard-of heights Tuesday, an unknown number of inmates were transferred out of an Illinois state prison threatened by flooding and Missouri's governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic from submerged roads.
Record flooding was projected in some Mississippi River towns after several days of torrential rain that also caused sewage to flow unfiltered into waterways.
Mark Diehl, left, and Dale Atchley move items to higher ground at the Fenton Feed Mill on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Fenton, Missouri. Torrential rains over the past several days pushed already swollen rivers and streams to virtually unheard-of heights in parts of Missouri and Illinois
This photo shows a northern view of 1st Street where homes were flooded on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Pacific, Missouri
The Meramec River near St Louis was expected to get to more than three feet above the previous record by late this week.
At least 18 deaths over several days in Missouri and Illinois were blamed on flooding, mostly involving vehicles that drove onto swamped roadways.
The river on Tuesday spilled over the top of the levee at West Alton, Missouri, about 20 miles north of St Louis. Mayor William Richter ordered any of the town's approximate 520 residents who had not already evacuated to get out of harm's way.
Across the river, in Alton, Illinois, dozens of volunteers helped place sandbags ahead of where water is expected to rise.
Submerged roads and houses are seen after several days of heavy rain led to flooding, in an aerial view over Union, Missouri December 29, 2015
A storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest pushed north on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice from Iowa to Massachusetts and another day of tangled air travel
Several homes are seen underwater in this aerial picture taken over Union, Missouri on December 29, 2015
Mayor Brant Walker said in a statement that 'even with our best efforts of sandbagging and pumping,' flooding was expected at least in the basements of the downtown business district.
In another eastern Missouri town, Union, water from the normally docile Bourbeuse River reached the roofs of a McDonald's, QuikTrip and several other businesses. The river reached an all-time high Tuesday, nearly 20 feet above flood stage.
Interstate 44 was closed near the central Missouri town of Rolla, and a 10-mile section of Interstate 70 was shut down in southern Illinois before it was reopened late Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of smaller roads and highways were also closed across the two states, and flood warnings were in effect.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activated the National Guard to assist with security in evacuated areas and to help keep road closure sites clear.
In southern Illinois, the Department of Corrections transferred an unspecified number of inmates from a state prison to other locations because of flooding risks. The facility houses nearly 3,700 inmates.
Train traffic on this bridge has come to a halt. A storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest pushed north on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice from Iowa to Massachusetts and another day of tangled air travel
Submerged roads and houses are seen after several days of heavy rain led to flooding, in an aerial view over Valley Park, Missouri December 29, 2015
In St Louis, more than 500 volunteers turned out in blustery, cold conditions to fill sandbags where a flooded waterway threatened hundreds of homes.
The city later trucked 1,500 of the sandbags south to a nearby county to fortify a wastewater treatment plant threatened by the swollen Big River.
The Mississippi River is expected to reach nearly 15 feet above flood stage on Thursday at St Louis, which would be the second-worst flood on record, behind only the devastating 1993 flood.
Alderman Larry Arnowitz said up to 500 homes could be threatened if the River Des Peres - a man-made storm sewer channel that flows through south St Louis into the Mississippi River - rises much more than projected. But he was confident that with no rain in the forecast for the next several days, and with the help of the thousands of sandbags, everything would be OK.
A Christmas decoration hangs on the door of a home surrounded by floodwater from the Bourbeuse River, Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Union, Mo. Flooding across Missouri has forced the closure of hundreds of roads and threatened homes
'These are our neighbors, our friends,' said Muxo, who brought her teenage son and three of his friends to help sandbag. 'We need to help each other.'
The high water was blamed on the shutdown of a wastewater treatment plant on Monday just south of St Louis, causing sewage to go directly into nearby rivers and streams. The Metropolitan Sewer District of St Louis said the Fenton wastewater treatment plant, which is designed for 6.75 million gallons per day of flow, was treating nearly 24 million gallons per day at the time of the malfunction.
One of the two wastewater plants in Springfield, Missouri, also failed, allowing partially treated sewage to flow into a river.
The U.S. Coast Guard closed a 5-mile portion of the Mississippi River near St Louis due to flooding. Capt. Martin Malloy cited high water levels and fast currents in the river, which is a vital transportation hub for barges that carry agricultural products and other goods.
In central and southern Illinois, flood warnings were in effect two days after a winter storm brought sleet and icy rain. Major flooding was occurring along the Kankakee, Illinois, Sangamon and Vermilion rivers.
