"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, thatunpredictable 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."
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-alaskaJim 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.
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+spec... 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=iot... 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.
Comment by Gerard Zwaan on May 10, 2020 at 11:52am
Polar vortex brings May snow and freeze warnings to New York and New England
Peter and Joanna Brown walk their dog in West Paris, Maine, on Saturday.Photograph: Andree Kehn/AP
AssociatedPressinBoston
Published onSat 9 May 2020 19.55 BST
Mother’s Day weekend got off to an unseasonably snowy start in the US north-east on Saturday, thanks to the polar vortex bringing cold air down from the north.
Some higher elevation areas in northern New York state and New England reported snowfall accumulations of up to 10in, while traces of snow were seen along the coast from Maine to Boston and as far south as Manhattan.
John Cannon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Gray, Maine, said parts of northern New England saw as much as 10in of snow and coastal areas of Maine and New Hampshire got a dusting. There were even reports of flurries in Boston.
“We’ve had several inches in many areas in the north-east. This is a rare May snow event,” he said.
The hardest-hit areas were hill town communities like Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, which got 10.5in, and Carrabasset Valley in Maine, which got 9in, he said.
Conditions at the Mount Washington Observatory, atop the highest peak in the north-east, were downright arctic on Saturday afternoon, with the wind chill at -22F (-30C) and winds gusting at 87mph.
In many areas, the snowfall was one for the record books, even if it didn’t stick around. Massachusetts had not seen measurable snow in May since 2002, while in Manhattan’s Central Park, the flakes tied a record set in 1977 for latest snow of the season.
The wintry weather came two days after Vermont began to lift restrictions on tennis, golf and other outdoor activities that had been imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Phil Scott, the state’s governor, tweeted sympathy to Vermonters frustrated by the weather following weeks of being inside.
“I know snow on 9 May isn’t a welcome sight for many Vermonters, just as we’re cautiously allowing outdoor recreation to get going again,” he wrote. “But this is just a snapshot in time. Just like better weather is ahead, better days will come, as well. We will get through this, together.”
Usually the polar vortex is a batch of cold air that stays trapped in the Arctic all winter, but a couple times during the season it wanders south and brings bone-chilling cold and snow to Canada and parts of the US.
A low pressure system off the coast of southern New England helped pull cold air down from the north, said lan Dunham, a meteorologist with the NWS in Norton, Massachusetts.
Cannon said the snow would give way to strong winds upward of 40mph and 50mph in much of the US north-east for the remainder of Saturday, along with unusually cold conditions. There were freeze watches and warnings out for much of the region.
Temperatures were expected to dip below 30F (-1C) from midnight through Sunday morning in parts of New Jersey and New York and a freeze warning was issued from Saturday night until Sunday morning in parts of Pennsylvania.
A once-in-a-decade dump of 80cm+ of snow in early May at Hotham!
Let it snow!
02/05/2020
It's continued snowing lightly all day and we now have over 80cm+ from this remarkable Autumn snowstorm.
Some of the windrifts are over a metre deep! The table-o-metre has nearly disappeared and checkout the breathtaking images in our gallery.
Let's take it all in from our lounge rooms as we remind you that 'stay at home' restrictions remain in place in Victoria until 11 May 2020.
01/05/2020
Mid-winter conditions on the first day of May today at Hotham! An unbelievable dump of 50cm+ in the last 24 hours has seen the snow pillows on the table-o-metre growing by the hour.
With blizzard conditions today, the flakes continue to fall heavily and we could be in for another 15-20cm from this incredible Autumn snowstorm.
30/04/2020
Mother nature has forgotten we’re still in April, delivering a once-in-a-decade Autumn snowstorm with a bang at Hotham. With wet weather all through Victoria, frigid alpine temperatures have blanketed Hotham in 15cm of snow over the last 12 hours. And this is only the entrée, with another 40cm or more still on the way!
It’s continued snowing steadily today with the forecast calling for snow to intensify tonight and all through tomorrow. Blizzard-like conditions at Hotham on Friday will see a maximum temperature of -3C and winds up to 55 kilometres per hour.
With snow showers not easing until Saturday morning, stay home with a Hot(ham) chocolate, rug up and tune in to oursnow camsto watch the snow build up!
FOR DEAR LIFE: Frightened neighbors captured the moment roofers were caught in a powerful storm Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, holding on for their lives as heavy winds tossed debris toward them; the workers reportedly were not injured.
