Sunday, June 9, 2013

Hungary floods - Villagers evacuated as precaution. Dozens of settlements are facing RECORD FLOOD WATERS in Hungary. The authorities have been evacuating people from a village in western Hungary as a precaution against flooding along the River Danube. About 2,000 people were moved from Gyorujfalu late on Friday. Frantic flood defence work is taking place in the area. Some small towns and villages have been cut off and river levels are expected to peak in Budapest on Monday.
Widespread flooding in central Europe has inundated swathes of Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, killing at least 15 people. In Hungary, the emergency services and volunteers are working to prevent the devastation seen last week further upstream in Germany. Along more than 700km (470 miles) of the river, thousands of people, including many volunteers and even convicts from the prisons, are reinforcing earth and sandbag barriers.
Late on Friday, villagers were evacuated from Gyorujfalu, near the city of Gyor, because a dyke weakened after a landslide. "The dyke is so far stable but water pressure is so high that we decided to evacuate Gyorujfalu due to safety considerations." Dozens of settlements along the Danube are facing record flood waters but so far the defences are holding.
There is a sense of siege in the capital Budapest, where river levels are expected to be at their highest early on Monday. Forecasters say levels could rise up to 8.85m (29ft) - about 25cm (10in) higher than the Danube's previous record high in 2006. In a worst-case scenario up to 55,000 people may need to be evacuated. However, they are confident that only the lowest-lying areas would be exposed to the river's expanded flow. (map)

**At every party there are two kinds of people:
those who want to go home and those who don’t.
The trouble is, they are usually married to each other.**
Ann Landers

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
5.1 PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS REGION
5.4 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

Yesterday -
6/8/13 -
5.2 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
5.1 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
5.1 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
5.2 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
5.6 JUJUY, ARGENTINA
5.3 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE

6/7/13 -
5.6 TONGA
5.7 SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
5.7 TAIWAN REGION
5.9 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.0 VANUATU

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Yellowstone sees rare dual eruption of Morning and Fountain geysers - On Wednesday, a group of dedicated geyser enthusiasts headed to the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park to await a possible eruption of Morning Geyser near the Fountain Paint Pots. The hours of waiting paid off not only in an eruption of Morning Geyser, but also a rare simultaneous eruption from Fountain Geyser. This became the 9th known dual eruption of these two closely connected geysers in the history of Yellowstone.
Morning erupted for a full 33 minutes before quieting down and allowing Fountain Geyser to finish another hour of the eruption. The total eruption of Fountain Geyser lasted 93 minutes. A couple of the bursts from Morning reached 150-200 feet as estimated by knowledgeable geyser gazers. Morning Geyser reactivated in 2012 to the delight of many after an 18-year dormancy.
Morning Geyser received its name because it usually erupts in the morning hours, when the wind is calm. But it can erupt at any time of the day when there is little wind. Morning Geyser is one of a handful of geysers known to be affected by the wind as it cools the surface just enough to prevent an eruption. In Morning Geyser’s case, that energy transfers over to its neighbor, Morning’s Thief Geyser. (photos)

Could A Volcano Power America? - An ambitious experiment is underway to harness the heat of a volcano in central Oregon. The process is green, efficient... and causes earthquakes.
In October, at the Deschutes National Forest in central Oregon, a team of scientists and engineers began pumping 11 million gallons of water underground, right near the caldera of the famed Newberry Volcano. The Northwest weather was a cool 50 degrees most days, about the same temperature as the water the engineers drove, up to 375 gallons a minute, 10,000 feet into the ground. There, deep in the earth’s crust, the temperature reaches more than 600 degrees. That’s what the engineers were pumping for: If everything goes according to plan, a company called AltaRock Energy will suck the super-heated water from underground and use it to spin turbines and juice the area with renewable power.
Over the next two months, the engineers would keep pumping the water, as the weather started to turn cold. The water pushed against fractures deep in the earth at 2,400 pounds per square inch, more pressure than an alligator's bite, expanding natural cracks in the rock until a network of watery tunnels formed below ground. Not long after starting, the team picked up the first earthquake, then, over the course of their experiment, picked up 219 more.
With EGS, you create your own hydrothermal reservoirs by pouring water into the hot rock deep underground to create new fractures or deepen existing ones. The result: a man-made, underground boiling pot that can be harnessed for green energy. If replicated — and AltaRock believes it can be replicated pretty much anywhere — the process could generate up to 10 percent of American energy.
But the technology isn’t cheap. Newberry is expected to cost an estimated $44 million, whereas traditional geothermal projects typically cost between $5 and $20 million. Perhaps more worrisome in the long run are the unknown environmental impacts. EGS is relatively new and untested. And from where the residents of nearby Bend, Oregon are sitting, “more than 200 earthquakes” is a phrase that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
In December 2006, earthquakes started near an enhanced geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland. They tried to shut down the operation, but it was too late. Earthquakes rocked the area for a year, doing almost $9 million worth of damage. In a report on seismic impact that AltaRock was required to file for The Geysers project, the company failed to mention that the Basel program was shut down because of the earthquake it caused. AltaRock claimed it was uncertain that the project had caused the quake, even though Swiss government seismologists and officials on the Basel project agreed that it did. Nor did AltaRock mention the thousands of smaller earthquakes induced by the Basel project that continued for months after it shut down. (longer article at link)

TSUNAMI / FREAK WAVES / ABNORMAL TIDES -

Earthquake acoustics could warn of impending massive tsunami - Scientists have identified key acoustic characteristics of the 2011 Japan earthquake that indicated it would cause a large tsunami, and suggest that the technique could be applied worldwide to create an early warning system for tsunamis.

