EXTREME WEATHER ANOMALIES: Freak Hail Stones The Size Of Golf Balls Pound Dallas, Texas! [VIDEO]

© LaRue Johnson

March 25, 2016 - TEXAS, UNITED STATES - Freak storm  with hail stones, the size of golf balls fall in Dallas.


WATCH: Freak storm hits Texas.

- YouTube.

 

EXTREME WEATHER: Deadly Lightning Strikes In Eastern Cape, South Africa - 6 People Killed, 6 Others Injured!

December 13, 2015 - SOUTH AFRICA - Six people have been killed and six others were injured after they were struck by lightning at Nkanya village in Elliotdale outside Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

This happened during a severe hail storm that hit the area late on Saturday.

Provincial Health Spokesperson, Siyanda Manana, says the deceased had just returned from the cemetery after a funeral service when the incident happened.

"People who had attended a funeral were struck by lightning. Two died on arrival at hospital. Four died at the casualty and then six were admitted in hospital. They are in a stable condition at the moment at Madwaleni hospital."

Nearly 100 people in the country are killed by lightning annually, according to reports from Lights on Lightning Conference that took place in Pretoria last month, focusing on issues of lightning caused by severe weather conditions.

Six people were struck by lightning on the N8 near Botshabelo in the Free State in March this year.

The deceased were Transnet employees who were working on a railway line when they sought shelter during a thunderstorm and were struck by lightning. - SABC.

EXTREME WEATHER: Tornado Whips Through Canterbury, New Zealand - While Heavy Rainfall And Lightning Strikes Caused Flooding And Small Fires!

Tornado in mid Canterbury.  © Phillippa Fleming

December 13, 2015 - NEW ZEALAND - A tornado whipped through Canterbury this afternoon, while heavy rain and lightning strikes caused flooding and small fires.

The Fire Service said it had been stretched to the limit, with callouts to several small fires caused by lightning, trees crashing down on powerlines and flooding.

A hail storm hit just after 2pm, and left more than 5000 homes in south-west Christchurch without power.

Orion said it had restored supply to homes in Rolleston, Burnham and Springston, but about 1400 properties were still without electricity.

Orion expected electricity would be restored to all homes by 7pm tonight.

Mayfield cropping farmer Phillippa Fleming said she saw a tornado at about 3pm. She described it as looking like a Nike tick in the sky.

The tornado lasted about five minutes and there was lots of dust and debris when it touched the ground, Ms Fleming said.

People in Hinds and Mayfield posted videos of the tornado to YouTube.


WATCH: Large tornado near Hinds.

The New Zealand Farming group also posted a video on Facebook of what they described as a twister in mid Canterbury.

Metservice said the wild weather should ease back this evening as the temperature cools, but there could be other thunderstorms to come.

- Radio New Zealand.

EXTREME WEATHER: Hour-Long Hail Storm Ravages Thailand - Destroys Houses, Farms, Trees And Crops!

Samarn Jaiyasarn surveys the damage to his banana plantation the morning after the hail storm on Thursday night. © Bangkok Post photo

December 8, 2015 - THAILAND - A strong hail storm that swept through the province on Thursday night caused damage to farms and crops, particularly banana and teak trees, and some houses.

The storm lasted almost an hour, starting around 9.30pm.

Samarn Jaiyasarn, chief of tambon Pak Kang of Long district, said most banana trees on his plantation were damaged by the hail.

More than 100 teak trees, aged 15-20 years, were also knocked over in the area, he said, falling onto about 15 houses in Ban Had Sak Kham, Moo 9.

In Ban Na Tum of Moo 3, eight houses slightly damaged by falling teak trees. - Bangkok Post.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Extreme Weather - Ten Tornadoes Reported In One Day In North Texas!

Runaway Bay tornado damage. © NBC

May 23, 2015 - TEXAS, UNITED STATES - The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a total of 10 tornadoes touched down Tuesday across North Texas, including three EF-1 tornadoes and seven EF-0 tornadoes.

NWS survey teams said one tornado touched down in each Mineral Wells and Runaway Bay, both rated EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

Tornadoes rated an EF-1 can have wind speeds up to 110 mph and cause moderate damage.

Four tornadoes occurred in Wise County, including an EF-1 near Balsora and another EF-1 east of Decatur.

Elsewhere, one tornado was reported in Waxahachie in Ellis County and another tornado occurred in Jack County, according to the National Weather Service.

Considerable damage appears to have been caused by the tornadoes with roofs ripped off, cars destroyed and homes moved from foundations and flattened.

Mineral Wells police reported Tuesday an abandoned bank building collapsed and the police headquarters was damaged after a tornado touched down there.

"It was huge, and it was just funneling down. And it went up two or three times and came down. But every time it came down, it seemed like it was just getting bigger," said Mineral Wells resident Tammie Matson, who witnessed the reported tornado.

Damage in Mineral Wells was so widespread the Texas Department of Public Safety advised people to avoid the downtown area due to downed power lines and other scattered debris.

