A monsoon lightning storm strikes over Las Vegas, Nevada. Rising global temperatures may cause a big jolt in the number of lightning strikes in the United
States over the rest of the 21st century in the latest example of extreme weather spawned by climate change, scientists say.
November 14, 2014 - UNITED STATES - Lightning
strikes in the United States could increase by nearly 50 percent by the
end of the century as the world gets warmer and wetter, a new study
says.
hose conditions were already known to promote thunderstorms in
general, the new work focused on lightning strikes themselves.
Researchers
calculated just how much lightning flashes increase as air warms,
clouds fill with more energy from water vapor and rainfall intensifies.
They concluded that for every degree Fahrenheit the world warms in the future, lightning strikes will go up nearly 7 percent.
That's 12 percent for every degree Celsius.
WHAT THEY FOUND
The researchers based their calculation on 2011 weather data from across the U.S.
The key is that warmer air holds more water vapor.
Water vapor is fuel for thunderstorms, sparking more lightning.
The energy that storms get from vapor is the biggest driver in increasing lightning strikes in the future, the researchers said.
Because
scientists forecast that the world may get about 7 degrees warmer (4
degrees Celsius) by the end of the century, based on current carbon
dioxide emission trends, that comes to a 50 percent increase in
lightning strikes, said David Romps.
He's the atmospheric scientist at the University of California Berkeley who led the study.
'When you used to have two lightning strikes, now you'll have three,' Romps said. 'It's a substantial increase.'
The
researchers based their calculation on 2011 weather data from across
the U.S. They presented their results in a paper released Thursday by
the journal Science.
Romps said the key
is that warmer air holds more water vapor. Water vapor is fuel for
thunderstorms, sparking more lightning. The energy that storms get from
vapor is the biggest driver in increasing lightning strikes in the
future, Romps said.
The new study shows that at any given level of rainfall intensity, there will be more lightning in the future.
Harold
Brooks, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration severe storm
meteorologist, said the study makes sense and marks an advance over
previous work.
The result is important
mostly because it means more natural sparks for dangerous wildfires,
which are already forecast to worsen with man-made warming, Romps,
Brooks and other meteorologists said.
This graphic shows the intensity of lightning flashes averaged over the year in the lower 48 states during 2011.
Lightning deaths have been falling from about 100 per year in the 1960s and 1970s to 33 per year in the last decade.
So far this year 25 people have been killed, NOAA data shows.
Lightning strikes north of Macworth Island in Portland, Maine. A new study says flashes of lightning in the US will likely increase
by nearly 50 percent by the end of the century because of global warming.
Brooks
said the drop is because of people changing their behavior to be safer
in storms and better medical treatment of lightning victims.
The
top states for lightning deaths in the past decade are Florida, Texas,
Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey.
WATCH: Incredible fork of lightning caught on camera in Houston.
About 80 percent of
lightning victims are male.
Michael
Mann, a Pennsylvania State University climate scientist, said this study
'is yet another reminder that there are likely some unwelcome surprises
in store ... when it comes to the impacts of climate change.' - Daily Mail.
A former Italian finance minister said “Titanic Europe” is heading for a shipwreck Photo: ALAMY
November 14, 2014 - EUROPE
- The eurozone has averted a triple-dip recession but remains stuck in a
deep structural slump, with too little momentum to create jobs or to
stop a relentless rise in debt ratios.
The
region eked out growth of 0.2pc in the third quarter, yet Italy’s
economy shrank again and has now been in contraction for over three
years.
Stefano Fassina, the former
deputy Italian finance minister, said “Titanic Europe” is heading for a
shipwreck without a radical change of course.
He
warned that contractionary policies are destroying the Italian economy
and called on the country’s leaders to “bang their fists of the table”.
He said they should threaten an “orderly break-up” of the euro unless
policies change. His comments have made waves in Rome since he is a
respected figure in the ruling Democratic Party of Matteo Renzi.
While
France rebounded by 0.3pc, the jump was due to a rise in inventories
and a 0.8pc spike in public spending, mostly on health care. The
previous quarter was revised down to minus 0.1pc.
“It flatters to
deceive,” said Marc Ostwald from Monument Securities. “France was
basically horrible. How anybody could celebrate this as a recovery story
is beyond me.”
“A close reading of details is sobering. Just
about all the drivers of growth are near-dead,” said Denis Ferrand, head
of the French research institute Coe-Rexecode.
Michel Sapin, the
French finance minister, said the economy remains "too weak" to make a
dent on unemployment. France’s brief rebound in employment has already
sputtered out. The economy shed 34,000 jobs in the third quarter. This
will not be easy to reverse since Paris has pledged to push through a
further €50bn of fiscal cuts over three years to meet EU deficit
targets.
Maxime Alimi from Axa said France’s public debt is
likely to reach 100pc of GDP by 2017, warning that investor patience may
not last. He said bond yields could rise in a “non-linear, abrupt
fashion” in the next downturn.
Europe is caught in limbo. The data
is not weak enough to force a radical change in EMU policy, whether
that might be a ‘New Deal’ blitz of investment or full-fledged
quantitative easing by the European Central Bank.
The risk is that
the currency bloc will drift into another year in near deflationary
conditions, without any catalyst for real recovery. The US Treasury
Secretary, Jacob Lew, warned this week that Europe faces a “lost decade”
unless surplus countries such as Germany do more to stimulate demand.
“The
eurozone is the epicentre of a global Keynes liquidity trap,” said Lena
Komileva from G+Economics.
“For the markets, the previous consensus of a
periphery-led recovery has crumbled.”
Germany just scraped by
without falling into a technical recession, growing 0.1pc after
contracting by 0.1pc in the previous quarter. It is clearly suffering
the brunt of Russia’s crisis and wilting demand in China, Brazil, and
much of the emerging market nexus.
Jörg Krämer, chief economist at
Commerzbank, said there was a surge of pent-up investment by German
companies after the EMU debt-crisis subsided in mid-2012. This has
faded, causing a “soft patch” that is coming to an end.
“We expect
German growth to pick up next year. The depreciation of the euro
against the dollar will lift GDP by at least 0.5pc over the next four
quarters. On top of that, monetary policy is very loose for German
conditions,” he said.
Any German recovery will have a double-edged
effect. It will boost intra-EMU trade demand slightly, but it will also
engender even more resistance from Berlin for fiscal stimulus or for
sovereign bond purchases by the ECB. The net effect might be negative
for those parts of southern Europe still trapped in debt-deflation.
Italy
is now the country in deepest trouble, stuck in a fixed exchange rate
system with a currency overvalued by at least 25pc. Output has fallen by
almost 10pc since the peak, reverting to 1999 levels. Industrial output
is down 24pc. Official youth unemployment is 42.9pc, but Italy also has
the highest level of unreported jobless in the eurozone, according to
the European Commission.
This is a deeper slump than during
the Great Depression, and is almost certainly the worst episode in
peacetime since the creation of the Italian state in 1859. An “internal
devaluation” to claw back competitiveness is impossible in near
deflationary conditions, since this would aggravate debt dynamics.
