RATTLE & HUM: "Sounds Of the Apocalypse" - Mysterious Humming Noise Phenomena Continues - Strange Sound Rattles Workers in Conklin, Alberta, Canada! UPDATE: Movie Symbolism of "War of the Worlds" - UFO Emits Terrifying Sound Over Scotland!

The latest installment in the ongoing series of persistent and invasive vibrations or noise comes out of Conklin in Alberta, Canada.

The following video was uploaded to Youtube yesterday (January 14th) and features firefighters working in a forest area, when suddenly a mysteriously haunting sound was heard.

WATCH: Weird sound in Conklin.

Where are all of these sounds coming from? Do they represent the same thing? What does it mean? Is it a warning? Planetary tremors? Geological upheavals? Precursor to an imminent disaster? Motions and waves suggesting an imminent pole shift? Supernatural occurrences?

After reviewing several of these sounds from last year and into 2012, my mind flashed back to one of the opening scenes from the 2005 Steven Spielberg directed alien invasion movie War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise.

Have a listen to the sounds of the invading alien tripod fighting machines, as they rise out of the ground to launch an all-out attack on New Jersey and the rest of planet Earth.

WATCH: Scene from War of the Worlds.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that these sounds represent an invasion from an extraterrestrial force, but it is always a good idea to consider this movie as well as others, and the embedded symbolism, as we try to understand and discern the "high strangeness" of these times. I have already pointed out in several past articles how various forms of popular culture such as movies, music, television, advertising, sports and comics can be used as a foreshadowing or predictive programming of what is to come. A ghostly sub-textual narrative of partial concealment and potential revelations.

UPDATE: UFO Emits Terrifying Sound Over Scotland!

Given the preceding, take note of the following video out of Scotland of an unidentified flying object accompanied by terrifying noise. The film was done by Duncan Taylor.

Here is what he noted about the incident:

"I was awoken by a loud noise at approximately 2.30am yesterday, I went to the window to see if I could find out where the noise was coming from, it was so loud my windows were vibrating. I spotted a bright light in the sky moving about and pulsating, so I grabbed my camera and managed to get some footage. Not sure if the light was making the sound, but I have heard of these strange noises from around the world on the Internet and I was shocked it was happening here. I immediately thought they were fake, however the noise was also heard by my neigbours and my local police had received dozens of calls from people who live in the area who heard the noise too. Most are elderly and alot of them were terrified. The noise disappeared after about 10 minutes" [Edited for clarity]

WATCH: UFO over Scotland.

EXTREME WEATHER: Debilitating Drought to Continue Across Southern USA at Least for the Next Three Months - 2,500 Miles of Land From California to Virginia!

The disastrous Southern drought, which led to $10 billion in crop and agricultural losses in 2011, is forecast to continue through at least the next three months, government scientists report.

A portion of the Cypress Creek Arm of Lake Travis is completely dry near Austin in July.
The effects of La Nina should continue to be felt all the way from Southern California to
Florida and the Southeast coast into the spring, climatologists say.

The drought is also forecast to worsen and expand across the water-sensitive western USA. However, a powerful winter storm, after dumping snow in the Northwest, is forecast to bring some relief to the snow-starved Sierra Nevada in California this week. According to the most recent Drought Monitor, a weekly federal government report, drought is either in place or forecast to develop in a solid 2,500-mile stripe across the southern tier of the USA from California to Virginia.

"There are fairly good odds that the winter will continue to be on the warm and dry side in the Southern U.S.," says climatologist Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. The climate pattern La Niña, a cooling of Pacific Ocean water that usually leads to dry weather across the southern USA, remains in place, according to Fuchs. He said that even though this La Niña is not as strong as last winter's, its effects should continue to be felt all the way from Southern California to Florida and the southeast coast into the spring.

