Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Jan Mayen Islands.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Raung (East Java): Eruption spewed blazing lava and volcanic ash around 300 meters high into the sky on Sunday evening and was heard 20 kilometres away, and ash fall was seen in villages about 10 kilometres away from the summit. The status has been raised from ‘waspada’ (alert) to ‘siaga’ (high alert).
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 Earthquake hits near the coast of southern Peru.
5.2 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
India - The death toll in the recent floods in Gujarat, India has risen to at least 81 people with thousands of pilgrims being airlifted from the Uttarakhand region. Choppers airlifted nearly 8,500 people from the Hindu shrine of Badrinath and the Sikh pilgrimage Hemkund Sahib, located in Chamoli district.
Bangladesh - At least 23 people have died in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that lashed southeastern Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people were marooned on higher ground as flood waters submerged areas around Cox's Bazar and the hilly district of Bandarban.
Philippines - At least 25,000 persons in 15 villages of Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao province have been displaced by floods, which in some areas were as bad as neck deep, officials said. Mayor Ramdatu Angas said the local government has declared a state of calamity in the entire town as flood water from the Ala River has been rising due to the torrential rain in the mountains of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
China - A massive landslide on the northern bank of the Daning River in Wushan County of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China has left one missing and injured four others.
Vietnam - Flash floods triggered by a tropical storm Kujira have killed seven people and left four others missing in a northern Vietnamese province. Flash floods washed away more than 20 houses in the province. Tropical Storm Kujira which slammed northern coast on Wednesday has now dissipated, according to the national weather forecasters. The storm has dumped up to 20 centimetres (nearly 8 inches) of rain on many parts of northern region over the past two days.
Philippines - Three people were confirmed dead as overnight heavy rains in South Cotabato province caused rivers to swell, causing flash floods and landslides, reports said. Authorities estimate that at least 10,000 people had been affected by the flooding. The flood waters have reached as high as 1.5 metres in some areas.
Wildfires - USA
Hundreds of lightning strikes overnight have sparked three dozen new wildfires in Northern California, authorities said Sunday.
The 36 blazes triggered by 800 lightning strikes were small and quickly put out, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Meanwhile, about 3,000 firefighters continued to make progress on five large wildfires around the state.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits Assam, India.
5.2 Earthquake hits Egypt.
5.1 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits Hawaii Island, Hawaii.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Invest 90C remains an area of disturbed weather in the central Pacific with potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
India - Surprise floods in parts of Gujarat this week have killed at least seven Asiatic lions and more than a dozen big cats remain missing in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir districts, officials said on Saturday. As the flood waters receded in the affected areas, forest department officials found the carcasses of seven lions, including that of a three-month-old cub. Besides lions, the floods have also killed hundreds of other wild animals like blue bulls and spotted deer.
Afghanistan - Floods in the Sayed Khail district of central Parwan province have displaced more than a hundred families and damaged farmlands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Invest 90C remains an area of disturbed weather in the central Pacific with potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
India - Surprise floods in parts of Gujarat this week have killed at least seven Asiatic lions and more than a dozen big cats remain missing in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir districts, officials said on Saturday. As the flood waters receded in the affected areas, forest department officials found the carcasses of seven lions, including that of a three-month-old cub. Besides lions, the floods have also killed hundreds of other wild animals like blue bulls and spotted deer.
Afghanistan - Floods in the Sayed Khail district of central Parwan province have displaced more than a hundred families and damaged farmlands.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Manam (Papua New Guinea): According to Darwin VAAC, an ash plume from the volcano rose 8,000 ft and extended 70 km to the NE today. The volcano seems to be in a phase of intermittent mild explosive activity.
Raung (East Java): Eruptive activity continues in the volcano's summit crater. Heat emission remains intense, suggesting the presence of lava (flow?), likely in combination with more or less intense strombolian activity. An ash plume was seen on satellite data last Friday. (VAAC Darwin)
Sangeang Api (Indonesia): Satellite data suggest that a new lava flow is active traveling from the summit crater of Doro Api through a narrow ravine on the SE side of the volcano. It is possible that effusive activity which began in early June last year in reality never ceased, but increased again now. The volcano began erupting with a large explosion on 30 May and several smaller ones in early June last year. This was followed by the effusion of a flow that quickly traveled down the SE slope of the volcano. Thermal signals remained intense until November 2014, then decreased, but did not disappear, but clearly picked up again late April this year, indicating the presence of active lava always in the same path. The current length of the flow is probably around 1.5 km.
Dukono (Halmahera): Ash emissions at variying intensity continue from the volcano. Darwin VAAC reported ah ash plume that rose to 6,000 ft (1.8 km) and extended 50 km NE yesterday.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Invest 90C in the central Pacific is an area of disturbed weather with potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
Pakistan - Flash floods in a mountainous district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwest Pakistan have claimed the lives of at least 10 people. A madrassa and several buildings were also destroyed.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.
5.1 Earthquake hits the western Indian-Antarctic ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits Unimak Island, Alaska.
Corals Adapting to Global Warming
Some coral populations already have genetic variants necessary to tolerate warm ocean waters, and humans can help to spread these genes, a team of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Oregon State University have found. The discovery has implications for many reefs now threatened by global warming and shows for the first time that mixing and matching corals from different latitudes may boost reef survival.
The researchers crossed corals from naturally warmer areas of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia with corals from a cooler latitude nearly 300 miles to the south. The scientists found that coral larvae with parents from the north, where waters were about 2 degrees Celsius warmer, were up to 10 times as likely to survive heat stress, compared with those with parents from the south. Using genomic tools, the researchers identified the biological processes responsible for heat tolerance and demonstrated that heat tolerance could evolve rapidly based on existing genetic variation.
Worldwide, coral reefs have been badly damaged by rising sea surface temperatures. Bleaching—a process that can cause widespread coral death due to loss of the symbiotic algae that corals depend on for food—has been linked to warming waters. Some corals, however, have higher tolerance for elevated temperatures, though until now no one understood why some adapted differently than others.
Python Eats Porcupine, Regrets It Later
It isn't unusual for pythons to eat porcupines, Fuller told Live Science in an email. In fact, many species of snakes eat porcupines and other horned or quilled animals, according to a study published in 2003 in the Phyllomedusa Journal of Herpetology. And while a 30-lb. meal might sound like too much to digest, it isn't if you're a python.
Rangers found the snake underneath a rocky ledge, where it had apparently fallen. On impact, the quills inside its engorged belly may have pierced the python's digestive tract, which probably killed the animal.
Rangers also took measurements of the snake's massive body, which measured 12.8 feet (3.9 meters) long. The snake's head features a dual set of lower jaws that move independently of one another, allowing the animal to open wide to swallow large prey.
Santiago Smog Emergency Shuts Down Chile's Capital
The first smog emergency for the Chilean capital in 16 years forced officials to shut down 3,000 factories and other businesses, and to order thousands of cars off Santiago’s roadways.
A toxic blanket of gray wintertime smog has covered the sprawling city for much of June, trapped by the Andes to the east and smaller hills around the capital.
A temperature inversion in the lower atmosphere, typical during winter, provided a "cap" for the layer of smog.
The stagnant air has been accompanied by the driest June in four decades, with no rain predicted for at least another week.
Authorities recommended that the city’s 7 million residents avoid outdoor activities due to potential health problems that may be brought on by exposure to the smog.
But the hazardous pollution peaked just as Chile was hosting the Copa America, with Santiago being one of the main venues.
The federation organizing the soccer (football) competition does not allow matches to be canceled because of poor air quality.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Update
On 21 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates notified WHO of 2 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.
Between 24 and 26 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 6 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) alongside 4 additional deaths.
To date, a total of 181 MERS-CoV cases, including 31 deaths, have been reported in South Korea.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.3 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Tanimbar, Indonesia.