Wise County volunteer firefighters reported damaged homes, debris and downed trees along Farm-to-Market Road 920 in Bridgeport -- where NWS crews confirmed the tornado touched down southeast of Runaway Bay.

A community of about 15 mobile homes was flattened and a number of cars were damaged beyond repair. One woman suffered a minor injury to her wrist while trying to escape her mobile home.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter at the First Baptist Church, 513 Port O Call Drive in nearby Runaway Bay, according to spokeswoman Anita Foster. The Red Cross is currently working on a disaster assessment plan. - NBCDFW.

EXTREME WEATHER: Huge Hail Storm In Pecos, Texas!

Large hailstones

May 22, 2015 - TEXAS, UNITED STATES - Large hail fell from a tornado warned storm near the town of Pecos, Texas covering the roads and damaging vehicles in the area.

WATCH: Massive hail storm in Pecos.

 

EXTREME WEATHER: Severe Hail Storm Hits Southern Germany - Golf Ball-Sized Stones; Nine People Injured; Dozens Of Homes Damaged!

Residents described seeing large hailstones

May 16, 2015 - GERMANY - At least nine people have been injured and dozens of homes damaged in a hailstorm in southern Germany.

There were reports of hailstones the size of golf balls in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Winds of up to 120 km/h (75mph) were reported on Wednesday night and residents near the Bavarian city of Augsburg spoke of seeing a tornado.

Roofs were badly damaged, blocks of flats had to be evacuated and a local school had to be closed on Thursday.

 Two people were hurt by lightning in the state of Baden Wuerttemberg

Two people were taken to hospital with severe injuries caused by lightning strikes.

Seven more were hurt in Bavaria, where several houses in villages near Augsburg were no longer habitable. Authorities appealed for help from construction workers to repair the damage.

"First it rained, then very briefly hail, then there was a whoosh and everything flew through the whole area!," one resident told Bavarian media.


WATCH: Hail storm damage in Germany.

German weather officials did not confirm claims of a tornado.

One person was killed last week in northern Germany when a tornado swept through the town of Buetzow, near Rostock. - BBC.

 

EXTREME WEATHER: Cataclysmic Hail Storm Hits Sydney, Australia - Causing Five Warehouses To Collapse; Damaging Homes And Vehicles!

Hail covered the ground at a home in Rooty Hill.

April 25, 2015 - SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Parts of Sydney and the Blue Mountains were blanketed by large hailstones after a severe thunderstorm moved across the area this afternoon, causing five warehouses to collapse.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas around the Sydney CBD, including the suburbs of Manly, Maroubra and Randwick, at around 5:00pm but that warning was later cancelled at 9:07pm.

The bureau's Francois Geffroy said hail approximately one to two centimetres in size had been reported in Blackheath.

Heavy hail damaged homes and vehicles in central Sydney suburbs including Surry Hills and Ultimo, while there were reports of severe damage to warehouses in Sydney's west.

The hail caused five warehouses to collapse in Western Sydney.

Fire and Rescue New South Wales said the buildings in Huntingwood had half-a-metre of hail on their roofs, with the weight of the hail causing the buildings to collapse.

Specialist crews arrived to determine the stability of the buildings.

Superintendent Paul Johnstone said seven people escaped unharmed and no-one was trapped.

"There's major damage to each of those five buildings," he said.

"There's a report of two other buildings within the one-kilometre radius, so there could be up to seven buildings within this area of the western suburbs."

Many Sydney residents were taken by surprise by the storm, with work to clean up damage from storms earlier this week still ongoing.

"It's really heavy rain, it's really frightening," Woolhara resident Sophie Kent said.

Huntingwood warehouses collapsed under the weight of hail.

Hail covers Parramatta's Pirtek Stadium.

Pearls of hail covered the ground at a Newtown playground.

Cars made tracks through hail stones on Pearl Street in Newtown.

Rooftops in Petersham, inner west Sydney, were blanketed in hail after the storm.

A backyard in Sydney's inner west is covered in hail during a severe storm.

Hail piled up against a glass door in Stanmore.

A dog plays in the hail a Newton home in Sydney's inner west.

Sydney trains were still running though some tracks were covered in hail.

The Great Western Highway Blackheath near Blue Mountains.

Hail stones of various sizes blanketed the ground at Rooty Hill

Rooty Hill resident Maddy Galea held a large handful of hail after the severe hailstorm.

"It was a beautiful day and then suddenly it went really dark, and there's a lot of hail coming down, it's really scary.

"With the storm earlier this week there was a bit of warning, but today was a nice day and it's just come out of nowhere."

Lewisham resident Nathan Rodger said it was the longest hail storm he had experienced in 36 years living in Sydney.

"It was a massive downpour of hail, our backyard filled with hail in three to five minutes," he said.

"It's a blanket of hail all around the house and up the street, there's a blanket of four to five inches of hail everywhere."