Although late fall and early winter rain have helped in bone-dry Texas, it has "by no means ended their drought," Fuchs says. Indeed, 95% of the state of Texas is in some level of drought, according to the most recent Drought Monitor. That is the highest percentage of any state. Record-low snowfall this winter is raising concern about water across much of the western USA, particularly in California, where almost half of the state is enduring drought. That is California's highest percentage of drought since March 2009. Snow surveyors from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) reported this month that the state's mountain snowpack was among the driest for the date on record.

As of last week, the snowpack's statewide water content was 11% of average. Mountain snow that melts into reservoirs, streams and aquifers in the spring and summer provides approximately one-third of the water for California's households, farms and industries, the DWR reports. Despite the dry conditions, water managers remain cautiously optimistic about this year's water supply. "Fortunately, we have most of winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good," DWR Director Mark Cowin said. The dryness could lead to a severe wildfire season this year in California, according to Cal Fire, the state's department of forestry and fire protection. In many areas, Cal Fire has banned debris burning. There is some short-term relief in sight for the Sierra from a wintry storm forecast to blast into the West this week: "They'll be measuring the snow in feet throughout the Sierra late this week and over the weekend," Weather Channel meteorologist Mark Ressler said. - USA Today.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: Blizzard Batters Seattle, Historic Snowstorm - Biggest Seattle Snowfall Since 1985 in the Forecast!

A major winter storm that could dump three times Seattle's annual snowfall on the city over two days was headed for the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Chris Dolce, a meteorologist with weather.com, wrote that travel could become "dangerous or impossible" by Tuesday night in areas including Seattle, Olympia, Bellingham as well as Portland, Ore. The National Weather Service was forecasting 1-2 inches of snow Tuesday in the Seattle area, and then 5-10 inches on Wednesday. But weather.com was predicting that parts of the Seattle area could be hit with 12-18 inches of snow in the next 48 hours. Up to 8 inches was also expected in Portland. "Keep in mind, average annual snowfall is only 2.4 inches in Portland and 5.9 inches in Seattle, so these amounts are very significant for these metro areas," Dolce added. "According to the National Weather Service in Seattle, Wash., snow amounts from this storm could exceed anything seen since November 1985 at Sea-Tac airport." The Seattle area saw several inches of snow over the weekend, and then a lull on Monday and overnight into Tuesday morning for most of the region. Dolce said that "several feet of snow" was expected to pile up in the Cascade and Bitterroots mountains.

Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades was shut down Tuesday morning for avalanche control. According to Dolce's forecast, snow was likely to spread well inland across the interior Northwest into the Northern Rockies. Spokane, Wash., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Kalispell, Mont. and Missoula, Mont., will all deal with substantial amounts of snow and rough travel conditions, weather.com reported. "There is a chance that an area of localized heavier snow could develop in the Seattle metro area Monday night into Tuesday morning along the arctic frontal boundary," Dolce added. Meanwhile, a National Park Service official said late Monday that a 66-year-old snowshoer who was found alive on Mount Rainier after two days has been rescued. It took nine hours to bring Yong Chun Kim out of the backcountry, spokeswoman Lee Taylor added. He became separated from a group he was leading on the mountain, about 100 miles south of Seattle. Snow was also forecast in the Midwest and New England on Tuesday, weather.com reported. - MSNBC.

SNOWAPOCALYPSE: "Jaw-Dropping" Blizzard and Massive Snowfall in Alaska Cancels Dog Sledding's "Toughest 300 Miles" - Record-Breaking 81.3 Inches of Snow in Anchorage?!

The "toughest 300 miles in sled dog racing" was no match for Alaska's recent massive snowfall.

The Copper Basin 300 (about 483 kilometers), with a purse of $18,000, was cancelled Sunday (Jan. 15) after heavy snow in Alaska "obliterated the middle section of the trail," said Greg Parvin, the race marshal. Temperatures around race time were minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 degrees Celsius). Alaska has been hit hard by snow this year. After a jaw-dropping blizzard on Jan. 9, a record-breaking 81.3 inches (207 centimeters) of snow has fallen in Anchorage this winter, according to the National Weather Service. That's nearly 7 feet (2.1 meters) of snow. The total is a new record for most snow from July to Jan. 11 for Anchorage. This year's total so far is nearly double what Anchorage usually receives by that date — certainly not the wimpy winter the rest of thecountry has had.

