Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
Three 5.0 Earthquakes hit Vanuatu.
South Africa - Two miners have died at AngloGold Ashanti mine in Carltonville on Gauteng's West Rand following an earth tremor of 3.5 magnitude that happened in the early hours of Friday morning.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Kenya - Heavy rains kill four people in Nairobi as floods cause havoc across the city. A six-storey residential building collapsed under the heavy rain in the Kenyan capital late on Friday, killing at least three people.
Argentina - Water levels in the flood-hit Argentine town of Villa Paranacito have risen so much that the best way for residents to commute is by boat. The floods have swamped the soy crop causing substantial losses to farmers and the local economy.
Interesting Images
Near the deepest spot in the world's oceans, scientists have discovered a jellyfish that looks more alien spaceship than deep-sea cnidarian.
Zika Virus - Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico announced Friday that it has recorded the first Zika-related U.S. death amid an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory.
Officials said the unidentified man recovered from initial Zika symptoms, but then developed a condition in which antibodies that formed in reaction to the Zika infection started attacking blood platelet cells. He died after suffering internal bleeding in less than 24 hours after seeking help at a health centre.
Bovine Disease - India
Outbreak of Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS), an acute, fatal, septicaemic disease of cattle and water buffaloes in the districts of Peren and Dimapur is under control, according to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. At least 90 % of the disease outbreak among the buffaloes has been brought under control.
The disease had affected six villages under Peren district namely Punglwa, Gaili, Ngwalwa, Heninkunglwa, Dunki-Lamhai and Saijang. An estimate of 314 buffaloes succumbed to the disease within a span of one month.
Farmers in the said areas are fully dependent on the buffaloes for ploughing the rice fields. There more than 1500 buffaloes owned by the six villages. With the outbreak of HS, around 20% of the buffaloes have already died.
Wildfires - Ireland
The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has voiced concerns about the amount of wildfires taking place. The organisation said it received reports of 19 separate wildfires across Ireland over the 10 days from 16-26 April.
Some 11 of the fires took place in areas protected for nature conservation, with Killarney National Park, the Slieve Aughty mountains, the Blackstairs mountains, and the Beara peninsula in Cork all being affected.
The organisation said repeated fires across Ireland’s uplands have become an annual feature and are “causing tremendous damage to wildlife, landscape, water and air”.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka): As had been previously suggested, the volcano's most recent eruptive phase had become both effusive and explosive: in addition to ash-generating strombolian explosions from the summit vent, a new, but short-lived lava flow appeared during 23 or 24 April and descended approx. 800 m on the south-eastern flank of the volcano (along the Apakhonchich ravine). It seems that the lava flow remained active at least until Tue (26 April) according to KVERT's daily reports and images from the local observatory, but seems to have stopped by now; glow is no longer visible on clear webcam imagery from yesterday and today. A significant, continuous steam plume suggests that mild explosive activity continues.
Ruapehu (North Island): An earthquake swarm has been occurring at the volcano since 26 April. According to Geonet, such seismic swarms indicating small rock-fracturing events have been rare at the volcano in recent years. Ruapehu's typical seismic activity is rather dominated by events reflecting internal circulation of fluids such as tremor.
White Island (New Zealand): A small phreatic explosion occurred inside the main crater of the volcano on the evening of 27 April around 21:50 local time, Geonet reported. The volcanic alert level was raised to 3 and aviation color code to Orange. Since the eruption, the volcano has returned to quiet / normal activity and the alert level was again lowered to 2 (although aviation color code remains orange for the time being as other explosions could occur).
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): The Alaska volcano observatory lowered the alert level to yellow, after no more activity has been observed at the volcano since the small explosion on 16 April. "Seismicity returned to low levels within an hour of the explosion, and there have been no infrasound (pressure sensor) signals detected. Recent satellite views indicate that the August 2015 lava dome is gone and has been replaced with a small cinder cone within the summit crater. Based on seismic levels remaining low since the eruption, and no observations or reports of continued eruptive activity, AVO is reducing the Aviation Color Code to YELLOW and the Volcano Alert Level to ADVISORY."
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
A magnitude 7.1 powerful earthquake rocked Vanuatu at 06:33 am local time Friday morning on April 29, 2016 prompting a tsunami warning in the area. The National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC) warned that the earthquake could generate tsunami waves of up to three metres (10 feet) on parts of the Vanuatu coast within 300 km of the epicentre along the coast of Vanuatu. The NTWC cancelled the tsunami alert in less than two hours, saying "there is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake".
6.8 earthquake hits the northern east Pacific rise.
5.1 Earthquake hits Kodiak Island, Alaska.
5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Guatemala - Landslide triggered by heavy rainfall has claimed the lives of two people and left 20 others missing in a Guatemalan landfill Wednesday afternoon.
Mississippi Gulf Coast, USA - The Mississippi Gulf Coast was inundated with flood waters Thursday morning after severe weather pushed water into some homes and prompted rescues. Roadways were covered in water, and schools in Biloxi, Gulfport and Ocean Springs had to delay opening. Some areas received up to 10 inches of rain in just a few hours.
Alaska - Flooding caused by an ice jam on the Yukon River near Eagle appeared to have crested overnight Wednesday -- but meteorologists were monitoring the situation as well as the threat it could pose to another village downriver. An initial advisory Wednesday evening reported minor flooding along the road linking Eagle and nearby Eagle Village, as well as yards of homes along the river’s lower banks.
Kenya holds summit to stop elephant slaughter
From anti-poaching commandos deployed by helicopter to boosting court prosecutions: Kenya on Friday hosted a summit on how to end ivory trafficking and prevent the extinction of elephants in the wild.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is heading the meeting which groups African heads of state and conservationists in the central town of Nanyuki to boost awareness of the threat of poaching.
On Saturday, the country sets fire to nearly its entire ivory stockpile.
The bonfire will be the largest-ever torching of ivory, involving 105 tonnes from thousands of dead elephants, dwarfing by seven times any stockpile burned before.
Africa is home to between 450,000 to 500,000 elephants, but more than 30,000 are killed every year on the continent to satisfy demand for ivory in Asia, where raw tusks sell for around $1,000 (800 euros) a kilo (2.2 pounds).
The summit aims to raise global awareness and eventually achieve a total ban on ivory trade, while highlighting the multiple methods used in the fight against poachers, from the frontline, where rangers are out on patrol, to the court room.
The Last Dance for Mountain Chicken Frogs
Conservationists will try to bring Montserrat’s two remaining mountain chicken frogs together in the hope they will breed and save the species from local extinction. The male and female are the only known survivors of chytrid fungus disease, which has ravaged amphibian populations worldwide. They currently live about 1,500 feet apart along one of the island’s rain forest streams. Artificial nests will be built to entice the female.
Locust Warnings
The embattled Middle Eastern country of Yemen is bracing for what officials fear will be a large locust plague, which they are afraid to combat with pesticides out of fear of killing the bees that are vital to the country’s agriculture. Ongoing civil conflict, amplified by foreign intervention by the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia, is also hampering locust control and monitoring. Teams say this resulted in them being unable to kill the locusts before the insects matured enough to swarm.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 115.0 degrees Fahrenheit (46.1 degrees Celsius) in Boutilimit, Mauritania.
The week's coldest temperature was minus -88.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 66.6 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.
Deoxygenation Due To Climate Change Threatens Marine Life
A drop in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans due to climate change is already discernible in some parts of the world and should be evident across large parts of the ocean between 2030 and 2040, according to a new study.
Scientists know that a warming climate can be expected to gradually sap oceans of oxygen, leaving fish, crabs, squid, sea stars, and other marine life struggling to breathe. But it’s been difficult to determine whether this anticipated oxygen drain is already having a noticeable impact.
The entire ocean—from the depths to the shallows—gets its oxygen supply from the surface, either directly from the atmosphere or from phytoplankton, which release oxygen into the water through photosynthesis.
Warming surface waters, however, absorb less oxygen. And in a double whammy, the oxygen that is absorbed has a more difficult time traveling deeper into the ocean. That’s because as water heats up, it expands, becoming lighter than the water below it and less likely to sink.
