Showing posts with label Brazil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brazil. Show all posts

Monday, 14 March 2016

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

USA - Widespread flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi has damaged thousands of homes and the risk of more flooding played out Sunday as rain-filled rivers rose over banks. In northwest Tennessee, more than a dozen homes were evacuated late Saturday after heavy rains breached a levee, according to emergency officials. Flood warnings were in effect across the region as many rivers remained dangerously high. Also of concern was another line of thunderstorms that was expected to hit parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, northern Louisiana and northern Mississippi Sunday night. Hail and tornadoes were possible, forecasters said. In Louisiana, emergency officials said more than 4,958 homes were damaged. That number is expected to rise as more reports come in from areas still battling floodwaters. Mississippi reported that 185 homes were damaged by floodwaters and about 650 homes sustained minor damage.

Brazil - Parts of Brazil have gone from a state of drought to intense flooding after torrential downpours hit southeastern areas of the country. At least 20 people have died in the high waters and mudslides in and around Sao Paulo. Five are still missing. Sao Paulo's fire department said 18 of the victims were killed in mudslides and the other two drowned in the floodwaters that hit more than 10 cities in the outskirts of the metropolitan area over recent days. Rio de Janeiro has also been badly hit. Authorities have declared a state of crisis after massive downpours flooded parts of the city late on Saturday. The deluge left cars, buses and local residents stranded, as streets turned into murky rivers. The rains are now easing, but further spells of wet weather are likely throughout the week, before it turns drier next weekend.

Saturday, 12 March 2016

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Brazil - Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rainfall have claimed the lives of at least 19 people in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A landslide buried 11 people in Francisco de Morato city in Sao Paulo. Four people died in a mudslide in Mairipora with at least eight people having gone missing in the area. Similarly, two people drowned in floodwaters in Guarulhos and another two in Cajamar. The seevere weather also interrupted flights for six hours at the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.

Pakistan - Four children and a woman died after a roof caved in due to heavy rains in Sheerani district in Balochistan. Three people died in Mastung and Loralai districts. One person died due to lightning strike in Dalbandin district. The Meteorological office has forecast more rain across Balochistan over the weekend.

Louisiana, USA - Flooding in Monroe, Louisiana has claimed life of a 7-year-old child and flooded more than 1,000 homes. Over 23 inches of rain had fallen near Monroe, Louisiana, through Friday morning. Several evacuation shelters have been opened. The Ouachita River has risen to 39.5 feet prompting a flood warning at Monroe from Friday afternoon until further notice.

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Saturday, 9 January 2016

Disease

Microcephaly – Brazil

On 4 January 2016, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil provided PAHO/WHO with an epidemiological report regarding the increase of microcephaly cases in the country.

As of 2 January, 3,174 suspected cases of microcephaly, including 38 deaths, had been identified at the national level. The cases are distributed across 684 municipalities of 21 federal units. The Northeastern region continues to report the highest number of suspected cases.

Zika virus infection – United States of America - Puerto Rico

On 31 December 2015, the National IHR Focal Point (NFP) of the United States of America notified PAHO/WHO of the first laboratory-confirmed case of Zika virus infection in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. The patient is a resident of Puerto Rico and had no travel history outside the island in the three months prior to the onset of illness. A blood sample obtained from the patient tested positive for Zika viral RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Disease

Microcephaly – Brazil

On 8 December 2015, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil provided PAHO/WHO with an update regarding the unusual increase in the number of cases of microcephaly among newborns in the northeast of Brazil.

As of 5 December, 1,761 suspected cases of microcephaly, including 19 deaths, have been identified. The cases are distributed across 422 municipalities of 14 federal units. Pernambuco and Paraíba are the most affected states with 804 and 316 cases, respectively. Fatal cases were reported in Rio Grande do Norte (7), Sergipe (4), Bahia (2), Rio de Janeiro (2), Ceará (1), Maranhão (1), Paraíba (1) and Piauí (1).

Cholera – Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has notified WHO of ongoing outbreaks of cholera across the country. Although the overall trend is decreasing, there are still areas reporting a high number of cases.

Since the beginning of the year, 19,705 cases have been reported in DRC. As of 29 November, the following provinces had reported cases: South Kivu (4,906), ex-Katanga (4,565), Maniema (3,971), North Kivu (3,294) and ex-Oriental (2,969). A high number of cases are still reported in the province of South Kivu where the situation is particularly worrying because of the presence of camps hosting refugees from Burundi. Furthermore, there are concerns that the epidemic in Maniema could spread to other provinces of the country as observed during the 2011 cholera epidemic when areas of Kinshasa were also affected.

Foot-and-mouth outbreak hits Limpopo, South Africa

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in the Limpopo province.