The ABC's Brad Ryan said the storm hit central Sydney with little warning.

"It was a beautiful autumn day earlier - blue skies and sunny," he said.

"It quickly darkened here at Potts Point as these storm clouds gathered just before 5:00pm and, next minute, we were seeing this intense hail storm out the window.

"It lasted perhaps 10 or 15 minutes and then the rain stopped and the sky was blue again.

"I've had a look outside and can't see any obvious damage around here but there's an awful lot of water in the street - it all melted pretty quickly."

Sydney Trains said all North Shore Line trains had been cancelled and would be replaced with buses due to power supply issues caused by the severe weather.

702 ABC Sydney's Laurence Champness said the hail did not stop Anzac Day traditions at pubs in Petersham.

"We're all inside out of the rain, my mate has checked his car outside and there's not any damage to it, just a lot of ice around," he said.

"So we're going to keep playing two-up and watching the football."

Jarrod Moore made the most of the blanket of hail by lying down in the ice and making a snow angel in Leichhardt, Sydney's inner west.

"The storm came through like a freight train," he said.

"You could not see a metre in front of you and it was ear-piercingly loud."

Employees at the Dendy Cinemas in the inner-city suburb of Newtown posted photos on social media showing streams of water flowing through the building's ceilings.

The company posted on Twitter saying the cinema would be closed until further notice. - ABC News Australia.

ICE AGE NOW: Scientists Say The Gulf Streaming Is Slowing Down Faster Than Ever, "The Day After Tomorrow" Just Got One Step Closer To Reality - Bogota, Colombia Covered In 24 Inches Of Snow And Ice From Hail Storm; Giant Hailstones Fall In Queensland, Australia; Huge Chunks Of Ice Break Up Along Ohio River Toppling Cemetery Stones; Worst Hailstorm In 40 Years Destroys Avocado Crop In Mexico; Deep Freeze Over The Great Lakes Halts Cargo Shipments; Severe Weather Risk Of Damaging Winds And Large Hail To Stretch From Texas To Indiana Into Wednesday Night!

March 25, 2015 - EARTH - The Gulf Stream that helps to keep Britain from freezing over in winter is slowing down faster now than at any time in the past millennium according to a study suggesting that major changes are taking place to the ocean currents of the North Atlantic.

Ice age on the way: Gulf Stream is slowing down faster than ever, scientists say

An iceberg in Ilulissat, Greenland; researchers have been studying the phenomena of the melting glaciers
and their long-term ramifications for the rest of the world. © Getty Images

Scientists believe that the huge volumes of freshwater flowing into the North Atlantic from the rapidly melting ice cap of Greenland have slowed down the ocean "engine" that drives the Gulf Stream from the Caribbean towards north-west Europe, bringing heat equivalent to the output of a million power stations.

However, the researchers believe that Britain is still likely to become warmer due to climate change providing the Gulf Stream does not come to a complete halt - although they remain unsure how likely this is.

Calculations suggest that over the 20th century the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation - the northward flow of warm surface water and the southward flow of deep, cold water - has slowed by between 15 and 20 per cent, said Professor Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

Gulf Stream stops Britain from freezing over in Winter

"There is more than a 99 per cent probability that this slowdown is unique over the period we looked at since 900 AD. We conclude that the slowdown many have described is in fact already underway and it is outside of any natural variation," Professor Rahmstorf said.

The scientists calculated that some 8,000 cubic kilometres of freshwater has flowed from Greenland into the Atlantic between 1900 and 1970, and this rose significantly to 13,000 cubic kilometres between 1970 and 2000.

Freshwater is lighter than salty water which means that it tends to float on the surface of the ocean and in doing so disturbs the normal sinking of dense, cold saltwater to the ocean floor, which is the main driver of the Atlantic circulation.

Scientists believe that huge volumes of freshwater flowing into the North Atlantic from the rapidly melting ice cap of Greenland
have slowed down the ocean “engine” that drives the Gulf Stream. © Getty Images

In a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Professor Rahmstorf and colleagues point out that maps of global surface temperatures have consistently indicated an overall warming trend around the world, except for the region of the North Atlantic south of Greenland.

"It is conspicuous that one specific area of the North Atlantic has been cooling in the past hundred years while the rest of the world heats up," said Professor Rahmstorf, who added that previous research had indicated that a slowdown in ocean currents may be the explanation.

"Now we have detected strong evidence that the global conveyor has indeed been weakening in the past hundred years, particularly since 1970," he said.

The study used proxy measurements of the Atlantic currents, using ice cores, tree rings, coral growth and ocean and lake sediments, to estimate regional temperature variations and so assess how the Gulf Stream has changed over the past 1,000 years.

Machair, a grassy coastal habitat found only in north-west Scotland and the west coast of Ireland, is one of the several elements of the
UK’s “cultural heritage” that is at risk from climate change.   © Getty Images

Jason Box of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, who helped to calculate the amount of freshwater flowing into the Atlantic from melting ice caps, said that the slowdown can be linked to man-made climate change.