Thanks to natural warming and cooling, oxygen concentrations at the sea surface are constantly changing—and those changes can linger for years or even decades deeper in the ocean.
For example, an exceptionally cold winter in the North Pacific would allow the ocean surface to soak up a large amount of oxygen. Thanks to the natural circulation pattern, that oxygen would then be carried deeper into the ocean interior, where it might still be detectable years later as it travels along its flow path. On the flip side, unusually hot weather could lead to natural “dead zones” in the ocean, where fish and other marine life cannot survive.
Salmonellosis - United States of America
On 20 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of the United States of America notified PAHO/WHO of an ongoing investigation of four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to small turtles (with shell length <4inches/10 centimetres) or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat) in the United States.
A total of 124 cases with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 22 U.S. states. Of these, 33% of patients have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Of the total, 51 cases (41%) were aged less than 5 years. The earliest illness associated with the four outbreaks began on 1 January 2015. Initial investigations have identified four turtle farms in Louisiana as potential sources of the turtles linked to these 2015 outbreaks. Pond water testing from the four farms resulted in the identification of additional non-outbreak Salmonella isolates.
A 'tropical' parasitic disease emerges in the Canadian Arctic
An outbreak of an intestinal parasite common in low income areas in the tropics, known as Cryptosporidium, has been identified for the first time in the Arctic. The discovery was made in Nunavik, Quebec.
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that lives in the intestine of mammals, including humans, and is transmitted by the fecal-oral route from ingestion of contaminated food or water or contact with infected individuals. The parasite causes an illness known as Cryptosporidiosis which is characterized by diarrhea, cramps and vomiting.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.7 Earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, Mexico.
5.6 Earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.5 Earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.4 Earthquake hits Salta, Argentina.
5.0 Earthquake hits France.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Batan Islands in the Philippines.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Ecuador - Natural disasters continue to take their toll on Ecuador after two rivers overflowed, claiming the lives of four people Wednesday. The Damas and Toachi rivers, located near the city of Santo Domingo, caused around 25 landslides in the area after torrential rainfall struck the region Tuesday. The storm hit the town of Alluriquin, around 74 miles to the west of Quito. Much of the area was engulfed by rapidly rising waters as roads were quickly flooded, hampering the rescue operation. Around 80 homes were damaged by the mudslides while scores of cars and buses were unable to complete their journeys after becoming submerged in mud along the Aloag Highway. Meanwhile, Uruguay’s National Emergency System reported earlier this week that 11,943 people have been displaced after heavy rains and floods lashed the country over the past 11 days. Of Uruguay’s 19 provinces 16 have recorded evacuations as heavy rainfall continues to pelt the small South American nation. The Durazno province has been the worst affected with 5,163 people leaving their homes.
Greenland Warming brings Storms to Britain
Soaring temperatures in Greenland – one of the fastest-warming parts of the planet – are causing storms and floods in Britain, according to a new study that provides further evidence climate change is already happening.
The west coast of the island has seen temperatures rise by up to a staggering 10 degrees Celsius during winter in just two decades.
This surge helps create static areas of high pressure that can block the jet stream which heavily influences the northern hemisphere’s weather. If forced to go south, the jet stream picks up warm and wet air – and Britain can expect heavy rain and flooding. If forced north, the UK is likely to be hit by cold air from the Arctic.
Some Plants Are Adapting To Global Warming
Plants are much more adaptable to temperature changes and global warming than previously thought, according to a 30-year long study by Norwegian scientists published Wednesday.
The study showed that a tree called the Norwegian spruce can adjust its growth rate to cope with different environmental conditions and temperature extremes, rebutting the claim that plants won’t be able to adapt to changing climate conditions.
“There is a kind of flexibility in the genetic material. Environmental conditions during seed development create a memory of those temperature conditions. Much like a ‘molecular thermostat’ that can shift the growth cycle of the plant”, Carl Gunnar Fossdal, a senior research scientist with the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, said in a press statment. “This phenomenon has great importance for the discussion around climate change. It shows that the memory mechanism at least in these plants, and maybe in all, adapt to changes in the environment.”
The Norwegian spruces and other trees may even pass these adaptions to their offspring, according to the research. The scientists suggest that many animals may also have similar ways to adapt to changing global temperatures.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 Earthquake hits south of Africa.
5.1 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.0 Earthquake hits San Juan, Argentina.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Haiti - Floods in Haiti caused by torrential rainfall have claimed the lives of at least four people including three children. Several thousand families have been affected by the floods.
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
On 19 April 2016, the Department of Health, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region notified WHO of a confirmed, imported case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
Between 19 and 23 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 3 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).
Zika Virus - Brazil
Brazil's outbreak of Zika - which has been linked to the devastating microcephaly birth defect in newborns - has topped 91 000 cases, health officials said on Tuesday.
Between January 3 and April 2, 91 387 suspected cases of Zika were reported, with a disproportionate share (30 286) in the poorer northeast of the country, the Health Ministry said.
Three people have died of the mosquito-borne virus, it said.
Wildfires - Israel
Negligence is suspected of being a factor in a number of wildfires on Tuesday, including a forest fire that scorched hundreds of hectares outside Shlomi in the western Galilee.
Police and firefighters deployed helicopters and other aircraft to fight the blaze, which also damaged a power line, causing electrical failures in the area.
On the other side of the Galilee, a forest fire broke out in two spots next to the Jordan River near a popular rafting spot. The cause of this fire was not announced, and all visitors had to be evacuated from the area.
In Jerusalem, two forest fires broke out on Tuesday, where temperatures hit a high of 33 degrees. One broke out near the Mount of Olives, but firefighters managed to contain it before it could cause any damage or injuries. Another blaze began in the city’s Peace Forest near the Abu Tor neighbourhood. It, too, was contained, but residents of a nearby street had to be evacuated due to high levels of smoke.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.7 Earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.
5.3 Earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.2 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Myanmar - A severe hailstorm in Myanmar has claimed the lives of at least eight people and destroyed around 7,500 houses.
Ethiopia - Flash floods in drought stricken parts of Ethiopia have killed more than 28 people and numerous drought-weakened livestock and are blocking food aid deliveries to hungry communities. Ethiopia regularly suffers hunger crises as eight out of ten people are farmers who depend upon the rains.
Carbon dioxide making earth greener, reveals new research
The earth is getting greener because of higher carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, new research shows.
Observations by Nasa satellites over the past 33 years show that there has been a steady increase in leaves on plants and trees, which scientists think is because of the higher CO2 levels. Leaves absorb CO2 and combine it with water to produce food for the plants. The study was done by an international team of 32 scientists from 24 institutions in eight countries and has been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Burning oil, gas, coal and wood for energy releases CO2 in to the air. The amount of CO2 in the air has been increasing since the industrial age and currently stands at a level not seen in at least half-a-million years. It is the chief culprit of climate change.
About 85% of the Earth's ice-free lands is covered by vegetation. The area of all green leaves on Earth is equal to, on average, 32% of the Earth's total surface area - oceans, lands and permanent ice sheets combined. "The greening over the past 33 years reported in this study is equivalent to adding a green continent about two-times the size of mainland USA (18 million km2), and has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.
Every year, about one-half of the 10 billion tons of carbon emitted in to the atmosphere from human activities remains temporarily stored, in about equal parts, in the oceans and plants.
Does this mean that high emissions are beneficial for the earth and humanity? Although many contrarians have argued this, the study authors warn that this is not so.
The fallacy of the contrarian argument is two-fold. First, the many negative aspects of climate change, namely global warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and sea ice, more severe tropical storms, etc. are not acknowledged. Second, studies have shown that plants acclimatize, or adjust, to rising CO2 concentration and the fertilization effect diminishes over time.
CO2 fertilization is only one, albeit a predominant, reason why the Earth is greening. The study also identified climate change, nitrogen fertilization and land management as other important reasons.