The department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that laboratory tests had confirmed the outbreak and had also identified the virus as the SAT 3 strain. "The outbreak occurred in the Matiane community, in the Thulamela local municipality of the Vhembe District which is within the FMD protection zone of South Africa, where vaccination for FMD is routinely conducted," the department said in a Times Live report.

The areas is reportedly close to the Kruger National Park where infected buffalo were a constant source of the infection. The department speculated that the drought in the area may be causing cattle and buffalo to come into increased contact due to limited grazing and water sources.

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

Wildfires

Wildfires - Brazil

Wildfires are raging through the Brazilian Amazon, destroying vast areas of forest on the eastern fringes of the “earth’s lungs”. The outbreak of the fire coincides with the start of the international COP21 climate summit in Paris and threatens one of the last un-contacted peoples on earth.

The fires are reportedly being started by illegal loggers, in retaliation for tribal people’s efforts to defend their territories and keep the invaders out. They threaten one of the few remaining areas of pre-Amazon forest in Brazil, the last environment of its type in the world.

This forest is home to the Awá tribe, one of the most vulnerable peoples on the planet. The Awá depend completely on the land for their survival.

In October, fires destroyed almost half of a nearby indigenous territory known as Arariboia, also home to uncontacted Awá. It is not known whether the two incidents are connected, or if they indicate that loggers are adopting a new strategy to claim land from tribal people.

Survival International, the global movement for tribal peoples’ rights, is calling on the Brazilian government to put out the fire, protect the Awá’s land and save them from extinction.

Sunday, 29 November 2015

Disease

Hawaii reports more dengue

The Hawaii Department of Health continues to work with other state and county agencies on the issue of the Dengue Fever outbreak. As of Friday, the Department of Health had reported 107 confirmed cases originating on Hawaii Island. This is an increase of 6 cases from the previous update. These cases include 93 residents and 14 visitors.

Because dengue fever is only transmitted by mosquitoes, the Department of Health is spraying and treating areas with high mosquito presence and confirmed cases. The Department of Health plans to conduct spraying in various areas of South Kona, Hilo, Puna, and Kau.

Although spraying and treatment of areas is ongoing, the most effective method to reduce the spread and eliminate Dengue is to fight the bite. Minimize or prevent the possibility of being bitten by an infected mosquito by wearing clothing that minimizes exposed skin, use mosquito repellant and avoid activities in areas of high mosquito concentration during the early morning and late afternoon periods when mosquito activity is greatest.

Zika virus infection – Guatemala

PAHO/WHO has received notification of a laboratory-confirmed autochthonous case of Zika virus infection in Guatemala. The case, who is a resident of the Zacapa department, developed symptoms on 11 November. An investigation is being carried out to detect further cases.

Zika virus infection – El Salvador

On 24 November, the National IHR Focal Point of El Salvador notified PAHO/WHO of 3 laboratory-confirmed autochthonous cases of Zika virus infection. The preliminary confirmation was provided by the national reference laboratory and has since been confirmed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Fort Collins. Salvadoran health authorities are implementing the corresponding prevention and control activities.

Microcephaly – Brazil

The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Brazil has provided PAHO/WHO with an update regarding the unusual increase in the number of cases of microcephaly among newborns in the northeast of Brazil.

As of 21 November, a total of 739 cases of microcephaly were being investigated in nine states in the northeast of Brazil. The distribution of the cases was as follows: Pernambuco (487 cases), Paraíba (96 cases), Sergipe (54 cases), Rio Grande do Norte (47 cases), Piauí (27 cases), Alagoas (10 cases), Ceará (9 cases), Bahia (8 cases) and Goiás (1 case). One fatal case was reported in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Friday, 6 November 2015

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical cyclone 05a (Megh), located approximately 422 nm east of Socotra Island, Yemen, is tracking west-southwestward at 09 knots.

NewsBytes:

Jordan - Heavy rain in Jordan has flooded the streets of the capital Amman, causing road closures and power cuts. Two people died when a basement flooded.

Brazil - Bento Rodrigues, a town in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, was flooded after a dam holding waste water from an iron mine burst early Thursday. At least 15 people were reported to have died.

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Disease

Exanthematous illness outbreak in Brazil

Health professionals recently announced that the outbreak of exanthematous illness in Salvador, Brazil, is connected to the Chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses that have grown to be significant public health threats around the world.

A zika infection typically has symptoms that resemble dengue fever and exanthema, including conjunctivitis, a low-grade fever, and arthralgia. Zika and exanthematous illness outbreaks have been linked to higher rates of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The first warning of the outbreak was sent to the Salvador Epidemiologic Surveillance Office (ESO) this year. In March, confirmed exanthematous illness cases began to rise, and by April the ESO announced that there were 10 public emergency health centres within Salvador. The centres are used as systematic surveillance units for patients who have acute exanthematous illness. As of today, the health investigators have not yet determined the origin of the disease outbreak.

