EXTREME WEATHER: Infrastructure Collapse - Lightning Strike Sparks Huge Explosion At Steelworks In Port Talbot, Wales! [PHOTOS + VIDEOS]

Fire crews from Mid and West Wales Fire Service were called to the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot, Wales, around 8am, after a blaze ripped through the site

February 11, 2016 - WALES - Steelworkers escaped with their lives after a huge explosion ripped through Britain's biggest steelworks plant this morning.

The massive blast - believed to have been caused by a lightning strike - rocked the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales, shortly after a shift change at 8am.

Flames could be seen for miles around - and parts of the plant were evacuated as emergency services rushed to the scene.

Onlooker Mike O'Neill said: 'My car shook with the explosion as I drove past. I can see massive 100ft flames.

'There was also a huge plume of black smoke.' Less than two hours later firefighters announced the blaze was out and no one was hurt.

Nearby resident Pete Thomas said: 'It is amazing that no one was hurt because the explosion was huge.

'We often hear bangs and see fire but this was something else.' Last month Tata announced 750 job cuts at the site, among 1,050 across the UK.

Onlookers reported a huge explosion which sent 100ft flames into the air, followed by a plume of thick black smoke

A Tata Steel spokesman said: 'We can confirm that there has been a fire at our Port Talbot coke ovens this morning.

'No one was hurt. Following the necessary safety and operational checks, we will be looking to restart manufacturing operations today.

'Initial investigations suggest a lightning strike led to the fire at the site's coke ovens.'

Dealing yet another blow to the steel industry last month, it was announced Tata Steel was to cut 750 jobs at the UK's largest steel works in Port Talbot, as well as 200 in support functions and 100 at four other mills.


WATCH: Monumental Earth Changes.

It has been estimated the Port Talbot plant is losing £1 million a week.

The Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it was alerted shortly after 8am to reports of the blaze and six crews were dispatched.

Appliances from Port Talbot, Neath, Morriston and an aerial appliance from Swansea West attended the scene in south Wales.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said: 'I can confirm that the fire has been extinguished and the power supply has been re-established at the plant.

'The crews are beginning to leave but some are staying to monitor the situation should anything escalate.' - Daily Mail.

PLAGUES & PESTILENCES: The Number Of Turtles With Body Tumors Dramatically Increasing In Florida - Half Of The Green Sea Turtles Are Affected, Scientists Unclear As To The Exact Cause?!

The tumors are thought to be caused by a herpes virus, and can blind the reptiles. © Peter Bennett & Ursula Keuper-Bennett/Wikimedia

February 11, 2016 - FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - Off the coast of Florida, the population of green sea turtles has dramatically rebounded. From fewer than 500 nests recorded on the beaches nearly 30 years ago, last year saw a record 28,000 clutches of eggs laid. But despite this impressive recovery, they now seem to be facing another problem.

More and more of the reptiles are being found infected with a potentially deadly disease, which causes tumors to grow all over their bodies.

The disease, known as fibropapillomatosis, is thought to be caused by a herpes virus and is specific to sea turtles. Despite looking harmful, the tumors that develop on the surface are mainly benign, but problems arise when they grow over the turtles' eyes, which prevents them from seeing and therefore feeding. Around 20 years ago, vets at the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys were seeing around eight turtles a month with the tumors, but recently they have seen a massive increase, now seeing around eight a week.

While the disease is predominantly found in green sea turtles, the hospital has also found it in Kemp's ridley turtles, as well as the larger loggerheads. They have found that around half of the green sea turtles in the area are affected, and treat them by surgically removing the bulbous tumors from their bodies. Sometimes this takes multiple operations due to the severe conditions some of them are in. After this, they are held for about a year to aid in their recovery, but if the disease has spread to their liver and kidneys, nothing can be done to save them. Unfortunately, only around one in five of the turtles recover to a state in which they can be returned to the wild.