Italy’s
public debt ratio is already rising at a rate of 5pc of GDP each year
despite a primary budget surplus of 2.5pc. The debt stock is rising on a
base of contracting nominal GDP, a poisonous dynamic known as the
denominator effect.
A study by the Brussels think-tank Bruegel
concluded that Italy must increase its primary surplus by 1.4pc of GDP
for every 1pc drop in the inflation rate just to keep pace, a near
impossible task.
“The data for the eurozone are awful,” said Simon Tilford from the Centre for European Reform.
“It
is a sign of just how bad things have become that Europe’s leaders will
jump on any glimmer of hope to justify policies that they still cling
to doggedly. But the fact is that output is still several percent short
of where it was in 2008, and massively short of where it should be.
Moreover, we have probably passed the cyclical peak already,” he said.
“The
electorates in Italy and Spain have been stoical so far, but this is
predicated on the belief that things will get better. There is a false
sense of complacency about what will happen if this depression goes on
for year after year,” he said. - Telegraph.
A manhole cover being ripped out of it's hole by the pressure of the water on Skegoneill Avenue
November 14, 2014 - UNITED KINGDOM - Three lanes of the M25 were
closed after a section of the road near Surrey crumpled into slush
leaving a massive pothole.
A huge chunk of the UK is also on flood alert with torrential downpours and violent winds threatening chaos until next week.
The
Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for half a month’s worth
of rain over the next 24 hours and strong gales this morning.
Queues
of up to 15 miles left motorists stranded for more than two hours
during the morning rush hour period as Highways workers scrambled to
clear debris from the anti-clockwise section of the motorway which
circles London.
The chaos was caused when a section of roadworks collapsed in the early hours.
Motorists stuck in the tailbacks included those travelling to Gatwick Airport in west Sussex.
A Highways Agency spokesman said: “Concrete repairs being carried out overnight failed to set.
“Maintenance crews had been working overnight to replace three sections of concrete road surface between junctions 9 and 10.“
One of these concrete sections disintegrated and another section was showing signs of distress.
“We have people on the site repairing these sections and we will reopen the closed lanes as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Storm is heading towards the country and will bring 90mph gale force winds
Surrey Police posted an image of the uneven surface on the M25
Witnesses
described rows of cars parked up on the hard shoulder while Sussex
Police reported several drivers suffered damaged or punctured tyres.
AA president Edmund King described the M25 as “the Road to Hell” calling for an investigation in to the fiasco.
He said: “The M25 is critical to the nation and today’s incident highlights just how dependant we are on it to function 24/7.
“There
must be a thorough investigation into this incident. It is
disappointing that not only did the road fail but it placed many drivers
in danger and also reportedly damaged a number of vehicles.
“If this happened on the railways passengers could claim compensation.
“As it has happened on the roads drivers just have to put up with it.”
Almost
12 hours after the pothole first emerged, the three lanes of the M25
remained closed during this evening's rush hour - meaning more queues
and long delays are expected for motorists.
Met Office spokeswoman
Laura Young said: “A band of rain is moving through the southwest,
Wales, Bristol and Somerset before another frontal system pushes through
the region through Friday.
“There will be quite a lot of rain in
Devon, Cornwall and Somerset with showers in central areas and London
and it is going to stay windy until around Saturday lunchtime.
“Heavy
rain sticks around during Friday and there is some very heavy rain
about in the morning, over the weekend parts of Scotland will get very
heavy showers and that will be a concern as they have had a lot
already.”
Met Office chief
forecaster Andy Page said: “Following recent wet weather the public
should be aware of the continuing risk of flooding from this next batch
of heavy rain.”
Gales of 70mph lashed the southwest yesterday
while gusts of up to 93mph were recorded in isolated spots in Devon -
the strongest since ex-Hurricane Gonzalo struck last month.
Forecasters
said remote parts of the country could be in for a repeat performance
this morning thanks to a deep low pressure system moving over the
country.
Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said: “We are
looking at more damaging and severe gales over the next few days and
further gusts of 90mph plus are possible around the south.
“There is more to come at the weekend as we expect a similar picture to that which we have already seen.”
Traffic drives through surface water flooding on the Lewes Road in Brighton
Netweather
forecaster Jo Farrow said: “Another area of wet and windy weather is
going to move up from the southwest around a low pressure yesterday
evening.
“This spreads into southwest England and more of Wales before dawn. There’ll be another bout of strong southeasterly winds.”
The
hurricane-force winds also wreaked havoc for commuters in Devon
yesterday by causing the closure of a railway station and train
disruption.
Dawlish station was shut for an hour while a 30mph
speed restriction for trains was put in place as the the winds battered
the coast.
The station has since been reopened.
Elsewhere, an elderly man is believed to have been swept off a sea wall by fierce waves in Torquay, Devon.
A search was initiated last night, but was soon called off due to poor weather conditions and strong winds.
A decision of whether to resume the search was due to be reached this morning.
While
the weather is currently not being directly linked to the incident, it
is believed that the weather conditions at the time were described as
"poor".
Northerly gales create huge waves crashing against the sea wall at Seaham HarbourPicture: Paul Kingston/North News & Pictures
Seaburn. Winds could reach 60mph on the east coast.Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA
According
to the Met Office’s six to 30-day forecast, more wind and rain is
expected next week with unsettled conditions likely to persist through
November.
It states: “More showers or longer spells of rain are
likely on Tuesday, with no strong indication for where the wettest
weather will be.
“Through the rest of the period it is set to
remain unsettled with further spells of rain or showers across many
parts, but there will be some drier and brighter/clearer conditions.
“The winds will be strong at times with a low risk of gales, especially in the north.
“It
is likely that a westerly flow will prevail through the end of November
and the beginning of December bringing further unsettled weather to the
UK.
“It is possible that rainfall amounts will be little above average for the time of year.”
The
Environment Agency has issued 17 flood alerts and warned river levels
along the Clyst and Culm in Devon, Avon around Bristol and Tone and
Parrett in Somerset are rising.
A spokesman said: “Further heavy
rain and showers during Thursday and Friday may lead to some localised
flooding over parts of the south-west of Wales, the southwest and the
southeast of England.
“Disruption may include localised flooding
of individual properties and localised disruption to travel. “In parts
of Somerset on Wednesday through to Friday rivers will continue to
respond to recent and forecast rainfall.
“There are some further periods of locally heavy rainfall in some parts of England throughout [Thursday] and Friday.
“On
Friday there is a low overall river flood risk, and while some rivers
may respond to recent rainfall, the main risk is from surface water
flooding.
“The combination of strong winds and large waves may
lead to some minimal disruption from spray and wave over topping for
South west and north-east coast of England on Friday.”
Leon
Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel UK, said: “On Sunday we can
expect more locally heavy showers over the southwest while most other
areas stay dry.
“Next week will start damp with some rain swinging southwards on Monday.
“Late next week still looks very unsettled, wet and windy.
“Gales are developing as another large area of low pressure develops and covers the eastern Atlantic.
“It is staying very blustery and windy for next weekend too, with a lot of showers over the north and west.”
