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.
Khan
Rare snow falls in Uruguay; Graupel covers parts of Argentina.
Aug 21, 2018
Rare snowfall was seen across parts of Uruguay on Sunday while graupel resulted in an icy coating across parts of eastern Argentina.
Below are several different videos and photos from twitter showing the incredible snowfall in Uruguay.
Source
Aug 23, 2018
SongStar101
Hawaii braces for Hurricane Lane, as officials say there are not 'enough shelters for everyone'
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/22/hawaii-braces-for-hurricane-la...
As Hurricane Lane barrels towards Hawaii as a Category 4 storm packing sustained winds of 155 mph, officials in the Aloha state are warning residents they don't have enough shelter space to meet the "estimated demands" of the population.
The National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. ET advisory that Lane, which is likely to cause catastrophic damage with winds 155 mph or above, is located about 460 miles south-southeast of Honolulu and moving west-northwest at 9 mph. The storm strengthened to a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds before slightly weakening, but hurricane warnings are in effect for Hawaii's Big Island and the island of Maui.
"Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, but Lane is forecast to remain a dangerous hurricane as it draws closer to the Hawaiian Islands," the CPHC said.
On Tuesday, emergency management officials across the state urged residents to prepare to evacuate if needed or shelter in place if its safe. Hawaii State Emergency Management Administrator Tom Travis said during a news conference that the priorities for state officials are to manage shelters because "we do not have enough shelters for everyone."
"The sheltering policy should be – if you’re not in a flood zone, most citizens should remain in their homes," Travis said. "If in a flood zone, actively seek shelter elsewhere with someone not in a flood zone or public shelter."
Live satellite image of Hurricane Lane
Earlier this year, a state report on hazards facing Hawaii warned there are only 277,376 available shelter spaces for the islands' estimated 1.4 million people.
HURRICANE LANE STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY 5, HEADS TOWARD HAWAII
"Hurricane evacuation shelters are a last resort option for residents and visitors who do not have a safer place to stay," the report noted. "There are insufficient hurricane evacuation shelters to meet the estimated demand of the population and these shelters have no supplies."
State officials said residents instead should harden their homes, and stock up on two weeks-worth of food and water to weather the storm and its after-effects.
"It's obvious there aren't enough shelters," Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi, director of joint staff of the Hawaii National Guard told Hawaii News Now after the report was issued. "If you have a home you can shelter in, it's probably better to stay at home."
Public schools on the Big Island and in Maui County are closed Wednesday until further notice, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige is allowing non-essential state employees on the Big Island and Maui to go on administrative leave from Wednesday to Friday as Hurricane Lane approaches. Employees on Hawaii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons are required to report to their jobs, the governor said.
Brianna Sugimura unloads supplies for riding out the storm while her children, Radon-Kai and Kanaloa watch in the parking lot of a Walmart store Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Lihue, on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. (Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island via AP)
A statement from the U.S. Navy also revealed Wednesday that Hawaii-based ships and submarines have started to "sortie," or are being moved from their locations, ahead of the storm in order to avoid potential damage.
"Based on the current track of the storm, we made the decision to begin to sortie the Pearl Harbor-based ships," Rear Adm. Brian Fort, commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, said. "This allows the ships enough time to transit safely out of the path of the storm."
The ships will stay at sea until Lane's potential dangers pass and "will be positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed," the statement said. Because of "maintenance availabilities," certain ships will not depart but they'll take "extra precautions to avoid potential damage."
President Trump said on Twitter in the path of Lane needs to prepare for the storm.
"Everyone in the path of #HurricaneLane please prepare yourselves, heed the advice of State and local officials, and follow @NWSHonolulu for updates," he wrote. "Be safe!"
Ige said the state will start to see impacts beginning late Wednesday into Thursday, and that Federal Emergency Management Agency has been "very proactive" with placing food, water and emergency equipment throughout the state.
"We do anticipate that we would activate the National Guard depending on what the impact would be," he told reporters.
HURRICANE LANE NEARS HAWAII AS STATE BRACES FOR HEAVY RAIN, POWERFUL WINDS
The center of Lane is forecast to pass just west of the Big Island on Thursday, likely weakening to a category 2 or 3 storm by then, according to Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean. Hurricane-force winds extend 40 miles from Lane’s eye, while tropical storm-force winds extend 140 miles from the center of the storm.
The forecast for rain through Saturday across Hawaii from Hurricane Lane. (Fox News)
"Not only are hurricane-force winds possible on the Big Island, but torrential rain, flooding, and mudslides are likely given the steep terrain," Dean said.
The forecast track is still uncertain, and if the storm slows down "catastrophic flooding" will be a danger, as the towering mountains on the islands of Maui and the Big Island could lead to deadly flash flooding and landslides. Besides heavy rain, tropical-storm force winds of up to 73 mph are possible for all of the islands, in addition to coastal flooding and possible storm-surge flooding if the center of Lane moves close to land.
The high elevation on Hawaii may cause additional flooding problems. (Fox News)
Lane is the strongest storm to come this close to Hawaii in recorded history, and only six category 5 storms have been located in this part of the Pacific Ocean.
The Aloha State, while located in a vast ocean, has not had many brushes with large tropical systems. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's database, there is no record of a hurricane track within 65 nautical miles of either Maui or Honolulu since statehood.
For Hawaii, the "big one" came in in 1992 when Hurricane Iniki struck the island of Kauai as a Category-4 storm, causing $3.2 billion in damage and killing six people, according to Dean.
Iniki is still the costliest and deadliest storm to hit the islands in recorded history, and only two other hurricanes -- an unnamed storm in 1871 and Dot in 1959 -- have hit a Hawaiian island in that time period.
Aug 23, 2018
SongStar101
Mendocino Complex Fire is now 400,000 acres—more than half the size of Rhode Island
https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Mendocino-Compl...
Twin fires burning on both sides of Clear Lake in Mendocino, Lake and Colusa counties have devoured more than 400,000 acres, scorching an area more than half the size of Rhode Island.
The Ranch Fire near Ukiah has chewed up 351,557 acres, making it the largest wildfire in modern California history, and the River Fire north of Hopland has burned through 48,920 acres. Many are referring to the pair of infernos as the Mendocino Complex Fire.
The out-of-control wildfires both started on July 27 by unknown causes and rapidly caught up to the state's previous record holder--the Thomas Fire--that consumed an area the size of New York City in December 2017.
Five of the 10 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in the the past five years, and many experts believe the more extreme nature of today's wildfires is a result of environmental conditions.
At the current pace, the two fire seasons since California's five-year drought ended will be the worst on record.
In recent weeks, residents have been forced to flee their homes as firefighters battled flames up and down the state and temperatures in inland valleys and mountain regions repeatedly soared into the triple digits.
The deadly Ferguson Fire that has been burning for more than a month and caused closures at Yosemite National Park is now fully contained.
Firefighters over the weekend gained full control of the wildfire that began July 13 and has burned nearly 156 square miles (404 square kilometers).
But officials say firefighters continue to work in the area and that some islands of unburned vegetation will continue to ignite but they are not a threat to containment lines.
Two Firefighters were killed while battling the blaze, which overtook parts of Yosemite, the Stanislaus and Sierra National Forests.
As the Mendocino Complex Fire continues to spread, officials ordered new mandatory evacuations for some areas in Glenn County. The blaze has already displaced people in neighboring Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties. Nearly 3,500 firefighters are battling the blaze that's burning in steep, difficult-to-access terrain covered in deep timber and dry brush.
While the state saw heavy precipitation two years ago, with reservoirs filling up and California Governor Jerry Brown declaring an end to the drought, the landscape is parched and groundwater depleted from multiple years marked by low rainfall and a paltry snowpack.
"Folks believe the rains came and took care of the problem," says Scott McLean, a Cal Fire deputy chief. "They exacerbated the problem by promoting growth. Our grass growth has been very significant in recent years and that has added fuel to these fires. It just takes a spark. We need several years of significant winters to get us back to the place we were before."
Adding yet another dimension to the problem, the forests suffered through years of drought leading up to 2017, and the state estimates that since Dec. 2016 some 129 million trees have died due to drought and insect infestation. That's a staggering 2 million trees a month.
"The fact is millions of trees die every year, and there are millions of little seedlings that don't make it," says Keith Gilles, a professor of forest economics at UC Berkeley. "But when you have this many big trees dead, it's pretty different. The fuel load is very high."
For more information on blazes burning around California, check out SFGATE's wildfire page.
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Separate from the article above, here is an image based on 400,000 acres:
Aug 25, 2018
SongStar101
Extreme weather shifts unexpectedly. First very Cold, then very sizzling Warm again!
SNOW falls on UK as Brits SHIVER in freezing -2C start to Bank Holiday
BRITS woke up to a bone-chilling start to the Bank Holiday this morning – with even snow falling on some parts.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/725585/Weather-forecas...
Published 25th August 2018
Fresh flurries of the white stuff were recorded in the Scottish mountains in the early hours of this morning as temperatures plummeted.
The snowfall was the first of the summer – coming just days after Brits sizzled in the high 20s and weeks after a relentless 35C heatwave.
Temperatures nosedived to single figures across the UK overnight as freezing Arctic air sweapt in from Iceland.
The bitterly cold air saw rain fall as snow in some parts of northern Scotland at around 5am, including the Cairngorms National Park near Inverness where -2C was felt.
Weather maps by NetWeather also showed the white stuff falling over mountains to the west of Inverness in central Scotland.
Elsewhere, the teeth-chattering cold air saw temperatures drop across England and Wales to around 6C, according to the Met Office.
London “felt like” 5C, say NetWeather, while Brighton shivered in 3C, Cardiff 4C and Edinburgh 2C.
Although temperatures are set to rise into the mid-to-late teens this afternoon, the cold air will strike again tonight.
Single figure temperatures will return to deliver another chiller in another “dramatic dip” and it won’t be until next week when the Arctic air disappears.
Meteorologist Becky Mitchell told Express.co.uk: “We are going to see quite a dramatic dip in temperatures.”
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Just two days later weather was SAVED unexpectedly??
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Weather forecast UK: Met Office says Bank Holiday SAVED by 22C sizzler
A MISERABLE Bank Holiday weekend that has left Brits soaked and cold will be swept away by a 22C sizzler today.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/725859/Weather-forecas...
Published 27th August 2018
Drenched Brits suffered a torrid “soaking Sunday” yesterday, as a massive band of rain was dumped all over the UK.
Gale force winds of up to 50mph also battered the country – after weeks of relentless 35C heat came a shuddering end.
Friday night saw the UK blasted by Arctic air from Iceland as temperatures plummeted to freezing as a low pressure system moved in.
The teeth-chattering conditions even saw bands of rain turn to snow in parts of Scotland in a massive contrast in weather.
But after two days of misery, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel on the last day of the three-day Bank Holiday weekend.
The huge band of rain has now made way for a warm spell that will see temperatures leap to 23C across southern parts of the UK.
The sun will finally make a reappearance for many parts this morning, with the warmest part of the day set to be this afternoon.
Although the BBC forecasts 20C for London, NetWeather say it will “feel like” 23C when brisk winds ease later on.
And Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “The (low pressure) system is all cleared by Sunday night, with sunny spells and improved temperatures for the Bank Holiday.
“22C (is) possible in the South-East.”
The Met Office forecast reads: “Monday will be drier and brighter than Sunday, although some showers are still likely, mainly affecting north Wales, northwest England and western Scotland.
“Where the sun does come out, it will feel warmer, particularly when the breeze dies down later.”
Also warning of another wet day up north, where temperatures will manage to reach the mid-teens, BBC Weather’s forecast reads: “A fairly cloudy day for most with a scattering of showers around, especially in the north and west.
“Showers will gradually ease in the afternoon with perhaps some sunny breaks in places.”
The warm weather today will set the trend for the rest of the week too, with forecast maps hinting a return of the 30C roastings the UK has enjoyed all summer.
Aug 28, 2018
SongStar101
Unusual Weather the last few days: very cold snow and sizzling hot within the same day accross two parts of Canada, Snow in European Alps...in August.
Canada, eh? Snow in the west as easterners brace for heat wave
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-eh-snow-in-the-west-as-eastern...
In some parts of Canada, the end of summer vacation is bringing some of the hottest temperatures of the year.
In other areas, it’s bringing weather more typically experienced in December than during the last week of August.
Some B.C. communities saw temperatures dip near or below the freezing mark Monday morning. A temperature of -1.5 C was recorded at Burns Lake at 5 a.m. One hour later, the temperature in Prince George dipped to 0 C.
The cold snap marked Prince George’s second unusual weather phenomenon in eight days, following the ash-filled skies that had shrouded the city from the sun as smoke from some of the province’s hundreds of active wildfires drifted over the region.
Temperatures in the low single digits were also reported Monday in some areas around the B.C.-Alberta border. Traffic cameras captured snow falling on Alberta’s Highway 1 near the community of Canmore.
It was a very different story in Eastern Canada, where heat warnings were in place for most of southern Ontario and parts of southern Quebec.
Environment Canada warned that cities including Toronto, Montreal and Hamilton would see daily highs at or above 30 C through Wednesday, with humidex values around 40.
Tuesday was expected to be especially hot and humid in the Montreal area. Cooler temperatures were expected later in the week, with a slight warmup in the forecast for the Labour Day weekend.