Chernobyl Anniversary
Ukrainians held candlelit vigils to mark 30 years since the world's worst nuclear accident - as Chernobyl spewed radiation across Europe and left several thousand people dead or dying.
At least 30 people were killed on site and several thousand more are feared to have died from the radiation fallout in one of the world's worst man-made disasters, which forced a global rethink about the wisdom of relying on atomic fuel.
The exact number of dead remains a subject of intense debate because the Soviet authorities kept most of the information about Chernobyl under wraps.
Wildfires - Nepal
Wildfires have been raging on in more than 50 community forests and national forests in Kanchanpur for more than a week, putting more than 10,000 hectares of forestland in peril, Kanchanpur district forest office informed. Shuklafanta wildlife reserve is among the forests that are at risk, the office said, adding that 10,200 hectares of forestland has caught fire.
9 homes were gutted in the Panchthar district by the wildfires.
Wildfires - Scotland
Dozens of firefighters were battling two large wildfires in separate parts of the Highlands last night. Although no evacuations have been ordered, the fires came within a quarter mile of Stroupster wind farm and the nearest residential property.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Bahrain
On 10 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Bahrain notified WHO of a fatal case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This is the first case reported in Bahrain.
Newcastle Disease - Israel
Nine more outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been found in Israel. The outbreaks occurred in the Hazafon, Haifa and Hamerkaz provinces.
Over 70,000 birds died and 260,000 were destroyed in the nine outbreaks, which occurred in broilers, breeders and backyard chickens. Some of the outbreaks were not detected by clinical signs, but rather by active surveillance measures put in place to combat the disease.
The source of the outbreak was unknown, and the authorities are fighting the outbreak by disinfection, stamping out, movement controls, zoning and quarantine measures.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 Earthquake hits offshore Chiapas, Mexico.
5.3 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.1 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits Tajikistan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20p (Amos), located approximately 134 nm east of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and is tracking east-southeastward at 12 knots.
NewsBytes:
China - A coal mine flooded in northern China on Monday, leaving 11 miners missing.
India - Rain, hail and windstorms continue to hit the North East region of the Indian subcontinent, causing landslides and floods affecting thousands of people in the region. Also, heavy rainfall has damaged many houses and caused flooding in low-lying villages in Manipur, officials said on Sunday. Incessant rainfall has also led to mud slips, damage to retaining walls, power infrastructures, houses, road blockage, drainage blockage etc.
China - China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and the Ministry of Water Resources on Sunday evening jointly issued a warning for mountain floods from Sunday night to Monday night. The floods are expected to hit the southeastern part of Tibet, the eastern part of Guangdong and, in particular, the western part of Yunnan.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka): The activity of the volcano has intensified, in particular during the past 24-36 hours. KVERT reported that strong strombolian explosions produced an ash plume that rose to 8-9 km altitude that drifted more than 400 km to the SW. Webcam images have been mostly unclear, but view from this evening (dawn in Kamchatka) suggest that a new lava flow might have started to descend the volcano's flanks, which would be a typical occurrence if the magma supply rate has indeed increased. An intense thermal anomaly is being recorded on satellite data as well. KVERT alerted this morning that the "explosive eruption of the volcano continues. Ash explosions up to 19,700-26,240 ft (6-8 km) a.s.l. could occur at any time. Ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft." The aviation color code was raised to ORANGE.
Sinabung (Sumatra, Indonesia): The volcano's current and long-lasting eruption (now well in its 3rd year) continues essentially unchanged: viscous lava slowly rises into the summit crater, building up a complex dome that over-spills as sticky lobes onto sections of the upper outer slopes on the southeastern side. When these steeply emplaced lava lobes become too large, they also become unstable and begin to collapse. These collapses generate glowing rockfalls and small to moderate pyroclastic flows when enough material rich in gas is involved. From time to time, accumulated gas trapped beneath the dome also gives way to vertical explosions. These explosions have been occurring almost daily over the recent months, producing ash plume that rise 1-2 km, typically.
San Cristobal (Nicaragua): The volcano had a series of new explosive eruptions on Friday, producing ash plumes that rose up to approx. 2 km above the summit crater, drifted south and caused moderate ash fall in areas up to 10-15 km south and southeast of the volcano, including Las Brisas, Santa Narcisa, and Chichigalpa town. The new series of eruptions began on 22 April around 10:20 local time with a first explosion, followed immediately by a stronger one (image). Weaker explosions followed intermittently throughout the day, but activity seems to have faded again as of today.
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): The volcano produced a small ash plume today, Manizales volcano observatory reported to Washington VAAC. Webcam views are obscured by weather clouds. Sporadic mild ash emissions have been occurring from the volcano from time to time during the past weeks.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.3 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.2 Earthquake hits southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.2 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits southern Qinghai, China.
The death toll from Ecuador's devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake last week has risen to 654 people, the government has announced.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 630 nm north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking west-northwestward at 09 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20p (Amos), located approximately 46 nm northeast of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and is tracking eastward at 07 knots.
NewsBytes:
India - The Army was called out in Assam's flood-hit Sivasagar district on Saturday to help the civil administration maintain surface communication as the situation worsened. Over 52,000 people in the three districts of Sivasagar, Jorhat and Lakhimpur have been affected so far.
Global Warming - Paris Climate Change Agreement Signed at UN
Representatives from 175 countries met on Friday at the UN to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and made clear the urgency of taking action to stop global warming.
In order for the accord to take effect, at least 55 countries responsible for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions must complete the ratification process. At least 15 countries, mostly small island states, have already done so on Friday.
The two countries leading the world in emissions of greenhouse gases, the US and China, committed themselves on Friday to complete the ratification process this year.
France was given the honour to sign the pact first, in recognisation of its hosting of the UN climate change conference in Paris in December 2015, which gave birth to the pact after nearly two weeks of tough negotiations.
Zia Virus - Colombia
Nearly 72 000 cases of Zika have been reported in Colombia since October, with almost 13 000 occurring in pregnant women, although the country is going through a decline in outbreaks, health authorities said on Saturday.
Additionally, four cases of microcephaly, the rare but irreversible condition in which babies are born with small heads and damaged brains, have been associated with the virus in the country, Colombia's National Health Institute (INS) reported.
Another 22 cases of potential microcephaly are under investigation, according to the INS, which estimated that some 300 instances of cranial malformation are likely in babies by September, a smaller number than initially predicted.
Earlier this month, US health authorities confirmed that Zika causes microcephaly and other severe foetal brain defects, after months of debate and uncertainty.
Since the beginning of the epidemic in October, a total of 3 292 cases have been confirmed by laboratories and 68,660 suspected cases have been documented.
In pregnant women, a total of 1 703 cases have been confirmed while another 11 099 cases have been noted by health officials.
Brucellosis outbreak in Algeria
Health officials in Algeria are investigating a large human brucellosis outbreak in Ghardaia province in the eastern part of the country. According to an Algeria Press Service report, 819 were diagnosed since the beginning of the year, a number equal to the cumulative cases reported in the previous three years.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.8 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
The death toll from Ecuador's devastating magnitude 7.5 earthquake has risen to 602 people, as dozens of aftershocks shook cities and towns around the country, spooking residents but causing no further damage.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Moluccan Sea.
5.0 Earthquake hits southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 473 nm north of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking west-northwestward at 10 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20p (Amos), located approximately 171 nm west-northwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and is tracking east-southeastward at 15 knots.
NewsBytes:
India - A landslide at hotel construction site in the tourist town of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh of India has claimed lives of 16 construction workers. Heavy rainfall triggered the landslide.
Scientists discover coral reef near the mouth of the Amazon River
Scientists have discovered a vibrant coral reef ecosystem near the mouth of the Amazon River that stretches roughly 3,700 square miles -- even though coral isn't supposed to be able to grow there in the first place.
The reef described in the journal Science Advances could shed light on how these delicate organisms, which provide essential scaffolding for so much marine wildlife, might survive in less-than-ideal conditions.
