Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Wild Weather, the Wobble Effect
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Weather: |
Tides and Whirlpools:
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"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, that unpredictable weather extremes, switching about from drought to deluge, would occur and increase on a lineal basis up until the pole shift. Where this occurred steadily, it has only recently become undeniable. ZetaTalk, and only ZetaTalk, warned of these weather changes, at that early date. Our early warnings spoke to the issue of global heating from the core outward, hardly Global Warming, a surface or atmospheric issue, but caused by consternation in the core. Affected by the approach of Planet X, which was by then starting to zoom rapidly toward the inner solar system for its periodic passage, the core was churning, melting the permafrost and glaciers and riling up volcanoes. When the passage did not occur as expected in 2003 because Planet X had stalled in the inner solar system, we explained the increasing weather irregularities in the context of the global wobble that had ensued - weather wobbles where the Earth is suddenly forced under air masses, churning them. This evolved by 2005 into a looping jet stream, loops breaking away and turning like a tornado to affect the air masses underneath. Meanwhile, on Planet Earth, droughts had become more intractable and deluges positively frightening, temperature swings bringing snow in summer in the tropics and searing heat in Artic regions, with the violence of storms increasing in number and ferocity."
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for February 4, 2012:
The wobble seems to have changed, as the temperature in Europe suddenly plunged after being like an early Spring, Alaska has its coldest temps ever while the US and much of Canada is having an extremely mild winter. India went from fatal cold spell to balmy again. Has the Earth changed position vs a vs Planet X to cause this? [and from another] Bitter cold records broken in Alaska - all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy's Law intervenes [Jan 30] http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/30/bitter-cold-records-broken-in-alaska Jim River, AK closed in on the all time record coldest temperature of -80°F set in 1971, which is not only the Alaska all-time record, but the record for the entire United States. Unfortunately, it seems the battery died in the weather station just at the critical moment. While the continental USA has a mild winter and has set a number of high temperature records in the last week and pundits ponder whether they will be blaming the dreaded "global warming" for those temperatures, Alaska and Canada have been suffering through some of the coldest temperatures on record during the last week.
There has been no change in the wobble pattern, the wobble has merely become more severe. Nancy noted a Figure 8 format when the Earth wobble first became noticeable, in early 2005, after Planet X moved into the inner solar system at the end of 2003. The Figure 8 shifted along to the east a bit on the globe between 2005 and 2009, (the last time Nancy took its measure) as Planet X came closer to the Earth, encountering the magnetic N Pole with a violent push earlier in the day. But the pattern of the Figure 8 remained essentially the same. So what changed recently that the weather patterns became noticeably different in late January, 2012?
The N Pole is pushed away when it comes over the horizon, when the noon Sun is centered over the Pacific. This regularly puts Alaska under colder air, with less sunlight, and thus the historically low temps there this January, 2012 as the wobble has gotten stronger. But by the time the Sun is positioned over India, the N Pole has swung during the Figure 8 so the globe tilts, and this tilt is visible in the weather maps from Asia. The tilt has forced the globe under the hot air closer to the Equator, warming the land along a discernable tilt demarcation line.
The next loop of the Figure 8 swings the globe so that the N Pole moves in the other direction, putting the globe again at a tilt but this time in the other direction. This tilt is discernable in weather maps of Europe, again along a diagonal line. Depending upon air pressure and temperature differences, the weather on either side of this diagonal line may be suddenly warm or suddenly cold. The tilt and diagonal line lingers to affect much of the US and Canada, but the Figure 8 changes at this point to be an up and down motion, pulling the geographic N Pole south so the US is experiencing a warmer than expected winter under a stronger Sun. Then the cycle repeats, with the magnetic N Pole of Earth pushed violently away again as the Sun is positioned over the Pacific.
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for April 6, 2013:
Would the Zetas be able to let us know what is causing the early break-up of the Arctic Ice, the ice seems to have taken on a swirling pattern at the same time, would this be wobble related? [and from another] http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/Canada+Arctic+cracks+spectacular+event/8185609/story.html The ice in Canada’s western Arctic ripped open in a massive “fracturing event” this spring that spread like a wave across 1,000 kilometres of the Beaufort Sea. Huge leads of water – some more than 500 kilometres long and as much as 70 kilometres across – opened up from Alaska to Canada’s Arctic islands as the massive ice sheet cracked as it was pushed around by strong winds and currents. It took just seven days for the fractures to progress across the entire area from west to east. [and from another] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80752&src=iotdrss A high-pressure weather system was parked over the region, producing warmer temperatures and winds that flowed in a southwesterly direction. That fueled the Beaufort Gyre, a wind-driven ocean current that flows clockwise. The gyre was the key force pulling pieces of ice west past Point Barrow, the northern nub of Alaska that protrudes into the Beaufort Sea.
The Figure 8 formed by the N Pole during the daily Earth wobble has shifted somewhat to the East, due to Planet X positioned more to the right of the Earth during its approach. This was anticipated, and well described in ZetaTalk, the Earth crowding to the left in the cup to escape the approach of Planet X, so the angle between these two planets would change slightly. This shift of the Figure 8 to the East is due to the push against the Earth’s magnetic N Pole occurring sooner each day than prior. Thus instead of occurring when the Sun is high over the Pacific, over New Zealand, it is now occurring when the Sun is high over Alaska. All the wobble points have shifted eastward accordingly.
This has brought a lingering Winter to the western US, and a changed sloshing pattern to the Arctic waters. Instead of Pacific waters being pushed through the Bering Straits into the Arctic when the polar push occurs, the wobble is swinging the Arctic to the right, and then later to the left, creating a circular motion in the waters trapped in the Arctic. Since the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the motion also takes this path. This is yet another piece of evidence that the establishment is hard pressed to explain. They are attempting to ascribe this to high pressure and wind, all of which are not new to the Arctic, but this circular early breakup of ice in the Arctic is new.
KM
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/2-big-wildfires-prompt-evacuatio...
Massive fires in Napa and Sonoma counties burn structures, force evacuations, close hospital
Several massive wildfires burned out of control in Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying an untold number of homes, forcing the evacuation of many thousands of people and shutting down major roadways as firefighters sought to halt the advance of the infernos driven by powerful winds.
There was no immediate information on damage and injuries — nor an explanation for the sheer number of fires — but structures including homes were burning in both counties, according to authorities and witnesses.
Residents described fleeing for their lives in the middle of the night, in cars or on foot. Two hospitals in Santa Rosa, those run by Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, were evacuated. People flocked to gas stations in cities that were safe from the conflagrations, to fuel up and buy water and other supplies.
The series of fires began to ignite Sunday and multiplied as the night went on, impacting five counties. In Mendocino County, authorities evacuated communities near Redwood Valley and Willits. In Marin County, officials said at 3 a.m. that a grass fire had closed part of Highway 37. In Alameda County, fire crews from multiple jurisdictions were battling a blaze in the North Berkeley Hills at 3:45 a.m.
All over the region, flames raced across fields and freeways and skies filled with embers and ash. The National Weather Service said the blazes, which caused power outages and blanketed much of the Bay Area in smoke, were fanned by strong and dry northeast winds.
In Napa County, the Atlas Fire broke out near Atlas Peak Road and blackened hundreds of acres in a famed wine-growing area northeast of the city of Napa and the Silverado Trail. A second Napa County blaze to the northwest, near Calistoga, forced residents to flee their homes as well.
Guests of the Silverado Resort and Spa on Atlas Peak Road said they had been evacuated in a rush as flames approached. The resort had hosted the Safeway Open, a PGA Tour event, which ended Sunday.
“We were sleeping, but we kept smelling smoke,” said Chris Thomas, 42, of Kirkland, Wash., who arrived in the Napa Valley late Sunday with his wife, Marissa Schneider, for a wine-tasting trip.
They saw a firetruck pass, then were ordered to leave by loudspeaker. The power went out. Then things went downhill fast.
“It was surreal,” Thomas said. “When I started loading stuff into the car it was a hell-storm of smoke and ash. There were 30 to 40 mph winds. I couldn’t even breathe, so I ran back to the unit to get Marissa. It was so smoky I went to the wrong unit. When I found her I said, ‘Forget it, let’s just go.’ It went from being an annoying evacuation to something really scary.”
Schneider said, “Debris was gusting around. The flames were about 100 feet from our door. It was scary.”
They drove to downtown Napa and found a hotel room, though they were wary of being evacuated again.
Evacuation centers were set up at the Napa County Fairgrounds at 1435 North Oak St. in Calistoga and CrossWalk Community Church at 2590 First St. in Napa.
In the Kenwood area, east of Santa Rosa, evacuations were ordered along Porter Creek, Petrified Forest, Franz Valley and Mountain Home Ranch roads.
In northern Santa Rosa, evacuations were ordered for residents and businesses in the Skyfarm Drive, Fountaingrove Parkway and Montecito Heights areas east of Highway 101, according to the Police Department.
Just after 2 a.m., though, Santa Rosa police reported the fire had jumped Highway 101 and “ignited structures” west of the freeway near a Kohl’s department store on Hopper Avenue. Evacuations were then ordered for that area.
“This is a life threatening event,” officials said. “Leave immediately.”
Among those who left the Hopper Avenue area were 11 members of the Flores family, who woke up and piled into two vehicles with four dogs after being jolted awake by neighbors. They said the air was thick with smoke and the wind was blowing so hard that trash bins toppled over.
“We couldn’t really see anything,” said Bradley Flores, 15. “We just got our dogs and got into the car and left. The wind was so bad our car was shaking.”
He spoke from the parking lot of a Chevron gas station in Petaluma. The lot was full of evacuees who were fueling up, buying water and talking on cell phones.
Santa Rosa evacuees were directed to the Finley Community Center in that city, and when it filled up, were steered to Santa Rosa’s Veteran’s Memorial Building at 1351 Maple Ave. or the Petaluma Community Center at 320 North McDowell Ave.
Also in Petaluma were Lance and Barb Cottrell, who live near Santa Rosa. At about midnight, they had seen fire cresting over the ridge near their home, after neighbor rang the doorbell. They packed a couple of suitcases, grabbed some prized antiques and headed to a friend’s house to the west of Highway 101.
“Our house is probably gone,” Lance said. “We just finished it in 2014.”
Soon, though, flames raced so fast into their friend’s neighborhood that neighbors ran for their lives. Lance jumped in his car, and Barb in hers, and they tried to drive away, but they they saw a house engulfed in front of them and had to flip a U-turn. They ended up stuck in traffic before escaping down country roads west of Santa Rosa, avoiding trees that had blown down.
The scene was similar in Napa County. On Highway 121 between Sonoma and Napa, flames chewed up vegetation on both sides of the road, shooting embers as a stream of people fled the area. Some drivers pulled over to the side of the road at safe spots, looking back at the fires. Police and firefighters tried to keep people moving.
Sonoma County officials said emergency dispatchers were being “overwhelmed by 911 calls” from residents smelling smoke, adding, “Please only call 911 if you see actual unattended flames.” Authorities in Marin and San Francisco counties made the same plea, asking residents who smell smoke not to call 911 unless they see flames.
Oct 9, 2017
KM
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-napa-fires-20171009-sto...
At least 10 dead, 1,500 structures lost in Northern California firestorm, among worst in state's history
At least 10 people have died and at least 1,500 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed as more than 14 fires ravaged eight counties throughout Northern California on Monday, authorities said.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported seven fire-related deaths late Monday. In addition, two died because of the Atlas fire in Napa County, said a CalFire spokesperson. One person died as result of the Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino County.
In Sonoma County, the dead were found "in the hot spots" of the fire, an official said.
"We are a resilient county; we will come back from this,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane. “But right now we need to grieve."
