April 24, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the new activity, unrest and ongoing reports of volcanoes across the globe.
Sinabung (North Sumatra, Indonesia):The Sinabung is always active in recent days.
Great photos of Firdaus Surbakti and Endro Lewa allow to detail the evolution of the pyroclastic flow of April 20.
Beidar Sinabung
Beidar Sinabung
Beidar Sinabung
Endro Lewa
Santiaguito (Guatemala): Another large eruption occurred at the Caliente dome yesterday morning,
at around 6 am, with a new series of collapses that generated
pyroclastic flows and an impressive ash plume that rose approx. 3 km
above the lava dome.
Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala. Matthew Karsten
Ash plume from Santiaguito. Carlos Ventura / Prensa Libre
Carlos Ventura / Prensa Libre
According to INSIVUMEH, the source of the collapses is the continued
supply of viscous lava that extrudes into the summit of the Caliente
dome, and the collapse and pyroclastic flows affected its eastern side.
Ash fall occurred in areas to the west and southwest in up to 25 km
distance, including the towns of Cuyotenango, San Francisco, Zunilito
and Pueblo Nuevo.
WATCH: Santiaguito volcano erupts.
Masaya (Nicaragua): The lava lake in the volcano's summit crater continues to be very active
and its level has risen a bit during the past days, INETER reports.
View of Masaya's lava lake. INETER crater webcam
Seismic activity, including tremor reflecting the degassing of the lava lake, fluctuates at moderate to high levels.
Pavlof (Alaska Peninsula, USA): Seismic activity at the volcano has continued to decrease over the past
two weeks and no anomalous activity has been detected in satellite data
since weakly elevated surface temperatures were seen on April 8.
AVO is therefore lowering the aviation color code to GREEN and the Volcano Alert Level to NORMAL.
Langila (New Britain, Papua New Guinea): Darwin VAAC reported ash emissions from the volcano that rose to 7,000
ft (2.1 km) altitude and drifted up to 100 km north.
Aviation color code
is at orange.
Alaid (Northern Kuriles, Kuril Islands): Eruptive activity on the remote volcano continues; satellite images show fresh ash deposits and evidence a strong heat source from the crater.
Satellite image of Alaid, showing ash-darkened snow. Terra satellite / NASA
Heat signal from Alaid volcano. MIROVA
Kliuchevskoi (Kamchatka): The volcano continues to be in mild to moderate strombolian activity.
Strombolian activity at Klyuchevskoy volcano.Yury Demyanchuk
Dukono (Halmahera, Indonesia): Intense ash emissions continue from the volcano.
Dukono's ash plume. Aqua / NASA satellite image
This morning, VAAC Darwin reported a plume at approx. 7,000 ft (2.1 km) altitude extending 50 km to the NE, well visible on satellite images.
Nevados de Chillán (Chile): New ash emissions occurred yesterday morning, generating a small plume that rose approx. 500 m.
Small ash emissions from Nevados de Chillán volcano. SERNAGEOMIN
According to Sernageomin, this activity is not caused directly by fresh magma, but related to disturbances of the shallow hydrothermal system which interacts with an underlying, probably only small body of magma.SERNAGEOMIN also reported a slight increase in earthquakes typical of internal fluid movements (LP- long period events) during the past weeks and that sporadic ash emissions are likely to continue.
The volcano's alert level remains at "yellow" and it is recommended to stay outside a radius of 2 km around the active craters
Popocatépetl (Central Mexico):
Following Monday's large explosive activity (2 hours of lava
fountaining), the volcano returned to be relatively calm, producing only
steam emissions and no significant explosions.
Steam emission ("exhalation") from Popocatepetl volcano.
Bright glow remains visible from the summit, indicating that magma continues to rise and accumulate at the summit vent.
Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands, Japan): The strombolian-type activity from the volcano on the small island in southern Japan continues to be elevated.
Ash plume from an eruption at Suwanose-jima volcano. JMA webcam
Frequent explosions produce small to moderate ash plumes that rise to altitudes of 5-7,000 ft (1.5-2 km).
Constant glow is visible from the O-take crater at night.
Soufrière Hills (Montserrat): On the island of Montserrat, heavy
rains have eroded and re-mobilized the eruptive ash deposits in the
Belham Valley, creating lahars there and making of this a dangerous
area.