Coral are tiny little soft-bodied animals, related to anemones and to jellyfish, that band together to build their protective, rock-like reefs by pulling calcium and carbonate out of the ocean water. Reefs serve as hot spots of biodiversity, home to a vast array of sea creatures, from crabs, sea urchins and algae to fish, sharks and turtles.
Coral reefs thrive in clear waters along tropical shelves, but river systems like the Amazon are thought to create gaps where they do not grow. That’s in part because the plume of murky, sediment-filled water spilling out from the gargantuan river and into the ocean doesn’t allow much light to come through.
So the discovery came as a total surprise to study coauthor Patricia Yager, an oceanographer at the University of Georgia, who in 2012 set out with Brazilian scientists aboard the research vessel Atlantis to study the plume coming out from the river mouth and flowing into the ocean.
There’s a certain amount of irony in the discovery, as the system is already under threat from oil drilling and high levels of fishing in the area, the scientists said.
Interesting Images
To mark the Hubble telescope’s 26th anniversary in space, scientists took a picture of the Bubble Nebula, which is basically a giant star blowing bubbles - it is a seven-light-year-wide pocket of gas being blown away by a blazing massive star about 7,100 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. The star responsible for the bubbles is so hot and bright that it launches its own gas into space at more than 6 million kilometres per hour.
Congo Signs Historic Rainforest Preservation Pact
The Republic of Congo has signed an historic $200 million agreement that aims to reverse the rapid deforestation of its vast rainforest, the world's second largest behind the Amazon.
Congo is the first nation to sign a pact with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), a seven-month-old program designed to renew forest protection efforts in the Congo Basin.
Forests in the Congo Basin cover about two million square kilometres, about the size of the Central American country of Mexico. But the forests in the Congo Basin are shrinking by about 5,600 kilometres a year due, in part, to the expansion of palm oil plantations.
Cholera – United Republic of Tanzania
The National IHR Focal Point of the United Republic of Tanzania has provided WHO with an update on the ongoing outbreak of cholera.
As of 20 April 2016, a total of 24,108 cases, including 378 deaths, had been reported nationwide. The majority of these cases had been reported from 23 regions in mainland Tanzania (20,961 cases, including 329 deaths).
Yellow Fever – China
Between 4 and 12 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of China notified WHO of 2 additional imported cases of yellow fever (YF). To date, a total of 11 laboratory-confirmed YF cases imported from Angola have been reported in China.
Zika virus infection – Papua New Guinea
On 11 March 2016, the National Department of Health of Papua New Guinea reported that 6 cases of Zika virus infection had been confirmed through retrospective testing of samples taken from patients presenting with a febrile illness between July 2014 and March 2016.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
Between 1 and 15 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 10 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 3 deaths.
Meningitis - Niger
An outbreak of meningitis epidemic in Niger has killed 76. At least 20 have died of the disease in the capital, Niamey.
Wildfires - Pennsylvania, USA
Two wildfires in a remote part of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains have burned more than 4,200 acres of forest, and local officials on Friday evening took the rare step of calling on out-of-state firefighters for help.
The larger of the two fires, which has scorched 3,650 acres, was 20% contained Friday evening; the smaller one, which has burned 643 acres, was 80% contained. Officials fear the two fires might merge. One structure and multiple “out buildings” have been destroyed.
Wildfires - North Carolina, Alabama, USA
A wildfire that grew to 2,500 acres Friday forced officials to close Madison County schools and restrict nearby hiking as firefighters worked to corral the blaze while keeping it away from structures.
The Silver Mine Fire began Thursday afternoon in Pisgah National Forest about 1 mile east of Hot Springs near Greene County, Tennessee. Firefighters had it 10 percent contained Friday morning.
In eastern North Carolina, firefighters laboured to gain control over three wildfires that had burned nearly 17,000 acres by Friday. In Hyde and Dare counties, 14,000 acres burned while fire consumed about 1,600 acres in Brunswick County near Wilmington.
Another fire broke out in the 150,000 acre Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, shutting down about 30 miles of U.S. 264, which remained closed Friday morning.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Pavlof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Seismic activity at the volcano has continued to decrease over the past two weeks and no anomalous activity has been detected in satellite data since weakly elevated surface temperatures were seen on April 8. AVO is therefore lowering the aviation colour code to GREEN and the Volcano Alert Level to NORMAL.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.3 Earthquake hits near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.1 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits Easter Island.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.0 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 414 nm north of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking southeastward at 01 knot.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20p (Amos), located approximately 383 nm west-northwest of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and is tracking eastward at 06 knots.
NewsBytes:
Afghanistan - A landslide in Maimana, the capital of northwestern Faryab province in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of two children and injured one other.
Houston, Texas, USA - More rain has drenched the Houston area with eight people now reported to have died. More than 1 100 homes have been substantially damaged in the floods. Schools and businesses have been closed. The Governor has declared a state of disaster.
Argentina - Floods have swamped much of Argentina's soy crop, causing heavy losses to one of the world's top grains suppliers. Rains stemming from El Nino weather phenomenon have hit farmers in the grain belt of northeastern Argentina particularly hard. Some farmers have opted to stop the harvesting of soy while fields dry out. Grains are the backbone of Argentina's economy. The South American country is the world's third-biggest exporter of soy and a major supplier of corn and wheat. The Argentine Red Cross estimates more than 2,000 people have been evacuated and more 30,000 people have been affected after the rains swelled rivers, swamping fields and towns nationwide.
Polar Bears - Swimming Fatigue
Researchers have confirmed that polar bears are being forced to swim more frequently and for much longer distances as sea ice around the North Pole experiences more extensive melt under the influence of climate change.
A team from the University of Alberta, Climate Change Canada and the Zoological Society of San Diego used GPS tags placed on bears in the Beaufort Sea and Hudson Bay to determine their altered swimming behaviour.
Study co-author Andrew Derocher says that the longer swims are particularly hard on mothers with cubs, possibly explaining the decline in the number of bears in the southern Beaufort Sea.
Great Barrier Reef Devastated by Coral Bleaching
We knew coral bleaching was a serious issue in the Great Barrier Reef, but the scope of just how widespread it was has been unclear — until now.
Extensive aerial surveys and dives have revealed that 93 percent of the world's largest reef has been devastated by coral bleaching. The culprit has been record-warm water driven by El Niño and climate change that has cooked the life out of corals.
The Centre conducted aerial surveys and dives at 911 sites spanning the full 1,430-mile length of the reef. They show the hardest hit areas are in the northern part of the reefs, which have also endured some of the hottest water temperatures for prolonged periods.
More than 80 percent of reefs surveyed there showed signs of severe bleaching. The southern end of the reef fared better, but overall the bleaching represents a massive blow to biodiversity at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Great Barrier Reef also faces pressure from ocean acidification and fishing impacts, ramping up concerns over how to protect one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet.
Vietnam investigates mass fish deaths
Vietnam said on Thursday said it was investigating whether pollution is to blame for a spate of mysterious mass fish deaths along the country's central coast after huge amounts of marine life washed ashore in recent days.
Tons of fish, including rare species which live far offshore and in the deep, have been discovered on beaches along the country's central coastal provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Hue.
The strange situation first came to light when farmed fish in the area began dying in great numbers, he said, with locals later discovering huge numbers of dead fish on beaches.
Signs point to t.he fish having been poisoned by “unidentified substances,” Tran Dinh Du, deputy director of agriculture in Quang Binh province, said.
Central Ha Tinh province is home to a sprawling economic zone which houses numerous industrial plants, including a multi-billion dollar steel plant run by Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa.
Hanoi has dispatched teams of environmental experts and officials to investigate the phenomenon.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 115.0 degrees Fahrenheit (46.1 degrees Celsius) in Matam, Senegal.
The week's coldest temperature was minus -102.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 74.4 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.
Zika virus infection – Peru
On 17 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Peru notified PAHO/WHO of a confirmed case of sexual transmission of Zika virus. This is the country’s first case of Zika virus infection.
Anthrax in India
Days after the state government confirmed the resurgence of anthrax in Maharashtra after five years, officials from the state animal husbandry department have assured that the outbreak has so far been confined to just one village, where 110 sheep died in the last few days.