Rwanda – Heavy Rain Leaves 8 Dead, Homes Destroyed
The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MINEMA) inRwandareports that heavy rain fell across the country from 01 May causing severe damages. As of 03 May 8 people had died, 5 were injured, more than 100 houses had collapsed and roads were closed.
Meteo Rwanda said the Mushubati weather station in Rutsiro District recorded 81mm of rainfall on 02 May.
According to Meteo Rwanda, more heavy rain is expected in Kigali city, Northern Province and Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro, Ngororero, Muhanga and Ruhango districts over the next 7 days, increasing the risk of further floods and landslides. MINEMA urged people to take necessary precautions.
Rwanda Red Cross warned of the further difficulties posed by flooding and landslides during the COVID-19 pandemic. Via Social Media, Rwanda Red Cross said:
“Imagine heavy rains resulting in floods and landslides during a pandemic: Disasters that are occurring in Rwanda lead to loss of human life, destruction of crops and homes, loss of livestock. A deterioration of health conditions of communities already affected by the lock-down.”
Flood damage in Rwanda after heavy rainfall from 01 May 2020. Photo: MINEMA
Floods in Rwanda after heavy rainfall from 01 May 2020. Photo: MINEMA
Rainfall reported on 2nd May 2020 from 8:00 am to 3rd May at 8:00 am. Mushubati Weather Station in @RutsiroDistrict recorded the highest rainfall amount of 81 mm.
Imagine heavy rains resulting in floods and landslides during a pandemic: Disasters that are occurring in Rwanda lead to loss of human life, destruction of crops and homes, loss of livestock. A deterioration of health conditions of communities already affected by the lock-down.
More parts of downtown Fort McMurray ordered to evacuate; food bank floods
Flood waters from the Clearwater River cover the Ptarmigan Trailer Park in Waterways on Monday, April 27, 2020.
A mandatory evacuation has been ordered from Hardin Street to Waterways. A voluntary evacuation notice has been given between Hardin Street and the highway 63 bridges.
People affected by this order are asked to report to the Casman Centre at 110 Eymundson to register. The Casman Centre is set up as a secondary registration centre to help alleviate the volume at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre.
Highway 63 remains open. Currently the evacuation does not include the hospital.
Earlier Monday, parts of downtown were ordered to evacuate as the Athbasca, Clearwater and Snye rivers continue flooding into Fort McMurray.
The Wood Buffalo Food Bank has closed after its building flooded Monday morning. Damage is still being assessed.
Heritage Village is also asking for help, as its protective berm is starting to breach. Anyone with dump trucks, sand, dirt or any other helpful equipment can call 780-788-5035.
Other sections of downtown have already been ordered to evacuate due to the flood. They are:
Alberta Drive
Biggs Avenue
Saunderson Avenue
Nixon Street
Crescent Heights
Haineault Street to Hospital Street
Birch Road
Bennett Crescent
Rae Crescent
Centennial Drive
Demers Drive
Armit Crescent
Fitzsimmons Avenue
Father Mercredi Street
Platinum Hotel
Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered for:
Waterways
Taiga Nova Industrial Park
Draper
Longboat Landing
A second state of local emergency has been declared after parts of Fort McMurray saw flooding from the overflowing Athabasca, Snye and Clearwater Rivers. People are being asked not to travel into downtown unless absolutely necessary.
The spring breakup of the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers began at approximately 5:11 a.m. Sunday, elevating the risk of flooding for Fort McMurray’s lower townsite.
Scott, Yurdiga request military support
Mayor Don Scott has requested help from the Canadian Armed Forces as Fort McMurray issues evacuation orders. Since the request was made, most of Fort McMurray is now under a boil water advisory.
Scott said he put in the request on Sunday afternoon. Military assistance could come in the form of digging sandbags, helping with evacuations or clearing the jammed river ice.
Many people have suggested using the military to use explosives to clear the river ice, said Scott.
He is interested to see if this idea could work, since he has been told by First Nation leaders that dynamite has been used in the past to clear ice blockages. However, Scott has been told by the province this idea could be challenging, considering the thickness of the ice. The ice jam is also 24 kilometres long and stretches just north of Fort McKay.
“I would want them to use whatever is effective and safe,” said Scott. “If we needed more assistance, the federal government says they would be there for us.”
Flood waters from the Clearwater River cover the Ptarmigan Trailer Park in Waterways on Monday, April 27, 2020. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network
David Yurdiga, MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, said he forwarded Scott’s request during a meeting with Adam Vaughn, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
Afterwards, Yurdiga was told by National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan that military support would be approved following a formal request from the province.
