you can’t get very far until you change it.**
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday, 7/17/13 -
5.0 BANDA SEA
6.0 SOUTHERN PERU
Peru - On Wednesday, Sabancaya volcano area was hit by a 6.0 earthquake leaving at least 3 people injured and 111 houses collapsed.
Algeria - A magnitude 5.1 [4.9] earthquake hit an area south of the Algerian capital on Wednesday morning, injuring 11 people and causing minor damage to buildings.
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
Ecuador - 2nd Volcano Steps up Eruption. Scientists say lava flow and ash and gas emissions have intensified at a second Ecuadorean volcano, Reventador, as the full-bore eruption of the Tungurahua cone continues.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the Western Pacific -
Tropical storm Cimaron was located approximately 174 nm eastward of Hong Kong. (maps)
Cimaron - the eighth tropical storm to hit China this year, is approaching south China.
Hong Kong on alert for cyclone - The Hong Kong Observatory said that the tropical cyclone may affect the city.
Taiwan - On Wednesday, the military said that it had opened an emergency center and had thousands of servicemen on standby for disaster relief operations as Tropical Storm Cimaron approached Taiwan.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Australia - Wild weather, damaging winds predicted for West Coast. Severe weather warnings for damaging winds have been issued for large parts of western South Australia. People living in the Lower Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Peninsula and parts of the West Coast and North West Pastoral districts may be affected.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
California - Officials seek more evacuations in wildfire. Authorities in California ask for additional evacuations as a wildfire continues to burn. Wildfire burns over a ridgeline near the communities of Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Garner Valley.
The fast-growing wildfire in the mountains of Southern California forced the evacuation on Wednesday of the popular resort community of Idyllwild after flames engulfed seven homes and numerous other buildings. The blaze erupted on Monday afternoon about 100 miles (161 km) east of Los Angeles in the scenic but rugged San Jacinto Mountains that overlook Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and several smaller desert towns.
By late Wednesday, the fire had charred more than 19,000 acres (7,700 hectares) of drought-parched chaparral and timber, much of it in steep, remote wilderness terrain inside the San Bernardino National Forest. That was more than double the acreage reported burned a day earlier by the so-called Mountain Fire.
"Inaccessibility is a big issue." With nearly 3,000 firefighters, 17 water-dropping helicopters and 10 air tankers assigned to it, the blaze ranked as one of the most severe of some 16 large, wildfires that crews were battling to contain in several western states. As of Wednesday evening, firefighters had managed to carve containment lines around 15 percent of its perimeter.
Roughly 100 homes in a handful of small communities near Idyllwild and Palm Springs were ordered evacuated during the first two days of the blaze and early on Wednesday. Evacuation orders were expanded Wednesday evening to Idyllwild itself, along with part of the adjacent, smaller community of Fern Valley and all parks and campgrounds in the vicinity. Authorities had no immediate estimate of the number of dwellings or individuals impacted by the latest evacuation notice. But Idyllwild, Fern Valley and the neighboring village of Pine Cove have a combined population of more than 3,800 people and nearly 1,700 households, according to the latest census.
No injuries have been reported, but authorities say seven residences, including three mobile homes, have been destroyed, along with one commercial structure, more than a dozen outbuildings and several vehicles.
U.S. - An end to the heat wave is coming to the Northeast and Midwest this weekend. The atmospheric heat pump will continue to run at full steam this week. Actual high temperatures in most areas will continue to be in the 90s through Friday.
Changes taking place this weekend will end the extreme heat. The pattern change should also take an edge off the humidity for a couple of days. The high pressure system responsible for driving the heat will shift westward, allowing a cool front to make progress to the east and south. Within a day or two of the frontal passage, thunderstorms will become more widespread with the likelihood of severe weather in some locations.
Over the weekend, progressively less-extreme temperatures are forecast with the most noticeable drop in humidity around the Great Lakes, the interior Northeast and neighboring Canada. The heat wave will continue Saturday over much of the mid-Atlantic and in coastal New England, before being broken Sunday.