5.2 Earthquake hits near the south coast of Papua, Indonesia.
5.1 Earthquake hits the D’Entrecasteaux Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit south of the Kermedec Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Philippines - Floods spawned by torrential rains since Tuesday night swelled rivers criss-crossing the adjoining Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces, inundating more than a hundred barangays and vast swaths of rice farms. Dozens of villages in Koronadal City, some 40 kilometres southeast of Maguindanao, were hit by rampaging floods Wednesday after more than 12 hours of heavy downpours. More than 4,000 peasant families in five towns in Sultan Kudarat and in Tacurong City were dislocated by floods that swept through farmlands near rivers.
Russia - Flash floods brought the Black Sea resort of Sochi to a standstill on Thursday and apparently killed at least one person as it halted trains and left cars half-submerged in the city where Russia staged the Winter Olympics. Roads were impassable and people were trying to retrieve parked cars that had been left almost completely under water. Others were clearing flooded cellars and courtyards where the water was knee-high. Rain also affected other areas of southern Russia, including the wheat producing and exporting region of Krasnodar, which started harvesting a few days ago.
India - Heavy rains have been battering the worst-affected Saurashtra region, where more than 50 people have died in flood-related incidents. Nearly 10,000 people have been moved to higher ground, including 1,000 who were airlifted to safety. House collapses have been responsible for most of the deaths and the toll is likely to increase. India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season.
Kashmir, India - Several parts of south Kashmir were inundated on Thursday with streams and rivulets running in spate and the Jhelum flowing above the danger mark as heavy rainfall lashed the region. A flood alert was sounded late last night for Anantnag and Pulwama districts with the MeT department predicting more rain over the next 48 hours.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 123.0 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5 degrees Celsius) at Death Valley, California, USA.
The week's coldest temperature was minus 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 73.1 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Texas Bans Shark Finning
Across the globe, sharks are being murdered for a culinary gimmick — shark fin soup, even though shark fins offer virtually no flavour or nutritional value. Shark finners slice off sharks' pectoral and dorsal fins, often while the animals are still alive, and throw them back overboard to drown or bleed to death. According to the most recent statistics from the journal Ecology Letters, shark finning accounts for 73 million shark deaths every year.
This weekend, the state of Texas took an important step forward for global shark conservation by becoming the 10th U.S. state to ban the trade of shark fins. Although shark finning is banned in U.S. waters, it continues in other countries where fishing is more poorly regulated. And even though finning itself is illegal, many U.S. states have no rules against the trade of shark fins, allowing them to be imported and exported within the country.
Wildfires - USA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Evacuations have been canceled for around a thousand people north of Los Angeles as a brush fire that consumed some 350 acres has been reduced to smouldering hotspots.
At the height of the blaze some 500 homes, including an entire mobile home park, were evacuated in the Newhall area of Santa Clarita. The fire began shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday on the shoulder of Interstate 5, briefly closing freeway lanes. Firefighters started to get it surrounded several hours later.
Meanwhile, crews relied on retardant-dropping aircraft to battle a huge forest fire that has been burning for a week in an inaccessible area of the San Bernardino Mountains. A change in wind direction forced the evacuation of several hundred campers on Wednesday, after several hundred more had done the same over the weekend. The blaze about 90 miles east of Los Angeles was partially contained after burning nearly 30 square miles of old-growth timber.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
A wildfire has grown to 26 square miles in hazardous and inaccessible terrain south of Lake Tahoe and is moving closer to structures, officials said.
No buildings have been damaged, but the mountain town of Markleeville remained on standby Wednesday for possible evacuations, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Several campgrounds have been evacuated, and two highways have been closed.
The fire, ignited by lightning Friday, was 10 percent contained by Wednesday evening. Air tankers and helicopters helped 900 firefighters battle the blaze about 20 miles west of the Nevada border. One firefighter received a heat-related injury Tuesday.
Strong, erratic winds and severe drought conditions have stoked the fire, and smoke can be seen as far away as Carson City, Nevada.
ALASKA
Growing wildfires have led to more evacuations in Alaska's parched interior, with an international mushing champion evacuating his dogs from one of two communities where residents voluntarily fled their homes.
More than 270 fires are burning in Alaska, including one near Eureka that led Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race champion Brent Sass to evacuate his dogs to Fairbanks, news station KTUU reported.
In Tanana, a tribal nonprofit flew 62 people 130 miles to Fairbanks, focusing on elders, children and people with health conditions. The Tanana Chiefs Conference, a consortium of 42 villages in the interior, also flew six people from the village of Hughes on Tuesday as a precaution in case it gets worse in that village, which is about 10 miles from a fire.
An area just north of Fairbanks also faced an evacuation advisory. Fairbanks, the interior's largest city, also has been smoky because of fires in the region even though it hasn't been directly touched by flames.
There were 40 new fires reported Tuesday, bringing the total of active fires to 278. Altogether, fires have burned nearly 636 square miles.
OREGON
A wildfire scorching a remote part of southwestern Oregon has grown to nearly 8 square miles, but hundreds of firefighters have worked to get it nearly halfway contained.
The lightning-sparked blaze started June 11 and is burning in the Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest.
WASHINGTON
Cooler temperatures have helped temper the growth of a wildfire burning in Olympic National Park.
Typhoid Fever 'Superbug' Spreading Around the World
An antibiotic-resistant strain of typhoid has spread around the world in recent years, causing health officials to lately sound the alarm.
While the disease can be prevented by a vaccine and treated with antibiotics, it can also prove fatal in up to 20 percent of patients who go untreated.
A single family of waterborne bacteria responsible for the disease, called H58, has not only developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, but it has become the dominant strain in many of the poorer countries in which about 30 million people become infected each year.
The Salmonella Typhi bacteria is contracted by drinking or eating contaminated material, and causes symptoms that include fever, nausea, abdominal pain and pink spots on the chest.
Outbreaks have been reported this year in western India, Zambia and Uganda.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits southern Alaska.
5.3 Earthquake hits South Africa.
5.1 Earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Panama-Costa Rica border.
5.0 Earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico.
5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Bio-Bio, Chile.
5.0 Earthquake hits east of North Island, New Zealand.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
China - A massive landslide on the northern bank of the Daning River in Wushan County of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China has left one missing and injured four others.
Vietnam - Flash floods triggered by a tropical storm Kujira have killed seven people and left four others missing in a northern Vietnamese province. Flash floods washed away more than 20 houses in the province. Tropical Storm Kujira which slammed northern coast on Wednesday has now dissipated, according to the national weather forecasters. The storm has dumped up to 20 centimetres (nearly 8 inches) of rain on many parts of northern region over the past two days.
Philippines - Three people were confirmed dead as overnight heavy rains in South Cotabato province caused rivers to swell, causing flash floods and landslides, reports said. Authorities estimate that at least 10,000 people had been affected by the flooding. The flood waters have reached as high as 1.5 metres in some areas.
Landmark Global Warming Decision in Netherlands Court
In a landmark case that may set a very important precedent for other countries around the world, especially within Europe, the Dutch government has been ordered by the courts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.
The ruling came from a class-action lawsuit that was brought before the Dutch courts by Urgenda in 2012. The case, rather magnificently, was based on human rights laws. Specifically, Urgenda asked the courts to "declare that global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius will lead to a violation of fundamental human rights worldwide," and that the Dutch government is "acting unlawfully by not contributing its proportional share to preventing a global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius."
Today, a Dutch court at The Hague ruled in favour of Urgenda, ruling that the Netherlands' plans to cut emissions by only 14-17 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 were illegal. Moreover, the wording used by the judges in the ruling is incredibly strong and clear-cut: “The state should not hide behind the argument that the solution to the global climate problem does not depend solely on Dutch efforts ... Any reduction of emissions contributes to the prevention of dangerous climate change and as a developed country the Netherlands should take the lead in this.”