Heavy snow has been a problem in several towns near Anchorage. The snow has been so heavy in Cordova that an emergency shipment of heavy-duty shovels was needed. A small Alaskan fishing village called Maine Bay has had more than 100 inches (254 cm) of snow in the first 11 days of January. The Copper Basin 300 starts and finishes about 170 miles (275 km) northeast of Anchorage, in Lake Louise, Alaska. The impassible section, Meier's Lake, was 75 miles (171 km) into the race. The snow was so deep here that even the snow mobiles got stuck. The decision to cancel the race was made "in the interest of the dogs, mushers and race staff," according to Parvin. The Copper Basin 300 has been held every year since 1990. The winning dog sledders, known as mushers, typically take more than 50 hours to finish. - Our Amazing Planet.

RATTLE & HUM: "The Sounds Of the Apocalypse" - Mysterious Humming Noise Phenomena Continues - Helen Carter, Journalist From The Guardian Details Loud and Violent Sonic Boom That Rattled Britain's' Northeast!

It's not often that journalists are at the scene of a story when it actually happens, usually we are following up the story at a later point. But yesterday by sheer coincidence, I happened to be in the border town of Berwick-on-Tweed at approximately 3.15pm.

You might wonder why this information is significant. Something strange happened. I was with a photographer colleague in a Morrisons supermarket grabbing a quick hot drink in the restaurant while out on another story. The restaurant was bustling with customers and the supermarket was also very busy. Suddenly, a loud booming noise rumbled across the roof of the building. We felt like were in the middle of an earthquake or some kind of unusual seismic event. It felt similar to the sonic boom you experience when RAF fighter jets go past on exercise - but we were not aware of any aircraft overhead at the time. The roof began to shake violently and it looked as if it was sagging and about to fall in at one point, as it shook. Within seconds, the boom reached a crescendo as we all looked up, astonished.

Then it stopped. "What on earth was that?" we said to each other, not quite believing what had happened. The other people seemed equally baffled, staring at the roof in bemused wonderment. We tried to find out what was going on, but no-one seemed to know. "Did you hear that?", people were saying. Two managers were outside, looking bewildered as they checked for damage on the roof. We asked them what had happened. "We have no idea," they said and went back into the store. There was no obvious damage anywhere. No cracks in the ground and the sound seemed to be coming from above, not deep beneath the ground. The British Geological Survey said it was likely to have been a "sonic" event caused by fast planes flying in the area. People living in Northumberland and Tyneside contacted police after buildings shook and a loud rumbling noise was heard.

However, there were no reports of any injuries or damage. The BGS said it had received calls from people in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, with reports including "I heard a low frequency rumble", that the "whole house shook" or the caller "heard a very loud boom". It said the survey has received information from the media, the police and several residents in towns and villages in Northumberland and Tyne & Wear, who reported that they felt an event sometime around 3.15pm. Reports described "the front door shook and the letterbox flapped", "felt a very heavy rumble as if a heavy lorry had passed" and "vibration lasted for around 5 seconds with a rumbling noise". "Data from the BGS seismic networks in the region were examined and signals consistent with a possible sonic origin were recorded at around 3.13/3.14pm on several stations.The observations received are similar to those which have been received previously for sonic boom," it said.

"RAF Kinloss were contacted and have advised that there were two military jets on exercise in the area at the time." A spokesman said: "Data from the BGS seismic networks in the region were examined and a signal consistent with a possible sonic origin was recorded at approximately 15.13. "The reports received are also consistent with historical observations received for previous events with a sonic origin." The Vicar of Berwick, Canon Alan Hughes, told the Berwick Advertiser: "I was standing outside the vicarage and the next thing I knew people were piling out of the Church of Scotland and doors were rattling and people were coming out their houses and offices. It shook me to the core." Eyewitnesses who contacted the Berwick Advertiser and Berwickshire News offices reported that it had been felt in nearby villages on both sides of the border. - Guardian.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Weather-Driven Devastating Food Shortage Sparks Mass Suicide - Mexico's Tarahumara Indians Suffering Grave Hunger Crisis!