Authorities warned that parents should ensure to keep their children hydrated and away from prolonged exposure to heat to help prevent medical emergencies.
Also considered particularly at risk for heat-related illnesses are seniors, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses, although Environment Canada was warning all people in areas under heat warnings to drink water and try to avoid outdoor activities during the hottest periods of the heat wave.
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Austria and Germany covered in 40cm of SNOW as temperatures drop 15 degrees after August heatwave
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/austria-germany-covered-40...
Stunning pictures baffle the world as Austrian mountains covered in up to 40cm of snow
We’re in August and people across the EU should be enjoying summer’s sweltering temperatures.
But baffling images show Germany and Austria covered in SNOW as temperatures dropped up to 15 degrees from one day to another.
The pictures shows different mountainous areas in the two bordering countries turning into a very early winter wonderland.
Of the two, Austria was most hit with up a downfall over the weekend that left it with up to 40cm of snow.
The city of Salzburg, according to WetterOnline , saw the heaviest downfall. But areas at less than 1000 metres of altitude were also covered in snow.
The ski town of Bad Gastein, for example, which is south of Salzburg and at 900 metres of altitude, awoke to a dreamy white landscape as it was covered in up to five centimetres of snow.
Residents of Obertauern, Rauris, Sankt Jakob in Defereggental and Hintertux on Sunday morning were welcomed with snowflakes amid zero-degree temperatures.
And according to the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (CIMG) announced, higher mountain roads from Tyrol to Styria were inaccessible because of the sudden and equally bizarre weather. It also snowed down on the 1,200 metre-high Alps valley of Pustertal.
The Alpine Sölkpass road (L704) had to be closed between Stein an der Enns (Liezen district) and Baierdorf in the Murau district in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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August Summer Snowfall in the Alps
https://www.inthesnow.com/august-summer-snowfall-in-the-alps/
There has been heavy snowfall on higher slopes in the Alps this weekend, with Austrian glaciers appearing to get the biggest accumulations so far.
The forecast snowfall has resulted from a cold front moving across central Europe, bringing snow above 1500 metres in places.
About half a dozen glacier ski areas are currently open in Austria, Italy and Switzerland with today the last day of the summer ski season at Les 2 Alpes, the only area currently open in France.
Up to 35cm of snow was forecast to fall by Monday morning at Hintertux, which reports 30cm of fresh snow so far this morning. So it looks like a summer powder day there when the weather clears.
The unusual weather is not all good news in the Alps though, the leading resort of Saalbach Hinterglemm had an emergency evacuation a few days ago as flash floods hit.
This was the resort of Obertauern in Salzburgerland, which opens in November with one of the longest seasons for a non-glacier resort in Austria:
Aug 28, 2018
SongStar101
Kerala India: Devastation Leaves More Than 200,000 People Unable To Return Home, Warns Christian Aid
https://reliefweb.int/report/india/kerala-devastation-leaves-more-2...
Kerala's floods and landslides have left ruin so terrible that around 200,000 people will be unable return home for at least six months, Christian Aid estimates.
A further 75,000 people in the south Indian State will never be able to return to properties that have disappeared in the floodwaters or mud or are irreparably damaged, the charity fears.
Even among houses that were not destroyed, many are now filled with stinking mud, vegetation and rubbish, roofs and walls have collapsed, furniture and household goods ruined and wells contaminated.
"The floodwaters have receded but left such severe damage that we estimate around 200,000 people will be unable to go home, for at least six months to come," said Madara Hettiarachchi, Head of Humanitarian Programmes at Christian Aid.
"They will have to live in temporary shelters or other temporary accommodation until their homes are safe enough for return.
"The hardest hit of all may be people who earned their living as farm labourers. With crops ruined and livestock lost, they will be unable to work for the next two or three months."
Christian Aid staff working in Kerala have heard many people's stories of losing everything they had, including important legal documents, livestock, household goods and sometimes their houses too.
Kurrmati, a woman from Nattra colony, Thirunaly panchayat, Wayanad district, has lost her home to a landslide. She told us she valued the emergency aid kit that Christian Aid and its partners are distributing but also the chance to tell her story and share her grief. Christian Aid and its local partners IGSSS and CASA are working in two of the hardest hit of Kerala's 14 districts, Wayanad and Idukki, targeting areas where many people are considered to be Dalits and 'Tribals' - among the most deprived and excluded in society.
By Sunday 26th August, we had reached 10,000 people with emergency kits that include water purification tablets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, soap, rope and blankets. Thanks to the work of our local partner PHIA, a further 2,000 people have safe drinking water. We will reach a further 7,500 people in the week commencing Monday 27th August.
Globally, floods force more people to flee their homes than any other type of 'natural' disaster, according to experts at the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva.
Well over one million people are thought to have been displaced by the Kerala floods, while more than 400 have died.
Even today, official figures suggest that some 725,000 people are still sheltering in emergency camps set up by the government.
Ms Hettiarachchi added: "People in Kerala are due to get financial help from the government, depending on what they have lost, but it's not yet clear how this will work and it's likely to be a long process.
"Aid agencies should try to involve farm labourers in the clean-up - for instance clearing debris, repairing roads and repairing water sources - and pay them. This will help, until their normal work becomes possible again."
Aug 28, 2018
SongStar101
Typhoon Jebi: thousands stranded at island airport in Japan
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/05/typhoon-jebi-thousand...
At least nine people have died after worst storm in quarter of a century battered country’s western reaches
An estimated 3,000 people were trapped at the terminal of Kansai international airport, which stands on a manmade island in Osaka Bay, as the typhoon barrelled across large parts of western Japan.
Their flights cancelled and with seawater flooding the runway outside, all the passengers could do was sit and wait until they could leave safely. That moment came on Wednesday morning, when high-speed boats began transferring passengers to nearby Kobe airport.
“This storm is super-strong. I hope I can get home,” a female tourist from Hong Kong told the public broadcaster NHK as the storm swirled overhead on Tuesday evening.
Another woman who was among the first to be taken off the airport island said she and other passengers spent a sweltering night in the terminal after its airconditioning failed. “I never expected a typhoon to do this much damage,” she said.
There was no indication when the airport, which operates more than 400 flights a day, would reopen, but an unnamed industry source told the Yomiuri newspaper it could remain closed for up to a week.
At the other end of a road bridge connecting the airport to the mainland, the Houn Maru, a 2,591-tonne tanker, lurched as waves repeatedly slammed it into the side of the structure. The tanker was damaged, but its 11 crew were unhurt, according to the coast guard.
Unleashing torrential rain and winds of more than 200km/h (125mph), Typhoon Jebi left a trail of destruction as it passed over the western cities of Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto before heading into the Sea of Japan late on Tuesday.
Television networks showed dramatic live images of waves crashing over sea defences, roof panels being dislodged and blown away by the wind, and high-sided vehicles being lifted on to two wheels and toppling over.
In central Osaka, the wind sent a 100-metre-tall ferris wheel into a furious spin, even though its power had been cut off. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” an onlooker told the public broadcaster NHK.
At the height of the storm, evacuation advisories were issued for more than a million people, according to the fire and disaster management agency, while 16,000 people spent the night in shelters across 20 prefectures, Jiji Press reported.
About 10cm of rain fell on one part of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, in an hour. Several people were injured at Kyoto Station when part of a glass ceiling collapsed.
The typhoon brought widespread disruption to air and rail travel. Almost 800 domestic and international flights were cancelled, along with scores of ferry and train services, the public broadcaster NHK said. Bullet train services between Tokyo and Hiroshima were suspended – but resumed on Wednesday morning – while schools and factories were closed for the day.
More than 1.6m households remained without power in Osaka, Kyoto and four nearby prefectures late on Tuesday, according to Kansai Electric Power.
On Wednesday morning, details emerged of some of the casualties, including a 71-year-old man whose body was found beneath a collapsed warehouse. Another man in his 70s apparently died after falling from the roof of his house, NHK said, adding that more than more than160 people had suffered mostly minor injuries.
Typhoon Jebi batters Japan – in pictures
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2018/sep/05/typhoon-jebi-...
The most powerful storm in a quarter of a century has left a trail of devastation in Japan. At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds more injured by Typhoon Jebi after it hit the area around Osaka, Japan’s second city
Sep 5, 2018
KM
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7229712/snow-south-africa-blizzards-d...
Giraffes and elephants wander about in the snow after freak blizzards hit Africa
Animals more suited to the brilliant sunshine usually associated with the continent have been snapped trudging through snow in amazing pictures
ANIMALS more used to the searing heat have been swanning around in the snow after freak blizzards hit the Savannah.
Giraffes, antelopes and elephants were all among the beasts braving the freeze after the white stuff hit South Africa over the weekend.
Pictures of the snow covered creatures have swept across social media as viewers marvel at the bizarre scenes.
Kitty Viljoen captured elephants enjoying the snow in the Sneeuberg on the Western Cape of South Africa, where snow hit late last week.
Sneeuberg translates to Snow Mountain and dustings are not unusual across parts of South Africa in the winter, but this cold snap comes particularly late in the season.
She also photographed giraffes in snow in the Karoo semi-desert region.
Antelope on the Glen Harry Game reserve in Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape, were also snapped surrounded by white covered vegetation.
Snowfall across parts of South Africa late last week forced the department of transport to close roads across the Eastern Cape due to icy conditions.
On the Western Cape temperatures dropped below zero across parts of Cederberg, the Hex River Mountains and the Matroosberg Reserve.
In July, mid-winter for the Southern Hemisphere, parts of the country were blanketed after several days of heavy snowfall.
More snow is forecast in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape, as well as in the state of Kwazulu-Natal, with some areas receiving more than 25cm over the weekend according to Snow Report South Africa.
Sep 11, 2018
Juan F Martinez
First light over the Category 5 super typhoon #Mangkhut in western Pacific right now. Sustained winds of 161 mph ( = 260 km/h), gusting up to 196 mph ( = 315 km/h), pressure below 915 mbar.
Image by Himawari-8 satellite
Sep 12, 2018
KM
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2018/09/a-storm-surge-four-storeys-high...
A storm surge four storeys high wind gusts 330 kmh (an incredible 205mh) Super Typhoon Mangkhut slams into the northern Philippines
It's easily the biggest storm of the year...
Super Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into the northern Philippines on Saturday (Sept 15) with violent winds and torrential rains, as authorities warned millions in its path of potentially heavy destruction.
The massive storm, which forecasters have called the strongest typhoon this year, blew down trees, tore off roofs and knocked out power when it made landfall on the island of Luzon in the pre-dawn darkness.
As it barrelled west toward China across the disaster-prone archipelago, the storm's gusts strengthened up to 330 kilometres per hour but its sustained winds had weakened to 185kmh.
"As much as possible, stay indoors," Chris Perez, a forecaster for the state weather service, warned the roughly four million people in the path of the storm after it landed at 1.40am.
An average of 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people. Thousands of people fled their homes in high-risk areas ahead of the storm's arrival because of major flooding and landslide risks.
Authorities hiked the storm alert on Friday to its second-highest level in northern Luzon provinces and mobilised rescue teams.
The elevated warning level carried risks of "very heavy" damage to communities hit by the typhoon and a storm surge that was forecast to hit six meters in some areas, the weather service said. Residents had started lashing down their roofs and gathering supplies days before the arrival of the storm.
"Among all the typhoons this year, this one ( Mangkhut) is the strongest," Japan Meteorological Agency forecaster Hiroshi Ishihara told AFP on Friday.
"This is a violent typhoon.
It has the strongest sustained wind (among the typhoons of this year)."
After blasting the Philippines, Mangkhut is predicted to hurtle towards China's heavily populated southern coast this weekend.
"They (authorities) said this typhoon is twice as strong as the last typhoon, that's why we are terrified," Myrna Parallag, 53, told AFP after fleeing her home in the northern Philippines.
"We learned our lesson last time. The water reached our roof," she said, referring to when her family rode out a typhoon at home in 2016.
The country's deadliest on record is Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 people dead or missing across the central Philippines in November 2013.
Poor communities reliant on fishing are some of the most vulnerable to fierce typhoon winds and the storm surges that pound the coast.
"The rains will be strong and the winds are no joke... We may have a storm surge that could reach four storeys high," Michael Conag, a spokesman for local civil defence authorities, told AFP.
The storm is not forecast to directly hit Hong Kong, but forecasters say the city will be lashed by Mangkhut's wind and rain.
The Hong Kong Observatory warned that the massive typhoon will pose a "severe threat" to China's southern coast before moving on to northern Vietnam.
Sep 15, 2018
SongStar101
Days of flooding ahead in the Carolinas as Florence leaves at least 13 dead
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/16/us/florence-sunday-wtc/index.html
Key developments
Sep 16, 2018
jorge namour
Major flash floods in Culiacán, Mexico today, September 20!
*World Weather* Devastating flash floods in Mexico today!
https://www.facebook.com/severeworldweather/videos/267091503935006/...[0]=68.ARC3XXn5u6Xd9shqylkZzRkcllscihJHk4ubeAeRyLxl0vCkNU9C_vaING0zuASXdJxNVuXIftY2hKe0ihl-JXgqF8Sw9ObqA1jqI5_nVCe9YMRBwdQCM6kA6zDiE7djodfl9zrQ6rT0shciOEC6JsrW0dglHoCRfZ9SvnAKUhTqGdmbYl35mA&__tn__=FC-R
MAP: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culiac%C3%A1n
Sep 21, 2018
KM
https://www.aol.com/article/weather/2018/09/22/hundreds-of-thousand...