Global Top 10 Greenhouse Gas Emitters
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.0 Earthquake hits La Rioja, Argentina.
5.0 Earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm 08w (Kujira), located approximately 46 nm southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam, is tracking west-northwestward at 05 knots.
NewsBytes:
Illinois, USA - The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado in Coal City, Illinois at 9:58 p.m Monday. The tornado damaged homes, bringing down power lines and leaving roadways flooded. At least 5 people were reported injured. At least 13 tornadoes have been reported across the United States Monday night. The National Weather Service said the towns of Coal City, Sublette and Mendota were among the hardest hit by the severe weather.
Deadly Heatwave in Pakistan - Update
The death toll from the ongoing heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has passed 700, as mortuaries reached capacity. At least 744 people died in Karachi and 38 in other areas. Officials have been criticised for not doing enough to tackle the crisis.
On Tuesday as temperatures reached 45C (113F), Pakistan's PM called for emergency measures and the army was deploying to help set up heat stroke centres. There is anger among local residents at the authorities because power cuts have restricted the use of air-conditioning units and fans. Matters have been made worse by the widespread abstention from water during daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadan. 612 people had died in the main government-run hospitals in the city of Karachi during the past four days. Another 80 are reported to have died in private hospitals.
Thousands of people are being treated in the Sindh province, and some of them are in serious condition. Many of the victims are elderly people from low-income families. Hot weather is not unusual during summer months in Pakistan, but prolonged power cuts seem to have made matters worse. Sporadic angry protests have taken place in parts of Karachi, with some people blaming the government and Karachi's main power utility, K-Electric, for failing to avoid deaths.
The body's normal core temperature is 37-38C. If it heats up to 39-40C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down and fatigue sets in. At 40-41C heat exhaustion is likely - and above 41C the body starts to shut down. Chemical processes start to be affected, the cells inside the body deteriorate and there is a risk of multiple organ failure. The body cannot even sweat at this point because blood flow to the skin stops, making it feel cold and clammy. Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and if not treated immediately, chances of survival can be slim.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
Between 13 and 17 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 5 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.
Between 20 and 23 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 9 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) alongside 3 additional deaths.
Fresh Cholera Outbreak in Sudan
At least 19 people have died and nearly 200 admitted at Cholera centres in the South Sudan capital, Juba, as government declared an outbreak of the disease.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Nishino-shima (Volcano Islands, Japan): The eruption on the island continues with apparently relatively steady lava effusion that feeds active flows reaching and enlarging the SE corner of the island, which has now 2.7 square kilometer of surface. Mild strombolian activity and strong degassing occurs at the main vent, where a nice cinder cone has grown. The lava mostly flows through tubes, where it is hidden, to reach the active lava delta on the SE tip of the island. A smaller part seems also to feed/inflate inland surface lava flows in an area NE of the cone.
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): A series of larger pyroclastic flows occurred yesterday, reaching lengths of up to 4.5 km and producing ash plumes that rose up to approx. 4 km. Most likely, the now relatively large dome is currently again a phase of increased destabilization and more of such dangerous pyroclastic flows (hot block and ash flows) can be expected.
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): The volcano remains highly active, producing regularly 5-10 or even more vulanian-type explosions on a daily basis. A few hours ago, JMA recorded the 650th this year alone.
Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka, Russia): A small ash emission from the volcano was reported on Saturday. Based on satellite imagery, an ash plume rose to 24,000 ft (7.2 km) altitude and drifted north (Tokyo VAAC).
Asama (Honshu): Weak activity continues from the volcano's summit crater. Small ash emissions, intense degassing as well as weak incandescence from the volcano's crater have been observed during the past days.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.3 Earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.
5.6 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.0 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm 08w (Kujira), located approximately 41 nm east-southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam, is tracking northwestward at 11 knots.
Severe Solar Storm
A severe solar storm slammed Earth on Monday afternoon, increasing the chances of fluctuations in the power grid and GPS. It also pushes shimmering polar auroras to places where more people can possibly see them.
Federal forecasters said the Northern Lights may be able to be seen Tuesday night as far south as Iowa or Pennsylvania.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a potent blast of magnetic plasma shot out of the sun on Sunday, travelling faster than usual, hitting Earth with the biggest solar storm since September 2005. The storm could last a day or longer.
Wildfires - Alaska, USA
Forty-seven new wildfires were sparked around Alaska on Sunday, pushing the solstice weekend total to 152.
Interior Alaska received a large portion of Sunday’s new fires — leading to burned structures, evacuations, a thick haze and air-quality advisories. An estimated 25 fires are active within 100 miles of Fairbanks.
Roughly eight miles southwest of the town of Anderson, the Rex Complex Fire has burned six houses and two minor structures and led to the evacuation of 25 residents. Rex Complex is comprised of two lightning-caused fires — the 5,000-acre Kobe Fire and 1,000-acre Fish Creek Fire.
The lightning-caused Nulato River Fire started about 5 p.m. Sunday, quickly grew to 75 acres and now threatens village infrastructure.
The roughly 600-acre Anaconda Creek Fire, about eight miles north of 24 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road, is being closely watched by the AICC. An air tanker is on the scene and structure protection is being performed.
The 10,000-acre Healy Lake Fire continues to burn near the Tanana River, but hasn’t changed much in the last few days, Capps said. The fire was discovered June 16.
Long Lake Fire — The 9,000-acre lightning-caused fire, two miles southeast of Northway, started Saturday afternoon. The fire currently is traveling away from the village. Moose Creek Fire was consumed by, and combined with, Long Lake Fire.
Chisana River Fire — Thirty miles south of the Long Lake Fire is the 33,805-acre Chisana River Fire, now the largest in the state. The fire has been burning 16 miles south of the Alaska Highway and 18 miles from the Canadian border since a June 9 lightning strike. Several cabins are threatened.
Tanana Slough Fire — 128 personnel are assigned to the 745-acre fire southeast of Fairbanks.
Nenana Ridge — Discovered on Saturday, the 500-acre fire in continuous black spruce has four personnel assigned to it.
Chitanana River Fire — The lightning-caused 800-acre fire is in monitor status. Iron Fire — Inside Denali National Park and Preserve, the fire encompasses 1,500 acres and had multiple starts or is spotting. The black spruce and tundra fire is in a monitor status.
Birch Creek — The fire northeast of Fairbanks spans 10,700 acres and is in monitor status.
Wildfires - Oregon, USA
Crews are trying to contain a wildfire burning south of the Succor Creek State Natural Area in Eastern Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management said Monday the 175-acre blaze was spotted the night before by an aircraft returning from a wildfire in Idaho. The cause of the wildfire has yet to be determined and there’s no estimate for when it might be contained.
Elsewhere, crews in southwest Oregon used a controlled burning operation to make progress on the nearly 5,000-acre Buckskin fire.
Wildfires, New Mexico, USA
Several fires are burning in the Gila National Forest, all of which were started by lightning strike this week. Three of the five are burning less than 400 acres, but officials did not say whether they were the three being used to achieve resource objectives.
The largest, the Pinon Fire, is burning 3,100 acres and is in Cox Canyon, east of Forest Road 94. It is moving in a northeasterly direction at a low to moderate pace.
The second-largest, the Moore Fire, is burning 1,700 acres on the Tom Moore Mesa in the Gila Wilderness.
Measles in Sudan
Confirmed cases of measles in Sudan this year already have quadrupled compared with the number for the entirety of last year, with the majority of those diagnosed with the disease being children under the age of 15. In light of the recent outbreak, Sudan on Monday launched the second part of a vaccination campaign against measles.