"Now freshwater coming off the Greenland ice sheet is likely disturbing the circulation. So the human-caused mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet appears to be slowing down the Atlantic overturning, and this effect might increase if temperatures are allowed to rise further," Dr Box said.

Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University said: "Common climate models are underestimating the change we're facing, wither because the Atlantic overturning is too stable in the models or because they don't properly account for Greenland ice melt, or both."

WATCH: Lord Stirling - Damaged Gulf Stream Affects Jet Stream.

 - The Independent.

"The Day After Tomorrow" just got one step closer to reality!

© Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, abrupt climate change plunges the world into chaos. According to new research published Monday, the idea that underpins the film's plot—that rapid Arctic ice melt could cause dramatic changes to the global climate system—just got one step closer to reality.

Of particular concern are the profound changes happening in the Greenland ice sheet: It appears that the massive amount of freshwater from melting Greenland glaciers has now begun to slow the ocean's circulating currents.

Monday's study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, is as frightening as it is significant. Among its authors are some of the biggest names in climate science: Jason Box, a glaciologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, whose ongoing "Dark Snow" project is measuring the rapid melting of ice in Greenland; and Michael Mann, a meteorologist at Penn State University, whose famous 1999 "hockey stick" graph showed the sharp influence of human greenhouse gas emissions in context of 1,000 years of temperature data from ice cores and tree rings. Mann's graph was so powerful it became a lightning rod of climate denial.

Fresh water is less dense than saltwater. So when glacial melt from Greenland enters the ocean, it resists the natural sinking motion at the northern edge of the Gulf Stream and slows down the Atlantic's deep current—creating a ripple effect across the entire planet.

The study uses a library of ice cores, tree rings, coral, and sediments to generate a new reconstruction of the historical strength of the Atlantic's circulation based on temperature changes. The team found recent changes in ocean circulation are "unprecedented" since at least the year 900 A.D., about as far back as these proxy data can reliably go. According to the paper, the probability of a similar circulation slowdown caused by natural variability alone (with no influence from human-caused climate change) was less than 0.5 percent.

The effect they identified is "stronger than what current state-of-the-art climate models predict," said Mann, likely due to the increasing influence from a melting Greenland.

But don't expect a new ice age like in the movie. Nearly every square inch of the Earth's surface has been warming for decades now—the 2000s were one of the warmest decades in more than 11,000 years, and the 2010s are on pace to be even hotter. Global warming is still the dominant trend and will overwhelm most of the effect of a slowdown in ocean circulation. But a small portion of the North Atlantic near southern Greenland has bucked the trend. It's here that the new paper focuses its attention. That small patch of ocean actually experienced its coldest three-month stretch on record this past winter.

Despite all the warming that's taken place since 1970, one little blip of the North Atlantic (shown here in green) has begun to actually cool.

In a blog post describing the study, lead author Stefan Rahmstorf of Potsdam University in Germany says this past winter's pronounced cooling in the North Atlantic "suggests the decline of the circulation has progressed even further now than we documented in the paper." Rahmstorf's past work has focused on the impact of climate change on ocean circulations, particularly the thermohaline circulation, Earth's primary oceanic "conveyor belt" circulation, which is driven by geographic differences in temperature and salinity. (Thermo=heat, haline=salt.) That's the same mechanism The Day After Tomorrow identified as a tipping point in the global climate system. (By the way, Rahmstorf is also a fan of The Day After Tomorrow.) Since fresh, warm water is less dense than cold, salty water, scientists like Rahmstorf have long argued the thermohaline circulation may slow down as the climate warms and Arctic ice melts.

Monday's study showed that process has likely already begun. In a press statement, Rahmstorf said, "we have detected strong evidence that the global conveyor has indeed been weakening in the past hundred years, particularly since 1970."

In emails to Slate, both Box and Mann agreed Monday's paper was one of the most important of their careers. "This is yet another example of where observations suggest that climate model predictions may be too conservative when it comes to the pace at which certain aspects of climate change are proceeding," said Mann.

Previous research by Box and others has shown Greenland's melting is accelerating, but the scientific community had been unclear on how fast those changes were impacting ocean circulation. "We now see an effect of Greenland melting besides the obvious sea level rise contribution," said Box.

Now, before you go calling Dennis Quaid for backup as you plot your southward snowshoe journey on I-95, the movie's apocalyptic global-warming-induced cool-down was vastly overdone. In the real world, rapid changes in the climate system take years or decades to play out, not days. Long-term cooling would likely be limited to that spot in the North Atlantic, far from land. But even that seemingly slow rate of change, while not as thrilling on the big screen, has potentially major implications for slow-adapting cities and ecosystems.