Hundreds of thousands without power in Ottawa after tornado hits
OTTAWA, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people were stranded without power in and around the Canadian capital Ottawa on Saturday after a tornado touched down twice, destroying some houses and ripping the roofs off others.
At the same time high winds also battered the region and Ottawa mayor Jim Watson said it could be days before electricity was fully restored. At least six people were injured.
"It's in the top two or three traumatic events that have affected our city," Watson told reporters. "It looks like something from a movie scene or a war scene."
SEE ALSO: This Utah lightning storm looks like a dystopian nightmare
The tornado hit on Friday evening, demolishing homes in the town of Dunrobin to the north west of the city before crossing over to the town of Gatineau, which lies directly to the north of Ottawa in the province of Quebec.
High winds damaged part of Ottawa's major electrical substations and officials said around 200,000 people on both sides of the river were without power. Ottawa and Gatineau together have a population of around 1.3 million people.
See photos of the damage Quebec in:
Quebec premier Philippe Couillard broke off campaigning ahead of an Oct 1 provincial election to travel to Gatineau.
Sep 22, 2018
SongStar101
Dozens injured, thousands without power as Typhoon Trami lashes Japan
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/powerful-typhoon-trami-...
More lives and property will be threatened as Typhoon Trami tracks from the Ryukyu Islands to mainland Japan with destructive winds, flooding rain and an inundating storm surge through Monday.
"Trami will continue to blast the Ryukyu Islands through Sunday morning, with mainland Japan bracing for the blow Sunday into Monday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
The strength of the powerful typhoon is expected to be equal to a Category 3 or strong Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific oceans as it tracks dangerously close or onto the southern coast of Kyushu and Shikoku on Sunday.
Trami slammed Okinawa on Saturday, producing wind gusts over 160 km/h (100 mph). Winds gusted to 191 km/h (119 mph) at Naha and 202 km/h (126 mph) at Itokazu.
Strong winds are being blamed for injuring 38 people as of Saturday night, according to NHK. Broken glass caused some of the injuries; others were knocked down by the wind.
About 200,000 homes have lost power, while hundreds of flights have been canceled across the Ryukyu Islands and western Japan.
Naha Airport on Okinawa was shut down on Saturday. The Kansai International Airport in Osaka is closing its two runways from midday Sunday to early Monday, NHK stated.
The Ryukyu Islands from Okinawa northward and areas from southern Kyushu to Shikoku and south-central Honshu are expected to endure the most severe impacts.
Residents in these communities could be left without power or water for days or weeks in the wake of Trami. Travel via air, rail and roads can be shut down for a time.
Well-built homes can endure major roof or siding damage. Additional property damage can occur as many trees may be downed. Roads littered with tree damage can delay power outage recovery.
A northeast movement will take the center of Trami dangerously close to and eventually onto the southwestern coast of mainland Japan on Sunday.
The southern coast and mountains of Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu's Kansai region can be blasted by destructive wind gusts in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph).
"Anyone outside during the height of the storm can endure bodily harm or be fatally struck by flying debris," Pydynowski said.
All of Kyushu, Shikoku and western Honshu will face torrential rain that can trigger widespread flooding and mudslides. This includes some of the same communities that endured the historic flooding over the summer.
"Combined with the rain that preceded Trami into Saturday, there can be an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 400 mm (16 inches) across western Japan," Pydynowski said.
"Storm surge flooding along the entire southern coast of Japan will further threaten lives and property Sunday into Sunday night," she added.
Trami will then race across central and eastern Honshu later Sunday into Sunday night.
The heaviest rain may fall north and west of Tokyo, but wind gusts of 95-145 km/h (60-90 mph) can still whip the city on Sunday night. Haneda Airport may be forced to shut down for a time.
While drier weather will quickly return for Monday, the morning commute and daily routines can still be disrupted due to any damage, littered roads or rail lines or power outages left in the wake of Trami.
Hokkaido will be the final stop of Trami in Japan overnight Sunday into Monday, with flooding rain and damaging winds remaining concerns.
With a projected landfall, Trami would be the eighth named storm to strike Japan this year, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. "There are signs that strengthening Tropical Storm Kong-rey may follow later in the new week."
"Out of the seven storms before Trami, six were typhoons," Nicholls added. "The record for land-falling typhoons in Japan is 10 from 2004."
Since Japan has been battered by numerous tropical systems, along with the historic flooding and deadly heat wave, recovery efforts in the wake of Trami can further put a strain on Japan's disaster recovery budget.
Due to the large size and sheer power of Trami, gusty winds and occasional downpours will still affect northern Taiwan, including Taipei, daily through Saturday as a northeast flow streams moisture into the region.
Dangerously rough seas will also be stirred around the island, especially along its northern and eastern coast.
Sep 29, 2018
SongStar101
'Medicane' wreaks havoc in Greece as torrential rainfall, angry seas and winds batter region
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/medicane-to-bring-heavy...
A rare phenomenon is expected to bring a period of heavy rain and strong winds to southern Greece and western Turkey in the final days of September.
While dry weather dominates most of Europe, a "medicane" is anticipated to form over the eastern Mediterranean Sea late this week.
A medicane is a rare, tropical-like cyclone that forms in the Mediterranean Sea whose formation is similar to that of a subtropical system in the Atlantic Ocean. Medicanes are typically small cyclones with a short lifespan.
Such winds can down trees and damage weak structures. Power outages can occur, while travelers may face disruptions.
If the storm tracks more to the north than currently expected, the zone of the heaviest rain and strongest winds will also follow suit.
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Rosa to slam into northern Baja California, Mexico, to start October
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/rosa-to-slam-into-north...
Rosa is expected to batter far northwestern Mexico with gusty winds and flooding rainfall on the first day of October.
Among the communities in the path of Rosa is Mexicali, the region's capital, which normally receives about 7 mm (0.3 of an inch) of rainfall during the entire month of October. The city could be inundated with as much as three times this amount in just one day as Rosa impacts the area early next week.
Rosa, currently a Category 2 hurricane churning out in the eastern Pacific, is expected to turn northeastward and make landfall along Baja California's Pacific Coast late Monday or Monday night.
Rosa may be a tropical storm at landfall as the cooler waters offshore of Mexico cause it to lose wind intensity.
As the storm approaches the area this weekend, coastal conditions will remain hazardous for small craft and swimmers. Anyone vacationing in a coastal community should pay attention to local officials and avoid going in the water.
Rosa will further lose wind intensity as it moves inland and interacts with the region's steep terrain.
Regardless, flooding rainfall will continue to be a threat as the system moves through northern Baja California and into the American Southwest.
Mountainous areas will be subject to flash flooding and mudslides, where over 100 mm (4 inches) of rainfall could fall Monday and Monday night.
Sep 30, 2018
KM
https://globalnews.ca/news/4511829/highway-1-stranded-snowfall/
Drivers stranded for over 10 hours on Highway 1 near Canmore after massive snowfall
WATCH: Parts of southern Alberta were slammed with snow on Tuesday, resulting in dangerous driving conditions. West of Calgary, Highway 1 was shut down, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded. Jayme Doll reports.
What started out as a lighthearted and “pretty darn Canadian” story took a decidedly difficult turn on Tuesday.
In the midst of a traffic jam on Highway 1 in the afternoon, Jens Lindemann busted out his trumpet and played “O Canada” on the side of the road.
“But there are now thousands of people out here who’ve been stuck, not moving an inch, for eight and a half hours and there has not been one RCMP or emergency vehicle that’s driven by or even walked by to check on folks,” he added. “It’s now getting a little bit problematic. We’re looking after each other out here; I guess that’s the way it’s going to be tonight.”
Mackenzie Murphy was on her way from Banff to Airdrie when she took the video of Lindemann playing the trumpet.
Close to 9:30 p.m., Murphy said — through her mom Tara — that people aren’t moving and many are out of gas, adding that she is turning around to Canmore for the night.
READ MORE: ‘Pretty darn Canadian’: Trumpet player serenades snow-stranded driv...
On her way home from the Kootenays to Calgary, Leah Jones said the only road warning she saw was an electronic sign that said Highway 93 was closed — nothing about Highway 1.
She was stranded right outside of Canmore as of 10:15 p.m.
“Both eastbound lanes are jammed with all of us parked here, so there’s nowhere to turn around,” Jones said.
She said westbound lanes appear to be clear, adding that some people became stuck in the meridian trying to turn around and start moving again.
Drivers were stranded for up to 11 hours on Highway 1 near Canmore after a massive snowfall on Tuesday.
With cell service going in and out, it’s hard to stay informed with updates, Jones said. She added that when she called the RCMP on Tuesday night, they said they couldn’t offer assistance. Jones wanted to know the RCMP’s protocol for road closure delays lasting more than 10 hours.
“If it were -20 C right now, people would be dead,” she said.
Throughout the delay, Jones has been turning her vehicle — equipped with winter tires — on and off to keep warm and preserve gas.
“It’s pitch dark now. If we could’ve turned around and been safe — now you’ve got hundreds, if not, a thousand or plus cars… driving in the middle of the night here,” she said.
“The snow’s just coming, coming, coming.”
Pictures surfacing on social media showed jackknifed semis on snowy roads. An update from 511 just before 10 p.m. said traffic is moving but very slowly.
“The ripple effect of braking and some vehicles getting stuck momentarily is being felt along the backlog,” one of many tweets read.
Valeria Lima was stranded near Lac Des Arcs on Highway 1 heading east in a car without winter tires. As of 9 p.m., Lima has been stranded for eight hours.
“I was frustrated, of course, because we’ve lost a day here,” she said.
She is scheduled to catch a plane back to Quebec on Wednesday.
“I’m coming from Montreal — I have a lot of snow also, but I’ve never seen something like this,” she said.
WATCH BELOW: Southern Alberta was slammed with snow on Tuesday. Shortly after 11 p.m., Phil Darlington provided an update on the weather in that part of the province as well as in the Edmonton area.
Lima said she couldn’t obtain information through an automated 511 phone call, but a fellow stranded person showed her Twitter updates.
“We have no information here,” Lima said.
“The washroom is also an issue.”
As snacks and water deplete, Lima said everyone is in the same boat.
“It’s kind of a community here already,” she said.
Canmore RCMP said the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary was closed Tuesday in both directions near Dead Man’s Flats.
Police said the westbound lanes opened at around 6:20 a.m. but the eastbound lanes remain closed.
Vehicles were in the ditches and highway crews and tow trucks were trying to clear them out.
Police escorted stranded motorists to the warming centre at the Canmore high school early Wednesday morning.
One driver told Global News the stranded cars were being directed to gas stations and restaurants in Canmore early Wednesday morning as the start of the school day approached.
Oct 3, 2018
KM
http://floodlist.com/asia/sri-lanka-floods-october-2018
Sri Lanka – Floods and Storms Leave 9 Dead and 5,000 Displaced
At least 9 people have died and around 5,000 displaced in Sri Lanka after a period of heavy rain and storms which have caused flooding, landslides and wind damage.
According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC), 4 people have died in floods in the district of Kalutara, 2 in Galle and 2 in Rathnapura. One person died after strong winds downed trees in Kegalle district.
DMC said that a total of 5,834 people from 1,318 families are currently displaced and staying in 21 temporary relocation centers in the districts of Colombo (5,654 people), Kalutara (58) and Nuwara Eliya (122).
Around 1,700 homes and buildings have been severely damaged, with around 35 totally destroyed.
Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology said that 334.1 mm of rain fell in 24 hours to 07 October, 2018 in Podiwela, Galle district.
The department said more severe weather is possible due to a deep depression located in the Bay of Bengal, adding that “very heavy falls above 150 mm can be expected at some places in Western, North-western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara districts.”
The country suffered major flooding in May this year when at least 12 people died and thousands were displaced. Over 140 people died in massive flooding and landslides in May 2017.
Oct 10, 2018
KM
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6266499/Hurricane-Michael-...
Horrific before and after photos capture utter devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael after it obliterated Florida's Panhandle with 155mph winds and 14ft storm surges
Horrific before and after photos have captured the utter devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael after it crashed into several small towns on the Florida Panhandle with near-record force.
The deadly hurricane's assault left nothing more than empty foundations and heaps of rubble when it smashed into Florida's northwest coast near the small town of Mexico Beach on Wednesday with screeching 155 mile per hour winds and 14-foot storm surges.
While search-and-rescue teams were having difficulty reaching some areas on Thursday, the extent of the damage is slowly becoming clear with the before and after images showing the severe destruction.
One of the hardest-hit spots was Mexico Beach where entire blocks of homes near the beach were washed away, leaving nothing but concrete slabs in the sand.
Hurricane Michael left nothing more than empty foundations and heaps of rubble when it smashed into Florida's northwest coast near the small town of Mexico Beach on Wednesday
One of the hardest-hit spots was Mexico Beach where entire blocks of homes near the beach were washed away, leaving nothing but concrete slabs in the sand
Trees were stripped to stalks, roofs were shredded, trucks toppled and boats pushed into buildings. Downed power lines lay nearly everywhere, while pine trees were stripped and snapped off about 20 feet high
Rows and rows of other homes were reduced to piles of debris or crumpled and slumped at odd angles.