In Granite City, Illinois, about 30 residents of a flooded trailer park idled in a Red Cross emergency shelter in a church basement. The park's property manager told Shirley Clark, 56, and other displaced residents that it could be another 10 to 12 days before they're able to return to their homes.
'We need help over here,' said Clark, a diabetic who said she left behind her insulin supply. 'We're just holding on.'
The Midwest wasn't alone. Heavy rain continued in parts of the South, such as Georgia and eastern Alabama, which has in parts seen more than 14 inches of rain since December 21.
Dec 30, 2015
jorge namour
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402....
Severe Weather Europe Arctic
DECEMBER 30 2015
Another look at the exceptional intrusion of warm air high over the Arctic and all the way to the North Pole! Longyearbyen, Svalbard at 78 °N reported +8 °C tonight! Temperatures in the Arctic are about 30 °C above the long term average.
Map: Earthnull
Dec 30, 2015
Scott
"Some of this North American heat is a regular feature of every El Niño. ...But in the Arctic, this level of warmth is unprecedented. In order for this huge, hot storm to reach Iceland on Wednesday, it’s punching right through the Jet Stream, the atmospheric “river” that brings temperate weather to Europe. Yet El Niño should typically reinforce this current, explains the climate writer Robert Scribbler—for the Jet Stream to weaken is a sign that something else is going on."
The storm that will unfreeze the North Pole
http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/the-storm-that-will-unf...
Dec 30, 2015
Mark
Freakish Weather Runs from the Top of the World to the Bottom
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/freakish-wea...
The same storm that slammed the southern United States with deadly tornadoes and swamped the Midwest, causing even greater loss of life, continued on to the Arctic. Sub-tropical air pulled there is now sitting over Iceland, and at what should be a deeply sub-zero North Pole, temperatures on Wednesday appeared to reach the melting point — more than 50 degrees above normal. That was warmer than Chicago.
Only twice before has the Arctic been so warm in winter. Residents of Iceland are bracing for conditions to grow much worse as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded blasts through the North Atlantic. This rare “bomb cyclone” arrived with sudden winds of 70 miles per hour and waves that lashed the coast.
Thousands of miles south, in the center of Latin America, downpours fueled by the Pacific Ocean’s giant El Niño pattern have drenched regions of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
In what’s described as the worst flooding in a half-century, more than 160,000 people have fled their homes. The Paraguay River in that nation is within inches of topping its banks, and the Uruguay River in Argentina is 46 feet above normal, according to a BBC News report.
The dramatic storms are ending a year of record-setting weather globally, with July measured as the hottest month ever and 2015 set to be the warmest year.
Up and down the U.S. East Coast, this month will close as the hottest December ever. In much of the Northeast into Canada, temperatures on Christmas rose into the 70s — tricking bushes and trees into bloom in many locations. In the Washington area, forsythia, azaleas and even cherry blossoms were suddenly in full color.
“I see this as a double whammy,” Michael Mann, a professor of meteorology at Penn State University, said in an email. “El Niño . . . is one factor, human-caused climate change and global warming is another. You put the two together, and you get dramatic increases in certain types of extreme weather events.”
The impact is more and more devastating.
Read More....
Dec 31, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3379988/Arctic-heatw...
Arctic 'heatwave' hits the North Pole: Storm Frank causes temperatures to soar by 60°F taking the icy region close to melting point
The North Pole is experiencing a heatwave as temperatures came close to melting point yesterday, making the Arctic region warmer than some major cities in Europe and the US.
According to ocean measurements from the North Pole Environmental Observatory, the mercury tipped -1.9°C (28.6°F) on Wednesday as the Arctic bathed in an unseasonably warm spell.
The hike in temperature is reportedly due to the same low pressure system which has brought flood chaos to England and Scotland, and made areas of the Arctic up to 35˚C (63°F) warmer than the seasonal average.
According to ocean measurements, the mercury tipped -1.9°C (28.6°F) on Wednesday as the Arctic bathed in an unseasonably warm spell. The hike in temperature is due to the same low pressure system that has brought flood chaos to England. This made areas of the Arctic 35°C (63°F) warmer than the seasonal average
Earlier this week, meteorologists tracking the path of a powerful North Atlantic storm over Iceland had forecast that the Arctic temperatures could peak above freezing, with the storm being one of the strongest on record and wind speeds of up to 230mph (370km/h).
Typically, the Arctic would be expected to be somewhere in the depths of up to -35°C (-31°F) in December, with 24 hour darkness.