The
threat of more persistent rain has raised fears of a worryingly similar
scenario to last year when Somerset and Devon were devastated by
floods.
Hundreds of people in the region were forced from their homes while thousands of others were left without power.
Just
11 months later the region is preparing for another helping of misery
with some families still unable to return home after the last dose.
The
AA has today warned drivers to take extra care in flood water after
attending thousands of stranded vehicles during the last winter floods.
Darron
Burness, head of the AA flood rescue team, said: “During last winter,
which was the wettest on record, we alone attended around 4,400
flood-related call-outs but many were completely avoidable.
“Some people don’t fully appreciate the dangers posed by flood water.”
John
Curtin, director of incident management and resilience at the
Environment Agency, added: “Too many drivers end up putting themselves
in danger – and potentially those who come to their rescue – by taking
unnecessary risks during flooding. “It can be hard to tell what
hazards lie beneath flood water, but more often than not there’s a lot
of misery and a much longer delay than a well planned detour.
“We need drivers to check the flood risk for their entire route before they travel.”
POLAR VORTEX WARNING: Latest winter weather models show UK faces MONTHS of heavy snow
Britain is facing one of the coldest winters on record
Shocked
forecasters warned tonight the latest high-tech weather models point to
a CATASTROPHIC big freeze in late 2014 with THREE MONTHS of blizzards
and Arctic gales.
They fear a
lethal and unprecedented combination of low pressure, above-average
rainfall and a freak Polar vortex will come together in a perfect storm
of misery for Winter 2014.
Moist air from the Atlantic currently causing the mild, wet and windy weather threatens to collide with bitter Arctic winds.
It
means a dramatic plunge in the current mild temperatures will turn
torrential rain to blizzards capable of smothering the ENTIRE COUNTRY in
feet-deep snowdrifts.
The big chill could arrive as early as this
month although some models show the colder flow of air will be held at
bay until the New Year.
However when it arrives, it threatens to
rival the historic winter of 1947 which saw snow fall EVERY SINGLE DAY
between January and March.
Crippling snow drifts of up to FIVE
METRES ground swathes of the country to a standstill while the armed
services were drafted in to drop emergency air supplies to stranded
communities.
In a terrifying similarity to this year, the killer
whiteout of 1947 started with suspiciously mild conditions persisting
into early winter.
Britain is facing a strongly negative Arctic oscillation as we head into December Worried experts have warned Britons not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the current benign conditions.
The
very latest weather models show a unique set of circumstances coming
together to create an extreme whiteout driven by violent snowstorms.
James
Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said a strongly negative Arctic
Oscillation (AO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) this winter are
main driving factors.
Both phenomenon are governed by atmospheric
sea pressure and when in a negative phase they allow cold air to flow in
from the East - the so called blocking effect.
Mr Madden said due
to recent warming in the Earth’s stratosphere, both the NAO and AO are
“excessively” low pointing towards a severe freeze.
A separate
measure derived from air flow patterns in the upper atmosphere called
the October Pattern Index (OPI ) also points towards a negative Arctic
Oscillation. The
resulting weak jet stream, which usually holds the cold at bay over the
North Pole, will give way to a blast of freezing air which will sweep
across the UK.
The OPI was devised by scientists Riccardo Valente
and Professor Judah Cohen with this year’s readings dangerously similar
to those taken during the catastrophic winter of 2009/10 - the coldest
in 31 years.
Experts say a crippling big freeze could be as close as the middle of this month and has the potential to last until spring.
Mr
Madden said: “The important pieces are now becoming grouped together to
form blocking episodes throughout the second half of November and the
upcoming winter period.
“This is reflected upon with the
obliterated Polar Vortex and the downward trend of the 'excessively
abnormal' Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation
(NAO) values, due to recent stratospheric warming and higher than normal
pressure across the Arctic region.
“When the AO is in its negative phase, it allows for an easier intrusion of cold Arctic air to lower latitudes such as the UK.
“When the closely related NAO is also in a negative phase, it allows for cold easterly winds and much cold winters to develop.” He said heavy early snow over Siberia is another indicator that Britain could be in for a mega-freeze.
He
said: “The impressive Siberian snow cover for this year also offers a
high correlation for a negative AO throughout much of the upcoming
winter and into next spring.
“We can therefore expect a
significant amount of colder intrusions and prolonged diversions of the
jet stream/blocking within this period.
“The majority of weather
models are now also starting to support a cold easterly/north-easterly
developing for next week, and if we combine this with a number of other
factors this is likely to bring a number of potentially widespread snow
events and much colder weather at times throughout the second half of
November and into early/mid December.
“As we progress throughout
this period we are also likely to see widespread frosts and stubborn fog
patches becoming more of a frequent feature as blocking becomes more
prominent. “A
number of frequent and large-scale low pressure systems are also likely
to attack our shores throughout the winter period of December to
February. “The air mass is likely to be cold enough across the
country for this to fall and accumulate as snow from parts of the far
north to parts of the far south.
“January and into February are
likely to offer some potentially severe cold spells of weather and
significant snow for many parts of the country, and this is when winter
will begin to take even more of a stronghold this year.”
Experts have warned elderly and vulnerable people not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the current mild weather.
Latest
figures for winter deaths from the Office for National Statistics show
there were around 31,100 excess winter deaths in 2012-13 - a 29-per cent
increase on the previous year.
Britain could face heavy snow
Malcolm
Booth, chief executive of the National Federation of Occupational
Pensioners, said: “The peculiar weather patterns that we are seeing may
lull people into a flaw sense of security and they won’t protect
themselves in terms of day to day life and flu jabs.
“The last set
of winter death figures showed an increase which is concerning, if this
year is particularly harsh they could be even worse, particularly with
the increase in the cost of heating.”
A major Arctic freeze would
follow what turned out last year to be the wettest and one of the
mildest winters since records began in 1910.
However Britain was
blighted by storms with 12 major events recorded between mid December
and early January, according to the Met Office.
A mean temperature
of 5.2C (41F) across the UK was well above normal with the mercury
dropping to just -7.7C (18F) in Altnaharra, Sutherland, having fallen
lower every year for the previous 50 years. If
temperature records are broken this year as experts suggest, then
thermometers could plunge below the -27.7C (-17F) recorded in Braemar,
Scotland, on January 10, 1982.
Netweather said there is likely to
be a “cold heart” to winter this year with above average snowfall in
parts and frequent winter storms.
Its long-range winter forecast
states: “A cold heart to the winter with January likely to be colder
than average due to an increased likelihood of an SSW (Sudden
stratospheric warming) occurring.
“Precipitation close to or slightly above average overall.
“Tendency
for storm tracks taking a more southerly route across the UK -therefore
potential for a significant wind event affecting the bulk of the UK.
“Above average hill snow for Scotland.”
However as is the nature of weather forecasting not all models agree and the Met Office outlook paints a less chilly picture.
A
spokesman said: “Our latest three-month outlook suggests an increased
risk of milder and wetter than average conditions for the period
November-December-January based on our seasonal forecasts and those from
other leading centres around the world.