"If the slowdown of the Atlantic overturning continues, the impacts might be substantial," says Rahmstorf. "Disturbing the circulation will likely have a negative effect on the ocean ecosystem, and thereby fisheries and the associated livelihoods of many people in coastal areas. A slowdown also adds to the regional sea-level rise affecting cities like New York and Boston." A separate recent study found a sharp 4-inch surge in East Coast sea levelsin just one year, around 2009, that was linked to the slowdown in the Atlantic current as water piled up.

Should melting of Greenland continue to accelerate, there's a small chance that the entire thermohaline circulation could collapse, though that's not likely to happen for several more decades. Still, the implications would be huge: up to 30 inches of extra sea level rise along the East Coast, stronger winter storms, and an interruption of the Atlantic marine food chain. Prior to Monday's study, a survey of experts put the risk of a full collapse scenario at around 10 percent over the next century. Those odds were likely boosted a bit with the new results.

The study comes as the Northeast United States, particularly Boston, finishes one of the coldest and snowiest winters in history—though, in an email to Slate, Mann said it was "unclear" there was any connection between the implications of his new study and the recent spate of cold weather.

WATCH: NASA - The Thermohaline Circulation.




- Slate.

Bogota, Colombia covered in 60 cm (24 inches) of snow and ice from hail storm

Colombia's capital Bogota was surprised on Sunday by a major hail storm that covered the south of the city with a 60 centimeter (24-inch) layer of icy snow.

The excessive hail caused a number of emergencies across the city.

© COLPRENSA

The most affected were Santa Isabel, La Fragua and El Restrepo.

The Bogota Fire Department reported that rainfall "generated water depths of between 15 and 20 inches accompanied by ice". However, no cases of gravity are presented.

The first census said at least 500 homes were affected. Late into the night Sunday, backhoes worked on the streets to remove the ice.

Among the most serious events was at a parking lot where the roof collapsed and trapping four adults and three children, rescued by firefighters.


WATCH: Massive hail storm in Bogota.

Entire streets became either covered in ice or formed rivers, while rooftops were damaged and trees fell down.

"Fortunately there are no victims, just material damage," Javier Pava of the Bogota Disaster Rick and Prevention unit was quoted as saying by newspaper El Espectador.

The unit was called to rescue four people from a parking garage where the collapsed roof was impeding the victims from leaving. - Qcostarica.

Giant hailstones fall in Queensland, Australia

This shard of hail measuring about 12 centimetres crashed down in Chinchilla on Saturday afternoon

Weather watchers around the world have been stunned by giant chunks of ice that smashed an outback Queensland town in recent days.

Hailstones up to 12cm in diameter smashed cars and windows and left lawns checkered in the western downs town of Chinchilla during a freak storm on Saturday afternoon.

The downpour that stunned the state has now attracted interest overseas, with many in the US shocked at the "weird" weather that no one saw coming.

Some have pointed out the hailstones were about the same size as the small marsupials the town shares a name with.

"Shocking footage," wrote Keith Estiler, a New York City resident who shared video of the giant balls of ice bouncing off an oval in Chinchilla.


WATCH: Queensland's giant hailstones cause viral news storm.

"Meanwhile in Australia..." another person said.

While intense weather is a typical part of Australian life, the Chinchilla storm that has foreigners talking also managed to surprise locals.

Marina Baker and her children were sprayed with glass when their car was pelted with projectiles at the local sporting fields.

"We had the back window smashed in (and after) about 30 seconds of moving one came through and landed in the back seat," she told ABC.

"The kids were on the floor screaming. We had my sister and husband in the front and they (were) trying to get the kids away from the glass.

"There were cars everywhere around us (with) windows just breaking everywhere."

Another local, Vicki Muhling, shared a photo of one the stones which caused havoc on her property next to a tape measuring 12cm in length.

The region's mayor, Ray Brown, told ABC nobody was injured in the freak storm, though property damage was widespread.

He said some 1300 homes were left without power with another 3000 customers experiencing supply interruptions.

However, draught-stricken farmers in the area welcomed the "much needed rain".

The Bureau of Meteorology said the intensity of the storm was a result of two troughs which caused heavy instability. -  Alfred Jacobs Channel [YouTube].

150+ Year Ice Floes Wake the Dead

WATCH: 150+ Year Ice Floes Wake the Dead.

150+ year ice flows in Ohio along the Ohio River March 16, 2015 Riverside Cemetery in Maumee, Ohio.
Huge chunks of ice that broke up along a northern Ohio River pushed into a low-lying cemetery and toppled Civil War-era headstones from 1865.
Some parts of Riverside Cemetery were covered with pieces of ice stacked at least 4 feet high. About 90 percent of the headstones, some dating to the mid-1800s, were knocked over, said Joe Camp, the city of Maumee's public service director.
Ice Topples Civil War Cemetary Headstones
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ic...
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2015/...
Ohio River Basin http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/e...
East USA Ice jams 2014 Rivers http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/nature/ Maumee River Thaw 2015 at Orleans Park in Perrysburg
http://www.exploringnwo.com/maumee-ri... Maumee River Backup
http://www.kwwl.com/story/28540083/20...
Eliza crossing the ice floes of the Ohio river to freedom, illustration from 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe, engraved by Charles Bour (1814-81) (litho), Bayot, Adolphe Jean-Baptiste (1810-66)
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Eliza-C...

