PREVIOUSLY FEATURED DISASTERS

Sunday, April 30, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/29 -
5.9 SOUTH OF SUMBAWA, INDONESIA
5.3 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.6 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
6.8 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.0 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
4/28 -
5.2 SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
5.1 TAIWAN
5.1 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE

VOLCANOES -
The imminent eruption of three powerful volcanoes is endangering the lives of more than 70,000 people and threatening to affect the global climate by ejecting millions of tonnes of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. The most serious threat is posed by the Merapi volcano in central Java, one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the Pacific "Ring of Fire", which was yesterday throwing out ash and small rocks. Geologists believe that the 1.7-mile high volcano could violently erupt at any time. Two other volcanoes also giving cause for concern are the Galeras volcano in Colombia - expected to erupt within a matter of days or weeks - and the Urbinas volcano in southern Peru, which also appears to be gearing up for an eruption. The eruption of any volcano can have an effect on local and global climate and three large eruptions close together could have a significant impact, leading to cooler temperatures. There is also a dimming effect on the sun caused by the clouds of ash. The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 led to a drop in global air temperature over the next three years of between 0.2 and 0.5 °C.

INDONESIA - Volcanic rocks have tumbled down from the peak of Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi volcano but its "standby" status remains unchanged, a vulcanologist said Saturday. The avalanche of rocks created a thin layer of dust that fell on two hamlets located on the western slope.

PHILIPPINES - Bulusan volcano erupted on Saturday, belching ash 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) into the sky for the second time this year. “It’s already a mild eruption, but it’s not life threatening.” High sulfur dioxide gas readings of more than 1,000 tons a day, more than double the normal level, that were taken several days earlier, suggested “renewed activity” of the volcano. However, there is no imminent danger of a violent eruption.

ICELAND - On April 22, floods swamped the Skafta River. The flood water was accompanied by dangerously high levels of sulfur, possibly from increased geologic activity. The river flows out from under the Vatnajokull Ice Cap, a large permanent field of snow and ice that covers more than 8,000 square kilometers of southeastern Iceland, including a number of volcanoes and other regions of geothermal activity. Over these hotspots, the lower layer of the ice cap melts to form glacier lakes, some of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean through rivers such as the Skafta. Other lakes are dammed by walls of ice from the overlying glacier. Catastrophic floods can occur when water breaks through the ice dams and bursts into the rivers, or when geologic activity increases and melts more water. In this flooding, the fast-moving Skafta River swept over the dark, volcanic soil west of the ice cap, and carried it into the ocean, turning the ocean milky green with sediment.

HAWAII - Mauna Loa's massive eruptions and rivers of lava could pose a danger to much of Hawaii island , depending on where it comes pouring out. One of the biggest area of concern is on the volcano's southwest rift zone, where people have built homes and where lava could erupt right from the ground. "When there is an eruption of Mauna Loa - that means a vent can break out underneath your house." "This is the most active shield volcano on the face of the earth....the face of the earth." Scientists can't say when it will erupt, but they do say - be prepared, watch for warning signs and be ready to leave a danger area.

JAPAN - the government is continuing to prepare for a possible eruption of Mount Fuji by creating evacuation plans and procedures. There is no indication that Fuji will erupt anytime soon.

ALASKA - Augustine volcano has been downgraded from orange to yellow. The volcano is still restless and an eruption may still occur.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Cyclone MALA was 119 nmi NNW of Rangoon, Burma and is rapidly dissipating over land.
MYNAMAR - Cyclone Mala packing winds up to 150 mph battered Myanmar Saturday, ripping roofs off dozens of buildings near the capital, knocking out electricity and forcing tourists to flee flooding along the coast. There were scattered report of injuries and deaths but the government gave no details. The storm produced massive waves and flooding, knocked down trees and forced dozens of youngsters on a yachting trip to seek higher ground. The worst damage appeared to be just outside the capital Yangon, where strong winds damaged more than 150 buildings. "This was the worst damage I have ever seen in my life," said a resident from the industrial zone. "Even containers fell and cars were blown into the air by what looked like a tornado." Storm warnings were also issued for coastal areas in southern Bangladesh, though forecasters said there was almost no chance now that the cyclone would strike there.

THAILAND - possible flash floods are expected to be caused by torrential rains due to the influence of Mala tropical storm.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
TEXAS - Storms battered eastern Texas with wind up to 100 mph and hail the size of baseballs, damaging buildings and slamming parked airplanes into one another at an airport. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged, and some areas still lacked power Saturday afternoon.

NEW ZEALAND - Several houses in Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula have been declared uninhabitable following torrential rain. The Coromandel town of Pauanui is cut off by road and floodwaters forced primary schools on Auckland's North Shore and on the Hauraki Plains to shut for the day. About 175mm of rain fell in the seaside resort of Hahei over a three-hour period. The deluge triggered a dozen major slips and flooded about a dozen holiday homes. Some said it is THE WORST RAIN DAMAGE THEY HAVE SEEN IN 47 YEARS at the seaside settlement. Elsewhere, surface flooding from the rain and a high tide forced the closure of the only road into Pauanui.

MYSTERY BOOMS-
WASHINGTON - A series of explosions that rocked most of the Port Angeles area remains a mystery. Police dispatchers received calls from all around the area the night of the 27th about 11:30pm reporting the series of "booms". But police have been unable to uncover what may have caused the noises. Callers reported a series of five explosions that shook their houses. One caller reported her glass sliding door shattered. No earthquake activity was reported that night in the Port Angeles area.

CALIFORNIA - the source of a mysterious disturbance that rattled San Diego County on the morning of April 4, shaking windows, doors and bookcases from the coast to the mountains was a sound wave that started over the ocean roughly 120 miles off the San Diego coast and petered out over the Imperial County desert. That spot is in the general vicinity of Warning Area 291, a huge swath of ocean used for military training exercises. Researchers have charted dozens of similar, if less dramatic, incidents that seem to have originated in the same general area of the ocean. They aren't sure what caused any of them, whether the April 4 disturbance was natural or made by humans. “But it was certainly a big disturbance in the atmosphere.” There was no Navy or Marine Corps flight activity in Warning Area 291 on that day that would have caused a sonic boom or a countywide tremor. The area covers 1 million square miles and is off-limits to civilian planes and ships. “We don't know at this time where this earthquakelike sensation came from.” The disturbance was the result of a low-frequency wave that traveled through the air at the speed of sound as it moved from the ocean to the desert. It was picked up by more than two dozen seismometers in San Diego and eastern Riverside counties. The wave was felt on San Nicolas Island, northwest of San Clemente Island, at 8:40 a.m. It hit Solana Beach at 8:46 a.m., the western edge of the Cleveland National Forest at 8:47 and the eastern side of the Salton Sea at 8:53 a.m. From there, it appears to have dissipated. The wave moved at 320 meters per second, roughly the speed that sound travels through the air. Its velocity was too slow to be that of an earthquake. The only explanation is that the wave was traveling through the atmosphere, not through the ground. At each location, the wave could be felt for roughly 10 seconds. Several months before the April 4 incident, a team had begun studying other nonquake disturbances that were registering on San Diego County seismometers, including 76 that apparently originated in that same general area of the ocean in 2003. They figured that some of those disturbances surely must have come from offshore military exercises. The researchers haven't been able to determine whether the April 4 wave was more powerful than the earlier ones or whether it simply felt that way because of atmospheric conditions. “I'm told that a sonic boom would not cover that distance at all." Authorities have said a meteor probably wasn't the cause because it would have been noticed by the scientific community. The American Meteor Society reported no fireball sightings over Southern California on that day.

Friday, April 28, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes -
4/27 -
5.0 SOUTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.0 MINAHASSA PENINSULA, SULAWESI
5.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS REGION
5.5 TONGA ISLANDS
5.2 EASTER ISLAND REGION
5.5 EASTERN NEW GUINEA
5.3 UGANDA

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - Mount Merapi is spewing volcanic ash and magma has fully covered its crater, and a powerful eruption could come any day, a scientist warned Thursday. A vulcanologist at a monitoring post near Merapi's peak said "the crater is fully covered by magma," predicting "an enormous and dreadful eruption" within days. Indonesia's official Antara news agency, meanwhile, reported that volcanic debris has begun pouring into Ngargomulyo village in the nearby Central Java district of Magelang. Authorities said, however, they were not ready to raise the alert to the highest level, which requires immediate evacuation of villagers living on the slopes of the 3,000-metre peak.

PERU - Health officials believe people in the Ubinas volcano region in Peru are in danger of suffering serious health risks, even if the volcano never erupts. Residents of nearby villages could contract "bronchial problems, asthma, irritation in the trachea and headaches." The volcano "is releasing particles of matter and gases" which are contaminating the air and water.

CONGO - By night, the red glow of boiling lava lights up the sky. As if Congo did not have enough problems, one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes towers over the city of Goma. The volcano has erupted at least 15 times since 1883 and destroyed large areas of Goma in 2002. The next eruption, when it comes, could be the most devastating yet. Goma's population doubles every decade - at least 560,000 people now live within 10 miles of Nyiragongo's crater. Save for the area around Mount Vesuvius in Italy, nowhere else in the world carries the same risk of volcanic disaster. Moreover, the next eruption will come from a network of fissures stretching outwards from the volcano's cone that extend beneath Goma itself. Liquid lava, straight from the earth's mantle, flows as fast as 25 mph - too fast to outrun. "we might have the worst volcanic catastrophe in history. It's just unbelievable that we have such a big city so close to an active volcano."

TROPICAL STORMS -

Cyclone MALA was 442 nmi WSW of Rangoon, Burma.
INDIA - Tropical Cyclone Mala has become the severest storm in the Bay of Bengal basin since the Orissa Super Cyclone of 1999, but it is churning away too far across to the northeast to be of any consequence to the Indian coast. The massive 1999 storm killed an estimated 10,000 people over a period of three days. Still three days away from making a landfall on the Arakan coast of Myanmar, severe cyclone Mala is threatening to grow into a destructive Category 4 storm by Saturday.
Temperatures in India have been cooler than usual. The extreme northern parts of the country have been witnessing untimely snowfall as late as February. As if this was not enough, there is a fresh alert for a wave of western disturbance approaching the northern parts of Jammu and Kashmir by Sunday with its waft of cooler air. The country can do with some extra heating during the run-up to the scheduled arrival of southwest monsoon. A brighter and hotter sun during the first 15 days of May should be enough to ensure differential heating of the landmass in relation to the surrounding ocean. This land-ocean heating contrast reaching the threshold levels will, in turn, pave the way for moisture-laden monsoon currents to bear down on the southwest coast.

