Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.2 earthquake hits the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.
5.2 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.
5.1 earthquake hits the Kuril Islands.
5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Hurricane 05e (Darby), located approximately 1115 nm south-southwest of San Diego, is tracking westward at 13 knots.
Wildfires – Portugal
More than 3,000 firefighters and 30 aircraft battled 32 outbreaks of wildfires Sunday in Portugal that authorities say have injured 29 people. Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes. The wildfires are coming as Portugal is enduring a heat wave with temperatures expected up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). The country has adopted restrictions barring public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banned the use of farm machinery and outlawed fireworks.
Across the border in Spain, a fire in the southwest led authorities to evacuate 30 people from homes as a precaution. Some 115 firefighters backed by helicopters and planes were deployed to that fire near the village of El Ronquillo.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Q fever – Russia
Nineteen cases of coxiellosis (Q fever), which is transmitted, in particular, by animals, have been registered this year in the Rostov region.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.0 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 05e (Darby), located approximately 1108 nm south of San Diego, is tracking westward at 12 knots.
Newsbytes:
Pakistan – Flash floods hit Karachi in Pakistan on July 8th and 9th 2022. Three days of heavy rain caused severe flooding in many parts of the city, bringing it to a standstill. Roads turned into rivers, as flood waters rose, with vehicles capsizing and commuters forced to flee their vehicles. Electrical cables were torn down by the force of the flood, leaving many areas without power and causing threat to citizens. Buildings were damaged, as walls struggled under the weight of the floods. Shelters are in place to help affected citizens. The floods are part of the ongoing monsoon season, which has caused devastating floods in other parts of the country, including Balochistan.
Wildfires – Utah, USA
Firefighters are working on two fires in Central Utah that were reported Friday 14 minutes apart, separated by 28 air miles. The Halfway Hill Fire spread rapidly about one mile east of Interstate 15, 2 miles southeast of Fillmore. On Friday the Millard County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations for the Virginia Hills subdivision southeast of Fillmore. Utah Fire Information reported Saturday morning it had burned 6,644 acres. The 1,200-acre Dry Creek Fire is 10 miles west of Interstate 15, 2 miles east of Oak City.
Monkeypox
France – French health authorities report as of July 07, 2022, 721 cases have been confirmed in the country.
Sweden – Up to and including 6 July, 43 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Sweden. The cases have been reported from several regions, with most from the Stockholm Region.
Finland – Three new monkeypox infections have been confirmed in Finland this week. There are now a total of 13 confirmed cases in Finland. Most of the infections have been acquired abroad. However, some of the infections have been acquired in Finland.
New York City – As of July 8, 160 people in New York City have tested positive for orthopoxvirus. All cases are likely monkeypox, according to city health officials. USA Total cases now stand at 791.
Spain – As of July 8, there have been reported a total of 2,034 confirmed cases of monkeypox.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.0 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.
5.7 earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.
5.5 earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.
5.4 earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.
5.3 earthquake hits the Andaman Islands off India.
5.2 earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.
5.2 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.2 earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.
Two 5.1 earthquakes hit the Mariana Islands region.
5.1 earthquake hits south of Java, Indonesia.
5.0 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands region.
5.0 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.
5.0 earthquake hits Papua, Indonesia.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 04e (Bonnie), located approximately 905 nm south-southwest of San Diego, is tracking westward at 17 knots.
Newsbytes:
India – At least 13 people were killed when sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday, police said. Officials said in addition to the deaths, at least three dozen people were missing while an unspecified number of injured devotees were airlifted to hospitals for treatment. The heavy rain Friday evening near the mountain cave revered by Hindus sent a wall of water down a gorge and swept away about two dozen camps and two makeshift kitchens, officials said. An estimated 10,000 people were in the mountains when the rains struck.
Wildfires – California, USA – More Sequoia Burn
Another wildfire is burning in a grove of giant sequoia trees — behemoths that can live for 3,000 years. The Washburn fire was reported at 2 p.m. Thursday July 7 and by 4 p.m. Friday it had been mapped by a FIRIS aircraft at 466 acres. At least 150 acres of the fire are within the Mariposa giant sequoia grove in the south end of Yosemite National Park two miles southeast of Wawona, a community that is under an evacuation order.
Wildfires – Australia
An out-of-control bushfire is burning under extreme weather conditions on the Yorke Peninsula with South Australia’s Country Fire Service issuing an emergency warning for Maitland.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.3 earthquake hits the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands.
5.2 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 earthquake hits Fiji.
5.0 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.
5.0 earthquake hits eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Hurricane 04e (Bonnie), located approximately 883 nm south of San Diego, is tracking westward at 15 knots.
