Drought

Queensland Drought - Australia

The Australian Environment Minister has rejected a plan to let starving cattle loose in conservation reserves and national parks in Queensland, infuriating the state government and drought-hit graziers.

Monsoon Failure in India

Drought triggers shortage of fodder for cattle in India - The monsoon failure and the consequent crop loss have caused a severe shortage of paddy straw, the staple fodder for cattle, across the district.

Sugarcane acreage in India seen at four-year low on drought - "The drought certainly seems to be serious and will impact production for next year and India will certainly have to come back to the import market more."

USA Drought

The winter wheat crop is expected to be far smaller this season compared to last, particularly for hard red varieties used in bread, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Friday. The US drought and cold have crippled the nation's wheat crop. The government's forecast comes amid a season marked by drought and late spring freezes in the Midwest's major wheat growing areas, particularly in Kansas - the nation's biggest wheat-producing state.

Wildfires

Wildfire in California National Forest, USA

The Grand fire burns into the Los Padres National Forest near Gorman, California, where the blaze charred more than 3,000 acres of wild lands on Wednesday. Cooler temperatures and lighter winds are helping hundreds of firefighters combat the wildfire which was still just 25 percent contained Thursday night.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Pavlov (Alaska Peninsula, USA): The eruption continues with lava fountaining at the summit that feeds a lava flow now over 100 m long and produces a continuous ash, steam, and gas plume extending downwind from the volcano for 50 to 100 km at an altitude of about 20,000 ft above sea level. This morning the cloud was carried to the southeast. Satellite images show persistent elevated surface temperatures at the summit and on the northwest flank. Seismic activity remains elevated with nearly continuous tremor recorded on the seismic network.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity remains intense. Last night at 22:14 h local time, a strong explosion ejected incandescent fragments on all the volcano´s flanks to distances of 1,500 m from the crater, and triggered an eruption plume rising at least 3 km above the volcano, drifting northeast.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.

5.1 Earthquake hits western Xizang, China.

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

5.1 Earthquake hits New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Africa.

5.0 Earthquake hits western Xizang, China.

5.0 Earthquake hits southwest of Africa.

A second 5.0 Earthquake hits south of Africa.

Storms and Floods

Hail and Tornadoes in Texas, USA

Six people are confirmed dead and as many as 100 injured as grape-fruit sized hail and tornadoes hit. One tornado ripped through a picturesque lakeside North Texas town, resulting in multiple fatalities and destroying or damaging homes. The death toll could climb higher as at least fourteen people are unaccounted for. Three tornadoes have been reported to have struck. The twisters damaged areas 5km east of Granbury that have about 110 homes. Another tornado hit the small town of Millsap, about 80km west of Fort Worth. Roof damage was reported to several houses and a barn was destroyed, but no injuries were reported. Hail as large as grapefruit also pelted the area around Mineral Wells.

Tropical cyclone Mahasen

Mahasen hit Bangladesh's southern coast, killing at least five. Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Myanmar [Burma] were ordered Wednesday to move to safety as the cyclone barrelled towards low-lying coastal areas. A U.N. agency is warning that more than 4 million people could be in danger. Cyclone Mahasen buffeted Bangladesh's low-lying coast on Thursday, bearing down on the ports of Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, as tens of thousands of people huddled in shelters. Winds of up to 100 kph (60 mph) lashed the coast and whipped up waves, with an expected 2.1 metres (seven foot) storm surge and heavy rain likely to cause widespread flooding.

Tropical storm Alvin forms about 700 mi (1125 km) S of Manzanillo, Mexico. Alvin is the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific season and is expected to become a hurricane by Friday.

Severe Storms in England

Up to 3 inches of snow fell in Princetown in Dartmoor, Devon, Rhayader in Powys, and Newcastle-on-Clun in Shropshire – while Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, had 3 inches of rain in the 24 hours. The southern coast was hit hardest last night with police in Devon and Cornwall reporting slates coming off roofs and trees blocking roads, as rain lashed across much of the country. In Devon and Cornwall hundreds of homes were left without electricity. Residents were also bracing themselves for floods – with 14 separate alerts in place across the two counties.

Mudslide in Wrexham, Wales

Heavy rain has caused flooding and a mudslide in Wrexham. About 3ft (90cm) of mud was swept down a hillside road at Minera. There were 13 flood alerts in place across Wales today.

Deadly Landslide in Fujian, China

A landslide in Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province has claimed the lives of three people, including two children. Torrential rainfall caused the landslide at the Qianpu Flea Market in Xiamen early today.

Environment

North Pole Moves as Ice Sheets Melt

The North Pole’s surprise trip toward Greenland is due to Earth's rapidly melting ice sheets, according to a new study.

The distribution of mass across the planet determines the position of Earth's poles. Because Earth is a bit egg-shaped, the North Pole is always slightly off-centre. It's also been slowly drifting south, responding to long-term changes since the last Ice Age, as the enormous ice sheets that once covered large swaths of the planet melted and parts of the Earth rebounded from the lost weight.

But in 2005, the pole suddenly started making a beeline east for Greenland, moving a few centimetres eastward each year. The cause? Rapid melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Wildlife

World's Fish Migrating To Escape Global Warming

For several years now, some fishers have been noticing changes in their nets. In places, new species are being caught. Sea bass and red mullet have moved north into British waters. Pacific salmon have swum to the Beaufort Sea, where – according to Dan Pauly of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada – the Inuit have no name for them.

Elsewhere, staple catches are vanishing fast.

But whether this is a global effect and what is behind the change have been unclear. Are fish being ousted from their original habitats as climate change warms the waters? Are disappearances due to overfishing?

Now, Pauly and colleagues have found that the mix of fish in all the world's major fisheries has changed since 1970, as fish that prefer warmer waters move in. The average temperature preference of fisheries has risen by nearly 1 ºC in temperate regions. The effect correlated closely with local increases in sea surface temperatures, but not with fishing pressure or other oceanic features such as currents.

Ominously, the temperature preference of tropical fisheries also rose initially, until the 1980s, then levelled off. Cooler-water species moved out, but there are no heat-loving species to replace them. The species that are abandoning tropical fisheries may also be the most important food species for coastal communities that subsist on fishing.

Wildfires

Wildfires Break Out Near Park Rapids and NW Wisconsin, USA

High temperatures and desert-like humidity readings are helping drive an outbreak of wildfires in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Firefighters have spent the past two days battling at least 25 wildfires, including an uncontrolled fire that has consumed more than 4,000 acres near Red Lake.

The Green Valley Fire near Menahga has prompted evacuations and has damaged some structures in the area. They nearly doubled the estimated size of the fire to 7,100 acres this afternoon.

Canada - Alberta Wildfires - Update

The central Alberta wildfires remain out of control. Cooler temperatures and scattered showers overnight Monday helped firefighters keep two out-of-control wildfires threatening the hamlets of Lodgepole and Nordegg from growing.

Neither the Nordegg nor the Lodgepole fire is growing any farther, but they are both still considered out of control. There was some scattered rain in the centre of the province last night which helped, but it was far too little to make any significant headway in stopping the fire.

Disease

Novel coronavirus infection - update

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has informed WHO of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases with infection of the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

Foot and Mouth Outbreak in Kazakhstan

Quarantine measures have been imposed in the east of the country following the confirmation of a foot and mouth disease outbreak in the village of Akshoka.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Pavlov (Alaska Peninsula, USA): The eruption continues. The volcano produces a lava flow on the northwest flank. Interaction of the lava flow and ice, producing debris flows, as well as possible explosions at the vent produce a steam-ash plume rising up to about 20,000 ft. above sea level. Residents of Cold Bay, located 37 miles southwest of the volcano, observed incandescent glow at the summit during the night. (AVO)

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity remains elevated and ash plumes from frequent explosions of moderate size reach 26,000 ft (8 km) altitude, drifting NE. Ash fall occurred in Paso de Cortés, north of the volcano. This morning, many explosions were observed ejecting incandescent material to maximum distances of 400 m mainly on the north and north-east flanks. Relatively strong explosions occurred last night (at 20:21 h local time 14 May) and this morning at 01:46 h (local time). Both eruptions generated columns of steam and ash rising 3 km and the latter explosion ejected incandescent fragments over all the volcano flanks to maximum distances of 1,500 m. Some episodes of harmonic tremor preceded the explosion at 01:46 h, which was followed by an episode of spasmodic tremor of medium and high amplitudes until 04:40 h.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Only relatively few and weak explosions occurred recently, some of which caused light ash fall in nearby areas. The lava dome is producing a degassing plume most of the time. No reports of activity at the stagnant lava flows.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Strombolian activity has returned or increased and is now ejecting incandescent material to heights of 100 m. Seismic data seem currently not available from INSIVUMEH's website.