Local hospitals were treating those injured while others are unaccounted for, officials said. Additional fatalities were possible as search efforts continued.
One of the raging fires had Santa Rosa under siege Monday morning, with a large swath of the city north of downtown under an evacuation order.
The area of Fountaingrove appeared to be particularly hard hit, with photos showing numerous homes on fire. The Fountaingrove Inn, a Hilton hotel and a high school also burned. Officials said homes were also lost in the community of Kenwood and at a mobile home park off the 101 Freeway.
Coffey Park, a large Santa Rosa subdivision of dozens of homes, was burned to the ground.
“It’s fair to say it’s been destroyed,” Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott said of Santa Rosa’s Fountaingrove neighborhood.
Oct 10, 2017
jorge namour
Severe Weather Europe
OCTOBER 11 2017
*tropical weather* Ophelia
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402....
*tropical weather* Ophelia is now a CAT 1 hurricane! It is still gradually moving east and approaching Azores and should likely maintain it's hurricane strength until it is located just NW of Iberian peninsula on Sunday evening. Ophelia will then track further NE towards Ireland. Still lot of time for changes, so stay tuned for updates!
Oct 12, 2017
SongStar101
California wildfires: 23 dead as winds threaten to worsen out-of-control blaze (videos)
Unprecedented wildfires raging in California’s wine country leave enormous devastation as fire agency says situation still ‘very serious’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/11/california-fires-wi...
The death toll has climbed to 23 as wildfires continue to blaze almost completely out of control in California’s wine country and firefighters expect weather conditions to take a turn for the worse.
“Now the winds are going back up and the humidity is going back down,” said Heather Williams, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, the state agency responsible for fire protection. “We’re still not out of the woods. It’s a very serious situation.”
In the tiny wine country town of Glen Ellen, where the ground was still smoking from the flames that tore through early Monday morning, Loren Davis, of the Mountain volunteer fire department, had a blunter assessment: “It’s a shitstorm.”
He added that in 20 years of firefighting, he had never seen anything like the Tubbs fire, one of the now 23 major wildfires burning in California. He said he had been part of the first team on the scene and it was “freaking crazy” – moving so fast that they couldn’t do anything to fight it.
Residents of the Eastridge development in the Bay Area city of Fairfield were busy loading their cars on Wednesday afternoon as flurries of ash fell over the neighborhood like a dry, putrid dusting of snow. Firefighters and police officers were stationed every few blocks in the sprawling development of rolling hills, large houses and meticulously landscaped gardens, waiting for the order to declare a mandatory evacuation.
“I’m nervous,” said Annette Abrao, gesturing toward her cigarette as she stood in her driveway. Abrao, a dental hygienist, and her husband, Eddie, a landscaper, had left work early to get home and prepare to leave. Their truck held photographs and documents, while a trailer was packed with camping gear, a golf cart, and a taxidermied elk head – a memento from a 2010 hunting trip.
“We have a house full of stuff, and the things that were really important fit in a truck and trailer,” Eddie Arbao said. “What does that tell you?”
The fireline was about three miles north as of late Wednesday afternoon, said the Fairfield fire department deputy chief, Matt Luckenbach, who was on standby for the evacuation orders and has been on duty since the early hours of Monday.
Though the fire wasn’t advancing quickly yet, Luckenbach warned: “Three miles, as far as fire goes, isn’t far at all.”
On Bridle Ridge Road – one of the most vulnerable sites in Eastridge – four Fairfield firefighters joked, drank coffee and monitored the wind as they waited for the fire to approach, or not.
“It’s like the calm before the storm,” said Elliott Blanton, a probationary firefighter in his first year on the force. “Kind of exciting, but sobering too.”
Captain Mike Guerra, a 26-year veteran, said that the neighborhood was relatively protected because it was well landscaped, with few areas of tall brush.
While the state agency Cal Fire confronts the wildfire itself, the local force is positioned to protect people, homes and other structures should the fire encroach on developed areas.
“We’re not bulletproof, but we’re pretty well prepared,” Guerra said. “Waiting is the hardest part.”
Still, he added, “It’d be preferable to do all this preparation and have nothing happen.”
Many in Eastridge expressed a sense of gratitude that they had time to prepare, unlike the residents of Santa Rosa, 50 miles north of San Francisco, where entire neighborhoods were razed to the ground early Monday morning, leaving little more than charred heaps of belongings, skeletal trees and melted cars.
Bob Lando, 71, grasped a folder of important documents as he finished up packing on Wednesday afternoon. The retired lawyer said he was “holding out hope” that the winds would die down, but added: “It’s nice to be prepared.” Lando’s son had not been so fortunate: his entire stock of 2016 vintage was “vaporized” when the fire burned his winery, Lando Wines, near Santa Rosa earlier in the week.
More than 20,000 people have headed to evacuation centers across the region, with more leaving their homes as new areas are threatened.
Thirteen of the fatalities occurred in Napa and Sonoma counties, about an hour north of San Francisco, and the others in the state’s northern and eastern reaches – six in Mendocino County and two in Yuba County.
The Sonoma County sheriff, Robert Giordano, said the number of missing-persons reports had surpassed 600, up from about 200 a day earlier. But officials believe many of those people will be found, saying that the chaotic evacuations and poor communications over the past few days have made locating friends and family difficult.
He also expects the death toll to climb.
“The devastation is enormous,” he said. “We can’t even get into most areas.”
While it is not unusual for dozens of small fires to start each day in California, gusty conditions on Sunday night meant that 17 major fires quickly developed. Six additional major fires have ignited since then. Control remains minimal: the main fire burning in wine country is only at 3% containment, and the second-largest in the area is at 0%.
At least 3,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed since the wildfires started Sunday, making them the most destructive blazes in state history.
California’s governor, Jerry Brown, said on Wednesday that the federal government had pledged assistance, but pointed out that resources also were going to hurricane recovery efforts in Texas and Florida.
He was not circumspect about the context of the conflagrations. He said a warming climate had contributed to catastrophic wildfires and warned that they would continue to happen.
The impact of climate change was hard to ignore, said Will Bucklin, whose vineyard in Sonoma Valley was touched by the fire on Monday. Bucklin’s Old Hill Ranch lost several buildings and about a dozen vines, but he said he felt lucky that his home and most of the plants had survived.
“We’ve had the wettest year on record and the driest year on record within the span of three years,” Bucklin said. “This is exactly what we predicted would happen.”
Officials in Napa County say all of Calistoga, famous for its hot springs and wineries, had been ordered to evacuate.
Evacuations have also taken place in parts of the state that were previously unaffected – some residents in Solano County, abutting the San Francisco Bay estuary, have also been told to pack up.
In southern California, cooler weather and moist ocean air helped firefighters gain ground against a wildfire that has scorched more than a dozen square miles.
The Orange County fire authority captain, Steve Concialdi, said the blaze was nearly halfway surrounded and full containment was expected by Saturday, but another round of gusty winds and low humidity levels could arrive late on Thursday.
About 8,000 firefighters are working across the state, along with 73 helicopters and 30 air tankers, according to a Cal Fire spokesperson. New resources are set to pour in following a request from California, including 175 engines from neighboring states and dozens more from federal agencies.
“We know it’s going to be very fluid in the next couple days, and so we want these resources to get here as soon as possible,” said Williams of Cal Fire.
Of the present fires, the Tubbs fire, in Sonoma County, has claimed the largest number of lives – 13. But it is far from the deadliest in state history. The 1933 Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles killed 29, while 1991’s Tunnel fire in Oakland caused 25 deaths
Oct 12, 2017
Nancy Lieder
RT shows the NOAA sat images, extensive fires. The winds changed, blowing from inland, Santa Anna winds, thus the moist fog is missing. Deadly wind shift!
https://www.rt.com/usa/406409-california-wildfires-satellite-images/
Oct 12, 2017
KM
https://globalnews.ca/news/3797606/southern-saskatchewan-in-drought...
Southern Saskatchewan in drought for almost a year
A drought that has lasted almost a year continues across central and southern Saskatchewan.
Parts of the province have been running a moisture deficit since November 2016.
“It’s almost as if nature has forgotten how to rain in parts of Saskatchewan,” Environment Canada Senior Climatologist David Phillips said.
According to the Canadian Drought Monitor, an area along the international border, including Coronach, is experiencing exceptional drought conditions.
Regina, Assiniboia and Swift Current regions continue to be in an extreme drought.
Severe drought conditions encompass Leader, Watrous and Estevan areas.
Below are the top 10 driest November to September periods on record for Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Yorkton and Saskatoon.
Regina
Moose Jaw
Swift Current
Yorkton
Saskatoon
Oct 14, 2017
Howard
Hurricane Ophelia Defies North Atlantic Hurricane Tracking (Oct 14)
Plot of all tropical systems that tracked over/near Ireland. All but 1 had transitioned to post/extra-tropical: Hurricane Debbie in 1961.
Traditionally, Atlantic hurricanes move westward off the coast of Africa and across thousands of miles of open ocean before swinging back eastward.
Not Hurricane Ophelia.
Hurricane Ophelia has set the record for the most easterly Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic.
Western England, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland will be most affected by hurricane force winds up to 130 kph by Monday, October 16.
Also, parts of England could see temperatures reach 25C on Sunday rather than the 15C average for mid-October.
Usually, by the time a former hurricane makes it across the North Atlantic, it is no longer getting it's energy from warm water and more resembles a winter storm.
From 1851 to 2010, only 10 extratropical storms, typically the tail ends of tropical cyclones, have hit within 200 miles of Ireland.
Sources
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41620071
https://www.livescience.com/16016-hurricane-katia-hits-britain.html
https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/45/76745-004-A1546E88.jpg
http://image.al.com/home/bama-media/width600/img/news_impact/photo/...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Atlantic_...
Oct 14, 2017
jorge namour
Severe Weather Europe OCTOBER 16 2017
Nearly 600 fires ongoing in north Spain and Portugal right now! Apocalyptic scenes from the zone ..
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/posts/2099649150258175?pnr...
http://www.severe-weather.eu/news/wildfires-in-spain-and-portugal/
Oct 16, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/riverwalk-remains-clo...
Riverwalk remains closed after being flooded by record rainfall
Bits of broken branches, a thick layer of mud and overturned trash cans were strewn about a large section of the city’s popular Riverwalk, which remained closed Monday morning after flooding from the record rainfall.
Yellow tape blocked most of the entrances to the Riverwalk along Wacker Drive, although several people were seen dipping under the tape, apparently seeking a shortcut.A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago said the riverwalk is designed to flood. Locks to Lake Michigan were opened over the weekend amid the heavy rains, said Allison Fore of the water district.
“Reversing the river system will lower the water in the channel, not cause riverwalk problems,” Fore wrote in an email. “The riverwalk was designed to flood.”
Though the Riverwalk was officially closed, that didn’t keep some people from using it as they dodged debris and the remaining high water. | Stefano Esposito/Sun-Times
Michelle Woods, riverwalk project manager for the city’s Department of Fleet and Facilities Management, agreed the riverwalk flooding “would have been worse” if the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District had not asked the Army Corps of Engineers to open the locks to Lake Michigan.
“It’s not good for the lakefront. That’s for sure. But, it also is part of protecting the rest of the city infrastructure,” Woods said.
The riverwalk was designed to withstand flooding and “performed as it was intended,” Woods said. But, city officials also anticipated that “certain portions would be submerged” from time to time during “major storm events we have a history of getting,” she said.
Four inches of rain in 24 hours qualifies as such a “significant storm event” that prompts river levels to rise “quickly and dramatically,” she said.
“We did intentionally try and make spaces very close to the water so you have that proximity to it,” Woods said. “Picking durable materials that can be power washed quickly and restored to public use. Picking the landscaping that can withstand being submerged for periods of time. These are all parts of the design that kind of tells a story about the riverwalk being next to a natural resource.”