The officials also made it clear that animal flocks from the affected area cannot migrate or move to newer areas till the outbreak has completely subsided as an order has been issued in this regard
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.9 Earthquake hits the North Atlantic Ocean.
5.5 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits Fiji.
5.1 Earthquake hits New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 478 nm north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking east-southeastward at 07 knots.
Tropical cyclone (tc) 20p (Amos), located approximately 507 nm west of Pago Pago, American Samoa, and is tracking southeastward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Afghanistan - More flooding, this time in the central Bamyan province in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of at least five people and damaged about 350 houses.
Zika virus infection – Saint Lucia
On 7 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Saint Lucia notified PAHO/WHO of the first 2 confirmed cases of locally-acquired Zika virus infection.
Bird Flu Outbreak in Myanmar
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been reported in Myanmar's Sagaing Division, Monya township.
The disease, discovered on a layer farm, was caused by an H5 serotype of the disease, but it was not specified which strain was involved in the country's report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
Nearly 500 birds were destroyed on the farm after several birds died from the disease. The outbreak was attributed to a lack of biosecurity on the farm. Since the outbreak, over 20,000 chickens in the area have been killed and poultry trading has been restricted there.
Wildfires - North Carolina, USA
Firefighters are working to contain wildfires that have burned nearly 12,000 acres across North Carolina. There were no reports of injuries or buildings damaged.
The biggest fire has burned about 9,600 acres in the Alligator River Wildlife National Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. It started Monday as about a 60-acre fire in Hyde County that closed a section of U.S. 264 and spread into Dare County.
Media outlets report about 1,400 acres of woods in Brunswick County near Wilmington have burned.
On the other side of the state, a fire near Hot Springs on the Tennessee border has burned about 800 acres, forcing the closing of a section of U.S. 25 where it runs with U.S. 70.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.4 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.4 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 634 nm north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking southeastward at 09 knots.
This 175 MPH Big Red Blob is the Strongest Cyclone Ever Recorded in the Indian Ocean
Cyclone Fantala is now the third storm in the last six months to reach the “strongest on record” classification. Most recently, Tropical Cyclone Winston tore through the South Pacific as the strongest that had ever been recorded there. Before that, Hurricane Patricia was the strongest ever recorded in the Eastern Pacific.
Unlike Winston, fortunately, Fantala’s track over the Indian Ocean has the eye of this very intense cyclone steering wide of landmass as it travels well off the coast of Madagascar. Forecasters say even if it does make landfall on Madagascar, by the time it does, the storm will be significantly weakened. On Monday the storm passed over the Seychelles island chain, but it left nothing more than some structural damages and no injuries.
Tropical cyclone 20p (Twenty), located approximately 352 nm west of Avata, Samoa, and is tracking west-northwestward at 06 knots.
Wildfires - Alberta, Canada
Dozens more wildfires started in Alberta forests overnight, according to the province, bringing the number of such blazes so far this year to 157. Dozens of homes have been evacuated in Parkland County due to wildfires.
Wildfires - Virginia, USA
The Virginia Department of Forestry says wildland firefighters were sent to the Southwest region to battle a number of fires in Buchanan, Dickinson, Lee, Wise and Scott counties. One of the fires is burning near a high school.
In addition, forestry firefighters are working to put out a 2,000-acre forest fire in the Shenandoah National Park.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Santiaguito (Guatemala): Another partial collapse of the Caliente lava dome, likely accompanied with explosive activity, occurred yesterday morning at around 8am local time. Pyroclastic flows traveled several kilometers to the S and SE and an ash column rose to 4.5 km altitude, and drifted 25 km SW.
Moderate to strong ash fall affected areas to the W and SW including Loma Linda (6 km distance), San Marcos Palajunoj (16 km), Retalhuleu (25 km). The eruption has not caused other significant damage reported.
To what extent the ash plume was originating from the collapse that produced the pyroclastic flow(s) versus from true explosive activity from accumulated, pressurized gasses is difficult to judge. It might well be the case that increased effusion rate of viscous lava at the dome was the main responsible, causing collapse avalanches that in turn create so-called co-ignimbrite ash plumes.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.9 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.4 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.
5.4 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.3 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit near the coast of Ecuador.
5.0 Earthquake hits southeast of the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.
Ecuador - Update
At least 410 people have now been reported killed and more than 2,000 injured in the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador this past weekend.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 774 nm northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking east-southeastward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Texas, USA - At least five people were killed and hundreds more were evacuated from their homes in Houston, TX, as torrential rains and flooding prompted prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency across the city on Monday. Thousands of homes and local businesses were left without power.
Indonesia - Rain-triggered floods and landslides left six villagers missing in West Papua in eastern Indonesia.
Afghanistan - At least 38 people have lost their lives due to heavy rains accompanied by flash floods in northern parts of Afghanistan. Afghan officials said on Monday that the deaths were reported in the country’s northern provinces of Takhar, Badghis and Samangan during flash floods that began Sunday night.
Wildfires - British Columbia, Canada
Several wildfires are burning in Northern British Columbia on a day when much of the province experienced higher than normal temperatures.
A state of emergency has been declared in parts of northern B.C., where a number of wildfires have burned buildings, forced residents from their homes and closed roads.
The Peace River Regional District said there are approximately 48 wildfires burning in the region.
The district has issued an evacuation order for several areas in Baldonnel.
Lyrid Meteor Shower 2016
The Lyrids have been active for three days now and will last up to April 25. The meteor showers are expected to peak in the mornings of April 22 and April 23. A peak meteor shower is defined as the moment of maximum activity and the time when most meteors are seen. In ideal conditions, stargazers can expect to see 10-20 Lyrids per hour.
However, there is a catch. A full moon night, however, during these days can hamper the ability to spot meteors. Despite the moon hurdle, stargazers all over the world are getting ready to witness the event.
Malawi: Typhoid Fever Outbreak Hits Mchinji
Typhoid Fever has hit Mchinji district with confirmed cases of at least 18 people who tested positive to the disease. The local hospital took samples of blood of eight people from Kangwere Village where the outbreak was first reported and the other 10 from Sepo and Chibande villages in the area, all who are believed to have contracted the disease.
Kala-azar outbreak in Pathanapuram - India
An indigenous case of kala-azar or black fever outbreak has been reported from Chempanaruvi, near Pathanapuram, in Kollam district, causing concern among public health experts.
Besides screening the residents of the area, vector-control measures need to be carried out. Mud walls of houses should be treated with synthetic pyrethrum. Bed nets with smaller mesh size should be used by the residents to avoid insect bites, have been suggested.
Hepatitis Outbreak In South Kashmir
A recent outbreak of Hepatitis C & E in South Kashmir has caused havoc in the affected villages. The outbreak of Hepatitis C was first reported in Takia Magam and Sonabarie villages of Kokernag in January 2013. After collection of samples, almost 60 percent of the population from the twin villages were diagnosed with Hepatitis- C. Two years on, the number of affected people has reached around 1100 with authorities apparently unable to curb the disease.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): A small explosion at the volcano was recorded on 16 April by both infrasound (air pressure) and seismic data. No ash plume could be observed due to cloud cover. AVO raised the alert status of Cleveland to Orange. Since the small eruption on Saturday morning, no other signs of eruptive activity have been detected.
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): A large summit eruption (a paroxysm) occurred during yesterday night at the volcano. The eruption began around 02:15 local time on 18 April, when ash emissions and individual explosions in the summit crater increased, followed by a strong eruptive phase with continuous lava fountains that lasted over 2 hours. During its peak around 3 am local time, a rain of incandescent material fell over the upper part of the volcano, to up to 1.6 km distance, and an ash plume rose several kilometres and drifted SE. Moderate ash fall occurred in areas such as Puebla city, whose airport was of course shut down.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits Crete.
5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.
Ecuador - Update
Rescue crews searched desperately through rubble for survivors of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck coastal Ecuador.
The death toll has soared to 272, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said Sunday evening. That number is expected to rise as rescue teams dig through the rubble, he said. Earlier that day, Vice President Jorge Glas had estimated that at least 2,527 people were injured.
