A child suffering from the Ebola virus receives treatment in Makeni, Sierra Leone. Photograph: Tanya Bindra/AP
November 29, 2014 - WEST AFRICA
- The number of people with Ebola in west Africa has risen above
16,000, with the death toll from the outbreak reaching almost 7,000, the
World Health Organisation (WHO) says.
The
number of deaths is more than 1,000 higher than the figure issued by
the WHO just two days ago, but it is thought to include deaths that have
gone unreported in the weeks or months since the outbreak began.
Most
of the new deaths were recorded in Liberia.
The WHO has warned
that its figures could be a significant underestimation of the number of
infections and deaths. Data from the outbreak has been patchy and the
totals often rise considerably when backlogs of information are cleared.
The latest confirmed data shows that almost half those known to have
been infected with Ebola have died.
Meanwhile, two children tested
for Ebola after arriving in Britain from Africa are not infected,
Public Health England confirmed on Saturday. It said the overall risk to
the public of the virus continued to be “very low”.
The children,
whose ages and names have not been released, underwent precautionary
tests in Newcastle for both the virus and malaria.
The outbreak
has been centred on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. They account for
the vast majority of the cases reported to date, with about three dozen
cases elsewhere.
Liberia has recorded the highest number of cases
and deaths, but the rate of infection is slowing there. The disease is
now spreading fastest in Sierra Leone.
Mali has started recording
infections after sick people crossed over from neighbouring Guinea. It
has reported two new cases this week.
This outbreak has been the
worst partly because it occurred in a highly mobile region, where
Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone meet, and quickly spread to their
respective capital cities.
Another UN agency, the Food and
Agriculture Organisation, warned that families in the three countries
were at risk of both malnutrition and under-nutrition.
Vincent
Martin, of the FAO, said 70% of people interviewed in Sierra Leone had
been eating only one meal a day since the outbreak, rather than two or
three. Restrictions on movement had led to panic buying, food shortages
and severe price hikes, the agency said.
The WHO said this week
that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo had ended,
as it did in Nigeria in late October.
Its guidelines state that a
country can be declared free of the virus once 42 days have passed and
no new cases have been detected. The 42 days represents twice the
maximum incubation period for Ebola.
Scientists said on Thursday
that progress towards creating an Ebola vaccine had been made. An
experimental vaccine has triggered promising immune responses from 20
healthy volunteers in a preliminary trial, suggesting that it should
protect against infection.
Trials of a device that can diagnose an Ebola infection
within 15 minutes are about to start in Guinea. The test, which can
analyse blood or saliva, is six times faster than those being used in
west Africa. - The Guardian.
November 29, 2014 - BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
- Insurance companies are processing more than $27 million worth of
initial damage claims after the supercell storm that tore through
Brisbane.
But the state government estimates the final bill from Thursday's storm could top $100 million.
Brisbane
has been left bruised and battered after the tempest swept across the
city, packing wind gusts of up to 140km/h that drove hail the size of
golf and tennis balls through roofs, windows and car windshields.
The
winds - equivalent to a Category 2 cyclone - peeled roofs from homes
and businesses, and toppled huge trees and powerlines across the city.
Parts of Brisbane received a month's rainfall in less then an hour.
The
Insurance Council of Australia has declared the storm a catastrophic
event, and Premier Campbell Newman has called in the army to help clean
up.
About
100 personnel have been deployed from the Enoggera army barracks to
clear main roads into the city and aid other aspects of the clean up.
At least 39 people were injured and 12 others taken to hospital.
Brisbane City Council’s list of suburbs affected by the storm.
A massive cleanup underway in Brisbane after yesterday's super cell storm.
The army called in to help clean up Brisbane.
Huge hail in Brisbane.
Nice little spring storm in Brisbane. Sorry for your Toyota neighbors.
Golf ball-sized hail storms hit glass buildings in Brisbane.
Brisbane storm pelts the Northside
But Premier Newman said none of the 39 were seriously injured, including those who needed hospital care.
"It was a terrible storm, but thankfully no one's been seriously injured or worse," Mr Newman said.
He
said one of those injured was an ambulance officer who suffered cuts
when a large hail stone smashed through the window of an ambulance while
she was out on a job.
Insurance
council spokesman Campbell Fuller said the timing of the storm, at peak
hour, meant there was a lot of damage to cars because there were more
on the roads.
But he said the size of the hail had also done a lot of damage to buildings.
"Not just roofs, also doors, windows and even the facades of buildings," he said.
One of the worst supercell storms Australia has seen
The
Bureau of Meteorology said the storm, which hit Brisbane about 4pm on
Thursday, was an extreme event and one of the worst supercell storms
Australia had seen.
In addition to the hail and ferocious winds,
it also dumped close to a month's worth of rain on some parts of the
city in a very short period of time.
"We had 72mm of rainfall at
Archerfield, over 60mm of that fell in about 20 minutes. Just to put
that in context, the average rainfall out there is 78mm for the month of
November," the bureau's weather services manager Richard Wardle told
AAP. WATCH: Roofs ripped, planes flipped - Worst storm in 10 years hits Brisbane.
"So pretty much the entire months' rainfall in about half an hour."
He said wind speeds were also extraordinary.
"We
recorded wind gusts in excess of 140km/h at Archerfield where we've
seen aeroplanes and helicopters overturned on the runway.
"Those
sorts of wind gusts are the same strength as those experienced in a
category two tropical cyclone, albeit they were felt in a much smaller
area than what you would get in a cyclone wall." - SBS.
November 29, 2014 - EARTH- The following constitutes the latest reports of record snowfall and cold temperatures, as the global cooling trend continues, plunging planet Earth toward a new Mini-Ice Age.
Record snowfall in Pennsylvania; 11.2 inches recorded
The only thing area motorists could be thankful for Wednesday was safely reaching their destinations.
And for some, that didn't happen.
A pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm made roads a treacherous mess, sending
vehicles slipping, sliding and some even overturning. The snow set a
record.
As of 7:30 p.m. in Towanda, Wayne Vanderpool, National
Weather Service Co-Op Observer, reported that he measured 11.2 inches of
snow, "with it still snowing lightly."
He said it was "the most snow ever measured in Towanda on any November day, since records began back in 1895."
Also, Vanderpool said Wednesday's total set a 24-hour snowfall record
for Nov. 26. The old record was 2.5 inches, which he said was set back
in 1898.
The snow kept emergency responders busy with calls.
"It's all over the county," said Alan Painter, an assistant chief with
the Troy Volunteer Fire Department. "The departments are getting called
everywhere." Painter said that with all the snow, there was "no
traction" on the roads.