THAILAND - The weather in Bangkok Thursday was cooler than expected considering the sun was perpendicular to the Earth and it might become colder still as "Mala" heads for the Kingdom this weekend, a climate expert said. Thursday's average temperature was 37 degrees Celsius with considerable clouds and rain in about 20 per cent of the capital. On April 7, the northern city had a high temperature of 40.5C, but clouds and rain have since cooled the climate. In Kanchanaburi the temperature peaked Thursday at 37C and is due to decrease as Mala approaches the Andaman Coast on Saturday.

SANDSTORMS -
SAUDI ARABIA - A severe sandstorm that blasted the capital Monday shut down the Gitex Computer and Information Technology show soon after it opened on its second day. More than 600 companies from 15 countries were participating in the show. The Riyadh Exhibition Center, located in an open area in Olaya district, faced the full brunt of the storm for more than an hour. At least one stall collapsed, while exhibits were hurled to the ground. As the wind and sand raged, security personnel at the site struggled to force visitors from the building. The people pushed back to remain inside while others from outside fought their way to get in. Finally, the organizers had to call it a day. Elsewhere in the capital, visibility had been greatly reduced and motorists were driving cautiously causing traffic jams along the city’s main arteries. Several trees were uprooted, blocking roads in many parts of the city.

KOREA - an additional five joint sandstorm observatories between Korea and China will be established until the end of this year in places where such storms start and along their paths such as Manchuria and the border areas between North Korea and China. Some six observatories will be also set up in inland areas of Gangwon and Gyeongsang Province, which have been blind spots in observing sandstorms. The KMA announced it will double the number of forecasts about sandstorm density on the Korean Peninsula and their expected paths to four times a day and increase the number of forecasters specializing in sandstorm movement analysis from the current one to three.
In Korea there were on average 3.6 days of spring sandstorms between 1971 and 2000. But the figure could double this year, which has already seen four such storms. Chinese meteorologists say cold air in Siberia and the Mongolian Plateau is more active than in the past and thus increasing the number of sandstorms. There was only one sandstorm in the springs of 1986 and 1987, but 21 days in 1995 and 31 days in 2001, indicating that the uninvited guest is visiting the nation with increasing frequency.

CHINA - Two people died and widespread damage reported following last week's sandstorm in northern China. The deaths were confirmed in the southern parts of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, one of the worse-hit areas of the giant sandstorm. The sandstorm was the worst so far this spring with an estimated 300,000 tons of dust dumped. It was the 8th sandstorm this year.

TAIWAN - last week was hit by its third sandstorm this year - a sandstorm that originated in Mongolia.

ODD-
RED RAIN - Scientists in Britain say they have confirmed that DNA, the genetic blueprint for life, does exist in the mysterious red rain which fell over the Kerala region of India, in 2001. The blood-coloured rain caused a storm of controversy among the world’s scientists. Many theories have been put forward to explain the strange phenomenon, but the latest results, from studies carried out at Cardiff University in Britain, seem to confirm that the red colour does come from living cells, although where they came remains a mystery. The strange cells fell as red rain for six weeks, following reports of an explosion in the sky. Indian scientists who first analysed the rain expected to see grains of dust or sand, perhaps blown from the Sahara by freak winds. Instead, they found themselves looking at complex cell-like structures, that have many of the characteristics of living organisms. They were even more surprised to find the cells could be made to come to life and reproduce, under laboratory conditions. “If there was an explosion of a small piece of a comet over Kerala, and an explosion was in fact heard just minutes before the first rainfall, those particles would have drifted along a belt of latitude, but when you look at a map of the world, the latitudes west of Kerala run into the Indian Ocean and then into the Sahara. So if it fell all over that area it wouldn’t have been noticed, and in the Sahara there is not much rainfall, so the particles could have drifted a long way away and not be noticed.” Intensive investigation under high-powered microscopes confirmed the cell-like structures are biological and that they do contain DNA, the blue print of all life forms on Earth. What’s not yet known is whether it is terrestrial life or alien DNA, but investigators believe they will know soon. The Cardiff team is now comparing DNA from the red rain with that of all known terrestrial species. "It’s a long and painstaking study, but if no known DNA from Earth matches, the only remaining possibility would be that it is an alien life form from outer space."

MYSTERY BOOM LOCATION PINPOINTED -
CALIFORNIA - Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography believe they have located the mysterious boom heard and felt in San Diego earlier this month. On the morning of April 4, a loud boom rattled windows and doors in many parts of the county. A team of Scripps scientists said the boom was the result of a sound wave that originated over the ocean about 120 miles west of San Diego. The spot is near an area used by the Navy for military training exercises. The Scripps scientists said that they didn't know if the sonic boom was caused by human activity or a natural phenomena like a meteor exploding in the atmosphere. Military officials said that there was no Navy or Marine Corps fight activity in the training area on April 4. [ SITE NOTE - So we still don't know WHAT caused the boom, only where it seems to have originated from.]

Thursday, April 27, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes -
4/26 -
5.3 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
6.1 WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - Indonesian health officials have warned villagers living on the slopes of rumbling Mount Merapi to be on the lookout for rats escaping the rising heat of the volcano, a report said Wednesday. Health officials fear that as Merapi heats up, the rats could swarm down the volcano spreading disease. The rat caution comes after scientists warned that the deadliest threat from an erupting Merapi may be super-hot heat clouds, known locally as "shaggy goats", which would rush down the mountain burning everything in their path. The heat clouds - high-density mixtures of hot, dry rock fragments and gases that move away from the vent that spews them at high speeds - can reach 600°C and move at more than 100km/h an hour. Merapi's last eruption in 1994 emitted heat clouds that travelled about 7.5km down the slope of the volcano, killing more than 60 people.

TROPICAL STORMS -
INDIA - Tuesday's depression over the South-East Bay metamorphosed into Tropical Cyclone Mala with a current estimated central pressure of 991 millibars and sustained wind speeds reaching 75 kmph to 80 kmph. A drop in barometric pressure to a value of 980 millibars will elevate it to Category 1 status. Conditions are just favourable for its gradual intensification of the system in the coming days as it tracks a north-northeast direction. The fact that it is headed into still warmer waters to the northeast will help strengthen the system further but slow it down as well. Assuming Cyclone Mala sticks to the path predicted it should slam down on the Myanmar coast, where the undulating terrain will absorb its energy and mellow it down. But this will not happen until May 1. The only land feature that could act as a pressure release valve on its path is the Andaman Islands. The system will bring fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very rainfall with gusty winds over Andaman and Nicobar islands during the two days. The Bay of Bengal should normally host one more weather system in the pre-monsoon period. It will be a while before the seawaters recoup the energy needed to initiate the next `low' (a prospective cyclonic storm evolving out of this would bear the name `Mukda').
Tropical storm Mala is forecast to strike India's Andaman islands at about 06:00 GMT today according to data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center. (map of expected track)

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
CANADA - People who live in the western Manitoba community of Red Deer Lake are still in shock over flooding that led to the community's hurried evacuation on the weekend. Water levels in the lake rose to more than 60 centimetres OVER THE PREVIOUS RECORD, set in 1979. The evacuation was ordered after high winds on the weekend whipped up waves on the lake. They may be out of their homes for months. "At first, it was a few weeks, and then now they're talking months, just for the water to go down and then the clean-up, because there's sewage and everything else flowing around."

IDAHO - everyone anywhere near the Big and Little Wood rivers were urged to take stock of what their vulnerability might and take action now, before high water comes in a few weeks. “This is going to be the year we’re going to see high water where we haven’t seen it for years. We’re going to see high water and the questions are to what degree and for how long.” In late May and early June the high country begins to let go of its snowpack. The equivalent of three feet of water, or more, sits everywhere in the snowy hills around Blaine county. At this time of year, that’s AWFULLY RARE. The Little Wood Reservoir above the city of Carey holds 32,000 acre-feet of water. “There’s enough water in the snow above it to fill it five times." “Our worst-case scenario is a warm rainstorm. That would bring most of the water down in a hurry.” When that’s happened, Blaine County has seen its highest water on record, but it’s happened only a few times in the last hundred years.

VIETNAM - The number of tropical storms are predicted to be less than average this year while the number of thunderstorms, whirlwinds and hail storms are predicted to increase, according to the National Centre for Meteorological Forecasting. The centre also said there would be four or five heat spells in the North and Central regions from May to July. Since the beginning of the dry season this year, low water levels in rivers and streams in the northern area of the country have reached theLOWEST RECORDED LEVELS FOR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS. The drought has affected agricultural production. Meanwhile, heavy rains have occurred in central and southern regions, resulting in higher water levels than the average levels for the last three years. Whirlwinds, hail storms and thunder storms have already occurred in many localities, causing significant damage to properties and farms. Several people are also reported to have been injured by these severe weather conditions.

ROMANIA - Thousands of Romanians who fled areas flooded by the Danube River are now facing crowded conditions in tent communities and dwindling food supplies. With waters still rising after about two weeks of flooding, hundreds have taken refuge in tents on a hill overlooking the village of Chiselet. Food is running low, they say, and there are no toilets, forcing them to use a nearby field. It is a situation seen along the length of Romania's southern border, where the Danube — Europe's second-largest river — has reached record levels in the past weeks due to melting snow and heavy rains. About 148 communities have been affected by flooding, and more than 15,000 people have been forced to evacuate.

CHINA - China's water reservoirs are struggling to cope with higher-than-average rainfall this year. More rainfall has been reported in major rivers in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2005. Water in the main branches of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Huaihe River, China's three major rivers, saw a 10 to 30 percent increase in the first three months, over the same period last year. Large reservoirs in 21 provinces and regions, especially in Northwest China's Qinghai, and Northeast China's Jilin and Liaoning, have reported higher water levels than last year.

NEW ZEALAND - Otago emergency services are breathing sighs of relief as river levels drop and flooding recedes after torrential overnight rain closed roads and schools and left Oamaru isolated. Some residents had to be rescued by helicopter. Flooding and slips were affecting many areas between Dunedin and Waitati, and Mosgiel and Milton, and motorists were advised to take extreme care. In what was described as a "VERY UNUSUAL WEATHER EVENT", about 24mm of rain fell on the city in 15 minutes. The deluge was a "ONE-IN-150 YEAR, or even a ONE-IN-300 YEAR, EVENT" for the city. Flash flooding stretched the city's drainage system, causing damage to many homes and shops, with the Leith Stream reaching its biggest flows since the 1991 floods.