Alberta’s cabinet is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. today. Environment Minister Jason Nixon is expected to update the government on the situation and the request for military support.
“The number one priority is getting people to a safe location and making sure they have somewhere to go, and I’m glad we have the hotel space for that,” said Yurdiga. “Everything’s on the table for remedying crisis.”
Boil water advisories issued north of Athabasca River
A boil water advisory for all Fort McMurray neighbourhoods north of the Athabasca River bridges has been issued until further notice. This includes:
Dickinsfield
Eagle Ridge
Parsons Creek
Stone Creek
Thickwood
Timberlea
Wood Buffalo
The advisory came shortly after 1 a.m. Monday, when AHS and the municipality began receiving reports of discoloured tap water in neighbourhoods north of the bridges.
Currently, areas south of the bridge have not been affected.
Tap water should not be used for drinking, cooking, making baby formula, making ice, washing fruits or vegetables, brushing teeth and feeding pets before being boiled. The water is safe for bathing.
More information about using water under a boil advisory can be found on the AHS website.
RMWB included flooding in pandemic plans
In a Sunday afternoon interview, Scott said the municipality is “well prepared” to handle evacuations, flood mitigation efforts and public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The registration centre had already been set up for a week when evacuations were ordered, he added, and pandemic response plans created in January considered the possibility of flooding.
“You can’t control Mother Nature, but you can control your response and we have a very effective team on the ground,” said Scott. “We want people to stay calm and follow all the advice and the orders that are in place. It’s absolutely critical that people follow the advice of the officials who are managing this.”
A truck crosses the Saline Creek Bridge in Fort McMurray as flood waters from the Clearwater River rise on Monday, April 27, 2020.
Chunks of river ice beneath bridges crossing the Athabasca River in Fort McMurray, Alberta on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
Ice floes in the Athabasca River seen next to the River Park Glen apartments in Fort McMurray on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
Chunks of ice on the Athabasca River, moments after river breakup began, on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
A park near the Fort McMurray neighbourhood of Waterways floods on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
A solar panel at a Fort McMurray park along the Clearwater River sticks out after the river flooded on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
A sign from the municipality warning people about the breakup of the Clearwater and Athabasca Rivers on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
Yemen is hit by once-in-a generation floods; tens of thousands of families lose everything
People inspect damage caused by floods on a street in Aden, Yemen
Sana’a, 26 April 2020- Initial reports indicate that more than 100,000 people across Yemen have been impacted by torrential rains and flooding since mid-April. Health authorities in Aden Governorate, one of the hardest-hit areas, have confirmed seven deaths, including four children. Two people are missing, and deaths and injuries have been reported elsewhere.
“Countless families have lost everything,” said Ms. Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen.
“This tragedy comes on top of the COVID-19 crisis, which comes on top of the pre-famine last year, which came on top of the worst cholera outbreak in modern history.”
Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Marib and Sana’a governorates and Sana’a City have been worst affected.
Flooding has damaged roads, bridges and the electricity grid, and contaminated water supplies, cutting access to basic services for thousands of people. Conditions are hardest for thousands of families already displaced who have now lost shelter, food rations and household supplies.
Humanitarian agencies have rushed to provide life-saving assistance including emergency health care, food packs, shelter, clean water and survival items. Agencies are also helping to drain water and clean flooded sites.
“Truly, none of us know how much more suffering the people of Yemen can take,” said Ms. Grande.
“The solution is clear. The parties to the conflict need to find the courage to stop fighting and start negotiating.”
“This is the only way this never-ending tragedy will finally stop.”
Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. Nearly 80 per cent of the population requires some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. Ten million people are a step away from famine and 7 million people are malnourished. Of the UN’s 41 major humanitarian programmes, 31 will either reduce or shut unless funding is urgently received.
The last 20 years have been the driest in over 1000 years according to tree-ring data, and scientists don’t expect conditions to get better anytime soon
Global warming has pushed what would have been a moderate drought in southwestern North America into megadrought territory. Williams et al. used a combination of hydrological modeling and tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to show that the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest 19-year span since the late 1500s and the second driest since 800 CE (see the Perspective by Stahle). This appears to be just the beginning of a more extreme trend toward megadrought as global warming continues.