On Wednesday night, Painter stood
beside a truck that lay on its side, following a crash, with no
injuries, that occurred on Route 14 in Troy Township. He said it was
caused by the bad road conditions. A man, who was the only person in the
truck, refused treatment.
"It's pretty slippery, a slippery snow," Painter said. "It's one of the early ones. People aren't used to it yet."
Painter said the crash was the third such one of the day, in which vehicles slid off the road.
Another crash Wednesday, just outside Troy Borough near the Williams
propane tanks, on the opposite side of Route 6 in Troy Township, sent a
car over an embankment. The Bradford County Firewire Facebook page
listed 3:52 p.m. as the time of the call for a "vehicle off the roadway"
in the area of Williams Tank Barn on Route 6 in Troy Township.
Meanwhile, on Route 414 in LeRoy Township, the Canton Volunteer Fire
Department responded to a crash in which a truck overturned and landed
on its roof. The call was received at 3:27 p.m., according to Bradford
County Firewire.
Canton Fire Chief J. Scott May said no one was
injured in the rollover crash. He said it was his guess that the bad
road conditions caused the crash.
"They're terrible," he said of the roads.
The driver, a New Albany man who didn't want to be identified, said
that he was following a Fed Ex truck, at 35 mph, before his own truck
went over a ditch and flipped over.
State police at Towanda
said incidents in which vehicles were slipping off the road, due to the
snowy road conditions, were widespread Wednesday throughout the county.
Troy Borough Council President Krystle Bristol said the snow was "very slick" in the borough.
"The borough crew has been working nonstop to keep the roads clear and
will continue to do so until it subsides," she said. "It's a very slick
snow that is causing some accidents."
Borough Council Vice
President Jennifer Malehorn, meanwhile, said "the guys have been out all
day and will be out until the storm is finished. I know our guys are
ready and more than willing to take care of the borough. In addition,
the borough manager has been in communication throughout the day, so we
know the status."
On Wednesday afternoon, Canton Police Chief
Doug Seeley said the borough's street crew was doing a good job. He said
four people were working on the borough streets.
He advised motorists to drive with caution, and have a safe and happy holiday.
A sign for a Thanksgiving Eve service in the borough had a message,
noting it was canceled. It was the same story for a planned service in
Granville Center.
And if you didn't have to drive, you could appreciate the fun and beauty of the snow.
The Christmas tree at Canton Borough Hall was covered in a fresh coat of snow, giving it even more of a holiday look.
"I enjoy it, I don't mind snow," said Lindsay Rathbun, as she shoveled
snow in Canton Wednesday afternoon. She said it puts a little damper on
holiday travel, however. She had to cancel a trip to Maryland, because
of the weather.
"They're slippery, but they're right on top of them," he commented.
The sign on the north edge of LeRaysville,
along Route 467, stood almost covered in snow Wednesday. The bear
mailbox holder outside the home of Chris and Martha Young of
LeRaysville, meanwhile, was almost covered in snow as well.
The
snow made an impression on employees of the LeRaysville Market: Sara
Button, who had been shoveling; Traci Johnson; Krista Histand; and Sarah
Mast.
"It's beautiful!" Krista said of the snow. "That's all I
care about." She also heard a man say it was a "good day for penguins."
In Stevensville, Maria Hoover and her son Isaiah Hoover, 7, put the finishing touches on a "snow cat."
"We have a solid four to five inches up here already, and it's still
coming down hard," said Mallory Babcock of Armenia Mountain, at 3:07
p.m. Wednesday.
"It looks the start of winter."
"I
love getting it," she added. "I think it's a difficult time to have it
right before Thanksgiving, because people are traveling, that's the bad
part of it."
"We've had quite a few cars in ditches on Fallbrook Road," Babcock said.
She said PennDOT workers had to come up, with chains on their vehicles, and clean the road. - The Daily Review.
Nearly 150,000 Still Without Power in New England After Pre-Thanksgiving Snowstorm
The pre-Thanksgiving storm across the Northeast downed tree limbs
and power lines across the region, knocking out power to thousands.
(Twitter/Central Maine Power)
Thousands
of people across New England had to spend their evening in darkness
this Thanksgiving, as a powerful Northeast snowstorm wiped out
electricity across the region on Wednesday.
As of 11:15 a.m.
Friday morning, 109,000 of people served by the Public Service of New
Hampshire remained without power, according to the utility.
An additional 8,900 people in the state served by Unitil were also experiencing outages.
The company encouraged those experiencing outages to seek other arrangements for their Thanksgiving meals.
"While
we will be continuing to restore, customers without power this morning
should make alternative plans if possible for their holiday dinner,"
Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O'Meara said Thursday.
"Once
the damage assessment phase is complete, we'll have a clear picture as
to how long it will take to restore power to all customers, but it is
clear we will be working through Thanksgiving in Concord," O'Meara said.
WATCH: Many without power after snowstorm.
In
neighboring Maine, the problem is similar. The combination of heavy
snow on power lines and car accidents resulting in downed utility poles
had left more than 100,000 people served by Central Maine Power in
darkness.
By late Friday morning, the utility reported that more than 21,000 remained without power across the state.
"The
heavy, wet snow that started around midday has built up on roads, tree
limbs and power lines, causing numerous outages across our service
area," said Gail Rice, spokesperson for Central Maine Power in a press
release Wednesday.
"We know people are eager to get power back, or
get an estimate on restoration time, so they can move ahead with
Thanksgiving plans. But with widespread storm damage, and snow still
creating difficult travel and working conditions for crews, we're not
able to provide restoration estimates yet," Rice said.
Though the
snow retreated for most areas early Thursday, temperatures through
Saturday will hover at or below freezing, preventing much of the snow
from melting.
Additional outages may amount as the heavy snow
lingers, testing the strength of tree limbs and power lines throughout
the region.
The chilly air will also make it more of a struggle for residents who rely on electric heat. - AccuWeather.
U.S. Great Lakes ice cover develops earliest in over 40 years
Ice
is already starting to develop on Michigan's Great Lakes. This is the
earliest ice on some of the Great Lakes in at least 40 years. According
to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, on November 20,
2014, three of Michigan's Great Lakes had ice starting to form.
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan were one-half percent ice covered,
while Lake Huron had one percent ice. Lake Erie was not reporting any
ice as of Nov. 20, 2014.
Decent early season ice coverage records date back to 1973. Last Friday was the earliest date that all three Great Lakes already had icesince
the better reporting of early season ice began. Lake Superior actually
had ice forming on November 15th of this year. That is the earliest ice
on Lake Superior in the good data set.
Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron had ice 10 days earlier this year than last year. Lake Superior only had five and a half months without any ice on the lake.