Fuego (Guatemala): Explosive activity remains very weak. During the past 24 hour observation interval, INSIVUMEH only counted 3 small explosions.

Nevado del Huila (Colombia): The large volcano has remained calm with little variations in activity (degassing, 100-150 small earthquakes / week).

Machin (Colombia): No changes have occurred - the only signs of activity are small earthquakes, mostly related to rock fracturing inside the volcano SE of the main dome. The alert status remains at yellow.

Galeras (Colombia): Internal / external activity has been low with weak earthquake activity (although at somewhat increasing tendency) and steaming observed. Pasto reports low values of SO2 emissions.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): Seismic (tremor, volcanic-tectonic quakes) and external activity (steaming, occasional weak ash venting) have calmed down a bit over the past days.

Cumbal (Colombia): Pasto volcano observatory reports no significant changes and maintains yellow (unrest) alert level. The only sign of activity is continuing slightly elevated seismicity (up to magnitudes 1) at shallow depths (less than 3 km) under La Plazuela crater on the northern flank of the volcanic complex.

Sotará (Colombia): Weak seismic unrest continued over the past weeks. The alert level remains at yellow.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): The volcano has calmed down a bit compared to the previous week, which is also apparent on recent seismograms. No recent explosions or ash falls were reported.

Sabancaya (Peru): Seismic activity has calmed down a bit compared to the previous weeks.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.8 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

5.6 Earthquake hits southern Peru.

5.6 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits western Xizang, China.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.0 Earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Storms and Floods

Tropical cyclone Mahasen

As of 12:00 UTC, TC Mahasen was located 484 nm south-southwestward of kolkata, India.

Flooding caused by the cyclone Mahasen in Sri Lanka has claimed the lives of at least seven people.

A boat carrying about 200 Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Myanmar. The victims in the boat were escaping Cyclone Mahasen but struck rocks off the Pauktaw township in Rakhine State and sank. There was only one survivor.

Hailstorms in Kakheti, Georgia, Russia

Hail has destroyed agricultural lands in Kakheti region of Georgia, Russia. Severe hailstorm damages are reported in Bakurtsikhe, Vejini, Kardenakhi and Kolagi.

Flooding has also been reported in Dzirkoki.

Severe weather in Cornwall, England

Heavy rain and gale-force winds have hit Devon and Cornwall in England. The Environment Agency has put 12 rivers across Cornwall and Devon on flood alert. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain and severe gales.

Flooding in Attawapiskat, Canada

More than 400 people have been evacuated after flooding in Attawapiskat, Ontario, Canada.

Other News:

Heavy storm has caused flooding in the Fuvahmulah Islands of the Maldives.

Disease

Novel coronavirus infection - update

Two healthcare workers are among six new novel coronavirus (nCoV) cases reported in Saudi Arabia since late yesterday, suggesting that the virus might have spread from infected patients to hospital staff members.

CDC Released West Nile Virus Data for USA

A total of 5,674 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 286 deaths, were reported to CDC from 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Of all West Nile virus disease cases reported, 2,873 (51 percent) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis). The dates of illness onset (when the patients’ illness began) ranged from March through December 2012.

Í Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Explosive activity has picked up again at the volcano. Today alone, several explosions have occurred, two of which of moderately large size with ash plumes reaching 10,000 and 12,000 ft (3 and 3.7 km) altitude. (VAAC Tokyo)

Pavlov (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Seismic activity has decreased today, but remains elevated. MODIS data confirm a hot spot at the summit, which could suggest a small lava flow there.

A new eruption has probably started. AVO raised the alert level to orange, following an increase in seismic activity this morning along with the presence of an intense thermal anomaly at the summit observed in latest satellite imagery. Similar patterns of seismicity and elevated surface temperatures have previously signalled the onset of eruptive activity at Pavlof. Although not yet visually confirmed, a low-level eruption of lava has likely begun from a summit vent. No ash clouds have been detected.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity has been lower today with lesser earthquakes and intermittent emissions.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity has been generally low recently, with infrequent small explosions and occasional small avalanches produced from the weakly active lava flows on the dome's flanks.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Activity seems to have decreased. INSIVUMEH no longer reports and strombolian activity visible or audible.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has remained stable and at relatively low levels over the past days. The volcano has few weak to moderate strombolian-type explosions every now and then (5-10 per day), which produce small ash plumes rising up to 5-700 m above the crater.

Reventador (Ecuador): IG reported continued moderate activity with occasional (mostly unobserved) small explosions.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): IGPEN reports ongoing strombolian activity with lava ejected to 200 m above the crater, continuing emissions of steam and ash and occasional strong explosions with roaring sounds that produce ash columns up to 3 km high. Ashfall was reported overnight 12-13 May in the sector of Manzano.

Sabancaya (Peru): The possible ash emissions on 9 May have not been confirmed, but unrest in the form of increased earthquake activity and ground deformation has increased since early May, the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reported in its press release on 10 May. So-called "hybrid" earthquakes (related to both the fracturing of rock and fluid movements) have increased since 2 May, while purely volcanic-tectonic quakes have remained stable.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.8 Earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.

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

Storms and Floods

Tropical Cyclone Mahasen was located approximately 562 nm south-southwest of Kolkata, India. Eight people have been reported killed and four others injured due to heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Mahasen in Andhra Pradesh, India. Cyclone Mahasen is predicted to cross between the Northern Rakhine (Myanmar)and Bangladesh Coasts on evening of 16th May. Flooding caused by Cyclone Mahasen in Sri Lanka has killed two and injured eight others.

Tornado in Hungary

A rare tornado in Hungary has injured at least two persons. The north-eastern regions of Hungary bordering on Romania is reported to be hardest hit by the tornado which damaged dozens of homes and knocked down power lines and trees.

Other News:

A severe storm in Ghana which is currently at the Ghana-Togo border is expected to hit Greater Accra, other parts of Ghana today.

Environment

'Red List' of Endangered Ecosystems

With many of the world's ecosystems threatened or endangered by human activities like logging and urbanization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published its criteria for a new "Red List" of endangered ecosystems.



The list, which measures an ecosystem's risk of collapse, will be similar to the group's authoritative Red List of Endangered Species, which created internationally accepted criteria for assessing extinction risk.

Here are the 20 case studies published today, from most to least endangered, with the ecosystem type noted if available.

Aral Sea — Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: freshwater, collapsed
Raised bogs — Germany: critically endangered
Gonakier forests — Senegal River floodplain: freshwater, critically endangered
Cape Sand Flats — Fynbos, South Africa: terrestrial, critically endangered
Coorong lagoons — Australia: freshwater/marine, critically endangered
Karst rising springs — Southern Australia: freshwater, critically endangered
Coastal sandstone upland swamps — Australia: freshwater, endangered/critically endangered
Swamps, marshes and lakes in the Murray-Darling Basin — Australia: freshwater, endangered/critically endangered
Giant kelp forests — Alaska: marine, endangered/critically endangered
Caribbean coral reefs — Caribbean: marine, endangered/critically endangered
Seagrass meadows — Southern Australia: marine, endangered-critically endangered
German tamarisk pioneer vegetation — Europe: freshwater, endangered
Coolibah-Black Box woodland — Australia: freshwater/terrestrial, endangered
Tapia forest — Madagascar: terrestrial, endangered
Semi-evergreen vine thicket — Australia: terrestrial, endangered
Great Lakes Alvars — United States and Canada: terrestrial, vulnerable/endangered
Reed beds — Europe: freshwater, vulnerable
Floodplain ecosystem of river red gum and black box — southeastern Australia: freshwater, vulnerable Tepui shrubland - Venezuela: terrestrial, least concern
Granite gravel fields and sand plains - New Zealand: terrestrial, least concern

Wildlife

Elephant Tramples Poacher in Zimbabwe

In a grim karmic twist, a suspected poacher illegally hunting African elephants was trampled to death by his prey in Charara National Park near Lake Kariba in northwestern Zimbabwe.