In spite of the weekend closing, Woods said there are no plans to hire engineering firms to explore protective fixes
“Our plan is to make sure we can clean up the area as quickly as possible and restore it for public use,” she said. “We have crews out there cleaning it up now. Because we knew that, when we have these rain events, we would have to be power-washing and cleaning up, it’s part of our operating budget. It should be officially opened back up all of it tomorrow. As crews are cleaning up sections, they’re restoring it to public use.”
Riverwalk vendors between LaSalle and State Street expect to be opened beginning Tuesday, according to the city.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was entertaining Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Monday morning, had planned to take him to the Riverwalk but instead met with him at City Hall and gave him a Chicago Cubs hat.
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) was “not surprised or disappointed” by the flooding. He noted that Chicago’s hottest new tourist attraction was “specifically designed to handle occasional flooding and submersion” because stormwater overflow occasionally impacts water levels.
“So, although clean-up and restoration is a headache immediately following an event like this one — the infrastructure itself was designed for weather events just like the one we had this past weekend.”
Heavy rains swamped the city Saturday, with about 4.19 inches at O’Hare Airport. It was the wettest day since 2011, when 6.68 inches of rain fell on July 23.
Oct 19, 2017
KM
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/wildfires-southern-alberta-ev...
Wildfires force multiple evacuations across southern Alberta
From the B.C. border to the Saskatchewan border, residents of towns, hamlets and cities were forced to flee
A building burns in Crowsnest Pass just east of the Devon gas plant. The wildfire near Coleman was one of many in Alberta on Tuesday. (Name withheld by request)
Eight wildfires burning across a swath of southern Alberta have forced evacuations from multiple communities on Tuesday.
High winds helped fan the flames from the foothills in the west to the Saskatchewan border in the east.
Here is a rundown of evacuations and information at this time. Watch here for updates.
Acadia Valley
East of Calgary, near the Saskatchewan border, the municipal district of Acadia declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening, telling residents of the hamlet of Acadia Valley to leave immediately "if it is safe to do so."
That evacuation order has now been lifted and residents are permitted to return home.
Highway 41, south of Acadia Valley, remains closed and a local state of emergency remains in effect.
Airdrie
The Sharp Hill neighbourhood southeast of Airdrie was placed under a sudden evacuation order Tuesday afternoon as a grass fire whipped up by strong winds raced toward homes.
Rocky View County said one home was destroyed by the fire.
Sharp Hill residents are allowed to return home, but those who live in the Stagecoach Trail area are asked to meet with the Rocky View Fire Department at Stagecoach Trail and Township 264. Residents will be allowed in one by one with fire escort to assess their residences.
Coleman
Residents on the western edge of Coleman in southwestern Alberta are being told to evacuate as a fast-moving wildfire, fueled by strong winds, burns out of control.
The Alberta Emergency Management Agency said the fire is burning in the area between the Sentinel Industrial Park and Coleman, but it's moving quickly.
A reception centre is open at the Vertical Church in Pincher Creek, located at 1200 Ken Thorton Blvd.
Empress
A "serious fire" was threatening the Village of Empress, east of Calgary and north of Medicine Hat, on Tuesday. The evacuation order was lifted around 9:30 p.m. MT.
Gleichen/Strathmore
Residents living in and around Gleichen and Carseland in southeast Alberta are being evacuated as wildfires close in.
A local state of emergency has been declared and an Alberta Emergency Alert warns those living in areas surrounding Carseland and Gleichen to go to reception centres in Strathmore — at the Strathmore Civic Centre — or in Standard — at the Standard Community Hall.
A second fire, ignited by a train that caught fire near the Agrium Plant, was burning near Highway 910 and Range Road 264.
Hilda
Residents of the village of Hilda, which is about 375 kilometres southeast of Calgary, have been advised to evacuate to Medicine Hat.
Lethbridge
Lethbridge police are warning residents of Scenic Heights that a mandatory evacuation may be required and people may be forced to leave on short notice.
That's due to a fire burning in the coulees on the west of the city.
Oct 19, 2017
Howard
Ophelia Created Biggest Waves Ever Recorded off Irish Coast (Oct 19)
Record wave heights were captured by the Irish Weather Buoy Network during Ex-hurricane "Ophelia" on Monday, October 16, causing one of the five weather buoys to break its moorings.
The highest wave was recorded off the Irish coastline at 16.00 on Monday when the M5 weather buoy off the South East coast, measured a record individual wave (Hmax) of 17.81m (58.43 feet) and a record significant wave height (Hs) of 12.97 m (42.55 feet).
The M5 weather buoy subsequently broke away from its mooring and the Marine Institute coordinated the retrieval process as a matter of urgency. The M5 was recovered October 17 by the MV Puffin of Fastnet Shipping (Waterford) and brought ashore, IWBN said.
As Ophelia moved northwards, the M2 buoy to the east of Dublin also experienced a record significant wave height of 6.64 m (21.78 feet) measured at 18.00 on Monday, October 16.
Earlier in the day, at 12.00 local time, the M3 buoy, off the South West coast measured an individual wave height of 13.59 m (44.58 feet), although this was not a record wave for this buoy.
The world record for significant wave height is 19 m (62.33), confirmed December 2016 by the WMO.
The wave was recorded by an automated buoy at 06:00 UTC on February 4, 2013 in the North Atlantic ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom (approximately 59° N, 11° W). It followed the passage of a very strong cold front, which produced winds of up to 43.8 knots (81.1 km/h / 50.4 mph) over the area.
The previous record of 18.275 meters (59.96 feet) was measured on December 8, 2007, also in the North Atlantic.
Source
https://watchers.news/2017/10/20/ophelia-created-biggest-waves-ever...
Oct 20, 2017
KM
http://newsday.co.tt/2017/10/19/flood-alert-stays-in-effect-tobago-...
SWAMPED
Large sections of Trinidad were swamped yesterday by flood waters which continued to rise in certain areas following over 24 hours of non-stop rainfall which began on Wednesday.
As a result, the Meteorological Service yesterday maintained its riverine flood alert for Trinidad especially as the Caroni River burst its banks shortly after midday. In its 9.12 am bulletin, the Met Office advised that as opposed to street and flash flooding, riverine flooding is more prolonged and widespread.
It also reported that water levels in some major rivers as well as their tributaries reached threshold levels overnight and the flood situation would be exacerbated by rainfall yesterday accompanied by gusty winds. “(With) the occurrence of high tide at 3.50 pm, the flooding situation is expected to continue for the next 12 to 24 hours in areas already affected,” the bulletin said.
SEABRIDGE AFFECTED
People living in the Caroni River Basin were asked to be on alert for high river levels and overspill. Heavy rain left many areas in Central and South Trinidad under water Wednesday night with several families marooned in their homes. In a statement yesterday, the Inter-island Transportation Company Limited (TTIT) advised that due to prevailing sea conditions with waves three metres high, the sailing of the T&T Express has been affected.
Yesterday’s 4 pm sail from Port of Spain to Tobago was cancelled and so too today’s 6.30 am sail from Tobago to Port of Spain. While sea conditions are expected to continue today, the TTIT said additional updates will be provided. The dedicated cargo vessel, MV Cabo Star will maintain its daily schedule.
The Cabo Star was still on schedule to sail from Port of Spain to Tobago at 2 pm yesterday and was expected to depart Tobago to Port of Spain at 11 o’clock last night. This decision is necessary, the release state, to ensure the safety of passengers, crew and vehicles on the sailing to/from Tobago.
RONDON VEX
Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Martin Terry Rondon was an angry man yesterday as he and councillors toured several flood areas in East Trinidad. “We as the authorities have to get together and follow the law and we have to be strict because at the end of the day it falls right back to sometimes one person who really cares to try to get the job done,” Rondon said.
Oct 22, 2017
KM
https://weather.com/news/news/2017-10-22-typhoon-lan-tokyo-japan-ra...
Typhoon Lan Makes Landfall, Lashes Japan With 100+ MPH Winds
By Ada Carr
17 hours ago
weather.com
Lan Bringing High Winds and Rain to Japan
At a Glance
Powerful Typhoon Lan made landfall in Japan early Monday local time, lashing the country's main island of Honshu with winds moving up to 105 mph.
Injuries were reported and evacuations were ordered as torrential rain arrived in western Japan ahead of the storm.
At least five people sustained slight injuries from the effects of the storm, the Associated Press reports.
Evacuation orders were issued by officials of five local governments Sunday for roughly 5,600 homes, NHK reports. Another roughly 376,000 home were placed under evacuation orders by 70 local governments.
"I live alone and at night it's scary, so I came here as early as I could," a woman at an evacuation center told NHK in a statement obtained by Reuters.
(FORECAST: The Latest of Typhoon Lan)
Reports of damage have also already begun rolling in.
A train driver in Osaka Prefecture was forced to apply the emergency brake when he came across a stretch of railroad that had been caved in, NHK reports. At least one passenger was injured by the abrupt stop.
The storm has disrupted air and road travel. Airlines canceled more than 300 flights and rail services were interrupted throughout the country, according to Reuters. A power outage caused the failure of one train.
Wind gusts could be as high as 120 mph as Lan approaches Tokyo, with higher gusts in higher elevations.
Oct 23, 2017
Derrick Johnson
Rare red sprites in action: Dazzling footage shows mysterious electric tendrils lighting up the sky over Oklahoma
This month, people in Oklahoma have been treated to a stunning and extremely rare display - a red sprite lightning storm.
The extraordinary weather occurrence is caused by electrical bursts of light above highly active thunderstorms, and appears as jellyfish-shaped clusters of red light.
Red sprites are rarely seen, yet one lucky videographer managed to catch the display six times during a storm earlier this month over Edmond, Oklahoma.
On October 6, videographer Paul Smith headed outdoors with his camera to capture some of the lightening forks on film, but instead he managed to capture something far more remarkable.
Sprawled out in the sky intermittently appears a spectacular series of bright red, jellyfish-shaped clusters of light, an extraordinary weather occurrence known as a 'red sprite'.
The mysterious electrical bursts occur over highly active thunderstorms around 37 to 56 miles (50 to 60 kilometres) above Earth, and are rarely observed from land or space, due to their high altitudes and millisecond durations.
The stunning sight is captured not only once, but a staggering six times by Mr Smith, who was left 'stunned' by the magnificent encounter.
Mr Smith said: 'I've always been interested in unusual weather and uncommon natural phenomenon.
The extraordinary weather occurrence appears as jellyfish-shaped clusters of bright red light, and is caused by electrical bursts of light above highly active thunderstorms
Red sprites are rarely seen, yet one lucky videographer managed to catch the display six times during a storm earlier this month over Edmond, Oklahom
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5008797/Red-sprite-l...
Oct 24, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
Historic flooding in the mountain town of Boone, NC
https://biggeekdad.com/2017/10/flooding-in-boone/
Flooding In Boone
A look at the flooding that occurred in Boone, NC on Monday, October 23, 2017, after a day of heavy rains. Filmed by Nelson Aerial Productions this aerial view of the flooding in Boone shows how quickly a few inches of rain can cause flooding when the rivers and creeks overflow. The flooding was more widespread than the Boone Mall parking lot which floods on a regular basis. A beautiful rainbow appeared over the mountains after the storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7giqSUqPqc
Oct 24, 2017
SongStar101
Fire loss total surges to 8,400 structures in Northern California
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfires-devastation-2017...
Efforts continued by firefighters to gain control of the fires and by searchers looking for more victims. The death toll as of Monday remained at 42, making the fire series the deadliest in California history. The estimate of structure losses jumped from 7,700 reported over the weekend.
Officials said 5,000 firefighters remain on the lines, battling 10 different fires across Northern California.