Mexico's Tarahumara Indians, legendary for their endurance in long-distance running, are reeling from a devastating food shortage caused by a record freeze and long drought, officials say.

The Mexican Red Cross and regional and federal government agencies mobilized Monday to send emergency supplies to the mountains in the northern state of Chihuahua, where the Tarahumara live, usually in rudimentary conditions. Part of the outpouring of help came after reports circulated of the mass suicide of 50 or more members of the community, desperate and despondent over not being able to feed their families. The reports of suicide were quickly denied by state government officials.

But the hunger is real.

Even in the best of times, the Tarahumara live on the sustenance farming of corn and beans. Parts of Chihuahua, however, have endured for months the most severe drought in 70 years and, more recently, a hard freeze. The Red Cross said it was delivering 220 tons of food and aid, plus 10,000 pieces of heavy clothing. The national government through its social development agency and the office of the mayor of Mexico City were sending money, blankets and thousands of food packages, many donated by citizens. Six people from the Tarahumara community have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, the peasant organization El Barzon told La Jornada newspaper. - LA Times.

EXTREME WEATHER: Severe Cold Conditions Closes Canada's Olympic Park - Minus 23 Degrees Cold Snap Resulted in a Record Demand for Electricity!

Canada Olympic Park will be closed to skiers and snowboarders until at least Wednesday due to extremely cold temperatures.

The sudden cold snap that hit Alberta, also causing a record demand for electricity, is now closing several ski hills. Dale Oviatt with Canada Olympic Park said the park is typically closed when temperatures are close to minus 23. "It gets a little bit too cold and for the safety of our guests and our staff we just feel it's not necessary to open on that [cold] a day."

Temperatures are expected to drop a little more in the next few days but officials will decide if the park can re-open Thursday depending on the weather. One positive thing about the closure, according to Oviatt, is that it gives the crews time to make more snow. Nakiska and Sunshine — two ski hills close to Calgary — remain partially open. - CBC.

Meanwhile, snow flurries and cold weather are set to continue across Metro Vancouver.

A blast of winter weather in Vancouver on Monday was just a taste of what is still to come. Metro Vancouver experienced sun, rain, ice, snow and everything in between over the last few days, with more snow and colder temperatures expected to persist throughout the week. The snowfall in downtown Vancouver on Monday morning was "just a little puff," according to Environment Canada meteorologist David Jones. He expected another five to 10 centimetres of snow to fall on Metro Vancouver overnight, with 15 to 20 cm of fresh snow for the Fraser Valley by this morning. Another big dump of snow could come Wednesday, riding a storm front from Washington state that prompted the National Weather Service in Seattle to announce a winter storm warning for several parts of the state today. "That front will flirt with the border area," Jones said. "Does it pull to the north and hammer us, or does it remain to the south? Right now it's not clear." Wind chill caused by a blast of continental arctic air could cause the temperature to drop to -20 C inland of Howe Sound in the next few days, Jones said, adding that it could get particularly cold in Whistler by Wednesday.

The snow and ice wreaked havoc on Vancouver's transit system Monday, forcing delays on several bus routes around the city including along the Granville Street Bridge and sections of Oak Street. Garbage collection was delayed in parts of the city. Residents should leave bins and recycling boxes out and staff will try to catch up as best they can, the city stated. By mid-afternoon, a section of the Trans Canada Highway east of Langley deteriorated to the point that police asked tow companies to delay hauling away vehicles that were stranded off the road. "Tow trucks are only removing vehicles that pose a hazard to the flow of traffic," said RCMP spokesman, Sgt. Peter Thiessen. "I want to remind drivers they are required by law to slow down when passing emergency vehicles pulled over on the side of the road, or tow trucks."