Lahars in the Belham Valley. MVO
The
activity of the volcano Soufriere Hills, remains unchanged,
characterized by a plume of gas blown northwards towards uninhabited
areas. The alert level remains at 1.
Etna (Sicily, Italy):At Etna, ash emissions are noticed
on the night of April 20 to 21, still visible the next morning at the
northeast and new southeast craters.
EtnaLive
site states, based on the latest multidisciplinary INGV Catania report
on the April 19th, that at the level of Bocca Nuova, the crater floor
collapsed gradually, to produce the formation of a new crater in the fossa.
Bocca Nuova Etna - the red arrow indicates the collapse. INGV Catania
Etna summit craters - with legend. Joseph Nasi / Butterfly helicopters Service
Nevado del Ruiz (Colombia): The volcano produced a small ash plume today, Manizales volcano observatory reported to Washington VAAC.
Webcam views are obscured by weather clouds.Sporadic mild ash emissions have been occurring from the volcano from time to time during the past weeks.
March 21, 2016 - ITALY - A Renault Twingo and two small trees have disappeared into a huge
sinkhole in the central square of Afragola, a town near Naples.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, which happened in the early hours of Monday morning.
The opening of the chasm, which was seven metres long, seven metres wide
and seven metres deep, damaged underground pipes and cut off the water
supply to some local residents.
A video of the sinkhole and its contents can be seen below.
WATCH: Massive sinkhole opens up in Naples.
The gigantic hole is thought to have been caused by either an underground drain or tunnel caving in.
Several tunnels are known to run under the square and once connected the
crypt of the nearby church of San Giorgio to the town's castle.
After a few seconds, viewers can hear waves as the pavement begins to lurch upwards before resettling
March 9, 2016 - ITALY - Unnerving footage of a pavement appearing to take a series of deep breaths has emerged online.
The clip shows the 'possessed' paved dockyard in Cadimare, Italy, rising
and falling from the 'force of the tide', local media reports.
Despite claims that the movement is caused by waves beneath the pathway,
some people remain unconvinced, claiming that the video was made
courtesy of 3D computer graphics.
At the beginning of the footage, which was uploaded to Viral Hog, the affected dockway remains still with a barrier placed above it.
WATCH: Waves move below dockyard in Cadimare, Italy.
After a few seconds, viewers can hear waves as the pavement begins to lurch upwards before resettling.
According to Nine Msn,
the force of the tide coming into the coastal town in the Gulf of La
Spezia is apparently so strong that it causes parts of the floor in the
centre to move.
People have claimed online that the moving pavement is actually down to
Gozer the Destroyer from Ghostbusters, who haunts the ground.
Despite several comments stating that the dockyard's movement is caused by the water beneath it, many remain sceptical.
One YouTube user, Lucassnakesman said: 'That's either some amazing special effects or something really f***** up is going on.
Another said: 'It's not real. Look at the legs of the steel barrier, they're 3D computer graphics.' - Daily Mail.
February 29, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Malaysia – Flash Floods in Kuching, Sarawak, After 300 mm of Rain in 24 Hours
Heavy rainfall in Malaysia has caused the third wave of flooding in the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
A
torrential downpour that began early on Saturday 27 February caused
severe flooding in and some landslides in the district of Serian. Other
areas affected included Padawan, Penrissen and Bau-Lundu.
The state’s capital city, Kuching, was also badly affected, with some streets under 70 cm of water at the peak of the floods.
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Local media say
that much as 300 mm of rain fell in Kuching in 24 hours between 27 and
28 February, 2016. The city’s drainage system is designed for a maximum
of 180 mm of rain and was unable to cope. However, much of the flood
water had subsided by late morning of Sunday 28 February.
Local
media said that at one point 631 people had evacuated their homes and
were staying in two flood evacuation centres.
WATCH: Flash flooding in Kuching.
Malaysia disaster
management authorities say that the number of displaced people has since
dropped to 60.
No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Severe Weather Affects Italy From North To South – 5 Deaths Reported
Terra Satellite (NASA) image of the severe weather affecting Italy
The low pressure Atlantic front “Golia” has affected the whole of Italy since the 27 February 2016, causing intense storms and torrential rainfall, with snow in the north and rain and storm surge in the south.