About 100,000 people were displaced by the fires, and some evacuees are wondering whether they can stay in the region for the long term.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At evacuation centers, many ask whether their future is in Santa Rosa
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-santa-rosa-wildfire-future...
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to find another nurse now,” she said. “I don’t have anyone who can understand his situation.”
Her 12-year-old son, James Lopez, was born with one bad lung, a weak immune system and requires a machine to pump food into his stomach; if done improperly, it could lead to an infection. Because of his health problems, her son needs a nurse by his side at school.
Flores looked at James on the bed next to her. A blue face mask lay between them.
“I may need to go to school to personally feed him,” she said. “I may become his nurse.”
As firefighters anticipate full containment of the Sonoma County wildfires this week, residents like Flores are anxious about how they will find affordable housing while others find themselves overwhelmed at having to start over.
“We have an opportunity to move forward,” Flores said. “We didn’t lose our home, and I’m compelled to help others.”
The mother and son have been staying at the Grace Pavilion on the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for two weeks now. She said the first three days at the evacuation shelter were difficult.
“People were waking up screaming, some were crying, and some people would storm in here, desperately looking for relatives,” she said. “It was just difficult and sad.”
But amid the chaos, she said, Red Cross volunteers at the shelter helped ease her worries by providing them clothing and other essentials. She said Lopez’s doctor and nurses from UC San Francisco Medical Center came by to check on the young boy.
Though the shelter is now mostly empty, Flores said she has decided to stay longer because lingering smoke from the massive fires could endanger her son’s health.
“He is prone to getting sick,” she said. “A cold can turn into pneumonia.”
Even when things clear up, she feels she can’t let her guard down.
“He’ll still have to wear a mask a few more days,” she said.
There have been 18 large wildfires in Northern California, displacing about 100,000 people and destroying about 7,700 homes and other buildings since the blazes began Oct. 8, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Some fires merged as more than 10,000 firefighters struggled to establish containment lines and prevent the spread of the flames.
On Thursday, light rain helped firefighters battle the flames, which have scorched more than 240,000 acres, killed 42 people and caused more than $1 billion worth of insured losses.
In Sonoma County, the Nuns fire was reported to be 90% contained Sunday evening after burning 56,556 acres; the Tubbs fire, which is the most destructive wildfire in California history, was 94% contained after burning 36,807 acres; and the 17,357-acre Pocket fire was 87% contained.
In Napa County, the Atlas fire was 93% contained Sunday evening after burning 51,624 acres and killing at least six people.
And in Mendocino and Lake counties, the 36,523-acre Redwood fire was 97% contained and the Sulphur fire 97% after burning 2,207 acres.
Across from the pavilion at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Terry Andrew, 63, sat with his girlfriend, Marjorie Roush, 59, and her mother, Marjorie Sparaco, 92, at a special Red Cross shelter set up for pet owners.
The couple said their mobile homes were spared, but they couldn’t return to the Journey’s End Mobile Home Park because there is no power, gas or water. Almost all of the park’s 160 homes were destroyed.
“It was sad going in there to see the mobile home park,” Roush said.
The couple said a neighbor had alerted them about the fast-moving fire encroaching from the Napa area. They didn’t think the fire would reach deep into town until Andrew woke up and saw the flames had gotten closer.
“I didn’t think we were going to get out,” Andrew said, adding that he had to help Roush move her mother, who uses a wheelchair, from the mobile trailer into a vehicle.
At the shelter, the couple said it’s been difficult having to lift her mother to use the restroom. Sometimes, her mother yells out to them whenever they’re away.
“She doesn’t know where she’s at and when we tell her, she forgets,” Roush said.
The couple have managed to find a two-bedroom home, which they say they will move into Monday; but they had to dip into their savings, taking out $5,000 to make first and last months’ rent. They said rent will be about $2,000 a month, leaving them with only $1,000 to work with from social security benefits.
They still have to buy furniture for their home and a T.V. for Roush.
“I love T.V.,” she said.
Lying on the ground, Andrew’s dog, Homer, slept, ignoring the loud parrot from across the room.
Nearby, Forrest Smith, 53, a paratransit bus driver for the city of Santa Rosa, lay on a cot while his dog, Jazz, licked his cheek.
“She doesn’t think I’m clean enough,” he said, smiling.
Smith was living in a hotel, trying to find a new place to live when the wildfire swept through the storage unit where he kept all his belongings.
“Whatever I have is in my truck,” he said.
On the day of the fire, Smith said he and other bus drivers help evacuate people from retirement homes. Smith, alone, helped evacuate six people. Since then, he hasn’t been working much. He’s volunteered at the shelter, cleaning cots, throwing out trash and doing anything else to keep his mind from thinking about his situation.
“How am I going to find a place for me and my dog,” he said.
Outside, sitting on a folded chair, Steve Champ, 61, who has been homeless for more than 10 years, could only feel sad. Unlike other residents, he lost his bicycle and an orange tent where he slept. He had a few photos of his family in a zip-lock bag that the fire destroyed.
“I have them up here though,” he said, tapping his head with his index finger.
Champ said he doesn’t know where to even begin. Having to start over is even harder when you’re homeless.
He said he had found a new sleeping place at Coffey Park when the wildfire swept through the neighborhood. The community was left in ruins. Also gone was Champ’s tent, which he considered home.
“I didn’t have a chance to grab anything,” he said.
Unlike other residents, Champ said he will have to seek help at homeless shelters and other religious organizations.
Until then, he said: “I’ll let God guide me — all of us.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Fire Danger Threatens to Worsen Most Disastrous Wildfire Season in California History
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/new-fire-danger-threatens-worsen-...
According to NOAA, the hottest temperatures ever recorded after October 23 in Southern California (along with the Weather Underground forecast for Tuesday) were:
105°F Riverside, 10/28/1915 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 100°F)
101°F LAX Airport, 11/1/1966 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 96°F)
101°F Longbeach, 11/1/1966 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 100°F)
100°F Downtown Los Angeles, 11/1/1966 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 101°F)
100°F Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena, 10/26/2003 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 99°F)
100°F San Diego, 11/4/2010 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 91°F)
99°F Bakersfield, 10/27/1906 (WU forecast for Tuesday: 90°F)
The heat wave and Santa Ana winds will be caused by a large near-record-strength dome of high pressure expected to settle in over the Great Basin, a few hundred miles northeast of Los Angeles. The difference in pressure between this high-pressure system and lower pressure over Southern California will drive gusty northeast winds over Southern California. Since these winds will originate over desert areas, they will be hot and dry. As the air descends from the mountains to the coast, the air will get hotter and drier, due to adiabatic compression—the process whereby the pressure on a parcel of air increases as it descends, decreasing its volume, and thus increasing its temperature as work is done on it.
Oct 25, 2017
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2017/10/destructive-storms-hawaii-carolina...
Destructive storms hit Hawaii and the Carolinas, leaving more than 250000 people without electricity
A powerful storm hit most of the Hawaiian islands on Monday, Oct. 23 through Tuesday, Oct. 24. The powerful winds, numerous lightning strikes and heavy rain knocked out power in the entire island of Maui – at least 150,000 people.
A bit earlier on October 23, 2017, 7 tornadoes swept across North and South Carolina. At least 98 000 people lost power. Several people were injured but there were no deaths.
In overall, more than 250,000 people lost power during these two extravagant and anomalous storms.
Seasonal cyclone – Kona low – in the Hawaiian Islands
A powerful storm – Kona Low – hit most of the Hawaiian islands on Monday, Oct. 23 through Tuesday, Oct. 24. The storm started on Oahu causing multiple power outages and flooding before heading towards Lanai and Molokai.
As heavy rain and thunderstorms engulfed overnight, the power went down for Maui. Lightning strikes, strong winds and flash flooding across the islands did hit the electrical system and caused damage to the system.
Almost all Maui customers had their power knocked out.
Downed poles and storm runoff caused a major traffic jam on the Hana Highway for those headed into Kahului.
Flooding also forced residents at a Lahaina apartment complex to evacuate. Stormy weather closed campgrounds and back country camping in Haleakala National Park.
Hours of heavy rain resulted in some roads being washed out in south Maui.
Series of tornadoes hit North and South Carolina. Many injuries
7 tornadoes sightings were reported across the Carolinas on Monday, October 23, 2017. At least 98 000 customers lost power, mostly in the western part of North Carolina. Several injuries have been reported. No deaths.
3 tornadoes were reported in North Carolina, between 14:37 – 20:45 EDT, damaging buildings in Burke County and Caldwell County.
Oct 25, 2017
Howard
Sudden Storm Produces Biggest Wave Ever Recorded on Great Lakes (Oct 24)
A rapidly intensifying Great Lakes storm early Tuesday produced hurricane-force winds that whipped up a record high wave in Lake Superior.
A buoy located northeast of Munising, MI recorded a 28.8-foot wave, the highest wave any Great Lakes buoy has ever tallied. Some of the buoys have been in the Great Lakes for 30 years, according to Ed Verhamme of Limnotech.
Verhamme found the previous highest wave on a modern buoy was 27.66 feet on October 5, 2012 at the Keweenaw Peninsula buoy.
Peak winds of over 77 miles per hour in Upper Michigan downed trees and powers lines, leaving thousands of customers without power.
A man and women got swept off Black Rocks by the waves of Lake Superior on Tuesday afternoon around 1:35 p.m.
The low-pressure system intensified from a weak area of low pressure over the Ohio Valley Monday morning to an intense low centered near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, early Tuesday morning.
The rate of intensification – a 27 millibar drop in the surface low in 24 hours – satisfied the criterion for atmospheric bombogenesis, or a rapidly strengthening low pressure system.
Wind instruments about 115 feet above the lake surface at Stannard Rock Lighthouse, about 40 miles north-northeast of Marquette, Michigan, measured a wind gust of 77 mph (hurricane force is 75 mph) Tuesday morning.
Sources
http://woodtv.com/blog/2017/10/24/biggest-wave-ever-on-the-great-la...
http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/10/historic_three-story...
https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/2017-10-24-great-lakes-bombo...
Oct 26, 2017
Gerard Zwaan
A "Bombogenesis" "Weather Bomb" to hit the East Coast of the US lat...
A "Bombogenesis" is expected to hit the East Coast of the US later today and into Monday.
Damaging winds are expected to down trees and power lines resulting in power outages and flooding.
The Bombogenesis, Weather bomb, or Explosive cyclogenesis refers to a rapidly deepening extratropical cyclonic low-pressure area according to Wikipedia.
Throw in a very powerful jet stream into the into the mix which will be pushing tropical storm, Philippe, all the way up the Northeastern coastline and dumping moisture as the warm tropical air hits the cold air coming from the East.
According to the Weather Channel, this is an unusual and truly strong, potentially dangerous storm system for late October.
We expect to see wind gusts up to 75 mph in some areas, and they could be higher depending on the intensity and track of the storm. The potential for higher-end wind gusts will be greatest along the immediate coast and in higher-terrain locations, particularly in New England.
High wind warnings have been issued for most of Long Island and much of New England including Boston for Sunday night and Monday morning. High wind warnings have also been posted for parts of east-central New York and near Lake Ontario.
Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2017/10/a-bombogenesis-weather-bomb-to-...
Oct 29, 2017
Gerard Zwaan
More than 1 million power outages after one of the strongest Fall storms in recent memory explodes off the Mid-Atlantic along the US East coast
More than 1 million power outages in the Northeast after blockbuster fall storm, one of the strongest in memory, exploded off the Mid-Atlantic coast Sunday night before tearing through the Northeastern United States.
Tropical storm-force wind gusts rattled the Mid-Atlantic while some hurricane-force gusts battered coastal New England, the hardest-hit area. One location in eastern Massachusetts clocked a gust at 93 mph.