A
new type of 3D mapping revealed Antarctic sea ice could be much thicker
than previously estimated, shows a study done with the help of a yellow
robotic submarine named SeaBed.
The new study, published in Nature Geoscience, showed that average ice thickness in Antarctica is between 1.4 meters and 5.5 meters. The maximum thickness recorded was 17 meters.
Also, 76 percent of the mapped ice has been tagged as 'deformed,' the
study stated, which means that ice crashed together, forming a thicker
layers of ice.
"Our surveys indicate that the floes are much thicker and more deformed than reported by most drilling and ship-based measurements of Antarctic sea ice,"
states the study. "We suggest that thick ice in the near-coastal and
interior pack may be under-represented in existing in situ assessments
of Antarctic sea ice and hence, on average, Antarctic sea ice may be
thicker than previously thought."
SeaBed robot has been
involved in two expeditions in Antarctica with scientists from the UK,
the US and Australia. The yellow robot is an autonomous underwater
vehicle (or AUV) equipped with upward-looking sonar to measure and map
the underwater sea ice.
WATCH: Underwater robot maping Antarctic sea ice.
The two-meter robot moved in a
"lawnmower" pattern so as not to miss any areas and bounced sound waves
off the under-surface of the ice to make its estimates.
Two expeditions took place in 2010 and 2012 and included regions of Weddell, Bellingshausen, and Wilkes Land.
Overall, an area of 500,000 meters squared was analyzed by members of
the British Antarctic Survey, the Institute of Marine and Antarctic
Studies (IMAS) in Tasmania and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
in the US.
Before the discovery, ice thickness in Antartica
could only be measured through the ice breaking ships, which usually
stay around the thinner ice regions.
The revelations represent a breakthrough in the field, The Guardian quoted co-author of the study and a member of IMAS, Dr. Guy Williams, as saying.
"Sea ice is an important indicator of the polar climate but measuring
its thickness has been tricky," said Williams. "Along with the satellite
data, it was a bit like taking an X-ray of the ice, although we haven't
X-rayed much of it, just a postage stamp."
"The key thing is
that this is a game changer because it was previously very challenging
to measure ice depth. We were limited to visual observation from the
decks of ships or ice cores and take measures." - RT.
Minnesota reports subzero temperatures; coldest Thanksgiving since 1930
Minnesotans
woke up to subzero temperatures on Thanksgiving Day, and if the mercury
doesn't make it up into the double digits, the day could be one for the
record books.
As of 8 a.m., it was 2 below in the Twin Cities, and 20 below in Bemidji, in northern Minnesota.
Meteorologist Matt Brickman is forecasting a high Thursday afternoon of
10 degrees. And if temperatures don't rise higher than that, it will be
the coldest Thanksgiving since Herbert Hoover was president, in 1930.
Snow will fall during the night in some areas, followed on Friday by the possibility of freezing rain. - CBS Minnesota.
–52C in Siberia: Over 70 passengers 'push' frozen plane to runway
The temperatures in Igarka were 52C below zero (Screenshot from youtube.com)
Freezing
temperatures didn’t stop intrepid passengers from “helping out” a
Russian plane that couldn’t move, because its wheels were frozen to the
ground. The "selfie" won the day in a remote Siberian town beyond the
Arctic Circle.
74 passengers, who were on board, offered the
seven-member crew and technical staff to help move the frozen Tupolev
Tu-134 plane to the takeoff runway on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the
UTair company told TASS.
“The passengers disembarked to lighten the weight, and then they volunteered to move it,” she said.
WATCH:Over 70 passengers 'push' frozen plane to runway.
The
temperatures in Igarka, in the Krasnoyarsk region, hit a low of about
-52C. Locals, living some 163 km north of the Arctic Circle, are quite
used to cold weather, but machines turn out to be more delicate.
Having
spent over 24 hours on the tarmac, the airplane’s wheels simply froze
to the ground. However, the brake system wasn’t harmed. According to the
company, the ice-covered ground was the reason the plane couldn’t be
moved. The incident is currently under investigation, and will involve
airport staff, the airline, crew and passengers.
The
passengers of the charter flight were rotation workers, heading to
Krasnoyarsk. They didn’t regard their activity as anything outstanding.
There just was no other way for the plane to take off, they said. “Planted a tree, built a house, pushed a plane,”
goes a new joke, referring to the three vital actions of a real Russian
man, which also includes having a son, according to a local TV.
Nonetheless, the director of the local airport said that “The
passengers – rotation workers – must have decided to make some sort of a
‘selfie’. The joke proved right and became a good one in the internet.”
He
was doubtful whether people could actually move a 70-ton aircraft. This
was backed by the prosecutor’s words, who added that it would be hard
to reach its two-meter-high wings, and if you did manage, the cover and
flaps could get damaged.
The plane successfully made it to Krasnoyarsk, albeit it with a little delay. - RT.
Thanksgiving Weekend Travel: Icy Spots in Northeast; Stormy in the West
As
millions return home from Thanksgiving this weekend, icy roads will be a
hazard in part of the Northeast. An onslaught of storms, bringing snow
and rain, will disrupt travel in the West.
Watch for Icy Spots in the Northeast
While drier and milder weather will arrive across the Northeast this weekend, refreezing of melted snow remains a concern.
A
winter storm plastered the region with piles of wet snow Wednesday and
Wednesday night. The storm knocked out power to more than 300,000
customers in the Northeast at the height of the storm. Thousands remained in the dark on Thanksgiving.
As milder weather reaches the snow-packed Northeast, the snow will melt during the day.
"Wet
and water-logged roads and sidewalks will freeze up at night this
weekend, creating dangerous travel conditions in the region," said
Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
The icy roads will be the most prevalent travel threat this weekend, especially across the interior.
"Travel during the daytime hours will be much safer," said Anderson.
Those traveling at night or around dawn this weekend should be prepared for slick spots.
The snowmelt could bring standing water across low-lying and poor drainage areas, but any flooding should be isolated.
A
few brief rain showers and even a few flurries will be found over the
interior this weekend, but there will be no widespread weather-related
threats to ground or air travel.
Wet Weather to End Weekend From Ohio Valley to Lower Lakes
For
people heading home late in the weekend into Monday, milder air and
moisture sweeping northward ahead of a cool front will lead to some rain
in part of the Midwest to the central Appalachians.
According to
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, "Motorists will
encounter wet roads at times in the swath from Evansville, Indiana, and
Louisville, Kentucky, to Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and
Buffalo, New York, Sunday into Monday."
"Allow extra stopping distance between vehicles on the wet roadways."