SNOW / COLD -
CANADA - A top pro snowboarder is dead after being caught in an avalanche Friday while riding the mountains near Bella Coola in British Columbia. The Austrian has been sponsored by Quiksilver since 1995 and is considered to be one of the most experienced backcountry riders in Europe.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes -
4/25 -
5.7 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.0 FIJI ISLANDS REGION
5.1 MYANMAR-INDIA BORDER REGION
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA

SPAIN - There has been an earthquake off the coast of Galicia. Registering 5 on the Richter scale, the quake on Sunday morning was 61 kilometres off A Coruńa, and was felt in Ferrol, Cedeira, Boiro, Santiago de Compostela and in Galicia. It was preceded by two smaller earthquakes of 3.3 and 3.1. Locals said the earthquake was very short but very intense. One man in Camarińas said that ‘it was like thunder. It moved the table and the bed.’ The earthquake, which is THE BIGGEST TO EVER HIT THE AREA, caused no injuries or material damage.

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - As Java's towering Mount Merapi spews smoke, officials are urging villagers to flee, but it is to animals on the slopes of the rumbling volcano that aged residents are looking for a final warning of disaster. Villagers living on the slopes or in the shadows of Mount Merapi said on Tuesday they would stay put until nature gives its signals, or the government forces them to leave. Many residents of the Mount Merapi area trust to traditional ways to detect a coming eruption, like animals moving downhill or visible lightning bolts on top of the mystical peak. "The animals have not come down yet." Vulcanologists say the mountain may erupt at the end of the month.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Cyclone 02B was 536 nmi SW of Rangoon, Burma.
INDIA - Monday's `low' over Southeast Bay of Bengal is behaving true to predictions and has intensified into a depression with an assigned number 02B, centred around the same latitude as Madurai on Tuesday afternoon. A sufficiently warmed-up Bay and the low `shear effect' will aid its further intensification into a deep depression and even to a cyclone within the next 48 hours. Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very rainfall with gusts has been forecast for Andaman and Nicobar islands during the next two days. The system is categorized as `strong' and it is forecast that it will undergo another round of intensification around Thursday/Friday.

AUSTRALIA - Severe tropical storm Monica could intensify back into a cyclone and hit Western Australia, the weather bureau has warned. Monica had winds of up to 350kph near its core when it hit Maningrida, in the Northern Territory's Top End, on Monday night. The category five cyclone significantly weakened once it made landfall. Last night Monica was about 100km southwest of Darwin and a cyclone warning remained in place between the Daly River mouth, and Kalumburu in WA. Strong winds were occurring around Darwin and conditions on the water were "not great". Heavy rain had fallen across the region, with Adelaide River recording 225mm, Elizabeth Valley 192mm and Humpty Doo 166mm in the past 24 hours. "There's been a lot of very heavy rain, localised flooding, and various roads have been cut."
While ex-tropical cyclone Monica left Cape York largely unscathed last week, rangers say wildlife in the Gulf of Carpentaria in north Queensland has paid a price. Monica has churned up discarded fishing nets that were lying on the bottom of the ocean. The nets from foreign fishing boats are washing up on the coast with dead turtles tangled inside. All turtle species in the area are listed as either threatened or endangered.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
KUWAIT - A scene the likes of which only happen in the movie “The Wizard of Oz” occurred Monday night in Kuwait. At approximately 8:00 pm April 24, gale force winds picked up all around Kuwait in a bizarre turn of the weather. According to eye witnesses, an extremely strong wind blew past the palm trees heading out toward the waters of the Gulf, picking up three men at a coffee shop right outside of a Ruby Tuesday Restaurant. The winds carried the three men around 50 feet in the air, over the wall that separates the coffee shop from Aqua Park, and directly into the water park, where two of the men hit their heads upon impact, dying immediately. The third was confirmed alive and well, with cuts and bruises. Witnesses had noticed that the wind had begun to pick up, but no one was expecting what happened next. They said that suddenly a dusty wind came across the parking lot, taking everything not nailed down with it, and blew across the pavement, and past the restaurant, at which time the rain began. The strangest thing, they said, was that the rain didn’t last for long, and suddenly stopped, just as quickly as it had begun, giving people an eerie sense of uneasiness.

EUROPE - Hundreds of Romanians were fleeing their homes in impoverished rural areas today as rescue teams struggled to reinforce dikes holding back the swollen Danube river. In Romania, the worst hit country with tens of thousands of hectares submerged, 4000 people have moved to high ground since Monday after earthen dikes near poor southern villages collapsed, putting the total of evacuees at 9520. "There is still a risk that more dikes will fall as pressure remains very high with water two metres above flooding levels at some places." Heavy rain and melting snow have swollen waterways and inundated vast tracts of land in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary this month, making thousands of people homeless. In Hungary "the rivers are retreating slowly. It could take another 10-12 days and meanwhile the dikes are getting soaked."

BANGLADESH - Eight persons, four of them of a family, drowned and seven others remained missing as a mechanized boat sank in Jamuna river on Monday during a storm. The storm swept through 10 northeastern and northern districts Monday afternoon. Monday's storm hit 10 districts where paddy crops, which were being readied for harvest, were damaged heavily. Hundreds of thatched houses were flattened and many trees and electric poles were uprooted, disrupting the power supply in several districts. A farmer was killed by the storm in northwestern Rangpur district and many people were injured by collapsed houses.

KANSAS - The storm system that brought hail as big as softballs, lemons, and tennis balls Monday only brought sporadic rain to a region that badly needs it. The National Weather Service' s official reporting site next to Mid-Continent Airport recorded just .69 of an inch of rain Sunday night and Monday. That leaves Wichita still nearly 3.5 inches below normal for the year.

SAFE IN YOUR OWN HOME? -
CALIFORNIA - After two days of recovery attempts, workers reached the body of a man who was killed when a huge hole opened beneath his house. Authorities identified the victim as a 32-year-old schoolteacher, whose wife is pregnant. He was relaxing in his living room about 9:30 p.m. Friday when he heard creaking noises, sprang up and began to move across the room just as the floor opened beneath him. He fell into a sink hole that opened and was trapped by rubble that landed on top of him. One of his dogs is believed to have perished with him. Workers trying to extricate his body were forced to retreat because the ground remained unstable through the weekend. It expanded beyond some of the load-bearing walls of the home, leading the recovery team to consider demolishing it. A second sinkhole opened up about 50 feet away from the house. A mine collapse is one likely cause of the strange episode. This area in the Sierra Nevada foothills was heavily mined for gold in the late 1800s. No maps exist of these mines, and there has apparently been no concerted effort to seal old mine shafts in the area. "There may be absolutely no surface evidence that it's there, and it could be five feet below the surface."
The 10-by-10-foot sinkhole continued growing deeper and wider for days. By Sunday night, the pit bottomed out at 20 feet deep, with a diameter that had more than doubled to 30 feet. "If you want to speculate, this house (in Placer County) probably had a void that's been opening up under the slab, and maybe this latest bout of rainy weather could have been the straw that broke the camel's back."

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes -
4/24 -
5.4 FLORES, INDONESIA, REGION
5.0 SOUTH OF JAWA, INDONESIA
5.0 TONGA ISLANDS
5.1 OFF COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA
5.3 EAST OF SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA
5.0 EAST OF SEVERNAYA ZEMLYA

IRAN - A 3.9 tremor hit the city of Doroud in the western province of Lorestan in the wee hours of Monday. A relatively strong earthquake measuring 5 degrees on the Richter scale had earlier rocked Boroujerd on March 31. A quake measuring 4.7 also jolted the city of Doroud in the same province on March 30. Several aftershocks measuring 4.7 to 6 on the Richter scale have since rattled the two cities leaving 63 people dead and 1,418 others injured. The quakes and their aftershocks have also left some 15,000 families homeless and damaged 330 villages in varying degrees.

VOLCANOES -
RUSSIA - Mount Ebeko, a volcano on the island of Paramushir, which belongs to the Northern Kuril chain in Russia's Far East, has started emitting vapor and gas. There are 36 active volcanoes on the Kuril chain, and at least seven others are also considered to be dangerous, including the Mendeleyev, Golovnin, Tyatya, Grozny, Baransky, Chirip, and Chikurachki.

PERU - Peruvian authorities have been sending aid to hundreds of evacuees after declaring a state of emergency in the area near the erupting Ubinas volcano. Gas and cinder began spewing from the volcano in southern Peru three weeks ago. Tons of aid, particularly tents, water and powdered milk, have been shipped into the affected zone. The army has been brought in to help evacuate nearby villages, although some residents are reluctant to leave. The civil defence institute has recommended that the entire population in the district of Ubinas, about 3,500 people, be evacuated as soon as possible. A dome of incandescent lava seems to be building up in the crater.

INDONESIA - A thick column of sulfurous smoke surged into the sky Monday as Mount Merapi continued to show signs of an imminent eruption. Merapi has a history of being unpredictable, and many of the nearby villagers are distrustful of modern science and the government, turning instead to beliefs steeped in ancient Javanese mythology. As a result, most of the 60,000 people living within striking distance are ignoring the government's call to abandon their homes. On the western end of the mountain, near the town of Magelang, people trade rumors of a mysterious sparkling light sweeping across the sky in the early morning hours, or the distant sounds of howling wolves, both signs of a coming eruption. The Javanese believe increased volcanic activity at Merapi signifies a coming political change and is a warning to politicians to settle disputes.

TROPICAL STORMS -

Cyclone 02B was 609 nmi SW of Rangoon, Burma.

Cyclone MONICA was 698 nmi ENE of Broome, Australia.
AUSTRALIA - Cyclone Monica is now expected to weaken to a category 1 storm later today as it continues to track across the Northern Territory. Winds which were 350 kilometres an hour at the cyclone's core have slowed to 125 kilometres an hour. The cyclone is travelling south-south-west at 20 kilometres an hour in the direction of towns like Adelaide River, Batchelor and Daly River, south of Darwin. Overnight the cyclone hit the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida where phone lines still appear to be down and the extent of the damage is unclear.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
NAMIBIA - Streets in the three coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Luederitz turned into flowing rivers as UNUSUALLY heavy rain poured down for the most part of last week. Downpours brought more rain in four days than the average annual rainfall for the area. Since town planners did not make provision for heavy rain in towns on the edge of the arid Namib Desert, the infrastructure cannot drain or channel excessive water away from buildings. Many roads in Luederitz suffered severe damage, while the lagoon and some residential areas had to be evacuated. Repairing the flood damage has been stalled by fears of more rain on the way, as forecast by the weather bureau.