As many as 5 deaths have been reported as a result of the severe weather, including 2 people who drowned in flood water. Damage to houses, infrastructures and communications routes have also been reported.
According to the National Aeronautic Meteorological Service (Servizio Meteorologico Aeronautica Militare), the severe weather will last until later today, Monday 29 February, 2016, with intense storms expected in the north and along the Tyrrhenian coast.
River levels and soil saturation are increasing, increasing the risk of hydro-geological issues with the potential of further damages and loss of life.
Fatalities
A car fell in a river under flood in Sant’Angelo in Pontano (Marche Region), resulting in 1 person reported dead. In Veneto Region a man drowned as he fell into the Tione River near Villafranca di Verona.
The intense storms in the South of Italy were accompanied by severe gusts of wind, causing the fall of several trees and resulting in 1 casualty in Candidoni (Calabria Region) and 2 casualties in Sessa Aurunca (Campania Region).
Damage to Infrastructures and Transport
Damage to infrastructures has been reported throughout Italy, including the derailment of a train in Piedmont Region.
In the North of Italy (Piedmont Region), communications routes to France suffered interruptions and critical issues due to the high amount of snow fallen, up to 90 cm at the Tende pass linking Cuneo Province to Alpes-Maritimes Department in France.
A landslide caused by the severe precipitations caused the derailment of a regional train connecting Biella to Novara, in Piedmont Region. The passengers are reported unharmed.
The mountain part of the Savona Province in Liguria suffered several electric service issues and blackouts, among with road interruptions, due to the falling of trees caused by intense snow affecting the area.
In the South of Italy, the intense wind and resulting storm surge caused the interruption in the maritime links between Naples and the Phlegraean Islands. As a result, Ischia, Capri and Procida are currently isolated from the mainland. Social Media
Indonesia – 43 Killed in Floods and Landslides Since Start of Year
Floods in Riau Province, Indonesia, February 2016. Photo: Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana
Indonesia’s Nasional Disaster Management Authority (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana – BNPB) says that the influence of El Niño delayed the start of this year’s rainy season. January would normally see the peak of the rainy season, but this year the worst may yet be still to come.
Despite the later onset of the rains, BNPB report that between 01 January and 12 February, there have been floods, landslides, and tornadoes in 290 districts or cities in Indonesia.
The severe weather events have left 45 people dead, 48 injured, nearly one million displaced, and thousands of homes destroyed.
The list include 122 flood events across 23 of the country’s 34 provinces. Floods alone resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and the destruction of 1,767 homes. As many as 65 landslides have been recorded since between 01 January and 12 February, leaving 29 people dead.
In the first few weeks of February, major floods and landslides have been reported in the provinces of Central Java, West Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Riau and Jambi.
January 22, 2016 - ITALY - A multicolor light phenomenon known as a "fire rainbow," or
circumhorizontal arc, was caught on camera in the sky over southern
Italy.
The video was filmed Jan. 9 over the city of Lecce.
The phenomenon is caused by light from the sun or moon refracting off
plate-shaped ice crystals suspended among the clouds in the atmosphere.
It is nicknamed a "fire rainbow" despite being neither a rainbow nor fire-related because the halo sometimes manifests in a way that resembles flames. - UPI.
January 19, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the latest reports of extreme cold conditions gripping many countries across the globe, as global cooling continues relentlessly.
Snownado! A massive snow shaft photographed off the coast of Aberdeen, UK
Bad weather collapses bridge. Snow down to the lowlands, cold, strong winds and rainfall for today, Sunday and Monday.
There was intense snowfall with strong winds in Kozani.The bad weather collapsed a bridge in Diava Kalambaka.
WATCH: Bad weather hits Greece.
As transmitted by trikalaola.gr, eyewitnesses of the collapse of the
bridge were the Deputy Head of Trikala, Mr. Christos Michalakis and
Thessaly Regional Councillor, Mr. Boutinas.
Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for these links. - Ice Age Now.
Brutal cold gripping midwest U.S. to sweep east with snow squalls; 10-20ºF below normal
Brutal cold gripping the Midwest this weekend will sweep into the East
to start the new week, ushered in by snow and localized squalls in the
Northeast.