The
air may turn cold enough to allow some wet snow to mix in at the tail
end on Monday in parts of northern Indiana to western New York.
Snow, Freeze-Up for Northern Rockies; Rain to Dampen California
Snow will slow travel across Montana and the northern Rockies, while periods of rain will soak northern California this weekend.
Travelers
on Interstates 90 and 15 should anticipate snow-covered roadways as
several inches of snow piles up in the region. Some passes through the
Rockies may become closed for a time.
Drier weather will settle
into the region on Sunday, but frigid weather will keep snow and ice on
many roads.
The cold weather may even bring some wintry weather across
the Pacific Northwest.
"There will be a bit of snow and colder
weather in Seattle and Portland during early Saturday," AccuWeather
Western Weather Expert Ken Clark said. "There may be some slick roads in
spots."
Farther south, periods of rain will visit northern
California this weekend, including San Francisco. The rain will make
roads slick as it combines with oil buildup, including I-5 from Redding
to Sacramento, California, as well.
The rain will not be heavy though, so incidents of flooding and disruptions to air travel should be limited.
Mild, Dry in the South
An
expansive area of dry and rather mild weather will encompass nearly the
entirety of the southern United States. Sunshine will prevail for the
most part as highs soared into the 70s and 80s. - AccuWeather.
Britain to be colder than Moscow with -5°C forecast as flooding hits south east England
Many
Brits woke up to their first winter frost this morning - as more flood
warnings were issued for parts of the country. Forecasters are
predicting more of the same tonight, with the mercury set to dip as low as -5C in central Scotlandand gritters on alert up and down the country, compared to -4C in Moscow.
Central Britain and Scotland is also braced for a blanket of freezing
fog tonight before a misty and frosty start to tomorrow morning. Flash
floods hit parts of the of the South East of England last night with some roads transformed into rivers by a huge downpour with many areas receiving up to an inch of rain.
In London, the fire brigade tackled 34 separate flooding incidents. The
River Ravensbourne in Lewisham, south-east London, burst its banks and
water poured on to surrounding roads affecting an area of around 1,800
square metres, the London Fire Brigade said.
Around 21
firefighters and officers pumped the water away from homes and
businesses in the area and back into the river but further downstream.
More wet weather is expected with The Environment Agency putting 10
flood warnings in place in England and Wales yesterday - all in the
Anglian area.
The agency also issued 65 flood alerts, including 26 in the Anglian area and 28 in the South East.
Flood warnings mean flooding is expected and immediate action required;
flood alerts mean flooding is possible and people should be prepared.
Rain is expected to return on Wednesday.
Weather forecasters have also warned that this week's cold spell could herald a snowy and cold winter.
Piers Corbyn, forecaster for Weather Action, said early signals warn of a severe cold snap hitting as soon as next month.
He said: "There are significant cold and snow blasts expected during
December thanks to air being allowed to flood in from the Arctic region.
"This is due to a meandering jet stream which is currently
blocking this cold flow of air, however a major change will see a
dramatic turnaround with sustained cold and snow likely.
"People should be aware of the strong likelihood for disruption,
especially as it is still mild so there may be a false sense of
security."
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, added:
"A much anticipated colder and more wintry spell of weather is likely as
we progress throughout the latter part of November and into December."
However Met Office forecaster Laura Young disputed warnings of a cold snap.
She said: "Actually what we are seeing is an end to what has been a
very warm and wet autumn and the return to more normal temperatures for
this time of year.
"Many places are likely to reach 13c still
with an average across Britain of 9.9c which is actually not bad for
this time of year."
The chilly warnings come as the United States is crippled by a major whiteout which killed seven people.
Jim Dale, forecaster for British Weather Services, said: "It is not
quite cold enough yet for that to happen but it is getting colder,
especially after the mild weather we have seen and what we are expecting
is not linked to what is happening in the United States.
"The
change is really down to this battleground between high and low
pressure, it is a classic situation resulting in mild quickly followed
by cold conditions."
Tuesday's UK forecast: A
cold and frosty start for most with low cloud, mist and fog which will
be slow to lift. Then, it is going to be rather cloudy with rain
spreading north into southern and central parts of England. There will
also be patchy rain for western and southern Scotland and Northern
Ireland. - Daily Mirror.
2015-2035 Mini-Ice Age
WATCH: Winter Wheat Kill-Off From Extreme Cold in November.
WATCH: Record Ice Halts Shipping on Mississippi River.
WATCH: 140 Year Cold in Florida are the Manatees Migrating?
November 29, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Pygmy sperm whale found dead on Anglesey beach, Wales
Gwynedd
Council worker Rhys Jones found the young pygmy sperm whale at Dinas
Dinlle beach, a week after it had been refloated by rescuers.
A whale that was rescued and freed back into the sea last week has died.
The young pygmy sperm whale was spotted washed up on a beach at Dinas
Dinlle today, opposite Newborough beach where it was originally found
stranded and rescued, last Thursday, November 20.
It was discovered by Gwynedd council worker Rhys Jones.
A post-mortem will be carried out by the government's Marine
Environmental Monitoring body to try to find out what caused the
animal's death.
Dr Peter Evans, Director of the Seawatch Foundation, said it was not surprising that the whale had died.
"They have been found increasingly in European waters in the past few years because of climate change.
"It's probably come across from deeper waters into shallower waters.
"It's very sad news as it's only the second strand in Wales of such a rare species."
Last week, the Daily Post reported how volunteers from Sea Watch Foundation found the male mammal stranded at Newborough beach.
They were joined by members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue
(BDMLR), coastguards and RSPCA who carried the male mammal from the sand
and back into the sea.
There had been fears the whale would strand itself again. - Daily Post.
Manatee from Florida makes rare visit to Texas waters
The manatee is expected to be taken to Sea World San Antonio or a Marine Mammal facility in Galveston.
Authorities in Texas said they are working on a plan to assist an unusual visitor -- the first manatee to visit the Houston area in 19 years.
The Chambers County Sheriff's Office said a deputy spotted the male
manatee swimming up a channel Sunday near Baytown and barriers were put
in place once the sea mammal settled in a spot next to a warm water
outlet.
Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said waters in the area are too cold for manatees this time of year.
"The cold water makes them stressed, it makes them really tired, just like if you or I were out in a snowstorm," he told the Houston Chronicle.
WATCH: Manatee from Florida makes rare visit to Texas waters.
Experts said they were able to identify the manatee using the scar patterns on his back. They said the animal usually spends his time in Tampa, Fla., and they are not sure why he made the swim to the Houston area.
Heidi Whitehead, operations coordinator at the Texas Marine Mammal
Stranding Network, said her group is working with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and Sea World San Antonio on a plan to relocate the sea
cow before temperatures drop too much.