The cause of the disease, and why it has suddenly increased in incidence, is still not 100 percent clear.

One report looking into fibropapillomatosis in turtles living off Hawaii claims that certain areas around the coast had a disproportionately large number affected due to nitrogen runoff from cities and farms. They purport that an increase in nitrogen in the water leads to the algae converting more of it into an amino acid called arginine. The turtles feed on the algae, and therefore take in elevated levels of arginine, which has been found to support the growth of the herpes virus responsible for fibropapillomatosis. - IFL Science.

EXTREME WEATHER ANOMALIES: Unseasonable Warmth - Records Broken As Winter Heatwave Hits Southern California!

February 11, 2016 - CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - Several Bay Area cities broke temperature records for the day during a mid-winter heat wave that continued Tuesday, but San Francisco came just one degree short of tying its record, forecasters said.

"Close, but no cigar," said Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

San Francisco high Tuesday was 72 degrees, compared with the record of 73 set in 2006, Henderson said.

The unseasonably warm weather started on the weekend. On Monday, San Francisco's 75-degree high beat the 2006 record for that day by a degree.

Things continued to heat up Tuesday. San Francisco International Airport tied its record of 71, also set in 2006, while the Oakland Airport one-upped its 2006 record of 69 with an even 70 degrees.

San Jose recorded a 76, two degrees over the 2006 record.

Santa Cruz blasted through the 78-degree high set in 2006 when it reached 85 Tuesday.

Salinas Municipal Airport tied its 2006 record of 81 degrees, and Gilroy tied its 2012 record of 78.

Forecasters said the Bay Area can expect slightly cooler temperatures Wednesday with highs in the 60s to lower 70s. - SF Gate.

PLANETARY TREMORS: "Like A Bomb Going Off" - Earthquake "Swarm" Rattles Village In New Brunswick, Canada?!

A window was cracked at Lindsey Wilson's McAdam home during a recent earthquake. © CBC

February 11, 2016 - NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA - McAdam again hit by dozens of small quakes as seismologists search for answers

A swarm of small earthquakes is again rattling residents in the southwestern New Brunswick village of McAdam.

Officially, nine earthquakes hit the area on Monday night alone, coming on the heels of more than 23 temblors recorded since Feb. 1.

Mayor Frank Carroll estimates there were 20 to 30 small quakes on Monday night, with many of them not picked up by monitoring equipment located about 95 kilometres away in St. George. One of them registered 3.3 in magnitude.

No injuries have been reported and damage has been minor.

"Some people kind of describe it as a bomb going off," said Carroll.

"The community was really on edge on Monday," he said. "It was a horrific day in the world of earthquakes for us."

The village is giving all residents an "earthquake safety action plan," advising them on what to do if the quakes worsen.

Lindsey Wilson says a quake rattled her windows hard enough to break one of them.

"We've had some damage to our house. We've actually had a window get cracked on Sunday night," Wilson said.

A seismologist with Natural Resources Canada says it isn't known whether the small quakes are a precursor to a larger one.

"Magnitude 3.3 was quite a bit bigger than they had before," said John Adams. "But the pattern of activity is unpredictable."

Natural Resources Canada is sending additional seismology equipment to McAdam to enhance monitoring. It is expected to arrive by noon Thursday if road conditions allow.

Adams advises that if residents feel a quake lasting more than few seconds they should seek cover.

"Because we don't know what's going to happen, whether it will get bigger."

History of earthquakes

McAdam has been hit by similar swarms of earthquakes in the past. One in 2012 lasted 50 days, while another two years later lasted 10 days.

"It passed before in 2012 and we hope it's going to pass again," said Carroll.

Adams said there is probably a fault located under the village.

"There has to be a fault in the sense that an earthquake happens on a fault even if we can't see it," he said.

"There is an unknown fault under McAdam, as there is probably under most of New Brunswick somewhere."

"At some point it will be over, but we can't say it will be over for good," he said. - CBC.