Anywhere between 500 and 600 cases of the infectious disease diagnosed yearly in the country is common, but the recent outbreak is the highest it has been in years, according to the United Nations. As of Monday, there were 2,511 cases of measles, and 38 people have died from the disease that is very rarely fatal because of vaccinations.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): The Alaska Volcano Observatory detected that a new (so far minor) eruptive episode has started at the volcano recently: "Elevated surface temperatures have been detected in satellite images at the summit of Cleveland for the past week, and an image from June 14 shows very light ash cover on the volcano's upper flanks. Thus the volcano has entered a renewed period of unrest and we are raising the Color Code to Yellow and the Alert Level to Advisory. The increase in temperature at the summit is consistent with renewed growth of the small lava dome within the summit crater. The possibility of sudden explosions has increased." (AVO)
Kuchinoerabu-jima (Ryukyu Islands): Another eruption occurred from the Shindake crater shortly after noon on 18 June. It was not directly observed due to cloud cover and the island being evacuated, but sent out a clear explosion signal picked up on seismic stations. Japan maintains the highest alert level (5 out of 5) and the evacuated island inhabitants are currently not allowed to return to their homes.
Bulusan (Luzon Island, Philippines): Another eruption, moderately strong, occurred 14:55 last Friday, producing an ash column that rose 1.5 km. The eruption was not directly visible, only parts of the ash plume could be spotted, but could be heard as rumbing in Monbon village.
Manam (Papua New Guinea): An ash plume rising to estimated 10,000 ft and extending 35 km NW was reported yesterday by Darwin VAAC. Manam has been having intermittent periods with mostly minor eruptive activity for several years. A phase of increased explosive activity has been going on since late March this year.
Raung (East Java): A strong thermal signal visible on satellite data suggests that eruptive activity in the volcano's summit crater has again picked up during the past two days. During late 2014 and early 2015, the volcano had been in strombolian activity and effused a lava flow inside its vast summit caldera. This activity had gradually decreased during the past months, but might now have resumed.
Wolf (Galápagos Islands, Ecuador): The eruption that started 4 weeks ago continues strongly, but from the location of the origin of the thermal signal it seems that since around 13 June, the eruption has been occurring from vents inside the vast summit caldera rather than from the fissure vents that opened on the upper ESE flank on 25 May. This could be because the dike (the fissure inside the edifice serving as pathway for the magma) that fed the original eruption has simply propagated into the caldera floor, or because an entirely new dike, hence a simultaneous second eruption has occurred. As judging from the thermal signal, the eruption continues with increased strength since mid June.
Pacaya (Guatemala): Mild strombolian activity has resumed in the main (Mackenney) crater of the volcano. INSIVUMEH reported intense degassing, small ash emissions, incandescence at night and volcanic tremor. The seismic activity of the volcano has been increasing during the past days accompanying the onset of the new eruptive phase. There is a possibility that it further increases and produces a more violent eruptive phase with lava fountaining and/or lava flow activity.
Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has been relatively intense. Strombolian-type explosions with abundant incandescent bombs up to 200 m and ash plumes rising 1000 m have been frequent. A lava flow of 200 m length is active in the direction of the Santa Teresa drainage (WSW side). Explosions generated strong rumblings and weak shock waves. In addition, locomotive-like degassing sounds lasting several minutes can often be heard.
Ubinas (Peru): A new phase of intermittent explosions and associated ash emissions from the volcano started Saturday evening (20 June). The new surge of activity has been accompanied by a rise of seismic activity since early June, characterized by earthquakes related to rock fracturing under the volcano and signals caused by internal fluid movements, both results of increased internal pressure. A weak thermal anomaly had also become visible on satellite data since mid June, as more heat is being transferred to the crater of the volcano. This announced the rising of a new magma batch that is now causing the currently still small eruptions.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm 08w (Kujira), located approximately 220 nm northeast of Da Nang, Vietnam, is tracking northward at 06 knots.
NewsBytes:
New Zealand - The clean-up operation from the record flooding in the central North Island over the weekend could take up to a month. More than 400 people were evacuated from flood-hit homes in lower North Island towns across Taranaki, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Rangitikei and Whanganui over the weekend. Flooding caused road and bridge closures, cut power to homes, and forced people across the regions to spend the night in emergency accommodation or with friends and family. Several land slips were also reported. The flooding, described as a one in 85-year event, is the worst ever recorded in Whanganui - worse even than the lower North Island flooding of 2004.
Texas, USA - More rains that swept through North Texas over the weekend caused flooding that closed some roads, seeped into homes, and caused the collapse of the Hunt County bridge.
Lagos, Nigeria - Persistent rains in Lagos, especially in the last two days, have brought floods submerging cars and houses while buildings with weak foundations brought down. Affected areas in the state included Iju, Oshodi, Agege, Onipanu, Ketu, Yaba, Mushin and Abule Egba, Okota, Isolo, Ijora, some parts of Ikeja, Marine Beach, Ikorodu and FESTAC Town.
Deadly Heatwave in Pakistan
Nearly 150 people have died from heatstroke in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi in the last two days, officials said Monday. Hospital reports confirm at least 148 deaths.
Hundreds more are being treated for heat-related ailments, including fever and dehydration, most of the deaths have been among elderly people.
Karachi has been in the grip of a rare heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). A collapse of the local power grid over the weekend made matters worse. The heat wave is the worst in at least a decade, but the arrival of monsoon rains in the coming days should bring relief.
Common Banana in Danger of Being Wiped Out
Although there are about 1,000 different varieties of banana, almost all that are cultivated for export is of the type called the Cavendish, sometimes called the table banana. It’s long, slender, and thick-skinned, and sold in most supermarkets in Western countries.
But a fungal disease currently spreading across banana plantations is threatening to wipe out the Cavendish crop.
Known by scientists as the Tropical Race 4 (TR4) strain of Fusarium wilt, and commonly called the Panama disease, the disease first appeared in Taiwan, and has since spread to much of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and even Australia.
The United States, which produces very little of its own banana consumption, imported 4.35 million metric tons of the fruit in 2012 (about 31 pounds per person), mainly from Latin America.
A disease outbreak there would mean no more bananas for Americans and others who import the ubiquitous Cavendish.
Currently, there are no known treatments for the disease.
Researchers think that the disease is spread through workers who carry the pathogen after working in contaminated fields.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Volcano Islands off Japan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical depression 08w (Kujira), located approximately 186 nm east of Da Nang, Vietnam, is tracking northward at 05 knots.
NewsBytes:
Ghana - Bulldozers razed hundreds of homes and businesses in the poor Sodom and Gomorrah neighbourhood of Ghana's capital on Saturday so the authorities can start widening a lagoon to prevent a repeat of this month's deadly floods. Some residents said security forces sprayed them with tear gas after they threw stones to protect their livelihoods from the bulldozers. By evening, thousands were stranded in the rain amid rubble and household goods strewn for more than a mile.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - Thailand
On 18 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of Thailand notified WHO of the country’s first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.4 Earthquake hits offshore Bio-Bio, Chile.
6.1 Earthquake hits the North Pacific Ocean.
5.6 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Bio-Bio, Chile.
How Human-Caused Extinction Affects the Planet
Diverse animals across the globe are slipping away and dying as Earth enters its sixth mass extinction, a new study finds.
Over the last century, species of vertebrates are dying out up to 114 times faster than they would have without human activity, said the researchers, who used the most conservative estimates to assess extinction rates. That means the number of species that went extinct in the past 100 years would have taken 11,400 years to go extinct under natural extinction rates, the researchers said.
Much of the extinction is due to human activities that lead to pollution, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species and increased carbon emissions that drive climate change and ocean acidification, the researchers said.