INDIA - At least 50 houses suffered cracks and 50 temporary dwellings collapsed to the ground when a landfill caved in at Kolkata's eastern outskirts Sunday. Hundreds of people of Kuchupota village in adjoining South 24 Parganas district were rendered homeless as the Dhapa dumping ground suddenly caved in. The landslide was emitting black sludge and causing cracks in the adjacent roads and houses, the reports said. Panic-stricken residents of the area were living in the open.

NEW YORK - RECORD-BREAKING RAINFALLS from Long Island to Central Park swamped streets, knocked out power, delayed air travelers, flooded a city hotel and washed out a bluff on the North Shore. The storm dumped up to 6 inches in Nassau and Suffolk and 3.5 inches in Central Park, setting 24-hour rainfall records in several areas, including LaGuardia Airport and Islip Town. "It's UNUSUAL. With a rain event like this you don't usually get so many inches in a short amount of time."

DELAWARE - This weekend's rainfall brought New Castle County more than 2 inches of precipitation, BREAKING A RECORD for April 22 and giving the city an above-normal total for the month. The county, however, remains about 2 inches under its normal rainfall of 12.78 inches for the year so far.

UNUSUAL WEATHER SEASON -
MAINE - last winter's mild weather and lack of snowfall were a break from the norm. Mother Nature seems to have skipped mud season this year too. The Bangor area received approximately 37 inches of snow between November 2005 and April 2006, 25 inches less than normal and less than half the amount received during the previous winter. Temperatures were also above average. Although April's precipitation figures are close to average, the total rainfall this spring is below average. For Maine's wild creatures, these seasonal abnormalities can be a blessing for some, a source of stress for others and even a death knell for an unlucky few. Salmon are sensitive to unusual weather patterns. This winter Atlantic salmon did not have bone-chilling temperatures creating ice blocks that extend to the riverbed, limiting water flow and starving them of oxygen. But lower river levels this spring could trap the endangered fish inland, thwarting their biological urge to head toward saltier waters. Northern Maine's white-tailed deer population enjoyed manageable snow depths, which make it easier to find food, navigate the woods and escape prey. But lack of snow cover in early spring could cause a boom in the population of ticks that prey on moose, leading to increased moose mortality. One group that stands to suffer the most from dry conditions is amphibians.

Monday, April 24, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes -
4/23 -
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - Authorities in Indonesia's densely populated Central Java province said on Sunday surface tremors and multifaced quakes continue on Mount Merapi and warned that a major eruption could take place in a few days. Vulcanologists said a total of nine surface tremors and as many as 156 multifaced quakes were recorded from Merapi's crater in the previous 24 hours. "It's very clear something will happen, but it is very difficult to say when." An expert warned that it is merely a "matter of time" before Merapi's status will be upgraded into a state of alert, when residents living on the danger zones will have to flee their homes immediately.

TROPICAL STORMS -

Cyclone MONICA was 696 nmi WNW of Cairns, Australia.
AUSTRALIA - People in the small town of Nhulunbuy on Australia's north coast have been told to move to cyclone shelters, in advance of what could be the country's MOST POWERFUL STORM IN THREE DECADES. Cyclone Monica was upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Saturday as it approached Australia's Northern Territory coast. The core of the storm is "very destructive" with winds gusting to 350 kilometres an hour, although 100 km/h is much more common. High tides could cause extensive flooding of coastal areas, and heavy rains may flood rivers. The cyclone is expected to arrive in the Darwin area on Tuesday morning. Darwin is the biggest city in the region, with about 70,000 people.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
CONNECTICUTT - RECORD HEAVY RAINS pummeled the Westport area Sunday, flooding roadways and basements and possibly contributing to a one-car accident that killed a 1-year-old baby. Bridgeport’s Sikorsky Airport reported a record 5.28 inches fell in a 24-hour period. Some longtime residents said the rain was the heaviest in their memory.

KENYA - Timbwoiyo village in Central Baringo was quiet and peaceful until two weeks ago, when residents were warned that conditions were ripe for potentially deadly landslides. With the ground already soggy and more rains on the way, the village on the slopes of the Tugen Hills is no longer habitable. The small farming village had hoped for a bumper harvest this season with the onset of the long rains, but it now huge gullies have formed all over the land, which experts describe as earthquake fault lines. The fault lines have also caused cracks on the walls and floors of some of the houses, forcing the owners to vacate them. Houses are falling apart and the land slowly sinking. The movements normally occur in the night with rumblings, shaking and moving of furniture in the houses. They witnessed the same phenomena in 1961 and 1997. "The first incident was worse since we lost our crops and animals after the land sunk, leaving many houses damaged." A hot spring erupted at one farm. Everything went on smoothly afterwards until the 1997 El-Nino rains wreaked havoc in the area. "It was bad because the ground was shaking, houses collapsed but luckily no lives were lost." Geologists in Rift Valley province have yet to go there to assess the situation, but sources at the Geology department confirmed that the area is prone to fault lines. "Surface fault rupture occurs when an earthquake breaks the earth’s surface. Such ruptures cause localised but intense devastation like what is about to occur in Timboiywo." Although the Government has yet to conduct any studies in the area, it would be wise for the locals to move out before disaster strikes. It is expected that the situation will worsen by June if the rains continue to pound the area.

BULGARIA - the waters of the Danube were still rising and had, in one place, reached a record high. In the north-western town of Ruse, the country's most important port on the Danube, the river was 9.11 metres high - 23cm ABOVE THE PREVIOUS RECORD HIGH registered in 1970. The river had risen 10cm in just 24 hours. Luckily for Hungary, the waters have begun to subside.

MYSTERIOUS BOOMS CONTINUE TO BE HEARD -
CALIFORNIA - At various spots throughout San Diego County, people reported a rumbling sound or a booming noise shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, and so far no one has come forward with an explanation. Whatever it was, it caused a woman's bed to shake in Lakeside. It created waves in a backyard pool in Carmel Valley. It set off car alarms in Kearny Mesa and rattled windows from Mission Beach to Poway to Vista. “My garage door is double steel and it weighs about 500 lbs. It was rattling back and forth like a leaf in the wind for about 3 or 4 seconds.” Scientists insist it wasn't an earthquake. The Federal Aviation Administration has no record of any planes producing a sonic boom by breaking the sound barrier. Camp Pendleton officials say no activities on the Marine base could have created such a disturbance. There were no large explosions in San Diego County that day, and no meteor fireballs were reported in the sky that morning. What was it, then? Maybe it was the same thing that caused a strange disturbance in Mississippi on April 7, when the locals heard a loud boom that rattled windows all over Jackson County, throwing emergency workers “into a tizzy.” Authorities in that state still don't have a clue as to the cause. Nor, to this day, can anyone explain what was behind similar episodes in Maine two months ago, or Alabama three months ago, or North Carolina four months ago. In each of those cases – as well as in other incidents around the nation over the years – residents reported hearing windows rattle and feeling floors shake even though no earthquake was detected. [Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 19, 2006: Wilmington, N.C., on Dec. 20, 2005; Winston-Salem, N.C., on March 5, 2005; Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 1, 2003; and Pensacola, Fla., on Jan. 13, 2003. ]

Sunday, April 23, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/22 -
5.3 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.2 OFF W. CST OF NORTHERN SUMATERA
5.2 NEW IRELAND
5.9 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
4/21 -
5.0 TONGA ISLANDS
5.1 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.3 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.2 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
6.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
6.3 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.2 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.4 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.0 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA

RUSSIA - the powerful earthquake that hit the Koryakia autonomous district in Russia's Far East on Friday has completely destroyed the villages of Khailino, Apuka and Vyvenka, local witnesses said. Residents of the villages, who are only able to communicate with the outside world using satellite telephones, said that the villages had been ruined completely, and even brick stoves in the houses had crumbled. About 1,500 people lived in the three villages, and no assistance has reached them yet. Seismologists believe there is 80% probability that several more strong aftershocks might occur in the northeastern part of Koryakia in the near future. "Following the 7.8 magnitude quake in northeastern Koryakia on Friday, five or six quakes with a magnitude of over 6 are likely to occur near its epicenter within a week. Three of them could measure up to 6.4, one up to 6.9, and there is also 80% probability of a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7 to 7.4 and 50% probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.9."
RUSSIA - More than 500 people have been evacuated from two towns seriously affected by the series of powerful earthquakes in the north of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East. The initial 7.8-magnitude quake, the strongest since 1900 in the Koryak area, which is eight time zones from Moscow, injured 31 people and damaged several buildings and facilities in Tilichiki, including a school, a kindergarten, a local airport's runway, and cut power and water supplies in several villages. Earthquake aftershocks of Richter magnitudes of up to five continue, and seismologists have warned of stronger quakes still to come.
[SITE NOTE - This is the area where Russia was expecting a large quake by December of last year. They had flown in supplies in anticipation, but had decided that the danger was past.
Posted here 2/8/06 (link no longer works) - RUSSIA - An earthquake measuring 5.7 points on the open-ended Richter scale occurred on Monday morning in the Kamchatka Strait off the Kamchatka Peninsula’s eastern shores. Despite the quake, the regional administration has lifted high-alert regulations introduced last August on apprehensions that a major earthquake might be forthcoming. Emergency services have returned into a normal mode of operations now, since experts no longer expect quakes with a magnitude of 7.5 or more points on the Richter scale.
Posted here 9/8/05 - RUSSIA - A major exercise conducted by Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry to practice dealing with a simulated 8.8 earthquake was under way on the far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. According to research conducted by the International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, there is at least a 30% probability of an earthquake with a 7.2-magnitude or higher in the area of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands before mid-December.]

VOLCANOES -
COLUMBIA - On March 28, the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining changed the alert level for Galeras Volcano to II (likely eruption in days or weeks). The area is in a critical state due to the creation of a solidified lava dome capping the main crater and a reduction of seismic activity of the volcano. Most eruptions of the volcano over the past 17 years have occurred when these parameters were similar. April 18 they reported an overall volume of the lava dome corresponding to 3,200,000 m3 (a volume approximately 15 times that of eruptions in 1992). National and local authorities are making progress in upgrading 12 temporary shelters in the three municipalities concerned. Approximately 489 households (2,366 persons) are now hosted in five temporary shelters in Pasto municipality. Another 7 temporary shelters remain empty. Due to the reluctance of the major part of the population to move from high risk areas, the authorities have asked the UN system to help them persuade communities at risk to move to safe locations. In the event of an eruption, water sources would be contaminated and access routes could be blocked for 4 to 5 days.