Trees were stripped to stalks, roofs were shredded, trucks toppled and boats pushed into buildings. Downed power lines lay nearly everywhere, while pine trees were stripped and snapped off about 20 feet high.
Hundreds of cars had broken windows and twisted street signs lay on the ground.
In Panama City, 20 miles northwest of Mexico Beach, buildings were crushed and boats were scattered around. Michael left a trail of utility wires on roads, flattened tall pine trees and knocked a steeple from a church.
At Jinks Middle School in Panama City, the storm peeled back part of the gym roof and tore off one wall, leaving the wooden floor covered in water. A year ago the school welcomed students and families displaced by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Nearly 850,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Alabama, the Carolinas and Georgia on Thursday.
Search-and-rescue teams fanned out across the Florida Panhandle to reach trapped people in Michael's wake on Thursday as daylight yielded the devastating scenes.
The hurricane, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. mainland, left at least six people dead in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
Sarah Radney, an 11-year-old girl, was killed in Seminole County, Georgia, when a tree fell on her home. Another man was killed by a falling tree in Gadsden County, Florida. Three others were also found dead in Gadsden County and another man was killed when a tree landed on his car in Statesville, North Carolina.
Oct 12, 2018
KM
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-12/portugal-spain-f...
Portugal Is Facing the Region’s Strongest Atlantic Storm Since 1842
NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of the very large Hurricane Leslie on Oct. 10 as it continued to linger in the Eastern Atlantic.
Photographer: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)/ NOAAAfter three weeks meandering around the Atlantic Ocean, Leslie is expected to finally crash ashore near Lisbon on Sunday, marking the third time a storm that powerful has made it to the Iberian Peninsula in the past 176 years.
Storm warnings cover Portugal, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere. There is a 70-to-80 percent chance tropical storm winds will reach Lisbon by about midday on Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm will make landfall early Sunday, local time.
“Leslie is expected to bring near hurricane-strength winds on Saturday to portions of Portugal as a powerful post-tropical cyclone,” Dan Brown, a senior hurricane specialist at the Hurricane Center, wrote in an analysis. “Tropical-storm strength winds are also likely to affect portions of western Spain.
In addition, Leslie will bring as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain.
“Whether it will be technically a tropical cyclone or not, it is going to be a big storm for them,” said Jeff Masters, co-founder of Weather Underground, an IBM company. “It’s kind of unprecedented for them.”
In 1842, Spain was hit by a large storm that scientists concluded was a hurricane in a 2008 study. On Oct. 11, 2005, Vince made landfall near Huelva, Spain, about 383 miles southwest of Madrid, as a tropical depression with sustained winds of 35 miles per hour.
Leslie was rated a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale with top winds of 85 miles per hour at 5 p.m. New York time Friday, the hurricane center said. It was about 895 miles south-southwest of Lisbon. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Madeira Island, an autonomous region of Portugal in the Atlantic off the African coast. Cold ocean water and wind shear will disrupt Leslie’s structure, robbing it of its tropical characteristics.
Storm heading for Iberian Peninsula this weekend
While its winds aren’t as strong as Hurricane Michael, which devastated the Florida Panhandle this week, Leslie is about 20 percent larger in size. Tropical-storm strength winds reach out 230 miles from its center, about the distance between New York and Boston, and hurricane-force winds extend 70 miles.
Leslie became a named storm on Sept. 23 and since then has wandered around the central Atlantic waxing and waning in strength. It became a hurricane again on Wednesday.
Oct 13, 2018
KM
https://watchers.news/2018/10/14/cyclone-titli-andra-pradesh-odisha...
Cyclone "Titli" aftermath: trail of destruction, dozens dead and missing, farming sector worst affected
Severe Cyclonic Storm "Titli" slammed into the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and moved into Odisha late October 10 into October 11, 2018. The storm brought winds of 150 km/h (90 mph) and flooding rainfall, wreaking havoc across Andra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Dozens of people are feared dead. Infrastructural and agricultural damage is very high.
Early on October 8, a low-pressure area organized into a depression in the east-central Bay of Bengal, with the Indian Meteorological Department assigning the system the identifier BOB 08. Later on the same day, the system strengthened into a Deep Depression and reached Very Severe Cyclonic Storm over the next few days.
Titli made landfall near Palasa, Andhra Pradesh - Odisha border region between 23:00 UTC, October 10 and 00:00 UTC, October 11 (04:30 and 05:30 IST October 11), with winds of 150 km/h (90 mph).
The storm caused significant damage to roads and housing infrastructure in the states of Andra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, but has proved to be most disastrous to the farming sector.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said as many as 127 262 people were sheltered in 963 relief centers Friday, while the NDRF and the Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) were deployed to speed up rescue and relief operations.
In Andhra Pradesh, heavy rainfall and wind damaged 290 km (180 miles) of roads and created 65 traffic disruptions, of which 55 were promptly cleared. Power supply in over 4 000 villages has been affected as several electric poles were uprooted. 8 962 houses were also damaged.
At least 85 612 hectares (211 511 acres) of crop area was affected in Ganjam district. Similarly, 50 000 livestock got affected and 1 543 livestock casualty occurred. The agricultural damage in Srikakulam, AP is estimated to be at 139 844 hectares (345 562 acres) – mostly paddy, followed by cotton, maize and sugarcane.
The agricultural damage in Vizianagaram was estimated at over 2 700 hectares (6 671 acres).
Oct 14, 2018
SongStar101
NOAA: Super Typhoon Yutu strongest storm to ever hit US soil
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/noaa-super-typhoon-yut...
"Tinian has been devastated by Typhoon Yutu," Mayor Joey P. San Nicolas said Thursday. "The homes, main roads have been destroyed. Our critical infrastructure has been compromised. We currently have no power and water. Our ports at this time are inaccessible and several points within the island are inaccessible."
The power plant has been damaged, and the power "distribution system is completely destroyed,” San Nicolas said.
San Nicolas, a former attorney general for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, said he sent out a request for commodities to be brought to Tinian, like drinking water and ready-to-eat meals.
With no running water, Tinian stores have not reopened.
He said roads are being cleared of debris, and Tinian’s airport runway is now usable.
President Donald Trump issued an emergency disaster declaration on Wednesday for Saipan and Tinian, along with the rest of the Northern Marianas, in anticipation of the typhoon.
On Saipan, Rosalyn Ajoste remembers hearing loud ripping noises and screeching around 1:30 a.m., before her roof and windows blew off, causing water to flood her concrete-and-wood house in the village of Susupe.
"It was terrifying and dangerous," she said.
Ajoste, a 39-year-old teacher and librarian at Saipan Southern High School, said she was too scared to move from her hiding place until 3 a.m.
"I just sat there, praying and shaking," she said. "I lost several thousand dollars worth of stuff," and priceless items such as family photos.
In a statement, Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres said the strong wind and rain tested the islands' spirits.
"Already, we know friends and family who have experienced the worst of these conditions," he said. "My heart goes out to all who call the CNMI home. But what we suffer through together, we will overcome together."
Three years ago, Typhoon Soudelor slammed Saipan and Tinian. Yutu, a Category 5 super typhoon, exceeded the magnitude of Soudelor.
"It's one of the most powerful typhoons I've seen in my life," former Gov. Juan N. Babauta said Thursday morning. "There's widespread destruction of property, from homes to cars. There's also destruction of utilities. Power poles were knocked down, blocking main and secondary roads."
The former governor said power and water in his village of Garapan and other areas was lost around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, and they remained without power Thursday morning.
Given the extent of the damage, power won't be restored any time soon, he said.
"People are still in a state of shock," Babauta said. "People are in desperate need of immediate housing, food and other assistance. We heard reports of two babies stuck in a house needing to be rescued, but responders couldn't immediately get to them, and people with health conditions needing oxygen but nobody to give that to them right away. We hope they got the help they needed."
Rep. Ed Propst, a member of the CNMI House of Representatives, said his family home's storm boards flew away, their windows broke, and their table and chairs flew.
He said his house flooded and the bedroom door ripped off its hinges. They all relocated into one bedroom, he said.
"Never experienced any typhoon of this magnitude in my 45 years living here," Propst said.
Oct 25, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.aol.com/article/weather/2018/10/23/remote-hawaiian-isla...
Remote Hawaiian island wiped off the map
October 23 2018
A powerful hurricane in the eastern Pacific washed away an 11-acre island in the French Frigate Shoals, part of a national monument in the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Approximately a half mile long and 400 feet wide, East Island was the second-largest islet in French Frigate Shoals ― an atoll some 550 miles northwest of Honolulu ― and a key habitat for the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the threatened Hawaiian green sea turtle and several species of seabirds.
The island’s dramatic vanishing act was first reported by Honolulu Civil Beat and confirmed by HuffPost. Satellite images distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show the spit of white sand almost entirely erased, scattered out onto the reef to the north. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment
East Island was destroyed by storm surge from Hurricane Walaka, which roared through the northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a powerful Category 3 storm this month. Seven researchers, including three studying green sea turtles on East Island, were forced to evacuate from French Frigate Shoals before the storm.
Charles Littnan, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s protected species division, told HuffPost it will likely take years to understand what the island’s loss means for these imperiled species.
The biggest concern, he said, is the persistent loss of habitat, which has been identified as a significant threat to monk seals and green sea turtles. Nearby Trig Island was also lost beneath the surface this year, not because of a storm but from high wave activity.
“These small, sandy islets are going to really struggle to persist” in a warming world with rising seas, Littnan said. “This event is confronting us with what the future could look like.”
French Frigate Shoals is the nesting ground for 96 percent of the green sea turtle population, and approximately half lay their eggs at East Island. Historically, it has been the “single most important” nesting site for the turtles, he said.
All nesting females had left by the time Walaka hit, so the storm likely had little if any impact on the adult population. But NOAA scientists estimate that 19 percent of this year’s nests on East Island had not yet hatched and were swept away by the storm. And 20 percent of the turtle nests on nearby Tern Island, the largest island in the French Frigate Shoals, were lost.
The island was also a critical habitat for the federally protected Hawaii monk seal, one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet. Roughly 80 percent of the population of just over 1,400 seals live in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a remote archipelago that is surrounded by the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
In a typical year, 30 percent of monk seal pups are born at East Island. In 2018, 12 pups were born there, and NOAA said it believes that all but maybe one had been weaned before the storm hit.
Littnan said that monk seals are known to move into the water to ride out storms but that scientists won’t know if there was significant mortality until they are able to return to the area to survey the population next year.
Athline Clark, NOAA’s superintendent of Papahanaumokuakea, described the satellite images as “startling” and said that while the long-term implications are not clear, the island’s loss will have significant effects on future nesting and pupping cycles.
Before disappearing, East and Trig islands accounted for 60 percent of the monk seal pups born at French Frigate Shoals, according to NOAA.
Chip Fletcher, an associate dean at the University of Hawaii’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, told HuffPost that after an initial “holy sh*t” moment, he realized the island’s disappearance makes sense.
“This is not surprising when you consider the bad luck of a hurricane going into that vicinity and sea level rise already sort of deemed the stressor in the background for these ecosystems,” he said. “The probability of occurrences like this goes up with climate change.”
This month the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading United Nations consortium of researchers studying human-caused climate change, issued a dire warning about the threats the world now faces. Failing to overhaul the global economy and rein in carbon emissions would come with devastating, perhaps irreversible effects, the IPCC found.
The scientific community — including experts at NOAA — has long warned that anthropogenic climate change influences extreme weather events. The 2015 National Climate Assessment concluded that “hurricane intensity and rainfall are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm.”
Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University, said the central Pacific is one area where a lot of models forecast that climate change will trigger more frequent and stronger hurricanes. He said Walaka rapidly intensified at an “impressive rate,” from a tropical storm with 40 mph winds to a major hurricane with winds of 120 mph in just 30 hours.
After reaching Category 5 strength, it weakened as it made its way north toward the national monument.
“The complete loss of the island is very impressive,” Klotzbach said after viewing the photos.
From satellite imagery and observations during a flyover of East Island and Tern Island, Littnan said, NOAA scientists expect that all the islets in French Frigate Shoals were completely washed over by the storm surge. It’s unclear if any others experienced significant damage.
There’s no telling if East Island will return. An islet named Whale-Skate Island, also once an important habitat for Hawaiian monk seals, vanished from French Frigate Shoals in the 1990s and has not reappeared.
Clark, Fletcher and Littnan said scientists are already exploring what, if anything, can be done to intervene to protect these vulnerable habitats and increase the resilience of the affected species. Those efforts could include pumping sand back above the ocean’s surface to restore islets.
“We’re going to have to look at really creative ways to help support these species to persist into the future,” Littnan said.
Oct 27, 2018
KM
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6329643/Venice-marathon-go...
Venice placed on ‘code red’ as flooding reaches historic levels as large swathes of Italy are battered by howling winds and intense flooding, leaving at least five people dead
Flooding reached historic levels in Venice today leading to rain-soaked tourists being asked to leave the historic St Mark's Square, as large swathes of Italy experienced heavy winds and flooding, leaving at least five people dead.
Tourists were barred from the sodden area by the authorities after the 'acqua alta' (high water) peaked at more than 5ft (61 inches) by the afternoon- something that has only happened five times in recorded history.
Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia says flooding this week could reach the levels of the 1966 flood that struck Venice and devastated Florence's historic centre.