“However, there are still substantial probabilities that either average or cool/dry conditions may occur.
“This is because there are many competing factors that determine what our weather will be like in the coming months.” - Express.
November 14, 2014 - UNITED NATIONS
- “Killer robots” – autonomous weapons systems that can identify and
destroy targets in the absence of human control – should be strictly
monitored to prevent violations of international or humanitarian law,
nations from around the world demanded on Thursday.
The
European Union, France, Spain, Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands,
Croatia, Mexico and Sierra Leone, among other states, lined up at a
special UN meeting in Geneva to warn of the potential dangers of this
rapidly advancing technology. Several countries spoke of the need for
ongoing scrutiny to ensure that the weapons conformed to the Geneva
conventions’ rules on proportionality in war.
The Spanish
delegation went further, invoking the possibility of a new arms race as
developed countries scrambled to get ahead. Ireland, the Netherlands and
other countries called for “meaningful human control” of lethal weapons
to be enshrined in international law, although the meeting also
admitted that the precise definition of that principle had yet to be
clarified.
The Geneva meeting was the second major gathering of
world powers this year to discuss the looming threat or possibility of
fully self-operating lethal weapons. As such, it was an indication of
mounting global concern about the technology, as its adoption by
military forces gathers apace.
The US, the leader in the field, has already switched most of its aerial surveillance capabilities
to unmanned aircraft – though the drones are still controlled by human
pilots. It is a natural next step for the US air force to develop
systems that can both deliver and then operate missiles and bombs
robotically, with only minimal human intervention. The New York Times reported
this week that Lockheed Martin has developed a long-range anti-ship
missile for the US air force and navy that can fly itself, with no human
touch, for hundreds of miles, changing its flight-path autonomously to
avoid radar detection. Britain, Israel and Norway already carry out
attacks on radar installations, tanks and ships using autonomous drones
and missiles, the paper said.
A man walks past a graffiti, denouncing strikes by US drones in Yemen, painted on a wall in Sana’a.Photograph: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
At the previous Geneva meeting on
killer robots, Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, called for an outright
ban. “Machines lack morality and mortality, and as a result should not
have life and death powers over humans,” he said.
Human Rights
Watch, which is a co-founder of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, told
Thursday’s plenary that a ban was the only practical solution. The
group lamented the fact that the UN had spent only eight or nine days
over the past two years focused on an area that was fast-moving and
raised huge legal and ethical issues.
“There is a sense of urgency about how we deal with killer robots. Technology is racing ahead,” it said.
Regulation of autonomous weapons falls under the so-called “convention on certain conventional weapons”
or CCW – a part of the Geneva conventions that deals with the impact of
the tools of war on civilian populations. Under CCW, weapons that are
deemed to affect civilians indiscriminately or to cause inhumane
suffering to combatants can be banned or heavily restricted. - The Guardian.
November 14, 2014 - NORTH AMERICA
- Temperatures plunged by as much as 60 degrees Fahrenheit across the
Rockies and Plains early this week, and the unrelenting cold has
remained entrenched across these areas all week. It has been as much as
30-50 degrees below normal this week from Wyoming and Colorado all the
way southward to Texas.
Coldest November Weather in Decades Infiltrates Wyoming to Texas From the North Pole
"This
is exceptional cold," AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry
Margusity said. "It's the coldest air we've seen in decades during
November."
The cold air has come straight from the polar region, according to Margusity.
"The
remnants of Nuri grew into a record storm over the Bering Sea, and then
it sent warmth into the polar region," Margusity said.
The Beartooth Mountains glow in the morning light just after dawn
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014, southeast of Billings, Mont. (AP Photo/Matthew
Brown)
As a
result, the cold was unleashed southward from the North Pole. Margusity
gave the analogy of squeezing a stress ball. Since cold air is denser
than warm air, it oozed out of the pole much like how a stress ball will
expand when squeezed.
East: Frigid Air Lays Ground for Rounds of Snow, Slippery Travel
Cold
air building over the Central states will expand toward the East during
the balance of the week and will be accompanied by snow and slippery
travel in some locations.
Temperatures will be slashed by 20 to 30
degrees compared to the start of this week from the Ohio and Tennessee
valleys to the Appalachians. A similar trend has begun along much of the
Atlantic Seaboard.
In much of the Appalachians and many areas on
the western slopes of the mountains, high temperatures most days will be
no better than the 30s.
High temperatures mainly in the 40s
during the later part of this week will replace highs in the 60s in New
York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. AccuWeather RealFeel®
temperatures will plunge into the 20s and 30s at times during the
daylight hours.
However, the temperature drops will not be as extreme in the East as they were over the Central states.
The
air will get cold enough at night to bring the first freeze to portions
of the South, including Atlanta, and the Interstate-95 corridor.
Unlike
chilly air episodes thus far this season, this particular cold outbreak
will have staying power and is likely to last well into next week.
Bands of snow and flurries have set up downwind of the Great Lakes.
According
to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "Some areas around
the lower Great Lakes that have escaped lake-effect snowfall thus far
this season will have their first accumulation."
Abrams expects
enough snow to fall on parts of northeastern Ohio, northwestern
Pennsylvania and western New York to make roads slippery.
From
Cleveland to Erie, Pennsylvania, and Syracuse and Rochester, New York,
lie within this swath of heavy snowfall and slippery travel through the
weekend.
A developing storm system along a reinforcing push of
cold air will cause some wintry trouble in part of the Northeast on
Friday morning.
The system will bring a period of snow to eastern
parts of New England through Friday morning before it shifts away from
the region. A few inches are forecast to fall from interior southwestern
New England to southeastern Maine.
During Sunday night into Monday night, another wave of cold air will approach with a larger storm tagging along.
While
this storm will bring mostly rain to the mid-Atlantic and southeastern
New England, it cold air may return fast enough to bring wet snow to the
Appalachians and perhapsa change to wet snow before ending to some of
the northern and western suburbs of the I-95 cities.
The amount
and extent of that snow will depend on the strength of the storm and the
speed of the reinforcing surge of cold air. A very weak storm and
fast-moving front may translate to only spotty showers of rain and
non-accumulating snow for much of the region.
Cross-Country Snowstorm to Whip Rockies, Drop Rare Early Snow in Central Plains
A January-like storm that hit the Northwest Thursday into Friday will aim at part of the Rockies and Central states this weekend and may result in disruptions to travel and daily activities.
A
broad area of snow will impact cities from Denver to Chicago and
Detroit this weekend. Enough snow could fall at area airports to cause
deicing delays at the very least. Some locations within this swath will
receive enough snow to shovel and plow.
The expanse of the arctic
air will continue to bring much lower temperatures when compared to
average, and it will also bring precipitation more common during
December and January, as opposed to November.
After
producing a zone of heavy snow and ice in portions of interior Oregon
and Idaho into Friday, a storm that originated over the Pacific Ocean
will blast areas from Wyoming and Colorado to the central High Plains
with snow, wind and cold.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist
Rob Miller, "Blizzard conditions are possible for a time in the
mountains of southern Wyoming to central Colorado during the first part
of the weekend."