1 Ton of Illegal Ivory Crushed in NYC
More than 1 ton of illegal ivory was destroyed today (June 19) in New York City. The public demonstration, held in Times Square, was designed to raise awareness about elephant conservation and promote anti-poaching regulations. Carved tusks, trinkets and other ivory objects were pulverized, in an effort to stop worldwide demand for the material. Approximately 1,500 people showed up to witness the ivory being crushed.
Humans Pumping Groundwater at Unsustainable Levels
New studies of the world’s groundwater reveal that human activity is using the precious resource at an unsustainable level despite uncertainty about just how much water remains underground.
About a third of the world’s largest subterranean basins are being depleted without anyone knowing when the water will run out, according to two reports by an international team of scientists published in the journal Water Resources Research.
The studies are the first to estimate groundwater losses by using data from NASA’s twin GRACE satellites.
Instruments aboard the orbiters detect the contours of Earth’s gravity, which can be shaped by the weight of water.
The Arabian Aquifer System, a key source for more than 60 million people in the Middle East, was found to be the most overstressed in the world.
The Indus Basin aquifer of northwestern India and Pakistan came in second while North Africa’s Murzuk-Djado Basin was third.
The team urgently recommends that further research be conducted to determine just how much water is left.
"In a water-scarce society, we can no longer tolerate this level of uncertainty, especially since groundwater is disappearing so rapidly,” said researcher Alexandra Richey.
Saudi Arabia's Anaam Agricultural Project in the northwest of the country pumps out vast amounts of water each year from the Arabian Aquifer System. In this astronaut photo from the International Space Station, each dot is an irrigated field, thousands of feet across.
Wildfires - USA
Wildfires have destroyed more than 45,000 acres in the West this week. At least ten major fires are burning in Arizona, California, Oregon and Alaska.
One of the biggest is in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles. Helicopters are attacking the 11,000-acre fire from above, as hundreds of firefighters battle it on the ground. About 400 campers and residents were ordered to evacuate the heavily-wooded area.
Further north in California, a wildfire in the Sierra National Forest south of Yosemite National Park has grown to over 500 acres. For now, the fire threatens few buildings but it destroyed several homes.
Even in Alaska fire season has started with a vengeance. The 7,000-acre Sockeye Fire burned right across the Parks Highway, between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
With conditions so dry after four years of drought, work to prevent wildfires is particularly urgent this year. North of San Francisco, work crews have been busy where forest grows to the edge of densely-populated towns.
In preparation for a worst-case fire season, California has added two additional large air tankers to its fleet and hired 300 extra firefighters.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Republic of Korea
Between 17 and 19 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 12 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) alongside 5 additional deaths.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Bonin Islands.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 122.1 degrees Fahrenheit (50.1 degrees Celsius) at Biskra, Algeria.
The week's coldest temperature was minus 102.3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 74.6 degrees Celsius) at Russia's Vostok Antarctic research station.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Bacteria Kill Half of World's Saiga Antelope in 2 Weeks
A lethal cocktail of two naturally occurring bacteria appears to have wiped out at least half of the world’s endangered Saiga antelope population in just a two-week period during May.
The grasslands of Kazakhstan were littered with the carcasses of about 134,000 Saigas, with affected herds suffering 100 percent mortality.
Most of the grazing animals died within hours of first showing symptoms such as diarrhea, frothing at the mouth and difficulty breathing, according to officials who struggled to bury the victims in mass graves.
While there were Saiga die-offs in 1984, 2010 and 2012, this year’s deaths are the worst on record, halving the animal’s global population.
Experts from Royal Veterinary College in London, who have traveled to study the tragedy, believe a bitterly cold winter followed by a damp spring could have weakened the Saigas’ immune systems.
That could have made them vulnerable to pasteurellosis and the clostridia bacteria found in the digestive systems of the dead antelope.
Top: Dead Saiga antelope litter the Kazakh landscape in late May. Below: A Saiga mother and calf that appear to have survived the tragedy.
Dengue Fever Outbreak in War-Torn Yemen
Thousands of people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in southern Yemen, where fighting has raged for months between Shiite rebels and their opponents.
The top health ministry official in the southern port city of Aden, al-Khadr Al-Aswar, told The Associated Press that at least 5,000 people have been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus. He said mountains of uncollected garbage, along with untreated sewage and heat, have contributed to the spread of the disease.
The World Health Organization said last week that at least 3,000 suspected cases have been reported since March in several provinces, including Ade, with three people dying from the disease. Dengue causes fever, headaches and skin rashes. Potentially lethal cases, mainly in children, involve abdominal pain, vomiting and difficulty breathing, according to the WHO.
Wildfires - Southern California, USA
A Southern California desert wildfire has burned three homes while another blaze in the San Bernardino Mountains has grown to nearly 12 square miles in size.
State fire officials say a 40-acre fire that erupted Thursday in the area of Thermal has burned three single-family homes and some other buildings. No injuries are reported.
Crews are battling some half-dozen other fires around the state.
The largest is 90 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino Mountains. Some 200 campers have been evacuated and a 74-year-old hiker was rescued as the fire approached a dry lake.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.9 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.
6.1 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.
5.3 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Rat islands in the Aleutian islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
USA - Parts of the Southern Plains were swamped with floodwaters caused by blinding downpours dumping inches of rain, by the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill which has since weakened and dissipated. As the system moved east, flash flood watches and warnings stretched into the Midwest. Torrential rains took aim at Oklahoma on Wednesday, leaving abandoned cars floating in window-high floodwaters in Ardmore.
Wildfires - Alaska
Lightning sparked nearly a dozen new wildfires in Alaska as firefighters struggled Wednesday to keep up with two major fires threatening rural highway communities.
Although firefighters are devoting most of their time and energy to a large fire in Willow, in the heart of sled dog country, and another on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, authorities consider it important to attack the new, smaller fires quickly.
In Willow, an unincorporated community spread out along the main road connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks, 12 square miles have burned, including 25 homes and up to 20 more structures. The 335 people assigned to fight the fire were able to limit its growth on Tuesday, and were in line for reinforcements Wednesday.
On the Kenai Peninsula, the blaze in a corridor between the Sterling Highway and the Kenai River, Alaska's most popular sport-fishing venue, has consumed six structures since Monday.
A further 300 firefighters from Canada and the lower 48 states were expected to join the battle against the fires.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits Chiapas, Mexico.
Mount Everest Moved By Nepal Earthquake
The April 25 magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Nepal has shifted Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, by three centimetres (1.2 inches) to the southwest.
Mount Everest has moved 40 centimetres to the northeast over the past ten years, with its height increasing by three centimetres.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm Carlos is located about 10 mi...20 km S of Playa Perula, Mexico and about 75 mi...125 km SSE of Cabo Corrientes Mexico with maximum sustained winds...45 mph...75 km/h. Present movement...NNW or 330 degrees at 9 mph...15 km/h.
Hazards affecting land - Rainfall: Carlos is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches across the the Mexican states of michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit through Friday.
Tropical Depression Bill is located about 45 mi...70 km S of Waco Texas with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...N or 360 degrees at 13 mph...20 km/h.
Hazards affecting land: rainfall: Bill is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma and 3 to 6 inches over western Arkansas and southern Missouri. Isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches are possible in Texas and Oklahoma.
NewsBytes:
South Africa - The heavy rain and flooding in the Cape Peninsula over the last few days have affected close to 4000 people, the City of Cape Town's Disaster Management said. Most of the people affected were those living in informal settlements across the Peninsula, including Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Strand and Delft.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
Between 13 and 16 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 28 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) alongside 8 additional deaths.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.8 Earthquake hits East Timor.