He added: 'All of Veneto is in code red alarm for this wave of bad weather.'
A couple walk in the flooded St Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice. Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia says flooding this week could reach the levels of the 1966 flood that struck Venice and devastated Florence's historic centre
A woman walks in a flooded street of Venice where authorities estimate 70 per cent of the lagoon city has been flooded by waters rising
Nearly all of northern Italy was on alert due to the storms, with wind gusts up to 100 kilometres per hour and rainfall in some places equivalent to the amount that falls over several months.
With high winds toppled trees that killed passers-by in four incidents in Naples, Lazio and Liguria.
In Venice elevated wooden platforms usually placed on main passageways in the Renaissance city were not high enough to ensure safe passage in the low-lying square.
People walk in the flooded St Mark Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice, Italy. Strong winds and rain have battered the country
Families carried children on their shoulders through the surrounding streets, as schools as hospitals were closed throughout the city and people were advised not to leave their homes.
While some tourists donned thigh-high wellies, others had opted to take off their shoes and wade through the water, carrying their luggage on their head.
Authorities estimated 70 per cent of the lagoon city had been flooded by rising waters today.
The Interior Ministry urged officials in storm-struck regions, about half of the country, to consider closing schools and offices for a second day Tuesday.
Oct 30, 2018
KM
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/heavy-downpour-floods-parts-of-metro-vancouve...
Heavy downpour floods parts of Metro Vancouver
A heavy downpour fell overnight across Metro Vancouver, causing damage due to flooding in some areas.
As much as 20 millimetres of rain fell in the span of two hours in some areas of Vancouver and Richmond, Environment Canada said.
In Kitsilano, residents of some areas found their cars parked in a couple feet of water in an underground parkade near Maple Street and West 1st Avenue. At one point, the water was so high it nearly reached the roof.
A city worker clears a storm drain in Vancouver after a heavy downpour overnight.
Across the city, Chinatown, East Vancouver and Olympic Village were also affected. At one point, West 2nd Avenue looked more like a small lake than a street.
The water was so deep that some roads were closed. On Monday morning, the City of Vancouver said it had received 128 reports of flooding following the storm.
In addition to heavy rainfall, a big contributor to flash flooding may have been recently fallen leaves clogging storm drains. City crews were out overnight dislodging debris that had become stuck in an effort to get the rain to drain away.
Crews that usually pick up garbage were diverted to help clear leaves out of catch basins, and additional staff and equipment were brought in.
"The volumes of water were extreme," the city's chief engineer Jerry Dobrovolny said Monday.
"There was damage to vehicles on the street. Water got so deep it went over floorboards, some got stuck."
And in South False Creek, the rain flooded the lower levels of the neighbourhood energy utility, he said.
The city spends about $1 million on clearing leaves every year, but is now asking the public to help clear their local basins so it doesn't happen again.
And as if the heavy rainfall wasn't enough, residents in the area of Oak Street and 29th Avenue had to deal with a water main break that sent a torrent of water gushing through the neighbourhood.
By Monday afternoon, city crews had shut off the water and taken steps to replace the aging pipe, but not before water levels could cause damage to several properties.
As many as 20 homes in the area are without water as the city worked to resolve the situation.
Oct 30, 2018
Gerard Zwaan
Europe: Spain suffers a whiteout Italy is flooding under torrential rain Germany battered by tornadoes and Hungary is breaking heat records
Crazy weather is still battering Europe, as Spain suffers a whiteout with under zero temperatures, Italy flooding under torrential rain and Germany suffering tornadoes Hungary is breaking heat records.
Hungary's temperature rose to a record high on October 29 and the heat record was also broken for Budapest. The mercury hit 27.1 C. in the village of Kubekhaza in southern Hungary on Monday, the national weather service said. The previous record of 25.9 C. was measured in the village of Szerep in eastern Hungary in 1923. The temperature in the second and fourth districts of Budapest reached 24.3 C. on Monday, breaking a 90-year record when it was 23.5 C., the weather service said.
Oct 30, 2018
Gerard Zwaan
11 dead in Italy as European weather turns deadly: Record floods and snow in the South and record heat in the East
Violent storms battered Italy for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people, and flooding much of Venice.
The lagoon city's St Mark's Square remained under water for a second day while the adjacent St Mark's Basilica was inundated, its baptistery totally flooded and its mosaic floors covered by 90cm (2ft 11in) of water.
"The basilica has aged 20 years in just one day, and perhaps I am being overly optimistic about that," said Carlo Tesserin, the church's chief administrator.
"It is becoming ever more difficult for us and indeed could become impossible for us to repair the damage, especially in an age of climate change."
Italian media said it was the second time this century that the basilica had been flooded, and just the fifth time there had been such high water within the body of the cathedral in the structure's 1,000-year history.
Widespread damage was also reported in towns and cities in the north, south and centre of Italy. Many of the 11 deaths were caused by falling trees as winds as strong as 90mph whipped the country. One of the hardest hit regions was Liguria in the north-west.
The breakwater walls in the chic seaside resort of Rapallo were destroyed by pounding waves, letting in a surge of water that toppled dozens of luxury yachts and inflicted heavy damage on the port area. Local media said a yacht owned by the family of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was one of those badly damaged.
The nearby resort town of Portofino was cut off by a landslide while the video showed seawater pouring through the picturesque fishing village of Vernazza further to the south.
The weather was expected to improve late on Tuesday and on Wednesday "giving the country a truce", an official from the civil protection agency told Reuters.
Meanwhile, heavy snowfall across south-central France, with up to 40cm (16in) falling in some towns and villages, caused chaos on the roads and knocked out electricity to nearly 200,000 homes, authorities said on Tuesday.
Southern Europe's freak weather has seen the Mediterranean nation of Spain battered by a tornado, just 48 hours after the country was blanketed by heavy snowstorms.
More than 38,000 homes were left without power for a whole day after the tornado ravaged the island of Menorca yesterday.
More than 50 trees and hundreds of power lines were pulled down by the powerful storm, leaving thousands of residents without electricity.
Neighbouring principality Asturias' 25,000 properties also had their power knocked out by the tornado. A week-long spell of rain, snow and unseasonably low temperatures has been blamed on the arrival of a mass of polar air lingering over the Iberian Peninsula.
A tornado caused a great deal of damage in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Wednesday.
Around the city of Viersen, just across the border of Venlo, multiple homes lost roofs and numerous trees were blown over, NOS reports.
One person was seriously hurt in Viersen and a firefighter was hit by lighting.
As far as is known, no one was killed. The tornado lasted almost 15 minutes.
Hungary's temperature rose to a record high on October 29 and the heat record was also broken for Budapest. The mercury hit 27.1 C. in the village of Kubekhaza in southern Hungary on Monday, the national weather service said. The previous record of 25.9 C. was measured in the village of Szerep in eastern Hungary in 1923.
Source: www.thebigwobble.org/2018/10/11-dead-in-italy-as-european-weather.html
Oct 31, 2018
jorge namour
Weather bombs on "rebel" Italy in Europe ...
2 November 2018
https://terrarealtime.blogspot.com/2018/11/meteo-bombe-sullitalia-r...
All weather patterns on the belpaese were upset. At one time the Atlantic perturbations flowed from the north-west of Europe through the gulf of Biscay and headed south-east.
But what is happening these days is unbelievable if it was not really happening.
As from nothing, huge masses of cloud are forming from central Africa, which violently go back to the north, and hit Italy like a bazooka, with the devastating consequences we are seeing.
Stormy seas with waves up to ten meters high, winds of hurricane that flatten thousands of trees as if they were cardboard, torrential rains that are moving dangerous landslides, lightning and lightning bolts, swollen rivers ready to overflow and devastate a fragile territory ulvers from a hydrogeological point of view.
Nov 3, 2018
KM
https://www.thebigwobble.org/2018/11/tens-of-thousands-of-people-fl...
Tens of thousands of people flee and a town of 30,000 wiped out by a wildfire in Northern California fuelled by predicted strong winds
"Pretty much the community of Paradise is destroyed, it's that kind of devastation," said Cal Fire Capt. Scott McLean late Thursday.
"The wind that was predicted came and just wiped it out."
McLean estimated that a couple of thousand structures were destroyed in the town of 27,000 residents about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, was ordered to get out.
The extent of the injuries and specific damage count was not immediately known as officials could not access the dangerous area.
Butte County CalFire Chief Darren Read said at a news conference that two firefighters and multiple residents were injured.
As she fled, Gina Oviedo described a devastating scene in which flames engulfed homes, sparked explosions and toppled utility poles.
"Things started exploding," Oviedo said.
"People started getting out of their vehicles and running."
An Associated Press photographer saw dozens of businesses and homes leveled or in flames, including a liquor store and gas station.
"It's a very dangerous and very serious situation," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said.
"I'm driving through fire as we speak.
We're doing everything we can to get people out of the affected areas."
The blaze erupted as windy weather swept the state, creating the extreme fire danger.
A wind-whipped fire north of Los Angeles in Ventura County burned up to 15 square miles and at least one home in a matter of hours.
It threatened thousands of homes and prompted evacuations of a mobile home park, a state university campus and some neighborhoods.
A nearby blaze was smaller at about 2 square miles but moving quickly.
Acting California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the fire-stricken area in Northern California.
Shari Bernacett said her husband tried to get people to leave the Paradise mobile home park they manage.
He "knocked on doors, yelled and screamed" to alert as many residents as possible, Bernacett said. "My husband tried his best to get everybody out.
The whole hill's on fire.
God help us!" she said before breaking down crying.
She and her husband grabbed their dog, jumped in their pickup truck and drove through flames before getting to safety, she said.
Terrifying videos posted on social media showed cars driving along roads that looked like tunnels of fire with flames on both sides of the road.
Concerned friends and family posted frantic messages on Twitter and other sites saying they were looking for loved ones, particularly seniors who lived at retirement homes or alone.
Among them was Kim Curtis, who was searching for her grandmother, who told family at 8 a.m. Thursday that she would flee her Paradise home in her Buick with her cat.
Her grandmother, who is in her 70s and lives alone, never showed up at a meeting spot in Chico, though.
"We've just been posting all over social media. And just praying for a miracle, honestly," said Curtis, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Officials were sending as many firefighters as they could, Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said. "Every engine that we could put on the fire is on the fire right now, and more are coming," he said. "There are dozens of strike teams that we're bringing in from all parts of the state."
The sheriff confirmed reports that evacuees had to abandon their vehicles.
Rescuers were trying to put them in other vehicles, he said.
"We're working very hard to get people out.
The message I want to get out is: If you can evacuate, you need to evacuate," Honea said.
The wildfire was reported around daybreak.
Within six hours, it had grown to more than 26 square miles (69 square kilometers), Gaddie said. Thick grey smoke and ash filled the sky above Paradise and could be seen from miles away.
Fire officials said the flames were being fueled by winds, low humidity, dry air and severely parched brush and ground from months without rain.
"Basically, we haven't had rain since last May or before that," said Read, the fire chief.
"Everything is a very receptive fuel bed.
It's a rapid rate of spread."
At the hospital in Paradise, more than 60 patients were evacuated to other facilities and some buildings caught fire and were damaged.
But the main facility, Adventist Health Feather River Hospital, was not, spokeswoman Jill Kinney said.
Some of the patients were initially turned around during their evacuation because of gridlocked traffic and later airlifted to other hospitals, along with staff, Kinney said.
Four hospital employees were briefly trapped in the basement and rescued by California Highway Patrol officers, Kinney said.
The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings for fire dangers in many areas of the state, saying low humidity and strong winds were expected to continue through Friday evening.
Nov 9, 2018
jorge namour
MIDDLE EAST REGION
ISRAEL
Flash flooding collapses part of Route 90 near Dead Sea
9 November 2018
https://www.timesofisrael.com/flash-flooding-collapses-part-of-rout...
Police say other parts of the major north-south highway at risk due to heavy rains; IDF search-and-rescue team airlifts four stranded hikers to safety
Photos and videos posted online showed Route 90 near the Kidron River split in half after large portions of the pavement crumbled several meters into the ground.
Rainfall throughout the day Friday caused flooding in a number of areas in the Judaean Desert and northern Negev.
Police said the military’s elite search-and-rescue Unit 669 was dispatched to find four hikers in Nahal Og who were stranded in a cave by rising floodwaters. The hikers were pulled to safely via military helicopter, and one was hospitalized for minor injuries, according to a statement.
In a statement, police warned that other parts of Route 90 may be at risk of collapse due to the flash flooding,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan
Floods kill 7 in Jordan, visitors seek high ground in ancient Petra
https://www.timesofisrael.com/floods-kill-7-in-jordan-visitors-seek...
At least 4 swept away in torrential rains south of Amman, two weeks after 21 killed in Dead Sea flash floods; thousands evacuated from tourist city
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Flash floods caused by heavy rain across Jordan killed seven people Friday and forced hundreds of tourists to seek higher ground in the kingdom’s ancient city of Petra, government officials and official media said.
Amateur video posted online showed a powerful torrent rushing through the steep, narrow canyon through which visitors reach the Treasury, the main attraction of Petra, an ancient trading hub carved from rose-colored rock.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Boats) in the streets of Kuwait
https://www.facebook.com/gubkuw/videos/vb.362639590554627/144184282...
http://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/flash-floods-wreak-havoc-across...