The new arctic blast will be the harshest the Midwest and East has
experienced so far this season. According to AccuWeather Chief
Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, "The arctic deep freeze will last two to three days in most places."
Parts of eastern North Dakota, Minnesota and northeastern Iowa will not see temperatures climb above zero until Tuesday, making for a total of 72 hours of subzero readings since the weekend started.
Temperatures will dangerously drop under 10 below zero F Sunday
and Monday nights in and around Minnesota with some communities near the
Canadian border registering lows under 20 below zero F.
AccuWeather RealFeel temperatures will be life-threatening if people
venture out without being properly dressed from the northern Plains to
the Ohio Valley.
The cold will not be as brutal when the arctic air grips the eastern
U.S. early this week, but will still hold temperatures 10-20 degrees
below normal Monday into Tuesday.
Subfreezing highs and biting winds will encompass the Northeast and
mid-Atlantic both Monday and Tuesday, a stretch the I-95 corridor in the
mid-Atlantic has not dealt with yet this winter.
"Washington, D.C., has not had a day during which temperatures
stayed below freezing all day [so far this season]," AccuWeather
Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said. "However, the city will have two such
days Monday and Tuesday."
The winds will create significantly lower RealFeel temperatures in the
Northeast and mid-Atlantic, which will bottom out down to or below zero
to the I-95 corridor Tuesday morning.
"Residents in the Southeast will also be shivering from this arctic
blast," Samuhel said. "In Raleigh, North Carolina, temperatures on
Monday will be struggling to reach the mid-30s with a gusty winds making
it feel closer to 20 F much of the day."
On Tuesday, highs will barely rise to near 50 F in Jacksonville, Florida.
Highs in the Southeast in mid-January typically range from the lower 50s around Raleigh to the mid-60s in Jacksonville.
"The cold air will blast through parts of Florida recently affected by severe weather,"
said Samuhel. "Interior parts of South Florida will flirt with the
upper 30s Monday night." Similar temperatures will follow for Tuesday
night.
However, freezing nighttime temperatures will remain north of the major citrus areas.
Before the arctic air invades the East, parts of the Northeast will receive snow into the start of the new week.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "As the
leading edge of the arctic air races southeastward, flurries and highly
localized bursts of snow can occur."
The snow showers and localized squalls will press eastward to West
Virginia, northern and western Pennsylvania and western New England
Sunday night.
The bursts of snow and sudden drop in visibility can catch motorists
cruising along on the highways by surprise. Roads can go from dry to wet
and then snow-covered in a matter of minutes, including on stretches of
interstates 70, 79, 80, 81, 86, 87, 90 and 99.
Snow squalls have been responsible for multi-vehicle pileups in the
past. Motorists are urged to allow extra stopping distance between the
preceding vehicle.
A coating of snow gave New York City its first measurable snowfall of
the season late Sunday. An inch or two will further whiten the New
Jersey coast and eastern Long Island.
Roads will mainly stay wet. Slick spots may develop, mainly on bridges
and overpasses as the snow is falling. Other lingering wet areas in the
mid-Atlantic may turn icy into Sunday night as temperatures drop below
freezing.
As the storm system from the southern mid-Atlantic passes by to the
southeast and the arctic air arrives, a band of snow will develop from
eastern Massachusetts to southern Maine Sunday night into Monday
morning. This includes Boston and Portland, Maine. A total of 1-3 inches
will accumulate and create slick travel for the morning commute.
When the arctic air settles over the East during the rest of Monday and
Tuesday, most of the snow will be confined to places downwind of the
Great Lakes and the northern Appalachians. Significant lake-effect snowfall is expected.
The harsh cold will ease across the Midwest and East beginning at
midweek. However, enough cold will be in place for snow to spread from
the central Plains to the Ohio Valley Tuesday into Wednesday.
While this snow will likely fizzle east of the Appalachian Mountains,
another storm will have to be monitored for the possibility of turning
into a snowstorm for the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and Northeast as the
new weekend approaches. - AccuWeather.
Heavy snowfall grounds hundreds of flights in Istanbul, Turkey
Heavy snowfall has swept northwestern Turkey, grounding hundreds of
flights, disrupting ground transport and closing schools in Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines announced the cancellation of 250 international and
domestic flights to and from Istanbul's Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen
airports on Monday.