5.4 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec islands off New Zealand.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Hurricane Carlos is located about 115 mi...185 km S of Manzanillo Mexico and about 140 mi...225 km WSW of Lazaro Cardenas Mexico with maximum sustained winds...75 mph...120 km/h. Present movement...WNW or 290 degrees at 6 mph...9 km/h. Hazards affecting land - wind: tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area through Wednesday. Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the Hurricane Warning area later today. Rainfall: Carlos is expected to produce heavy rains in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Durango, and Sinaloa with rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches possible through Thursday morning. Isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches are also possible. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of higher terrain. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern and southwestern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical Storm Bill is located about 30 mi...45 km ESE of Port Oconnor Texas and about 105 mi...170 km SW of Galveston Texas with maximum sustained winds...60 mph...95 km/h. Present movement...NW or 310 degrees at 13 mph...20 km/h.
Hazards affecting land: rainfall: Bill is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma and 2 to 4 inches over western Arkansas and southern Missouri, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches in eastern Texas. Wind: tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the coast within the warning area within the next hour or two. Storm surge: the combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide... Upper Texas coast...2 to 4 feet, western Louisiana coast...1 to 2 feet. Tornadoes: a few tornadoes will be possible across portions of eastern Texas and far western Louisiana today and tonight.
NewsBytes:
Nepal - A landslide in the Makwanpur district in Nepal has claimed the life of a 10-year-old girl.
Ivory Coast - Heavy rainfall continued across most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions last week flooding plantations and raising concerns of possible disease outbreaks among the trees.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
Between 9 and 12 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 3 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 1 death.
On 15 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) notified WHO of 1 additional case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
On 12 June 2015, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of China notified WHO of 15 additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus, including 3 deaths.
Wildfires - Alaska
Two fast-spreading Alaska wildfires have forced a series of evacuations, destroyed up to 45 homes and forced authorities to restrict traffic on a major highway connecting two of the state's largest cities, state officials said on Monday.
As many as 200 firefighters have been battling a 6,500-acre fire about 40 miles (64 km) north of Anchorage since Sunday afternoon.
About 137 miles (220km) south of Anchorage, crews are fighting a much smaller, but equally dangerous blaze that threatens nearly 200 homes.
Wildfires - Florida, USA
Fire fighters are battling several wildfires around Northeast Florida. The Florida Forest Service says 20 fires are burning in the region Monday.
Florida Forest Service Crews are battling a fire in St. Johns County that is growing. The blaze reignited around 5 p.m. Monday, as crews were monitoring a previous fire they had already contained in the area.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Asama (Honshu): A small eruption occurred at the volcano this morning around 9am local time. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed light ash fall occurred in 4 km north of the volcano. A short phase of increased seismic activity preceded and accompanied the explosion. According to a news article, JMA scientists think that today's explosion will likely be followed by similar ones in the near future, but not lead to a larger scale eruption. There are no clear signs (such as deformation) of a major body of fresh magma is rising under the volcano. In that case, a possible scenario is that the eruption this morning is mostly phreatic in origin, i.e. driven by overheated ground water with no or little involvement of new magma.
Bulusan (Luzon Island, Philippines): Two small steam-driven (i.e. phreatic) explosions occurred at the volcano this morning at 11:02 and 11:20 local time, PHILVOLCS reported. The first lasted 2 minutes and generated a steam and ash plume that rose 1 km and drifted WSW. Rumbling sounds were heard in the villages of Cogon and Irosin on the WSW slopes.
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Pyroclastic flows continue to threaten the southeastern and east-northeastern slopes of the volcano. According to a news article, approx. 1,200 people were evacuated yesterday, bringing the total number of current refugees to almost 4,000. Another 2,500 residents should be evacuated over the next few days.
Semeru (East Java, Indonesia): Japa's highest volcano has resumed its typical, intermittent ash-righ explosions.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm Carlos is located about 75 mi...120 km S of Lazaro Cardenas Mexico and about 165 mi...260 km W of Acapulco Mexico with maximum sustained winds...70 mph...110 km/h. Present movement...WNW or 295 degrees at 6 mph...9 km/h.
Hazards affecting land - wind: tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area later today. Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the Hurricane Warning area on Monday. Hurricane conditions are possible within the Hurricane Watch area Monday night or early Tuesday. Rainfall: Carlos is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches across the southwestern coast of Mexico through Tuesday with maximum totals of 15 inches possible. The states of Mexico affected include Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of higher terrain. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern and southwestern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
NewsBytes:
Vietnam - A heavy storm in Hanoi has claimed the lives of at least two people and injured four others. The storm uprooted over 1,000 trees and damaged 140 roofs. Power outages were reported from numerous districts.
Missouri, USA - The National Weather Service in Weldon Springs, Missouri has confirmed a tornado in southwest of Hawk Point near Prairie Road on Saturday. The EF-1 tornado with winds of up to 110 miles per hour caused damage to businesses and homes, and downed power lines and trees.
Paraguay - Nearly 6,000 families, or about 30,000 people, have been affected by flooding in Asuncion. The floods were caused by a rise in the level of the Paraguay River, which runs through the capital, the Municipal Emergency and Disaster Council, or Comueda, said.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
South Korea says it now has a total of 150 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Another person has died of the disease, bringing the number of fatalities in the outbreak to 16.
More than 5,200 people in South Korea are currently under quarantine for the virus, for which there is no vaccine. The disease has a mortality rate of 35 percent, according to the World Health Organization.
People suffering from other underlying medical conditions are the most likely to become infected with the virus or have a severe case.
The rapid pace at which the illness has spread, making it the biggest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia, has caused alarm in South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Wildfires - Northern California, USA
An out-of-control wildfire raging through a Northern California forest as the state battles a devastating drought has forced authorities to warn about 250 people to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes in a remote town.
The fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest follows an outbreak of lightning-sparked blazes in neighbouring Oregon that prompted authorities to warn residents that drought and low mountain snowpack could lead to a destructive fire season.
California's so-called Saddle Fire has charred at least 880 acres (360 hectares) since a lightning strike sparked it on Tuesday, officials said.
Authorities placed a handful of residents on the outskirts of Hyampom, a town about 200 miles (320 km) north of San Francisco, under mandatory evacuation orders on Wednesday and told the rest of the town of about 250 people to prepare to leave if flames get near. Those orders remain in place.
Nearly 200 firefighters are battling the fire, setting backfires to clear trees that could be consumed by the blaze and dropping flame retardant by helicopter. The wildfire is the first major Northern California blaze in an annual fire season that normally runs from June to September in that region. It also is the nation's highest-priority wildfire.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Hurricane Carlos is located about 80 mi...130 km SSW of Acapulco Mexico and about 195 mi...315 km se of Lazaro Cardenas Mexico with maximum sustained winds...80 mph...130 km/h. Present movement...NNW or 340 degrees at 3 mph...6 km/h.
Hazards affecting land - wind: tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area later today. Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the Hurricane Warning area on Monday. Hurricane conditions are possible within the Hurricane Watch area Monday night or early Tuesday. Rainfall: Carlos is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 10 inches across the southwestern coast of Mexico through Tuesday with maximum totals of 15 inches possible. The states of Mexico affected include Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of higher terrain. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern and southwestern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
NewsBytes:
Georgia - Torrential rains late Saturday and early Sunday poured down on Tbilisi, a hilly city that is located along a river valley. The Tbilisi Zoo lies along the banks of the Kura River, which overflowed and caught the animals in their pens and cages. Massive flooding killed at least three zookeepers and eight others on Sunday. Portions of the central city were on lockdown as police tried to locate zoo animals that had escaped. A zoo spokeswoman said that among the escaped animals were bears, lions, tigers, jaguars and wolves. One hippopotamus escaped to a central city street.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): Pyroclastic flows caused by collapse of parts of the viscous dome on the volcano's summit have started to be more frequent and larger again. Yesterday, about ten flows were generated that descended both through the SE and the ENE channel, reaching up to 3 km distance.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits Alaska.