More than 1.3 million customers lost power, mostly in New England, the most since Hurricane Sandy five years ago. There were 300,000 customers in the dark in Massachusetts, 500,000 in Maine, New Hampshire: 230,000; Connecticut: 150,000; Rhode Island: 145,000 and Vermont: 70,000.
The 400,000 power failures in Maine, where winds gusted to 70 mph in spots, represents almost one-third of its population and surpasses the number during its great ice storm in 1998.
Rainfall amounts generally ranged from one to five inches, with the heaviest totals from northeast West Virginia to western New York. A remarkable amount of territory received at least an inch of rain, including the entirety of Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and almost all of Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont.
The storm drew a tremendous stream of moisture into the region, sourced from the Caribbean, and including the remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe.
Peak winds reached 40 to 50 mph around Washington and Baltimore on Sunday night. The top gust at Reagan National Airport and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor was 47 mph. Wind gusts in New England were on par with a high-end tropical storm with gusts at the coast reaching 60 to 80 mph and 40 to 60 mph in inland locations.
The winds and resulting power failures closed schools in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
The storm underwent bombogenesis, meaning that it rapidly intensified, increasing the strength of winds near the center.
Flash flooding in Bartlett, NH:
Reports of debris and flooded roadways across #Massachusetts. This scene was caught in Brookline:
Because tides were low, coastal flooding was not a serious issue, although a storm surge of nearly five feet came into New York City. The city averted flooding issues only because this surge coincided with low tide.
Source: http://strangesounds.org/2017/10/more-than-1-million-power-outages-...
Oct 30, 2017
SongStar101
At least five dead as severe storm hits central Europe
http://www.thejournal.ie/storm-europe-2-3670686-Oct2017/
AT LEAST FIVE people died in a windstorm that hit central Europe today, causing widespread power outages and traffic disruptions.
In the Czech Republic, falling trees killed a woman in a forest near the central city of Trebic and an elderly man on the street in Jicin northeast of Prague.
In Poland, a driver died in his car after crashing into a fallen branch on the road near the northwestern city of Szczecin, and another was killed when a branch hit his car in the western city of Opole, firefighters said.
In Germany, a 63-year-old man sleeping in a van at a camping site on Jade Bay in the north of the country drowned when he tried to escape flash floods on foot, police said. His brother, 59, survived by holding fast to a pole.
The strong winds halted traffic on dozens of railways and several roads across the Czech Republic.
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said it had registered the fastest gust of wind on Snezka, the Czech Republic’s highest mountain, with a top speed of 180 kilometres (112.5 miles) an hour.
In the north of the country, some rivers reached the highest flood-alert levels, and the wind also toppled a wooden Orthodox church in the city of Most.
“At present, hundreds of thousands of households are left without power,” Sona Holingerova Hendrychova, spokeswoman for the state-run power producer CEZ, said in a statement.
About 200,000 people were also grappling with power outages in western Poland.
In the northern Polish city of Gdansk, authorities decided to close cemeteries because of falling branches as crowds went to pay homage with All Saints’ Day approaching on 1 November.
In Germany, the storms caused flooding in Hamburg, where waters rose up around the city’s historic fish market and in the HafenCity and Blankenese districts.
View of the flooded camping site at the city beach Sehestedt Source: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam DPA/PA Images
Train travel was disrupted in much of the north of the country as German rail company Deutsche Bahn said it had suspended key routes, dispatching crews to remove storm debris from tracks and repair damaged lines.
It said in a statement that routes connecting cities including Berlin, Hamburg and Hanover were likely only to return to normal tomorrow.
Earlier this month a fierce storm raged through northern and eastern Germany killing seven people.
In Austria, the organisers cancelled the men’s World Cup season-opening giant slalom at Solden scheduled for today.
Nov 1, 2017
Gerard Zwaan
Biblical sandstorm engulfs Irak, Saudi Arabia and Syria and sends hundreds to hospitals (pictures and videos)
A biblical sandstorm engulfed Saudi Arabia, Syria, parts of Jordan and much of Iraq on October 29, 2017.
The apocalyptic weather phenomenon considerably reduced visibility and sent hundreds to hospitals.
Now watch the monster wall of sand making its way through northern Saudi Arabia on October 29, 2017:
The apocalyptic dust storm was accompanied by heavy winds that damaged structures in different refugee camps in Qaim, Irak:
In Erbil, Iraq, the visibility dropped to less than 300 m (984 feet). The visibility dropped to less than a few tens of meters in Saudi Arabia:
In some parts of the Peninsula, the day turned into night transforming cities in ghost towns:
Hundreds of residents (485) were sent to emergency. 153 were hospitalized due to the dust. Here some Irak soldiers being stuck in the dust storm:
This video shows the massive dust storm engulfing Syria, Irak, Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia:
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite captured this true-color image of a massive dust and sand storm on October 29, 2017:
Here some more pictures of this impressive sand and dust storm acros Northern Saudi Arabia, Syria, Irak and Jordan:
This biblical sandstorm has originated in northern Syria and Iraq on October 29, 2017 and is now rapidly propagating through Saudi Arabia.
Source; http://strangesounds.org/2017/11/biblical-sandstorm-middle-east-ira...
Nov 1, 2017
jorge namour
LEBANON MIDDLE EAST
NOVEMBER 3 2017
"Bakhun al-Dniyeh" is a DECEMBER LIKE and HAILS cover the roads.
https://www.facebook.com/Khneisser.weather/photos/a.596174583816115...
# Direct still the # Dahniyah area witnessing a real storm as you can see in the video (the town of Sir Aldniyah) falling # very violent to HAIL now
https://www.facebook.com/WeatherofLebanon/videos/1697982380213957/?...
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Severe Weather Europe
4 hrs ·
Big time snow in Rosa Khutor, Sochi, Russia on Nov 1.
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/videos/2109379819285108/?h...
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FLOODS
Wadi Almogmus in Makkah today 2_10_2017 - SAUDI ARABIA
https://www.facebook.com/1468079846822718/videos/1784341435196556/?...
https://www.facebook.com/1468079846822718/videos/1784343238529709/?...
Nov 3, 2017
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2017/11/severe-weather-anomaly-new-south-w...
Violent weather anomaly in New South Wales, Australia brings giant hail, unseasonal snow and destructive winds across NSW
A severe weather anomaly swept across New South Wales, Australia on November 6, 2017.
Two people were sent to hospital after a roof collapsed due to intense rain, giant hail and destructive winds across NSW. Unseasonal snow also reported. Some describe the storm as the most severe hailstorm experienced in 30 years in the area.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm warnings, a marine wind warning and hazardous surf warning for Monday over the North West Slopes and Plains, parts of the Upper Hunter and inland parts of the Mid-North Coast, NSW.
Officials also warned of “giant hail and destructive winds” with thunderstorms for the whole Monday mostly from Port Macquarie, Taree, Armidale, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree, Narrabri, Walgett to Lightning Ridge.
And yes! It’s snowing at the same time in the northern and southern hemispheres:
The State Emergency Service responded to more than 400 calls for assistance by Monday afternoon across the state as trees fell, cars were damaged and powerlines went down.
A roof collapsed, sending two people with non-life-threatening injuries to hospital in the town of Kurri Kurri just after 2:00pm on Monday.
The storm also triggered a powerful hailstorm with golf-ball-sized hail in Wollongong.
Farmers fear for their animals and cultivations as the damage from Sunday night’s storm was “massive”.
This must really have been one of the most powerful storms in the last 30 years in NSW. GET READY!
Nov 7, 2017
KM
http://www.euronews.com/2017/11/09/drought-across-spain-and-portuga...
Drought across Spain and Portugal raises alarm
Months of high temperatures and no rain causes worst drought this century for Iberian Peninsula
The Douro River which is one of the symbols of the Iberian Peninsula is 60 percent dry.
The snow, that by now should be covering the landscape above 2,000 meters has been replaced by temperatures of over 25ºC.
It’s a situation which has become critical – for Spain’s economy, for growing food, for living.
One woman living close to the Cuerda del pozo reservoir was one of many worried about the situation:
“I can’t remember seeing the reservoir so big, so empty.”
A second local said it was time for the politicians to recognise what is becoming a catastrophe:
“It is vitally important to open a political debate over the lack of water. What will happen, if there is no water anymore”
In Portugal the driest October in 20 years has triggered a government-backed campaign. It has published in the press an announcement that calls for saving water, at a time when the whole country is in severe (24.8 %) or extreme drought (75.2 %).
An advert calls for “One minute of your attention,“warning that “a tap open for one minute can expend 12 litres of water”.
Portugal’s Environment Agency and the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Agency (ERSAR) pointed out that according to the United Nations, “a human being needs 110 litres of water per day”. The campaign will also go on TV and Radio.
And it is more than just a hosepipe ban – clean drinkable water is now having to be delivered by tankers to an increasing number of communities across the country.
Suddenly what was once thought to be a problem confined to the third world has arrived in southern Europe.
Nov 10, 2017
Stanislav
2017 tornado season was the most active since 2011 in United States
Infographic references: Articles [1], [2]; Tornadoes data: NOAA Storm Prediction Center [3]; Graph D3.js [5]
"Massive tornadoes such as recently tore through Oklahoma will not go away, but will be on the increase and will occur in places that do not experience such tornadoes"
ZetaTalk: Next 3 1/2 Years. Note: written Sep 15, 1999.
Storm clouds approach emergency crews at the scene of a house cut in half by a tornado near where seven people were killed outside Adel, Ga., on Jan. 22, 2017. (Photo: Mark Wallheiser, EPA) Image source: usatoday.com
2017 Tornado season in US was a record-breaking. This is most active season since 2011. Number of tornadoes has reached fourth-highest level ever - 1490 based on preliminary data (higher only 2008, 2004 and 2011). [3] The tornado season in 2017 started exceptionally early, having the second most active January since records began in 1950, and one of the most active first quarters in recorded history. There have been 1,490 reports of tornadoes in the United States in 2017 so far, of which at least 1,290 have been confirmed. [2]
PREL = 2017 PRELIMINARY COUNT FROM ALL NWS LOCAL STORM REPORTS.
ACT = ACTUAL TORNADO COUNT BASED ON NWS STORM DATA SUBMISSIONS.
COMPARISONS BETWEEN PRELIMINARY AND ACTUAL COUNTS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
..MARSH/GUYER..11/09/2017
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/monthly/newm.html
Tornadoes data: NOAA Storm Prediction Center [4]; D3.js multiline chart [6]
Hurricane season helped to form a record number of tornadoes:
"8 November, 2017. 2017 Hurricane Season Produces Most Reported Tornadoes in Nearly a Decade
The 2017 hurricane season has produced the largest number of reported tornadoes spawned by tropical storms and hurricanes in the continental United States since 2008, and the fourth-most overall in 23 years.
Five tropical cyclones were responsible for 119 reports of tornadoes in a dozen states, according to preliminary data provided by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). This includes two tropical storms (Cindy and Philippe) and three hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Nate).
<...> 2017 is now the fourth hurricane season since 1995 with tropical storms or hurricanes that produced more than 100 tornadoes. Only the 2005 (317), 2004 (238) and 2008 (139) hurricane seasons produced more tornadoes." [1]
References:
[1] 2017 Hurricane Season Produces Most Reported Tornadoes in Nearly a Decade. (2017, November 08). Retrieved November 10, 2017, from https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2017-11-08-tornadoes-hurr...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornadoes_of_2017
[3] http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/
[4] http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/monthly/2017_annual_summary.html
[5] D3.js barchart: barchartt.html; tornado.csv (Based on this example: http://bl.ocks.org/d3noob/8952219)
[6] D3.js multiline chart: multilinechart.html; tornado3.csv (Based on this example: https://bl.ocks.org/d3noob/ae9786c26d6a821eefeabe60dec350a9)
Nov 10, 2017
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5085871/Biblical-disaster-k...;
'Biblical disaster' kills at least 14 people in Greece after overnight downpour floods three towns and wash victims out to SEA
At least 14 people have died after flash floods hit the outskirts of the Greek capital of Athens on Wednesday.