Newsbytes:
Afghanistan – At least 10 people have died after heavy rain caused flash flooding in central and eastern parts of Afghanistan. The United Nations reported heavy and unseasonal rainfall across the central and eastern regions of Afghanistan on 05 and 06 July 2022 resulted in flash flooding and damages across the nine provinces of Nuristan, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Paktya, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak and Parwan. Flash flooding severely damaged 280 homes. Flooding and rain also damaged infrastructure including four bridges and 8 km of a road.
Oman – Emergency authorities in Oman report that at least one person has died and many have been rescued after flash floods in several governorates of the country. One person died in a flooded wadi in Ad Dhakiliyah governorate, where at least 4 others were rescued. A road collapsed due to overflowing wadis in the Wilayat of Rustaq, Al Batinah South Governorate. Two people were caught in the incident.
Fukushima Residents May return
Some evacuated residents from near Japan’s meltdown-plagued Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are being told they may return home permanently 11 years after intense radiation from the nuclear disaster forced them to flee.
Police and fire patrols are being reestablished in Ōkuma, but it is unclear how many residents will return. About 130 square miles across seven Fukushima municipalities remain off-limits due to high levels of radiation and are likely to remain so well into the future.
Sandstorm Surge
Global heating is resulting in earlier and more frequent sandstorms across parts of the Middle East. A single storm can swirl for days, causing havoc in a dozen countries. Storms this summer have caused hospitals to be flooded with patients suffering from respiratory ailments.
Schools and businesses have been forced to close many times this year because of choking sand. Officials and environmental groups say the hotter climate, altered weather patterns and poor management of agriculture and water resources are turning the region’s soil into sand.
Climate Shift
Changes in the size and strength of the prevailing high-pressure system over the Atlantic have brought parts of Spain and Portugal their driest climate in over a thousand years. This expansion of the Bermuda-Azores High came as the western U.S. also developed a worsening “megadrought” that threatens cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas with critical water shortages.
Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, U.S. researchers say the Mediterranean became drier as the high expanded dramatically during the 20th century in step with global heating. The vast high-pressure area controls where and when rain falls across Western Europe, typically directing storms into the Iberian Peninsula during winter.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 49.4 degrees Celsius (121 degrees F) at El Oued, Algeria.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 75.5 degrees Celsius (-104 degrees F) at Vostok, 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.
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Marburg Virus – Ghana
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today the the country of Ghana reported the preliminary finding of two cases of Marburg virus disease and if confirmed these would the first such infections recorded in the country.
Cholera – Iraq
The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday the detection of 21 new confirmed cases of cholera.
Monkeypox – Brazil
Brazilian health agencies have confirmed 36 new cases of monkeypox in the last few hours. In total, 142 cases have been recorded.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week 29 June – 5 July 2022
Aira – Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that nighttime incandescence at Minamidake Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) was visible during 28 June-4 July. Two eruptive events and one explosion produced plumes that rose as high as 1.6 km above the crater rim. An explosion, the first recorded since 28 January, was detected at 1221 on 27 June and ejected tephra 600-900 m above the crater rim. The sulfur dioxide rate was 800 tons per day on 30 June.
Aniakchak – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska : AVO reported that strong winds in a region NW of Aniakchak and E of Port Heiden resuspended ash and blew it NW on 30 June. A dense cloud of possible resuspended ash near ground levels was identified in Port Heiden webcam views. The altitude of the cloud was unknown, though the report noted that resuspended ash clouds typically do not rise above 5 km (16,400 ft) a.s.l. The cloud was not a result of volcanic activity.
Bezymianny – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Bezymianny was identified in satellite images during 26 June-1July.
Dukono – Halmahera : Based on satellite and wind model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 29 June-1 July ash plumes from Dukono rose to 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W.
Fuego – South-Central Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that 4-10 explosions per hour were recorded at Fuego during 28 June-5 July, generating ash plumes that rose as high as 1.2 km above the crater rim. The ash plumes drifted 10-30 km W and SW, causing daily ashfall in areas downwind including Morelia (9 km SW), Panimaché I and II (8 km SW), Santa Sofía (12 km SW), El Porvenir (8 km ENE), Los Yucales (12 km SW), Sangre de Cristo (8 km WSW), and Finca Palo Verde. Daily shock waves rattled structures in communities around the volcano and occasional rumbling was heard. Block avalanches descended the Ceniza (SSW), Seca (W), Trinidad (S), Taniluyá (SW), Honda, and Las Lajas (SE) drainages. Explosions ejected incandescent material 100-300 m above the summit on most days. An effusive phase began during the evening of 2 July, and by 4 July a lava flow had traveled 1 km down in the Ceniza drainage. On 4 July pyroclastic flows traveled 6 km down the Ceniza drainage and generated ash plumes that rose 5 km.
Gamkonora – Halmahera : PVMBG reported that diffuse white plumes rose 20-60 m above Gamkonora’s summit were visible during 1 January-29 June, and no other changes were observed. Deep and shallow volcanic earthquakes were rarely recorded.
