Tropical Cyclone One - Whilst there is still some uncertainty on this storm’s path, the latest prediction from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center suggests that it will strengthen over the next five days and reach Bagladesh early next week. On making landfall, this storm would bring a significant risk of heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds, with neighbouring Burma feeling its effect too.
Tropical Cyclone Jamala - This storm is going to strengthen over the coming days, but it will stay over open water and poses no threat to land in the foreseeable future. (map)
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
5.6 SOUTHERN IRAN (also 4.6, 4.4, 3.7, 3.6, 3.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.5, 4.3)
Yesterday -
5/11/13 -
6.4 TONGA
5.4 ATACAMA, CHILE
5.0 SOUTHERN IRAN
5.0 SOUTHERN IRAN
5.4 SOUTHERN IRAN
6.2 SOUTHERN IRAN (also 3.7, 4.6, 4.6, 4.9, 4.9, 3.5, 3.7, 4.5, 3.6, 4.5, 3.9, 3.9, 3.6, 4.3, 4.6, 4.0, 4.2, 4.3, 4.0, 4.4, 3.9, 4.0, 3.8, 3.8, 4.7, 4.4, 4.7, 4.8, 4.6, 4.1, 4.5, 4.6)
5/10/13 -
5.0 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G.
5.1 GUATEMALA
5.3 SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
5.4 NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA
2-Year-Old Child Confirmed Dead in Saturday's 6.2 Quake in Southern Iran. 70 villages suffered severe damage in the quake, which was followed by a series of aftershocks. At least 15 people were injured. The quake struck the Arabian Sea port town of Jask at 6:38 a.m. (GMT 2:08 a.m.) Saturday.
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the South Indian Ocean -
Tropical Cyclone Jamala (24s) was located approximately 960 nm east-southeastward of Diego Garcia.
In the Indian Ocean -
Tropical Cyclone Mahasen was located approximately 749 nm southward of Calcutta, India.
Myanmar on alert as cyclone grows - Myanmar (Burma) authorities are on alert as a cyclone threatens to hit the west of the country where around 140,000 people displaced by communal violence languish in flood-prone camps. Meteorologists said it was unclear whether the cyclone would hit Rakhine over the next days or veer further west to neighbouring Bangladesh, but Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said heavy rains and strong winds were likely to batter Rakhine regardless.
The UN's disaster assessment agency later said the cyclone was likely to strike land near Chittagong, in Bangladesh (as a severe cyclonicstorm at about 12:00 GMT on 15 May), but preparations to provide relief in Rakhine were underway. Rakhine, one of Myanmar's poorest and most remote states, is particularly vulnerable to heavy storms, with makeshift camps housing tens of thousands of mainly Rohingya people displaced by an eruption of communal violence last year.
"Many of the camps are located in low-lying coastal areas susceptible to tidal surge." In March the UN warned of "yet another tragedy when the monsoon rains hit (the region)" with displaced people - already short of food, shelter and medicine - having nowhere to go if a storm strikes. Thousands of Rohingya have fled the unrest and insanitary camp conditions in recent months on rickety boats, mostly believed to be heading for Malaysia.
Around 140,000 people died when cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008. The cost of repairing the damage was estimated at over four billion dollars.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Global carbon dioxide in atmosphere passes milestone level - For the first time in human history, the concentration of climate-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has passed the milestone level of 400 parts per million (ppm).
HEALTH THREATS -
Experts offer dim view of potential vaccine response to H7N9 - If the H7N9 influenza virus now circulating in China evolves into a pandemic strain, the world is likely to have great difficulty providing adequate supplies of an effective vaccine in time to blunt its impact, according to an article by three experts.
Australian test for deadly new bird flu strain - Australian pathologists have modified an existing bird flu test to specifically detect the new strain, H7N9, which has killed at least 32 people.
The steep decline in H7N9 cases in China has influenza experts wondering if poultry market closures have slowed the disease or if the new virus is showing a summerlike decline that other avian flu viruses show.
Count of suspected coronavirus cases in France reaches 3 - A nurse who treated a Frenchman who is sick with a novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection may now have the virus herself, becoming the third person possibly infected in connection with the case.
RECALLS & ALERTS
- Krinos Foods, LLC. of Long Island City, New York is voluntarily recalling its TAHINI sesame paste, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