"He's already showing some signs of cold stress so that is a concern,"Whitehead
said. "Once the water temperature drops below 68 degrees it's too cold
for them to survive. It is necessary for us to relocate it."
Whitehead said the manatee could be pulled from the water before the end
of the day Tuesday and will be taken to Sea World if it is found to be
in good health or a Marine Mammal facility in Galveston if it requires
urgent care.
"We will decide how critical he is once we get him out," Whitehead said.
A manatee was previously rescued from waters near Corpus Christi in 2007. The animal was returned to Florida. - UPI.
Thousands of fish die in fish cages in Wonogiri Regency, Indonesia
The fish were cultured in floating cages in Gajah Mungkur (WGM) died on Wednesday (11/26/2014). The death of thousands of fish affected the
change of seasons or transition that resulted in depleted oxygen content. (Bony Eko Wicaksono / Jibi / Solopos)
Erratic
weather conditions at the turn of the season lead to the death of 35
tons of fish were cultured in floating cages Aquafarm Nusantara PT Gajah
Mungkur (WGM) Earlier, thousands of fish die in mid-November. The majority of fish are farmed tilapia and catfish types. Death of fish in floating cages WGM an annual cycle when the transition.
A manager WGM floating cages fish meal, Slamet, said dead fish found floating cages in 16 Aquafarm Nusantara PT in just a day. "Water reservoirs shrink despite the rain since a few days ago. Significantly, the oxygen content in the water to thin, "he said when met solopos.com, Wednesday (11/26/2014). According to him, dead fish directly buried in the surrounding area and away from the area WGM floating cages. A farmer floating fish cages WGM, Wardiman, the number of dead fish belonging to farmers was reduced compared to some time ago. At that time, the number of dead fish 1-2 tons / day. Typically, this condition will expire after the reservoir water levels back to normal. According to him, the death of fish this year is comparable to similar conditions in some previous years. At that time, the number of dead fish reached more than 30 tons. "If the number of dead fish is only about 10-20 tons is still relatively mild. Usually more than 30 tons when entering the transition, "he explained. - Solopos. [Translated]
15,000 birds dead, 200,000 to be killed due to avian flu in Kerala, India
India
has found two outbreaks of a highly contagious bird flu virus in the
southern state of Kerala, prompting the authorities to cull more than
200,000 birds, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on
Tuesday.
The virus itself killed about 15,000 infected ducks in
Kottayam and another 500 in nearby Alappuzha, the first cases of the
disease in the country since February this year, the Paris-based OIE
reported on its website, citing data submitted by the Indian ministry of
agriculture.
The report said the animals died of an H5 strain of the flu virus but did not specify the exact variant.
Germany,
the Netherlands and Britain have been hit this month by the H5N8 bird
flu strain which has devastated flocks in Asia, mainly South Korea,
earlier this year but has never been detected in humans.
Another
strain, the feared H5N1, can be fatal to humans. It caused the deaths
of nearly 400 people and hundreds of millions of poultry after it spread
from Asia into Europe and Africa in 2005-2006.
"This is not a
rare event," OIE Director General Bernard Vallat told Reuters. "India
regularly reports cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild and
domestic birds."
"The problem in this case is that they have not
been able to determine which variant yet, whether it is the same as the
one in Korea and elsewhere."
Over 200,000 birds were being
culled in the villages where the outbreaks were found and an intensive
surveillance campaign had been launched in a 10 km radius around the
area to ensure that the virus did not spread further, the Indian
ministry said it its report.
Since 2006 India has culled 6.4
million birds due to bird flu, Vallat said, adding that the latest
outbreaks were not a particular cause for concern. - Reuters.
Over 30 dead or dying crows found in Portland parks, Oregon
ODFW will conduct necropsies, Audobon Society helping to investigate
About 30 dead crows were found along the Willamette River waterfront and some Portland parks,and officials don't have any idea at this time what caused their deaths.
Several crows were seen suffering seizures and flopping on the ground
at Waterfront Park, police said, and several dead crows were seen
nearby. Other dead crows were found around Chapman and Lownsdale Square
parks and the Lovejoy Fountain.
PPB Sgt. Roger Axtelm said the
bureau "had a number of phone calls from citizens calling about the
blackbirds that were down and apparently ill. Some were deceased." A
few of the birds were alive but in bad shape. Bob Sallinger with the
Portland Audobon Society said the ones still alive "were convulsing."
WATCH: Dozens of dead crows found in Portland parks.
He said they don't know what caused them to die, "but it's very possible they got into some kind of toxin. The
birds that I took a look at already looked very healthy, good body
condition. Good feather condition. They died suddenly from something."
Portlanders who spoke with KOIN 6 News, like Hunter Hesslink, were more than a little curious about the bird deaths.
"I don't think it's healthy at all to be around dead crows," Hesslink
said. "I don't think that's safe, and birds carry diseases. So I think
they should look into it, at least."
Sallinger said there is no real reason to worry. "As a member of the public, I would not be concerned."
But he said if you see a dead crow, don't touch it. Call the Audobon Society.
He also said it's too early to tell if the birds died a natural death or if it was intentional.
ODFW will conduct necropsies on each of the birds. Anyone coming across
dead crows in Portland parks should not move them and should call the
Park Ranger Hotline at 503.823.1637.
"Sometimes these things
remain mysteries. There are some obvious things that you look for, but
it can be a needle in a haystack," Sallinger said. - KOIN.
Third elephant attack within 3 days in Sri Lanka: Two killed in jumbo attack
Two men were killed in a wild elephant attack on Monday night at Ellakattuwa,
The deceased were A. Gunadasa (65) and P. G. Sambarana (62).
The Wildlife officials said that the elephant had emerged from the
jungles of Nochchiyagama and moved to Malwathu Oya after killing the two
persons.
A team of Wildlife officials had moved to the area to capture the elephant and relocate it, the officials said.
Dozens of bird corpses wash up on Monterey beach, California
Birds recently began washing up on Monterey Municipal Beach.
Over the past few days, the tide has brought in more than just kelp.
Recently,
observant beachgoers have reported dozens of bird corpses along the
high-water mark of several local beaches. On Wednesday morning, there
were over four dozen dead seabirds along a 1.5-mile stretch of Monterey
Municipal Beach, including Cassin's auklets, western grebes, northern
fulmars and murres.
Seabirds can die during
fall migration if they are too old, weak or malnourished. Also, warm
near-shore waters may have decreased local populations of krill, a
common food for seabirds, according to Raphael Kudela, professor of
ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz. Occasional algal blooms can also kill
seabirds.