The airline also canceled at least 149 flights scheduled for Tuesday.
The snow began Sunday evening and is expected to continue until Tuesday
night, according to Turkey's General Directorate of Meteorology, which
also warned of heavy rainfall and a risk of flooding in southern Turkey.
The governor of Istanbul, Vasip Sahin, said on Twitter that
schools would remain closed on Monday. Rough sea conditions also
disrupted ferry services.
A cold snap in Istanbul over the New Year left thousands of passengers stranded, but temperatures had been milder recently.
- ABC News.
Bosporus Strait closed to tankers due to heavy snowfall, Turkey
Winter view to Bosphorus, Istanbul
The Bosporus Strait has closed to tankers Monday afternoon due to heavy snow in the region, local port agents said.
"Authorities have notified [us] that the Bosporus traffic has been
closed on January 18 at [4.06 pm local time] due to heavy snowfall,"
Boutros Maritime and Transport said.
According to local agents, there were seven tankers due to pass through
the Bosporus in a northbound direction Monday, and 13 due to pass
through going South.
The Bosporus and the Dardanelles together form the only commercially
navigable transit route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
- Platts.
Severe situation in northern Bulgaria because of snow, floods and strong winds
Flooding Bulgaria
Strong winds in northern Bulgaria, causing blizzards and snow drifts, hampered traffic in northern Bulgaria on January 18, with many roads closed.
Heavy snowfall and rains in several parts of Bulgaria at the weekend led
to declarations of states of emergency in some municipalities, as
serious winter weather conditions also hit Bulgaria's neighbouring
countries Turkey, Greece, Romania and Serbia.
The state of emergency that had been declared at the weekend in
Bulgaria's Smolyan municipality was lifted on the morning of January 18
but partial emergencies remained in place in the municipalities of
Rudozem, Devin and Dospat.
WATCH: State of emergency in Bulgaria.
The head of Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency, Lazar Lazarov, said
on the morning of January 18 that roads in western Bulgaria were
passable provided that vehicles were prepared for wintry conditions but
traffic in north-eastern Bulgaria still had difficulties.In parts of
northern Bulgaria, visibility was down to zero as strong winds drove
blizzards and snow drifts.
The roads between the Danubian city of Rousse and the town of Shoumen,
and between Silistra and Shoumen, were closed. On the stretch of Hemus
Motorway between Shoumen and Varna, there was a ban on the movement of
heavy vehicles.
Flooding at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint ledto traffic being diverted to the Lesovo checkpoint, Lazarov said.
Several dozen villages in the municipalities of Mezdra and Roman remained without electricity.
In the municipality of Lovech, several villages also had no power, and
electricity distribution company teams had worked through the night to
restore supply, local media said.
The port of Varna was closed because of strong winds.
In various municipalities in Bulgaria, schools were closed on Monday
although classes in most major cities were proceeding as normal.
In Sofia, the head of the capital city's municipal inspectorate, Veska
Georgieva, issued a reminder that those who failed to clean the snow
from in front of their residences and offices could face fines ranging
from 50 to 500 leva for individuals and from 700 to 2000 leva for
juristic persons.
According to Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandukova, snowfall through
the night had resulted in snow cover in places in the city of 40cm, in
some places up to 50cm.
Sofia's Pirogov emergency hospital said that about 250 people had sought
medical treatment at the weekend for fractures of the wrist, shoulder,
ankle or hip, causing by falling in the icy conditions.
Elsewhere in South Eastern Europe, heavy snowfall and strong wind
prompted Turkish Airlines to cancel 246 domestic and international
flights from Atatürk Airport, including to Bulgaria, and Sabiha Gökçen
Airport. In Romania, schools in Bucharest were closed on January 18. In
Greece, a 47-year-old man was found dead by rescuers after his car was
swept away by a flash flood in Serres, with the country having been hit
by severe heavy rain at the weekend. - The Sofia Globe.
Blizzards wreak havoc in Romania and Bulgaria, ports closed
Heavy snowfall and strong winds closed Romania's Black Sea ports including the main port of Constanta, and shut dozens of roads while snowstorms and torrential rains cut electricity tohundreds of towns in Bulgaria, authorities said on Sunday.