TROPICAL STORMS -

In the Atlantic -
Post-Tropical Cyclone Andrea was located approximately 75 mi (120 km) E of Portland, Maine. Heavy rains and winds shifting away from New England. On the forecast track, the center of the Post-tropical cyclone will move across Atlantic Canada today and strong gusty winds are possible. The last advisory has been issued on this system. Andrea is expected to be absorbed by another low pressure system east of Newfoundland late today.

In the Western Pacific -
Tropical storm Yagi was located about 487 nm south-southeastward of Kadena Air Base, Japan. Appears headed for Honshu, Japan.

Remnants of tropical storm Andrea drench the Maritimes - What's left of tropical storm Andrea is soaking the Maritime provinces, leaving thousands of power customers without electricity. The Canadian Hurricane Centre said the storm is responsible for dumping at least 60 millimetres of rain on many areas.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Sri Lanka - At least five people have been killed and dozens are missing as strong monsoon rains and wind lash Sri Lanka, damaging buildings on the tropical island. Five people were confirmed dead, four at sea and one on land, while dozens of fishermen were missing. "The navy and the airforce have mounted a search for dozens of fishermen who have been reported missing in unusually rough seas."
Rains and strong winds forced authorities to open the sluice gates of four major hydroelectricity reservoirs in central Sri Lanka to prevent damage to dams. Ground troops were also deployed to help in relief and rescue operations. Fallen trees blocked many roads, including the main highway to the Bandaranaike International Airport, just north of the capital.
The bad weather was forecast to continue over the weekend with the South Western monsoon packing winds of up to 70 kilometres an hour and dumping heavy rain. Seven people were killed in Sri Lanka last month when a tropical cyclone brushed the island's eastern coast. Sri Lanka depends on monsoon rains for irrigation and power generation, but the seasonal downpours frequently cause deaths and property damage.

NASA satellite video showcases deadly Tornado Alley severe weather outbreak - Severe weather season had been relatively quiet during the first four months of 2013 but with the arrival of May Mother Nature unleashed her full fury.

Expect 'upside down' weather pattern across Canada before summer weather kicks in for July. A top forecaster says Canadians will likely have to get through topsy turvy weather in June before settling into fairly typical summer conditions across much of the country.
The Weather Network forecast suggests British Columbia, Alberta and from eastern Quebec to Atlantic Canada can expect the next three months to bring above normal temperatures just like last year. But the area from Saskatchewan to southern Ontario shouldn’t rule out more cool days than in 2012. The weather pattern should be somewhat erratic for the rest of this month and perhaps into early July with cooler weather slipping into parts of southern Canada while the North gets some warmth.
The forecast calls for “active weather zones” in central Alberta through southern Manitoba, while southern Ontario and Quebec could also see severe storms and tornadoes. The weather should be more consistent starting next month, but until then Canadians should monitor the forecasts for any surprise bouts of extreme weather before they take off on outdoor trips.
“The one hiccup is that especially to start the summer…we could see this ‘upside-down’ weather pattern at times where even the far south of Canada could see some cool conditions.” Tuesday’s forecast called for warmer temperatures in Nunavut than some southern areas. “July’s going to be a very busy month for storms, but June’s the one where you really have to watch because people aren’t as conditioned to severe weather. It’s a big heads-up especially for people in the Prairies that are just starting to get into severe weather season to really keep an eye to the sky and the forecast over the next few weeks.”

SPACE WEATHER -

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS BEHAVING STRANGELY - Noctilucent clouds have surprised researchers by appearing early this year. The unexpected apparition of electric-blue clouds before the middle of May hints at a change in the "teleconnections" of Earth's atmosphere.
Every summer, something strange and wonderful happens high above the north pole. Ice crystals begin to cling to the smoky remains of meteors, forming electric-blue clouds with tendrils that ripple hypnotically against the sunset sky. This year, NLCs are getting an early start. NASA's AIM spacecraft, which is orbiting Earth on a mission to study noctilucent clouds, started seeing them on May 13th.
"The 2013 season is REMARKABLE because it started in the northern hemisphere a week earlier than any other season that AIM has observed. This is quite possibly earlier than ever before." The early start is EXTRA-PUZZLING because of the solar cycle. Researchers have long known that NLCs tend to peak during solar minimum and bottom-out during solar maximum — a fairly strong anti-correlation. "If anything, we would have expected a later start this year because the solar cycle is near its maximum. So much for expectations."
For sky watchers, this means it's time to pay attention to the sunset sky, where NLCs are most often seen. An early start could herald brighter clouds and wider visibility than ever before. Noctilucent clouds were first noticed in the mid-19th century after the eruption of super-volcano Krakatoa. Volcanic ash spread through the atmosphere, painting vivid sunsets that mesmerized observers all around the world. At first people thought they must be some side-effect of the volcano, but long after Krakatoa's ash settled the noctilucent clouds remained. "They've been with us ever since. Not only that, they are spreading."
When AIM was launched in 2007, the underlying cause of NLCs was still unknown. Researchers knew they formed 83 km above Earth's surface where the atmosphere meets the vacuum of space -- but that's about all. AIM quickly filled in the gaps. "It turns out that meteoroids play an important role in the formation of NLCs. Specks of debris from disintegrating meteors act as nucleating points where water molecules can gather and crystallize." NLCs appear during summer because that is when water molecules are wafted up from the lower atmosphere to mix with the "meteor smoke." That is also the time when the upper atmosphere is ironically coldest.
Back in the 19th century, NLCs were confined to high latitudes. You had to go to Alaska or Scandinavia to see them. In recent years, however, they have been sighted as far south as Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. Some researchers believe that the spread of NLCs is a sign of climate change.
The early start of the 2013 season appears to be caused by a change in atmospheric “teleconnections". "Half-a-world away from where the northern NLCs are forming, strong winds in the southern stratosphere are altering global circulation patterns. This year more water vapor is being pushed into the high atmosphere where NLCs form, and the air there is getting colder. All of this has come as an interesting surprise for us. When we launched AIM, our interest was in the clouds themselves. But now NLCs are teaching us about connections between different layers of the atmosphere that operate over great distances. Our ability to study these connections will surely lead to new understanding about how our atmosphere works." (video & diagram)