ARCTIC HAS WARMEST YEAR IN HISTORY
Earlier this month, the average air temperature over Arctic land reached 2.3°F (1.3°C) above average for the year ending in September.
That's the highest since observations began in 1900.
The new mark was noted in the annual Arctic Report Card, released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Arctic centres on the North Pole and reaches into North America and Eurasia.
But while large fluctuations of up to 30°F in air temperature are fairly typical in the Arctic, this latest weather system was expected to push the variability to as high as 50 to 60°F.
Although no instruments for measuring temperature are operating on the North Pole to provide precise reading for the temperature spike, experts indicate that temperatures may have pushed past zero.
Data pulled from one ocean buoy in the Arctic reported a temperature spike of 0.7°C, but Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at US company Weather Bell said on Twitter these data may have a large range of uncertainty.
Meteorologist Bob Henson, from WeatherUnderground, added that the December temperatures at the North Pole have only reached or gone above freezing just three times since 1948, but none during between January and March.
Dec 31, 2015
KM
http://iceagenow.info/heavy-snowfall-in-peru-in-the-summer/
Heavy snowfall in Peru – In the summer
29 Dec 2015 – Huancavelica, Peru – Heavy snowfall of about 10 centimeters thick covered Chonta population centers today and Astobamba Pucapampa district of Santa Ana, in the province of Castrovirreyna, Huancavelica region, surprising its inhabitants.
The COER and Regional Government urge the Huancavelica population to take precautions, keep warm and avoid sudden changes in temperature, especially in populations in situations of high vulnerability either by their social status (poverty and extreme poverty), children under 5 years and older adults.
“Heavy snowfall in Peru, south of the equator, where it is summer now. Could this mean that cold air from the North Pole has crossed the equator?” asks Argiris.
Dec 31, 2015
KM
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/31/montreal-record-busting-snow-...
Montreal Record Busting Snow Sours the Mild Winter Climate Narrative
Montreal, 2005
ON the 24th December this year, Montreal was a poster child for the “new normal” – mild weather, no snow in sight. All that came to an abrupt end on the 29th, when Montreal strayed off narrative with a record breaking snowfall.
From the 24th;
Fast forward to December 29th;
Jan 1, 2016
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2016/01/it-is-described-as-disaster-cyc...
It is described as a "disaster": Cyclone Ula with 200km/h winds set to smash Tonga today
Locals and tourists have been told to brace for "very destructive" winds and potential "flash flooding" as Cyclone Ula unleashes its fury on Tonga.
In its latest warning, the Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre says Vava'u, Tongatapu, Ha'apai and 'Eua are expected to feel the worst of the tropical cyclone.
That includes "heavy damaging sea swells", heavy rain and strong winds.
"Very destructive" east to south-east winds of up to 80/90km/h, gusting up to 120km/h, are expected to hit Vava'u and Ha'apai.
The warning for those areas includes the possibility of "seas flooding" in low-lying areas.
As the storm intensifies, international aide organisations are gearing up to help.
Oxfam New Zealand is ready to send emergency staff to Tonga to assess the situation on the ground and identify the most urgent needs.
"We have emergency supplies in Tonga ready in place, so once the urgent needs are assessed we are ready to help co-ordinate the supply of clean water and sanitation for those affected by the disaster." Oxfam and its partner Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) operate virgin coconut oil and organics programmes throughout the country.
Oxfam is liaising with TNYC to prepare for a co-ordinated response.
In January 2014, tropical Cyclone Ian ripped through the Ha'apai islands, in Tonga, destroying buildings and homes.
Oxfam provided access to safe water, ensuring sanitation needs were met, and helped people recover their livelihoods so they could earn a living and support themselves and their families.
Tuvalu has already been hit by heavy rain and strong winds.
Cyclone Ula caused property damage on the low-lying island, ripping roofs off houses and destroying plant crops.
At its worst, Tuvalu was struck by heavy rain, thunderstorms and gale-force winds.
Winds of up to 200km/h are expected, as well as torrential rainfall.
Cyclone Ula is predicted to lose intensity as it heads away from Tonga towards Fiji's southern islands.
Fiji rugby Sevens coach Ben Ryan sent locals and tourists in the path of Cyclone Ula his best wishes, posting on Twitter:
"Cyclone Ula battering a lot of the Pacific right now -- stay safe everyone and prayers with you. #CycloneUla."Fiji's National Disaster Management Office issued a heavy rain and strong wind warning on Friday.
The weather system has caused numerous power outages in Fiji and locals living in flood-prone areas have been warned to prepare for possible flash flooding.
