Tacitus
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
5.3 SEA OF OKHOTSK
Yesterday -
7/8/12 -
5.2 SALTA, ARGENTINA
5.4 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
6.0 KURIL ISLANDS
TROPICAL STORMS -
- Category 2 Hurricane Daniel was located about 1190 mi [1915 km] WSW of the southern tip of Baja California. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
- Tropical storm Emilia was located about 785 mi [1265 km] S of the southern tip of Baja California
Tropical Storm Emilia formed in the Pacific Ocean south of Mexico Saturday evening and is expected to stay over water.
Daniel has likely reached peak intensity - Most models are anticipating Daniel to move just south of Hawaii as a remnant low in the next six to seven days. The cyclone is not expected to threaten the Hawaiian Islands as a tropical cyclone.
Despite fast start, experts still expect near normal hurricane season - So far, the 2012 storm season is two months ahead of schedule. Tropical Storms Alberto and Beryl both formed in May, and two storms have emerged before June 1 only twice before in recorded history, in 1887 and in 1908.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Russia held a day of mourning for those killed in the flash floods that killed at least 171 in the southern Krasnodar region on Saturday.
The devastating monsoon floods in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam have killed at least 559 animals. More than 400 hog deer and 14 of the endangered one-horned rhinos have been found dead in the Kaziranga national park. Assam's Environment Minister called it a "catastrophe". Kaziranga is home to nearly two-thirds of the world's remaining one-horned rhinos. The floods have also killed 121 people and displaced 2.2 million more. The displaced have been put up in government shelters or have taken refuge with friends and relatives. Officials say this is THE WORST FLOOD IN THE STATE SINCE 1998.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE -
US RECORD HEATWAVE - At least 42 people have now died in the heatwave that brought soaring temperatures to a dozen US states from the Midwest to the East Coast. Crops shrivelled and roads and railway lines buckled in the heat. HUNDREDS OF RECORDS FELL across the affected area on Friday and Saturday, but the heat was expected to ease slightly on Sunday.
Severe storms are expected to follow. Many homes in the region are still without power after storms a week ago. Many of the deaths were of elderly people stuck in homes without air conditioning because of the outages. Ten deaths in Chicago were blamed on the heat, and at least 10 each in the eastern states of Virginia and Maryland. Three each died in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and two in Tennessee. On Saturday temperatures reached 105F (41C) in Washington DC - just short of the hottest ever recorded in the city - and 107F (46C) in St Louis, Missouri, which also extended its record for consecutive days over 100F to 10. High temperatures have also hit parts of Canada, with temperatures on Friday breaking 11 daily records in Ontario.