Newly discovered Asteroid 2013 LR6, 12 meters in size, passed by Earth at only 0.3 Lunar Distances away on Saturday.

HEALTH THREATS -

WHO raises its MERS-CoV count to 55 cases, 31 deaths - The World Health Organization updated its global count of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases to 55, including 31 fatalities, by including a previously reported Saudi case as the country reported a new one.

Though no new novel H7N9 avian flu cases have been reported since the end of May, response and preparedness activities are under way, with the World Health Organization (WHO) updating its risk assessment and US officials issuing and tweaking guidance documents.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Tropical Storm Andrea made landfall around 5:40 pm EDT in the Big Bend region of Florida as a tropical storm with 65 mph winds. Andrea had a busy day Thursday in Florida, dumping heavy rains, spawning ten tornadoes, and bringing a storm surge of up to 4.5' to the coast. While the Hurricane Hunters did measure sustained winds of 65 mph over the ocean shortly before landfall, very few land stations recorded sustained winds in excess of tropical storm force, 39 mph.
Two sets of tornadic rain bands moved through West Florida on Thursday, one between 2 am and 5 am, and the other between 10 am and 3 pm, spawning a total of five suspected tornadoes. The first band produced two EF-0 tornadoes: one with 75 mph winds that hit Myakka City, damaging 3 homes and 10 other buildings, and one with 80 mph winds that cut throughout the heart of Sun City, causing minor damage. NWS damage surveys will be occurring Friday in Fort Myers, Venice, Clearwater, and Gulfport to check out the damage swaths of the other three suspected tornadoes.
The Florida East Coast was hit by five suspected tornadoes. Only one caused an injury, a tornado that hit The Acreage in Palm Beach County at 6:45 am EDT. Two other tornadoes were reported in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and two more were reported in coastal areas near the Georgia border. The cyclone will be near the coast of North Carolina today.
The Atlantic hurricane season is getting longer - Andrea's formation in June continues a pattern of an UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF EARLY-SEASON ATLANTIC NAMED STORMS we've seen in recent years. Climatologically, June is the second quietest month of the Atlantic hurricane season, behind November. During the period 1870 - 2012, we averaged one named storm every two years in June, and 0.7 named storms per year during May and June.
In the nineteen years since the current active hurricane period began in 1995, there have been fifteen June named storms (if we include 2013's Tropical Storm Andrea.) June activity has nearly doubled since 1995, and May activity has more than doubled (there were seventeen May storms in the 75-year period 1870 - 1994, compared to 6 in the 19-year period 1995 - 2013.)
Some of this difference can be attributed to observation gaps, due to the lack of satellite data before 1966. However, even during the satellite era, we have seen an increase in both early season (May - June) and late season (November - December) Atlantic tropical storms. There is an "apparent tendency toward more common early- and late-season storms that correlates with warming Sea Surface Temperature but the uncertainty in these relationships is high." The hurricane season for both the period 1950-2007 and 1980-2007 got longer by 5 to 10 days per decade.

92L in the Central Atlantic headed towards the Lesser Antilles - Satellite images show that a large and UNUSUALLY WELL-ORGANIZED TROPICAL WAVE FOR SO EARLY IN THE SEASON has developed in the Central Atlantic, midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles Islands. The wave has a modest degree of spin and heavy thunderstorms. NHC designated this system 92L Thursday afternoon. High wind shear of 20 - 25 knots is ripping up the thunderstorms in 92L as they form, though, and wind shear is predicted to increase to 30 - 40 knots Thursday night through Monday, making development unlikely. The wave will likely bring heavy rain showers and gusty winds to the northern Lesser Antilles Islands beginning on Sunday night. (satellite image & photos)

**Why didn’t Noah just swat those two mosquitoes?**

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.