TROPICAL STORMS -

CYCLONE MONICA was 500 nmi NW of Cairns, Australia.
AUSTRALIA - Tropical cyclone Monica was expected to be upgraded to a category five storm as it descends on the Northern Territory coast. The cyclone, which has several Aboriginal communities in its path, was located in the Gulf of Carpentaria about 285 km east of Nhulunbuy and is moving northwest at 5kph. The core's wind gusts of up to 290kph are expected to approach northwest Arnhem Land early this morning. The cyclone had potential to cause more destruction than recent cyclone Larry in far north Queensland because it is larger and slower. Perilously high tides could cause extensive flooding on the coast.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
SINGAPORE - rain here has been UNUSUALLY heavy. The Bedok and Eunos areas recorded 375mm to 468mm of rain from April 1 to 16. This is roughly four times the average rainfall. On the afternoon of April 14, there was 110mm of rainfall in just 90 minutes. Statistically speaking, the tropical storm that unleashed all that water is SO RARE THAT IT IS PREDICTED TO HAPPEN ONLY ONCE IN 10 YEARS. The rain has been a bit too much for some car owners. The recent spell of wet weather has wreaked havoc around town, flooding some areas in waist-deep waters. They are still a long way from the start of the year-end monsoon season.

UTAH - Nearly two months of incessant rain and snow (150 percent of normal across northern Utah) have taken their toll on hillsides along the Wasatch Front. The soil is wet and soft, and in some cases, moving. Officials with the Utah Geological Survey and the National Weather Service warned Friday that, in addition to potential flooding, landslides pose what they call "a moderate threat" along bench areas from Weber to Utah, and are an even bigger danger in pre-existing slide areas. "What we're seeing in terms of movement is that most of the historical landslides have already reactivated this year. There were four damaging landslides in Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties in 1998, and all four have now reactivated. That gives us an indication of where we're at in terms of landslide potential." The Utah Geological Survey currently is monitoring 50 slide areas in northern Utah. Unlike California, where a heavy rainstorm can trigger the collapse of a hillside, Utah slides are more the result of long-term precipitation, with the critical period spanning from March 1 to June 1. As things stand, state geologists are looking at SOME OF THE MOST UNSTABLE SLOPES THEY'VE SEEN SINCE 1999.
UTAH - Large amounts of snowpack still remain in the mountains above the Wasatch Front. Much of it should have melted weeks ago, which has residents and experts a little worried about the potential for flooding. In fact, the dangers have already arisen. "We have a large snow pack that's delayed it's melt, and we are in the third week of April. [It] should have melted… three weeks ago." The hot spots include just about all of the rivers in the Cache Valley, the Weber River, City Creek, Emigration Canyon and the Jordan River.

TEXAS - A severe thunderstorm roared through San Marcos on Thursday, dumping hail as large as softballs. For 15 minutes, hail pounded vehicles, leaving behind broken glass and dents. "It sounded like a war zone." The storm left behind large piles of large ice bills and debris. Witnesses said at one point visibility was reduced to a few feet. "At first it was just golf-ball sized. Then it kept getting bigger. Then, you just couldn't see out the window at all."

CANADA - A few areas in eastern Saskatchewan have been hit with flood advisories. Thanks to a large amount of snow and water the past week in places like Norquay and towards Swan River, Manitoba, rivers are reaching RECORD FLOWS NOT SEEN IN OVER 30 YEARS. Fishing Lake, near Foam Lake, has risen to new levels, but isn't expected to peak until May. As for areas in northern Saskatchewan, the waters are beginning to decrease.

SNOW / COLD -
NEPAL - Three Sherpas went missing in an avalanche in mountainous Khumbu region on Friday afternoon. "The Sherpas en route to climb Mt. Everest lost their trail due to the two-day long snowfall." The snow foot-trails in Khumbu area have been disturbed by the continuous snowfall in the region.

UNUSUAL WEATHER SEASON -
ALABAMA - there's a lot more hail hitting Huntsville roofs than usual for this time of year. A change in the jetstream has meant a decrease in Alabama's spring winds. That has combined with high temperatures and humidity to create weather that's more like summer than spring. "We're not seeing typical April weather. We're seeing typical June or July weather." With less wind, storms have been able to build vertically, like they might in August, and conditions have been great for hail. Usually, winds across Alabama in the spring are strong enough and temperatures cool enough to produce damaging storms and tornadoes, but not often the icy shrapnel of the past week or two.

Friday, April 21, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/20 -
5.5 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
7.7 EASTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA
5.1 VANUATU ISLANDS
5.7 NEAR S.CST OF EASTERN HONSHU
5.2 VANUATU ISLANDS
5.3 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.0 NEAR ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS

So far today Siberia has had quakes of:
5.1, 6.3, 5.2, 5.1, 5.4, 5.1, 5.0, 5.1

RUSSIA - The 7.7. earthquake that struck Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka peninisula was followed by nine aftershocks in the region with magnitudes ranging between 4.5 and 5.4. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Some 2,000 people would have been exposed to "intensive shaking," a spokeswoman said. It was LARGEST SEISMIC EVENT IN THE AREA SINCE 1900.

TIBET - A strong earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale destroyed several houses in Tibet yesterday, but caused no loss of life. The quake affected eight of the 10 towns in Baingoin County, of which Jiaqun town suffered the most serious damage.

CALIFORNIA - Much of the East Bay shoreline could turn to quicksand in the next big quake, causing extensive damage to the Oakland Airport and Port of Oakland, homes, businesses and roads. Most of the man-made, filled land that makes up the shore was put in place after the 1906 earthquake and has yet to be really strongly shaken. Liquefaction causes wet ground to momentarily loses strength and flow like liquid. Roads, buildings and other structures can sink, tip, or be pulled apart. About 22 square miles of real estate along the Bay in Berkeley, and Oakland and most of Alameda is made up of the worst possible kind of artificial fill - loose, sandy soil primarily dredged from the Bay.

VOLCANOES -
PERU - The Ubinas volcano in southern Peru threw plumes of smoke high into the sky today, prompting authorities to declare an "orange alert" to encourage villagers to evacuate the area. The explosion sent gases high into the sky, forming a gigantic mushroom-shaped cloud that stretched more than 1km above the earth. Livestock have been poisoned by eating grass that is coated with volcanic ash. "They've told us we've got to learn to live with the volcano and the ash, but we'd never seen anything like this," said a peasant farmer. "We're terrified." The Ubinas volcano is one of the most active in Peru. It erupted 17 times from 1550 until 1969, when it was last active.

INDONESIA - seismic activity in Merapi continues to increase and "the motion of lava inside the crater is becoming more active." The revered king of the city closest to Indonesia's rumbling Mount Merapi warned that an eruption was likely within 10 days. "This is not a prediction from a mystic, but is based on scientific data and experience," he was quoted as saying.

GREECE - About 30 homes have been evacuated on the western island of Zakynthos, a popular holiday resort, due to damage caused by about a dozen earthquakes as strong as magnitude 5.9 in the past month. The latest quake, of magnitude 4.6, struck yesterday off the southern coast of the Ionian Sea island.

TROPICAL STORMS -
CYCLONE MONICA was 398 nmi WNW of Cairns, Australia.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
INDONESIA - Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rain have killed at least 23 people in Indonesia. The worst-hit district was that of Bendungan in the east of the main island of Java. Water in some areas had risen as high as two metres (6.6 ft). At least 24 people died in landslides and floods caused by heavy rains in eastern Indonesia in February.

ROMANIA, BULGARIA - Torrential rain has worsened flooding along the River Danube in parts of Romania and Bulgaria, where thousands of people have fled their homes. Some of the heaviest rainfall on Thursday was reported in north-western Bulgaria's Vratsa district. Roads and bridges in the region were damaged and the lower floors of houses in the villages of Vladimirovo and Banitsa were flooded. More than half the houses bordering the Danube in the Bulgarian port of Nikopol were reported to be flooded.

IDAHO - The WETTEST SPRING IN RECENT MEMORY has forced Washington County Road and Bridge crews to close several roads as hillsides give way and gravel surfaces turn to mud. The bottom of Hog Creek Road literally fell out, and an isolated mini-cloudburst at the end of last week pushed Rock Creek to a “massive flow” that ripped over road surfaces, washing out the beds creating a “sloppy juice” of water and mud. Weiser River Road remains open, but a big section has sunk and a “whole hill has sloughed out” covering parts of the Weiser River Trail and endangering the stability of the road surface.

TEXAS - Thunderstorms began sweeping in about 6 p.m. Thursday, but more severe storms with high winds and hail were raking counties to the south and southwest. “As more storms develop throughout the evening, the concern is there for additional heavy rainfall.”

SNOW / COLD -
KOREA - Koreans are struggling with nippy weather conditions as temperatures dropped at one point on Thursday morning to -10 degrees Celsius in the eastern mountainous region. Even a snowfall warning was issued in the eastern province of Gangwon Province and weather experts said more snow would fall in the area until Thursday evening. It's RARE to see a sudden cold spell like this and snow around this time of year in Korea. Meteorologists say the chilly conditions will stay until today, with strong winds whipping up seasonal sandstorms.

NORTH DAKOTA - Crews were working to restore electricity and clear highways Thursday after a powerful spring snowstorm swept through the northwestern Plains, leaving four people dead and snow up to 5 feet in some areas. The heaviest snow was reported in far western South Dakota near the Wyoming border, where the National Weather Service reported snow that was 44 inches deep in the city of Lead. Crews struggling with the weight and volume of snow also had to find a place to put it after scooping it up. North Dakota ranchers in the middle of calving season worked long hours to help their calves survive the storm. Wind gusting to 84 mph overturned a mobile home in the Nebraska Panhandle, and gusts to 71 mph were reported in eastern Montana. Spring storms with heavy snow are not unusual in North Dakota. "We don't get them every year, but every five to 10 years, we usually get a big dump."