The hardest-hit area was the coastal Manabi Province, where about 200 people died, said Ricardo Peñaherrera of Ecuador's national emergency management office. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales, a tourist destination, saw the most devastation but damage was widespread throughout the country.
"The first hours are crucial," Correa said. "We're finding signs of life in the rubble. We're giving this priority. After, we'll work to find and recover bodies." People looking for family and friends frantically dug with their hands and tools until excavation equipment arrived.
March smashes global temperature records
The global temperature in March has shattered a century-long record and by the greatest margin yet seen for any month.
February was far above the long-term average globally, driven largely by climate change, and was described by scientists as a "shocker" and signalling "a kind of climate emergency". But data released by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) shows that March was even hotter.
Compared with the 20th-century average, March was 1.07C hotter across the globe, according to the JMA figures, while February was 1.04C higher. The JMA measurements go back to 1891 and show that every one of the past 11 months has been the hottest ever recorded for that month.
Data released released later on Friday by Nasa confirmed last month was the hottest March on record, but the US agency's data indicated February had seen the biggest margin. The Nasa data recorded March as 1.65C above the average from 1951-1980, while February was 1.71C higher.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 783 nm northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking west-northwestward at 04 knots.
NewsBytes:
Chile - Heavy rains battering central Chile have now left an estimated 4 million people without drinking water, as landslides wreaked havoc and rivers breached their banks, leaving at least one person dead and closing the world's largest underground copper mine.
Uruguay - Massive storms and floods have killed at least 7 in Uruguay and driven 2 000 from their homes when rivers burst their banks in recent days. Four of the victims died on friday when a rare tornado hit the western city of Dolores and three others were found to have died when trying to cross flooded rivers in the region.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.5 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
At least 77 people have been killed and 588 injured in a massive 7.5-magnitude earthquake that hit the Ecuador coast. The quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The disaster has ravaged coastal towns and left thousands of households without power. A rescue team has tweeted that the death toll in the quake has risen to 142, adding that at least 269 buildings have been destroyed in the disaster.
5.8 Earthquake hits Tonga.
5.6 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.5 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.3 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Nias region, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits near the coast of Ecuador.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 631 nm north-northwest of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking west-northwestward at 10 knots.
NewsBytes:
New Zealand - Heavy rain has fallen in the northern parts of the Coromandel, causing slips and flooding to the north and south of Colville. Slips have blocked roads around Port Charles and Waikawau Bay.
Yemen - A total of 26 people have lost their lives in western Yemen as floods caused by heavy downpours hit the war-ravaged impoverished country and destroyed dozens of homes.
Kansas, USA - Thunderstorms brought heavy rain to western Kansas overnight, with flash flooding reported in Gray, Meade and Haskell Counties.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
7.0 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
A second strong tremblor of magnitude-7.0 occurred at a depth of 12 kilometres at 1.25am on Saturday in Kumamoto, causing strong vibrations across the island with a population of 13 million people. Japanese media reported multiple fatalities, saying the total death toll from the quakes since Thursday was 26.
The temblor on Saturday was followed by a series of aftershocks that were almost at the the top of Japan’s intensity scale. The shaking was most powerful close to Mt. Aso, an active volcano and popular tourist site. A small eruption was spotted at Mt. Aso after the quake.
Television footage showed houses flattened and landslides that had swallowed up roads and railway lines in the village of Minamiaso. Authorities warned of further damage, with strong rain expected to worsen conditions later Saturday. A tsunami warning was briefly issued after the earthquake, but was lifted less than an hour later.
6.2 Earthquake hits offshore Guatemala.
5.6 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5,5 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.4 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.3 Earthquake hits Atacama, Chile.
5.3 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.2 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Talmud, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits Mentawai, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Uzbekistan.
5.0 Earthquake hits southwestern Siberia, Russia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 472 nm north of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking westward at 08 knots.
The Atlantic Coast Is Sinking
The 5,000 North Carolinians who call Hyde County home live in a region several hundred miles long where coastal residents are coping with severe changes that few other Americans have yet to endure.
Geological changes along the East Coast are causing land to sink along the seaboard. That's exacerbating the flood-inducing effects of sea level rise, which has been occurring faster in the western Atlantic Ocean than elsewhere in recent years. New research using GPS and prehistoric data has shown that nearly the entire coast is affected, from Massachusetts to Florida and parts of Maine with Hyde County subsiding at a little more than an inch per decade.
The study, published this month in Geophysical Research Letters, outlines a hot spot from Delaware and Maryland into northern North Carolina where the effects of groundwater pumping are compounding the sinking effects of natural processes. Problems associated with sea level rise in that hot spot have been — in some places — three times as severe as elsewhere.
On average, climate change is causing seas to rise globally by more than an inch per decade. That rate is increasing as rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap more heat, melting ice and expanding ocean waters. Seas are projected to rise by several feet this century — perhaps twice that much if the collapse of parts of the Antarctic ice sheet worsens.
Ocean circulation changes linked to global warming and other factors have been causing seas to rise much faster than that along the sinking mid-Atlantic coastline — more than 3.5 inches per decade from 2002 to 2014 north of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, a recent study showed.
Taken together, that suggests the sea has been rising along the county's shorelines recently at a pace greater than 4.5 inches per decade — a globally extraordinary rate. Similar effects are playing out in places that include Sandy Hook in New Jersey and Norfolk in Virginia, the analysis shows.
Greenland’s Ice Sheet Sees Alarming Meltdown
Greenland's ice sheet saw an almost 12 percent meltdown on Monday, according to data released by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). The amount of ice melt is not only abnormal but also taking place a month before its usual occurrence.
According to the DMI report, warm air that advanced from the southwest, which brought rain in its wake to the coast, was a factor driving the ice melt. The situation is akin to one observed in 2012, when 95 percent of the ice sheet surface experienced melt; however, even then, the melt wasn't as early or extensive as the one noticed on Monday.
"It is a very unusual situation, especially so early in the year, with very cold air and deep low pressures system to the west and east of Greenland and very warm air forming a 'cap' over the island," said Martin Stendel, DMI climate scientist. "This helped to force a frontal system with very warm air up the west coast bringing rain over the ice sheet."
In normal conditions, rainfall and ice sheet melt water usually encounter snow and start to refreeze during this time of the year. As per researchers, the early meltdown is the latest example of accelerated global warming and its impact in recent years. 2015 was the hottest year ever in recorded history, and the Arctic experienced its mildest winters as per data released by NASA. The Arctic sea ice reached an all time recorded low of 5.607 million square miles during winter.
Zika virus infection – Chile
On 26 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Chile notified PAHO/WHO of a confirmed case of sexual transmission of Zika virus; this is the first case acquired in continental Chilean territory where there is no presence of aedes [vector] mosquitoes.
Two Outbreaks of Newcastle Disease Reported in Romania
Two outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been reported on broiler farms in Prahova province in Romania.
In the first outbreak, there were 13,000 cases and over 4000 deaths of birds. Notes on the Romanian report to the World Organisation for Animal Health said that the birds had been vaccinated, but that the vaccination procedures had probably not been properly followed.
In the second outbreak, the source of the outbreak was listed as 'unknown'. Over 1000 birds died out of 3100 cases.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Nyamuragira (DRCongo): The lava lake at the bottom of the inner pit in the volcano's summit caldera has recently disappeared, a recent survey by scientist from the Goma volcano observatory (OVG) and UN. It is not known when exactly this happened and how, but the thermal signal stops abruptly around 1 April, suggesting that the lake, which had appeared during 2014, drained quickly at around this date. During their overflight on 6 April, the group of scientists from OVG, UN and the Second University of Naples around D. Tedesco only saw an incandescent vent, releasing a jet of hot gasses, in the place of the lava lake.