Yesterday -
6/6/13 -
5.0 SOUTHERN GREECE
5.0 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G.
5.1 BANDA SEA
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Alaska volcano discoveries signal Canada's need for closer monitoring - Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Forest Service have discovered a dozen new volcanoes in Alaska, and what they've found in the magma flows from these volcanoes point straight at Mount Edziza, in northern British Columbia.
We don't often think of volcanoes when we're listing off Canada's natural wonders, but the country is home to several of them; of course, many of them are long dormant or extinct. The most volcanically-active region in the country stretches from central B.C. through the Yukon and edges into Alaska. It's part of Canada's contribution to the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire.
Over the past four years, a group of geologists have been hiking and diving their way through southeastern Alaska and its coastal waters, trying to get a better understanding the local volcanism. In that time, they've located no fewer than 12 previously unknown volcanoes in the region, and they believe there are even more still to be found. Some are small cones of solidified lava now hidden from sight by thick boreal forests or beneath dark waters, while others are maars — craters formed on the floor of the ocean when hot lava flows up from under the ground, contacts the cold water and explodes like a bomb.
Taking samples from 25 different magma flows from these volcanoes, the geologists found that the timing of these flows matched the last eruption of Mount Edgecumbe, located on Kruzof Island, just off the coast of the Alaskan panhandle, but that was the only part of them that matched. Delving into the chemistry and minerals of the flows though, the geologists found an unexpected match in a volcano a little further away to the east — Mount Edziza, the highest confirmed volcano in Canada — which last erupted around 10,000 years ago, about the same time as Mount Edgecumbe.
There's plenty of evidence that the last glacial melt in that region touched off volcanic eruptions, as the Earth rebounded from the loss of having ice several kilometres thick pressing down on it. So, with glaciers melting now due to climate change, this rebound will likely happen again, and we could be looking at more volcanic eruptions in northwestern Canada sometime in the near or at least not-too-distant future.
Unlike other countries, Canada does not monitor its volcanoes closely, and even with the existing monitors in place to detect earthquakes, it's unlikely that they'd know that a volcano was erupting until well after it happened. Even with their remote locations, there are still communities that could be impacted by such an eruption, and as we've seen with volcanoes in Iceland and more recently in Alaska, ash from volcanic eruptions can cause serious disruptions in air traffic, grounding flights and putting people already in the air at risk. (map)

TROPICAL STORMS -

In the Atlantic -
Tropical Storm Andrea was located approximately 65 mi (100 km) SSW of Savannah, Georgia. The center of Andrea will continue to move over southeast Georgia this morning and then move near the East Coast of the United States through Saturday. Tropical storm conditions will gradually spread northeastward in the warning area along the U.S. East Coast during the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm Andrea's rains pummeled western Cuba - Andrea's heavy rains pounded western Cuba on Wednesday, at the start of a hurricane season expected to be particularly active and only seven months after Hurricane Sandy devastated the eastern end of the island.

Philippines - Flash flood, landslide warnings up in Mindanao as potential cyclone nears. A potential cyclone is now inside the Philippine area of responsibility and may head towards Mindanao, state weather forecasters said Thursday.
Potential cyclone may avoid Philippines and head for Japan - The low pressure area (LPA) that is expected to intensify into a cyclone may avoid the Philippine landmass and move towards Japan and South Korea, the state weather bureau said.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Dresden centre spared as floods ravage Germany - The River Elbe has crested in the German city of Dresden, flooding wide areas but sparing the historic centre. People had worked frantically to shore up defences as the river peaked nearly 7m (22 feet) above its normal level.
It is one of many German cities battling severe floods, which have killed at least 15 people across central Europe. Tens of thousands have been evacuated and areas further downstream are bracing for the arrival of high waters. Dresden in the state of Saxony was badly hit by floods in 2002 but this time defences appear to have saved historic buildings including the cathedral and opera house. Thousands of emergency personnel and residents worked through the night to fill sand bags and build up flood barriers.
The same scene was repeated along the Elbe, where huge areas have been inundated. Latest fears are focused on the cities of Bitterfeld and Halle. The situation also remains serious in Deggendorf on the River Danube in Bavaria, where levees burst on Wednesday. The Danube peaked on Thursday in the Slovak capital Bratislava, where the main flood defences held firm. High water in the Hungarian capital Budapest is expected on Monday. Upstream along the Elbe in the Czech Republic, huge areas remain under water and emergency workers are using boats to get supplies to people cut off. As a result of the flooding, three people have died in Germany, eight in the Czech Republic and four in Austria.

Record-breaking Oklahoma tornado had RARE BACKWARDS COMPANION - Already breaking records as the widest tornado ever seen, the twister that passed near El Reno, Oklahoma last Friday is making an even bigger name for itself, thanks to a rare companion that was SPINNING IN THE 'WRONG' DIRECTION.
Tornadoes in the United States usually spin around in a counter-clockwise direction, or 'cyclonically'. The large-scale weather system — with its warm and cold fronts, that can stretch from Ontario to Texas — spins in that direction (due to the rotation of the Earth), and that spin direction carries down to the individual thunderstorms the weather system produces, and thus the tornadoes that are spawned from the thunderstorms.
However, in some cases, when a really powerful tornado spins up, like the nearly 5-km-wide behemoth that swept past El Reno, it can set up powerful 'whirls' or 'eddies' in the nearby flow of the wind and storms around it, that spin clockwise (or 'anti-cyclonically') instead. If these eddies are strong enough, they can develop into tornadoes of their own, which is what happened on Friday.
Apparently no video footage of the tornado was captured, but this isn't the first time that the El Reno area has seen an anticyclonic tornado, as one hit the local airport back in April of 2006.