Thursday, April 20, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/19 -
6.0 OFF W. CST OF NORTHERN SUMATERA
5.3 XIZANG, CHINA
5.1 OFF COAST OF NORTHERN CHILE
5.2 OFF COAST OF NORTHERN CHILE
5.0 TONGA ISLANDS
5.1 KOMANDORSKY ISLANDS

GREECE - A strong earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale rattled Greece's western Ionian islands Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of injury. The island of Zakynthoshas been the scene of nine strong earthquakes since April 11, ranging from 5.0 to 5.9 on the Richter scale. Reports said residents on the island were upset over the latest earthquake, with many running out of their homes in panic.

VOLCANOES -
PERU - At least 1,000 people have suffered respiratory problems from a tower of ash spewing from the Ubinas volcano in southern Peru, and 20 llamas have died after eating poisoned grass. The volcano continued to spit out ash and smoke on Wednesday, and the wind was carrying it north. In recorded history, Ubinas has never had a lava eruption. In the hamlet of Querapi, home to 42 farming families three miles from the volcano, Civil Defense authorities distributed gas masks and recommended evacuation earlier this week.

INDONESIA - Mount Merapi status - On the 18th they observed 113 multi-phase tremors, 8 streams of lava, 7 volcanic tremors, and white and thick SO2 smoke of 400 m height from the crater. They confirmed on April 19th that based on the scientific data, Mt. Merapi will most likely erupt. The Government of Indonesia is working on a third case scenario, one level below the worst-case scenario, anticipating over 80,000 people to be displaced. Communities were encouraged not to conduct any activities in the river having its upper course at Mt. Merapi. Large amounts of evacuation supplies, tents, ambulances and 160 body bags have been mobilized.

TROPICAL STORMS -
CYCLONE MONICA was 308 nmi NW of Cairns, Australia.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
MALAYSIA - The unpredictable weather in recent times has hit Kuala Lumpur badly. Thunderstorms have uprooted more than 100 trees and damaged about 30 vehicles and houses in the past one month alone. Falling trees not only damaged vehicles, homes and utility lines but also obstructed traffic in certain areas. The local authority has placed extra personnel on standby at problematic areas to tackle problems resulting from the FREAK weather. “During these four months, the rainy season has been unpredictable. Freak thunderstorms occur at anytime of the day."

ETHIOPIA - authorities and relief agencies have rushed help to thousands of displaced people in the eastern parts of the country after the Awash River flooded its banks, washing away villages and killing hundreds of livestock. "The rains came in from the highlands to the lowlands in a very abrupt way, so that it took people by surprise." The rains are still continuing in some areas of the region. The floods have displaced at least 10,000 people.

ROMANIA - At least 10,000 southern Romanian citizens from 129 towns in 12 districts were evacuated because of a Danube River dam breakage. The river has reached its highest level in more than 100 years, and might go still higher with the rain and melting water affecting more than 620 miles of the nation. There are thousands of people sheltered in schools, hospitals and mayors´ offices, and the army and police continue evacuations. Local weather services predicted rain for today, and according to a provisional report, 700 houses are still under water, 184 houses were destroyed, another 120 are in danger, and more than 3,000 farms are flooded.

BULGARIA - Storm winds, rain falling in torrents and battering hail hit the region of Bulgaria's Vratsa on Wednesday. The storm pounded the northwest place in the evening, soaking ground floors and damaging the asphalt on some roads. In the village of Banitsa the hail was so strong that it piled up in a 20-centimeter deep ice layer, according to reports. It was not immediately clear whether any people were hurt.

SOUTH AFRICA - An estimated 200 people have been left destitute following a heavy hail storm in the Northern Cape. According to residents at Ganspan near Jan Kempdorp, shanties and trees were razed to the ground by the hail, which came from all directions. Strong winds also caused damage and the storm affected sections of Taung in the North West.

CANADA - A state of emergency was declared early Wednesday on Newfoundland's Baie Verte Peninsula after heavy rain caused flooding that blocked the main road into three communities.

OREGON - The wild weather that blew through Brookings Saturday, left even longtime residents scratching their heads trying to figure out what hit them. From just before 6 a.m. to near noon, a strong weather cell blew in from the south and delivered a solid blow with rain, hail, wind and lightning to the South Coast. The anemometer near Humbug Mountain measured gusts as high as 98 mph. Horizontal rain hit between 10 and 11 a.m. "There was a huge, huge blast that just hit us. My house just shuddered. It lasted about three seconds, but just really hit hard." The fact that lightning hit wasn't that unusual, but the timing of the storm was. "Lightning most commonly is on the coast in the winter season because the ocean surface is warm and when the cold air comes across that warm surface, you get a lot of instability." What caused Saturday's wild weather was an UNUSUALLY cold weather front for this time of year. The band of cold air aloft spawned high wind, rain, hail, water spouts, which were reported near North Bend, and a lot of lightning and thunder. Last weekend's FREAKY storm probably marks the end of the last of the real strong winter storms and the return of more normal weather patterns.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/18 -
5.3 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.0 SEA OF OKHOTSK

VOLCANOES -
PERU - Officials urged the small farming town of Querapi in southern Peru to evacuate on Tuesday after a volcano sent smoke and ash 2,600 feet (800 meters) into the air, but residents were reluctant to leave. "A yellow alert has been called, which means precaution due to emission of gases and steam. Civil Defense has sent small anti-gas masks to the town of Querapi and covers for their water deposits." The volcano has not been this active since 1969. The volcano, in the Moquegua region 550 miles (900 km) south of Lima, has been belching for much of the month. It has sent ash and sulfur as far away as the town of Ubinas, home to 3,500 people five miles (eight km) away. Small tremors have also been felt in nearby towns. Emissions had affected crops and water sources.

INDONESIA - Villagers living near rumbling and swelling Mount Merapi volcano have ignored calls to evacuate and local officials were told on Tuesday to prepare for the worst. The complacency stemmed from the fact that the volcano's swelling, a sign of imminent eruption, was not yet visible to the naked eye.

TROPICAL STORMS -

CYCLONE MONICA was 227 nmi N of Cairns, Australia.
AUSTRALIA - Residents of northern Cape York Peninsula were in for a long night with tropical cyclone Monica not expected to clear the mainland until early tomorrow. Communities in Monica's path were bracing for the cyclone, which was expected to weaken to a category two once it passed over land.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
KENYA - Falling rocks are making life unbearable in Kimobo village in Nandi South District. The village, which is located on the slopes of the Kimobo hills, has experienced myriad rockslides that have killed two villagers, destroyed several houses and claimed hundreds of their livestock and poultry recently. Nightfall spells doom, fear and heightened trepidation forcing the villagers to sleep in turns as others keep vigil. The rains have aggravated the situation, which has led to rampant soil erosion, causing the rocks to lean precariously towards the village. "The past five months have seen an increase in the incidents of the rocks killing livestock and injuring people. This has forced some villagers to abandon their homes and seek alternative residential areas."

ODD-
CHINA - The Chinese government plans to seed clouds over Beijing to prompt a cleansing rainfall after the capital was hit by the worst dust storm in five years which dropped an estimated 300,000 tons of dust and sand. A thick layer of yellowish sand covered buildings, cars and open spaces after the storm hit overnight on Sunday. Health officials warned parents to keep their children indoors and hospitals treated more people for breathing difficulties at the height of the dust storm. This week's dust storm extended across the East China Sea as far as South Korea and Japan. The weather system was expected to last through today in some parts of China.

Crop Failures, Food Shortages, Fish Die-Off - updated Wednesdays

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/17 -
5.8 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.1 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE

INDONESIA - A strong tectonic earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale has hit the Mount Karangetang area in the north of Indonesia. The quake was centered 200 kilometers under the seabed of Siau island in the country's northernmost region and there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties. It comes as Indonesia prepares for the possible evacuation of nearly 30-thousand people living on the slopes of Java's simmering volcano Mount Merapi.

TSUNAMI -
NOAA finished installation of five Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami buoy stations off the East and Gulf coasts and the Caribbean as part of the expansion of the U.S. tsunami warning system. The latest buoy station, off New Orleans, joins stations off Charleston, S.C.; Miami, and two off San Juan, Puerto Rico. "These buoys are a first line of defense in providing citizens of the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf regions with a comprehensive tsunami warning system." NOAA expects the network to total 39 DART II buoy stations by 2008 (32 in the Pacific and seven in the Atlantic Basin). (map of the planned buoy locations). Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems, NOAA is working with its federal partners, 61 countries and the European Commission to develop a 'global network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects'.

VOLCANOES -
TANZANIA - Experts have moved in to investigate the increasing incidents of volcanic eruptions at Oldonyo Lengai Mountain in Ngorongoro in Arusha egion which has been sending shockwaves to the whole region. Though the volcano at the mountain is live, and has been erupting frequently almost every year, the numbers of eruption and dimensions have been on the rise daily in recent months. "I have seen for sure the eruptions this year are bigger than any other time. But we are lucky that nobody or animal has been affected as a result so far." Late last month, a volcano erupted on Mt Oldonyo Lengai forcing over 3,000 inhabitants to flee from the area. The eruption rocked the villages of Nayobi, Magadini, Engaruka, Malambo, Ngaresero, Gelai-bomba and Kitumbeine. There was an exodus after the volcanic mountain rumbled into a red-hot landslide, spewing scalding fumes and lava all over the neighbourhood. A major explosive eruption took place from January to about June in 1917. Ash was deposited as much as 25 - 30 miles away. The mountain is less than 370,000 years old, and is the youngest volcano in the Rift Valley.

TROPICAL STORMS -

CYCLONE MONICA was 267 nmi NNE of Cairns, Australia.
AUSTRALIA - The waterlogged north Queensland town of Innisfail is preparing for more heavy rain from Cyclone Monica as it struggles to rebuild after the community was hit by Cyclone Larry. 1,200mm of rain has fallen in the region since Larry struck on March 20. Monica is expected to hit the coast tomorrow morning around Lockhart River, about 500km north of Innisfail. It is expected to bring rain to a wide area, including Innisfail, where many people were still living under tarpaulins.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
BOLIVIA - More than a quarter-million Bolivians are still struggling to recover from unprecedented rains and hailstorms that caused severe flooding in January and February. Unusually heavy rains have continued into the spring, making recovery from the winter’s floods even more difficult. “It has been a devastating disaster. Many families lost everything – their crops, their livestock, even their homes were destroyed. Some communities were partially buried in mud eight feet deep. Recovery will take many months."

IDAHO - The Governor has declared a statewide flooding disaster emergency. In his statement, he said the state faces danger to public safety and property which is likely to be beyond the control of Idaho's county governments.