Jan 2, 2016
Mark
UK: December 2015 was wettest month ever recorded and warmest ever December
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/05/december-2015-wa...
Last month saw widespread flooding which continued into the new year, with 21 flood alerts in England and Wales and four in Scotland in force on Tuesday morning.
The record for the warmest December in the UK was also smashed last month, with an average temperature of 7.9C, 4.1C higher than the long-term average.
Climate change has fundamentally changed the UK weather, said Prof Myles Allen, at the University of Oxford: “Normal weather, unchanged over generations, is a thing of the past. You are not meant to beat records by those margins and if you do so, just like in athletics, it is a sign something has changed.”
The Met Office records stretch back to 1910 and, while December saw a record downpour particularly affecting the north of England, Scotland and Wales, 2015 overall was only the sixth wettest year on record.
The high temperatures in December would normally be expected in April or May and there was an almost complete lack of air frost across much of England. The average from 1981-2010 was for 11 days of air frost in December, but last month there were just three days. Across 2015, the average UK temperature was lower than in 2014, though globally 2015 was the hottest year on record.
Jan 5, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3385901/Huge-El-Nino-storm-...
Huge El Nino storm begins battering California as residents brace themselves for heavy rain, snow and flash floods as people are urged to evacuate and prepare for mudslides
A huge El Nino storm has begun battering California, with the West Coast bracing itself for heavy rain, snow, flash floods and possible mudslides.
Forecasters have said the torrid conditions are developing faster than expected, with some places even bracing for snow - and they say Tuesday's torrid weather is just the beginning.
They believe storms lining up along the Pacific coast could continue to wreak havoc across the state for the next two weeks.
Flash flood warnings on Tuesday were issued in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.
Streets have been lined with sandbags in a bid to control the surging water levels while and authorities have placed concrete barriers along the roads to protect homes.
Rain causes puddles a few inches deep in Ventura, California. Forecasters say the conditions are the beginning of a huge El Nino storm
Vehicles slow on Interstate 80 during a winter rain storm in San Leandro, California. Forecasters are predicting the worst is still to come
Portions of the 101 freeway in Ventura, California, have been flooded as a result of the rain, causing the traffic to slow to almost a standstill
According to ABC 7, a winter storm warning has been issued for the Los Angeles County and Ventura County mountains until Thursday at 4 a.m.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said early Tuesday that rainfall could still be strong enough to trigger flash flooding and debris flows on fire-scarred hillsides.
Residents of the Silverado Canyon burn area in Orange County and the Solimar burn area in Ventura County have been told they may want to evacuate in advance of the storms, but have not been ordered to do so.
A flash-flood watch for wildfire burn areas is in effect through late Wednesday.
The city of Malibu says rocks fell Tuesday on the road through Malibu Canyon, damaging four vehicles. The route through the steep Santa Monica Mountains is a heavily traveled commuter route, and the city says drivers should expect delays.
To the northwest, flooding has closed about a mile of beachside Harbor Boulevard in the city of Ventura. Police Cmdr. Tom Higgins says water is about a foot deep.
The storms are also whipping up large, long-period ocean swells that could generate hazardous breaking waves at west-facing harbors in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.
The stronger systems that were predicted starting Tuesday following light rain a day earlier are already drenching the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
At least two more storms are expected to follow on Wednesday and Thursday, possibly bringing as much as 3 inches of rain.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch for Northern California communities affected by several destructive wildfires last summer and fall.
Jan 6, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3386985/Darth-Nino-pummels-...
'Darth Nino' pummels California: Storm driven by worst El Nino ever causes chaos as drivers are left stranded in their cars, roads turn into rivers and a TORNADO hits
Californian streets have been turned to rivers after one of the biggest El Nino storms in decades pummeled parts of the state - but forecasters say the worst is still to come.
High winds and the most rain seen on a single day in four months caused widespread flooding, prompting chaos on the roads. Some drivers were forced to abandon their cars as the water levels left them stranded.
A tornado in Vernon ripped away parts of buildings and sent debris flying through the air during an El Nino storm that meteorologists say has tied 1997-1998 as the strongest ever recorded.
Parts of Southern California were also rattled by a 4.5 magnitude earthquake. It struck two miles north of Banning - a city 85 miles east of Los Angeles - but left no injuries.
Mike Halpert, deputy director of the federal Climate Prediction Center, has said the torrid conditions are developing faster than expected, with some places even bracing for snow - and they say Tuesday's torrid weather is just the beginning. The next round of El Nino is set to hit California late on Wednesday morning.
Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private Weather Underground, told ABC News: 'DarthNino may finally have California in its sights.'
However some residents in the drought-stricken state have welcomed the extreme weather, believing it may help replenish depleted water resources.
A driver climbs out of a window of his car after driving onto a flooded road in Van Nuys, California, as an El Nino storm battered parts of the state - and forecasters say the conditions could get worse
Octavio Angulo jumps as Mike Patel (left) looks on as the two abandon their vehicle after a flooded road stalled their vehicles engine in San Diego, California
Jan 7, 2016
KM
http://floodlist.com/europe/albania-floods-january-2016-tirana-dibr...
Albania – 100s Evacuated After Floods in 5 Counties
Two days of heavy rain in Albania has caused flash floods, river overflow and landslides in several parts of the country, including the counties of Tirana, Durrës, Lezhë, Shkodër and Dibër.
Civil emergency teams, including police and military personnel, carried out around evacuations in Tirana, Dibër, Durrës and Lezhë.
Yesterday the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warning that heavy rain and thunderstorms were expected in several areas including Tirana, Lezhë, Shkodër and Dibër. The ministry warned that people should keep travel to a minimum.
Between 05 and 07 January, 2016, around 700 people are thought to have been evacuated in total. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Niko Peleshi, described the response as timely and no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said major and regional roads have been temporarily blocked following landslides caused by the heavy rain.
In Dibër County yesterday, around 200 people were evacuated in the municipality Bulqizë of after the Drini river overflowed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said today that after efforts by civil emergency teams, the situation has since returned to normal.
In Tirana county, around 25 families were evacuated yesterday in the village of Babrru after the Tirana river overflowed. Local media also reported flooding in the Laprakë district of the Tirana city. Authorities say that around 4 families were affected by a landslide in Bërzhitë, although no casualties were reported.
In Fier County, the Shkumbin river has overflowed affecting several villages in the municipality of Divjakë.
In Durrës County around 80 families were evacuated from the municipalities of Shijak (50 families) and Sukth (30 families) after flooding caused by the overflowing Erzen river.
Lezha county was one of worst affected areas yesterday. Families were evacuated after floods in the village of Plana in Zejmen municipality as a result of the overflowing Mat river and nearby streams. Earlier today the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the situation has since returned to normal in the area, although there are still some problems on the roads which are still blocked after several minor landfalls.
Flood Mitigation Plans
The Deputy Prime Minister, Niko Peleshi visited the affected areas of Lezhë yesterday. There he set out plans for central and local governments to work together on numerous irrigation and drainage projects across the country in order to mitigate flooding. He said that 2016 will mark a qualitative development in terms of irrigation works and drainage in preventing similar flooding in the future. He also proposed to tackle issues such as uncontrolled forest exploitation and the illegal building in floodplains and riverbeds, which he said have exacerbated recent floods in the country.
Kosovo
Local media are also reporting that the heavy rain, combined with snow melt, has caused some flooding in parts of Kosovo. Prizren district is said to be the worst hit, in particular the town of Mališevo. Some road and surface flooding was also reported in Pristina.
Rainfall
According to WMO figures, 198 mm of rain fell in Shkodër, Shkodër county, in 24 hours to 06 January. The next day Tirana saw 63 mm of rain and Kukës in Kukës County, saw 57 mm.
Neighboring Macedonia has also seen some heavy rainfall over the last 2 days. In Mavrovo
51.6 mm fell in the past 24 hours to 07 Jan 2016. Just over 60 mm fell in Lazaropole in the same period.
Jan 8, 2016
Scott
Pali Becomes Earliest Central Pacific Tropical Storm on Record
...Tropical Storm Pali was named Thursday afternoon, becoming the earliest central Pacific tropical storm on record.
This is on the heels of a historically active 2015 tropical season in the Pacific Ocean, including a Tropical Depression Nine-C, which formed near the end of the year and dissipated on Jan. 1, 2016.
...Dating back to 1949, only two tropical storms had formed in the central Pacific in the month of January prior to Pali. Tropical Storm Winona was the first on Jan. 13, 1989, and the second was Ekeka on Jan. 28, 1992. Ekeka reached Category 3 hurricane intensity amidst the moderate El Niño of 1991-92.
...Hurricane specialist Eric Blake said that Pali is also the "southernmost tropical storm to form in the central Pacific basin," forming at just 4.7 degrees north of the equator, likely also influenced by the warmer than average sea-surface temperatures associated with El Niño.