- Adapt 2030.

Worst hailstorm in 40 years destroys avocado crop in Mexico

Hailstones.

The most severe hailstorm in 40 years has hit the Mexican state of Michoacan, destroying avocado crops in some of the country's (and the world's) most productive municipalities.

The most affected Michoacan municipalities are Ziracuaretiro, San Juan Nuevo, Tancítaro and Uruapan.

It is estimated that more than 17,000 hectares have been seriously affected, and that the production of other fruits, such as blackberries and blueberries, has also been lost.

The extent of the destruction has been such that it has endangered the health of avocado trees in Tancítaro, which grows almost 20% of Michaoacan's total annual production, which in turn represents 85% of Mexico's total production.

"In Tancítaro, there will no longer be any production this season, as the trees will not recover and flower again until November," explained the delegate of the Secretariat of Rural Development (Sedru), Andrés Ciprés Murguía.

In San Juan Nuevo and Uruapan, the damage was not as great as in Ziracuaretiro, as due to their warmer climates the fruit was already in a more advanced development stage.

"We were informed that the hailstones were the size of ping-pong balls, and that even some people were injured," stated Andrés. - Fresh Plaza.

Deep freeze over the Great Lakes halts cargo shipments

 The trip to pick up a load of iron ore powder in Conneaut, Ohio, was supposed to take four days by way of the Great Lakes.

But within sight of its destination, the cargo ship, the Arthur M. Anderson, got trapped in ice. Two heavy icebreakers from the Canadian Coast Guard eventually broke the vessel free.

It was a 24-day ordeal, and the ship returned to its home port in Wisconsin without picking up the cargo.

A deep freeze this winter left much of the Great Lakes blanketed in thick ice, sidelining the ship lines and companies that move vast amounts of grain, cement and other commodities through this system of waterways. And now the spring thaw, which creates piles of impassable ice, will most likely create more delays.

"There's a lot of ice out there, and we need to understand the impact of that ice," said Mark Barker, the president of the Interlake Steamship Company, which carries mostly iron ore, coal and limestone on its nine ships. "Last year, we pretty much lost the month of April."

The ship berth of the Mission Terminal grain elevator in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The shipping season has begun, but ice remains.

Cold spells and snowstorms have taken a bite out of businesses across the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, as well as in Canada. Car manufacturers have blamed the weather for weak sales. Housing starts, too, have slumped. And blizzards in places like Boston have been brutal for many local businesses.

Michael Dolega, who analyzes the United States economy at the Toronto-Dominion Bank, says he expects that the weather will cut first-quarter growth by as much as three-quarters of a percentage point. And not all of that loss will be made up later in the year, he said.

"I don't think it's a welcome development," said Mr. Dolega, who is based in Toronto.

The ship Arthur M. Anderson got underway on Lake Erie on Saturday after getting help from Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers. © Canadian Coast Guard

The ship berth of the Mission Terminal grain elevator in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The shipping season has begun, but ice remains.
© Ian Austen for The New York Times

The Great Lakes shipping trade largely hibernates during the late winter months, with occasional sailings for supplies like road salt. The Arthur M. Anderson was making its last run of the season in early February when it became stuck.

Shipping is usually up and running again by March. But the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the critical system of locks that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, has been postponed until April 2. Even when the locks open, there is no assurance that all of the lakes, particularly choke points prone to ice buildup, will be navigable.

Last year's ice-induced delays reduced early shipments from the United States by seven million tons, according to the Lake Carriers' Association, which represents American shipowners. That amounts to about 10 percent of all American shipments on the lakes.

The Great Lakes are a vital conduit for companies in a wide range of industries. Grain from farms in Western Canada makes its way to markets around the world. Iron ore travels to steel mills along the shorelines. Power plants depend on the coal that travels via the lakes. Companies in steelmaking, electrical generation, construction and agriculture — like Cargill, United States Steel and Lafarge — all need the waterways.

For companies now facing dwindling stockpiles, there are few alternatives to ships for restocking. Shipping by rail is more costly, even if the tracks were not already overloaded. And hauling large quantities of, say, iron ore by truck is neither practical nor cost-effective. Replacing a single Great Lakes ore-carrying ship requires about 2,400 tractor-trailer trucks.

During a normal winter, some ships can continue to make relatively short treks without much trouble, particularly when ice cover is light. But the last two winters have been particularly harsh.

In 2014, ice cover peaked at 92.5 percent, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich. Ice persisted in some places until June. This year, ice cover was 89.1 percent.

"Two especially severe winters back to back — we haven't seen that in a long time," said George A. Leshkevich, who tracks the ice for the research laboratory. "All the lakes seem pretty brutal."