Around 3 p.m., a multi-vehicle collision on the Coquihalla Highway at Falls Lake closed the stretch between Hope and Merritt for several hours. Meanwhile in Vancouver, transit officials warned commuters the unpredictable weather could cause further disruptions. "We remind everyone to dress for the elements with proper footwear and expect that there could be some delays," said TransLink spokesman, Drew Snider. He said staff would do their best to keep trolley overheads ice-free and would keep an eye on SkyTrain routes. The Vancouver police department urged people to slow down and plan ahead. "Pedestrians and drivers [need to] take extra care to watch for each other," said VPD spokesman Const. Lindsey Houghton. "Drivers should make sure their car is in good working order and if you're planning a trip, plan for an emergency and pack warm clothing, food, water, [and a] flashlight."

More than 200 extra shelter spaces in Vancouver were freed up Monday night and tonight by an extreme weather alert. Most of the extra spaces consist of mats on floors in shelters and other community spaces, said Irene Jaakson, coordinator of Vancouver's Extreme Weather Response program. "Generally it's a day-by-day thing, but this is a bit of a unique circumstance because we know darn well that this whole week is going to be quite brutal." She said the alert will probably last throughout the week.

The City of Vancouver expected to "have all hands on deck" in coming days, said Murray Wightman, the city's manager of streets, traffic and electrical operations. He said 52 trucks outfitted with salters and plows could be dispatched if conditions worsen. "We'll be ready," he said. Each truck would be handled by city staff, he said, explaining that he's able to pull trained crews from other routine city work if needed. The city's annual snow budget is $400,000, which includes equipment maintenance and staff training, Wightman said. The actual cost of snow removal is funded separately out of contingency reserve funds, which vary depending on snowfall. - Vancouver Sun.

EXTREME WEATHER: Wildfire Destroys The Big Tree Park's "The Senator Tree" - Tree Was Roughly 3,500 Years Old!

Fire officials are still working to determine what sparked a fire that destroyed The Senator Tree in Big Tree Park in Longwood Monday morning.  The state Division of Forestry said Monday afternoon that they are ruling out arson at this time.  Around 5:30 a.m. Seminole County fire crews responded to Big Tree Park and found the top of the 118 foot tall Bald Cypress on fire.

Seminole County fire crews deployed hundreds of feet of hose to get back to the tree and battle the flames. Steve Wright from Seminole County Fire Rescue says around 7:45 .am. fire crews had to pull back as several branches and a 20-foot section of the tree fell off.  "We had to back up a little bit… regroup… and come at it at a different angle," said Wright.  Around 7:55 a.m. FOX 35 crews heard a large crash and could no longer see the tree standing. Wright says the tree collapsed after fire burned out the inside. "It's a old tree… it's dead… it's hollowed out. So it's actually burning like a chimney effect… from the inside… burning up."

Michelle Scherrer lives right next to Big Tree Park. She says her dog's barking woke her up. "About 5:40 my dog woke me up. She was barking cause she heard the fire trucks on the street and I walked outside to see the fire behind my neighbor's house."  Fire officials are working to determine how the fire started. Anyone with information on the fire or suspicious activity around Big Tree Park Monday morning is asked to contact the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.  The park is located on General Hutchinson Parkway between U.S. 17-92 and State Road 427 in Longwood. The Senator was a national landmark and listed with the United States Department of Interior. In 1925, a hurricane destroyed the top of the tree, reducing its original height of 165 feet to 119 feet. - FOX Orlando.

WATCH: Fire destroys "The Senator".

MASS UFO Sightings: Close Encounters in a UFO Hotspot - Six UFOs are Snapped Just 30 miles Apart in Kent and Essex!

Six suspected UFOs were captured in these two astonishing snaps taken in neighbouring counties.