If this Pacific tropical storm wasn't strange enough, the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center's Serviço Meteorológico Marinho analyzed a tropical depression off the east coast of Brazil in the South Atlantic this week. There is also a low pressure system in the North Atlantic that could become a subtr... within the next week. Pali is just another rarity in what has been an odd last couple of weeks in the tropics.
The official 2015 hurricane season ended on November 30 in the central Pacific and does not begin in 2016 until June 1.
http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-depression-on...
According to the Tropical Depression Nine-C link above:
"As a general rule of thumb, tropical cyclones need to be at least 5 degrees of latitude away from the equator to get enough of a turn in wind direction from the Coriolis force to intensify. Without this turn in wind direction, air would simply converge into the low-pressure center and weaken it, instead of circulating around it."
Jan 8, 2016
jorge namour
Bad weather in the UK: the castle Abergeldie likely to be destroyed
January 4, 2016
The wave of bad weather that hit the United Kingdom does not seem to want to appease, so that seems to be at risk destroying the castle Abergeldie
http://www.meteoweb.eu/2016/01/maltempo-gran-bretagna-il-castello-a...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...
In recent weeks and these days, the United Kingdom does not seem to find peace; victim of numerous floods and floods.
In Scotland, in 'Aberdeenshire, such was evacuated Castle Abergeldie, bordering Balmoral, the estate of the royal house where Queen Elizabeth II is used to spend his summer holidays.
Neighbors Elizabeth were forced to seek refuge.
The family headed by Baron Abergelidie, John Gordon had to abandon the historic estate, which could be destroyed. The estate is protected even from the Scottish to the historical and artistic heritage. The banks of the River Dee have moved several meters, mainly because of the fury of the river, which is swollen by rains in recent days.
To be in danger, not only the estate, but the whole country. In fact, the continuous weather warnings for possible floods and storms caused mainly by the strong winds.
For the Met Office, the national weather service, probably will fall to 150 millimeters of rain, thus beginning another month quite rainy. Although the record is held in December, which was the wettest month ever.
Jan 8, 2016
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2016/01/a-village-in-uk-endures-75-days...
A village in the UK endures 75 days’ rain record with more rain on the way...Sheep are developing wool rot!
This winter has been the wettest ever in the UK but spare a thought for one village in Wales.
The village name is Eglwyswrw – pronounced Eglis Oo Roo and is home to 700 Welshmen and it started raining there on October the 26th last year and it hasn't stopped since....
The unlucky people who live there have endured downpours for 75 days in a row and with more rain forecast it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon!
It is the longest spell of rain in Britain for 92 years.
Locals are becoming miserable with the constant grey skies and rain, the two pubs have been closed down and the local sheep farmers are worried because the animals are developing wool rot.
The longest rainy spell of at least 0.2mm every 24 hours was 89 days in 1923, at Eallabus, on Islay, off north-west Scotland.
Further north the relentless rain caused further flooding on the east coast of Scotland yesterday, Aberdeen was the latest city to be flooded in the UK this winter after the river Don bursts it's banks.
Once again water levels reached record highs in yet another disastrous winter for UK residents.
Jan 9, 2016
KM
http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/california-flooding-ra...
PHOTOS: California flooding, mudslides wash over 101 Freeway, I-5
It has been a stormy week across California with several El Niño-enhanced storms slamming the state, resulting in widespread flooding and road closures.
Southern California has been one of the areas hit the hardest by the train of storms with inches of rain falling in the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Diego.
"Drainage systems have been unable to handle the deluge, forcing partial closures of roads and major interstates, including Interstate 5," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
"Mudslides, evacuations, power outages and even a couple of weak, short-lived tornadoes have also been reported over the past few days," Duff added.
The weakened, scorched earth left behind after an active wildfire season in California has turned into a major issue across the state, making areas near the burn scars more susceptible to mudslides and debris flows.
The 101 Freeway in Ventura County was one of these areas as mud spewed across the highway from the burn scar left behind by last month's Solimar Fire.
The southbound lane is open for traffic, but for a period of time on Thursday, the northbound lanewas closed due the mud flow.
Jan 11, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3393083/Tornado-touches-sou...
Thousands are left without power and dozens are forced to evacuate their homes after a tornado crashes down in Florida
Authorities say an EF2 weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes, left thousands without power for a time, but caused no serious injuries or deaths.
Police say the tornado caused scattered damage over about 12 square miles in Cape Coral on Saturday evening. Only a few minor injuries were reported.
'We have numerous power lines down, we have numerous homes that have been damaged,' Cape Coral Police spokesman Dana Coston said shortly afterward.