Alaid (Northern Kuriles): The eruption at the volcano continues as a strong thermal heat source remains active at the summit crater; no details about the nature of the activity (perhaps a small lava lake) are currently known. KVERT reported that moderate activity at Alaid continued during 1-8 April. Satellite images showed an intense daily thermal anomaly over the volcano. A gas-and-steam plume containing minor amounts of ash drifted about 40 km SW on 1 April. The Aviation Colour Code remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-colour scale).
Chirpoi (Kurile Islands, Russia): Satellite images detected a thermal anomaly over Snow, a volcano of Chirpoi, during 4-5 and 7 April. The Aviation Colour Code remained at Yellow.
Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Over the past days, vulcanian-type explosions - mainly from Showa crater - have become weaker and less frequent; none have been recorded since Tuesday. However, both Showa and Minamidake crater continue to show phases of continuous steaming/degassing with weak ash emissions, which in turn suggests probably deep-seated strombolian activity in both craters.
Dukono (Halmahera): Strong ash emissions continue to be observed almost daily, suggesting that the volcano's activity (continuous strong ash venting, intermittent strombolian explosions from its main crater) has not changed significantly over the past months.
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The activity of the volcano has been relatively low during the past days, after the series of stronger explosions in early April had destroyed the previous lava dome. CENAPRED reported 74 weak emissions and one explosion over the past 24 hours.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.5 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
6.4 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
At least nine people were killed in Thursday night's 6.4-magnitude quake, which also toppled houses and buckled roads on the southwestern island of Kyushu. With widespread damage to infrastructure, several companies – including in the steel, auto and technology sectors – said they had temporarily ceased production. Exporter giants Toyota, Honda and Sony were carrying out safety checks assess possible damage to plants and those of suppliers. Other firms shutting down included Mitsubishi Electric, Renesas and Fujifilm as well as tyre maker Bridgestone and beverage titan Suntory Holdings. There was no danger of a tsunami.
6.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
6.0 Earthquakes hit Kyushu, Japan.
5.7 Earthquake hits Kepulauan Barat Daya, Indonesia.
5.5 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.5 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.3 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.2 Earthquake hits north of Ascension Island.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan.
Two 5.0 Earthquakes hit Vanuatu.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 488 nm north-northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking westward at 10 knots.
NewsBytes:
Iran - Heavy rains in Iran's western and southwestern provinces has resulted in flash floods that killed two people. Iran's railway authority canceled all trains scheduled for Friday to and from the southern part of the country. Flash floods have washed away cars and blocked roads between several cities and villages in Lorestan and Khuzestan provinces.
Saudi Arabia - Eighteen people have been killed during heavy rains and floods over the past week in Saudi Arabia, the civil defence agency said on Thursday. In a statement, it said the toll covered much of the country, from Riyadh to Hail, Mecca, Medina, Al-Baha, Asir, Najran and Jazan. Another 27 people in Al-Baha were injured over three days because of accidents during heavy rains. Severe downpours have struck Saudi Arabia this week, including in the desert capital Riyadh where schools closed on Wednesday after floods caused traffic chaos during a storm.
Salmon Deaths
An algae bloom brought on by El Niño’s ocean warmth off the coast of Chile that killed up to 20 percent of the country’s farmed salmon is receding, according to officials.
The loss of up to 25 million fish caused global salmon prices to soar in recent weeks and prompted Chile’s salmon farmers to lay off 10,000 workers, union officials said.
While the algae isn’t a major threat to wild salmon, fish raised in enclosures can’t escape it, leading them to gradually die of asphyxiation as the tiny organisms accumulate in their gills.
Radioactive Raiders
Wild boars that root around the highly contaminated landscape surrounding Japan’s meltdown-plagued Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are reproducing so rapidly that they threaten nearby towns.
The feral marauders, rife with cesium-137, have grown in numbers from about 3,000 in 2014 to 13,000 at latest count. They have also inflicted an estimated $900,000 in damage to agriculture, according to the Japanese daily Yomiuri.
Mass graves and incineration facilities have been unable to cope with the growing numbers of boar corpses brought in by local hunters.
Alaskan Moose Flourishing Because Of Global Warming
Global warming in the 20th century has allowed moose to recolonise the Alaskan tundra for the first time since 1880, researchers say. Warmer and longer summers have allowed shrubs to grow taller, meaning moose now have ample food for the cold winter periods.
The research compared historic changes in Alaska’s summer temperatures from 1860 to 2009 to the height of shrubs that are eaten by moose. High carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and an extended summer growing season caused Alaskan plant life to thrive, which increased the amount of shrubbery in the state. Since the animal’s food supply expanded, the number of moose in Alaska expanded as well.
Alaska’s moose were able to range much farther north in recent years as the average shrub height increased from 1.1 meters in 1860 to around 2 meters in 2009, which increased the amount of food sticking up above the snow in the winter.
The scientists believe that tall shrubs were too rare and sparse prior to the late 20th century in the tundra to support moose populations in the northern sections of Alaska.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week's hottest temperature was 118.0 degrees Fahrenheit (47.8 degrees Celsius) in Dori, Burkina Faso.
The week's coldest temperature was minus -98.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 72.2 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.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
Between 18 and 31 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 16 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 6 deaths.
Elizabethkingia Outbreak - USA - Update
The mystery infection Elizabethkingia has spread to another state from Wisconsin, where an outbreak has already killed 18 people. The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed one case of Elizabethkingia in a woman who died in March. Meanwhile, infectious disease experts still don’t know where it has come from.
Another case has surfaced in Michigan, and is also of the same strain. Little else has been reported about this case, except that the infected person didn’t die.
The mysterious disease infects the blood. Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, chills, and a bacterial skin infection called cellulitis. Unfortunately, Elizabethkingia is resistant to bacteria and therefore hard to treat. The Elizabethkingia bacteria is found in soil, river water, and reservoirs, but usually doesn’t make people sick. It’s not transmitted person-to-person. Anyone with a weakened immune system or an underlying health issue is at risk of contracting the bacteria.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): Darwin VAAC reported that during 6-7 April ash plumes from the volcano rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 55 km NE and E.
Kerinci (Sumatra): Based on a pilot observation and reports from PVMBG, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 10 April ash plumes from Kerinci rose to altitudes of 4-4.3 km (13,000-14,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE and E.
Fuego (Guatemala): The 6th paroxysmal eruption of the volcano in 2016 ended already this morning, after having lasted approx. 24 hours only. The volcano's activity returned to its typical style of intermittent weak to moderate strombolian explosions. No pyroclastic flows were generated during this latest eruptive phase, INSIVUMEH reported.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.9 Earthquake hits Myanmar.
A strong earthquake struck Myanmar on Wednesday night and was felt in parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, causing residents to rush out of their homes in panic. Residents in Myanmar's main city of Yangon also panicked after the quake struck, but authorities there said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
5.9 Earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
5.6 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.
5.5 Earthquake hits region Metropolitana, Chile.
5.5 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea
5.0 Earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 575 nm northeast of Port Louis, Mauritius, and is tracking westward at 08 knots.
NewsBytes:
Uganda - Kampala residents woke up to a wet Wednesday morning. Many low-lying areas experienced flash floods, cutting off roads. Rain water filled in peoples' houses, with residents forced to remove some of their belongings out of their homes and to high-level drier areas.
Yellow fever – Angola - Update
On 21 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Angola notified WHO of an outbreak of yellow fever (YF). The first case with onset date on 5 December 2015 was identified in Viana municipality, Luanda province.
As of 7 April 2016, a total of 1,708 suspected cases, including 238 deaths (CFR: 13.9%), had been reported from 16 of the country’s 18 provinces. Luanda remains the most affected province with 1,135 cases (405 confirmed), including 165 deaths (CFR: 14. 5%). The other most affected provinces are Huambo (266 suspected cases, 37 deaths), Huila (95 suspected cases, 16 deaths) and Benguela (51 suspected cases, 0 deaths). Between 6 and 7 April, 30 new suspected cases, including 4 deaths, were reported across the country – 19 of these suspected cases and 2 of the reported deaths came from Luanda.
Transmission of the disease is no longer restricted to Luanda. As of 7 April 2016, the National Final Classification Committee had confirmed local transmission in five other provinces (Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, Huila and Uige) and in a total of 10 districts.