Abstract
Severe and persistent 21st-century drought in southwestern North America (SWNA) motivates comparisons to medieval megadroughts and questions about the role of anthropogenic climate change. We use hydrological modeling and new 1200-year tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to demonstrate that the 2000–2018 SWNA drought was the second driest 19-year period since 800 CE, exceeded only by a late-1500s megadrought. The megadrought-like trajectory of 2000–2018 soil moisture was driven by natural variability superimposed on drying due to anthropogenic warming. Anthropogenic trends in temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation estimated from 31 climate models account for 47% (model interquartiles of 35 to 105%) of the 2000–2018 drought severity, pushing an otherwise moderate drought onto a trajectory comparable to the worst SWNA megadroughts since 800 CE.
Comment by Gerard Zwaan on April 14, 2020 at 10:06pm
April Snowmageddons in the U.S. and Canada: 2.5 Feet in California, 2 Feet in Michigan and New England, 1 Foot in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and Manitoba
Record amounts of snow have fallen on the U.S. and Canada in April 2020. Picture Ian Graham / Canada
Extreme weather over Easter weekend brought heavy snow from North Dakota to Michigan – even breaking old records in some places.
Up to 15 inches of snow in South Dakota
An Easter weekend snow storm made its way across South Dakota, dropping more than a foot of snow in some parts of the state.
Sioux Falls got 5.2 inches, the most snowfall on any date in the city dating back to 1893.
Heavy snow was recorded in Black Hawk with 10 inches, Deadwood with 15 inches, Piedmont with 10.9 inches, Red Shirt with 10 inchesand Saint Onge with 10 inches. [Argus Leader]
Easter snowfall records in Iowa
Several northern Iowa towns saw record amounts of snowfall this Easter Sunday.
Ringsted, Iowa received 11 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Des Moines. Rock Valley received 7 inches. Hull received 6.5 inches. Rock Rapids received 8.3 inches.
Sioux City got 3.7 inches, an April 12 record, and the second-most snow in recorded history there on Easter. [DesMoines Register]
2 feet of snow in 24 hours in Michigan
A winter storm – in April – hit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Sunday and into Monday, leaving nearly two feet of snow in some areas.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, areas between Marquette and Munising saw between 18-24 inches of snow.
A foot of snow in southern Minnesota
A spring storm dumped nearly a foot of heavy, wet snow in southern Minnesota, causing crashes and spinouts for travelers who chose not to stay at home because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The National Weather Service reported nearly 11 inches of snow at Elgin and about 10 inches at Wabasha and Oronoco.
Winds gusts in excess of 35 mph were reported. [KIMT]
A foot of snow in northern Wisconsin
Southern Wisconsin is under a wind advisory as a powerful storm system that dumped more than a foot of snow in northern Wisconsin leaves the state.
The spring storm Sunday into early Monday left 12.5 inches (32 centimeters) of snow in Merrill, 9.1 inches (23 centimeters) in Rhinelander and 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) in Eau Claire. [Star Tribune]
Almost 2 feet of snow in New England
Residents throughout New Hampshire and Maine woke up on Good Friday morning to a blanket of snow far more customary for January than April.
almost 2 feet of snow in New England. Picture: Accuweather
An early-spring snowstorm had painted a similar scene across much of northern New England as it lifted off into Atlantic Canada Thursday night. [AccuWeather,Central Maine]
Up to 31 inches of snow at Mountain High resort in California
For downtown Los Angeles, the rainfall erased a big seasonal deficit and put the total to date above average, with chances for more continuing into Friday.
The storm’s snowfall at the Mountain High resort topped 31 inches.
Despite the spring storms and very full reservoirs, California’s snowpack remains below normal. State authorities have urged people to use water wisely, saying the climate continues to show extreme unpredictability. [LA Times]
And around the world
3 record snowfalls in 6 days for Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
An unprecedented six-day stretch of early April snowfall in Thompson has led to the biggest snow-clearing effort since the blizzard of March 2017.
Snow fell in Thompson four of the six days from April 2 to April 7, setting records on three of them. The 15.6 centimetres that fell last Thursday was the most since 6.8 cm of snow in 1995, while the 34.4 cm that fell on Friday beat the previous record of 6.4 cm from 1967 by 28 cm. Only 2.8 cm fell April 4, well below the 1973 record of 8.4 cm, while the 12.8 cm of snow on April 7 was close to double the previous record of 6.5 cm in 1981.
Friday’s snowfall in Thompson was higher than any day in April up to 2010. The previous highest one-day amount was 22.6 cm and the average snowfall for the entire month of April up to 2010 was 23 cm.
As of April 7, there were 87 cm of snow on the ground in Thompson, the most there has been since 1967, the first year of Environment Canada historical records available online, when there was 84 cm.