INDIA - Powerful rainstorms accompanied by lightning and hail left at least 20 people dead and many others injured in southern India. Heavy downpours and gusty winds lashed Andhra Pradesh state Sunday evening, toppling trees and power lines. Across the state at least 15 people were killed when they were struck by lightning. Five other people died when they were struck by flying debris or inundated by flash floods that followed the downpours. The hailstorms and rain also caused extensive damage to crops in several parts of the state. The tropical storms that lashed the coastal state were caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

SNOW / COLD -
THAILAND - It's summertime, and the weather is cooler than expected as cold winds from China have brought unseasonal rain. The director general of the Meteorological Department said that the seasonal rains would arrive sooner than usual and would stay longer this year, continuing until May, as the country has been under the influence of cold winds from China and the seasonal monsoon. All regions except southern Thailand would be affected. Thailand has seen higher than expected levels of rain during this hot summer month, which was QUITE UNUSUAL, especially in upper Thailand.

Drought, Heat, Water Shortages, Wildfires - updated Tuesdays.

Monday, April 17, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/16 -
5.4 MID-INDIAN RIDGE
5.7 SOUTHEAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
4/15 -
6.0 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
5.9 TAIWAN REGION
5.0 IONIAN SEA
5.3 OFF W. CST OF S.IS NEW ZEALAND
4/14 -
5.0 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA
5.4 MOZAMBIQUE
5.1 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.6 XIZANG
5.1 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS

IRAN - One person was killed in a strong 6.0 earthquake that hit a rural area in Iran's southern province of Hormuzgan on Saturday. The quake and a series of aftershocks struck the rural region of Fin in Hormuzgan, causing minor damage to houses. The earthquake had blocked mountain roadways and disrupted electricity in areas hit by the quake.

CALIFORNIA - seismologists warn that the golden state's love of cars could turn into a fatal attraction in the quake-prone state. Elevated freeways, highway overpasses, and garages built under homes are vulnerable to crashing down when the earth shudders. "The automobile culture is really a knife in the heart of earthquake preparedness. We are only as strong as our weakest overpass." While brick buildings and other risky structures in San Francisco have been bolstered, emergency officials concede much of the city would likely crumble in a temblor on par with the 7.8-magnitude earthquake of 1906. "I don't think we quite have it nailed down, but it would appear the recurrence time for the 1906 event is 200 years. So, it looks like we are safe for a while from a recurrence." While the chances of another 1906-type quake along the San Andreas Fault in the next 30 years is one in twenty, there are a plethora of other faultlines overdue for trouble. "It's horrifying to think that along faultlines where there used to be farmland you now have Silicon Valley filled with towns."

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - A huge volcano in the heart of densely populated Java today was spewing thick clouds of smoke and hot lava, triggering plans to evacuate thousands of villagers. Authorities placed Mount Merapi, on Orange Code, or the second highest alert level. "Due to a high level of tremor activities and the spewing of the lava, Mount Merapi is now on alert status." Officials said the military had deployed more than 200 trucks and buses to evacuate villagers living on the slopes.

TANZANIA - A travel warning has been issued for Oldonyo Lengai Mountain, following two major volcanic eruptions last month. The alert was said to be necessary because more volcanic eruption was imminent. "We have been forced to take precautionary measures, because we are not sure when another eruption will occur and to what proportions." The advisory also warned the local people living around the mountain to vacate for their own safety. However, sources say tourists continue to flock near Oldonyo Lengai, with the aim of witnessing the volcanic eruption.

TROPICAL STORMS -
CYCLONE MONICA was 378 nmi NE of Cairns, Australia.

AUSTRALIA - CYCLONE MONICA - Queensland's second cyclone in less than a month will strengthen and move closer to the Cape York Peninsula by Wednesday, the weather bureau has warned.

RUSSIA - A storm warning was issued in the south of the Kurile Islands this Saturday as a cyclone with winds of up to 30 metres a second was moving from Japan to the region. Sakhalin meteorologists warned the waves will be four to six metres high, and the ships near the Kuriles were recommended to escape to protected bays. The cyclone was expected to rage on the South Kuriles on Sunday and through the night to today. The stormy weather will sweep the entire south of the Sea of Okhotsk, but no heavy precipitation is forecasted.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
COLUMBIA - mudslides in western Colombia have killed at least 29 people, with at least eight more unaccounted for. Rescuers have been hampered by heavy rains, new mudslides and attacks by some of Colombia's armed factions. Rivers of mud have swept away homes and parts of the main road to the Pacific coast, leaving the area cut off. A journalist covering the disaster was swept away by a new landslide on Thursday and is still missing. His cameraman was rescued from the mud suffering from serious injuries. The village of Bendiciones, which is about 350km (220 miles) south-west of the capital Bogota, is reported to have been completely destroyed by landslides. The huge pre-dawn mudslide Wednesday was triggered when the rain-swollen Dagua River overflowed its banks,and it devastated an area of Valle Del Cauca province, between Cali and Buenaventura, Colombia's Pacific port. Since then, numerous mudslides have blocked key roads and forced the evacuation of a thousand people from Buenaventura.

SERBIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA - have all suffered from flooding caused by melting snow and steady rainfall. Emergency teams in the Balkans are shoring up flood defences along the River Danube and its tributaries, but many homes have already been swamped. The Danube has reached its HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 1895 (111 YEARS) in Romania, where some farmland and forest areas have been deliberately flooded to protect towns. The Danube is now flowing at nearly 16,000 cubic metres a second, more than twice the normal volume in April. In Belgrade the level of the Danube there reached 8.45m, some 40cm MORE THAN THE HIGHEST LEVEL EVER RECORDED, and it was expected to continue rising. Hundreds of people have been moved from flood-hit homes in Romania and Serbia. Flood defences have been weakened in many places by nearly a week of high waters. The Sava, Tisa and Tamis rivers have also reached dangerous levels.

INDIANA - Two waves of storms roared through the Indianapolis area Friday night, packing golfball-size hail, strong winds and heavy rainfall that damaged cars, broke windows, ripped off roofs and downed power lines and trees.

WISCONSIN - The National Weather Service tracked hail reports from the state's southwestern corner in a fairly straight line northeast to the Milwaukee area Thursday. The largest confirmed hailstone fell near Lake Mills. It had a diameter of 4.25 inches. The lightning was intense - "it looked like spiders crawling across the sky."

SNOW / COLD -
KASHMIR - In occupied Kashmir, two persons were killed and six others wounded when they were buried under a snow slide near Captain Crossing.

SANDSTORMS -
CHINA - A sandstorm struck the Chinese capital today, covering homes, streets and cars in brown dust and leaving the skies a murky yellow as it suffers its worst pollution in years. Desertification of China's west and Mongolian steppes has made the spring sand storms worse in recent years, reaching as far away as South Korea and Japan. Cold, windy weather, a glut of construction sites and poor plant cover around Beijing have also contributed. So far in 2006, Beijing has notched up 13 days of the worst measure of pollution, more than last year's total and the highest in six years. Hospitals have also dealt with a sharp increase in patients with respiratory diseases.

ODD -
AUSTRALIA - Gas from rotting fruit and vegetables has put 16 people in hospital in Sydney. Authorities at first believed there was a mains gas leak on the premises. As the victims were taken to hospital suffering headaches and nausea, firefighters spent hours trying to locate the source of the leak. "They started thinking about decontamination for the people in hospital, who were complaining of a lingering stench on their clothes and body." It finally became apparent that it was the fruit and vegetables that were the cause. "It seems to be a part of the fermentation process had gone wrong." "It was the carbon monoxide making them sick."

Disease - updated Mondays

Friday, April 14, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/13 -
5.0 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.4 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN, REGION
5.1 IONIAN SEA
5.2 KOMANDORSKY ISLANDS
5.4 KOMANDORSKY ISLANDS

TROPICAL STORMS -
Cyclone ELIA was 1047 nmi ESE of Diego Garcia and 1847 nmi WNW of Perth, Australia.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
COLUMBIA - Landslides in south-west Colombia have left at least eight people dead. Dozens are reported missing after mud swept through the Buenaventura region, on the Pacific coast, among them eight soldiers who were at a checkpoint. The area has been cut off from the rest of the country. The mudslides were triggered by heavy rains which started on Tuesday night and led to several rivers bursting their banks in the early hours of Wednesday. Dozens of homes were swept away by water and mud, and more than 1,000 people are reported to have been affected. In this year's wet season more than 40 people have been killed and thousands left homeless by floods and mudslides, which have also destroyed thousands of hectares of crops. The rainy season began in March and is forecast to continue until June.

BOLIVIA - A string of powerful rainstorms brought on widespread flooding throughout Bolivia from the final week of January through April.

CALIFORNIA - the body of an elderly man was found beneath a mudslide just north of San Francisco. He was buried under tonnes of rock, dirt and trees early yesterday while he cleared a drain behind his Northern California house. A relentless series of storms has drenched the region for more than a month, breaching levees, dangerously filling waterways, and causing hillsides to slip. A duplex that had been evacuated because a hillside in the city of Rio Vista was giving way crashed down the steep incline. Elsewhere, landslides closed roads. While a break in the storms had caused the threat of flooding to ebb, waterlogged hillsides and earthen levees remain at risk of giving way.
A day after Santa Cruz County declared a state of emergency asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to help reimburse the cost of storm damaged roadways, more rain pounded the Santa Cruz Mountains, causing additional slipouts overnight. A slide about 600 by 300 feet looms over eight to 10 houses in the Santa Cruz Mountains at East Zayante Road. "The rains that happened Tuesday night were so severe in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I think they got 4 inches of rain and another 4 inches yesterday, which really caused us to reach the tipping point because the soil was getting so saturated." Emergency officials continue to monitor numerous homes and roadways threatened by landslides. As of yesterday morning, there were eight closed roads and 14 with limited access in Santa Cruz County alone. A massive landslide estimated at about three acres has isolated about 10 homes on Two Bar Road off of Highway 9, blocking residents from traveling to and from the area. In addition, a landslide that began moving in 1995 slid further a few days ago at Amesti Road in the south county, breaking two houses in half. Highway 1 at Lucia was temporarily shut down after rocks and mud fell on the roadway late Wednesday night for the third time in about a week.