Blizzards dumped up to half a metre of snow in 12 hours in Romania, disrupting trains and forcing authorities to shut down all schools in Bucharest and nearby counties.
There were no reports of victims but emergency services said they were
prepared to intervene, with about 6,000 policemen, gendarmes and
firefighters currently involved in various missions across the country,
the interior ministry said.
Snowfalls are not expected to ease until Monday in Romania andforecasters predict temperatures will fall to belowminus 18 degrees Celsius next week.Dozens of villages in southern Romania were left without electricity after trees and strong winds brought down power lines.
Heavy
snowfall in northern and central Bulgaria and torrential rains in the
southern part of the Balkan country have left tens of thousands of
people in over 1,000 villages and towns without power, Energy Minister
Temenuzhka Petkova said.
WATCH: Blizzards wreak havoc in Romania and Bulgaria.
An avalanche blocked a road linking the Bulgarian capital Sofia with the
northwestern town of Montana. The heavy rainfall in southern Bulgaria
closed the border checkpoint with Turkey, triggered mudslides and caused
flooding in several villages. - Reuters.
Heavy snowfall causes transport chaos in Japan; 250 people injured
Heavy snow in eastern and northeastern Japan wreaked havoc with
transportation systems and injured about 250 people Monday as central
Tokyo was blanketed with 6 cm.
At least 40 people were sent to hospitals in Tokyo alone, and another 30
were reported injured in Saitama Prefecture, police and fire
departments across the region said.
Over the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Tuesday, up to 100 cm of snow is
forecast to fall in Hokkaido and the Hokuriku region, 70 cm in the
Tohoku and Tokai areas, 50 cm in the Chugoku region, and 40 cm in the
Kanto and Koshin regions, according to the Meteorological Agency.
The low-pressure system responsible for the snow was predicted to remain
through Tuesday, especially along the Sea of Japan coast.
The land ministry urged people to prepare for heavy snow in the affected
areas and refrain from going out unless necessary. Snow tires and
chains for cars were also recommended.
The snow temporarily brought services on the Joetsu and Hokuriku
shinkansen lines to a crawl, affecting approximately 30,000 passengers,
while a slowdown of services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line
inconvenienced around 11,000 people.
Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. cancelled 197 domestic flights in total, affecting more than 16,000 people.
The Chuo Expressway was closed in some areas of Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures.
East Japan Railway Co. also canceled some express and local trains on the Chuo and Oume lines.
WATCH: Heavy snowfall causes transport chaos in Japan.
In Suginami Ward, Tokyo, a minivehicle overturned and the driver, a man
in his 60s, suffered a broken right arm. In Chikusei, Ibaraki
Prefecture, a 22-year-old man injured his head after his car slipped and
collided with an oncoming truck, police said.
Unaccustomed to the snow and ice, many people in urban areas suffered minor injuries in falls.
Thousands of morning rush-hour commuters were stuck on crowded station
platforms or aboard trains as the weather disrupted the rail network.
Brimming with passengers waiting to board trains, people were seen
unable to pass through ticket gates at Shinjuku, Shibuya and other major
stations.
Even the normally subdued Motohasunuma Station on the Toei Mita Line in
Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, was packed with commuters waiting for trains at
around 9 a.m.
The line reduced the number of operating trains, causing delays of roughly 60 minutes.
"I just called my company that I won't make it to the office in time," a
male employee in his 30s said in a resigned tone while waiting for a
train he could squeeze into. "I've already passed over four consecutive
trains but still can't get on. ... This is amazing."
On the Keio Inokashira Line, the usual 15-minute commute from Mitakadai
to Shibuya Station took nearly 75 minutes after the operator halted
express services and reduced the number of trains.
The disruptions also forced a group of young female travelers from
Yamagata Prefecture at JR Shinagawa Station to look for alternatives to
their plans.
"We were hoping to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum (showcasing the anime
of Hayao Miyazaki) in Mitaka (western Tokyo), but we assumed it would
take too much time to get there," a 25-year-old woman said. "We were
just discussing how best to spend our time here as we have to go back
home today."
A 50-year-old American man in Tokyo for a business trip, said as he was
heading to JR Osaki Station he was surprised to see such heavy snow in
the capital.