5.2 Earthquake hits Sabah, Malaysia.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.
5.1 Earthquake hits Mindoro in the Philippines.
5.1 Earthquake hits New Britain, papua New Guinea.
5.1 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits Sumbawa, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm Carlos is located about 145 mi...235 km S of Acapulco Mexico and about 260 mi...415 km SSE of Lazaro Cardenas Mexico with maximum sustained winds...65 mph...100 km/h. Present movement...NW or 315 degrees at 2 mph...4 km/h. Hazards affecting land - wind: tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by Saturday night. Rainfall: locally heavy rains could spread over portions of the southern coast of Mexico, primarily in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, during the next couple of days. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
NewsBytes:
Ghana - Flooding after torrential rainfall in Bunkpurugu district, Ghana has claimed the lives of three people.
Colombia - A rain-triggered landslide in south-western Colombia has left at least five people missing. The landslide hit the La Chivera region in the Cauca department of Colombia. Tons of stones and mud covered the highway between the towns of Jambalo and Toribio.
Polar bears eat dolphins as Arctic warms
Norwegian scientists have seen polar bears eating dolphins in the Arctic for the first time ever and blame global warming for the bears expanding their diet.
Polar bears feed mainly on seals but Jon Aars at the Norwegian Polar Institute has photographed dolphins being devoured by a bear and published his findings in the latest edition of Polar Research this month.
“It is likely that new species are appearing in the diet of polar bears due to climate change because new species are finding their way north,” he told AFP.
The first incident he documented was in April 2014 when his team came across a polar feeding on the carcasses of two white-beaked dolphins.
Although dolphins are regularly seen in the Norwegian Arctic in the summer months when the ice has melted, they have never been observed during winter or spring when the sea is usually still covered in sheets of ice.
But Norwegian scientists have reported a strong retreat of ice and two nearly ice-free winters in recent years which they said could have attracted the dolphins further north, where they probably became trapped by the sudden arrival of dense ice blown into a fjord by strong northerly winds.
Aars said the bear he photographed had probably caught the two dolphins when they surfaced to breathe through a tiny hole in the ice.
Sitting at the top of the Arctic food chain, polar bears are opportunistic predators that are also known to feed on small whales if the opportunity arises.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
Between 8 and 12 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 62 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including 6 deaths. To date, a total of 126 MERS-CoV cases, including 11 deaths, have been reported.
Measles – Chile
On 10 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of Chile notified WHO of 5 cases of measles infection.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Galapagos Islands.
5.4 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits Nepal.
5.0 Earthquake hitsTonga.
5.0 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 01a (Ashobaa), located approximately 74 nm east-northeast of Masirah Island, Oman, is tracking westward at 04 knots
Tropical Storm Carlos is located about 165 mi...265 km SSW of Acapulco Mexico and about 215 mi...345 km SSE of Zihuatanejo Mexico with maximum sustained winds...60 mph...95 km/h. Present movement...stationary.
Hazards affecting land - wind: tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by Saturday night. Rainfall: locally heavy rains could spread over portions of the
southern coast of Mexico, primarily in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, during the next couple of days. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
NewsBytes:
Nepal - The death toll in the Taplejung landslide has risen to 53, with at least 12 more injured. More than 25 houses were swept away. In a separate incident, flooding and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Sankhuwasabha, Nepal have claimed one life. The floods have washed away more than a dozen bridges in the district.
May Was America's Wettest Month on Record
Most residents in flood-ravaged parts of America’s southern Plains won’t argue with the finding that May turned out to be the wettest month since record-keeping began 121 years ago.
The average rainfall for the month across the contiguous United States was 4.36 inches, or 1.45 inches greater than average.
NOAA climate scientist Jake Crouch calculated that more than 200 trillion gallons of water fell from the American sky during May.
Despite the Texas and Oklahoma deluges during the month, the states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and South Carolina each recorded a top 10 driest May ever.
The cloudbursts in the Plains resulted from a stalled weather pattern that allowed storm after storm to pass over the same areas.
The weather shift ended a five-year drought in Texas and Oklahoma.
The record rainfall in the southern Great Plains was in contrast to the arid conditions experienced in the East and along the Pacific Coast of the United States.
Pause in Global Warming Never Happened
An update of recent temperature records released by NOAA reveals that the highly advertised hiatus in global warming so far this century never really happened.
NOAA says that more data from a doubling of reliable weather stations on land and fine-tuning of how ship observations at sea are compared with buoy readings reveals that Earth’s average global surface temperature warmed 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit each decade since 1950, without interruption.
The director of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Centre, Thomas Karl, says that with new data and calibrations, “this (warming) hiatus or slowdown simply vanishes.”
Writing in the journal Science, Karl and colleagues point out that the decision by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to use 1998 as the starting point of what was thought to be a warming hiatus skewed the climatological tabulations, since that year marked an extremely warm El Niño event in the tropical Pacific.
They say 2014 was among the warmest years on record worldwide, and the way 2015 has begun, it could turn out to be even hotter.
Graphs show how new data and recalibration of archive weather data affect the plotting of global warming.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 120.2 degrees Fahrenheit (49.0 degrees Celsius) at Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The week's coldest temperature was minus 88.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 67.0 degrees Celsius) at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
Between 5 and 8 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 8 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Asama (Honshu): The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) raised the alert of the volcano from 1 to 2 (on a scale of 1-5), as the volcano has recently been showing growing signs of unrest - increased seismic activity and strongly elevated gas emissions. Seismicity started to show a weak upward trend already in early 2014, but then stagnated until past April, when the number of daily,and relatively shallow (2-3 km depth) earthquakes detected rose to over 80, the highest level since the volcano had quieted down after its last eruption in 2009.
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The lava dome at the volcano's summit continues to grow at a rate of approx 100,000 cubic meters per day. Small to moderate pyroclastic flows during the past week have mostly removed the viscous lobe on the upper southeast flank. As lava continues to accumulate at the dome itself, more pyroclastic flows are likely to occur in the near future. Authorities are considering extending the exclusion zone in the southern sector.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.1 Earthquake hits Antofagasta, Chile.
5.8 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.7 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.7 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits southeast of the Ryukyu islands off Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Sumba region, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 01a (Ashobaa), located approximately 104 nm east-northeast of Masirah Island, Oman, is tracking westward at 05 knots
Tropical depression Three-E is located about 265 mi...425 km S of Acapulco Mexico with maximum sustained winds...35 mph...55 km/h. Present movement...NW or 305 degrees at 8 mph...13 km/h. Hazards affecting land - rainfall: locally heavy rains could spread over portions of the southern coast of Mexico, primarily in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, during the next couple of days. Surf: swells associated with the depression are expected to increase near the coast of southern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
NewsBytes:
Malaysia - A tornado in the Kinabatangan district of Sabah, Malaysia has flattened two buildings and blew off the roofs of several other structures at an oil palm plantation.
Nepal - A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall buried at least 21 people and left dozens missing as they were sleeping at night in six villages in Nepal's mountainous northeast. Rescuers dug out the bodies and searched the rubble for survivors in Taplejung district, about 310 miles east of the capital, Kathmandu. At least 24 people are missing but the number could be higher.
Louisiana, USA - A surging Red River that flooded northwest Louisiana this week, damaging hundreds of structures and displacing scores of people, slowly began to recede on Wednesday but was still expected to be above flood stage for several more days.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Karangetang (Siau Island, Sangihe Islands, Indonesia): Activity continues at the volcano with the effusion of a lava flow from the summit vent of the volcano and associated glowing avalanches. Pyroclastic flows in early May destroyed some houses and prompted the evacuation of more than 100 families in nearby villages.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.
5.5 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.4 Earthquake hits Crete.
5.3 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.3 Earthquake hits Jujuy, Argentina.