The Brazilian Ministry of Health confirmed in May this year that Zika is now spreading through Brazil. Health professionals have confirmed that Zika is an etiologic agent to the rise in acute exanthematous illness.

The current acute exanthematous illness outbreak is spreading throughout Salvador. This city is the third-largest in Brazil, posing a notable health threat to the wellness of the country.

Saturday, 31 October 2015

Drought

Brazil's drought deeper than thought

New satellite data shows Brazil's drought is worse than previously thought, with the southeast losing 56 trillion liters of water in each of the past three years - more than enough to fill Lake Tahoe, a NASA scientist said on Friday.

The country's most severe drought in 35 years has also caused the Brazil's larger and less-populated northeast to lose 49 trillion liters of water each year over three years compared with normal levels, said NASA hydrologist Augusto Getirana.

Brazilians are well aware of the drought due to water rationing, power blackouts and empty reservoirs in parts of the country but this is the first study to document exactly how much water has disappeared from aquifers and reservoirs, Getirana said.

The Cantareira water reservoir system providing water for 8.8 million residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, for example, was filled to less than 11 percent of its capacity last year, local officials reported.

Home to the Amazon River, Brazil does not have an absolute shortage of water, he said. The problem is that heavily populated regions, particularly the country's southeast, depend on local reservoirs and aquifers which are not being replenished due to the drought.

Water could theoretically be shipped into drought-affected cities from other parts of the country, he said, but the financial and logistical costs would be huge.

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 10 and 13 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 4 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. The four cases are from the same compound in Riyadh city.

Zika virus infection – Brazil and Colombia

Between 8 October and 16 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Points of Brazil and Colombia notified PAHO/WHO of cases of Zika virus infection.

In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed autochthonous transmission of Zika virus in the northeastern part of the country. As of 8 October, autochthonous cases of Zika virus had been detected in 14 states: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Paraná, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Roraima, and São Paulo.

Thursday, 17 September 2015

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

7.9 (Initial 8.3) Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

Thousands of residents of this small city in northern Chile were sleeping outside Thursday after a powerful earthquake destroyed their homes, a tremor that also forced more than 1 million to evacuate and killed eight people in the quake-prone South American nation.

Several coastal towns were flooded from small tsunami waves set off by the late Wednesday quake, which shook the Earth so strongly that rumbles were felt across South America.

The magnitude-8.3 quake that hit off northern Chile on Wednesday night lasted for three minutes, causing buildings to sway in the capital, Santiago, and prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for the Andean nation’s entire Pacific coast. People sought safety in the streets of inland cities, while others along the shore took to their cars to race to higher ground.

Tsunami advisories were in effect for Hawaii and parts of California. Tsunami warnings in Chile were lifted early Thursday.

The tremor was so strong that people in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the other side of the continent, felt it. People in Peru and Brazil also reported feeling the shakes. No injuries were reported outside of Chile.

6.3 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

6.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

6.1 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.8 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.7 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.6 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

6.3 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.3 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.5 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.7 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits offshore Coquimbo, Chile.

7.0 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

6.2 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.4 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.9 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

6.4 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.5 Earthquake hits Coquimbo, Chile.

5.9 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.5 Earthquake hits Taiwan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.3 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 Earthquake hits offshore Tarapaca, Chile.

5.1 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

6.5 Earthquake hits Maranhao, Brazil.

5.6 Earthquake hits San Luis, Argentina.

5.2 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.4 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

Saturday, 30 March 2013

Drought

Drought in Brazil Intensifies


Brazil's northeast interior has been experiencing a severe drought in what should be the rainy season.


Private trucks are selling potable water. Some people travel 100km in search of drinkable water, though many cannot afford to pay the price.


"What falls from the sky does not fill a glass of water," Raimundo, a farmer, said. Natural vegetation, which would normally provide food for livestock, has dried up and many ranchers cannot afford to buy imported feed for their herds. Many farmers are on the brink of collapse, while others have given up on ranching and have moved to other parts of the country in search of work.


$1bn in aid to all of those affected by the drought has been announced by the Government, but many ranchers are having trouble feeding themselves and their cattle are dying in record numbers.


This river is normal full from bank to bank at this time of year:


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Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Storms and Floods

Flooding in Central Bulgaria


The Danube River in Bulgaria has reached critically high level.


Code yellow has been declared for dangerous weather over the whole of Bulgarian.


Emergency situation is still effective in Gabrovo, and the towns of Dryanovo and Tryavna.


Severe Storms in the United States


A tornado in Rutherford County in Tennessee destroyed several mobile houses.


Lightning caused fire on the roof of Fairview Middle School in Franklin but it didn't harm students.


Large hail stones injured two people in Mississippi.


Lightning Strike - New York City.


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Snowstorms in Quebec, Canada


Heavy snowstorms have hit Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada.