In addition, international spread of the disease has already been documented. Recent imported cases of YF have in fact been detected in China, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Santiaguito (Guatemala): A violent explosion associated with a partial dome collapse occurred Monday morning at the Caliente dome. The eruption generated an ash column that rose several kilometres and a pyroclastic flow that traveled through the canyon draining from the dome complex to the SE. Since this event, the dome has returned to normal activity with only occasional smaller explosions. Weak effusive activity continues to generate rock falls on the dome's eastern flank.
Nyiragongo (DRCongo): The secondary vent remains active, a recent visit (on 8 April) at the volcano showed. Lava continues to be erupted from the side vent on the eastern crater floor and occasionally still cascades into the main pit with the active lava lake.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Comoros region.
5.1 Earthquake hits south of Africa.
5.1 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits west of MacQuarie Island.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 448 nm southwest of Diego Garcia, and is tracking westward at 12 knots.
NewsBytes:
USA - Stormy weather in Arkansas has claimed life of a woman early Monday in Crawford County. Massive hailstones pumelled parts of Texas Monday night, shattering windows and damaging roofs as severe weather moved across the Southern Plains.
Zika virus infection – Viet Nam
On 5 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Viet Nam notified WHO of 2 confirmed cases of locally-acquired Zika virus infection.
Measles in South Sudan - Update
There have been 350 clinically confirmed cases of measles in the last 12 weeks in South Sudan with 21 more suspected cases reported in Bentiu the last two weeks, UNICEF said.
One person died in Bentiu in the last two weeks from the disease, the group said.
UNICEF said a measles outbreak response is ongoing in Bentiu town and Rubkona targeting 29,000 children.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 Earthquake hits the Rat islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.4 Earthquake hits the central east Pacific rise.
5.3 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.3 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits west of MacQuarie Island.
5.2 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits south of Australia.
5.0 Earthquake hits North Island, New Zealand.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 19s (Fantala), located approximately 407 nm south-southwest of Diego Garcia, and is tracking westward at 08 knots.
NewsBytes:
DR Congo - Flooding in the Katanga Province, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has destroyed houses, farms and livelihoods, and it is thought that 40,000 people face food shortages. The livelihoods of many farmers, who have seen their crops washed away, have greatly suffered, exacerbating already chronic levels of food shortages.
Massive Crab Swarm
A massive crab swarm at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near Panama was captured for the first time.
The swarm, consisting of thousands of red crabs, represents a new southernmost range for the species, Pleuroncodes planipes. Researchers aboard the submersible Deep Rover 2 were both astounded and mesmerized by the unexpected sight, which they recorded about 1,200 feet below the ocean’s surface.
The large aggregation of red crabs was observed along the Northwest flank of the seamount in acidic water with very low levels of oxygen. These crabs have been detected before in similar low oxygen conditions. It could be that these low oxygen waters provide a refuge for this species from predators.
The frenzy to stay in this crowded spot makes sense when considering the nickname for these crustaceans: tuna crabs. Yellowfin tuna love to eat them, as do many birds, marine mammals and other fish. Humans can eat them too, but do so at risk. That is because the crab’s food source consists of phytoplankton
Despite their efforts to stay alive, the crabs might have perished not long after the video was recorded. Just a few months after the expedition, thousands of red crabs washed ashore onto Southern California beaches during a massive stranding associated with El Niño warming conditions.
Interesting Images
Mysterious giant sphere found in Bosnia. The stone sphere is 3.30 meters in diameter and the estimated weight of it is about 35 tons.
Wildfires - Nepal
Wildfires have been raging in different parts of Nepal for the last few days, destroying forests spread in 13 000 hectares — 20 per cent of Nepal’s forest land — in the course of a week.
In most parts of the country, these fires have been uncontrollable, putting huge swathes of forest land in danger. These fires will surely destroy hundreds of hectares of forest if there’s no rainfall. Nepal has no wildfire fighting capabilities. As of Sunday evening, fire has been spreading in 229 forest areas of the country.
Wildfires - Malaysia
The Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) recorded 2,940 forest and bush fire outbreaks in the first 10 days of this month.
Yellow Fever – Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 22 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) notified WHO of cases of yellow fever (YF) in connection with the outbreak currently occurring in Angola.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.5 Earthquake hits Taiwan.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Rat islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits southeast of Easter island.
5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits Palau.
5.0 Earthquake hits northern Colombia.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Argentina - At least 12,000 people have been evacuated in several provinces in northeastern Argentina due to flooding caused by torrential rains.
World's wild tiger count rises
The world's count of wild tigers roaming forests from Russia to Vietnam has gone up for the first time in more than a century, with 3 890 counted by conservation groups and national governments in the latest global census, wildlife conservation groups said on Monday.
The tally marks a turnaround from the last worldwide estimate in 2010, when the number of tigers in the wild hit an all-time low of about 3 200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum.
India alone holds more than half of the world's tigers, with 2 226 tigers roaming reserves across the country, from the southern tip of Kerala state to the eastern swamps in West Bengal, according to its last count in 2014.
But while experts said the news was cause for celebration, they stopped short of saying the number of tigers itself was actually rising. In other words, it may just be that experts are aware of more tigers, thanks to better survey methods and more areas being surveyed.
Still, this is the first time tiger counts are increasing since 1900, when there were more than 100 000 tigers in the wild.
Microcephaly – France - Martinique
On 24 March 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for France notified PAHO/WHO of a foetus with concomitant microcephaly and Zika virus infection in Martinique.
Mysterious disease kills at least 23 babies in Kenya
A mysterious disease has claimed lives of at least 23 infants in Kenya's Nakuru and Baringo counties in the past four weeks.
AThe disease - which is exhibiting symptoms such as high fever, coughing, body weakness and sweating - was initially thought to be viral pneumonia, but tests by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) were negative.
At least 215 cases have so far been confirmed, with babies aged between one day and 11 months being the most affected.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): The strombolian activity at the volcano's O-take crater continues to be relatively intense. VAAC Tokyo reports low-level ash plumes at approx. 6,000 ft and incandescence from the activity can be seen from neighbouring islands.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.8 Earthquake hits Pakistan.
5.7 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.4 Earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Ireland - Cork suffered flooding today as the combination of heavy rainfall and high tides caused tidal damage in some low lying areas. The city remains on orange alert for flooding with a further high spring tide at 8pm this evening. Cork is expected to receive up to 70mm of rainfall in a 24 hour period up to 10pm this evening.
Global warming changing Earth's wobble
Melting ice sheets - especially in Greenland - are changing the distribution of weight on Earth. And that has caused both the North Pole and the wobble, which is called polar motion, to change course, according to a study published Friday in the journal Science Advances.
Scientists and navigators have been accurately measuring the true pole and polar motion since 1899 and for almost the entire 20th century they migrated a bit toward Canada. But that has changed with this century and now it's moving toward England, said study lead author Surendra Adhikari at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.
While scientists say the shift is harmless, it is meaningful. it highlights how real and profoundly large an impact humans are having on the planet.
Since 2003, Greenland has lost on average more than 600 trillion pounds of ice a year and that affects the way the Earth wobbles in a manner similar to a figure skater lifting one leg while spinning. On top of that, West Antarctica loses 275 trillion pounds of ice and East Antarctica gains about 165 trillion pounds of ice yearly.
These factors all combine to pull polar motion toward the east, Adhikari said.
Wildfires - Mexico
Wildfires have engulfed forests in the mountains of Tepoztlan, a town not far from Mexico’s capital. The fires started sometime on Tuesday, apparently as the result of farmers burning weeds to prepare the area for planting. The Mexican government has mobilized the army, police, conservation teams, and helicopters to battle the fire in hard to reach mountain areas.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Anatahan region in the North Mariana Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
No current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Oman - Two people died after their vehicle was swept away by flood waters in Wadi Kabeel in Qurayat province, Oman on Friday. Three other Omanis were rescued in Wadi Bani Karoos in the Dhank province.