IOWA, ILLINOIS - One person died Thursday night after a slew of tornadoes ripped through eastern Iowa and toppled the victim's mobile home in Nichols. The tornadoes left some neighborhoods in disarray as heavy winds and hail destroyed cars, crushed homes and cut off power to thousands of Iowans. The weather service reported tornadoes in Tama, Linn, Muscatine and Johnson counties, with much of the damage occurring in Iowa City. Officials were keeping an eye out for more tornadoes in east-central Iowa. The storms swept through northern Illinois, knocking down trees and power lines and prompting tornado warnings. At least one tornado was spotted on the ground in Mercer County.

MALAYSIA - A 16-month-old toddler had a miraculous escape when a large tree uprooted during a FREAK storm yesterday and literally brought the heavy zinc roof down on her. This was the first time a storm had wreaked such damage in the area. "Before this, we only had flash floods to contend with."

FOG -
ILLINOIS - Two rush-hour pileups Thursday morning on a fogbound U.S. highway just north of the town of Muddy left 10 people injured. The crashes involved 28 vehicles and occurred about 7 a.m. on U.S. 45, when thick fog cut visibility to zero. Twenty-two vehicles, including three semitrailers, were involved in the chain-reaction wreck on the two northbound lanes, with six other vehicles crashing into each other going southbound.

JAPAN - A container ship and a freighter collided yesterday morning in foggy conditions at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, damaging the container ship and forcing all its 25 Filipino crew to evacuate in lifeboats. Visibility was less than 200m at the time.

SNOW / COLD -
CHINA - A landslide measuring eight kilometers occurred in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, leaving no human casualties. The landslide, which occurred at around 2:00 p.m. in Nilka County in the Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Ili, killed and injured more than 300 sheep, damaged some houses and ruined four kilometers of rural roads. The landslide was triggered by thawing snow.

BANGLADESH - At the time when most of Bangladesh is reeling from sweltering heat, chilly weather continues to prevail in the northern districts of the country, resulting in various diseases like cough, asthma, fever, and diarrhoea. Even now the people in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Nilphamari districts are using quilts, blankets, and other warm clothes to protect themselves from cold. The winter season usually begins in the region from November and continues till mid-February. But this year UNUSUAL weather is now visible in the entire region.

DUST STORMS -
A large dust storm whipped out of the Gobi Desert on April 10.

Unusually High Tides / Freak Waves - updated Fridays.

Thursday, April 13, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/12 -
5.1 NORTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
5.6 IONIAN SEA
5.0 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
5.9 KOMANDORSKY ISLANDS, RUSSIA

CALIFORNIA - Tremors within the Earth are usually - but not always - related to the activity of a volcano. Now, such vibrations have been recorded nowhere near a volcano, but at a geologic observatory at the San Andreas Fault. Scientists believe the fault tremors may be related to activity at a subduction zone - a place where one of Earth's constantly moving tectonic plates slips beneath another. Located near Parkfield, the rumblings are the first recordings of non-volcanic tremors in a deep borehole, providing scientists with data to better understand such mysterious underground movements. Scientists are installing instruments to measure the tremors' activity, to determine whether the San Andreas Fault is moving with the tremors. "Unlike the sharp jolt of an earthquake, tremors within Earth's crust emerge slowly, rumbling for longer periods of time. Although not in this case, tremors are usually produced by magma moving in cracks or other conduits beneath a volcano."
[SITE NOTE - so now the subduction zone in the NW Pacific is changing to be more like the San Andreas and is sliding past its neighboring plate instead of under it (see yesterday's item) and the San Andreas is changing to be more like the Pacific subduction zone and is subducting under its neighboring plate rather than sliding past it? Topsy-turvy. And both of these areas are getting quakes more common to volcanic activity.]

GREECE - Four earthquakes measuring up to 5.9 on the Richter scale shook the Ionian island of Zakynthos on Tuesday causing some damage - there were no immediate reports of injuries. The largest tremor, which reached 5.9 Richter, hit the island at about 8.30 p.m. and had its epicenter in an undersea area south of Zakynthos. The tremor was felt as far away as Athens and Kalamata. The three previous tremors struck the island between 12.10 a.m. and 3.02 a.m. and ranged in strength from 4.4 to 5.7 Richter. One house suffered major damage, while eight more homes and the port were also damaged, though not as severely. Schools were closed so authorities could conduct safety checks on buildings. Last week, two tremors measuring 5.7 and 4.8 Richter shook Zakynthos — one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the country.
The Ionian Sea area had 18 moderate quakes Wednesday. More continue today.

VOLCANOES -
An undersea volcano in the Pacific is growing from its summit and could breach the ocean surface within a few decades, a new study reveals. In the meantime, it is creating a thriving environment for some sea creatures, but a death trap for others. The Vailulu'u Seamount is an active volcano lying off the coast of the Samoan archipelago. The volcano has sprouted a new 1,000-foot cone at its summit since it was last explored 5 years ago.

TROPICAL STORMS -
Cyclone 22S was 1099 nmi ESE of Diego Garcia and 1804 nmi WNW of Perth, Australia, 420 nautical miles west-southwest of the Cocos Islands.

THUNDERSTORMS / HEAVY RAINS / FLOODING -
SERBIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA - The Danube river rose to its HIGHEST LEVELS IN DECADES overnight, driving people from their homes in northern Serbia and Romania and swamping Bulgaria's main river ports. In Serbia, the Danube and Sava rivers were still rising near the capital Belgrade, while the towns of Titel, Zabalj and Zrenjanin were threatened by the Tisa river. "We are really entering a dramatic phase in the next few days."

TENNESSEE - the traditional spring tornado season of April through June clearly is off to a fast start. Twelve people in Sumner and Warren counties died in Friday's storms. Five days earlier, tornadoes in West Tennessee killed at least 24 people. The United States had not seen this many tornadoes by this time of year since 1999. An "abnormally warm" winter kept temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico warm, increasing the likelihood of deadly storms. Improved radar and computer models mean forecasters can predict tornadoes up to three days out. Tornado warnings now arrive, on average, 15-16 minutes before touchdown, but the information doesn't help answer the question on the minds of many: Should Tennessee expect more damage in 2006? There have been five "outbreaks" of severe weather in the past month. "With this kind of start, you'd have to anticipate a strong May. For now, as far as what we see, this may continue through that part of the year." However, there were far fewer tornadoes in May 2005 than in either 2003 or 2004.

CALIFORNIA - Rivers are flooding, reservoirs are spilling over, levees are crumbling and the hillsides in Northern California are soaked and slipping. Blame it on La Nina or global warning, whatever the cause, wave after wave of rain storms have roared ashore from the Pacific Ocean and drenched the state since the end of February. Weather forecasters say April could end before a dry spell moves in. Homes built on hilltops, into hillsides and at the foot of hills are in danger of being tossed off the hill, slipping from their foundations, or buried by mudslides. Conditions have worsened since landslide conditions first emerged earlier this year. Earthquakes can certainly trigger landslides, and the Big One now would be calamitous.

HEAT -
INDIA - Meteorologists in Jharkhand have sought research on the unusually hot climate in the state at this time of the year, with no sign of rain anywhere. After having failed to come out with accurate predictions on the weather conditions in the state, the experts said they felt the need of an investigation into the global climate, especially Jharkhand. At present, heat in Jharkhand has crossed 40°C and there is no sign of rainfall. “We are shocked by the prevailing weather conditions in the state. In Jharkhand, very high temperatures are normally followed by rain. But despite the conditions at present showing symptoms of an imminent rainfall, the state has got no relief from the scorching heat.” The state has never faced such unusually high temperature during March-end or the beginning of April. This is also the first time there is no rain in the state in the past 40 years of records. “We had a discussion with scientists in New Delhi yesterday about the change in the weather conditions in several parts of India, especially Jharkhand. Even they said they were surprised at the startling weather conditions in the country. We think scientists from around the globe should investigate and find out what geographical and ecological changes are responsible for the unusually high temperature in Jharkhand at this time of the year.” The weather experts also said it was unpredictable as to what turn the future weather conditions would take.

Unusual Animal Behavior - updated Thursdays.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006 -

QUAKES -
Largest quakes yesterday -
4/11 -
5.6 IONIAN SEA
5.4 IONIAN SEA

U.S. WEST COAST - scientists have discovered that the seafloor off the Pacific Northwest is a jumping kind of place, with thousands of small, swarming earthquakes and tectonic plates that are slowly rearranging themselves. The findings could mean that a "Big One" earthquake may not be as severe as previously thought. The evidence is that multiple tectonic plates off the Pacific Northwest appear to be rearranging themselves. The plates have been slowly jamming into each other. One boundary among them appears to be turning into a fault that's more like the San Andreas Fault to the south in California. Instead of ramming together, the plates are rubbing past each other. The consequence could be a shortening of the fault along the Pacific Northwest, so a major earthquake wouldn't be so extensive or severe. The rearrangement could limit the potential for a magnitude 9 earthquake. The project has also turned up evidence of intense clusters of quakes that previously had gone undetected and are associated with underwater volcanic activity and are like the swarms of earthquakes that can precede volcanic eruptions such as that at Mount St. Helens. The quakes were small, on the order of magnitudes 2-4, but numerous, with as many as a thousand of them in a three-week period.
[ SITE OPINION - At these magnitudes it seems odd that thousands of these were 'undetected'. ]

VOLCANOES -
INDONESIA - Government authorities in Indonesia's densely-populated Central Java have banned mountain climbers from Merapi volcano as the province's crater has heated up. The volcano has increased in activity since mid-March, and scientists have since closely monitored its activity. Volcanic tremors had risen in frequency to nearly 100 on Sunday, while hot lava was seen sliding down into the area of Pasar Bubar village, about 350-metres from the Merapi's crater. Vulcanologists have upgraded the volcano's alert stage one level below ordering an evacuation and two below a full eruption.

MONTESERRAT - Residents in Montserrat are being warned of increased dangers as a result of the "vigorous resumption of dome growth" within the Soufriere Hills volcano. A preliminary statement issued by the Scientific Advisory Committee said the eight month old lava dome had grown within the crater to a height of about 250 metres above its base. The scientists say while the dome must grow much larger to approach the size of that of late 2002 to 2003, the potential for collapse of the dome lava leading to pyroclastic flows in the Gage's valley and Tyer's Ghaut has increased.

TROPICAL STORMS -

Rewrite those hurricane record books (again): The 2005 season is officially getting a 28th storm. The National Hurricane Center has added an unnamed subtropical storm to its map of last year's Atlantic hurricane season, adding one more to the year's already record total of 27 storms. (The previous record for a season was 21 storms in 1933.) The unnamed subtropical storm sliced a short swa