Motorists traveling along through the mountains
in this zone should expect slippery and dangerous travel, including on
interstates 70, 80 and 25. Cities from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Denver,
Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, will receive a few inches from
the storm.
A six- to 12-hour period of heavy snow and gusty winds
could bring whiteout conditions and cause some of the passes to close
temporarily.
Part of the storm will push southward into New Mexico
and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles later this weekend. Locally heavy
snow is possible on some of the ski resorts in New Mexico. Just enough
snow could fall to make for slippery travel along I-27 and I-40 in the
region, including at Amarillo, Texas, and Oklahoma City.
As part
of the storm heads south Saturday into Sunday, another part will
reorganize farther east this weekend over the Plains and Midwest as a
reinforcing surge of cold begins to advance.
However, for much of the Central states, the storm will not be as potent as that of the Rockies or the Northwest.
Light
to moderate snow will fall over the central Plains Saturday. Enough
could fall to make roads slippery around Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City,
Missouri; Des Moines, Iowa, and Wichita, Kansas. Locally in this swath, a
few inches of snow can accumulate.
The snow will
extend farther east Saturday night into Sunday, reaching Chicago,
Detroit and Cincinnati. A general coating to an inch of snow can fall,
which is still enough to cause slippery roads and sidewalks.
During Sunday night and Monday, the storm will once again reorganize as a new surge of moisture enters from the Gulf of Mexico.
The
re-energized storm will bring areas of snow, rain or rain changing to
snow in from the middle Mississippi Valley to the Northeast that can be
followed by a freeze-up and slippery travel in many areas for the first
part of next week.
The
air moving in during early next week will be colder than that of this
past week from eastern areas of the Plains to parts of the East.
As
the waves of cold air continue, bands of lake-effect snow will continue
from the Upper Midwest to the central Appalachians this weekend and
into next week. However, these bands of snow will tend to shift around
from one location to the next as the flow of cold air changes direction
from time to time. - AccuWeather.
Marine life volunteers inspecting the dead fin whale that was found offshore near Retamar last week
November 14, 2014 - SPAIN
- The recent deaths of two dolphins and two whales on the Almería coast
have raised questions about their possible causes, as they came just
days after naval exercises were carried out in the same area.
The first of the strandings was that of a Pilot whale in Balerma, El
Ejido, the last week of October, followed by the discovery of a
decomposed dolphin washed up on a beach in Cuevas del Almanzora.
The body of a 20-metre long Fin whale was spotted in the waters off
Retamar a few days later and then a Striped dolphin was found stranded
on a remote beach in Cabo de Gata.
The latter died only moments
after the arrival on the scene of members of Equinac, the
non-governmental organization responsible for marine animals in the
province.
CA news spoke to Alexander Sánchez, biologist with Equinac.
He
said naval exercises in the area "have been known to cause harm to
cetaceans in the past" in reference to four Cuvier's beaked whales that
were washed ashore in 2006 on the beaches of Garrucha, Mojacar and
Villaricos. - Costa Almeria News.
Ashoka
Mukpo, a freelance cameraman who contracted Ebola in West Africa, is
put into an ambulance on Oct. 6, 2014, after arriving in Omaha, Neb. (Photo: James R. Burnett, AP)
November 14, 2014 - NEBRASKA, UNITED STATES
- A surgeon infected with Ebola will be transported from Sierra Leone
to The Nebraska Medical Center for treatment, a U.S. government official
familiar with the situation said.
The
doctor, a Sierra Leone national and legal permanent resident of the
United States, is expected to arrive this weekend, most likely Saturday,
the official said.
The
official said it's not known whether the doctor was working in an Ebola
treatment unit or some other type of hospital. The surgeon is married
to a U.S. citizen and has children, the official said.
The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is one of four hospitals in the United States that have biocontainment units and years of preparation in handling highly infectious disease such as Ebola.
In
a statement Thursday night, a spokesman said the hospital is still
awaiting official confirmation about whether it will treat another Ebola
patient. First, hospital spokesman Taylor Wilson said, air ambulance
crew members will evaluate the patient when they arrive in Sierra Leone.
WATCH: Third Ebola patient headed to Nebraska Medical Center.
"The
members of the crew will determine whether the patient is stable enough
for transport -- if he is, he would arrive in Omaha sometime Saturday
afternoon," Wilson said in a written statement. "We will update you on
the status of this patient as more information becomes available."
November 14, 2014 - ITALY
- The death toll for the recent spate of severe weather in Italy has
now risen to 3 after a man was killed by a landslide near his home in
Crevacuore, Piedmont, earlier today.
6 people have now been killed in flood related incidents in Italy since mid October this year.
Original Report:
Two
people, said to be an elderly couple, have died after torrential rain
caused floods and landslides in northern Italy on Tuesday 11 November
2014. In a seperate incident, a man was killed by a landslide outside
his home in Crevacuore, Piedmont earlier today.
The couple were
killed in a landslide near their house in Leivi in the province of
Genoa, in the Liguria region of Italy. This is the third time in just a
few weeks that Genoa has been struck by severe weather and floods. One man was killed also in Genoa in October after he was swept away by flood water. In 2011 heavy rains and flooding in Genoa killed 6 people.
The
Liguria region has seen heavy rainfall over the last 3 days. As much as
75mm or rain fell in Val Petronio, province of Genoa, in just 3 hours
during the early morning of 11 November 2014. The towns of Lavagna,
Leivi, San Colombano and Chiavari have been some of the worst hit.
Parts
of Tuscany have also been flooded. Rivers have overflowed, and roads
and railway lines flooded throughout the two regions. Emergency services
have been required to carry out evacuations and rescue people trapped
in mudslides. Military personnel have been called in to help clear flood
debris.
Piedmont was also on alert on Tuesday after Lake d’Orta
overflowed and there was concern in Emilia-Romagna region where levels
of the river Taro reached flood stage.
Poor Grape Harvest
La
Stampa newspaper has reported that the spate of severe weather has
resulted in a poor year for Italian wine. In the north, the grape
harvest fell by as much as 20 percent. Production is expected to fall 17
percent compared with 2013, potentially making it the worst year since
1950.
Severe weather Expected to Continue
The
heavy rain has continued and 130 mm of rain fell in the last 24 hours
in Genoa. Thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected across much of Italy
today.
Authorities in Liguria have extended flood and landslide warnings until later today (Wednesday 12 November 2014). - Floodlist.
Two pensioners missing in Italy storms after landslide engulfed their home
Two
pensioners were still missing on Tuesday morning after a landslide
engulfed their home in Liguria, prompted by the latest storm to hit
north-west Italy.
The two elderly cousins were believed to
have been at home when the landslide hit at around midnight in Leivi.
Despite rescuers' efforts they have not been found, La Stampa reported.
Earlier in the evening it took the fire brigade two hours to save two
women, one pregnant, from their nearby home after it was hit by a
landslide.
A further ten people in Chiavari were brought to
safety in a rubber dinghy, as torrential rain prompted streams and the
River Rupinario to burst their banks.
WATCH:Floods in Italy.