Public Works Minister resigns, National Guard called in to help as rains wreak havoc across Kuwait
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the floods hit Riyadh in Saudi Arabia yesterday
https://www.facebook.com/Khneisser.weather/videos/vb.59569140386443...
Nov 10, 2018
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2018/11/never-in-the-memory-of-man-theres-...
Never in the memory of man there’s been case of floods of that magnitude in the desert of Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that flash floods have killed at least 30 people across the desert nation over the past month. The government has issued an emergency warning as the situation is expected to get worse across the country. Floods in the land of the Arabs is a sign of the End of Times if I recall correctly. Get prepared! Be ready!
Camels being rescued from the flooded desert:
The desert has turned into a SEA:
Flash flood claims 30 lives in Saudi Arabia within a month:
Terrifying torrents of water:
Giant cracks and craters opening up in a oversaturated sand:
Saudi Arabia is hit with ice storm and flash flood at the same time:
At least 30 people died as a result of incessant flooding in Saudi Arabia.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
Most dead drowned in their cars.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods.
Heavy floods caused by unprecedented rains have begun on October 19th. This is going on for weeks now.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
All 13 districts of the country were hit by unusual rains.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
The most powerful floods have been observed in the districts of Mecca, Medina, Al-Baha, Asher, Hail, Qasim, Sharqiyah, Tabuk, Gizan and Riyadh.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
Almost 4 thousand people were forced to leave their homes.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
But things do not seem to calm in the next days.
Desert of Saudi Arabia flooded by unprecedented rains and floods
We are approaching the End of Times… Be ready and get prepared!
Nov 18, 2018
KM
Source
As the world’s largest waves, and wind gusts of more than 100 km/h hit Newfoundland, the island started shaking like during an earthquake
The effects of the incredibly strong low pressure system moving through Atlantic Canada caused more than ripples across the Atlantic Ocean this week, causing giant waves to track towards Europe and Africa. The LARGEST waves on the planet crashed onto the Grand Banks of Newfoundland with significant wave height over 15 metres (50 feet) and theoretical maximum wave height over 30 metres (100 feet) on November 14-15, 2018. Large swells and surf reached Ireland, Portugal, and parts of Africa this weekend. As the world’s largest waves, and wind gusts of more than 100 km/h hit Newfoundland, the island started shaking like during an earthquake. Just look at this image from a seismograph in St. John below… It was going crazy:
As the world’s largest waves, and wind gusts of more than 100 km/h hit Newfoundland, the island is shaking like during an earthquake! Insane!
According to John Cassidy, a seismologist at the Department of Natural Resources of Canada, similar seismic activity is recorded at this time of the year when giant waves combined to high winds engulf the eastern and western coastal regions of Canada.
This video recorded around 7:30 AM on the morning of November 15, 2018 in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador shows the dramatic of the situation when such storms hit:
This is not the only place on Earth where seismographs record seismic activity during violent storms. For example, increased seismic activity was observed after Hurricane Irma passed Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic giving the appearance of earthquakes:
The Weather Network – Largest waves on the planet target Newfoundland, see it here
Nov 19, 2018
KM
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/harsh-winter-condit...
Canada already plagued with -50 wind chills, major snow
Wednesday, November 21, 2018, 6:30 AM - Record breaking snowfall, record setting low temperatures, -50 wind chills, impossible driving conditions amid freezing rain and ice. Sounds like the heart of the winter season doesn't it? In reality, ALL of these harsh winter conditions have plagued different parts of the country this fall, leaving little to no areas untouched. Will this be a sign of what's to come this winter or will Mother Nature start to loosen its frosty grip? More on what's happened (keep in mind we had to limit this to just a few main events because the wintry scenes have been endless) and what lies ahead this winter, below.
NORTHERN MANITOBA COLDER NOW THAN TORONTO HAS EVER BEEN
It's currently a tale of two seasons across the Prairies as milder Pacific air and Chinook winds send temperatures soaring to the mid-teens once again in parts of Alberta. That's all while extreme cold warnings cover areas of northern Manitoba where wind chill values are making things feel closer to the -40s. In fact, Thompson, Manitoba recorded a core morning temperature of -35°C on Monday, beating out any cold temperatures the city of Toronto has EVER set in its history.
"The coldest temperature Toronto has ever had was -32.8°C in 1859," says Weather Network meteorologist Chris Murphy. "That means it's been colder in Thompson, Manitoba this fall than it ever gets in Toronto during the winter."
And although Alberta is currently on the "better" side of that storm track, let's not forget the record setting snowfall that walloped southern regions in early Oct.... Calgary ground to a halt after 40 cm of snow hammered the city, prompting appeals to neighbouring cities for additional snow removal equipment.
FEELING LIKE -50: TOO MUCH TOO SOON EVEN BY THE EXTREME NORTH'S STANDARDS
A November chill is by no means rare across parts of our far north, but a recent six consecutive days of record low temperatures with wind chills in the minus FIFTIES does seem a bit extreme.
A wind chill of -52 was recorded on November 18 and 19 in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut with a new record low temperature of -35.4°C also set on November 18. That beat out the previous record of -30°C set in 1996.
A WHOPPING 160+CM OF SNOW (DID WE MENTION THIS IS NOVEMBER?)
Probably the most impressive scenes of winter we've seen this fall land in eastern Canada where endless systems have completely buried the region. Get ready for this. Since the start of September, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador has recorded a whopping 162 cm of ...with a record-setting October snowfall helping to give these numbers a healthy boost. The town picked up nearly 85 cm in October alone, smashing previous October records, which all sat around 60 cm, in the years of 1999, 1996, 1962 and 1944.
HOW AND WHY COULD THIS BE HAPPENING?
There several contributors to the unusually harsh and widespread arrival of winter weather across Canada this year.
"When we look back at history we see that years with a developing El Niño, November often features a jet stream pattern that delivers arctic air to much of central and eastern Canada and that is what we are seeing again this year," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham. "However, this year we are also seeing what is called 'cross polar flow.'"
So instead of just having arctic air from northern Canada diving south, we are seeing air from Siberia coming over the top of north pole and plunging south into Canada. This is bringing the coldest air in the northern hemisphere right into Canada.
"We also have a blocking pattern in the atmosphere that has resulted in us getting stuck in this set-up for an extended period of time," Gillham adds.
IS THIS A SIGN OF WHAT'S TO COME THIS WINTER?
According to Gillham, the weather pattern during November is typically a poor predictor of what is to come for the winter season, though history does show us a few examples of years in which the dominant pattern for winter did set-up during November. The big question here: Is what we are currently a false start to winter or a preview of what is to come?
According to our winter forecast, which will be released in an all day event on Monday November 26th, it depends on which part of Canada that you call home.
"For parts of Canada we expect that the dominant weather pattern will be different from what we have seen during the fall, while others are indeed seeing a preview of the winter to come," warns Gillham.
WATCH BELOW: JAW-DROPPING SNOWFALL IN LABRADOR CITY THAT WILL HAVE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD 'NO!'
Nov 21, 2018
M. Difato
Rare December tornadoes strike multiple states in central U.S.
https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-tornadoes-central-us...
Residents in central Illinois assessed damage Sunday after rare December tornadoes, including one the day before that was half a mile wide, ripped roofs off homes in Taylorville, downed power lines and injured at least 20 people.
The severe weather in Illinois was part of a line of thunderstorms that raked areas of the central U.S. late Friday and into Saturday, killing one person in Missouri. The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes in Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.
At least three tornadoes were also confirmed in northwest and southwest Arkansas. They largely caused property and structural damage; no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Peak months for tornadoes in much of the Midwest are April and June, according to the weather service. But at least 12 tornadoes were reported in Illinois on Saturday, including the Taylorville tornado, which has been confirmed. If the majority are confirmed, that would be the most tornadoes in Illinois in a December storm since Dec. 18-19, 1957, when there were 21.
Central Illinois tornadoes: 22 twisters reported in rare outbreak
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/central-illinois-torna...
Central Illinois is coping with damage and injuries after a rare blitz of tornadoes Saturday, when 22 twisters were reported to the National Weather Service..."
"Illinois has an average of 47 tornadoes a year, not including December, which doesn't have an average,.."
~
ZetaTalk about the relationship between the earth wobble and an increase in tornadoes
We stated that tornadoes would become more frequent, more intense, and appear in areas not previously subject to tornadoes. These predictions of ours, made in the past, were based on our knowledge that the Earth wobble would intensify and become more violent. Now that the wobble is rising to meet our predictions the tornado spates and surprises are likewise on the increase. This is certainly not going to go away. The wobble will continue to worsen, and problems with tornadoes will follow. Since you are going to have to live through hurricane force winds during the hour of the pole shift, our advice would be to prepare a storm shelter early, and use this during tornado weather.
http://www.zetatalk.com/ning/04ju2011.htm
The more violent wobble is inciting tornadoes over the N American continent in several ways. First, it drives the Earth under her blanket of air twice daily. During the Figure 8 the N Pole of Earth forms daily, the Earth first leans her magnetic N Pole away from the Sun when it rises up over the horizon at dawn, and then leans her magnetic N Pole away from the Sun toward the other direction ahead of sunset. Since the magnetic N Pole is in the Arctic between Canada and Siberia, this lurching about affects the N American continent primarily. What happens when the N American continent is pushed into the north Pacific at dawn, and again into the north Atlantic at dusk? Cold air is driven over the warm air found overland - precisely what tornadoes need in order to form. A tornado is a pool of cold air atop a pool of warm air. The cold air drops, and spirals as it does so. As the N American continent has warmed inland due to the change of seasons, the contrast between air over the northern oceans and the air inland has increased. Thus the increase in tornadoes during May. What will happen as the continent warms during summer, increasing the contrast? The cold air driven atop the now hot air will find a greater contrast, and tornadoes will increase!
http://www.zetatalk.com/index/zeta456.htm
The Earth wobble is intrinsically connected to a churning atmosphere, and is one of the reasons ZetaTalk was able to go on record early in the ZetaTalk saga with predictions on weather irregularities andtornadoes and hurricanes occurring in atypical places. We knew that the Earth wobble would develop. The Earth wobble centers around the magnetic N Pole, forming a Figure 8. This means that the up/down and side-to-side motion of the wobble engages the Arctic region, daily. Where the complaint is that a normal 40 hour cyclone became a 5 day cyclone, this may in the near future be a minor complaint. It is likely to become a perpetual cyclone, or close to this scenario.
http://www.zetatalk.com/ning/18ag2012.htm
It seems the tremendous increase in tornadoes in the past week must be due to the approach of Nibiru. Is this in response to the wobble, and will it settle down soon or should we expect even more and worse after the "traditional" end of the tornado season
Yes, this is due to the wobble. And no, it will not settle down. And yes, it will get worse.
http://www.zetatalk.com/index/zeta452.htm
2008 ZetaTalk Newsletter about the record breaking tornado season
http://www.zetatalk.com/newsletr/issue080.htm
Previously posted, Oklahoma tornado tears massive path of death, destruction
https://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/oklahoma-tornado-tears-ma...
Dec 3, 2018
KM
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/watch-fresh-snowfall-in...
WATCH: Fresh snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir cripples normal life, temperature dips to minus 15 degree Celsius
Temperature in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir dipped significantly lower after the state received fresh snowfall on Monday, bringing the movement of traffic to a grinding halt in many areas of the state and severely affecting normal life.
According to news agency ANI, Rajouri town which is known as Vale of Lakes has received around 3 to 4 feet snowfall. The region, around 155 km from Srinagar, has been witnessing heavy snowfall for the last few days.
The famous Mughal Road in the district has been closed due to a heavy spell of snow. The road has been closed for the last seven days due to snowfall in Pir Panjal mountain range. As a result, the local administration on Wednesday deployed officials with heavy equipment to clear the road and restore movement of traffic.
Watch video:
According to the MeT office, Sunday recorded the season’s coldest night when the temperature dropped to minus 15.7 degree Celsius. In Kargil town, the temperature settled at minus 11.4 degree Celsius. In Srinagar, temperature settled at minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund recorded minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. The ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded minus 8.3 degrees Celsius.
While Jammu recorded minus 1.2 degree Celsius, the temperature in Batote town settled at 1.5 degree Celsius. At the Katra base camp, the temperature was around 6 degrees Celsius.
Several northern states including national capital Delhi also reported a sharp dip in temperature. In Delhi, the minimum temperature settled at 7 degree Celsius and the maximum was 23.
Dec 18, 2018
KM
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/port-orchard-tornad...
Powerful, rare tornado rips through Seattle area
Rare tornado strikes near Seattle
Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 8:47 PM - A powerful tornado tore through a Seattle-area town on Tuesday afternoon, damaging homes and vehicles along its path.
The twister touched down just before 2 p.m. local time, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), raking through the Puget Sound community of Port Orchard, about 13 miles west of Seattle.
Images of significant damage to homes and trees in the area quickly started appearing on social media as well as via local news agencies. There are no reports of any injuries at this time.
(Related: Tornado safety tips)
The NWS will send a survey team on Wednesday morning to asses the damage and classify the intensity of the storm. "Until we conduct a tornado survey tomorrow morning, we can not speculate on the strength of the tornado," the weather agency said via Twitter.