The causes of death of the birds spotted Wednesday were not known.
But, dead seabirds are not an unusual feature of Monterey-area
shorelines during autumn, experts with the Audubon Society and the
Monterey County chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals said.
"This appears to be one of those things that can
happen every year around this time," said Jessica Shipman, a spokeswoman
with the Monterey County SPCA. - Monterey Herald.
Dog attacks on people triple over a year in Queenstown, New Zealand
Roaming dogs, the number of menacing dogs and attacks on people are on the rise in Queenstown.
The number of attacks on people increased from six in the 2012/13 financial year to 19 in the last period.
The number of dogs classed as "menacing" more than doubled from eight to 19, while the number of infringement notices for failing to keep a dog under control leapt from 17 to 37.
Councillors will consider a dog control report during a Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting today.
Council regulatory manager Lee Webster said there was a small increase
in the number of dogs registered in the district but the increased
number of attacks may also be due to more reporting.
"Over the last year we have seen an increase in the overall number of attacks [on people and animals] from 24 to 46which has generated significant demand for the animal control service," the report said.
Webster said the increases could be attributed to a combination of changes.
"We've had a small increase in the number of registered dogs. That's
only going to increase as we move forward with development in Queenstown
and Wanaka.
"Maybe it's more reporting and the attack levels
have been the same. People know the council are going to action it. It's
a significant increase [in attacks], we have had more attacks on
people, thankfully not a huge number. That's still a significant number
of attacks, which we don't want."
Overall, across the district
the number of registered dogs increased to 3874 and the number of
complaints increased by 21 per cent to 900. The increase in complaints
continued a trend over the last three years, the council said.
The biggest problem were roaming dogs, prompting 337 complaints.
In the Wakatipu, the council record shows 21 menacing dogs on the
register, including two American pitbull types. Of the attacks on people
this year, four were classed as serious.
Stranded long-finned pilot whale died from starvation on Essex coast, UK
The
first long-finned pilot whale to beach in the southern North Sea for 22
years died from starvation, post-mortem tests have found.
The whale, among a 40-strong pod seen along the East Anglian coast, washed up near Goldhanger, Essex, on Thursday afternoon.
Marine experts successfully encouraged most of the whales from the shallow Blackwater Estuary into deeper waters.
But one - a 2.18m female - was found dead.
The whale was found on a beach with "partial rigor mortis", said cetacean experts
The pilot whales became distressed after an ebb tide resulted in shallower waters off Brightling sea
Rescue teams began their operation after the pod was spotted on Tuesday
Rob Deaville, cetacean strandings programme manager at ZSL, said the whale was found on a beach with "partial rigor mortis".
"[This] indicates that the whale is likely to have died that morning,
possibly around the time that the pod of whales was observed up the
Blackwater River near Osea Island," he said.
"The whale had stranded alive before dying on the beach."
Tests showed the whale was in "very poor nutritional condition" with "no significant evidence of recent feeding".
He said: "The most likely cause of stranding and death at this stage is
starvation, although we are waiting for the results from follow-up
tests, including several to determine whether the animal had an
underlying infection."
Some 12,000 cetacean strandings have been recorded in the UK since 1990.
Mr Deaville said: "In
that time, only one long-finned pilot whale has been recorded stranded
on the UK coast in the southern North Sea - a single individual in
Norfolk in 1992 - indicating how unusual this event is."
The pod of whales has been off the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex coastlines in recent weeks. - BBC.
Grey seals kill porpoises and could attack humans, Dutch scientists warn
Swimmers have been warned to keep clear of grey seals after scientists discover that they attack and kill porpoises
Grey seals may be a danger to swimmers after scientists discovered they were responsible for the widespread slaughter and mutilation of North Sea porpoises.
Wildlife experts have long been divided over what caused the horrific
injuries seen on the bodies of hundreds of beached harbour porpoises.
Some blamed boat propellers while others claimed the animals had become
entangled in fishing nets and left at the mercy of scavengers.
Now
DNA analysis of their injuries has led to an intriguing conclusion. It
seems they are regularly attacked and killed by grey seals which tear
strips of nutritious blubber from their bodies.
And scientists have warned that the seals could target human swimmers in a similar way.
Over the past decade more than one thousand severely scarred and wounded porpoises have washed up on North Sea coastlines.
"A substantial proportion of harbour porpoises that stranded on the
Dutch coast were mutilated by grey seals," said lead researcher Mardik
Leopold of the Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies in
The Netherlands.
"Most cases involved active killing and that
only a small proportion can be attributed to post-mortem scavenging.
This makes predation by grey seals one of the main causes of death in
harbour porpoises currently stranding in The Netherlands.
"Many
of the mutilated porpoises were found on Dutch shores used frequently
by human bathers and surfers and there would appear to be no reason why
humans may not be at risk from grey seal attacks."
Grey seals
can grow to nearly 11ft in length and weigh 880lbs. There are large
colonies in UK waters including at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, the Farne
Islands off the Northumberland coast, Ramsey Island off the coast of
Pembrokeshire as well as large populations on the Scottish islands of
Orkney and North Rona.
Although only a few mutilated porpoises
have ever washed up onto British shores, experts say it could be just a
matter of time before the behaviour becomes widespread, and pose a real
danger to humans.
"Very few have been found, and recognised for what they are, in the UK," added Mr Leopold.
"Yet, most grey seals live in Scotland, and so do many porpoises, and
we know that grey seals sometimes swim from the UK to the Continent.
"It could be just a matter of time, of course as this behaviour is now very common here."
Researchers looked back at images of 1,081 dead porpoises which washed
up between 2003 and 2013. Of the 721 animals which were fresh enough to
look for marks, some 25 per cent showed visible signs of attack by grey
seals. They were also compared to three porpoises which had seal DNA in
their wounds. The bites and scratches were found to match.
The
scientists estimate that at least 17 per cent of animals washed up on
shore were killed by the seals adding that many more bodies are likely
to have been lost at sea or eaten completely.
Richard
Harrington, of the Marine Conservation Society said: "Grey seals can be
very territorial and we would always tell people not to approach them.
Scuba divers often report being approached by seals.
"I have never heard of any attacks on bathers but you can't rule it out.
"We have had lots of reports of carcasses of harbour porpoises where we
have been unable to explain their deaths or their condition and this
report gives a feasible explanation."
The authors suggest that
grey seals may have originally scavenged the bodies of porpoises which
had become entangled in fishing nets and drowned, before moving to
actually hunting the animals.
A spokesman for the RSPCA said swimmers should take care when in the water near seals.
"While we would urge people not to be unduly concerned by this study,
it is important for people to remember that seals are wild animals and
are therefore by their nature unpredictable.