Because of the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean this time of year, the advance of much cooler, less humid air from the northwest may slow to a crawl and could stall over the Tennessee Valley and the southern part of mid-Atlantic. The warm ocean water sometimes acts as a natural barrier for frontal passages during July and August.
Despite this, over Virginia, the Delmarva Peninsula and over the Tennessee Valley, for example, 90- to 95-degree temperatures and high humidity are likely to be replaced with 80- to 85-degree temperatures and moderate humidity for a few days. If the front were to move along a bit more, then the cooling and the drop in humidity could be more pronounced farther south and right along the coast.
Beyond the weekend, humidity levels are likely to creep back up throughout the region and the pattern of frequent showers and thunderstorms could soon follow. At this stage, it does not appear that extreme temperatures will be in a hurry to build back and stay for an extended period like it did during this week in the Northeast and in much of the Midwest. (maps & chart)
England - Heatwave. Health warnings have been issued as heatwave conditions are reached in London and the South East. The Met Office issued a "Level 3" warning on the hottest day of the year, with temperatures hitting 32C (89.6F) at Northolt, west London. Level 3 is one notch below the most serious warning in the Met Office's heat-health watch system. The warning alerts healthcare services to help those in high-risk groups such as the elderly and young children.
Two similar heatwave warnings were issued last week in Yorkshire and the Humber, and in south-west England. It is the UK's FIRST PROLONGED HEATWAVE SINCE 2006. The heat has caused problems for drivers and rail passengers in parts of England this week, after road surfaces melted and tracks buckled in the heat. Firefighters in London have dealt with twice as many grass fires compared with last year. There have been 1,010 incidents so far this summer.
Doctors in Wales say the number of people suffering sunstroke, sunburn and heatwave-related injuries is stretching hospital emergency departments. In north-east England it was 28C, in Wales 30C and in London 32C. The night-time trigger temperatures vary from 15C to 18C.
HEALTH THREATS -
The MERS situation is "serious and of great concern" but doesn't constitute a global public health emergency, experts said Wednesday.
Illinois, Kansas, and Wisconsin are reporting Cyclospora infections possibly linked to a multistate outbreak that may involve as many as 183 cases.
The cases are being investigated to see if they are linked to an outbreak that appears to be focused in Iowa and Nebraska, two states that have reported numerous cases. The Iowa Department of Public Health has received reports of 87 Cyclospora cases so far — 6 more than reported yesterday. Iowa's cases are from 27 different counties, though many of them are from Linn County. Illness numbers were starting to taper off and onset dates suggest that the sick patients ate the contaminated food in the middle of June. There's a good chance the tainted food, probably a fresh vegetable, had already been consumed or discarded.
Nebraska, meanwhile, received a report of one more infection, raising the state's total to 54. Yesterday Texas health officials said the state had 37 cases so far this year, including 29 in northern Texas that were reported this week. Investigators are trying to determine if those cases are linked to the outbreak in the Midwestern states.
Meanwhile, Illinois has received two reports of Cyclospora infections with onset dates since Jun 13. So far Illinois has no cases with suspected links to the outbreak who were exposed in Illinois. One of the patients had a travel history outside of the United States and was likely exposed elsewhere. "The other traveled to Iowa on multiple occasions and purchased and ate food there, so the likely exposure is in Iowa."
Kansas health officials are aware of one case in a Kansas resident who was likely exposed in Nebraska. Wisconsin has received two reports of Cyclospora infections, both of which were diagnosed in June.
The gastrointestinal disease is caused by a rare parasite, and one of the main symptoms is prolonged diarrhea that can last as long as 57 days. Other symptoms include fatigue, muscle aches, and a low-grade fever. Most Cyclospora outbreaks in the past have been linked to imported produce items such as raspberries, basil, and snow peas.
RECALLS & ALERTS
-Hagee Foods Inc, dba Penny's Salsa Inc, is recalling hummus products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