Populations of forest elephants have plummeted by 62 percent over the past 10 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Space Events

Powerful Solar Flares

A huge solar flare erupted from the surface of the sun late Sunday (May 12), followed by an even more powerful blast less than 24 hours later. The solar eruptions are the most powerful ones seen so far this year.

Sunday's flare unleashed a wave of plasma and charged particles, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), into space. While the CME was not directed at Earth, the weekend flare triggered an hourlong high-frequency radio blackout, according to the Space Weather Prediction Centre, which is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

When they are aimed directly at Earth, X-class solar flares can interfere with satellites in orbit and communications infrastructure on the ground. Powerful sun storms can also be hazardous to astronauts living aboard the International Space Station.

On Earth, solar eruptions can cause radiation storms that intensify normal aurora displays (also called the northern and southern lights) for skywatchers at high latitudes.

Solar activity ebbs and flows on an 11-year cycle. The sun is currently in an active phase of Solar Cycle 24, which began in 2008 and is expected to peak later this year.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Pavlov (Alaska Peninsula, USA): A new eruption has probably started. AVO raised the alert level to orange, following an increase in seismic activity this morning along with the presence of an intense thermal anomaly at the summit observed in latest satellite imagery. Similar patterns of seismicity and elevated surface temperatures have previously signalled the onset of eruptive activity at Pavlof. Although not yet visually confirmed, a low-level eruption of lava has likely begun from a summit vent. No ash clouds have been detected.

Kizimen (Kamchatka): Activity continues with little changes. Video data showed that the lava dome is still active and produces incandescence and hot avalanches on the western and eastern flanks. Strong and moderate gas-steam activity accompany this process. Satellite data showed a thermal anomaly over the volcano. (KVERT)

Tolbachik (Kamchatka): Although tremor continues to decrease very slowly, KVERT reports that fluid lava is still being erupted from the vent on the southern fissure. MODIS satellite data still show a large hot spot, confirming that the eruption might be longer lasting than thought.

Paluweh (off Flores Island, Indonesia): The lava dome continues to be active and produce explosions and small pyroclastic flows from time to time, generating ash plumes rising to 7-10,000 ft such as today.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity at the volcano continues to increase. A relatively long phase of strong volcanic tremor today and high levels of SO2 output suggests that the rise of magma is accelerating. A continuous plume of steam and some ash was observed last night reaching 1 km high, in addition to intermittent explosions. Lava glow at night is now strong.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): A small seismic swarm, likely caused by the rise of another new small batch of magma, occurred this morning at the volcano. The hyopcenters were located 4 km SW of the Arenas crater at depths between 4-6 km, INGEOMINAS reported.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits the Fox Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.

5.6 Earthquake hits Atacama, Chile.

5.3 Earthquake hits Potosi, Bolivia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Mid-Indian ridge.

Magnitude 5- aftershocks continue to hit southern Iran: 3.5, 4.4, 3.9, 4.0, 4.2, 3.8, 3.6, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.6, 3.8, 4.4, 4.1, 3.7, 4.5, 3.5, 4.5, 3.5, 4.2, 3.7, 4.6, 4.4, 3.7, 3.6, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.5, 4.3.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Cyclone Mahasen is gathering strength over the Indian Ocean's Bay of Bengal, and is a potential major threat to Bangladesh and Myanmar. The storm is forecast to intensify as a severe cyclonic storm and even further as a very severe cyclonic storm by Monday. It would continue to advance closer to Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast until it gets stopped mid-sea by a western disturbance moving across North-west and East India. Mahasen would be forced to re-curve, turning almost 90 degrees to east-northeast and head towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast.

Hailstorm in Vojvodina, Serbia

Recent hailstorm in Serbia’s northern province of Vojvodina caused huge damaged to crops and knocked downed trees in Kulpin area. No injuries have been reported.

Floods in Khost, Afghanistan

Recent floods in southeast Khost province in Afghanistan have claimed the lives of two people. The floods have also damaged thousands of acres of farmland in the Gurbaz, Tanai, Ismailkhel and Zazai Maidan districts of Afghanistan.

Other News:

A hailstorm in the Sheikhpura district of India has claimed the lives of at least three people and injured more than 100 others. The hailstorm hit a religious function at the village Pinjuri. Over 1000 people had gathered to celebrate the religious festival.

A heavy hailstorm in Nepal's central regions of Nuwakot and Rasuwa have caused huge damage to agricultural crops and property, The storm blew away roofs of schools and offices in Narjamandap, Nuwakot. The storm also knocked down several power lines in the area.

A sudden flood triggered by melting snow has led to the collapse of a river embankment in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Global Warming

'Dramatic decline' Warning for Plants and Animals

More than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change.

New research suggests that biodiversity around the globe will be significantly impacted if temperatures rise more than 2C.

But the scientists say that the losses can be reduced if rapid action is taken to curb greenhouse gases.

The paper is published in the journal, Nature Climate Change.

An international team of researchers looked at the impacts of rising temperatures on nearly 50,000 common species of plants and animals.

They looked at both temperature and rainfall records for the habitats that these species now live in and mapped the areas that would remain suitable for them under a number of different climate change scenarios.

The scientists projected that if no significant efforts were made to limit greenhouse gas emissions, 2100 global temperatures would be 4C above pre-industrial levels.

In this model, some 34% of animal species and 57% of plants would lose more than half of their current habitat ranges.

However the researchers say that if global emissions of greenhouse gases are cut rapidly then the impact on biodiversity could be significantly curbed. If global emissions reach their peak in 2016 and temperature rises are held to 2C, then losses could be cut by 60%.

The good news is that our research provides new evidence of how swift action to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases can prevent the biodiversity loss by reducing the amount of global warming to 2C rather than 4 degrees.

"his would also buy time – up to four decades - for plants and animals to adapt to the remaining 2 degrees of climate change.

Wildfires

Wildfires in Canada

Firefighters are warning the public to be mindful of their surroundings as three wildfires continue to burn in the B.C. Interior today. One fire, near the town of Ashcroft west of Kamloops, has been burning for more than a week.

Another fire burning two kilometres outside Nordegg, west of Rocky Mountain House in Alberta remains out of control. Residents in the small community were placed on a one-hour evacuation notice due to an out-of-control wildfire there on Thursday.

A wildfire advisory has been issued for central and southern Alberta. This advisory zone extends to just north of Edmonton.

Disease

Wild Poliovirus in Somalia

An investigation has been launched into a preliminary report of the detection of a wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the Banadir region of Somalia. This is the first WPV to be reported from Somalia since 25 March 2007. The virus was isolated from specimens collected on 21 April 2013 from a 32-month-old girl, who became ill due to acute flaccid paralysis on 18 April 2013, and from specimens collected from 3 of her close contacts.

WHO Press Statement Related to the Novel Coronavirus Situation

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in France has informed WHO of an additional laboratory-confirmed case with infection of the novel coronavirus (NCoV).

The emergence of this new coronavirus is globally recognized as an important and major challenge for all of the countries which have been affected as well as the rest of the world.

The greatest global concern, however, is about the potential for this new virus to spread. This is partly because the virus has already caused severe disease in multiple countries, although in small numbers, and has persisted in the region since 2012. Of most concern, however, is the fact that the different clusters seen in multiple countries increasingly support the hypothesis that when there is close contact this novel coronavirus can transmit from person-to-person.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): The activity continued to increase over the past days and CENAPRED raised the alert level to Yellow Phase 3 this morning. The volcano has been producing frequent sequences of continuous steam and ash emissions as well as discrete vulcanian-type explosions that throw glowing bombs to several hundred meters distance from the crater and create ash plumes up to about 2 km high. A phase of strong volcanic tremor occurred today and a large SO2 plume visible on NOAA satellite data accompanies increase lava output rate.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Seismic and surface activity remain moderate with ash emissions and intermittent strong strombolian to vulcanian explosions which sometimes are accompanied by ground vibration and strong shock waves that rattle windows and doors in nearby areas. An explosion on Friday produced and ash plume rising up to 30,000 ft (9 km) elevation. Ash falls have been occurring in areas of Santa Fe de Galán, Mocha, Sabañag, Tisaleo and Quero.