Scroll down for video
Damage: Authorities say an EF2 weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes
Power lines down: Downed power lines off Beach Parkway left many without power on Saturday night into Sunday morning, after a tornado ripped through the neighborhood on Saturday evening
Path of the tornado: Police say the tornado caused scattered damage over about 12 square miles in Cape Coral on Saturday evening
A of 8:35 a.m. on Sunday there were no deaths or serious injuries reported, according to News-Press.com
There were three minor injuries reported due to cuts from broken glass, said Coston.
Due to the late hour of the tornado's touchdown a full report of possible deaths and injuries has not yet been completed,
Coston says nearly 10,000 people lost electricity but power was being restored.
Jan 11, 2016
KM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30821256
Mozambique and Malawi floods cause havoc
A major highway in Mozambique has split after two bridges collapsed as a result of heavy flooding that has killed 25 people and displaces tens of thousands in the country, officials say.
Parts of the country are also without electricity after torrential rains knocked down 10 pylons, reports say.
Heavy rains have also devastated neighbouring Malawi, where 48 have been killed about 70,000 have been homeless.
The southern African states have been hit by late summer storms.
The bad weather is expected to continue for several days.
'Stranded in buses'
On Monday, Malawi's President Peter Mutharika declared a third of the country a disaster zone and urgently appealed for foreign aid.
In Mozambique, overland travel from the north to the centre and south has become impossible after two bridges collapsed on the EN1 highway, reports the BBC's Jose Tembe from the capital, Maputo.
There is growing concern for bus passengers stranded on either side of the bridges, he says.
They have been forced to sleep for two nights on the buses and are running out of food, our reporter adds.
The Licungo River is flowing so rapidly that it is impossible to reach them, even by boat, he says.
These are the worst floods on the Licungo since 1971, our correspondent says.
The Zambezi River has also risen beyond flood alert level on its middle and lower stretches, making some roads in the Zambezi basin impassable.
Mozambique's electricity utility EDM said it would take a week to restore power supply in the north.
Most of the north has been without electricity since Monday when 10 pylons were knocked down, according to Mozambique's independent television station STV.
The pylons are on the transmission lines carrying power from the Cahora Bassa dam to various parts of Mozambique.
Jan 14, 2016
Scott
profile of Hurricane Alex, following on Recall 15's post
"A rare January hurricane formed far out in the Atlantic on Thursday, and U.S. officials said it was the first hurricane to form in the month of January since 1938.
...The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in a Facebook post that there hasn't been a hurricane present during the month of January since 1955, when Alice formed in late December 1954 and carried over into the next month.
...Alex formed only days after a rare event in the Pacific. An El Nino-related tropical storm formed southwest of Hawaii last week. Tropical Storm Pali, only the third such system to develop in January in over 40 years, had weakened to a depression by Thursday and was expected to dissipate in the next day or so. It never made landfall and was no threat to land.
However, Alex's formation has nothing to do with El Nino, according to NOAA Climate Prediction Center deputy director Mike Halpert. NOAA researcher Jim Kossin said the water Alex formed in was about 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal, still barely warm enough for a storm to form."
It is only the second hurricane on record in ANY month to form in the area north of 30 degrees N latitude and east of 30 degrees west according to a Tweet by NOAA Hurricane Expert Eric Blake who also provide the information in the figure provided by Alex Lamars.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2016/01/14/exploring-t...
Jan 14, 2016
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2016/01/apocalyptical-sandstorm-hoopstad-s...
Apocalyptical sandstorm engulfs Hoopstad in South Africa (pictures and videos)
The following dramatic photos and videos were shot on January 13, 2016, from Hoopstad as a massive and violent sandstorm swept across the Freestate in South Africa.
Hoopstad (Tswelopele) lies between Bloemfontein and the North West Province.
And after the sandstorm there was the much-welcomed rain.
Although sandstorms are renowned in the area, South Africa has been experiencing radical and dramatic weather recently with a heatwave in several parts of the country.
Jan 15, 2016
KM
http://iceagenow.info/snow-on-the-road-to-mecca/#more-17654
Snow on the road to Mecca – Video
Al Jazeera confirms snow in Saudi Arabia. January 15, 2016
Video .. snow coats the migration route.
(One part of the Al Jazeera story says snow, a different part says hail. I’m guessing hail, but it still must have been a real shock to the drivers.)
Hailstones falling heavily between Mecca and Medina covered various parts of the region, which has taken on in white.