HEALTH THREATS -

Italians test negative for MERS-CoV - 20 people who had contact with MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) patients in Italy have tested negative for the virus, while a US company announced it has made a potential vaccine for the novel pathogen.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Rescuers winch families to safety in German flood town - Rescuers used helicopters to pluck families from rooftops in the southern German town of Deggendorf on Wednesday as the Danube flood crisis continues. Meanwhile more than 30,000 people in the eastern city of Halle have been told to leave their homes after RIVERS REACHED THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL IN 400 YEARS.
Floodwater is also threatening parts of Austria and the Czech Republic. Rising waters have been triggered by heavy rain following a wet spring. At least 13 people have died and two are missing as a result of the floods. Eight deaths were recorded in the Czech Republic and three in Germany, while two people were reported dead and two missing in Austria.
Parts of Germany have not seen such severe flooding in centuries. However, in the Czech Republic, the water level has stabilised in the capital Prague, where there had been fears of a repeat of disasters in 2002 and 1997. Helicopters started removing residents from their homes in Deggendorf on Wednesday after two levees along the Danube and Isar rivers broke. The floodwater in the Bavarian town was 3m (9.8ft) high. "This is a life-threatening situation." Around 600 people have been evacuated in Dresden alone.
Four farmers were rescued at the very last minute by a helicopter before their tractor was submerged. German newspapers said water levels in the eastern city of Halle were at their highest for four centuries. Officials said the city was in acute danger after floodwaters from the Saale river damaged a section of dykes. The level of the River Elbe in the historic German city of Dresden, where at least 600 people were evacuated, is not expected to peak until Thursday morning.
Coaches reportedly ferried people out the town of Muhlberg, about 40km (25 miles) northwest of Dresden, as thousands were told to leave on Wednesday afternoon. Chemical plants next to the swollen rivers have been shut down and their chemicals removed over safety concerns. Meanwhile, the floods were receding in the south German city of Passau. People could be seen sweeping up muck from their streets.
In the Austrian city of Krems, emergency workers have been shoring up a dyke under threat from the swollen Danube. Thousands of people left their homes in the Czech Republic in recent days as floodwater threatened to overwhelm flood barriers. In the low-lying industrial city of Usti nad Labem, the River Elbe spilled over the 10m-high (33ft-high) metal flood barriers. The main rail link connecting Prague and Berlin in Germany have been underwater, with trains being diverted. Anti-flood barriers have reportedly gone up to protect the Czech capital's zoo after it was badly hit, causing animals to be evacuated. (map & photos)

**You are such a good friend that if
we were on a sinking ship together
and there was only one life jacket...
I’d miss you heaps and think of you often.**
- Unknown

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Yesterday -
6/5/13 -
5.2 PAPUA, INDONESIA
5.0 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.3 CENTRAL PERU
6.1 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.2 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.5 NORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA
5.2 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII

Japanese quake victims cheated out of aid - As residents of the areas of Japan hardest-hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami struggle to rebuild their lives, funds that were set aside to assist them are being siphoned off into unrelated projects.

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Congo conflict masks deadly volcano threat - Eleven years after an eruption of Mount Nyiragongo devastated the sprawling lakeside city of Goma, killing hundreds of people, eastern Congo's armed conflict is preventing scientists from predicting the volcano's next deadly explosion.
With its plume of ash and steam reaching high into the sky, Nyiragongo is one of the world's most active volcanoes and a constant menace to the city of 1 million people, whose streets are still scarred by solidified lava. Attempts to monitor the volcano's activity have been dangerously curtailed by the M23 rebel group which has controlled its lush, forested slopes for the past year. Observation equipment has been looted by armed groups and the area around Nyiragongo is off-limits as rebel fighters defend their strategic positions overlooking Goma.
"What happened in 2002 will happen again. We just don't know when." Scientists gave two months' warning before the last eruption but authorities ignored them. People only began to evacuate as the first fingers of lava entered the town's densely populated residential areas. Goma's airport is still surrounded by lava blocs as big as cars, excavated after the runway was swallowed by molten rock.
Scientists used to conduct weekly checks on Nyiragongo, one of only three volcanoes in the world to have a permanent lava lake. "Surveillance is very reduced so the risk has become very big. The situation is a bit ridiculous." Goma's residents are no strangers to danger, natural and manmade. The town sits above a subterranean lava bed 1 km (0.6 miles) deep in an area, known as the Albertine rift, that is one of the most volcanically active on earth.
Neighboring Lake Kivu contains enormous quantities of methane and carbon dioxide. Experts say seismic activity could release that into the atmosphere, threatening millions of lives. The makeshift camps which ring the city, home to tens of thousands of people displaced by fighting, testify to the nearly two decades of conflict between armed groups, the army and neighboring countries which have ravaged the region.
The last eruption had devastated the town. "If there's another eruption, it'll hit the economy: we'll have to start from zero again. Our houses will be destroyed, our people killed." The security situation has increased the volcano's threat. Not least is the risk of lava exploding the stockpiles of ammunition which dot the heavily militarized town. In the worst case scenario, authorities would have to evacuate around two-thirds of Goma's inhabitants. Community networks and a flag system - green for safe, red for evacuation - have been put in place for that purpose.
Before the last eruption there were signs from communities around the volcano that something was amiss. Villagers found their banana beer fermenting far more quickly because of raised ground temperatures, and children left alone were asphyxiated by poisonous gases. Residents must be alert for these kinds of warnings. "We must develop an evacuation mechanism without counting too much on the volcanic observatory. Our logistical capacity to put our plans in place is limited."
Nyiragongo is not immediately threatening. However, neighboring Nyamuragira, 13 km (8 miles) to the northwest and reputedly Africa's most active volcano, is showing warning signs of a possible eruption.

Long wait for victims of Indonesian mud volcano - Thousands left homeless by a volcanic mud eruption in Indonesia are still waiting for the final payment of their compensation. It's been seven years since the Lapindo mud flow disaster, when a sea of mud first began bubbling up, submerging homes.

