Ran out of time yesterday to do the webpage update. It was a beautiful day......rainy today.
Hurricane Irene heads toward Bahamas - A rapidly strengthening Hurricane Irene has roared off the Dominican Republic's resort-dotted northern coast, whipping up high waves and torrential downpours as it cuts a destructive path through the Caribbean. Irene grew into a category two hurricane today and the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said it could become a monstrous category three storm as early as tomorrow. "We didn't anticipate it gaining this much strength this early." The ocean's warm temperatures and the current atmosphere is "very conducive" to energising storms.
Forecasters said it could still be that strong when it passes over the Bahamas and slams into the US by the end of the week, possibly landing in Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina. By Monday night, Irene was centered about 200km east of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic with maximum winds of 160km/h. Irene is forecast to grow into a category three hurricane late tomorrow as it moves over the warm waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. A hurricane warning was in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. All of Haiti was under a tropical storm warning and authorities issued a red alert.
Earlier, the storm slashed directly across Puerto Rico, tearing up trees and knocking out power to more than a million people, then headed out to sea north of the Dominican Republic, where the powerful storm's outer bands were buffeting the north coast with dangerous sea surge and downpours. Police and civil protection officials in the Dominican Republic made their way along the beaches of the country's northern coast to warn people away from the surging sea today. The storm's downpours forced more than 1000 Dominicans to evacuate their homes, with some families in low-lying areas fleeing to churches and public buildings. Dominican officials said the government had emergency food available for 1.5 million people if needed and the country's military and public safety brigades were on alert. During the storm's march through the region, British actress Kate Winslet and others escaped uninjured when a blaze sparked by lightning gutted Richard Branson's home on his private isle in the British Virgin Islands.
and pride and hunger will ever be at variance.**
Jonathan Swift
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.3 COLORADO
5.1 KASHMIR-INDIA BORDER REGION
Yesterday -
8/22/11 -
6.0 SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA
5.9 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 FIJI REGION
5.0 VANUATU
5.6 VANUATU
5.5 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
8/21/11 -
5.3 OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
5.0 CERAM SEA, INDONESIA
5.9 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
5.7 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS
5.2 VANUATU
5.2 VANUATU
5.5 VANUATU
VOLCANOES -
Kizimen volcano in Russia generates a lot of seismic activity - Kizimen volcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula Russia has got a burst of activity August 20/21). Russian scientists have measured more than 900 seismic tremors over the last 24 hours.
Volcanic activity on the rise at Costa Rica's Turrialba Volcano - Experts are tracking a 100 year dormant volcano in Costa Rica and are investigating new happenings. The Turrialba Volcano has been dormant for over 100 years but temperatures are rising and plumes of gas are now visible.
TROPICAL STORMS -
-Category 2 Hurricane Irene was located about 100 mi / 155 km E of Puerto Plata Dominican Republic.
-Tropical depression 14 was located approximately 350 nm east of Manila, Philippines.
Florida bracing for arrival of Irene which could strengthen into a hurricane and strike the state on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Irene approached hurricane strength and barreled toward Puerto Rico early Monday after hitting St. Croix, packing heavy rains and winds that closed airports and flooded low-lying areas.
Mina (Tropical depression 14) to bring rains over Bicol, Philippines – A low pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Visayas on Sunday has formed into a tropical depression named “Mina".
Harvey now a tropical depression and moving through Mexico - Tropical Depression Harvey, is moving slowly through Mexico and dumping rain. Even though it is a depression, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the southern coast of Mexico.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Record Breaking Heat Continues in Texas - The pattern of hot and mainly dry weather could move North Texas into second on the list of greatest annual triple digit days by today. On August 11, 2011 temperatures fell below 100 degrees for the first time in 40 days, two days shy of the record.