RARE STORM
While tornadoes occur in every month of the year in the United States, they aren't particularly common in the Pacific Northwest, and especially not in December. Washington averages only 2.5 tornadoes per year. If Tuesday's tornado is rated EF-2 or higher, it would become the first 'significant' tornado (those EF-2 or higher) in Washington state since 1986, and the first significant December tornado in the state since 1969. Even more unusual: if the storm is rated EF-2 (or higher), Washington state will match Texas for the number of EF-2 storms in December -- 1. Washington state has no EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes on record.
TORNADO TOUCHES DOWN NEAR SEATTLE
Dec 19, 2018
Gerard Zwaan
Giant hailstones 8 centimetres wide smash windscreens, roofs and windows cancelling flights as "catastrophic" storm cell hits Sydney
File photo
Insurers are bracing for a flood of claims after Sydney's "catastrophic" hailstorm yesterday, which saw many parts of the city pelted with hail up to 8 centimeters wide.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared the storm a catastrophe and said claims so far had been mostly about damage to motor vehicles, including smashed windscreens.
Residents have also been ringing their insurers about damage to tiled or metal roofs and flooding. ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller said the financial impact of the storms would be significant.
"It won't be known for some days or even several weeks," he said.
"Residents and businesses are prioritizing making their properties safe ... and they'll contact their insurers when they get to it."
The Bureau of Meteorology said the storms pelted a widespread area with large hailstones.
Many areas looked as though they had been blanketed by snow.
Dozens of flights at Sydney Airport are now delayed or canceled as a flow-on effect of the storm last night, and travelers have described the check-in process as "chaos".
A spokesman for the airport said there were delays at T1 (international) and T2 (domestic).
The delays at T2 are up to 60 minutes for some services and at T1, flights are running around 40 minutes behind.
The backlog of flights is largely due to the wild weather yesterday but also poor weather in Melbourne today, the spokesman said.
"If you're catching a flight out of Sydney today allow several hours because it's constipated as f**k," writer Benjamin Law tweeted.
Virgin Australia has advised passengers to allow 2.5 hours before their domestic flight as "it's incredibly busy".
Surfers at Bondi Beach had few options for shelter, and while many made a dash for the shore, some stuck it out in the water and used their boards for cover.
At Berowra, on the upper North Shore, there were reports of hail about 8 centimeters wide, while Cabramatta in the south-west and parts of Surry Hills received hail about half that size.
A State Emergency Service spokesperson said Berowra was one of the worst-hit areas, with "almost every second home" needing assistance.
"Giant hailstones, which is hail greater than 5 centimeters, are quite specifically driven in supercell thunderstorms," meteorologist Jordan Notara said.
"We do get them quite regularly over summer through NSW, but these storm cells redeveloped quite intensely over Sydney specifically."
The state's most highly populated area was right in the firing line, worsening the impact.
Mr Fuller said an "insurance catastrophe" was declared due to the extent of the damage, which was evident early in the storms.
"The declaration means insurers are prioritizing claims from the hailstorm and they're endeavoring to help customers as quickly as possible," he said.
It also means a taskforce has been set up specifically to liaise with emergency services and government bodies.
While the cost of the storms will not be known for some time, Mr Fuller said a catastrophe was declared when the damage bill was likely to be in the tens of millions of dollars or higher.
Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2018/12/giant-hailstones-8-centimetres-...
Dec 21, 2018
SongStar101
2018 drought was brutal for Europe. In Germany rivers suffered with agriculture aide requests of $384 million.
Germany registers record low rainfall
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-registers-record-low-rainfall/a-46510847
A dry spell in Germany that began in February has continued into November, making the summer and fall the driest on record. The drought has impacted farmers and left bodies of water at record lows.
Germany experienced its driest summer and fall/autumn this year since records began, the German Weather Service (DWD) said on Thursday.
From June to November, 225 liters of rain fell per square meter of land, an amount far below the previous record low of 268 liters in the year 1911.
"If you look at summer and fall together, it has never been so dry since the beginning of regular measurements in 1881," the meteorologists said, adding that the dry spell had started in February.
In the fall, DWD's 2,000 measurement stations recorded an average of 95 liters of rain per square meter, or 51 percent less than the norm of 183 liters. That made the season the fourth driest on record.
The result of the dry spell has been historically low water levels in rivers, streams and lakes. Farmers have also been hit by the drought and provided government support. Germany's vintners, meanwhile, were expecting bumper harvests.
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The Rhine, a Lifeline of Germany, Is Crippled by Drought
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/world/europe/rhine-drought-water...
The news was bad, as it so often is these days.
One of the longest dry spells on record has left parts of the Rhine at record-low levels for months, forcing freighters to reduce their cargo or stop plying the river altogether.
“I’ve never experienced so little water here,” said Captain Sep, who has been working on the river since 1982, the last 22 years on the Rex-Rheni. “It’s becoming so low that it’s very difficult for ships to pass.”
-----------------------------------
Water woes as drought leaves Germany's Rhine shallow
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-woes-drought-germany-rhine-shallow.html
Germany’s iconic Rhine river is at a record low bringing businesses and boats to a standstill
https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/the-once-mighty-rhine-river-is...
MONTHS of drought have left Germany’s Rhine river at a record low, dealing a blow to the economy and exposing relics from the past.
THE docks are eerily quiet at Cologne’s main port on the mighty River Rhine, with hundreds of containers piled up and awaiting their journey north on one of Europe’s busiest commercial arteries.
Months of scarce rainfall and hot sunny weather drove water levels on the Rhine to a record low, forcing ship operators to suspend services to keep vessels from running aground.
“We haven’t had any new ships in Cologne since last week — they stop in Duisburg” 80 kilometres north, Oliver Grossmann, head of shipping company CTS, told AFP.
He said that under normal conditions, “three or four” of his big vessels would stop each day in the city known for its Gothic cathedral.
The few barges still chugging along the river have had to drastically reduce their cargo to stay afloat.
Sitting in his office overlooking the mountain of containers, Grossman said rail links can only fill part of the gap as long as river transport is paralysed because of a lack of infrastructure and train engineers.
At the entrance to the port of Duisburg, a small tower houses a Rhine measuring station. On its roof are two LED panels reading 5.09 feet.
“This is the lowest level ever measured here,” said Jan Boehme, a hydrologist with the Water and Shipping Authority.
--------------------------------
Helmholtz - German Drought Monitor
http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=37937
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German farmers wait for aid, months after drought
https://www.dw.com/en/german-farmers-wait-for-aid-months-after-drou...
During the summer, an exceptional heatwave and dry spell wreaked havoc on the crop yields of German farmers. Emergency state aid was pledged, but bureaucracy has held up the payments, farmers say.
he swelteringly hot summer of 2018 has long since given way to the early chills of winter in Germany but the effects of the damaging drought that gripped the country from May to August are still being felt by the country's farmers.
While around 8,000 farmers have applied for emergency aid so far — as promised to them by the government in August — no money has yet been paid out, the German Farmers' Union (DBV) confirmed to DW on Friday.
"I can tell you that no money has actually been paid out yet. We've said all along that the procedure involved is far too bureaucratic and time-consuming," said DBV spokesman Axel Finkenwirth.
When the extent of the crop losses and damages wrought by the crisis became apparent in August, both national and local government pledged emergency state aid to t...
An exceptionally hot May was followed by three months almost fully devoid of rain, and as a result, the harvest in various German states was drastically hit. The overall reduction in the country's grain harvest was down by around 25 percent while some states, such as Lower Saxony in the northwest, were hit even harder.
=====================================================
European drought could cause global food shortages
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/europe-heatwave-dro...
Since May 2018, Europe has been experiencing a dry spell and above-average seasonal temperatures, including numerous heat waves. The Lithuanian government has declared a state of emergency for the drought and Latvia acknowledged it as a natural disaster of national scale.
Norway, Ireland, and Denmark have imposed water restrictions. Electricity prices are expected to rise in Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands due to a high dependency on hydropower.
The European Drought Observatory (EDO) created a map visualizing which countries and regions are experiencing the worst of the drought.
-----------------------------------------------------------
France hard hit by drought as well...
France brings in water restrictions to battle drought
Water restrictions are currently in place in 46 departments across France following the heatwave of the past few weeks.
These areas have adopted at least one measure to reduce water use and 86 local orders limiting the use of water are currently in place.
As water levels become critical in many regions, in places such as the Loiret for example, farmers have been instructed to cut back their use of water for agricultural use.
The Gard has banned people from filling up their swimming pool and washing their cars and fountains have been switched off. Farmers there cannot water between 10 am and 6 pm.
Jan 2, 2019
Juan F Martinez
"Which way is the wind blowing, Holmes?" "That depends, Watson, these days it's all over the place. "
The image below from 1-2-2018 reflects winds at the height of the 250 hPa level which is about 35,000 feet or 11 km. It shows chaotic wind flows with very warm tropical air mixing with polar air masses, a perfect storm is brewing. Climate Chaos, caused by the #Earth_Wobble, and it's getting worse as #Planet X approaches. Fasten your seat belts.
https://earth.nullschool.net/
Jan 3, 2019
KM
Source
Southern Greece known for its Mediterranean warmth gets snow in record cold spell with temperatures reaching -23 degrees C, -9 deg F
Athens awakened to blankets of snow on Tuesday thanks to a storm system penetrating the south Mediterranean.
Meteorologists have named the weather pattern causing the extreme weather conditions as "Telemachos" after the mythical son of Odysseus.
As temperatures plunged to -23 degrees C, -9 deg F, authorities closed schools and courthouses.
Transport was also brought to a standstill and power cuts were noted in many regions.
Social media was abuzz with photographs of snow covering some of the city's famed landmarks, such as the Acropolis, while children enjoyed the "snow day".
The sight of Greek beaches covered in snow dust drew the spotlight of the international media with coverage from numerous media outlets from Reuters to the Washington Post.
Jan 9, 2019
Gerard Zwaan
10 feet more, than 3 metres of snow, more than the whole January average and record lows with -9F (-23C) in sunny Greece leaves central Europe in chaos
Austria is expected to face 10 feet, more than 3 metres of snow in the next few days as fierce winter weather continues to strike central Europe this week.
Parts of Austria have already had more snow this month than they usually do in the whole of January, with more snow expected before the weekend.
The tourist season in the Alps has also been hit with more than 1,000 miles of ski slope and 450 ski lifts closed because of the weather.
The cold weather has blasted Greece where temperatures reached record lows with -9F (-23C) recorded in the city of Florina on Tuesday night.
There has been a huge amount of snow falling across the northern European Alps over the past couple of weeks with resorts in Austria bearing the brunt of the storm.
While there have been a few epic powder days in some resorts, there is literally too much snow in other areas with roads and train lines cut.
We've been talking about big snowfalls in Whistler, California, and Japan, but the seven-day totals in parts of Austria are really impressive - the resort of Tauplitz reporting over three meters (10 feet), while Solden's upper slopes now have a base of over four meters after 70cms fell in the past few days.
There are reports of some great powder skiing in the trees in the Salzburg and Arlberg regions but the avalanche danger in many Austrian resorts further north is very high, up at level 4, which is one below the maximum of five.
Many resorts have closed the exposed, upper terrain with skiers advised to ski below the tree-line. Thousands of people are snowed-in as a number of resorts and villages have been cut off with roads and train-lines closed due to snow or the risk of avalanche.
The amount of snow on the upper slopes and fear of avalanches led to the entire resort of Hochkar, located in eastern Austria, being evacuated on Monday.
Unfortunately, there have been up to 14 fatalities associated with the storm, with two skiers killed in separate avalanches in the western Austrian province of Vorarlberg on the weekend and another skier died after being caught in deep snow.
A couple who went missing while snowshoeing on Sunday was found dead on Monday near Salzburg in Central Austria.
A man was also killed by a falling branch in Germany.
The consistent snowfalls continued this week with another 60 to 100cms expected for the northern Alps of Austria from Tuesday through to Thursday evening.
Parts of Switzerland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia are also receiving big snowfalls but the same cannot be said for France and Italy as the Western Alps have received little or no snow.
Source:https://www.thebigwobble.org/2019/01/10-feet-more-than-3-metres-of-...
Jan 10, 2019
Recall 15
Sea Water dissapear in Campeche Mx. January 10, 2019, 7:00 am
FB page "El Despertar 2" said:It was around 7:00 am when the event happened.
This phenomenon caught the attention of the Campechanos who passed through various points of the city's boardwalk.
From :
https://www.facebook.com/ElDespertarORIGINAL2/photos/pcb.2842135089...
Jan 11, 2019
jorge namour
Switzerland JANUARY 11 2019
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402/...
Avalanche damage in Hotel Hotel Säntis, Schwagalp pass, Switzerland yesterday, January 10
Jan 11, 2019
jorge namour
When it rains, it pours: Israel's north hit by floods
01.14.19
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5446522,00.html
Drivers are stranded and roads are blocked by rising waters as winter makes itself felt across the country; meteorologists warn bad weather will continue.
Heavy rains caused floods across Israel’s north on Monday, stranding two cars mid-stream and damaging property in several regions.
The two cars were caught in a flood in the Hilazon stream, in which an IDF soldier drowned last Monday during navigation practice, and drivers had to call for rescue. The local fire department used a crane in order to reach the drivers, who were stranded on the roofs of their cars.