TROPICAL STORMS -

In the Atlantic -
Tropical Storm Andrea was located approximately about 270 mi (430 km) WSW of Tampa, Florida. On the forecast track, the center of Andrea will reach the coast of the Florida Big Bend area Thursday evening and then move from southeastern Georgia across southeastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina Thursday night and Friday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the coast within the warning area by Thursday afternoon, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area Thursday night and Friday.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Toll from US tornadoes climbs to 20 - The US is hit by an average of 1,200 tornadoes each year and they are particularly common in the Great Plains states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Eastern Germany Prepares for Dam Bursts as Water Levels Rise - As the people of Prague started to clean up after three days of flooding, residents in the eastern German cities of Dresden, Halle and Meissen were bolstering their defenses against the torrents of water still surging from the Vltava, Mulde and Saale rivers into the Elbe.
While water levels subsided in parts of Bavaria, Austria and the Czech Republic, the full force of the deluge is expected to hit eastern Germany in the coming days. Soldiers, emergency services and volunteers are battling to limit the damage from the flooding, the worst on record in some parts of the country, recalling the devastation in 2002 that put whole regions of Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary under water.
.Authorities in Dresden, which still bears the scars of the floods 11 years ago that damaged buildings including the 19th century Semper Opera, have evacuated more than 1,000 people from low-lying areas and are moving several thousand more to safety as they prepare for the Elbe to approach record levels. “We have a very tense situation all along the Elbe. Water levels are rising and will continue to do so over the next few hours. We all hope very much that the water mark will stay below 2002 levels. First residential areas in the immediate vicinity have become islands or peninsulas.”
The Elbe had risen to 8.44 meters (28 feet) in Dresden. City officials said the water mark may reach 9 meters in the course of the floods, compared with 9.4 meters at the height of the 2002 catastrophe. While Dresden’s historic city center, including the Frauenkirche cathedral, will be safe because of protection installed after the 2002 floods, some city districts that are located further downstream still lack such protection. About 5,600 German soldiers are toiling in the flood areas, according to the defense ministry. The troops are reinforcing dams, giving medical aid and helping with evacuations. Contingents of Dutch and French troops are also aiding the relief effort.
In Halle on the Saale, one dam in the city has burst, prompting authorities to order 30,000 people to leave their homes. As many as 1,500 emergency staff and volunteers are working to protect the city with pumps and at least 140,000 sandbags. The Elbe reached 8.89 meters in the city of Meissen in Saxony, where water flowed into the city center and the local utility had to temporarily cut power supplies in some parts. At least 10,000 people have been evacuated in the state.
The Deutsche Wetterdienst expects weather to improve and rainfall to subside in most parts of the country in coming days. The Vltava river, which winds through Prague, crested yesterday and the water level has begun to subside there after flooding as much as 4 percent of the city. The situation in the city has “stabilized” and officials are preparing plans to start the clean-up. Anti-flood barriers measuring 17 kilometers remained in place to protect the city from the swollen river. The public transport company reopened some subway stations but most of the city center’s metro system remained shut. More than 19,000 people were evacuated around the Czech Republic because of floods, most of them in the northern part of the country. Officials in Hungary evacuated as many as 600 hotel guests from the Margitsziget island in Budapest as the Danube surged.

HEALTH THREATS -

A new report on Listeria monocytogenes infections underscores the groups at greatest risk — older people and pregnant women — and sheds light on why progress has stalled in the battle against one of the deadliest foodborne diseases. From 2009 through 2011, 1,651 listeriosis cases occurred during that time, including 224 that were part of 12 outbreaks affecting 38 states. Better understanding of the disease and efforts to reduce contamination in foods such as hot dogs and retail deli meat helped decrease the incidence of Listeria infections by 24% from 1996 through 2001, but investigation of the latest outbreaks found other food sources, such as soft cheeses and fresh produce, and food safety gaps.
The report's key findings are that people age 65 and older are four times more likely than the general population to get sick from Listeria and that pregnant women are 10 times more likely to be infected. The risk for pregnant Hispanic women is even more pronounced — 24 times more likely than the general public. "The bottom line is that progress reducing rates of Listeria infection has stalled. Rates have not budged in more than a decade."
L monocytogenes is an environmental contaminant that can be present anywhere food is being prepared. "That can happen at the growing stage for produce, it can happen in processing facilities for cheese and other products, and it can happen at retail."
"We can prevent illnesses and save lives by taking some simple steps. Controlling temperatures in the deli case and putting in measures to prevent cross-contamination can have a really powerful impact to public health." 21% of infections in the study period were deadly — a figure that includes fetal losses. The fatal cases were mostly in older people and as miscarriages or stillbirths. It noted that pregnant women who have listeriosis often have only mild symptoms or fever, but the illness can lead to miscarriage or premature labor, as well as illness or death in newborns.
In younger, nonpregnant people, the Listeria threat was greatest in people with weakened immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment or people with underlying conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes. Though US and Canadian health officials have pointed out the high risk of Listeria contamination in soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, the CDC report said those made from pasteurized milk also pose a threat. Cheese was implicated in six outbreaks covered in the report, and five were made from pasteurized milk: four were Mexican-style cheese, such as queso fresco, and one involved chive and ackawi cheese (a white brined cheese.)
Although pasteurization eliminates Listeria, contamination can occur after the process, and the bacteria can grow in moist, refrigeration environments and can thrive when the product is contaminated. Raw produce items linked to recent Listeria outbreaks included cantaloupe and pre-cut celery.
New prevention efforts are needed to regain progress toward reducing the Listeria illness burden, including quicker illness detection, speedier outbreak investigations, and heightened awareness for food producers and consumers. The CDC said it has plans to test an advanced DNA fingerprinting method (whole-genome sequencing) on Listeria, which could identify and control outbreaks faster.