Sabancaya (Peru): Possible eruptions have started at the volcano. Pilots reported several volcanic ash plumes from the volcano in the past days although VAAC Buenos Aires could not identify ash on satellite imagery.

Copahue (Chile/Argentina): SERNAGEOMIN has recently raised the alert back to yellow after new small explosions occurred at the volcano and incandescence was observed at the summit crater. A small but persistent steam-and-ash plume has been rising about 350 m from the volcano. Interestingly, little change in the seismic activity has been noticed with the incandescence and explosions, so it is not clear whether this new activity is caused by fresh magma rising towards the surface.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.4 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.6 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

Update: Death toll from yesterday's 6.2 Earthquake has risen to 2, with at least 20 people injured. More than 400 buildings were destroyed in 70 villages.

A large number of magnitude 5- aftershocks have hit southern Iran: 4.6, 4.4, 3.7, 3.6, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.5, 4.3, 3.7, 4.6, 4.6, 4.9, 4.9, 3.5, 3.7, 4.5, 3.6, 4.5, 3.9, 3.9, 3.6, 4.3, 4.6, 4.0, 4.2, 4.3, 4.0, 4.4, 3.9, 4.0, 3.8, 3.8, 4.7, 4.4, 4.7, 4.8, 4.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.6.

5.5 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.4 Earthquake hits Atacama, Chile.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Guatemala.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the South Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Jamala was located approximately 960 nm east-southeastward of Diego Garcia.

In the Indian Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Mahasen was located approximately 749 nm southward of Calcutta, India.

Landslide in Mizoram, India

Thunderstorm and landslides in Mizoram, India have claimed the lives of 10 people with seven reported missing. The landslide also swept away nine houses in the Laipuitland area.

Flooding in Northern Taiwan

Heavy rainfall collapsed near a school in Yangmingshan, Taipei. The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has predicted more rainfall and flash flooding in Northern Taiwan today.

Other News:

Severe ice storm at Ochre Beach on Dauphin Lake in Manitoba, Canada has damaged at least 20 houses.

Landslide in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province in China has claimed the lives of at least five people and injured three others.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.2 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

Initial reports of at least 15 people injured and five villages destroyed.

5.5 Earthquake hits the southern Mid-atlantic ridge.

5.4 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.1 Earthquake hits Guatemala.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.

Storms and Floods

Flash Floods - Kenya

Flash floods in Kenya's Migori county have killed at least 10 people. The flash floods washed away bridges on rivers Nyasare and Onyinjo.

Tropical cyclone in Burma

A tropical cyclone is expected to hit Arakan State in west Burma.

The Cyclone is expected to make landfall on Tuesday night and is predicted to affect Bangladesh, India and Burma.

Other News:

An EF0 tornado touched down in the area of Washington Street in Stoughton, Massachusetts, USA. There were no reports of injuries.

Fredericksburg, Texas was struck by exceptionally large hailstones yesterday.

Environment

Acidic Arctic Threatening Marine Life

Global greenhouse gas emissions have caused the level of acidity in the Arctic Ocean to rise 30 percent since the dawn of the Industrial Age, threatening to bring dire consequences to the region’s fragile ecosystem.

Delegates to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program conference in Bergen, Norway, were told that the pollution has caused pH levels to reach their lowest levels in the Arctic for at least the last 55 million years.

The Arctic is most vulnerable to acidification because its cold waters can absorb more carbon dioxide.

Its extensive freshwater inflow also makes it less able to chemically neutralize the acidification effects of the greenhouse gas.

It would take tens of thousands of years for the Arctic Ocean to return to the acidity levels that prevailed before the mid-1800s even if all CO2 emissions were halted today, scientists say.

The current acid levels threaten some species with a direct risk of extinction, and fish stocks may also be affected.

Space Events

Meteorite Hits in Namibia

A Meteorite has hit mahangu field in the village of Oshika, Namibia. A piece of meteorite, the of a size of a small ball or two human fists put together made such an impact that people within a radius of over 200km were able to hear the explosive impact, feel the resulting tremor and observe the blinding light that followed as it landed.

Apparently thousands of locals came to see the strange object.

Disease

Saudi Arabia Novel Coronavirus - Update

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has informed WHO of an additional three laboratory confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

Incurable Citrus Disease Threatens Florida's Orange Crop

Florida's orange crop, the largest in the world after Brazil's, may not survive an incurable disease that threatens to wipe out citrus groves throughout the United States.

The disease, known as "citrus greening" or huanglongbing, is caused by a bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. The bacteria are spread from tree to tree by a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid.

A tree affected by citrus greening may not show symptoms for years. Eventually, however, the leaves turn yellow and fall, while the tree's fruit fails to mature, falling to the ground prematurely before the tree slowly dies.

Drought

Drought in Southern Angola

Angola set up an emergency plan on Thursday for the southern province of Cunene, where an estimated 300 000 people are at risk of malnutrition because of a two-year-long drought. Food and medical assistance is being mobilised for the affected areas.

Drought in China

A drought scorching China's western and central regions has affected 3.58 million hectares of farmland as of Friday, drought relief authorities have reported.

Affected land used to grow crops totaled 2.13 million hectares, lower than the average acreage of 6.3 million hectares over the past few years.

The drought has also left 5.54 million people and 3.99 million livestock short of drinking water.

Wildfires

Wildfires in Southern Australia

Fire crews in South Australia are continuing to battle a large bushfire burning in rugged terrain in the Adelaide Hills.

The fire is only 300 metres away from the Cherryville township, and it is threatening the southern edge of the Montacute Conservation Park.

It has already destroyed a house and a shed at Basket Range.

Around 250 firefighters are working to try and contain the fire, which has now burnt through around 650 hectares.

Update: Light rain has assisted in bringing the fire under control.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.4 Earthquake hits north-eastern Sakha, Russia.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Rat Islands in the Aleutian Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Halmahera, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Flooding in Nicosia, Cyprus

A thunderstorm caused basement flooding, trapped motorists in their cars in capital city of Cyprus Nicosia. Hailstorm and street flooding was also reported in Strovolos, Dasoupolis and Lakatamia.

Lightning in Dabel, Germany

A lightning strike in Germany has injured at least 39 people with eight in serious condition. About 500 people were at the fairground in Dabel, east of Schwerin celebrating a Father’s Day party when the lightning struck. Most of the people suffered burns and shocks.

Other News:

Hailstorms have damaged over 200 houses with tin- roofed and asbestos walls in Mizoram, India. A landslide caused by heavy rainfall has also blocked roads in Kolasib town.

A tornado touched down in Bakersfield, California, USA for the first time since 1999.

Storms caused heavy rain, hail and street flooding in Temple area of Texas, USA.

Recent flash floods in Somalia have killed seven children and displaced 50,000 others, the UN says. Flash foods have also made thousands homeless in the Middle Shebelle area of southern Somalia.

Flash floods kill nine people, displace 25 000 others in western Uganda.

Nature - Images

Interesting Images:

This image was captured a few hours ago by photographer Geoffrey Sims, who was watching the May 9-10 annular solar eclipse in Newman, Western Australia.

This stunning image taken on 12 April by Nasa’s Operation Ice Bridge project shows an ice-covered fjord on Baffin island (Canada), with Davis strait in the background.

This picture taken on 29 April shows an ash cloud spewing from the Paluweh volcano that sits on the five-mile-wide island in Indonesia’s Flores sea.

Global Warming

Greenhouse Gas Milestone to Be Reached This Month

Greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating even as their effects on climate are becoming more evident.

The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is on the verge of exceeding 400 parts per million (ppm) this month, a concentration of the climate-warming gas not seen on the planet in 3 million years.

That projection is based on observations made at Mauna Loa Observatory, the volcano-top Hawaiian lab where measurements of atmospheric CO2 have been collected since 1958.

Since then, the seasonally fluctuating levels have risen from 316 ppm at an escalating rate.

According to Ralph Keeling, a geochemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the surpassing of the 400-ppm mark should serve as a warning that despite increased public awareness of the danger posed by global warming, worldwide carbon dioxide emissions show no sign of reversing.

"We are starting to move toward alternate fossil energy — non-conventional fossil fuels like tar sands and so forth," warns Keeling. "And that’s a little troubling because it reflects our willingness to expand and use reserves of fossil fuels that probably ought to stay in the ground if we take this problem seriously."