Drivers being evacuated during the flood in Hilazon stream (Photo: Police Spokesperson)
While northern regions experienced the heaviest rainfall, Israel’s south experienced only light rains. However, according to Nahum Malik from the Meteo-Tech meteorological organization, areas are flooding regardless of the amount of rainfall due to an oversaturated water table after the recurrent storms of the past few weeks.
The stormy front is expected to continue into Wednesday, and snowfall in northern peaks could expand to the Jerusalem region. Waves in the Mediterranean are expected to reach 400-800 centimeters, with wind speeds of up to 90 kilometres an hour.
Jan 14, 2019
Derrick Johnson
Roads melt and animals drop dead as Australia suffers through its 'most significant' heatwave for 80 YEARS and temperatures top 120F
Australia is battling through its 'most significant' heatwave for 80 years that has seen temperatures soar above 104F (40C) for six consecutive days across the country.
Roads melted, animals dropped dead and fires raged as temperature records tumbled across New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
Hundreds of Australians have flocked to Bondi Beach in Sydney to cool off from the extreme summer temperatures.
The latest mind-boggling figure was reported in the town of Noona, in New South Wales, which reported an overnight minimum temperature of 96.6F (35.9C) on Thursday - a new record for the whole of Australia.
At least five of the country's ten warmest days on record have come in the last week, with Friday - the day the mercury peaked - yet to be counted.
The hottest day on record for the country came on January 7, 2013, when the national average maximum temperature was 104.5F (40.3C).
Roads melted across Australia as temperatures soared into the 100s for the fifth consecutive day amid a record-breaking heatwave that has broken records
It remains to be seen whether the current heatwave will top that.
On Wednesday alone, New South Wales broke 14 all-time heat records and eight January records, including in the town of Griffith which suffered through 114F (46.4C) heat.
Menindee, in the far west of the state, was due to hit 113F (45C) on Friday having broken its all-time record with a temperature of 118F (47.8C) earlier in the week. It hasn't seen a daytime high below 113F since Monday.
Broken Hill airport, Whitecliff, Wilcannia, and Albury all saw their hottest days since records began on Wednesday.
Meanwhile Marble Bar, in Western Australia, recorded the highest temperature of the last seven days with a blistering 120F (49.1C) on Sunday, marking a January record. Tarcoola, in South Australia, also hit 119F (49C).
Simon Grainger, Bureau of Meteorology climatologist, told CNN: 'Based on the extent and duration, this is the most significant heatwave to have affected inland eastern Australia since January 1939.'
State governments and the Bureau of Meteorology have issued dozens of warnings, telling drivers to allow extra time for journeys as cars are more likely to break down in extreme condition.
The Fire Service in New South Wales said its crews were battling more than 60 fires with 13 fire bans in place across the state.
Three children in Sydney's southwest had to be treated for heat exhaustion and vomiting, while 16 people in South Australia were admitted to hospital after suffering the effects of heat.
Sydney train users are being warned there could be delays across the network as temperatures rise.
Animals have been dropping dead in the heat, including this elderly and emaciated kangaroo that was discovered in Belair, South Australia, before later dying of heat exhaustion
Animals have been suffering through the record-high temperatures during what meteorologists branded the 'most significant' heatwave to hit the country for 80 years
The heat peaked on Friday (pictured, Friday temperature map with darker colours indicating higher heat). In the town of Noona, New South Wales, the overnight low was 96.6F - an Australia-wide record
Partial relief is expected across much of New South Wales and Southern Australia going into next week, with temperatures dipping almost 50F (10C) from their highs this week.
However, inland areas will still remain scorching hot with the potential for more heat before the summer ends.
Sydney looks to be in for a few cooler days than it has suffered through this past week, with temperatures expected to dip below 86F (30C) over the weekend.
There will be a northeasterly wind blowing through Sydney overnight on Friday with a weak southerly change, Weatherzone forecaster Craig McIntosh said.
Gusty winds will plague the coastline on Saturday, meaning it might not be the best day for sun-seekers to head for the sand. There is also a moderate chance of a brief shower on Saturday afternoon.
However, Sunday is looking like the perfect time to pull out the sunscreen and head seaside with temperatures sitting in the low 80F (20C) range, Mr McIntosh said.
The weekend is also bringing some relief from the heat for tennis fans in Melbourne with cooling winds headed towards the city.
Again, Sunday is looking like the better day for outdoor activities as temperatures are expected to sit comfortably around 77F (25C).
Canberra is taking a break from its extremely hot days as temperatures drop slightly from its 100F (40C) heat.
Saturday should see temperatures cool to around 93F (34C) - the coldest day the city will see in the coming week, Mr McIntosh said.
Brisbane can expect a hot and humid weekend with temperatures sitting around 93F.
Adelaide has a sunny but partly cloudly weekend ahead with some southeasterly winds moving in on Saturday.
There is a chance of a thunderstorm battering Hobart on Friday night but that should clear by Saturday.
Perth is expected to remain scorching with temperatures around the high 90F (30C) range. Darwin has a moderate chance of showers on both Saturday and Sunday.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6607435/Roads-melt-animals...
Jan 19, 2019
KM
http://en.mercopress.com/2019/01/19/extreme-wet-january-displaces-t...
Extreme wet January displaces thousands and floods farmland in Mercosur member countries
Intense rainfall in northeast Argentina and neighbouring areas in Mercosur members has caused devastating floods, amplifying the economic burdens of Argentina's recession. Over 5,000 people have evacuated the region, and millions of hectares of crops have been sent underwater.
The flooded region, which extends into Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil, has received about five times more rain than expected since the beginning of the year. Some areas received a whole year’s worth of rainfall in the first 15 days of the calendar year.
Damages to farmland ring in around US$2 billion, according Coninagro, an Intercooperative Agricultural Confederation based in Buenos Aires. The group reported that 2.4 million hectares of soybeans are flooded. The greatest losses come from the Pampa Húmeda region, one of the main food producers in the world. Other crops like corn and cotton, along with livestock have suffered across the Northeast.
In Uruguay some 1.500 people have been evacuated to temporary housing because of flooding and much of the highways network has been seriously damaged with some bridges washed away. Rains have hit wheat harvesting, soybean and rice plantations. Overflowed hydroelectric dams have been forced to ease water further aggravating the situation. However for cattle breeding in Uruguay, pastures are abundant.
Just last year, Argentina was plagued with severe drought, the worst that had hit the country in half a century. This drought crushed the country’s agricultural sector and strained the country’s economy. It’s blamed in part for the current run on Argentine currency.
Heavy rains can waterlog growing crops or interfere with key sowing and re-seeding processes, Coningrado said. And in provinces like Corrientes, where water has reached in some places nearly two meters deep, herds of cattle and other livestock can be displaced.
If the rain keeps coming, farmland will continue to be aggravated since there is a limit to what the soil can absorb. Forecast models show that rain will continue in the affected areas over the next two weeks. Soils should begin to dry by mid-February, an analyst from Refinitiv Agriculture.
Any further rain could have serious economic implications, Julio Calzada, chief economist of the Rosario Cereal Exchange said. “The harvest will depend on the climate and the economy will depend to a great extent on the harvest,” Calzada said. “The concern is that the volatility of the climate could continue until the end of January”.
Jan 22, 2019
SongStar101
Coldest Arctic Outbreak in at Least Two Decades is Expected This Week in Parts of the Midwest
https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/2019-01-21-arctic-cold-m...
At a Glance
Extreme arctic cold will plunge into the Midwest this week, creating dangerously cold wind chills and likely dropping temperatures in some cities to their lowest levels in more than two decades.
The central and eastern United States have been in the grips of a much colder weather pattern in the second half of January, and conditions this week will be the worst yet.
By Wednesday and Thursday, morning lows may reach the minus 20s in the Twin Cities, with minus teens and minus 20s in Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago and Milwaukee.
Subzero-cold lows may extend through much of the Ohio Valley and into the interior Northeast by late-week. Thursday will be the coldest day along the Northeast Interstate 95 corridor with lows in the single digits from Washington D.C. to Boston.
Here are the last dates the following cities were as cold:
As you can see, the outbreak this week may be the coldest in more than 20 years in parts of the Midwest and will threaten a number of daily record lows in some areas.
A few of the potential daily record lows this week include (record-to-beat is shown):
Wednesday: Chicago (minus 15 degrees); Cleveland (minus 4 degrees); Des Moines, Iowa (minus 17 degrees); Detroit (minus 4 degrees)
Thursday: Chicago (minus 12 degrees); Cleveland (minus 4 degrees); Detroit (minus 7 degrees); Pittsburgh (minus 3 degrees)
There could also be a few cities that come close to all-time record lows for any day of the year on Thursday morning. This includes Chicago which may be within a few degrees of its all-time record of minus 27 degrees set Jan. 20, 1985. Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa, could also dip to near their all-time record lows of minus 29 degrees and minus 34 degrees, respectively.
By midweek, daytime highs will likely not rise above zero in a large portion of the Midwest and may not rise out of the single digits in the Ohio Valley. On Wednesday, Chicago could threaten its all-time coldest high temperature of minus 11 degrees.
This bitter cold will be accompanied by strong winds at times Tuesday through Thursday, leading to life-threatening wind chills in the Midwest that could lead to frostbite on exposed skin in a matter of minutes. A large swath of the Midwest will have wind chills in the 30s, 40s and 50s below zero by Wednesday. A few spots in Minnesota and eastern North Dakota may see wind chills in the 60s below zero.
The Northeast will have its coldest wind chills Wednesday night into Thursday morning, ranging from the 20s and 30s below zero across the interior to the single digits or teens below zero along the Interstate 95 corridor.
Late-January Cold Plunge Notables
Here are a few notables about the cold weather we've seen since the weekend of Jan. 19-20.
Jan 28, 2019
Gerard Zwaan
Saudi desert becomes a raging river
Deadly and widespread flooding engulfed the northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia between 27 and 29 January, turning the arid desert into raging rivers.
Civil Defense have rescued over 100 people from flash floods over the last few days in the regions around Tabuk, Jawf, Madinah and Makkah regions.
Source: https://www.earthfrenzyradio.com/earth-changes/4020-saudi-desert-be...Jan 30, 2019
Gerard Zwaan
Now the floods! From colder than the Antarctic to Springtime in a couple of days as -40 deg F (-40 deg C) becomes 60 deg F (16 deg C)
From experiencing the coldest temperature ever recorded with lows colder than the Antarctic and even Mars, temperatures are expected to swing 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, (up to 27 deg C) upward from the lowest levels amid the polar vortex invasion as the midwestern and northeastern United States are treated to a taste of March to start February.
According to AccuWeather, The warmth is also expected to surge across all of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and into New England Sunday into early next week.
On the warmest day, highs to around 60 (16 deg C) are anticipated northward to the Interstate 70 corridor from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Even Philadelphia can flirt with the 60-degree mark.
Highs in the 50s may have residents in Chicago, Detroit, New York City and Boston replacing winter jackets with lighter spring attire.
For Chicago, Minneapolis and other parts of the Midwest that endured the harshest cold of the Arctic outbreak, the upswing in temperatures can be as high as 70 to 80 degrees.
A break from the cold is definitely great news for residents dealing with higher heating costs, frozen pipes and animals and kids cooped up due to concerns over frostbite and hypothermia.
"The sudden warmup could lead to ice jam flooding on some rivers as large chunks of ice break loose and jam the flow of water downstream," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Bill Deger.
Records have been shattered as the polar vortex unleashed the harshest cold in years on the midwestern United States during the final days of January.
After the polar vortex plunged southward, temperatures plummeted under 20 below zero F from North Dakota to northern Illinois during the morning hours of both Wednesday and Thursday.
The low of 38 below zero recorded at Mt. Carroll, Illinois, is being reviewed by a state climate extremes committee to determine if the Illinois state record low was broken on Thursday morning. The current record is 36 below zero that was set near Congerville on Jan. 5, 1999.
Source: www.thebigwobble.org/2019/02/now-floods-from-colder-than-antarctic....
Feb 1, 2019
KM
Source
A horror is unfolding in Australia as hundreds of thousands of livestock are dead after a year and a half's rain fell in just seven days
Authorities are beginning to realise the extent of the record-breaking floods in Queensland after more than a year's rain fell in just seven days.
According to Reuters, authorities planned to drop fodder to stranded cattle in Australia’s flooded far north on Friday where vast parts of the outback are under-water and livestock losses are estimated in the hundreds of thousands.
Torrential rains that lashed the coastal city of Townsville in Queensland state this week have swept inland and flooded grazing land gripped by severe drought for years.
Pictures posted on social media showed scores of cattle trapped on patches of high ground surrounded by water, or dead and dying in the mud.
“We’ve had a year and a half of rainfall in about seven days,” cattle grazier Michael Bulley told Reuters by phone from Bindooran Station west of Julia Creek in Queensland’s outback.
Bulley said he flew over his three properties by helicopter and saw water stretching for miles in each direction.
He estimated up to 60 per cent of the cattle he had fed through the drought had been killed by the flooding.
“It’s devastated the country...there’s stock dead everywhere,” he said. “Not just cattle, it’s sheep, kangaroos, wild pigs, they’ve all died and suffered from it.”
The weather bureau said a wide arc of outback stretching some 400 km (250 miles) from Mt. Isa, an outback mining town, to Richmond in the east was inundated. The full scale of the disaster would not be known until the clouds cleared.
Feb 8, 2019
Juan F Martinez
Feb 9, 2019