5.3 Earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Greenland Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Banda Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 01a (Ashobaa), located approximately 157 nm east-northeast of Masirah Island, Oman, is tracking westward at 05 knots
Invest 94E in the eastern Pacific remains an area of disturbed weather which has the potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
Ghana - Flooding in Tema, Ghana has claimed the lives of two people and displaced more than 6,500. A young man was drowned after saving the life of the girl. An old woman who attempted crossing a drain was also swept away by the floods.
India - Over 81,000 people were reeling under the impact of the worsening flood situation in Assam where ten districts have been affected and one person died. At least 192 villages have been affected by the swirling waters in Barpeta, Sonitpur, Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Darrang, Nalbari, Goalpara and Kamrup (Metro) districts. The worst affected districts were Lakhimpur and Sonipur where more than 30,000 and 21,000 people respectively, have been affected by the deluge.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
On 3 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) notified WHO of 1 additional fatal case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Karymsky (Kamchatka): Ash emissions were seen on satellite imagery yesterday. The volcano has been producing intermittent ash-rich strombolian to vulcanian explosions for years.
Zhupanovsky (Kamchatka, Russia): An eruption was reported on Monday (8 June) producing an ash plume rising to 20,000 ft (6 km) altitude and extending SSW (VAAC Tokyo).
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.1 Earthquake hits the southern east Pacific rise.
5.0 Earthquake hits Greece.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Galapagos Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Carlsberg ridge.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Post Tropical Cyclone Blanca is located about 160 mi...260 km NW of Santa Rosalia Mexico with maximum sustained winds...30 mph...45 km/h. Present movement...N or 350 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.
Hazards affecting land: rainfall: the Post-tropical low could still produce additional rainfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches over parts of the central and northern Baja California peninsula. Light to moderate rainfall amounts associated with this low will also begin to increase over portions of the southwestern United States through Tuesday.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 01a (Ashobaa), located approximately 290 nm south-southwest of Karachi, Pakistan, is tracking west-northwestward at 08 knots
Invest 94E in the eastern Pacific remains an area of disturbed weather which has the potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
Switzerland - A woman and her daughter died as rain storms triggered flash flooding in Canton of Lucerne. A mudslide cut the road linking Thun and Interlaken in the canton of Bern. Another landslide disrupted rail traffic between Birmensdorf and Zurich Altstetten. Around 80,000 lightning strikes hit Central Switzerland to Zurich from Sunday to Monday, whereas the Weather Service records 200,000 to 500,000 lightning strikes each year in Switzerland.
Tennessee, USA - Flash flooding, hail and serious lightning strikes plagued Middle Tennessee as severe thunderstorms made their way across the region. Heavy rain and hail started falling early Monday afternoon in several counties, including Robertson and Cheatham. Sizes varied but some were as big as quarters and ping pong balls. Flash flooding began to occur across Davidson County as low-lying roadways were inundated with heavy rain. Numerous cars were stranded by the floodwaters.
G-7 aims to limit global warming to 2 degrees
The leaders of seven of the world’s richest countries pledged Monday to work to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.
The ambitious goal matches a level that scientists have agreed upon in recent years, saying it would prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
It was part of a declaration from the leaders of the United States, Germany, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy — known as the Group of 7 or G-7 — after a meeting in southern Germany.
The leaders set out their target for the United Nations’ conference in Paris this December, where they intend to work on a global climate pact.
“The agreement should enhance transparency and accountability including through binding rules at its core to track progress towards achieving targets, which should promote increased ambition over time,” the G-7 declaration says.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Update
On 6 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 9 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
On 7 June 2015, the National IHR Focal Point of the Republic of Korea notified WHO of 14 additional confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including 1 death.
Worst U.S. bird flu outbreak in history expands to Michigan
Michigan on Monday said Canadian geese in the state tested positive for a lethal strain of bird flu, bringing the worst outbreak of the disease in U.S. history to a 21st state.
Three young geese collected in Sterling Heights, Michigan, about 20 miles (30 km) north of Detroit, were infected with the highly pathogenic H5N2 flu strain, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Nationwide, more than 46 million chickens and turkeys have been killed by the disease or culled to prevent its spread. Most are in Iowa, the top U.S. egg-producing state, and Minnesota, the nation's top turkey-producing state.
Michigan is the 21st state to confirm a case of bird flu since late 2014 and the sixth to detect it only in wild or free-ranging bids, according to the department. Fifteen states have found the virus in poultry flocks.
Wildfires - Alaska
After a winter marked by little snow and warmer temperatures, fire crews in Alaska are tackling two large wildfires burning on mostly treeless tundra in the southwest part of the state.
Weekend rain helped tamp down the lightning-caused fires that, through Monday, have burned 63 square miles in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.
Wildfires - Canada
Smoke from wildfires have forced more than 700 people from their homes across northern Saskatchewan. Many of the evacuees are staying with friends and family in Prince Albert or Saskatoon, a Social Services spokesperson says.
The largest fire is south of La Loche and fire crews have yet to contain it. There are about dour dozen active blazes in the area. One-third of the fires started by lightning over the weekend have been contained.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 Earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Galapagos Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Reykjane’s ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Philippine Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical Storm Blanca is located about 85 mi...140 km se of Cabo San Lazaro Mexico with maximum sustained winds...50 mph...85 km/h. Present movement...NNW or 345 degrees at 15 mph...24 km/h.
wind: tropical storm conditions are expected to continue spreading northward. Rainfall: Blanca is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches over much of Baja California Sur and the southern half of the state of Baja California. Surf: swells generated by Blanca are affecting the coast of southwestern Mexico, the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, and the southern Gulf of California. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical cyclone 01a One), located approximately 396 nm south of Karachi, Pakistan, is tracking west-northwestward at 08 knots.
Invest 94E in the eastern Pacific is an area of disturbed weather which has the potential for tropical development.
NewsBytes:
Thailand - A tropical storm in the northeastern province of Nong Khai has damaged more than 50 houses, many having been rendered completely unlivable.
India - The flooding in Assam, India has claimed the life of one person and affected nearly 33,000 people. The floods have affected 108 villages in six districts of Assam. Barpeta district is facing the worst situation where around 12,200 people have been affected due to the flood. At least 12 relief camps have been opened in Kokrajhar district, where over 9,100 people are being staying accommodated.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 Earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits Guam.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Hurricane Blanca is located about 220 mi...355 km SSW of Cabo San Lucas Mexico and about 360 mi...575 km SSE of Cabo San Lazaro Mexico with maximum sustained winds...110 mph...175 km/h. Present movement...NNW or 335 degrees at 12 mph...19 km/h.
wind: tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the southern portion of the warning area by late this morning or early this afternoon, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Tropical storm conditions will then spread northward elsewhere
within the warning area tonight and Monday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area later today and tonight. Rainfall: Blanca is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 6 to 10 inches over much of Baja California Sur and the southern half of the state of Baja California, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches over Baja California sur. These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Surf: swells generated by Blanca are affecting the coast of
southwestern Mexico, the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula, and the southern Gulf of California. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical cyclone 01a One), located approximately 564 nm south of Karachi, Pakistan, is tracking northward at 05 knots.
NewsBytes:
Germany - At least two lightning strikes injured 33 people at the Rock am Ring festival in the town of Mendig, Germany. Eight people from production teams were injured when the first strike hit the backstage area at around 1 am. Organisers halted the concert and offered visitors shelter in large, lightning-proof tents.
Heat Wave in Pakistan/India - Update
At least 10 people have died in the Sehwan district of Sindh province of Pakistan due to the ongoing heat wave conditions. They died during the 763rd Urs celebrations of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the heat wave in India has already claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people.
The highest daytime temperature was recorded at Sweihan, Abu Dhabi on Wenesday. The temperature climbed to 50.5C at 12pm local time.