Exceeding 400 ppm does not correspond to any specific climatological event. However, as politicians, scientists, and activists around the world push for new policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming, the new record-breaking figure may increase the sense of urgency for some.

Prior to the mid-18th century, when humans first began burning carbon-based fuels for industrial use, concentration of carbon dioxide is thought to have been stable at approximately 280 ppm.

Space Events

Asteroid Defense for Earth Planned

Measures to protect Earth from a catastrophic impact by an asteroid or other near-Earth objects (NEO) are being developed in a four-year plan by the European Space Agency (ESA). The plan comes less than three months after a meteor exploded over Russia’s Ural region, injuring hundreds.

There are currently 10,000 NEO’s that have orbits that bring them relatively close to Earth.

Detlef Koschny, head of the agency’s NEO study office, says more coordinated scans of the sky each night are necessary to find currently undiscovered NEOs.

Studies to determine if it would be more effective to deflect threatening asteroids with an explosion or an impact with a large object are also being planned.

The proposals were being discussed in a conference near Madrid at a meeting set up by Seimos Space, an industrial partner working with the ESA.

Environment

Global Hottest and Coldest Temperatures

The week's hottest temperature was 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit (47.0 degrees Celsius) at Matam, Senegal.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 75.6 degrees Celsius) at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, in Antarctica.

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.

Disease

Novel Coronavirus Reaches France

French health authorities say they fear the country's first case of a new SARS-like virus that has killed 18 people, mostly in Saudi Arabia, may have infected two other people.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

No magnitude 5+ quakes to report for a second day.

China using dogs to predict earthquakes

A Chinese city is using dogs to predict earthquakes, an official said, after state-run media reported that neighbours were complaining of nightly false alarms - in the form of barking.

China is regularly hit by seismic tremors. Around 200 people were left dead or missing by a quake in Sichuan province last month, and hundreds of thousands have been killed in major disasters in the past. The earthquake authority of Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province in the east, keeps dogs since they will "act abnormally when an earthquake is coming", sometimes up to 10 days in advance.

The bureau used the dogs at the request of the provincial government, and chickens and ducks could be effective as well. But neighbours are complaining on social media about the animals' nightly howling. "The compound of the Nanchang earthquake authority has I don't know how many dogs, every night at 11pm they start barking over and over." The dogs have now been sent to a lower-level earthquake bureau in the city but they denied they had been barking.

Storms and Floods

Sri Lanka Floods

Heavy torrential rains over the past few days have left 90,000 people affected by floods in Sri Lanka's Western province around the capital Colombo, but there was no cyclone threat, authorities said.

Bangladesh

Cyclone injures 100 people in B'baria. A devastating cyclone damaged more than hundreds of houses and injured more than 100 people in the district Wednesday while lightning strikes claimed the lives of at least four people.

Other News:

Heavy sandstorm in Al Qasseem, Saudi Arabia has turned day into night. The sandstorm reduced visibility and brought traffic to a standstill.

A state of disaster is declared due to flooding in 19 counties in Michigan, USA.

Cyclonic storms with lightning and rains have claimed the lives of at least seven people in Tripura, India. At least 20 people were injured by lightning strikes.

At least three people died when a house collapsed due to heavy rain in Hunan Province, China.

Wildfires

Wildfires in Siberia

Firefighters extinguished 19 wildfires in Russia's Far East in the past 24 hours, the local forestry department said on Friday. 46 wildfires had been registered in the Far East in the past 24 hours.

Space Events

'Ring of fire' solar eclipse today

The moon will block part of the sun Thursday to create a potentially amazing "ring of fire" and you can watch the celestial sight live online.

The "ring of fire" solar eclipse — known as an annular solar eclipse — will be viewable (weather permitting) over certain areas of Australia and islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean where the local time will be Friday.

The eclipse can be seen online at link.

Drought

Drought in Panama

Panama on Tuesday ordered government offices and private businesses to slash their power consumption and temporarily closed schools in response to a drought that has sapped the country's hydroelectric energy supply.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): A significant increase in activity occurred at the volcano. Starting at 19:28 h local time yesterday, volcanic tremor of high amplitude has been recorded for 3.5 hours and accompanied by strong steam and ash emissions creating an eruption column rising 3 km. Explosions ejected incandescent fragments to distances of 700 m from the crater. The eruption plume drifted ESE and caused ash fall in areas of the villages of San Juan Tianguismanalco, San Pedro Benito Juárez and the City of Puebla. It is possible that more ash fall will be reported from other villages in the east, south-east (Atlixco) and south (Tochimilco).

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

No magnitude 5+ quakes to report during this period.

Storms and Floods

Landslide in Yiyang, China

Landslide in Zhaojiatang village, in Heshan district, Yiyang city in Hunan Province in China has claimedthe lives of two people.

Avalanche at Everest base camp

An avalanche above the second base camp of Mount Everest has killed one climber at an altitude of 7 000 meters.

Other News:

Flash floods in Mombasa, Kenya cut water supply to residents.

Heavy rainfall caused a 25-metre high landslide which damaged several cars near the Bukit Nanas monorail station in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Malaysia.

Nature - Images

Interesting Images:

A stunning US Interior Department photo of lightning striking the Grand Canyon. This photo was taken near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.



A new time lapse video, produced and narrated by Cassandra Brooks, a doctoral student at Stanford University, condenses two months on an Antarctic ice-breaker into less than five minutes. Frame by frame, the video reveals how stunning sea ice can be — from polka-dot pancake ice to thick white flows. Link.

Wildlife

Poaching Pushes 2 Madagascar Tortoises to Brink

Illegal poaching is "raging out of control" and pushing radiated and ploughshare tortoises to the brink of extinction, according to a statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

More than 1,000 of the animals have been confiscated from smugglers in the first three months of 2013 alone, the environmental group reported. A total of 54 ploughshare tortoises were intercepted in Thailand, and the species is "now the most common tortoise for sale in Bangkok's infamous Chatuchak wildlife market," according to the statement.

The ploughshare tortoise was once common in northern Madagascar but as of 2008 it was estimated that there were only 400 individuals left in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These reptiles can grow up to 19 inches (47 centimeters) long and weigh up to 42 pounds (19 kilograms).

The radiated tortoise lives in the country's south. Its dark brown or black domed shell is covered with bright yellow or orange starlike patterns and can grow up to 16 inches (40 cm) long. They can live for an estimated 100 years, according to the IUCN.

"These tortoises are truly one of Madagascar's most iconic species," James Deutsch, executive director of the Africa Program at WCS, said in the statement. "This level of exploitation is unsustainable. Unless immediate action is taken to better protect the wild populations, their extinction is imminent."

Environment

Declining snow levels could leave some creatures near extinction

During long, bitterly cold winters, a thick blanket of snow helps protect creatures and plants that live in these harsh climates. That is why recently published findings showing a steady decline in snow cover across the Northern Hemisphere are so alarming.

Since 1970, snow in this part of the globe has decreased by as much as 3.2 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) during the spring months of March and April, according to a study published May 2 by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In their report, scientists describe the gradual degradation of the “subnivium,” the zone in and underneath the snow pack that creates a seasonal microenvironment for habitats of creatures from microorganisms to hibernating bears. In the subnivium, animals can find refuge against dry, biting winds and cold temperatures.

Underneath that homogenous blanket of snow is an incredibly stable refuge where the vast majority of organisms persist through the winter. The snow holds in heat radiating from the ground, plants photosynthesize, and it’s a haven for insects, reptiles, amphibians, and many other organisms.

Changes in the subnivium can have drastic consequences for northern ecosystems. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are all threatened by fluctuating temperatures, which can force premature emergence from hibernation, exposing them to sudden freezes, spring deluges, or unfamiliar predators. Plants can be damaged or die when their roots are subjected to alternating periods of freezing and thawing.

Disease

China Bird Flu - Update

As of 7 May 2013 (11:00 CET), the National Health and Family Planning Commission, China notified WHO of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus. The outbreak total has now risen to 131 cases, including 31 deaths (a 24% fatality rate).

Wildfires

California Wildfires - Update

Cooler weather and rain assist firefighters in containing the rash of wildfires across southern California.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.9 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.1 Earthquake hits the Santa Cruz Islands.