More than 50 schools are closed due to severe weather in Quebec.


Other News:


A tornado hit Hunan Province in China early Wednesday and has claimed three lives and injured thirty others.


Death toll from landslide north of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil has risen to 24.


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Floods in Leicestershire, England continue after heavy rains with many roads remaining closed.

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Storms and Floods

Cyclone Tim is forming off northern Queensland - Australia's eighth cyclone of the season is likely to form in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Wednesday.


Storm in Sao Paulo, Brazil


Heavy storm in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil bringing floods and landslides which killed two including a 14-year-old girl.


The storm also damaged the shopping continental mall in the Jaguare district but nobody was injured.


Brazil flood photo


Severe Cold Across Europe


Hundreds of drivers have been left stranded after snow brought some roads in Sussex, England to a standstill. Tailbacks of up to 15 miles were reported on the A23 between Crawley and Brighton, with some motorists stuck for up to eight hours. Police said snow and ice had caused hazardous conditions and officers were trying to help gritting lorries through to treat roads.


Heavy snow in north-western Europe is causing severe travel disruption, including the cancellation of hundreds of flights via Frankfurt and Paris.


Heavy storm in Ashanti, Ghana


Heavy storm has affected the people in Kodie, Mpobi, Ahenkro, Ahenkro- Kwamang and Ankaase area of Ghana.


The storm has also damaged the Kodie Junior High School.

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global


5.9 Earthquake hits Banda Aceh, northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The Earthquake killed an eight-year-old girl and injured 15 others. Most of them were injured due to collapsing walls.


5.8 Earthquake hits Brazil.


5.4 Earthquake hits Aru Islands region, Indonesia.


5.3 Earthquake hits Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.


5.3 Earthquake hits northern and central Iran.


5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Sea of Japan.


4.9 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Monday, 21 January 2013

Disease

Brazil City Fights Dengue Fever


Health authorities in the Brazilian city of Campo Grande, in the southern state of Mato Grosso do Sul, are fighting a dengue fever epidemic. About 600 residents a day have reported suffering from the symptoms of the fever since the beginning of the year. Heavy rains have increased the risk of reproduction of the mosquito which transmits the disease. Hundreds of workers have been hired to clear the streets of standing water, where the mosquitoes breed.


In Paraguay, across the border from Mato Grosso do Sul, eight people have died from the fever and more than 8,500 suspected cases have been reported. There, the army and the police have been deployed to help clear potential mosquito breeding grounds. Global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically, about half of the world's population is now at risk.


More U.S. States Reporting High Flu Levels


Thirty states are now reporting high levels of flu-like illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Saturday, 5 January 2013

Drought

Drought in Brazil


Brazil's Northeast is suffering its worst drought in decades, threatening hydro-power supplies in an area prone to blackouts and potentially slowing economic growth in one of the country's emerging agricultural frontiers.

Friday, 4 January 2013

Storms and Floods

Floods in Rio


Heavy rain has triggered floods in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, leaving whole neighbourhoods strewn with debris.


Rio Floods


 


Floods in the Philippines


At least 130 families have been evacuated in two villages in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte due to floods caused by incessant rain spawned by tropical depression "Auring,".


Tropical storm Sonamu is forecast to strike the Philippines at about 00:00 GMT on 4 January.


Tropical Cyclone Dumile causes Havoc on Reunion


Thousands of homes on France's Reunion island remain without power after being hit by Indian Ocean Cyclone Dumile. Both of the island's airports closed, and shipping was at a standstill. Winds of up to 180 kilometres per hour (110 miles per hour) and torrential rain caused extensive damage.


Flooding in Narathiwat, Thailand


Heavy rainfall has again flooded Sungai Golok, Waeng and Tak Bai region of Narathiwat province.


Thailand's meteorological centre has warned people to remain ashore over the next 1-2 days due to high waves offshore, of up to 2-3 metres.

Monday, 10 December 2012

Drought

The northeast of Brazil is going through the worst drought in nearly 50 years. The cattle industry is particularly hard hit with almost 50 % of herds dying of starvation in some districts.


Drought

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Environment

Decline in Amazon forest destruction.


Data released on Tuesday suggests destruction of Amazon rain forests has slowed to the lowest rate since monitoring began in 1988. The figures, based on Brazilian government data gathered by satellite imagery, mark the fourth straight year the overall deforestation levels have slowed.


But scientists warn, they must still confirm by follow-up research whether the reality on the ground matches what seems to be the case from the sky, especially as loggers and farmers clear smaller but more numerous patches of woodland in efforts to evade detection.


Three of the nine Amazonian states measured in the recent data actually showed increases in deforestation. Meanwhile, scientists and environmentalists warn that changes to Brazil's environmental policies in recent years could soon begin reversing the progress.


Brazil deforestation