"We would advise
members of the public to be cautious around them however its unlikely
these animals would pose an immediate threat to humans in the sea.
"Generally, seals do not directly interact with people and are
naturally wary of humans. Like many other members of British wildlife
they shun human contact.
"If a member of the public find a seal
in distress we would urge them to contact rescue organisations such as
ourselves where trained handlers can respond."
The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
- Telegraph.
Man injured in wild boar attack in Yamaguchi, Japan
A 71-year-old man was injured by a wild boar while walking near his home in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, police said Monday.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 4 p.m. Sunday. TBS
reported that the man suffered injuries to his head, arms and legs.
The boar fled into the garden of a nearby house. About 20 hunters and police captured and destroyed it two hours later.
Police said the boar was 1.2 meters long and weighed about 100 kilograms. - Japan Today.
One person dies and another injured in jumbo attack, India
One
person was killed and another injured in an elephant attack on Tuesday
evening near Heggadde in Sakleshpur taluk, in the Kempuhole reserve
forest area.
The deceased has been identified as Yuvaraj (45)
and the injured as Manjaiah (60). The two persons had gone into the
forest in search of their cattle when they were attacked by the
elephant. While the latter, who fell unconscious, returned to the
village later, the former did not. The villagers, who went in search of
him on Wednesday morning, recovered his body.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Ganesh S. Bhat told The Hindu
on Wednesday that the officers were waiting for the injured person to
recover to know how the incident happened. Mr. Majaiah is being treated
at Sakleshpur hospital.
The department has not announced
compensation for the death. "Since the incident happened in the forest
limits, an inquiry has to be conducted to release compensation. The
officers will look into why he went into the forest," the officer said.
The State government gives a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the family of
those killed by wild animals. The first instalment of Rs. 2 lakh is
paid on the day of the incident if there are no disputes.
The
residents of Sakleshpur kept Yuvaraj's body on Bengaluru-Mangaluru Road
and staged a protest. They demanded that the government provide
compensation to the family immediately. The protesters blocked vehicles
on the road for more than an hour. Mr. Bhat said he would take an
unbiased decision on the compensation soon after the inquiry was done. -
The Hindu.
Temple mutt elephant tramples mahout to death in India
An
elephant reared in a temple mutt at Tambaram on Wednesday trampled its
mahout. The 21-year-old animal keeper, who joined as the assistant
mahout early this month, died at a private hospital."He is 18 years old
and had always been an obedient animal.
The untoward incident was an accidental reflex action after victim R.
Ganesan stepped on the foot of jumbo, while making an attempt to chain
the pachyderm. The elephant misjudged Ganesan as some strange object and
kicked him", explained eyewitness M. Sivarajan, mahout of Malolan.
"Ganesan joined us recently for a salary of Rs10,000 and was performing
as Kaavadi (assistant to mahout). He was taking back the jumbo to its
enclosure after the routine morning prayers, "Sivarajan added.Meanwhile,
forest department has begun investigations on the animal behaviour and
dispatched its Vandalur zoo veterinarian Thirumurugan.
"The animal is healthy and obedient, but the cause of its behaviour is yet to be ascertained.Anti stress prescriptions have been advised for the elephant and it is free from musth", the veterinarian said.
According to Ahobila mutt sources the pachyderm was bought in 2002 from
Kerala. This is the first rude behaviour and the animal is usually
confined to in-house temple rituals.
Selaiyur police has registered a case of unnatural death and the body sent for postmortem.
"Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had been campaigning for the ban
on elephants at all religious places. And it's time we understood the
consequences of domesticating a wild animal," said animal behaviorist
F.M. Jerold, animal welfare officer, AWBI. - Deccan Chronicle.
Wildlife officials search for tiger in Russia following rare attack on hunter
Wildlife
officials in the Russian Far East are on a mission to track down a
tiger believed to have mauled a 75-year-old hunter to death.
Pavel Fomenko, the coordinator of the Amur branch of the World Wildlife
Fund, said in an online statement Monday that tracks near the man's body
indicated that he had been killed by a tiger.
"What exactly
served as the basis for the wild animal's behavior, whether it had
gunshot or other wounds - this is not yet clear," Fomenko said in the
statement.
Local hunters have said there are at least two other
tigers in the region, a factor that Fomenko said will complicate
efforts to find the animal behind the recent attack.
Human attacks by Amur tigers are extremely rare, according to the statement, which says that 90 percent of tiger attacks are somehow provoked by the human.
"But it is not necessarily the human that provoked the tiger that winds
up the victim of the attack. It is enough to recall the tragedy in
Bikinsk [in the Khabarovsk region], when a tiger wounded by a poacher
attacked an innocent hunter and killed him," the statement said.
There are only an estimated 400 Amur tigers left in the wild, with most of them inhabiting Russia's Far East. - The Moscow Times.
November 29, 2014 - EARTH
- The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides,
heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and
catastrophic storms.
Flood leaves Gaza in ruins, UN declares state of emergency
Palestinian father gives his daughter a piggyback to school as Gaza streets were flooded
An
estimated 100,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged as the streets
of Gaza City. They were flooded with water and sewage after a week of
torrential downpours, prompting the UN Palestinian refugee agency to
declare a state of emergency in the area.
Forced out of their
homes, thousands of Palestinians are now sleeping in classrooms and
makeshift shelters after a massive weeklong storm ravaged the region,
reports the Ma’an News Agency. This includes the nearly 30,000 who had
been staying at emergency housing after Israel’s 51-day summer
offensive.
“The flooding is exacerbating the
already-dire humanitarian situation in Gaza caused by blockade and the
unprecedented destruction from the latest Israeli offensive,” the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
As a result of the flooding, 63 schools across Gaza City and 43 schools
across the Northern Gaza Strip governorate were closed Thursday,
according to the UNRWA. The Washington Post reported that volunteers are
trying to stop the water with mud and sand-filled garbage bags.
A man looks out of his shop as Palestinians walk through a flooded road
following heavy rain in Gaza City November 27, 2014.(Reuters / Mohammed
Salem)
Gaza homes flood in heavy rains, "humanitarian catastrophe," mayor warns
Palestinians build a tent to protect them from rain ... there home was bombed in last Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Palestinians build a tent to protect them from rain ... there home was bombed in last Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Pumping
water out of flooded areas is particularly problematic due to the
severe lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip, aggravated by Israel’s eight-year
blockade. In addition, the area lacks adequate sewer management
facilities, making recovery from the crisis even more challenging.