The sightings — looking remarkably similar — were just 30 miles apart in the UK's UFO hotspot. Close encounter No1 came in Chatham, KENT, ten days ago at 1pm as Ernestas Griksas, 21, snapped a cherry-picker outside his window. When he looked at the pic afterwards he spotted strange objects in the sky. He said: "There are two white discs I can't explain. I'm nowhere near a flightpath. One is slightly fainter as if it is further away or going at a different speed."


Close encounter No2 was last Friday at 7am when car salesman Josh Cummins spotted four bright objects hovering in pairs as he drove to work through Loughton, ESSEX. Josh, 21, said: "I nearly crashed. I stopped to take this picture with my mobile. It was like the UFOs were surfing the clouds. They were there for 15 seconds then vanished.  "I wasn't a believer in UFOs but this made me think again." Expert Nick Pope said: "The South East is now the hotspot for UFO sightings." - The Sun.

2011 REVIEW: Last Year Was the Costliest on Record for Natural Disasters - $380 Billion Dollars to the Global Economy; Drought, Precipitation And Record-Breaking Warmth Highlight 2011 American Weather Extremes!

$380 billion. That's how much natural disasters cost the global economy in 2011, making it the costliest year on record. The toll was driven by the earthquakes that struck New Zealand in February and Japan in March.

Munich Re, one of the world's biggest reinsurance companies, has compiled data on the cost of natural disasters since 1980. It shows that the Japanese quake was the costliest disaster of all time, with losses of $210 billion - not including the nuclear incident at Fukushima. More broadly, the figures reveal a clear rise in the financial losses associated with natural disasters over the past 30 years (see graph).


The number of earthquakes has remained stable since 1980 but their economic cost is rising - a reminder that quake risk should be recognised by town planners, say Munich Re. In contrast, the number of weather-related events like floods and drought is rising. Evidence suggests this is linked to climate change, particularly in the case of extreme temperatures and rainfall, says Peter Stott of the UK Met Office in Exeter. The cost of extreme temperatures, fires and droughts has remained stable, the Munich Re findings show, but floods and storms cost us more today than they did 30 years ago. - New Scientist.

Climatologists are still collecting and analyzing the cumulative weather data from 2011, with the official Climate Prediction Center's Annual Climate Report scheduled for release on January 19; however, the preliminary report indicates what we already knew: 2011 was a dramatic weather year across the United States. Nearly two dozen reporting sites, extending from Kentucky to northern New England, reported their wettest years on record on 2011, while a few locations in Texas reported their driest years on record. The warmest year on record was recorded in spotty locations in the deep south and New Jersey. Records date back 117 years.


Lubbock, Wichita Falls, and Amarillo were the Texas cities that had less rainfall in 2010 than at any other time since records began, and much of Texas remains in the throes of an extreme to exceptional drought, the worst categories. Lubbock had less than six inches of rain (5.86), which broke the previous annual low of 8.73 inches set in 1970. Cities that had the most rain in any given calendar year included highly populated regions in the Northeast and mid-Altantic regions, such as Philadelphia, New York City (LaGuardia Airport), and Hartford. One of the more impressive records occurred in the Ohio Valley, where Cincinnati accumulated 73.28 inches of rain, which nearly doubled the annual average of 39.57.


The states with cities that either tied or established records for the warmest year were Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida. Record-breaking cities included Atlantic City, West Palm Beach, and Miami. From a national perspective, preliminary data indicates that the contiguous United States had an average temperature of 1.0 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average, which placed the year in the top third in terms of warmest on record. - Huffington Post.

A NEW NORMAL: Signs of the Monumental Earth Changes - Puerto Rico Installing Tsunami Sirens In Capital, as Jamaica Appoints Minister of Climate Change?!

Puerto Rico is setting up a tsunami alert system in densely populated San Juan.

San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini says experts warn that the island faces a very real threat from a tsunami though the last one occurred in 1918. Santini says the network of sirens and a public education campaign are critical in case of an evacuation. San Juan received about $800,000 from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to set up the alert system.

