instead of trying to defend yourself you should say:
"He obviously does not know me very well,
since there are so many other faults
he could have mentioned.**
Epictetus
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday -
4/1/12 -
5.2 GUERRERO, MEXICO
5.8 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
5.8 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
5.4 TRISTAN DA CUNHA REGION
5.0 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
5.0 BATAN ISL REGION, PHILIPPINES
VOLCANOES -
Ecuador - The Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias has a preventive green alert and has restricted access for the perimeter of the Turrialba National Park due to gas emissions from the Turrialba volcano over the last couple of days. The gas emissions are causing problems of access and egress to the park and authorities are asking for visitors not to visit, but if they do to use extreme caution. Towering plumes of smoke were notices by residents of the Turrrialba this week, forcing authorities to take action.
According to eyewitness reports from residents near the Turrialba, the behaviour of the colossus can change at any time and create conditions of danger to visitors. The Turrialba volcano is one of the most active in Costa Rica. Other volcanoes that the CNE is cautioning visitors, though no alert has been issued, are the Rincon de la Vieja, Arenal, Poas and the Irazu. The OVSICORI and the CNE are monitoring all the volcanoes, especially the Irazu, known as the sleeping giant, closest to the Turrialaba.
Italy's Mount Etna spews fiery lava for the fifth time this year - Europe's tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, has erupted for the fifth time in 2012, spewing hot lava and ash in the early hours of Sunday. The lava, which could be seen moving down the mountain's side just after 4am local time, continued for around 90 minutes but no damage or major disruption was reported.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the Pacific -
Tropical storm 02w (Pakhar) was located 42 nm N of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In the Indian Ocean -
Tropical cyclone 18p (Daphne) was located 340 nm WSW of Suva, Fiji.
'Survival mode' in flooded Fiji - Cyclone Daphne was rated a Category One and had developed 550 km south-west of Nadi at 1pm Sunday. Winds were reported to have reached about 30 knots (75kph). The Meteorological Service said most of the cyclone would be tracking south of Fiji, and would most likely "fizzle out" once it hit cooler waters, but would not necessarily make the weather any worse in Fiji.
Tourists trapped in the flooded country were suffering nightmarish conditions while thousands of locals were sheltering in evacuation centres across Fiji's Western Division. Four people are dead and three young boys are missing at sea. The boys have been missing since Tuesday after leaving Volivoli in a fishing boat and failing to return as expected on Friday. Tourists have been contending with floods, power cuts, high winds and brown tap water in Fiji. "You wouldn't walk outside because coconuts are falling from trees and the rain has been unreal - constant and heavy. In the resort there has been massive flooding." Meal prices doubled to NZ$65 while the food options dropped off as shop shelves and hotel pantries emptied out. Helicopter pilots were charging NZ$120 to airlift travellers out. "Everyone has been offering to get us out, but getting to the airport is an absolute nightmare. It's been back to basics. You go into survival mode and teach your kids to be prepared. It's been a bit of learning curve." Roads to the international airport in Nadi are closed and the extreme weather is expected to continue until tomorrow. Resorts are reported to be running out of food and locals in surrounding areas have been urged to boil rainwater, which continues to pour down. At Nadi Airport, frantic people crowded around equally frantic staff. Others lay on makeshift mattresses. Many had been stranded for several days.
Tourists flee in frantic scenes as devastating floods hit Fiji - The tropical cyclone is expected to miss Fiji today but will continue to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds and damaging swells to the flooded South Pacific nation, a meteorologist says, as the Fijian government lifted its ban on flights carrying inbound passengers. "The flooding comes on top of the earlier flooding in January and is more extensive. ... It's all through the west and up in the north." Fiji has "had a bashing", with water and power supplies cut in most areas and many roads closed. "Regardless of whether we get a cyclone or not, we could get hit with more rain and more flooding.
Monsoonal rains were expected to continue in Fiji until the middle of this week. "There are flood warnings in place for all major rivers, streams and low lying areas of [Fiji's largest island] Viti Levu. Already, more than 230 millimetres of rain falling Nadi during the past 48 hours. Winds could gust up to 110km/h today as the system continue to strengthen." A state of natural disaster was declared for western Fiji following flooding in which 4000 have been forced into evacuation centres. Power has been cut on Viti Levu. Incoming flights to Nadi were stopped last night and scheduled flights out of Nadi to Auckland, Melbourne and Honolulu were cancelled.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Snow warning for Scotland issued - The Met Office has issued a yellow alert warning for snow across most of Scotland. The yellow alert covers every region of Scotland except Orkney and Shetland. It is valid for noon on Monday until 06:00 on Tuesday. The return of wintry weather follows THE MILDEST MARCH EVER RECORDED in Scotland. Last Tuesday, the temperature in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, reached 23.6C - THE WARMEST MARCH DAY ON RECORD. The average daytime temperature for March is usually about 10C.
SPACE WEATHER -
APRIL 1st ASTEROID FLYBY - Newly discovered near-Earth asteroid 2012 EG5 is flying past Earth today about halfway between Earth and the Moon. There's no danger of a collision. At closest approach on April 1st, the Dreamliner-sized space rock was about 230,000 km from Earth.
Returning sunspot AR1429 is just a shadow of its former self, having decayed substantially during its two week trip around the backside of the sun.