Lightning during the storm also hit a train line between Chiavari and Zoagli, La Stampa reported.
Although the storm subsided on Tuesday morning, both Liguria and
Tuscany remain on high alert. Less severe weather warnings have also
been put out across parts of northern and central Italy.
The
Chiavari floods come just days after violent storms swept across Italy,
leaving parts of the country under water. At least five people were
airlifted to safety in Carrara, Tuscany, one of the worst affected
areas.
As the storms headed south an Altalia jet was struck by
lightning on Thursday night, while schools were shut in Rome and a
tornado battered Sicily. - The Local.
November 14, 2014 - EARTH-
The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic
animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and
the appearance of rare creatures.
Hundreds of dead fish found floating in a canal in Escuintla, Guatemala
LA
Gomera, Escuintla - Hundreds of dead fish were found in the Acome and
Chiquimulilla Canal River in the village Paredón, La Gomera, Escuintla,
so that neighbors call on the authorities to investigate the cause for
which they died. Photo: Melvin Sandoval.
Sabino Ixquereu, Representative Subsistence Fishermen's Association of that place, said hedid not rule out the case of water poisoning,
caused by harvest and vinasse in Acome river, "We ask the authorities
to take water samples and dead to find those responsible and punish them
fish, "said Ixquereu. The representative of the Association of Fishermen of Subsistence, condemned the killing of fish and said more than 1 000 200 families living from fishing will be affected,for large and small fish died all the species living in the river, also expressed fear that an epidemic occurs because many people are picking fish for sale in local markets,and it urges the authorities to intervene. "We live on fishing and tourism, we do not know how long it will be contaminated water, as this one red and smells bad, several tourists have left the place because of the problem," said Saul Hernandez, fisherman. Hernandez added that species are dead snappers, Robalos, Mojarra, Juilin, Tilapia, Mackerel, Old, Crab, Crab, Shrimp, Pupo Black and White,
the river flows into the Canal Chiquimulilla, and this is connected
with the sea, so it is possible that other species die in the sea.
Residents engaged in fishing in the Canal Chiquimulilla are affected its economy. (Photo Prensa Libre: Melvin Sandoval)
Gather evidence
Francisco Vasquez, mayor of La Gomera, said that by the Municipal Environment Office, testing the water and fish were collectedto
be analyzed in the laboratory of the University of San Carlos, and know
the causes of death, He added that a complaint will in the Public
Ministry, that those responsible be punished after tests analyzed. Ricardo Guillen, General Manager Pantaleon Guatemala, said he should do lab tests to determine the causes,
people say that the water is of a reddish color, this red color gives
it vinasse, but the company Bioethanol, which Pantaleon manages
contracts for vinasse, has not begun work, and wonder why the problem he
said Guillen. Logan Lewis, governor of Escuintla, advised people not to eat fish from there,because they could be contaminated and affect the health of those who consume them, while the causes of death assessed. - Prensa Libre. [Translated]
Carcass of humpback whale found drifting off Perth coast, Australia - 12th report in 2 months of dead cetaceans Down Under
The whale carcass drifting off Perth coast.
A humpback whale carcass is being towed away from the Perth coast after attracting several sharks.
Department of Fisheries spokesman Phil Shaw said sharks were feeding
from the dead humpback whale, measuring more than 10 metres in length.
It was first spotted by the crew of a vessel returning from Rottnest
just before 10am on Monday when it was five nautical miles off the
coast.
The carcass will probably be towed out about 20 miles, depending on swell conditions and available light.
It may break up and drift back towards the coast, Fisheries warned.
Mr Shaw said it was possible the whale carcass would continue to attract sharks.
People are being told to adhere to any beach closures, report shark
sightings to Water Police and regularly check the Surf Life Saving
Twitter account.
Seven News reporter Geof Parry had earlier
tracked the whale remains from a helicopter and said the carcass was
headed for Perth.
WATCH: A second whale carcass spotted off the coast of Perth.
"I don't think there's any doubt that it will head to the coast by the way this swell's running," he said.
"It's proving quite a meal for several sharks. We've just seen the
arrival of a great white, it's a big great white. I believe the whale is
the same as the one from last week, a humpback.
"It's a similar size. But there's no doubt it's floating towards the coast."
The WA government continues to face criticism over its handling of the last whale carcass to wash up in Perth.
The operation to remove the whale remains, dubbed 'Operation Free
Willy', "was executed with military precision," according to City of
Stirling Mayor Giovanni Italiano.
"However, leaving ratepayers
with the clean-up bill is not acceptable in my book and we will be
seeking cost recovery from the state government as well as insisting
they develop an urgent mitigation strategy in consultation with all
other involved agencies," Mayor Giovanni Italiano said.
"It does create danger to beach goers. We also have to consider health
issues. If you've got a drifting whale that has a host of sharks hanging
off it, it will attract sharks to the beach.
"At this point the beaches are open.
"If the tide brings it in, closure of the beach will need to be considered [for] whichever beach it's closest to."
Natalie Banks, chair of the community group No WA Shark Cull Inc, said
drifting whale corpses were part of "a natural occurrence".
"As we see the whale migration ending we are seeing sick and diseased whales that are being followed by the sharks," she said.
"We ask that the community be vigilant in terms of shark activity, especially at this time of year." - Watoday.
More 'rare' urban coyote attacks on Indiana dogs
A
Purdue Animal Hospital veterinarian says fatal coyote attacks on dogs
in cities are uncommon but the clinic has recently seen two such cases.
Veterinarian Steve Thompson tells WLFI-TV that two small dogs -- one in Lafayette and another in Frankfort -- were both attacked within a 24-hour period last week. Both pets had been left outside for short periods of time before the coyote attacks.
Thompson says another dog was attacked by a coyote in rural Tippecanoe County two weeks ago. He says such rural attacks will become more common as winter approaches.
Thompson says food left outside for pets can attract coyotes who may later hunt small pets. - The Indy Channel.
Police hunt for tiger on the loose near Paris theme park
A photo of a tiger roaming free close to Paris was posted to the Facebook page of the nearby town of Ville de Montevrain.
Paris
authorities are on high alert after a tiger was spotted roaming the
outskirts of France’s capital, close to Europe's No. 1 tourist
destination –Disneyland. The experts say the beast weights about 100
kilos.
The tiger was seen in the small town of Montevrain just 37 km from Paris and 9 km from Disneyland, which attracted about 15.65 million people in 2013. “A young tiger was spotted this morning in the woods behind the tennis courts and soccer field,” said a statement on Montevrain’s Facebook page.
The city authorities also posted a photo of the beast reportedly taken by one of the town residents and urged “to exercise caution and not to walk around the perimeter.” “We repeat, avoid walks and travel by vehicle. If you see a tiger, call emergency [services],” said the statement, adding that police and firefighters armed with tranquilizer guns are hunting the predator.
Jean-Baptiste Berdeaux, who has a supermarket in Montevrain, told AFP that his wife “saw it this morning” but first thought it might be “a lynx.” "We have been running after it since this morning, police officers are trying to intercept it," a police source told AFP, "If it's possible, we'll try and put it to sleep. If it becomes dangerous or aggressive, the order will be given to kill it.”