The normal amount of snow on the ground at the end of March is 45 cm, slightly more than half of what Thompson had yesterday. The most snow that has ever been on the ground in Thompson is 91 cm, in January and February 1968 and in April 1967. [Thompson Citizen]
Heavy spring snow across New Brunswick, Canada
The winter-like storm brought more than 20 centimetres of snow to parts of New Brunswick overnight.
The snowfall amounts in southern New Brunswick ranged between five and eight centimeters, while observations in the Fredericton area ranged between 13 (5 inches) and 22 centimeters (9 inches).
O’Donnells (between Boiestown and Doaktown): 22.1 cm Miramichi: 20.3 cm
Keswick Ridge: 20.1 cm
The Saint John Airport reported a wind gust of 72 km/h overnight, Grand Manan saw a wind gust of 64 km/h and the Moncton region saw wind gusts reach 63 km/h. [Country 94]
First April snow falls in 26 years in Tajikistan
The snow has fallen in Dushanbe in April for the first time during the past 26 years, Asia-Plus reported.
The snow is 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) thick in different parts of the capital city.
Snow is rare for Tajikistan in mid-spring. The country almost did not have snow during the past winter. [Aki Press]
The southeastern United States is being pummeled with tornadoes, but the largest storm, an EF5 tornado, has killed at least 18 people in Mississippi.
One person suggested it was the most destructive tornado since Joplin, Missouri in 2011, but Oklahoma had two EF5 tornadoes after that in May 2011 in El Reno and May 2013 in Moore/Newcastle.
Meteorologist Alex Lamers tweeted, “I don’t recall ever seeing two such massive debris fallout signatures in close proximity before. Any radar experts remember one?”
The concern was that there may have been two EF5 tornadoes because there were two debris balls being observed on radar. Meteorologists, climatologists and weather experts all concluded it was like nothing they’ve ever seen before.
The concern was that there may have been two EF5 tornadoes because there were two debris balls being observed on radar. Meteorologists, climatologists and weather experts all concluded it was like nothing they’ve ever seen before.
"..There has not been an EF5 tornado reported since May 20, 2013—the third longest “drought” of such on record. The longest F5/EF5-free periods are April 1, 1884 to June 15, 1892 (8 years 45 days) and May 3, 1999 to May 4, 2007 (8 years exactly). A new record for longest F5/EF5 “drought” will be established if no EF5s occur before July 5, 2021. (Published April 9, 2020)
Tropical Cyclone '"Harold" aftermath: Widespread destruction across Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga
Tropical Cyclone "Harold" lashed Tonga on Thursday, April 9, 2020, after leaving major destruction across the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji. Harold is the first Category 5 severe tropical cyclone to form in the South Pacific basin since 2018 and so far the strongest storm of the 2019/20 South Pacific cyclone season. The storm demolished almost all tourist resorts in Tonga with winds of up to 260 km/h (162 mph).
Harold intensified again into a Category 5 storm by early Thursday, April 9, leaving meteorologists surprised as forecasts initially showed that the storm's strength was dropping.
Prior to the storm's arrival, the government had declared a state of emergency-- the second time in a month, following a similar declaration for the global pandemic, COVID-19.
Strong winds caused powerdisruptionsin parts of the island, particularly the capital Nuku'alofa. Heavy rains caused extensive damage to vegetation as well. At least three tourist resorts in the north had been completely eradicated, according to the authorities.
"I think we're going to spend an Easter doing a lot of cleaning up and we didn't get the brunt of the cyclone, even the tailwinds were pretty strong,"saidRNZ Pacific correspondent Kalafi Moala, who is based in the capital city.
"There are trees on the road that need to be cut and moved and that's why the power is still off in Tongatapu because we need to do a lot of clearance of the trees before they reconnect," he added.
Tropical Cyclone "Harold" track April 2020. Credit: UW-CIMSS
There werereportsof fatalities on the island, however, the exact numbers and further information has not yet been confirmed due to impacted communication lines.
An extreme high tide warning remains in force for the entire country until Saturday, April 11, while a gale warning for Vava'u and Ha'apai had been extended to Tongatapu and 'Eua. Meanwhile, Niua still has a strong wind warning in force, while a heavy damaging swell and small craft advisory is in effect for all of Tonga.
The National Emergency Management Office urged residents to stay away from coastal areas until Cyclone Harold had completely exited. Tonga was the third island country in the South Pacific hit by the cyclone in just a matter of days.