RECALLS & ALERTS
Prime Food USA, Brooklyn, NY, is recalling Latis Brand Seafood Products due to confirmed and suspected contamination with listeria monocytogenes.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

THE LARGEST TORNADO IN RECORDED HISTORY was Friday's May 31, 2013 EF-5 tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma. Mobile radar was positioned on top of an overpass, and recorded winds close to the surface of up to 295 mph in SATELLITE SUCTION VORTICIES that orbited the large, main vortex.
The large, main vortex had EF-4 winds of 185 mph, and the satellite suction vortices moved across the fields at that speed, and rotated on their own at speeds of up to 110 mph, giving a combined wind speed of up to 295 mph in some of the satellite vortices. It's no wonder that so many storm chasers got in trouble with this tornado, since these suction vortices moved at speeds of up to 185 mph towards them as the tornado rapidly expanded into the largest on record. The maximum path width was 2.6 miles. The length of the path was 16.2 miles. The tornado killed a tornado scientist and his two chase partners, and also killed an amateur storm chaser.
The tornado began moving directly down I-40 as it headed towards Oklahoma City; had the tornado maintained its EF-5 strength and moved down I-40 into Oklahoma City, where traffic was bumper-to-bumper due to people trying to flee, the greatest tornado disaster in U.S. history would have resulted. The 295 mph winds of the El Reno tornado rank second only to the world-record 302 mph (130 m/s) winds recorded in the Moore, Oklahoma tornado of May 3, 1999. However, the Moore tornado's winds were measured at an altitude of 105 feet (32 meters), so the winds near the surface may have been higher in the El Reno tornado. (path map & video)

**A celebrity is someone who works hard
all his life to become known and then
wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.**
Fred Allen

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
6.1 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.3 SEA OF OKHOTSK
5.5 NORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA
5.1 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII

Yesterday -
6/4/13 -
5.1 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
5.5 ALAMAGAN REG, N. MARIANA ISLANDS
5.5 KURIL ISLANDS
5.5 KURIL ISLANDS
5.1 KURIL ISLANDS
5.3 KURIL ISLANDS
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

6/3/13 -
5.1 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
5.1 KURIL ISLANDS

Japan - Tokyo-area frequency of quakes still high. The frequency of earthquakes measuring magnitude 3 or stronger in the Tokyo metropolitan area at the end of last year remained higher than before the massive Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.
The study showed that after a rise in the wake of the 2011 9-magnitude quake, the return to a normal frequency has been slower than expected in the Tokyo metropolitan area and also in Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, an area that could be hit by a major quake. That suggests the increasing possibility of a huge earthquake hitting the metropolitan area, and also of such frequency remaining high in the next few years. “There is a possibility that a PHENOMENON THAT CANNOT BE EXPECTED AFTER A REGULAR EARTHQUAKE, may be happening.”
On average, one earthquake a week occurred in the area surveyed before the 2011 mega-quake. But after the quake, the frequency in December 2012 rose to one every two to three days. The frequent occurrence of earthquakes of magnitude of 3 or stronger pushes up the probability of a 7-magnitude-level quake in the future. According to the calculation, there is about a 17 percent possibility that a magnitude of 7 temblor will hit an area centering on Tokyo and Chiba in the next five years, about 2.5 times higher than estimated before 3/2011.

Diplomats say Iran nuclear reactor damaged by quake - Tehran claimed Bushehr facility was untouched by recent tremblers, but large cracks have apparently been seen in its structure.
Diplomats say countries monitoring Iran’s nuclear program have picked up information that the country’s only power-producing nuclear reactor was damaged by one or more recent earthquakes. Two diplomats say long cracks have appeared in at least one section of the structure. They demanded anonymity Tuesday, because they are not authorized to divulge confidential information. Officials in Tehran assured the international community — after the quakes struck in April and early May — that the facility at Bushehr, south of Tehran, was undamaged.
Recent restricted information gathered from the site questions that assertion. One concrete section of the structure developed cracks several meters long as a result of the quakes on April 9 and April 16. Both diplomats are from member countries of the Vienna-based demanded International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors Iran’s nuclear program. One of the two said that the cracks seen were not in the vicinity of the reactor core, which contains highly radioactive fuel. But he said that the information available was limited to one section of the reactor, meaning damage elsewhere could not be ruled out. He declined to go into details saying that could jeopardize the sources.
On April 9, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the town of Kaki, some 80 kilometers southeast of Bushehr. Over 40 people were killed and hundreds more injured during the trembler, which caused serious damage in the region. A 5.1-magnitude quake also hit the same region in early May. Officials said then, as well, that there was no damage to the reactor. The plant is not considered a proliferation threat, but some nations are concerned about how safe it is.
Iran has refused to join an international nuclear safety convention, and technical problems have shut the plant for lengthy periods since it started up in September 2011 after years of construction delays. Kuwait and other Arab countries are only a few hundred kilometers (miles) away from Iran’s Bushehr reactor, on the other side of Persian Gulf coast south of Tehran, and are particularly worried about the safety of the Russian-built reactor. But Iran insists the plant is technically sound and built to withstand all but the largest earthquakes unscathed. Officials in Tehran reassured the international community after the quakes struck in April and early May that the facility was undamaged.
Iranian officials say the Bushehr plant was built to withstand quakes up to magnitude 8. Because it’s not a member of the international safety convention, “there are questions about the day-to-day safety at the installation.” Concerns about Bushehr’s safety have been compounded by its location in the wake of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima reactor and resulted in huge radioactive spills.
Iran is located in a zone of tectonic compression where the Arabian plate is moving into the Eurasian plate, leaving more than 90 percent of the country crisscrossed by seismic fault lines. The country has been rocked by hundreds of killer quakes over past centuries. Nine quakes that hit Iran in the last decades were over magnitude 6 including a 2003 temblor that killed at least 26,000 people in the city of Bam. Scientists say more fault lines are waiting to be discovered and more major quakes are only a matter of time.
Iran’s is not prone to tsunamis. But a severe earthquake alone can crack protective containment vessels that keep radioactivity inside reactors. Earthquakes can also knock out the power, crippling cooling systems that prevent reactors from overheating and possibly exploding.