It has created nightmarish troubles for vessels that must continue to attempt runs through the worst of winter.

Truck and train cargo that is too dangerous or too large for the bridge and tunnels spanning the international border between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, must instead travel the Detroit River. But dense ice stopped the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry for 31 days this year, 25 of them consecutively. At one point the ferry's tug was stuck in Windsor with its barge separately frozen to a dock in Detroit.

Ed Bernard, vice president of the Toronto-based Precision Specialized Division, a heavy haul company, said he waited more than two weeks to ferry across the river sections of large chimneys destined for Ohio.

Gregg Ward, the co-owner of the ferry, said, "Our expenses continue, so it's a tragedy for us. By the time this is over, we've lost 20 percent of the year."

As the thaw gets underway, the shipping situation can actually worsen if wind causes ice to pile up in stacks. "I've been on a 235-foot Coast Guard ship going full speed ahead, and when it hit one of those, the ship shuddered to a stop," said Lt. Davey Connor of the Coast Guard district in Cleveland, which is responsible for the Great Lakes.

Many companies are now playing the waiting game.

A United States Coast Guard icebreaker made initial attempts at breaking up ice last week in the port here. Eight imposing grain elevators, which collectively have the largest storage capacity in North America, make the Thunder Bay port an important hub for Canadian exports heading to the Atlantic Ocean.

Once again this year, the season's first ships will not get loaded in March as they normally are. As the Canadian Wheat Board's elevator nears capacity, Paul Kennedy, its manager, says that he may soon be forced to stop daily unloadings of 90 or so rail cars, which have come from the western part of the country.

"They're starting to hunt and peck a little bit for space," Mr. Kennedy said of his employees in the concrete elevator. "You don't want to get to the point where you can't unload any more cars and you've got loaded cars sitting on track."

Railroads impose a $100-a-day charge for every loaded but idle car stuck on their tracks. Last year, when shipping didn't start in Thunder Bay until April 26, Mr. Kennedy estimates that about 2,000 rail cars destined for the eight grain elevators along the city's shoreline were backed up in rail yards.

The delays are just as painful for the companies that depend on the various commodities.

Robert Lewis-Manning, the president of the Canadian Shipowners Association, said that last year, two large steel makers "were getting awfully close to having to lay off people" because their stockpiles of iron ore, coal and coke almost ran out in the spring. He declined to identify the companies.

As his fleet of 22 ships gears up to resume service, Allister Paterson, the president of Canada Steamship Lines, said he expected that the most anxious customers would be suppliers and users of road salt along the lakes and the east coast of North America. With their stocks all but wiped out, such players will need to immediately start the long process of rebuilding.

"They were still recovering from last year, trying to get inventories up," he said. "And now we have another brutal winter, so I suspect they will be in a restocking mode for quite a while."  - New York Times.

Severe Weather Risk of Damaging Winds And Large Hail to Stretch From Texas to Indiana Into Wednesday Night

Severe weather is forecast to develop the Central United States into Wednesday night, impacting a similar area that saw spottystrong storms on Tuesday. A risk of flooding will follow the storms on Thursday.

Warm, moist air will surge into the central and southern Plains to the Ohio Valley at midweek.

The severe weather risk area into Wednesday night is home to approximately 12 million people. The storms have the potential to bring damaging wind gusts, large hail and incidents of flash and urban flooding.

The area that could be hit by dangerous thunderstorms extends from just north and west of Dallas to near St. Louis, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Evansville, Indiana. Locally severe storms are likely to pass through the metro areas of Oklahoma City; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Paducah, Kentucky; and Springfield, Missouri.

People traveling through this area or spending time outdoors in the region should be on the lookout for rapidly changing weather conditions. Seek shelter indoors if a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning is issued.

According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity, "While only a small number of tornadoes is likely to occur with this event, the risk for a tornado and damaging wind gusts is slightly elevated in portions of central Oklahoma to north-central Texas and northwestern Arkansas."

Should a tornado occur, it would be the first such storm of the month, not counting waterspouts. The last tornado in the United States was very weak and occurred on Feb. 23, in Kern County, California.

According to AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions Storm Warning Meteorologist Alex Avalos, "Odds are against a more robust severe weather threat from Missouri and southeastern Kansas on eastward with hail and heavy rain being the primary characteristics of the storms."

As a storm system swings to the northeast and chilly air settles in, the risk of severe thunderstorms will diminish by Thursday. However, as the severe thunderstorms collapse, several hours of drenching rain will occur from portions of Arkansas to the Ohio River Basin.

The heavy rainfall will be enough to cause streams to rise and raise new concerns about flooding toward the end of the week. Much of this region has received 3-6 inches of rain plus melting snow earlier in March.

Levels on the lower Ohio to part of the lower Mississippi rivers were hovering at minor to moderate flood stage this week, due to runoff from prior storms and thaw earlier this month.Chilly air will continue to suppress the severe weather risk for most areas east of the Mississippi River into the weekend. - AccuWeather.