The experts analyzed the paw prints and confirmed that the tiger weighs about 100 kilos, according to Le Parisien.
A statement from Seine-et-Marne department also warned residents of
three neighborhood towns - Montevrain, Chessy and Chalifert – to stay
indoors.
The officials refuted the assumption that the tiger might have arrived from a circus that was in the area last week. “The
circus left on Saturday and during the health inspection before the
event officials did not notice the presence of a tiger,” the mayor’s office told Le Parisien. - RT.
Wild boar smashes into German hardware store
Animal ran full 'boar' into glass doors, breaking through and triggering alarm
Police in Germany came face-to-face with a wild boar after responding to a burglary alarm at a hardware store.
"The
animal apparently ran at full speed against the entrance door of the
large do-it-yourself shop and broke through two glass doors, which triggered the alarm," police spokesman Guido Rehr told NBC News.
Surveillance camera footage captured the animal wandering around the store's aisles.
It escaped "without any loot and apparently unharmed" once officials opened the front doors, police said.
Damages to the store in Dillenburg are estimated at $6,500. - NBC Montana.
Barred owl attacks 6 people, terrorizes others in Jacksonville Beach, Florida
It
is majestic, but it's terrifying. Neighbors in Jacksonville Beach say
something is terrorizing the neighborhood from the sky and even
attacking people. First Coast News reporter, David Williams, and
photographer, Jimmy Marlow, saw the owl first hand.
Jack Weyer, of Jacksonville Beach, said the owl attacked him recently.
"Out
of the blue, it just came right down on the back of my head," He said.
'I just felt like, two talons right on the back of my head, grab and kid
of pull away."
Eight- year-old, Sophia Forte, said she had an owl ordeal of her own 2 weeks ago.
"It flew down and hit my inside my eye and inside my hair and on my forehead," She said, as she described what she says happened to her.
Her father told us he wound up in the emergency room, but she is OK now. So far neighbors told First Coast Newsthe bird has hurt 5 kids plus Weyer. The bird of prey has people on their toes and it has them freaked out.
"They're
nervous," Frank Forte said. He told FCN his daughter was attacked.
"They're going outside...the kids are going out with helmets on.
Umbrellas. Even when I go take the garbage out at night. I got a
cardboard box over my head."
Forte said the owls has terrorized their Jacksonville Beach neighborhood for at least two weeks.
"I talked to Beaks on Friday," Frank Forte said. "They said it was
probably somebody's pet and it was hand-fed. So, it's really not
attacking. It's just looking for somebody to feed it."
Weyer said "I'm just afraid for the kids."
Neither Weyer nor his neighbors want anyone else, or the owl, to get hurt.
"Maybe just taken to a better spot, so it's not dangerous for the kids to be attacked," Weyer suggested.
Neighbors told FCN that Florida Fish and Wildlife and Beaks told them
they would try to get someone out the area to catch the bird.
Karen Parker, a spokesperson for Florida Fish and Wildlife told First
Coast News that FWC is aware of the owl. The agency has gotten several
reports of the owl.
Parker said FWC is trying to contact
someone within a falconry group to go out and try to catch the bird.
Parker said it may sound silly, but the best things people can do until
the situation is solved, is to wear a hard hat or carry an umbrella and
pop the umbrella up so the bird does not see you.
FCN is awaiting comment from Beaks about the owl. - FCN.
Mysterious fungal disease proves deadly in wild snakes
The
female mud snake found May 28 in Georgia had cloudy eyes and patches of
white, thickened scales. A strange, dark-gray material covered the
inside of her mouth, and the skin on the front of her face had peeled
away, leaving behind an angry red mess.
In fact, the deadly
fungus that caused this snake's injuries is killing snakes across the
Midwest and Eastern United States, said Matthew Allender, a clinical
assistant professor of zoo and wildlife medicine at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Little is known about the
condition, which is called snake fungal disease, but researchers are now
investigating how snakes catch it, fight it and can eventually die from
it.
Within the next year, researchers may know more about
antifungal medications, as well as what temperatures might impede the
fungi's growth, Allender said.
Snake fungal disease is thought to be caused by the fungus Ophidiomycesophiodiicola.
It only affects snakes, but some researchers have compared it with
another lethal fungal disease, white nose syndrome, which is killing
bats in the United States, Allender said.
Researchers first saw
the snake fungal disease in a captive black rat snake in Sparta,
Georgia, in 2006. Since then, snake fungal disease has been reported in
snakes in nine states, including Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health
Center.
The disease is likely more widespread than what has
been seen so far, and may be in the western United States as well. "My
guess is, the states we haven't found it in, it's because we haven't
been looking," Allender said.
At first, researchers found
infections only in rattlesnakes and other vipers, "which is not good
because those snakes tend to be the most endangered already," Allender
said. But now the disease has also surfaced in nonvenomous snakes,
including snakes that are both solitary and social, which suggests the
animals can catch the disease from each other as well as from fungus in
the soil.
"The infection can start from multiple different routes," Allender said. "They just have to have contact with the fungus."
Researchers have now confirmed the fungal infection in more than 14 species of snakes, including northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon), eastern racers (Coluber constrictor), rat snakes (Pantherophis obsoletus species complex), timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus), massasaugas snakes (Sistrurus catenatus), pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) and milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum), the National Wildlife Health Center reported.
Like the Georgian mud snake, which was euthanized, snakes with the
fungal disease often have scabs or crusty scales. The outermost layer of
their skin may separate from the underlying skin, even when the snake
is not molting. They may also show cloudy white eyes and swollen faces.
Some snakes don't show disfigurement. For example, some garter snakes
and water snakes only show signs of pneumonia. "When you open them up,
you can see the fungus in the lungs," Allender said.
It's
unclear how widespread the fungus is, or how many snakes it kills
yearly. In one report of 24 cases in massasauga snakes, only one of them
survived, he said. What's more, there are only between 100 and 150
massasaugas left in Illinois, and about 15 percent are infected with the
fungus, he added.
A 2011 study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, linked the fungus with a 50 percent drop in the timber rattlesnake population in New Hampshire between 2006 and 2007.
"It's frustrating because we don't have a lot of the information that we want," Allender said.
He and his colleagues are looking for clues about the disease's
origins. They examined 261 museum snake specimens dating back to 1873.
"From 1873 through 1999, there wasn't a single case," Allender said. But
in samples dating to 2000 and later, the researchers began to find
evidence of the fungus.
The team is also working on a test to
identify the fungus at its early stages, which may help the team members
treat infected snakes, he said. The researchers presented their data in
October at the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians conference in
Orlando, Florida.
As the fungus continues to kill snakes,
ecosystems are likely to take a hit, said John Jensen, a senior wildlife
biologist and herpetologist with the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources.
"People think that they just eat rats and mice,"
Jensen said, but snakes also eat fish and frogs. "And obviously there's
other animals that depend on snakes for prey."
Many snakes are
losing their habitat to urbanization. Venomous snakes often reproduce
every other year or every third year, making it hard for them to
replenish their numbers, especially as more snakes get hit by cars or
catch diseases.