Great Sitkin – Andreanof Islands (USA) : AVO reported that the eruption at Great Sitkin continued during 29 June-5 July. The lava-flow field grew slightly, expanding 15 m E. Elevated surface temperatures were occasionally identified in satellite images; weather clouds sometimes obscured satellite and webcam views. Seismicity was low.
Kanlaon – Philippines : PHIVOLCS issued a special notice for Kanlaon at 1400 on 3 July, noting increased earthquake activity beneath the summit. A total of 41 volcanic earthquakes were recorded by the seismic network beginning at 0500 on 30 June, including seven shallow tornillo signals indicating gas movement through fractures in the upper flanks. Ground deformation data from continuous GPS indicated minor, short-term inflation of the lower and mid-flanks of the volcano since January 2022, consistent with continuous electronic tilt data that had recorded inflation on the SE flanks since mid-March 2022. The seismicity and inflation likely reflected shallow hydrothermal processes.
Katmai – Alaska : AVO reported that on 30 June strong winds in the vicinity of Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes blew unconsolidated ash NW at an altitude up to 1.8 km (6,000 ft) a.s.l. The ash was originally deposited during the Novarupta eruption in 1912.
Kilauea – Hawaiian Islands (USA) : HVO reported that lava continued to effuse from a vent in the lower W wall of Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u Crater during 29 June-5 July, entering the lava lake and flowing onto the crater floor. The lake level was variable, and lava breakouts occurred along the N margin on most days.
Krakatau – Sunda Strait : PVMBG reported that several eruptive events were recorded at Anak Krakatau during 29 June-1 July. Gray-to-black ash plumes of variable densities rose as high as 2 km above the summit and drifted N and NE. Cloudy weather conditions sometimes prevented views during 2-5 July, though photos posted with the reports showed nighttime crater incandescence.
Lewotolok – Lembata Island : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Lewotolok continued during 28 June-5 July. Daily white-and-gray or white, gray, and black emissions rose as high as 1.3 km above the summit and drifted NW, W, and SW. Photos posted in reports showed Strombolian activity from the crater.
Merapi – Central Java : BPPTKG reported that the eruption at Merapi continued during 24-30 June. The heights and morphologies of the SW and central lava domes were unchanged from the previous week, and seismicity remained at high levels. As many as 69 lava avalanches traveled down the Bebeng drainage on the SW flank, reaching a maximum distance of 1.8 km.
Pavlof – Alaska Peninsula, Alaska : AVO reported that the eruption at a vent on Pavlof’s upper E flank was ongoing during 29 June-5 July, and seismic tremor persisted. Daily elevated surface temperatures identified in satellite images were consistent with the continuing effusion of short (615 m or less) lava flows.
Ruapehu – North Island (New Zealand) : On 4 July GeoNet reported that analysis of water from Ruapehu’s cater lake confirmed that there is no interaction between magma and the hydrothermal system that drives composition, level, and temperature of the lake. New magma that had intruded over the previous 2-3 months had stopped moving. Tremor had declined to near background levels and gas emission rates were generally low. The lake water temperature had decreased by one degree and stabilized at 24 degrees Celsius.
Santa Maria – Southwestern Guatemala : INSIVUMEH reported that the eruption at Santa María’s Santiaguito lava-dome complex continued during 29 June-5 July. Incandescence from Caliente crater and the lava flows on the W and SW flanks was visible nightly. Lava flows continued to advance in the San Isidro channel and were 3 km long by 1 July. Block avalanches from the ends and sides of the flows that descended the S, SW, and S flanks. Ash from these avalanches sometimes produced ash curtains and ashfall around the volcano.
Semeru – Eastern Java : PVMBG reported that the eruption at Semeru continued during 28 June-5 July. VONAs were issued for multiple eruptive events (at 1101 on 29 June, 0735 on 30 June, 0619 on 3 July, 0519, 0726, and 0803 on 4 July, and 0534 on 5 July) that produced ash plumes that rose 400-1,500 m above the summit and drifted SW and N.
Semisopochnoi – Aleutian Islands (USA) : AVO reported that low-level eruptive activity at Semisopochnoi’s North Cerberus cone likely continued during 29 June-5 July. Seismicity was quiet. Weather clouds often prevented satellite and webcam views; sulfur dioxide emissions were detected in satellite images on 28 and 30 June.
Sheveluch – Central Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Sheveluch was identified in satellite images during 24 June-1 July and the eruption was characterized by ongoing explosions, hot avalanches, and lava-dome extrusion.
Suwanosejima – Ryukyu Islands (Japan) : JMA reported that the eruption at Suwanosejima’s Ontake Crater continued during 27 June-4 July and crater incandescence was visible nightly. Emissions rose as high as 1 km above the crater rim and tephra was ejected 200-600 m from the vent.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 earthquake hits offshore Los Lagos, Chile.
5.0 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.