On Wednesday, Gaza major Nizar Hijazi warned residents that the Strip’s lack of resources could trigger a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
“The
infrastructure of the Gaza Strip is weak and ill-equipped to receive
any increased rainfall because of the disaster caused by the increased
rainfall last year and the recent war which destroyed a large part of
the Strip,” he said.
The UNRWA vowed to provide “emergency
fuel to supply back-up generators for pumping stations, portable pumps,
municipalities, water, sanitation and health facilities” to combat shortages on Thursday.
WATCH: Widespread flooding in Gaza.
Severe flooding is not unusual for the region. Last December, heavy rains swamped the Strip and resulted in the displacement of some 40,000 Palestinians.
Though
international donors pledged $5.4 billion to help rebuild war-torn Gaza
at Cairo summit earlier this fall, reconstruction has not yet begun.
Raed Fattouh, a Palestinian official responsible for the entry of goods
into the Gaza Strip, however, told Ma’an that Israel has given the
go-ahead for the entry of 350 supply trucks into the region. - RT.
Israel sees rainiest season in center of country in 20 years - parts hit with up to 110 mm. of rain
Heavy rains battered Israel from north to south on Wednesday, as part of what the Israel Meteorological Society said is the wettest rainy season in central Israel in 20 years.
Some of the heaviest rain fall was in Petah Tikva, where over 110mm of
rain was recorded, while similar levels were recorded in the Negev,
flooding dry creek beds and causing serious road congestion. The North
saw significantly less rainfall, only between 20-50mm, the IMS said.
So far the amount of rainfall this season is far higher than average for this time of year, the IMS said, adding that over the past 75 years there have only been three years that saw more rain by the end of November.
By Wednesday morning, the overnight rains had caused the Sea of Galilee to rise by 3.5cm.
There were several incidents of damag caused by the heavy rains,
including felled trees and flooded houses and streets in towns across
Israel. In Herzliya, the wall of a supermarket parking lot collapsed and
caused severe damage to a few cars, while in Tel Aviv, a wall at a
construction site was felled by the storm, damaging cars on the street.
Tragedy was averted on Wednesday evening in Shorek River Nature
Reserve, where three men were driving in the afternoon when their car
was swept away when their path was flooded. They called police and a
team of firefighters and Border Police officers managed to arrive and
rescue them without harm.
The storm caused heavy gridlock
during Wednesday's morning rush hour, but by midday the National Traffic
Police said that all intercity highways were running as normal.
The rainy weather is expected to continue in the coming days, though by Saturday the skies are expected to clear up. - Jerusalem Post.
Up to 9 inches of rain across Central Florida
As
the rain continues to fall across Central Florida, temperatures will
steadily drop into the 50s by this afternoon due to a passing cold
front, meteorologists say.
Some areas in Brevard and Volusia counties saw 7 to 9 inches of rain since Tuesday morning.
As for Orange County, at least 6 inches have fallen in the attractions
area, Windermere, Pine Hills and Bithlo. And it's not done raining yet,
according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. A flood watch
remains in effect for Volusia, Brevard, Lake, Orange and Seminole
counties through noon.
"[The rain] is slowly going to taper off
through late morning," meteorologist Tony Cristaldi said. In Volusia
County, one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday night was New Smyrna Beach
with crews of Public Works working all hours to dry the streets. Five
pumps were helping clear water throughout the city, with two pumps just
on Columbus Avenue, which historically gets the most damage, said Holly
Smith, spokeswoman for the city.
The city provided residents
with free sandbags to keep water away from homes. Two houses were
flooded, as well as a handful of garages, Smith added.
By Wednesday morning, roads were passable and little water remained on the city's streets.
In Port Orange, 6.2 inches of rain were recorded flooding one house and
10 garage or porch structures, spokesman Ken Donahue said. No major
issues or road closures were reported. Minor street flooding occurred
Tuesday night but was gone by the next morning.
Rain washes over University Boulevard as cars and people struggle through a mid-day rain storm in east Orlando on November 25, 2014.
George Skene, Orlando Sentinel
Officials in the city are also providing residents with free bags and dirt in two locations.
No reports of serious damage were reported in Orlando, where about
three inches of rain fell. Water temporarily closed down the
intersection of Timberleaf Blvd. and Poppy Avenue Wednesday morning.
At Orlando International Airport, 2.75 inches of rain were measured as
of midnight, setting a new record for Nov. 25. The old record was 1.44
inches set in 1972.
Daytona Beach International Airport also
set a new record of 6.22 inches for Nov. 25, beating its old record of
2.43 from 1972.
As of 6 a.m., the mercury read 72 degrees at the Orlando International Airport.
By 5 p.m., temperatures will fall to 58 degrees.
Wind gusts up to 30 mph could make the region feel even cooler at times.
Meteorologists predict a low near 44 degrees for tonight as the rain begins to clear.
Floridians heading north to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states
for Thanksgiving should prepare for travel delays as a nor'easter
develops off the Gulf Coast.
The storm moving up the East Coast
is expected to bring rain along coastal areas and snow farther inland,
according to the National Weather Service.
Those staying in
Florida for the holiday will enjoy a sunny day with a high near 67
degrees. It will be a bit windy, with gusts as high as 25 mph. - Orlando Sentinel.
1 dead and 3 missing following flash floods in south-east France: Over 7 inches of rain in 24 hours recorded
A heavy storm triggered flash floods in south east France yesterday, Thursday 27 November 2014.
Later on Thursday the French Interior Ministry confirmed that one woman
had died in the floods and 3 were still missing. Three other people
have been reported as injured.
The fatality occurred in the
village of La Londe, Var department. The woman was believed to have been
in her vehicle near a river at the time it was swept away. Her young
daughter was also in the vehicle at the time. Emergency services are
carrying out searches for the missing child. Two other people are
missing after being swept away by a swollen river in the same area.
Flooding also affected the tourist area of St Tropez, where around 30
students were trapped in a school building by flood water in Grimaud.
They were eventually rescued late in the evening.
On Wednesday 26 November, 5 people had to be rescued by helicopter from
their home in Roquebrune sur Argens. As many as 1,500 people had to
evacuate their homes in Hyères after the Gapeau river threatened to
burst its banks.
Flood
warnings remain in place today 28 November, for Ardeche, Gard, Le Var
and Herault. Further heavy rainfall is likely today.
The severe weather and heavy rainfall were predicted by forecasters. Earlier this week we reported that
the same weather system that caused widespread flash flooding in
Morocco was likely to hit southern France and northern Italy. The
region has endured endless flash floods and heavy rain throughout
November. Earlier this week Accuweather said "So far this month, Nice, France, has already received 614 percent of its normal November rainfall". That figure is likely to be significantly higher after the latest deluge.