Yianna Krikouki, mayor of Mandra, a small town close to Athens which saw some of the worst flooding, described the disaster as 'biblical', adding: 'Everything is lost.'
The bodies of four women and eight men were found in or near the town, while the bodies of two more men were found floating out at sea by the coast guard, having been washed there by the floodwaters.
Red Cross volunteers and firemen evacuate an elderly man from his house in Mandra, on the outskirts of the Greek capital Athens, after a torrential downpour overnight caused flash flooding which has killed at least 14 people
Streets were turned into rivers of muddy water which swept up buses and cars while demolishing homes and ripping up tarmac. This coach was left stranded under a bridge after being carried away
The mayor of Mandra, the town where this picture was taken, described the disaster as 'biblical' and said 'everything is lost' when asked to describe the scene by reporters
Nov 16, 2017
Gerard Zwaan
5 countries currently experiencing severe Floods: Greece, Libya, Honduras, Uganda, Malaysia
As we like to constantly remind everyone, Mother Nature seems to have it out for us. Earthquakes in California, South Korea and Iraq, hurricanes in the Caribbean, tornadoes in the Midwest and everywhere a trailer park can be found. And while natural disasters like those tend to come in waves – literally if it’s a tsunami – we do not speak enough about flooding as if floods had became too ‘normal’. Meanwhile, record rainfall, stronger monsoon season and heavy storms are increasing in intensity around the world, leaving countries and their inhabitants ‘six feet under’ water in states of emergency. Here a compilation of 5 countries currently facing heavy floods:
Floods and mudflow in Greece – Nov 15th
The Greek authorities declared a state of emergency on the island of Symi, where the cyclone “Eurydice” caused significant material damage. Floods, mudflows, damaged buildings and cars washed away. Power and water supply have been disrupted.
At least seven people died in flash floods which hit Greece on Wednesday, authorities said, as a raging torrent swept through towns west of Athens after heavy rains.
Heavy floods across Tripoli, Libya – Nov. 14th
Heavy rains in western Libya led to floods in the capital Tripoli and the eastern district of Tajoura, dirupting traffic.
Heavy rainfall triggers floods in Honduras – Nov. 13th
The departments of Toro, Tokoa and El Negrito were the most severly hit. Two policemen, a woman and an 8-month-old boy drowned after they were dragged by a river.
Floods in Kampala Uganda – Nov. 13th
A man almost drowned with his car on the Entebbe- Kampala Road escaped death after his car was suddenly swept by floods. He was rescued. Elsewhere, floods affected business in and around Kampala.
Heavy flooding across Malaysia after powerful start of monsoon season – Nov. 13th
Heavy rains caused floods in the states of Selangor, Sarawak, Malacca, Negeri-Sembilan. The most critical situation was faced in the area of Hulu Langat.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, record breaking rains are flooding one of the best-rated beach in I.... You said Whoaa? I say prepare for the next flooding in your area!
Source: http://strangesounds.org/2017/11/5-countries-experiencing-currently...
Nov 16, 2017
jorge namour
Directly from Jeddah. SAUDI ARABIA
NOVEMBER 21 2017
Floods and drowning of cars As we have indicated in our previous bulletins, the situation will be very difficult.
https://www.facebook.com/Khneisser.weather/videos/1226408570792710/...
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After the floods Jeddah as you see in the video attached; heavy rains towards the coast of Kuwait and Bahrain
NOVEMBER 21 2017
https://www.facebook.com/Khneisser.weather/videos/1226438424123058/...
Nov 21, 2017
Derrick Johnson
California steaming! Heatwave grips the state with a record-breaking high of 97F for Thanksgiving
In downtown Los Angeles, the high was 91F, making this year's Thanksgiving the hottest since record-keeping began in 1877, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
The previous record Thanksgiving Day high was 90F, set on November 26, 1903.
Several other cities experienced similar circumstances with Burbank reaching 95F, Long Beach hitting 96F, and Oxnard topping at 97F - all breaking their previous record-highs for the holiday.
California was left sizzling after being gripped by a massive heatwave over Thanksgiving with record-high temperatures. In downtown Los Angeles, the high was 91F, the hottest on record since the National Weather Service began record-keeping in 1887
The heat wave, which began Wednesday, is expected to begin breaking up Friday, with high temperatures for downtown Los Angeles expected to drop to the mid-80s
Some relief from the heat could be found along the coast and the High Desert where temperatures were in the low-80s, making it somewhat cooler than the valleys of the Inland Empire, according to NWS meteorologist James Brotherton with the San Diego office.
The heat wave, which began on Wednesday, is expected to begin breaking up on Friday, with high temperatures for downtown Los Angeles expected to drop to the mid-80s.
The trend is expected to continue through the weekend, with the high falling to about 80F on Saturday and into the mid-70s, more normal for this time of year, on Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 80s in the valleys near Los Angeles through the weekend.
The unseasonably warm weather is being caused by an upper-level ridge of high pressure over Southern California, trapping warm desert air.
Many Californians used the opportunity to head to the beach to sunbathe and play.
But come Tuesday, temperatures will start climbing up again, according to Brotherton. Highs are expected to reach the low- to mid-80s.
According to Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the NWS Oxnard office, the agency began putting out information last week about the rise in temperatures so people could prepare for it and keep hydrated.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5114371/California-hit-reco...
Nov 25, 2017
jorge namour
JET STREAM
THE POLAR VORTEX DIVES TO FRANCE
28 November 2017 by La Chaîne Météo
http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2017-11-28-09h18...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...
The polar vortex, whose term had been highly publicized during the cold spells that affected the United States these last winters, will experience a stall from the Arctic and plunges towards France.
The meteorological situation changes abruptly over Western Europe: a vast low-pressure system forms from Scandinavia to Italy, bringing winds directed to the north-west to north sector. Around this huge low-lying area, many hearts travel, bringing bad weather all over western Europe (wind, rain, storms and snow).
It is actually a "stall" jet-stream, the wind that blows at high altitude and contains polar air at high latitudes. Sometimes, the jet stream is deviated from its usual trajectory (from west to east) and dives to the south: this is what happened during the cold waves that occurred in North America in recent years .
Polar air plunges south
The deviation of jet-stream plunges to the British Isles, France and Benelux. This situation is characterized by the arrival of very cold air in altitude (-35 ° to 5000 m) but on the surface, the effects are not the same as in North America because in Europe, the winds coming from the north- West are of maritime origin: they are therefore softened by the ocean.
At first, the arrival of this maritime polar air causes a sudden drop in temperatures
At the same time, the flow of cold air plunges into the Mediterranean and reaches the Maghreb, resulting in the Mistral in the south-east of France and bad weather in North Africa.
Nov 28, 2017
KM
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/witnesses-describe-seeing-wall-of-flame...
Witnesses describe seeing ‘wall of flames’ along highway 401
The 401 had to be shut down in both directions in Cambridge on Tuesday night following a grass fire that officials say burned out of control at one point.
Witnesses describe seeing a ‘wall of flames’ along the 401 around 6 p.m.
The fire started in the area of industrial road and McGovern Road, just south of highway 401 and west of Hespeler Road.
Witnesses describe seeing a ‘wall of flames’ along the 401 around 6 p.m. (Source: Twitter/ @SamFromSchool)
It began to encroach onto the highway prompting Ontario Provincial Police to shut down the 401 between Shantz Hill Road and Hespeler Road.
About 25 firefighters from three stations responded alongside Waterloo Regional Police and OPP.
Cambridge fire officials said fire grew to be about 4 acres in size , but they did manage to bring it under control quickly.
Officials have not yet identified the source of the fire, but said it is a popular area for people who are homeless.
The highway was reopened just after 8:30 p.m.
There were no injuries or damages as the fire occurred on a grassy, vacant piece of land.
Nov 29, 2017
KM
https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2017-11-30-greenland-temperat...
Freak Warm Spell Surges Temperatures 50+ Degrees Above Average in Greenland
At a Glance
Temperatures skyrocketed above freezing in parts of northern Greenland on Wednesday as a surge of warm air from the Atlantic poured northward.
A high temperature of 4.7 degrees Celsius, roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit, was reported Wednesday at Qaanaaq Airport, along the far northwest coast of Greenland at a latitude of about 77.5 degrees north, about 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
That equates to temperatures roughly 50 degrees above average in northern Greenland for late November, where temperatures are usually in the minus 20s and minus 30s Fahrenheit.
(MORE: Parts of Siberia were Colder Than Minus 60 Degrees Fahrenheit, and ...)
This tongue of warmer air arrived by means of strong southerly winds sandwiched between a strong low pressure system located over northern Canada and a strong high pressure system located near east-central Canada.
Also contributing to the warmth were ocean temperatures 6-10 degrees above average between southern Greenland and adjacent portions of eastern Canada.
A northward extension of ice-free water in Baffin Bay, not that atypical for late November, extended along Greenland's west coast to the south of Qaanaaq, according to an analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
As strange as this sounds, last November and again last December, near or above-freezing air surged as far north as the North Pole.
Dec 3, 2017
jorge namour
Strange mist in Egypt new cairo.
DECEMBER 4 2017
https://www.facebook.com/magna.gloria.1/posts/509941109380501?pnref...
COMMENT VERY THICK CAN SEE NOTHING
Zamalek was also sso misty last night
This is so wierd for egypt .. It started at 12.00 am while such mists start usually, round dawn time ..
Serious accidents due to the constant fog from yesterday and today on #_ Egypt (4 _ 5 _ 12 _ 2017
https://www.facebook.com/1468079846822718/videos/1796518010645565/
The Egyptian Ministry of interior warns citizens not to get out of their homes because of the intensity of constant fog 5 _ 12 _ 2017 #_ Egypt
https://www.facebook.com/1468079846822718/photos/pcb.17965157506457...
Dec 5, 2017
KM
https://www.rt.com/usa/412183-california-skirball-fire-evacuations/
Evacuation orders issued for nearly 200k as Los Angeles fires rage
The fast-moving brush fire started around 5am local time on Wednesday near the Getty Center. At 7:30am, authorities ordered residents living south of Mulholland Drive, east of the 405, north of Sunset Boulevard, and west of Roscomare Road to evacuate their homes.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Skirball Fire has led to the evacuations of 700 homes, one apartment building and an elementary school in the city’s Sepulveda Pass. The brush fire has charred 475 acres and is 5 percent contained.The number of people affected has reached 46,000. More than 300 personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department are on the scene and are being supported by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, LAPD and the Angeles National Forest and CalFire, officials said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
Four structures have been destroyed, and 11 damaged, all of which were residential, authorities told reporters. There have been no reported injuries.
The National Weather Service has extended a Red Flag Warning across much of the Southern California region through Saturday.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local State of Emergency Wednesday because of the Skirball Fire. The blaze has now grown to 150 acres. The northbound and southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway, which had previously been shut, have been reopened, KCBS reported.
Residents living west of I-405 should brace for evacuations, in case flames jump the freeway, officials said earlier on Wednseday.
High winds reaching 80 mph (129 km/h) are are expected to exacerbate the fires.
“Not the typical morning commute…” a Los Angeles investment banker commented.
“Today was scariest morning commute of my life,” tweeted musician Rick Patrick. “The scariest part was the heat hitting my car. It felt like driving into the sun.”
The Thomas, Creek and Rye Fires continue to wreaking havoc in Southern California, as authorities and firefighters scramble to contain the rapidly moving blazes.