5.1 Earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.

5.0 Earthquake hits Myanmar.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Mayon (Luzon Island): A sudden (probably phreatic) powerful eruption from the summit crater occurred this morning and killed at least 7 people in camp #2 and wounded 15 others. The victims, many foreigners, were part of an organized group of climbers. They were surprised by the explosion that showered the camp area with ballistic blocks that hit them.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.5 Earthquake hits Tonga.

5.0 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Flash floods in Gampaha, Sri Lanka

Flash floods in Wattala and Gampaha, Sri Lanka have affected about 480 people with 81 families living in four evacuation centers.

Flooding in New Zealand

Flooding and landslips reported at State Highway 1 between Blenheim and Seddon. Weld and Dashwood Passes are worst affected by the floods.

MetService New Zealand has recorded more than 500 lightning strikes in Central New Zealand last night including about 100 in Wellington alone.

Heavy rainfall has also caused flash flooding in Wellington, Christchurch and Marlborough. Air New Zealand has suspended all flights out of Wellington Airport.

Other News:

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, USA downing trees and power lines.

Death toll rises to 25 in Saudi Arabia's floods.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): Eruptions have intensified at the volcano. Over the past 2 days, several explosions produced ash plumes rising to about 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude and drifting 30-45 nautical miles to the W and NW (VAAC Darwin).

Batu Tara (Sunda Islands, Indonesia): An explosion produced an ash plume rising to 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude today.

Paluweh (off Flores Island, Indonesia): The lava dome remains relatively active and produces frequent explosions and/or hot rock avalanches. Hot deposits from these can be seen on MODIS satellite data on the eastern, southern and western flank of the dome. Several ash plumes rising to altitudes of about 7,000 ft (2.1 km) were detected in the past days.

Papandayan (West Java): Increased seismic activity was detected at the volcano and VSI raised the alert level to 3 out of 4 ("Siaga", "warning") yesterday. Sudden phreatic explosions could occur with little warning at the volcano and present a significant hazard to visitors to the crater, which is a popular tourist site due to its varied, intense hydrothermal activity and colourful active fumaroles.

Lokon-Empung (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): Another explosion occurred yesterday evening. It was heard in up to 6 km distance and incandescent bombs were ejected to 200 m distance from the Tompaluan crater. The eruption was preceded by an increase in seismic activity starting Saturday night, the local volcano observatory reported.

Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): After the initial explosion 2 days ago, continuous small eruptions produced a steam and ash plume yesterday and decreased in intensity again today. The activity of the volcano, which is not monitored on ground, was detected by satellite data and infrasonic tremor measured by ground-coupled airwaves on the nearby Okmok seismic network, 120 km (80 mi) to the northeast. A faint plume extended eastward below 15,000 ft. Satellite data also continue to show highly elevated surface temperatures at the summit.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): No changes occurred in the volcano's slow effusive/explosive activity. Emissions of steam and gas, with minor ash contents, have been at rates of less than 1 per hour during the previous days, but continuing lava glow can be seen from the summit.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): The lava dome has remained relatively calm recently with few and mostly weak explosions every now and then, and little activity from the blocky lava flows on the flanks of the Caliente dome.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Weak strombolian activity probably continues. It can not always be observed, but only heard and shows on the seismic recording.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity remained at low level, characterized by few (6 during yesterday) strombolian-type explosions that produce grey ash plumes rising 300-500 m above the crater.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): After a short pause, a new seismic swarm, possibly indicating yet another pulse of magma intrusion, started yesterday at the volcano. The largest quake was a magnitude 2.9 event at 19:28 local time at 5.4 km depth beneath the Arenas crater. It was felt around the volcano.

Reventador (Ecuador): Activity has remained moderate with occasional explosions and possibly the emplacement of a hot avalanche or lava flow on the eastern flank, where a new hot spot on the latest MODIS satellite data can be seen, in addition to the summit where a lava dome is active.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): A gradual increase in eruptive activity is evident. Near continuous ash and steam emissions are interrupted by cannon-like explosions that produce ash plumes rising up to 2-3 km height and produce light ash falls in the areas around the volcano. At night, strombolian activity can be seen from the summit. A significant SO2 plume can be seen on satellite data drifting to the NW.

Disease

Fever hits thousands in parched California farm heartland

California and federal public health officials say valley fever, a potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease infecting more and more people around the nation, has been on the rise as warming climates and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads it.

Saudi Arabia reports 3 more novel coronavirus cases

The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has informed WHO of an additional three laboratory confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.2 Earthquake hits the Gulf of Aden.

5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of northern Peru.

5.0 Earthquake hits Jalisco, Mexico.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Flooding in Canada

More than 200 Canadians have been evacuated after flooding in the northern Ontario town of Moosonee.

An emergency has been declared in Kashechewan First Nation.

Global Warming

NASA Study Projects Warming-Driven Changes In Global Rainfall

A NASA-led study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought.

The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth.

Analysis of computer simulations from 14 climate models indicates wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions, will see increases in heavy precipitation because of warming resulting from projected increases in carbon dioxide levels. Arid land areas outside the tropics and many regions with moderate rainfall could become drier.

The analysis provides a new assessment of global warming's impacts on precipitation patterns around the world. The study was accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The models project for every 1 degree Fahrenheit of carbon dioxide-induced warming, heavy rainfall will increase globally by 3.9 percent and light rain will increase globally by 1 percent. However, total global rainfall is not projected to change much because moderate rainfall will decrease globally by 1.4 percent.

Heavy rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of more than about 0.35 of an inch per day. Light rain is defined as months that receive an average of less than 0.01 of an inch per day. Moderate rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of between about 0.04 to 0.09 of an inch per day.

Areas projected to see the most significant increase in heavy rainfall are in the tropical zones around the equator, particularly in the Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions.

Some regions outside the tropics may have no rainfall at all. The models also projected for every degree Fahrenheit of warming, the length of periods with no rain will increase globally by 2.6 percent. In the Northern Hemisphere, areas most likely to be affected include the deserts and arid regions of the southwest United States, Mexico, North Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and northwestern China. In the Southern Hemisphere, drought becomes more likely in South Africa, northwestern Australia, coastal Central America and northeastern Brazil.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Cleveland (Aleutian Islands, Alaska): A possible explosion occurred this morning at the volcano at 5:00AM AKDT (13:00 UTC) by AVO infrasound recorders. The infrasound signals suggest that this was a relatively short duration, low-level explosion. No eruption cloud has been detected in available satellite views. AVO received no other reports of activity.

Wildfires

Wind Sparks Wildfires in Oregon, USA

Winds gusting to 40 mph wreaked havoc on parts of Central Oregon Saturday, toppling trees that blocked roads and downing power lines that sparked at least two small wildfires and forced two dozen people to evacuate their homes.

California Wildfires

Nearly 2000 California firefighters are battling a wildfire north of Malibu, as one of the fiercest blazes shuts the Pacific Coast Highway for a second day. The blaze is now nearly 60% contained. The wildfire raging on the coast of southern California had nearly tripled in size.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Molucca Sea.

Storms and Floods

Floods in France

Torrential rainfall and floods hit eastern France.

The River Ouche burst its banks and flood water trapped three people who were later rescued by Firefighters.

About 100 people were evacuated near Pont-et-Massene lake. A month’s average rainfall fell in 12 hours in Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy.

Yesterday France’s meteorological service Metéo France issued flood warnings in Ain, Cote-d’Or, Isère, Loire, Rhône et Saône-et-Loire. Metéo France had issued Orange Alert for those regions.

Landslide in Kalaw, Myanmar

Landslide in Kalaw, Myanmar after heavy rain has claimed the lives of at least 16 people.

Flash floods in Kalaw, Myanmar also destroyed 50 houses. Bad weather and thunderstorms are forecast till May 5 in Upper Myanmar.

Flooding in Florida

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for southern Florida.

A heavy storm caused flight delays in both Broward and Miami-Dade. Miami International Airport cancelled 11 flights.

A tornado touched down in Boca Raton.

Flooding in Argau, Switzerland

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall has claimed the life of one woman in the Argau region of Switzerland. Storm and flood damage is high in Aargau, Zurich, and Thurgau.