"It's scary. I've been to Japan many times, but I've never seen something like this," he said.
- The Japan Times.
Italy in the grip of ice and snow: Minus 18 degrees Celsius recorded in places
Civil protection authorities issued a fresh weather alert for southern
regions on Monday as much of Italy remained in the grips of heavy ice
and snow.
"In the next few hours a low-pressure area arriving from the
Atlantic will hit Sardinia before extending across southern regions
during the day tomorrow, with rain and snowfall at low altitude and
stronger winds," the warning said. Rain and snow were forecast in
Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily in particular.
The civil protection department also issued a yellow warning for
localised hydrogeological and hydraulic risk in Sicily, Calabria,
Molise, much of Puglia and parts of Abruzzo.
Central and
southern regions have born the brunt of the recent cold snap, with
temperatures dipping to -18 degrees Celsius in some places. Schools
remained closed on Monday in dozens of municipalities in the central
Abruzzo region including the coastal city of Pescara due to heavy
snowfall.
Similar conditions were reported in neighbouring
Molise, where the situation was compounded by an ongoing earthquake
swarm that began last week. Instead the sun shone on the central Marche
region but roads remained dangerous due to ice.
In Sicily strong north-westerly winds caused disruptions to
ferry and hovercraft connections between the northern port town of
Milazzo and the Aeolian islands, where snow was reported on Stromboli,
Salina and Lipari.
On Saturday night a woman in her final month of pregnancy had to be airlifted from Lipari to Milazzo after going into labour.
WATCH: Italy in the grip of ice and snow.
In the southern Campania region schools were closed in the province of
Salerno, while in the provinces of Avellino and Benevento farmers
belonging to the association Coldiretti rallied their tractors to help
clear snow from roads. Meteorologists said the icy weather would last at
least until the end of the week.
The cold hasn't spared northern regions either: in Tuscany municipal
civil protection officers in Florence told citizens to brace for
freezing temperatures Tuesday.
Elderly people were advised to take special care and only go
outdoors in the morning, while the homeless were reminded that shelter
was available for them.
Likewise municipal authorities in Rome were offering shelter, food, a
shower service and a change of clothes to the homeless and needy under
its 2015-2016 winter plan. - ANSA.
January 15, 2016 - ITALY - An explosion blamed on a gas leak has killed five people in the apartment building where they lived in northwest Italy.
Firefighters say they removed the bodies of four men and a woman from
the collapsed building in Arnasco, near Savona, after the pre-dawn blast
Saturday.
A woman who survived was severely burned.
Arnasco Mayor Alfredo Gallizia says the four-story building, where three
families lived, was "saturated with gas and everything came down."
The cause of the gas leak is being investigated. - CP24.
January 14, 2016 - ITALY - Residents of the town of Cervinia in northwest Italy learned firsthand what a "near miss" means as a gigantic wall of snow was about to devour the popular ski resort.
On January 12 a huge, 300-meter-wide block of snow came off from the Jumeaux peak, which is almost 4,000 meters high, and plummeted toward the town until it stopped just short of the residential area.
Miraculously, no one was hurt.
As a result of the avalanche, an enormous white powder cloud covered the resort, to the extent that the sun was not visible at one moment.
*RESORT OF THE DAY #29* - #Cervinia in Italy! Powder day after 45cm of fresh snow overnight!
Twitter: Ski Club GB
"Everyone who witnessed it was really scared, but fortunately there was no damage to homes or roads," La Stampa reported Deborah Camaschella, the mayor of the Valtournenche district, which includes Cervinia, as saying.
Although the avalanche did not come as a complete surprise, the volume of snow was unexpected for the residents and was "too close for comfort," the mayor said.
WATCH: Massive avalanche in Italy.
On January 11, the day before the huge Cervinia avalanche, another beautiful yet scary snowfall was filmed in the village of Bessans in southeast France. Luckily, no injuries or damage was reported on that occasion, either. - RT.
This cloud formation is most regularly found near mountainous areas and can appear singular or stacked like pancakes.
Lenticular clouds are formed when air moves over mountains, cooling sufficiently for condensation to take place.
They are continually reformed over the same location by new air rising
up and over a mountain, condensing and producing the clouds.