The Thomas Fire, which started at around 6:30pm Monday, is considered a wildfire, and was the first of the three to ignite. Located 60 miles (97km) northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, that fire spread from 500 acres Monday night to 50,000 acres the following morning.
The Creek Fire was the second blaze to erupt. The wildfire started at 4am Tuesday and rapidly spread in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, located above the neighborhood of Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley.
It has now burned through 11,377 acres, and is five percent contained, Garcetti said in a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
The Creek Fire has destroyed 11 homes and injured two firefighters, KTLA reported.
A fast-moving two-alarm brush fire, dubbed the Rye Fire, led to the closure of a portion of the Interstate 5 highway. The fire is burning in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles (48km) north of Los Angeles, according to KABC.
Dec 7, 2017
KM
http://www.dailynews.com/2017/12/06/heres-how-rare-it-is-to-have-wi...
Here’s how rare it is to have large wildfires in December in California.
There are at least six active wildfires burning in Southern California right now. That’s nearly the total of all large December wildfires from 2000 to 2015, according to Cal Fire statistics.
The map below shows active fires as of noon, Dec. 6.
If you look at the statistics below, they show a mere seven California fires that burned more than 300 acres when totaling December numbers from 2000 to 2015. The second lowest months were January and February with 11 such wildfires.
July had the most fires between 2000 and 2015 with a total of 313.
Of the seven fires in December from 2000 to 2015, four were in Southern California and two were in Ventura County.
The total acres burned in those seven fires was 21,090. The fire burning right now in Ventura County, called the Thomas fire, is estimated to have already burned 65,000 acres – almost three times the acreage of the other December fires. The previous largest fire in December was the Shekell fire in Ventura which burned 13,600 acres in 2006.
Even before the start of this week’s fires, this year was going down as the most destructive wildfire season in California history, state officials said.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 3, there were 6,762 fires that destroyed 505,391 acres. That’s 43 percent more events for the same time period last year, when 244,297 acres were destroyed, according to Cal Fire.
“Fuel. Ignition. Meteorology. Each component of the formula are off the charts this year,” said Bill Patzert, a climatologist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “When all three elements in the equation are supersized, you’re set up for apocalyptic conditions.”
California is not alone in feeling the pain. In the U.S. Forest Service’s 2017 briefing to Congress in October the agency said that the fire season was the most costly across the nation.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “As wildfire costs exceed $2 billion, I appreciate those in Congress who recognize this funding issue and are working to make a permanent fix that allows us to manage our forests preemptively. While we can’t stop these wildfires, we know we can be prepared in a much better way.”
Wildfire suppression for the Forest Service costs for the fiscal year exceeded $2 billion, making it the most expensive year on record.
Dec 7, 2017
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5169625/Apocalyptic-mushroo...
Giant smoke-generated mushroom cloud above California mountains causes huge updraft and threatens to spread wildfires even further as devastated area is now larger than NYC and Boston COMBINED
An ominous mushroom cloud was spotted above California Monday as one of the most destructive wildfires in the state's history crept relentlessly up the Pacific coast.
The weather phenomenon, which resembled an erupting volcano or a nuclear bomb, was seen above the San Ynez Mountains of western Ventura County in the Los Padres National Forest, near Santa Barbara.
The billowing Pyrocumulus cloud, also known as a fire cloud, stretched up almost 30,000 feet high.
Eric Boldt, a forecaster with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, told San Francisco Gate that the cloud was created by similar forced to a thunderstorm - and its strong winds could be responsible for helping spread the Thomas Wildfire on Sunday as Calfire grew 50,000 acres to 230,000 acres. It is now the fifth worst fire in Californian history.
The weather phenomenon, which resembled an erupting volcano or a nuclear bomb, was seen above the San Ynez Mountains of western Ventura County in the Los Padres National Forest, near Santa Barbara
An apocalyptic mushroom cloud was spotted above California Monday as one of the most destructive wildfires in the state's history crept relentlessly up the Pacific coast
'When we see these clouds billowing so tall, it's the same mechanisms that are happening with a thunderstorm,' he said.
'You're causing updrafts and air that's pushing the smoke higher. It creates its own wind. If it starts to spin, that's where you can get more wind and fast-moving progression of the fire. It can become a dangerous situation for firefighters.'
Thousands of firefighters were battling the blaze on Monday as it crept relentlessly up the Pacific coast and forced new evacuations.
As a wildfire near Los Angeles was brought under control, fire crews were being redeployed to battle the Thomas Fire northwest of America's second-largest city.
Fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters were assisting nearly 6,400 firefighters trying to keep the Thomas Fire away from beachfront towns south of the historic city of Santa Barbara, the California Fire Department (Cal Fire) said.
Dec 12, 2017
SongStar101
Italy: helicopters ferry flood victims to safety
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/12/italy-helicopters-ferry-flo...
Video provided by firefighters Tuesday shows houses under water after the Enza River flooded its reinforced banks in the town of Lentigione. The news agency ANSA said about 1,000 people were evacuated, but a woman who answered the phone at the city hall was unable to confirm the numbers.
Firefighters also rescued three people and a dog with a rubber dinghy from the town of Colorno when the Parma river flooded.
Heavy rain and snow fall has hampered travel in stretches of northern Italy, with trains severely delayed between the coastal city of Genoa and Milan.
Dec 13, 2017
KM
Source
Weather anomalies are spreading across the world: Coldest summer for 100 years in Queensland, Australia, Earliest ice formation in 71 years on the Han River, South Korea, 3.5 meters of snow in Germany
The weather is going crazy around the world, breaking almost every week a new extreme event record. Here three examples of weather anomalies recorded these days around the world:
More than 1.5 meters of fresh snow and 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) of snow accumulation were recorded on The Brocken, also known as the Blocksberg, the highest peak of the Harz mountain range and also the highest peak of Northern Germany culminating at 1,141 metres (3,743 ft):
Snow dead-end at Brocken in Germany. Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
Snow drift up to 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) were reported at Brocken in Germany on December 16, 2017. Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
Snow accumulation up to 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) were reported at Brocken in Germany on December 16, 2017. Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
Must have been difficult to open the doors with this snow drift! Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
Depth of the snow reaches 1.5 meters and snow accumulation made walls taller than 3.5 meters at Brocken, Germany on December 16, 2017. Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
Even the tractor is smaller than the wall of snow in Brocken, Germany. Lucas Steinhoff via Twitter
The next event is actually good news for the next winter olympics – although they are still far away. After five days of extreme cold weather, ice has formed on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea.
Earliest ice formation in 71 years covers the Han River in Seoul, South Korea on December 14, 2017. via Sott
And this ICE is the first ice formation on the river before Dec. 15 in 71 years. Last time such a phenomenon occurred was on December 12, 1946.
While Finally, normally very hot, the current summer in Queensland, Australia breaks record lows with temperatures dropping to 11 degrees Celsius below average, which is, even for forecasters, a “very unusual” phenomenon. Mount Isa had its lowest overnight December temperate ever on record at 12 degrees Celsius – 11C degrees below average. Burketown had a minimum of 17.7C which was the lowest they’d seen up there since 1920, but that was eclipsed today with 16C, and that’s the coldest December morning since 1907. Richmond yesterday was 11.8C which was the lowest there in December since 1909. And of course the reason behind this anomaly is unknown!
I would just like to add videos about some other strange weather events going on these last few days:
Aerial footage captured images of the Chilean village of Villa Santa Lucia buried beneath a thick layer of mud on Saturday, following a deadly landslide which killed at least five people:
Third-largest wildfires in history spread across Southern California… And it is just 30% contained!:
Stromboli eruption on December 15, 2017:
After hail and thunderstorms engulged the United Arab Emirates and Oman y..., now impressive floods are engulfing the north of the country:
Keep safe!
Dec 17, 2017
Stanislav
Historic California wildfire continues to grow
"The attempt of the latest conspiracy theory to claim that the latest California fires in LA were incited by satellite microwave weapons is absurd, an attempt once again to claim, as we have stated, anything but Nibiru is the cause. Boy Scouts learn that to start a fire from kindling, one should blow gently on the small flame. This is because a source of oxygen is needed, and the constant winds provided by the daily Earth wobble bring that to LA. Do fires leap over spots, leaving them untouched to start on the other side? This is well known to firemen, who damp out sparks to prevent such propagation from a spark traveling in the wind."
ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for December 31, 2017
"16 December, 2017. California wildfire rages as 3rd largest recorded in state
A raging California wildfire on Saturday became the state's third largest blaze on record, with more devastation possible from a resurgence of the harsh winds that have fueled the deadly fire's growth.
The so-called Thomas Fire has destroyed more than 1,000 structures, including about 750 homes, in coastal communities in Southern California since erupting on Dec. 4, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.
Firefighters at work as wildfires blaze in Santa Barbara county, California (Mike Eliason/AP). Image source: falmouthpacket.co.uk
The vast landscape charred by the blaze, which is centered less than 100 miles (161 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, reached 259,000 acres (104,813 hectares) early on Saturday, surpassing the 257,314 acres (104,131 hectares) destroyed by California's Rim Fire in 2013, authorities said. The Rim Fire had been the third-largest blaze on record in the state." [5]
Strong wind is a significant cause of the current historical forest fires:
"7 December, 2017. Record-breaking winds spell danger as California fires rage: 'There will no ability to fight fires'
Southern California has felt yellow wind, orange wind, and red wind. But never purple wind. Until now. The colour-coded system showing the expected strength of the winds driving the region’s fierce wildfires has reached uncharted territory, pushing past red, which means “high” into the colour that means “extreme.” “The forecast for tomorrow is purple,” said Ken Pimlott, director at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “We’ve never used purple before.”" [4]
References:
[1] http://www.naturalearthdata.com
[2] http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_statsevents
[3] https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/download/
[4] Press, T. A., & Amanda Lee Myers And Andrew Dalton. (2017, December 07). Record-breaking winds spell danger as California fires rage: ‘There will no ability to fight fires’. Retrieved December 18, 2017, from http://nationalpost.com/news/world/california-wind-and-fire-danger-...
[5] Dobuzinskis, A. (2017, December 16). California wildfire rages as 3rd largest recorded in state. Retrieved December 18, 2017, from https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/12/16/california-wildfire-rag...
[6] D3.js linechart: dualmultilincechart.html; datadual; (Based on this example: http://bl.ocks.org/d3noob/e34791a32a54e015f57d)
[7] D3.js barchart: barchart.html; data.csv; (Based on this example: http://bl.ocks.org/d3noob/8952219)
Dec 18, 2017
jorge namour
Severe Weather Europe DECEMBER 18 2017
Change in snow cover in the last 10 days in Val Thorens, SE France
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402....
Dec 18, 2017
jorge namour
Flight disruptions on fourth straight day in Dubai
United Arab Emirates December 26, 2017
As of 12.30pm, some 148 flights were delayed, including arrivals and departures
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/flight-disruptions-on-fourth...
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/flight-disruptions-on-fourth...
A view of Shaikh Zayed road and Metro as foggy condition still prevails during the afternoon
Dubai: Another day of thick fog, another day of flight delays. Poor visibility due to dense fog caused flight disruptions for the fourth straight day in Dubai.
As of 12.30pm, some 148 flights were delayed, including arrivals and departures, and 11 were cancelled, according to flightradar24.com.
The day before, some 218 flights were delayed. The delay time is shorter now which is 15 minutes on average, compared to 78 minutes on Sunday.
Satellite image of the fog from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) at 7.45am showed the northern emirates, from Sharjah to Dubai and going inland covered in fog.
Some patches of the country were also shrouded white such as Fujairah and the islands in Abu Dhabi.