Puerto Rico is in a seismically active zone. The island's official seismic tracking center says one of the most powerful earthquakes in Puerto Rico history triggered the 1918 tsunami on the west coast. About 40 people were killed. - Huffington Post.

Meanwhile, the new administration in my homeland of Jamaica has just create a new ministerial position placing great focus on climate change.

Director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica Jeffery Spooner (left) in conversation briefs Minister
of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill during a meeting at the agency. 

Newly appointed Cabinet minister Robert Pickersgill wants the country to be sensitised about the importance of climate change, one of his portfolios. "I think it is fair to say that many Jamaicans are not as acquainted as they ought to be about the effects of climate change and how close we are to possible serious seasonal changes," said Pickersgill, the minister of water, land, environment and climate change. He was responding to questions from reporters during a tour of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica in Kingston yesterday. The minister said he has information that shows that on an annual basis weather-related problems amount to some $14 billion. "So if weather-related problems an annual basis can cost the country some $14 billion, if you do not do something to preserve the infrastructure, then you are just going around in circles," said Pickersgill. He said the Climate Change Unit in the Meteorological Service of Jamaica would, therefore, be strengthened, but said he would have to await the recommendations of the Met Service's director, Jeffery Spooner. One of the possibilities, he said, is to have a board put in place... "because I want you to be much more manageable and accountable to the ministry.


Spooner presented the minister with a copy of Jamaica's report presented at the Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban last June. The report outlines problems that Jamaica faces with respect to climate change, including adaptation and mitigation. It also contains recommendations to the various sectors that are impacted and how they are to adapt and mitigate climate change issues. Meanwhile, the minister said he would be meeting further with representatives of the National Water Commission (NWC) to be briefed on upcoming projects to be undertaken by the agency. "I met with the heads of the various departments. They have some interesting programmes that are going to come on stream. They are going to be laying out plans parish by parish," Pickersgill said. The minister said that there are 63 constituencies and he is interested to hear of projects for each from the NWC. Pickersgill also met with staff at the Environment and Land Management Division of the ministry. - Jamaica Observer.

DELUGE: Tropical Storm Dando Hits Mozambique - First Storm to Hit the Country Since 1984!

Tropical Depression Dando made landfall over the coast of Mozambique in southern Africa earlier today, as seen in this satellite image.

Dando is the first storm to hit this part of Mozambique since the infamous Tropical Storm Domoina in 1984, according to the UK Met Office. It made landfall at 4:00 a.m. EST (0900 UTC). Over the next 24 hours, Dando has the potential to drop substantial amounts of rain, with possible local rain totals between 4 to 6 inches (100 to 150 millimeters), according to the RSMC La Reunion-Tropical Cyclone Centre. Mozambique, a former Portuguese company, is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zimbabwe to the west, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Swaziland and South Africa to the south. - Our Amazing Planet.

The Mozambican authorities have announced a red alert in the south of the country due to tropical depression "Dando", which hit the coast on Monday morning. The National Meteorological Institute (INAM) says the alert covers Maputo and Matola cities, most districts in Maputo province, and coastal areas in Gaza and Inhambane provinces.  Maputo has been pounded by heavy, albeit intermittent, rains since before dawn on Monday. Tuesday morning saw many of the main roads in the city turned into rivers. Poorly drained outlying suburbs were swamped.

INAM forecast rainfall in excess of 50 millimetres a day. Winds have ranged from 50 to 85 kilometres an hour, with gusts of up to 120 kilometres an hour.  The storm has whipped up waves five to six metres high, and on Monday Maputo fishermen did not put out to sea. Much of Xai-Xai, capital of Gaza province, was plunged into darkness, because the winds tore large branches off trees, which then fell onto electricity transmission lines. Since the storm is now over land, it is losing strength, as it moves slowly northwest. Moderate to heavy rains are expected to continue for another 48 hours. - All Africa.