EXTREME WEATHER: Apocalyptic Freak Storm Leave United Arab Emirates Desert WHITE Under Blanket Of Hail - Infrastructure Collapse; 750 Road Smashes; At Least 3 People Killed! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

January 20, 2015 - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - The UAE has been hit by a sandstorm, rain and even hail today – and the forecasters are warning there could be more to come.

In one part of the desert country in the emirate Ras Al Khaimah - better known for its long, hot stifling summers – a soaking 38.2 mm of rain fell, according to local press reports.

The roads were hit by chaotic scenes with police recording more than 750 road smashes, and at least three people killed, as inexperienced motorists, unfamiliar with the dangers posed by slippery surfaces caused by high rainfall, failed to heed warnings.

Social media was flooded with images of the extreme conditions, including many that appeared to show snow in the desert.

But a spokesman for the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology told local press: “Due to the intensity of the hail storm that struck parts of Abu Dhabi and continues to do so, it appears that it may have snowed. But what you see is intense hail.”

Out at sea there were treacherous conditions with massive waves making conditions impassable for small craft.

With little or no storm drainage system in the nation’s streets, roads became impassable under the deluge of rain.


WATCH: Floods, hail, and thunderstorms in UAE.

Police issued warnings of dangerous driving conditions, but there were still a number road smashes on the UAE’s highways.

Forecasters have warned there’s more to come over the next few hours. But they say conditions are likely to clear with temperatures reaching about 23C across the emirates. - Al Arabiya.

INFRASTRUCTURE COLLAPSE: Transportation Upheavals - 13 New Zealand Skydivers Bail Out Over Lake Taupo As Plane Crashes; And Surprise Hail Storm Sends 14 Skydivers Hurtling To The Ground In Melbourne, Australia!

January 7, 2015 - NEW ZEALAND / AUSTRALIA - 13 skydivers parachute to safety as New Zealand plane crashes into lake. 14 skydivers were caught in an intense hail and wind storm in Australia.

New Zealand skydivers bail out over Lake Taupo as plane crashes

Skydive Taupo which operated the flight said everyone had evacuted safely

All 13 people on board a small plane, including the pilot, parachuted to safety before the aircraft crashed into a lake on New Zealand's North Island.

The aircraft was taking them on a tandem skydive excursion over Lake Taupo when it suffered engine problems, said the authorities.

No-one was seriously injured, but the case is being investigated.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, Mike Richards, said it was a miracle no-one was killed.

Taupo Mayor David Trewavas said the had plane lost power about 1,300m off the ground and the pilot called for the passengers to evacuate.

"All the precautions were taken and they evacuated the plane safely. The plane then crashed into the lake at a place called Loafer's Paradise," Mr Trewavas told the New Zealand Herald.

Roy Clements, chief executive of Skydive Taupo which organised the trip, said in a statement: "A skydiving plane encountered an engine problem shortly after take-off.

"All parachutes including the pilot exited the plane and landed safely," the statement added.

One witness told local media he heard a loud bang and then saw skydivers leaving the plane.

"It sounded like an engine blowing up. It would've been no longer than 15 seconds between the bang and when the skydivers started jumping out of the plane," he told the Herald.

"It was pretty amazing that they could get out, it's amazing that they're safe." - BBC.

Surprise hail storm sends 14 skydivers hurtling to the ground in Melbourne, Australia

Many onlookers ran into the sea to rescue one on the victims who slammed into the water

14 skydivers have been ripped out of the sky by wild winds, with two victims rushed to hospital and 12 others treated by paramedics after the terrifying crash landings.

After a 38-degree sunny day, a fierce storm quickly took hold with the skydivers suddenly facing an intense hail storm and violent winds.

Horrified members of the public looked to the sky as skydivers fell at a rapid pace, battered onto St Kilda beach in Melbourne.


WATCH: The terrifying moment 14 skydivers fall violently through the air.

The skydivers fell through the sky with force, with two crashing into the ocean and another 12 landing across the beach and pier, spread over a wide area.

Senior Paramedic Team Manager, Jo Wilton, said that it was a chaotic scene when they arrived.

During the free fall many were blown across the sky like rag dolls, lucky to escape with only minor injuries.

Gail force winds forced the skydivers to tumble through the air, crashing into the ground or water

The first two survivors were found on St Kilda Pier just after 3pm and were treated by Metropolitan Fire Brigade marine firefighters.

'They were all incredibly lucky. Witnesses say they hit the water or the ground really hard so it could have been a lot worse than what it was,' Senior Paramedic Team Manager Jo Wilton said.

It's understood that two people were sent to Albert Hospital, whilst others were treated at the scene, administered with pain relief and treated for welts and soreness, primarily caused by the hail storm.

'It would have been very frightening for those involved, but they were well cared for at the scene and kept calm.' - Daily Mail.