Among the islands impacted by the storm were the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji.
On April 2, people from theSolomonIslands felt the storm's brunt as it spawned strong winds, heavy rains, and rough seas. 27 fatalities were reported after strong waves swept off a ferry that had more than 700 passengers on board.
According to the National Emergency Operations Center, 57 houses were destroyed while another 20 were damaged. In addition, seven classrooms were hit.
Knocked down trees and branches in Honiara caused widespread power outages, damage to buildings, and blocked several roads.
Among the affected buildings was the National Referral Hospital and the San Isidoro school for the deaf, where one roof was torn. The Kukum highway was also impassable after floodwaters submerged the road.
A swollen stream swept away a portion of abridgeconnecting parts of the northwestern Guadalcanal to Honiara. Damages were reported as well in the provinces of Rennel and Bellona as flooding and torn trees hit several buildings.
On April 6, Harold made landfall on Vanuatu's Espirito Santo island. It was the first Category 5 severe tropical cyclone to hit the country since Cyclone Pam in 2015.
Luganville MP Matai Seremaiahsaidup to 70 percent of buildings have been reduced to rubbles in the area, the second-largest town in Vanuatu. It was transformed by the direct hit from the Category 5 storm, he added.
Casualties have also been reported on the island a couple of days after the storm. Two people died on Malo island, while thousands more remain in evacuation centers.
Electricity had been restored to a hospital, but water supply and shelter are still in dire need. "When I got down yesterday I was just lost, just don't know where to start," said Seremaiah on Thursday.
"What we're doing now is we went on to some communities and started organizing young people to group up and to equip them with chainsaws and start clearing up the yards because if we don't clear up the yards they start to attract mosquitos and then the next thing we have malaria or dengue fever coming in."
The MP added that help was desperately needed as many people are left homeless. Contact is still to be established in many rural areas, but assessments from other areas like Pentecost are grim.
"There's a lot of injuries but all the dispensaries are down and they're airlifting them to Port Vila. The cyclone passed them at night and it's really bad, from the central part to the southern part of Pentecost. Many people are living outside at the moment," he stated.
Later this week, the New Zealand military will head to Vanuatu to deliver aid. Foreign minister Winston Peters said the plane will be packed with other supplies as well, including satellite phones, agricultural kits, and chainsaws. The private chopper will also be used for medical evacuations.
The National Disaster Management Office said all incoming relief will be sealed and managed by assigned people equipped with the appropriate protective gear.
On April 9, Fiji authorities have begun damage assessments following Harold's devastation as a Category 4 storm. Widespread flooding and damage to homes were reported across the country.
Although the full extent of the damage is still not clear, authorities are advising the public to remain in their homes.
Accordingto Misa Funaki of the Fiji Meteorological Service, communication networks were down in the outer islands, including Kadavu which was severely hit. Most of the damages were reported in that area as well.
"Reports are coming in on the devastation caused by Harold-- not only on the main island of Viti Levu but more so in the maritime islands of the Lomaiviti and Lau group," said Funaki.
"Reports are coming in of the damage-- of houses being ripped apart and of storm surges in the remote islands," he continued.
The village of Naioti bore the brunt of the cyclone as houses were pounded and debris was scattered across the place. A full assessment of the damage in Kadavu, southern Lau, and smaller islands nearby is being conducted.
A major clean-up operation is now underway, with police officials and military clearing debris and evacuating people from flooded rivers. The last time the island was during the 206 Cyclone Winston, the strongest in the southern hemisphere which killed 44.
According to Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the damage Fiji took from Harold has been severe. "We didn’t know it would be that bad but there was some very bad damage, a couple of schools, that one in Nakasi and there’s one photo that was taken in, one of the islands, I think it was Matuku, the whole school had gone."
"In addition, we had some home that you may have seen in Waidamudamu that was taken out by Tropical Cyclone Harold."
"I am pleading with Fijians to stay out of the floodwaters. Keep your children out of floodwaters. These waters are deadly, unpredictable and can carry debris that can maim or kill," he also stated.
"This must end. Everyone must immediately shelter indoors, in their homes or evacuation centers."
On the forecast track, Harold is expected to continue moving southeast over the Pacific, weakening as it travels off Tonga into Friday, April 10. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall with thunderstorms are predicted over southern Lau Islands group, while moderate to locally heavy rainfall with strong winds and storm surge are forecast over southern Tonga.
Record amounts of snow have fallen on the U.S. and Canada in April 2020. Picture Ian Graham / Canada
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