NCM on its official Twitter page also shared a time-lapse video by Khalid Al Hammadi that showed fog covering the Al Reem island’s skyline where only the top half of its buildings are visible
https://twitter.com/NCMS_media/status/945569894124392448/video/1
The national weather bureau said the fog usually dissipates by 11am. The fog warning is still up though relative humidity is expected to increase by as Tuesday night and Wednesday morning giving rise to fog or mist formation. CONTINUE...
Dec 26, 2017
Gerard Zwaan
Lake-effect snowstorm hammers Erie, Pennsylvania shattering at least one all-time Pennsylvania snowstorm record and city records
A lake-effect snowband dumped over 4 feet of snow in Erie, Pennsylvania, in just over one day’s time. This shattered the city’s calendar-day snowfall record, on Christmas Day. Continuing into Tuesday, this also clobbered the previous state record two-day snowfall as Erie picked up more snow in 30 hours than their previous 13-day snowfall record. Officials declared a snow emergency for the city.
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via Twitter
A stationary lake-effect snowband off Lake Erie dumped an incredible 34 inches of snow at Erie Airport on Christmas Day alone, quadrupling their previous record snowiest Christmas Day – 8.1 inches in 2002 – as well as smashing their all-time snowiest single day on record by over a foot – 20 inches on Nov. 11, 1956.
That heavy snow continued into Tuesday, bringing their storm total since 7 p.m. EST Christmas Eve to an incredible 56.5 inches of snow – just over 4.5 feet – in 42 hours.
This prolific event shattered all previous multi-day snowfall records in Erie dating to 1893, according to the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, including:
That’s not a misprint. Erie picked up more snow in less than 36 hours in this event than their previous 13-day snowstorm record.
Needless to say, the 92 inches of snow so far in December is the city’s snowiest single month on record, crushing the previous record of 66.9 inches in December 1989.
This wasn’t just a snowstorm record for the city, however.
According to the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, Erie also shattered the previous Pennsylvania state two-day snowstorm record of 44 inches set in Morgantown from March 20-21, 1958.
This northwest Pennsylvania city of just under 100,000 is used to heavy lake-effect snow, and is one of America’s snowiest cities, averaging 101 inches of snow a year.
However, picking up roughly the average December and January snowfall – 57.1 inches – in just over a day is something long-time residents have never seen before.
Put another way, Erie picked up more snow in this event than the yearly average snowfall in the following cities:
Meanwhile, a dangerous Arctic cold blast is to last into the first week of January 2018 in the Plains, Midwest and East. The extreme cold front is approaching the Midwest and Northeast and a severe cold protocol weather was activated in Connecticut Tuesday. Wind chills are expected to drop up to 30 degrees below zero. Although the outbreak may not break many daily records, this could be the coldest air of the season so far for some. Subzero temperatures are expected near the Canadian border.
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. Instagram
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via Twitter
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via VK
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via VK
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via VK
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via VK
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via VK
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via Instagram
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via Instagram
Erie snowstorm breaks records in Pennsylvania in on December 25-26 2017. via Instagram
Another extreme cold weather event. They are increasing, aren’t they?
Soource: http://strangesounds.org/2017/12/lake-effect-snowstorm-hammered-eri...
Dec 27, 2017
KM
https://globalnews.ca/news/3937006/record-snowfall-for-central-okan...
Record snowfall for Central Okanagan
Travellers at Kelowna airport endure the snow.
Global OkanaganThe Central Okanagan is on the verge of breaking a snowfall record that dates back several decades.
Environment Canada said the Central Okanagan has received 15-20 cm in the past 24 hours, approaching a record set in 1923.
“We will likely be setting a new record because some spots have received more than that,” Environment Canada meteorologist Allan Coldwells said.
He said some areas in West Kelowna received 20 cm and there’s more snow on the way.
Coldwells said that, although today’s heavy snowfall warning has ended, another winter blast will arrive in the Central Okanagan Friday.
Meanwhile, a snow event has been declared and parking bans on snow routes are now in effect in Kelowna. The snow event advisory affects residents living on designated snow routes in Wilden, the Ponds, Magic Estates and Dilworth Mountain. Residents parked on the street have 24 hours to find alternative off-street parking.
Residents not living on a snow route are still encouraged to move their vehicles off the road to help plows clear the snow from curb to curb safely and quickly.
Vehicles that remain parked on snow routes during the temporary parking ban are subject to enforcement, up to and including a $50 fine or towing at the owner’s expense.
Dec 29, 2017
KM
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/tropics-not-spared-as-cold-snap-en...
Cold snap envelops parts of Asia
Temperatures plunge in areas in Myanmar, Laos and Thailand; heavy snow hits Japan
Tropical South-east Asia has not been spared the wintry chills.
Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have been enveloped by an unexpectedly cold front, which descended from China last week.
In Samoeng, a district in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, the government distributed blankets and winter clothes to 7,000 residents last Friday as temperatures plunged to 5 deg C, The Nation newspaper reported.
Thailand's Meteorological Department has predicted that temperatures in areas, excluding the south, will drop by another 2 to 4 deg C during the New Year holidays.
People in parts of Myanmar were also shivering in temperatures as low as 3 deg C.
Snow fell in the districts of Loilen, Panglong and Pinlaung in the southern Shan state, where temperatures dropped to between 3 deg C and 5 deg C, residents told the Eleven newspaper. "Plantations have been destroyed," said villager Sai Tuu. She said older people, especially, were suffering in the cold snap.
Even elephants have had to be bundled up. At the Winga Baw camp for orphaned elephants in Bago, a region in Myanmar 90km north-east of Yangon, workers wrapped the seven pachyderms in their care with blankets.
"We haven't had weather this cold in 40 years," Ms Sangdeaun Lek Chailert, founder of the Save Elephant Foundation which runs the camp, told The New York Times on Sunday.
Meanwhile in Japan, heavy snow and strong winds continued to blanket the country's northern and central regions, broadcaster NHK said yesterday. The areas had seen up to 60cm of snow in the 24 hours starting Wednesday, and was expected to receive 40cm more by this morning, it added.
Weather officials warned of avalanches in some areas and said transport systems may be affected.
On the other side of Asia, severe cold weather coupled with dense fog blanketed many cities across Pakistan last week. At least 11 people were killed and 28 others injured last Thursday after a bus hit a trailer in Khanewal, Punjab province, due to low visibility.
Dec 30, 2017
jorge namour
How cold is it? It's so cold that sharks are dying
December 30, 2017
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/29/weather/cold-weather-wrap-trnd/in...
It's so cold in Massachusetts that sharks are washing up on the shoreline of Cape Cod Bay. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said two thresher sharks were found Wednesday, "likely stranded due to cold shock."
Dec 30, 2017
KM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/01...
‘Bomb cyclone’ to blast East Coast before polar vortex uncorks tremendous cold late this week
Unforgiving cold has punished the eastern third of the United States for the past 10 days. But the most severe winter weather yet will assault the area late this week.
First, a monster storm will hammer coastal locations from Georgia to Maine with ice and snow. By Thursday, the exploding storm will, in many ways, resemble a winter hurricane, battering easternmost New England with potentially damaging winds in addition to blinding snow.
Forecasters are expecting the storm to become a so-called “bomb cyclone” because its pressure is predicted to fall so fast, an indicator of explosive strengthening. The storm could rank as the most intense over the waters east of New England in decades at this time of year. While blizzard conditions could paste some coastal areas, the most extreme conditions will remain well out over the ocean.
As most of the U.S. faces record-breaking cold weather, some TV reporters and social media users are testing the freezing temperatures with some old tricks. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)
In the storm’s wake, the mother lode of numbing cold will crash south — likely the last but most bitter in brutal blasts since Christmas Eve.
The storm: How much snow and wind, and where
The responsible storm is forecast to begin taking shape off the coast of Florida Wednesday, unloading hazardous snow and ice in highly unusual locations not accustomed to such weather. The National Weather Service has already posted winter storm watches from Lake City, Fla. to Norfolk
It is then expected to rapidly intensify, buffeting the Mid-Atlantic beaches and eastern New England, where winter storm watches have also been issued.
The National Weather Service office serving northeast Florida and southeast Georgia cautions that a nasty mix of light freezing rain, light sleet and light snow is expected to develop Wednesday “with significant icing possible.”
In Charleston, one to three inches of snow and sleet is forecast Wednesday, where the Weather Service warns to “plan on difficult travel conditions.”
Jan 3, 2018
KM
http://gcaptain.com/icy-rivers-slow-new-york-barges-trying-to-deliv...
Icy Rivers Slow New York Barges Trying to Deliver Heating Fuel
By Laura Blewitt (Bloomberg) — Shivering New Yorkers may have to pay more to get warm as ice in the Hudson River delayed fuel-barge deliveries and the U.S. government warned of a home heating-fuel shortage from the East Coast to Texas.
The Coast Guard has deployed four of its five Hudson River ice-cutting vessels since Dec. 30 to carve out a path for tankers hauling motor and heating fuels to supply terminals around the city. River ice thickened to 6 inches north of Poughkeepsie, New York, over the weekend, according to Steve Strohmeyer, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman. The agency later warned of ice conditions forming around Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Jan 3, 2018
Gerard Zwaan
Eleanorgeddon batters the UK and Ireland with category 2 strength hurricane winds of more than 100mph and devastating flooding
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been hit with a blackout as Storm Eleanor swept across the country.
ESB Networks said at least 55,000 households and other properties had been affected by the widespread outages in the west and north-west.
The areas worst hit are understood to be across Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim as the Atlantic storm moved in with gales gusting to 100mph in parts of Ireland and the UK.
The Met Office has confirmed wind gusts of more than 100mph have been recorded, which is category 2 hurricane strength,
(Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) after Storm Eleanor battered Ireland and the UK overnight.
Thousands of homes are without power and travel has been disrupted.
Wind and flood warnings are still in place for the UK and Ireland
Storm Eleanor - the fifth-named storm of the season has brought torrential rains with flooding with damage to buildings and trees from the hurricane strength winds.
Commuters face chaos on the roads on Wednesday after the storm battered the country overnight carrying heavy rain, hail and dramatic thunder and lightning.
Several major bridges were closed due to gusts of high winds and there were numerous reports of fallen trees blocking roads including the M25 as Storm Eleanor took hold.
The eye of the storm is now over the North Sea as the storm heads towards Denmark.
Jan 3, 2018
M. Difato
Baked Alaska: USA's northernmost state has been very warm
(January 2, 2018) http://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-now/baked-alaska-usas-nort...
If you want to escape the cold, should you head to ... Alaska?
While most of the lower 48 states continue to endure a hideous deep freeze, Alaska has had an unusually warm start to winter.
In fact, several locations in northern and central Alaska — such as Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Bettles, Kotzebue and McGrath — all had their warmest December on record, according to climatologist Brian Brettschneider. Fairbanks had its 2nd-warmest December. Over the first three weeks of the month, the city was a whopping 20 degrees above average..."
Winter Begins With Record-Breaking Warm Weather in Alaska
(December 20 2017) https://weather.com/news/climate/news/2017-12-20-alaska-warm-decemb...
The start of winter has been absurdly warm in Alaska, propelling many locations toward the warmest start to December in recorded history.
Anchorage, Juneau and Kotzebue all saw the warmest Dec. 1-18 on record, according to data from ACIS.
In Fairbanks, that period ranked second-warmest on record, with a departure from average temperature so far this month an astonishing 20 degrees above average.
Only two days have featured subzero temperatures as of Dec. 20 in Fairbanks. That's an incredible statistic, as the average low is in the mid-teens below zero this time of year..."
The number ranking on this graphic shows where the period Dec. 1-18 ranks among the historical record for the locations shown. A ranking of 1 indicates it was the warmest Dec. 1-18 on record for that site. (Data: Southeast Regional Climate Center/ACIS)
Jan 3, 2018