"All of those things knock away at the
sustainability of a population," Allender said. "Not any one thing would
cause it, but when you add it together and you add the catastrophe of
an infectious disease, that's when you start to get the possibility of
an extinction event." - Live Science.
Fed up with clapping for fish? Sea World trainer attacked by sea lion, Australia
A sea lion who didn't take kindly to being weighed has attacked an animal trainer at Sea World on the Gold Coast.
The 28-year-old suffered a minor cut to his arm, Sea World said in a statement.
The theme park said the man was trying to carry out a routine weight check on the animal when the incident happened.
"An ambulance was called to attend to the trainer. Following the
incident, both the sea lion and trainer are in a good condition," Sea
World said.
The sea lions are coming into their breeding season which can lead to them being in an excited state, the park said. - Daily Telegraph.
A
Brampton woman is undergoing rabies treatment after reporting that she
had been bitten by a coyote in front of her home on Mountain Ridge Rd.
on Thursday night.
Jasmine Bajaj and her family had just arrived home at around 9 p.m. when she realized that she forgot something in her car.
When
she went back out to the driveway, she said a large coyote snuck up
behind her and bit her in the leg, leaving two large puncture wounds on
her calf.
"I don't know where it came from. I felt something grab hold of my leg
and it was really hurting me. When I turned around I saw a big coyote
standing right in front of me," said Bajaj.
"When I saw it was a coyote I was shocked and didn't really know what to do."
With no one else around and only a set of keys in hand, she began
shaking the keys at the animal which made it back off, but not retreat.
Bajaj then says that she slowly backed up towards the safety of her
front door while the animal continued follow and stare at her until she got into the house,which is located in the area of located Steeles Ave.and Mississauga Rd.
"I
wouldn't say that he was scared because he just backed off a bit and
was looking at me in the eyes the whole time," said Bajaj. "I didn't run
because I read that you aren't suppose to.. He followed me to the edge
of the grass right by the front steps. I opened the door and yelled for
my husband - when he came, the coyote was still standing there."
Puncture wound on the leg Jasmin Bajaj of Brampton following
a suspected coyote attack in her driveway on November 6
Residents say that this isn't the first time that people have had close
encounters with coyotes that are believed to live in a nearby ravine.
Perminder Dhuck, whose house backs onto the ravine, claims to have
heard reports in the neighbourhood of an elderly woman being attacked in
a similar manner in the summer.
"I usually see the coyotes
after 9 p.m. They walk up the street and then make their way to the
trail that goes down to the water," said Dhuck. "There are three of them
in a pack... Normally I see them almost every other day."
Dhuck said that he was warned when he bought the house that because of
the proximity to the ravine, that he and other residents should expect
encounters with wildlife.
Bajaj is still undergoing painful
rabies treatments as a precautionary measure which include a series of
shots. She says that neighbours have been concerned about the coyotes
for some time and are passing around a petition, demanding the City of
Brampton take action.
Meanwhile, the City has posted signs in
the area warning residents to avoid the ravine at dawn and dusk and have
also placed traps to capture the offending animal. - Brampton Guardian.
Man killed by elephant in Shimba Hills, Kenya
Charging Bull Elephant
A
45-year-old man was on Saturday evening attacked by an elephant at
Msulwa in Shimba Hills. He was taken to Msambweni hospital where he
died.
Locals accused Kenya Wildlife Service officials of
failing to respond when such incidents occur. Majimboni location senior
assistant chief Matano Nzula said Rafael Mwambi was on his way home from
the shops when the jumbo attacked him.
"The elephant was seen
during the day and it hid in a nearby bush without locals knowing. It
emerged and started destroying crops and that is the time Mwambi was
going home and he was attacked," he said.
Nzula said the
Tangini area has had no fence for the last one year because it was
destroyed when Rural Electrification Authority was supplying power to
locals in the area.
"The problem is KWS had been alerted over
the issue earlier but you can imagine they arrived there at 5pm and so
it was difficult for us to get vehicles to rush the deceased to get
treatment," he said.
"KWS response is poor they have vehicles
but they don't use them to help locals bordering Shimba hills National
park instead they use them for leisure." The chief said KWS must put up a
camp at the area to ensure they respond to locals alarms in time to
avoid more deaths as results of human wildlife conflicts. - The Star.
20 dead whales wash ashore along the western coast of Ghana
Marine
environmental experts, Acorn International, has said 20 dead whales
that were washed ashore along the coast of the Western Region was not as
a result of oil drilling activities on the Jubilee Field.
Prof
Ayaa Kojo Armah, a lecturer in the University of Ghana, Legon and
leading marine scientist, said this at a day’s preliminary findings
verification workshop on underlying causes and proposed solutions to
Ghana’s marine environmental concerns at Half Assini.
He said he
suspected that the whales died in the western countries and were carried
by the currents of the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Guinea, adding that
they were washed in deteriorating state since they kept long in the
sea.
Prof. Armah said if the whales had died in Ghanaians waters they would not have been washed ashore decomposed.
According
to the professor routine discharges of drills, cuttings, produced
water, submarine noise, accidental spillages and other operational
discharges causes whale deaths.
It was organized by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with Acom
International and funded by Kosmos Energy.
About 60 participants
made of chief fishermen, fishmongers and some assembly members, chiefs
and heads of departments from Jomoro and Ellembele attended.
King Kaku Ackah III of Awiaso and Awulae Annor Adjei III of Beyin attended. - Vibe Ghana.
Hundreds of thousands of fish die suddenly in fish farms in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia
Fishermen move around the cage in Gajah Mungkur, Solo, Central Java. (Photo: Antara / Herka Yanis Pangaribowo)
Rain twice in two days in the region Gajah Mungkur Solo, Central Java, a catastrophe for farmers fish cages. Hundreds of thousands of fish farming cages died suddenly. Death is due to the supply of oxygen in the water content has not been adequate, and also mixing the water with sand. Fajri, a floating cage fish farmers Gajah Mungkur told Media Indonesia
said it is feared the death of the fish will continue, as the rain is
believed to still be carrying mud and sand. It's given the volume of water in the reservoir has not been adequate. "Rain will come in the next few days, we still worry about going to
increase the number of tilapia and catfish died. Because the volume of
reservoir water shrinkage is still outstanding, and far short of
expectations. But we have to admit, this is an annual cycle of every
change of season or transition, "he said, Wednesday (11/12/2014). So far, according to Sardi, other cage fish farmers in WGM, there is no
alternative solution to anticipate the transition seasons when fish
mortality. And losses arising from the death of catfish and tilapia in floating cages WGM each year, could reach billions of dollars. What is clear, floating cage fish farming new WGM can be normal again
after the elevation of the water reservoirs are in the normal position.
Throughout still shrinkage, and is in a critical condition like this,
the number of dead fish every day still achieve one to two tons. "Farmers fish cages have experienced huge losses due to the impact of
this change of seasons in 1995, where the number of dead fish reached
100 tonnes," said Fajri. - Metro TV News.
