Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.3 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.
5.2 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.
5.1 Earthquake hits Lake Kivu, Congo.
5.1 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.
Three 5.0 Earthquakes ht offshore Coquimbo, Chile.
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.
Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone 05s (Five), located approximately 439 nm south-southwest of Diego Garcia, is tracking westward at 08 knots.
NewsBytes:
DR Congo - Torrential rains and flooding have claimed the lives of at least 31 people and left 20,000 families homeless in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of the deaths occurred along the banks of the giant Congo river.
Measles in DR Congo
A measles outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo's southeast districts have infected more than 30 000 people with 400 deaths.
Measles Epidemic in DR Congo
A growing measles epidemic in the province of Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo, has sickened more than 20,000 people and killed 300 people this year, according to official figures, while resources to combat the outbreak are still lacking, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned Tuesday.
More than 20 of Katanga's 68 health districts are now affected—up from 10 districts in June—but the Congolese government has still not made an official declaration of the epidemic, which may have delayed a timely response.
Measles is now almost endemic in the region and particularly dangerous for the very young who are already exposed to other pathologies such as malaria and acute malnutrition. The absence of free care in public health facilities discourages mothers from taking their sick children to be treated.
Wildfires - Siberia
Wildfires destroy forest around the world's oldest and deepest fresh-water lake, Lake Baikal in Russia. By Thursday over 25,000 hectares of forest had been scorched.
Wildfires - DR Congo
At least three people have been killed and thousands left homeless by bush fires raging in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 Earthquake hits south of Fiji.
5.6 Earthquake hits Lac Kivu, Congo.
5.5 Earthquake hits Lac Kivu, Congo.
5.3 Earthquake hits Gulf of California.
5.2 Earthquake hits Gulf of California.
5.1 Earthquake hits Gulf of California.
5.1 Earthquake hits south of Africa.
5.1 Earthquake hits the central MidAtlantic ridge.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Xizang, China.
Congo - Ebola
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Congo are investigating a possible outbreak of Ebola in a village in the country. According to WHO spokesman, Eugene Kabambi, the suspected outbreak was in the village of Masambio in Bandundu province.
Congo has seen periodic outbreaks of the disease. Last year, a 3-month outbreak that killed 49 people late in the remote forests of northwestern Congo was not related to the West African epidemic.
Tropical Cyclone Mahasen - After Effects
Cyclone Mahasen has spared Bangladesh from the worst extent of deaths and damage although it left 48 killed in its wake. This time there was early warning and most of the deaths occurred as victims ignored do's and don'ts issued by local authorities. More than 49,000 thatched houses were destroyed.
Indonesia - Monsoon set to break over Andamans under 'Mahasen' effect. The onset of the rains is expected to be normal this year, with raging cyclone Mahasen having played a big role facilitating it. The cyclone has churned up the seas and is trailed by strong band of southwesterly flows from South of the Equator.
Kathmandu - Cyclone Mahasen brings rain in Himalayas. It seems the Mahasen Cyclone in the Bay of Bengal has had a slight affect in the weather pattern of the Kathmandu Valley as the temperature has remained below normal for the past few days.
Avalanche on Mount Saipal, Nepal
At least seven people are reported to be missing in an avalanche in the Mount Saipal region of far-western Nepal. The avalanche hit a yarsagumba collectors group of nine people on Mt Saipal. Two people survived and reported the tragedy to locals at Kanda VDC.
Landslide in the Democratic Republic Congo
At least 47 people are missing following a landslide in in Rubaya in North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). A rescue team has been working in the landslide zone but no survivors or bodies have been found.
Guangdong Hit as Deadly Floods Sweep Southern China - Update.
Flooding and landslides across nine southern Chinese provinces have killed more than 50 people and left 14 missing.
Guangdong was hardest hit, reporting 36 deaths after days of heavy rain. Six people have died in Jiangxi.
And further bad weather is forecast for Guangdong, with warnings of heavy wind and rain causing more flooding in the next few days.
Teams of relief workers have been sent to oversee the recovery efforts in the hardest hit areas, officials said.
Heavy rainstorms in Guangdong reportedly caused widespread flooding in the province's mountainous areas and affected nine cities including the provincial capital, Guangzhou.
Nearly 900,000 people had been affected across the state, with floods destroying 2,675 houses.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global
6.8 Earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.
Reports of at least 156 people dead and more than 5,500 injured by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday. The quake toppled buildings, triggered landslides and disrupted phone and power connections in mountainous Lushan county. The village of Longmen was hit particularly hard, with authorities saying nearly all the buildings there had been destroyed in a frightening minute-long shaking by the quake.
6.1 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
6.0 Earthquake hits the Kuril islands.
5.9 Earthquake hits the Banda Sea.
5.8 Earthquake hits south of Timor.
5.6 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.4 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.3 Earthquake hits the Bouvet Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.
5.1 Earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.
5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits northwest of the Kuril Islands.
5.0 Earthquake hits western Sichuan, China.
5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.
5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Sichuan, China.
5.0 Earthquake hits Lake Albert, Congo.
Landslide in Yunnan, China
Landslide in Yunnan, China destroyed 35 houses completely.
The landslide also damaged 928 houses in Zhenxiong county. The landslide displaced 712 people in Zhongtun township. However no fatality was reported.
Flooding in Mbanza Congo
At least 7 people injured in Mbanza Congo floods.
The floods in Northern Zaire Province of Congo also made 1,386 families homeless. More than 200 houses have been flooded.
Flooding in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
Flooding in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines has affected nearly 10,000 people.
The evacuated people have been living in nearby schools or moved to higher ground.
Floods have also affected people of Dipolog City, Polanco and Katipunan.
Tropical Cyclone Felleng
As of 12:00 UTC, TC Felleng was located 275 nm west of La Reunion.
Tropical Cyclone Felleng caused heavy rainfall in Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius. In Madagascar five people were killed yesterday.
Floods displaced more than 700 people in Antananarivo.
Australian Floods:
These satellite pictures show the extent of the Australian floods near Rockhampton - before and after Tropical Cyclone Oswald brought the deluge.
Avalanche in Switzerland
-Eleven killed in Switzerland avalanche at the Titlis ski resort at Engelberg in the canton of Obwald. Two Swedish tourists also injured.
-The avalanche was 300 metres wide and 800 metres long.
Heavy storm in Aegean region of Turkey
-One killed and another missing as heavy rain and wind hit the provinces of Aegean region in Turkey.
-Storm affected Provinces of Izmir, Antalya and Mugla.
Tornado in Arkansas, U.S.A
-Tornado injured one and damaged homes and buildings in northern Arkansas.
-Tornado caused damage about four miles west of Viola in Fulton County. Disaster area is along the Arkansas-Missouri state line about 160 miles north of Little Rock.
At least 13 dead after Floods in Congo, According to witnesses, dozens of houses collapsed after a river in the Makelekele district burst its banks.
Ten people were confirmed dead in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa due to heavy rains in the province. Another three had been reported missing. A goods train plunged into the Amanzimtoti River near Durban.
30 people die when aircraft crashes at Brazzaville airport, Congo (Braxxaville).
At least seven people were feared dead after part of a highway tunnel collapsed Sunday in eastern Japan, trapping them in their vehicles and starting a fire that filled the tunnel with thick, black smoke.