A researcher at the weather, climate and member of the Committee naming distinctive climatic conditions said “snow seen on the migration route between Medina and Mecca formed as a result provide good moisture for the layers of the upper atmosphere led to the emergence of Cumulus huge,
Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for these links
“This news item is only in Arabic and cannot be found on the English spoken website of Al Jazeeera,” says Argiris.
Jan 16, 2016
KM
http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/14/severe-drought-threatens-food-...
Severe drought threatens food security in South Africa
South Africa’s national weather service has announced that the country is experiencing the lowest rainfall and driest summer in more than 110 years.Adding that the country suffered its driest year on record in 2015, threatening food security.
According to the weather service, average rainfall was 403 mm, about a third less than the 608 mm annual average and the driest since records began in 1904.
The agricultural sector is being hammered by weeks of heat waves that have scorched grazing land, forcing livestock owners to kill or sell animals.
The rural farming town last saw rain on December 15 and has had a severe water shortage for the past three months, with residents having to queue for water. Large parts of the country are facing their worst drought and highest temperatures in decades.
Africa’s most advanced economy, a maize exporter, may need to import as much as 5 million tonnes this year, roughly half of its requirements.
A farmer in the maize-producing town of Hoopstad,Chris Skoenwinkle said they are two months late in planting.
Agricultural analysts said the cost of maize imports to make up for lack of crops will be a big burden.
“We’ve got to import about, in the vicinity of about four million tonnes of maize if it doesn’t rain and the rain just stays away. That means we will have to import about 12 billion rands worth of maize,” said agricultural economist Ernst Janovsky.
However, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said the natural disasters are hampering efforts to eradicate hunger.
South Africa’s five provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, have been declared disaster areas following a persisting drought.
Maize is a staple food in southern Africa and a key source of high calorie intake for lower income households.
Analysts predict consumers will have to tighten their belts and spend more wisely to counter the effects of the weakening rand and unfavorable weather conditions.
Jan 16, 2016
KM
Severe situation in northern Bulgaria because of snow, strong winds
http://sofiaglobe.com/2016/01/18/severe-situation-in-northern-bulga...
Strong winds in northern Bulgaria, causing blizzards and snow drifts, hampered traffic in northern Bulgaria on January 18, with many roads closed.
Heavy snowfall and rains in several parts of Bulgaria at the weekend led to declarations of states of emergency in some municipalities, as serious winter weather conditions also hit Bulgaria’s neighbouring countries Turkey, Greece, Romania and Serbia.
The state of emergency that had been declared at the weekend in Bulgaria’s Smolyan municipality was lifted on the morning of January 18 but partial emergencies remained in place in the municipalities of Rudozem, Devin and Dospat.
The head of Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency, Lazar Lazarov, said on the morning of January 18 that roads in western Bulgaria were passable provided that vehicles were prepared for wintry conditions but traffic in north-eastern Bulgaria still had difficulties.
In parts of northern Bulgaria, visibility was down to zero as strong winds drove blizzards and snow drifts.
The roads between the Danubian city of Rousse and the town of Shoumen, and between Silistra and Shoumen, were closed. On the stretch of Hemus Motorway between Shoumen and Varna, there was a ban on the movement of heavy vehicles.
Flooding at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint led to traffic being diverted to the Lesovo checkpoint, Lazarov said.
Several dozen villages in the municipalities of Mezdra and Roman remained without electricity.
In the municipality of Lovech, several villages also had no power, and electricity distribution company teams had worked through the night to restore supply, local media said.
The port of Varna was closed because of strong winds.
In various municipalities in Bulgaria, schools were closed on Monday although classes in most major cities were proceeding as normal.
In Sofia, the head of the capital city’s municipal inspectorate, Veska Georgieva, issued a reminder that those who failed to clean the snow from in front of their residences and offices could face fines ranging from 50 to 500 leva for individuals and from 700 to 2000 leva for juristic persons.
According to Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandukova, snowfall through the night had resulted in snow cover in places in the city of 40cm, in some places up to 50cm.
Sofia’s Pirogov emergency hospital said that about 250 people had sought medical treatment at the weekend for fractures of the wrist, shoulder, ankle or hip, causing by falling in the icy conditions.
Elsewhere in South Eastern Europe, heavy snowfall and strong wind prompted Turkish Airlines to cancel 246 domestic and international flights from Atatürk Airport, including to Bulgaria, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. In Romania, schools in Bucharest were closed on January 18. In Greece, a 47-year-old man was found dead by rescuers after his car was swept away by a flash flood in Serres, with the country having been hit by severe heavy rain at the weekend
Jan 19, 2016