Flash floods in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Heavy storm has caused flash floods in the Klang Valley in Malaysia. Jalan Duta-Mahameru and Jalan Parlimen areas are worst affected by the flood.

Tornado in Modena, Italy

A tornado has hit Modena, southeast of Milan and damaged several homes, injuring at least 11 people.

Flooding in Auckland, New Zealand

Torrential rain has caused flash flooding in Auckland today. About 15mm of rain was recorded in one hour at Alexandra Park, in Epsom.

Other News:

A floating sandstorm has been reported in Yinchuan, China.

Heavy spring floods are engulfing communities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec, Canada, washing out roads and highways, threatening homes and prompting evacuations. Heavy snowfall and a late-blooming spring season have been the major factors.

More than 8,500 homes have been affected by floods in Tana River county in Kenya since last month.

Space Events

Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower from Halley's Comet can be observed on May 5, 2013. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs each year in early May.

Solar Flare

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013, NASA reports.

This flare is classified as an M5.7-class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, as the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013.

Wildfires

Wildfires in Southern California, USA.

The Springs fire continues to grow near Camarillo, California. The wildfire has spread to more than 18,000 acres on day two and is 20% contained.

A fast-growing wildfire along the Pacific Coast Highway northwest of Los Angeles nearly doubled in size Friday and was threatening more than 4,000 homes as crews battled strong winds and tinder-dry conditions.

Drought

Drought in Australia

The spectre of another big drought is now casting its shadow across northern and southern Australia, only three years after the millennium drought broke. A dry summer has left the region in drought and an estimated one million cattle from the Northern Territory and and far Western Queensland are at risk.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Sakurajima (Kyushu, Japan): Since 1 May, activity has been increasing again from relatively low levels during the weeks before. Over the past 3 days, several explosions have produced ash plumes rising to 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude and on most days, there have been 3-4 daily explosions (for Sakurajima, this is a large number).

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Some small earthquake swarms have occurred at the volcano in the past days, probably associated with some batches of fresh magma intruding into the system at shallow depth. This resulted in increased degassing, visible as a significant SO2 plume on NOAA satellite data. Surface activity, however, has remained low with very few emissions and only faint glow at the summit.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has further decreased with very few explosions reported since yesterday, and no activity at the lava flows. Also, Santiaguito has been rather calm today, and no direct observations could be made at Pacaya.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): Seismic activity is still elevated, but has been decreasing today, possibly meaning that the most recent magma intrusion is coming to an end (with no eruption).

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Eruptive activity has not changed much. The volcano observatory reported ongoing steam and ash emissions producing a plume oscillating between 1.5-3 km height above the crater and drifting into westerly directions, and occasional small to moderate explosions. Light ash fall occurred in Cevallos and Mocha. Incandescence was visible at the summit.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.3 Earthquake hits off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.2 Earthquake hits Kamchatka, Russia.

5.2 Earthquake hits offshore Atacama, Chile.

5.0 Earthquake hits south of Sumbawa, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Storm in Meghalaya, India

Cyclonic storm in West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya, India has claimed the life of at least one person and injured 25 others.

Environment

Humanity Faces Possible Extinction

A team of mathematicians, philosophers and scientists at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute say there is ever-increasing evidence that the human race’s reliance on technology could, in fact, lead to its demise. The group argues that we face a real risk to our own existence. And not a slow demise in some distant, theoretical future. The end could come as soon as the next century.

"There is a great race on between humanity’s technological powers and our wisdom to use those powers well. I’m worried that the former will pull too far ahead."

There’s something about the end of the world that we just can’t shake. Even with the paranoia of 2012 Mayan prophecies behind us, people still remain fascinated by the potential for an extinction-level event. And popular culture is happy to indulge in our anxiety. This year alone, two major comedy films are set to debut (“The World’s End” and “This is the End”), which take a humorous look at the end-of-the-world scenarios. Interestingly, well-known threats, such as asteroids, super-volanic eruptions and earthquakes are not likely to threaten humanity in the near future. Even a nuclear explosion isn’t likely to wipe out the entire population; enough people could survive to rebuild society. “Empirical impact distributions and scientific models suggest that the likelihood of extinction because of these kinds of risk is extremely small on a time scale of a century or so." Instead, it’s the unknown factors behind innovative technologies that pose the greatest risk going forward.

Machines, synthetic biology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence could become our own worst enemy, if they aren’t already, “threats we have no track record of surviving." "We are developing things that could go wrong in a profound way. With any new powerful technology we should think very carefully about what we know – but it might be more important to know what we don't have certainty about."

However, it’s not all bad news. While a lack of understanding surrounding new technology posts huge risks, it does not necessarily equate to our downfall. “The Earth will remain habitable for at least another billion years. Civilization began only a few thousand years ago. If we do not destroy mankind, these few thousand years may be only a tiny fraction of the whole of civilized human history. It turns out that the ultimate potential for Earth-originating intelligent life is literally astronomical.”

Environment

Global Hottest and Coldest Temperatures

The week's hottest temperature was 114.8 degrees Fahrenheit (46.0 degrees Celsius) at Matam, Senegal.

The week's coldest temperature was minus 86.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 65.9 degrees Celsius) at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, in Antarctica.

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.

Global Warming

Plants Could Be Moderating Climate Change

Small particles released by plants in warmer weather could help to boost cloud production and reduce the effect of global warming, a new study suggests.

By surveying nearly a dozen forests across Europe, North America and southern Africa, a team of Finnish physicists found that in warmer weather, plants tend to emit higher concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.

When these small, floating chemicals bind with water vapor, they can create the “seeds” of clouds.

With more VOCs in the air, we can expect to see more clouds in the sky.

That could be good news for those concerned about climate change.

As warmer weather leads to higher levels of cloud production, more sunlight will be deflected back into space and prevented from warming the surface of the Earth.

But the authors of the study, writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, caution that the global impact of this cloud-seeding effect is expected to be quite small.

While higher VOC emissions may help to cut rising local temperatures by as much as 30 percent, the study found that it can only be expected to slow the global warming trend by a mere one-percent.

The implications of the study may still be important. As Pauli Paasonen, lead author of the study points out, the role of sun-deflecting “aerosols” in the atmosphere is one of the least well understood factors of climate change.

Disease

China Bird Flu - Update

Three more people in China have died from severe respiratory infections from the H7N9 virus, pushing the number of deaths so far to 27. Two new cases have also been reported.

Saudi Arabia reports 7 new novel coronavirus cases

Saudi Arabia's health ministry has reported that five Saudis have died of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infections in the past few days, and two more case-patients are in intensive care.

Newcastle Disease Outbreak in Kazakhstan.

The country's concerned veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease in East Kazakhstan.

Second outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Tibet

Over 500 head of cattle have been culled in the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Tibetan capital region of Lhasa in central Tibet.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): Lava continues to intermittently flow over and out of vents at the rim and the base of the NE crater. Yesterday, the active flow front had reached about half way down the Sciara, local guides reported. Today, tremor has decreased again a bit, but overflows remain active at least in the upper parts of the slope. Relatively large explosions and near-constant rockfalls on the Sciara continue during the whole time.

Etna (Sicily, Italy): After 3 days of quiet, strombolian activity has resumed at the New SE crater yesterday. This has been accompanied by a rise of the tremor signal. Most likely, Etna is preparing again for yet another paroxysm in the near future.

Bagana (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea): Heightened activity continues at Bagana. The latest NOAA satellite data reveal a significant plume of SO2 from the volcano.

Dukono (Halmahera): An unusually large SO2 plume from Dukono suggests the volcano, in semi-permanent strombolian-type eruption for many years, is currently in a phase of elevated activity.

Ambrym (Vanuatu): A SO2 plume is hovering over Ambrym island, suggesting that the lava lakes continue to be active. Our next group going there next week will hopefully be able to confirm this by direct observation.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity has remained low, with only about 1 weak emission of mainly steam per hour. Glow at the summit continues to be seen at night.

Fuego (Guatemala): Activity has decreased - the lava flows stopped being alimented yesterday and the explosive activity has become weaker. Different from previous eruptive phases, this time, it did not culminate in a paroxysmal eruption.

Galeras (Colombia): Activity (seismic and at the surface) has recently calmed down at the volcano.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): More earthquakes have occurred at shallow depth beneath the volcano, including a magnitude 2.6 quake yesterday noon (local time) at 5 km NE beneath the Arenas crater, as well as some larger events later at night (no updates from Manizales observatory yet, though). The seismic swarm continues.

Cumbal (Colombia): Pasto observatory reported an increase in seismic activity during the past week, with many small volcanic-tectonic quakes u to magnitudes of 2.6 at varying depths of up to 20 km underneath of La Plazuela crater on the northern sector of the volcanic complex.

Reventador (Ecuador): Last night, emissions of steam and some ash produced a column rising bout 1 km above the crater.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Activity remains at moderate levels. Steam and ash emissions produce plumes rising about 2 km from the crater, and occasional stronger explosions with cannon-shot noises can be heard (rarely seen) ejecting blocks that fall onto the outer upper slopes and tumble downhill.

Heard (Australia, Southern Indian Ocean): Effusive eruptive activity at the remote volcano continues. A recent satellite picture shows a new lava flow on the SW flank of Mawson Peak. A MODIS hot spot is visible as well. Starting in October 2012, satellites measured subtle signals that suggested volcanic activity on remote Heard Island. The recent satellite images (NASA Earth Observatory) have now provided proof of an eruption otherwise likely undetected.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.2 Earthquake hits southern Iran.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Cyclone Zane

TC Zane is expected to hit far northern Queensland tonight or early tomorrow bringing a dangerous storm tide, heavy rain and winds up to 160km/h. But the weather bureau has cancelled a cyclone warning for parts of Queensland's Cape York after Tropical Cyclone Zane weakened rapidly overnight into a tropical low.

Floods in Saudi Arabia

Floods in Saudi Arabia have claimed the lives of at least 13 people. Four are still reported to be missing.

Flight services were disrupted at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh.

It is believed to be the heaviest rainfall experienced by the desert kingdom in more than 25 years.

Other News:

Flooding in Kasese, Uganda-Flooding in Kasese, Uganda has claimed four lives.

Flooding in Ironwood, Michigan, USA.

Winter Storm Achilles is expected to bring 6 - 9 inches of snow by Thursday morning from Colorado to Wisconsin, USA.

Wildfires

Wildfire in Southern California, USA.

Wildfire near Banning in Riverside County, southern California, USA is out of control and has burned approximately 3 000 acres. At least on house has been destroyed.

425 firefighters with six helicopters and six air tankers are struggling to control the fire.

Disease

China Bird Flu - Update

TH7N9 bird flu is a 'serious threat' - researchers warn. The outbreak of a new type of bird flu in China poses a "serious threat" to human health, but it is still too soon to predict how far it will spread. H7N9 is the 'nastiest virus in humans in years.'

Of the 126 people known to be infected so far, 24 have died, with many more still severely ill in hospital. The H7N9 virus has not, however, yet proved able to spread between people - which limits its global threat. The threat should be "treated calmly, but seriously", researchers advise.

There is concern over both the pace and severity of the outbreak. There has been a relatively high number of known infections since the first case was detected in April.

How the virus spreads is key. As long as it can spread only from a bird to a person through direct contact it posses a relatively small risk globally - particularly in richer countries where such contact is rare. If it can spread from one person to another then the threat becomes much more potent. This has not yet happened and it is impossible to tell whether it will happen tomorrow or never.

The infection results in severe pneumonia and even blood poisoning and organ failure. "The WHO considers this a serious threat, but we don't know at this stage whether this is going to spread from human to human." So far nearly all cases have been traced back to contact with poultry. If the virus adapts to spread readily between people it will pose a much greater threat and scientists warn that the virus is mutating rapidly.

Meningitis in Sudan

An outbreak of Meningitis in South Sudan's Upper Nile has been declared by local authorities, after the disease reportedly killed two people in its Malakal county. At least 38 suspected cases have been confirmed.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): After decreasing a bit yesterday, the overflow of lava from the NE vents has gained in strength this morning again, accompanied by constant rockfalls, relatively strong explosions and higher tremor.

Tolbachik (Kamchatka): KVER reports no change in the ongoing eruption of the volcano and ongoing high tremor values at levels similar to the past weeks. Recent field reports however suggest that the eruption continues its slowly declining trend and might actually be ending soon. A group who visited the volcano on 29 April could not see lava flows or explosions at the active cone on the southern fissure. It was even possible to walk on the now cooling lava flows. However, weak incandescence and a MODIS hot spot remain visible. It is likely that the still elevated tremor signal indicates that the magma continues to be fed into lava tubes and emerges in places that are difficult to see or access. Although it would not come at all as a surprise if the eruption ends, after almost half a year, it is certainly still too early to announce its end right now.

Telica (Nicaragua): Seismic activity has declined and is now again near normal levels (which include frequent earthquakes typical for Telica volcano's behavior).

Poas (Costa Rica): A small earthquake swarm occurred yesterday, probably caused by fluid movements bringing heat into the crater lake. Seismicity has calmed down today again.

Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): A shallow (5 km depth) earthquake of magnitude 3.8 occurred yesterday at 10:24 local time north of the Arenas crater and has been followed by an ongoing earthquake swarm. The quake was felt in nearby areas including Manizales and Villamaria. Possibly, this could mean a new magmatic intrusion, but so far no reports of increased surface activity have become known.

Reventador (Ecuador): Activity remains moderate with frequent small explosions detected on seismic signals and strong degassing producing a plume that was observed yesterday rising 800 m.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Ash emissions and explosions of moderate size have continued and generated a plume averaging 1-2 km in height above the crater. During the night, incandescence is visible at the summit. Some of the stronger explosions are accompanied by cannon-shot noises.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

5.7 Earthquake hits eastern Kashmir.

5.5 Earthquake hits the Balleny Islands region.

5.3 Earthquake hits Luzon in the Philippines.

5.1 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Cyclone Zane is located approximately 218 nm northeast of Cairns, Australia. Cyclone Zane is likely to strengthen into a category three storm today but should weaken before it makes landfall in far north Queensland.

Snow in Spring in Spain

Unseasonal weather blocks roads. Spain has been struck by unseasonal weather which has seen snow falling across the country. Eighteen provinces had extreme weather warnings in place with small roads blocked as temperatures hover around freezing.

Flooding in Saskatchewan, Canada

States of emergency have been declared in Maidstone, Radisson and Borden regions of Saskatchewan. More floods are expected due to very high spring run-off.

Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity:

Hekla (Iceland): The famous Icelandic volcano is showing further signs that indicate an eruption could occur in a near future. Significant rapid inflation, concentrated in the northern part of the volcano, has been detected since early April and likely represents accumulation of rising magma underneath. Already in mid March this year, an earthquake swarm, volcanic tremor and deformation caused an alert, because it was believed that this was caused by rapid movement of magma under the volcano.

Popocatépetl (Central Mexico): Activity has decreased again to average levels of the past months. CENPARED reported less than 1 weak steam-gas-ash emission per hour during the 24 hours since yesterday. A slightly more powerful explosion this morning produced an ash plume rising 800 m and ejected incandescent bombs onto the NE crater rim.

Santa María / Santiaguito (Guatemala): Activity remains more or less stable, with occasional explosions from the lava dome producing ash plumes up to about 800 m high. Effusive activity in the form of avalanches from the blocky lava flows on the sides of the Caliente dome has remained relatively weak.

Pacaya (Guatemala): Small strombolian activity continues from the Mackenney crater.

Fuego (Guatemala): Lava effusion feeding the two active flows remains abundant and there are now near-constant strombolian explosions from the summit crater, accompanied by locomotive-like degassing sounds. Some of the explosions generate shock waves. Ash reaches about 6-700 m above the crater and drifts 10 km to the S and SW.

Tungurahua (Ecuador): Eruptive activity remains strong with ash emissions interrupted by strong vulcanian-type explosions. An explosion at 18h30 local time the day before yesterday produced an ash plume rising 5 km above the crater, and ejected incandescent blocks to 400 m distance from the crater. Strong noises were heard from Pondoa. Yesterday morning, the volcano was mostly hidden in clouds, but generated dark gray ash emissions drifting ESE. Several explosions occurred that rattled windows and caused vibrations of the ground. Ash falls were reported in the areas of El Manzano, Cahuají, Puela, Penipe and Riobamba.