Philippines – A North Cotabato town has been placed under state of calamity after it was hit by two earthquakes that left damages to many homes and public infrastructures. The series of earthquakes that rocked North Cotabato since Saturday damaged infrastructure worth at least 50 million in Carmen, the town that sits near the epicenter.
Earthquakes that Struck Northern Philippines to Last for Months - The aftershocks from the double 5.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the northern Philippines only a day apart could last for weeks or months.

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Pavlof Eruption Picks Up Again - After a week-long respite, Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula has sent up another ash plume. Pilots flying past the volcano Tuesday morning were the first to spot the cloud, which they estimated at 19,000 feet.

Small Plume Spotted at Satsuma-Iojima in Japan - A small eruption might be underway at Satsuma-Iojima, part of the Kikae caldera, off the southern coast of Kyushu in Japan. The island volcano was reported to have a thin plume that reached 8 km (27,000 feet), but beyond this, details are scant.

TROPICAL STORMS -

No current tropical storms.

A potential cyclone has formed east of Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Wednesday. The LPA (low pressure area) could possibly intensify into a cyclone that can trigger the start of the rainy season.

System in Gulf of Mexico could be season's first tropical storm - Florida Floods A Concern As Tropical Cyclone Chances Increase. With the Atlantic hurricane season only four days old, government and private forecasters are keeping close tabs on a tropical system in the western Gulf of Mexico that could become the year's first tropical storm by late this week. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami gives the storm a 40 percent chance of becoming tropical by Thursday. The system is moving northeast toward Florida and away from the majority of offshore oil platformsand rigs. Some models turn the storm toward Mexico. The system is now called 91L but likely to be named Andrea eventually.
The computer models predict that 91L should stay large and poorly organized, and if it does develop, it will be difficult for it to get any stronger than a 45 mph tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Wind shear, which can disrupt the structure of tropical systems, may weaken a bit by June 6, giving the system a brief chance to become Andrea. Localized flooding from the Florida panhandle down through the Florida peninsula to the Florida Keys will be a concern this week as widespread moderate rainfall coupled with locally heavy rainfall continues across the state.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Germany flood threat heads north towards Dresden - Thousands of German troops have been sent to help flood-hit regions as rising rivers threaten more cities. Surging waters that have already caused extensive damage across central Europe are moving north and east along rivers including the Elbe and Danube.
Meanwhile river levels in the Czech capital Prague have begun to fall. Large areas of suburban Prague were flooded but metal barriers protecting the historic city centre held as the floods peaked and the high waters moved north towards Germany. Around 4,000 German troops have been deployed in four states, reinforcing dykes with sandbags and providing help to thousands of people forced to leave their homes.
All the signs were that the waters of the Danube were subsiding, but other rivers further north started to look more threatening. In Saxony, the Elbe was rising to dangerous levels, as waters poured in from the Czech Republic. The latest cities to be hit include Meissen on the Elbe. Nearby Dresden is preparing for water levels 5m higher than normal. Officials in Saxony - home to both Meissen and Dresden - have warned that rivers could rise even higher than in the record floods of 2002, when both cities were devastated.
In the stricken Bavarian city of Passau waters REACHED A LEVEL NOT SEEN IN 500 YEARS. Across Europe at least 12 people have died as a result of the floods. As well as Germany and the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary have been affected. Main roads in many areas have been closed and rail services cut. Thousands of homes are without power.
Hungary has declared a state of emergency as the surging waters move down the River Danube, with the peak expected on Thursday. The Hungarian capital Budapest and the Slovakian capital Bratislava - both on the Danube - are on alert and flood defences are being reinforced.
Some Czech towns are already underwater and there are warnings that defences could be breached within hours In the Czech Republic, a nationwide state of emergency is still in force. Water levels were expected to peak in the north late on Tuesday. As a precaution, Prague's metro system and central sewage treatment plant were closed, metal flood defences were erected and sandbags built up along the banks of the Vltava.
In Austria, the meteorological service said TWO MONTHS OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN JUST TWO DAYS. Shipping was halted on parts of the Danube and Rhine in Germany, and the entire length of the Danube in Austria. The rivers are used heavily to transport commodities such as grain and coal.
The unanswered question is whether floods are getting worse and more frequent in this region. The two big floods in recent memory were 2002 and today's - both previously predicted to be very rare events. But the big one before that was in 1954, before concerns about global warming. The Danube is a busy commercial waterway which is much subject to man-made alteration, both to improve navigation and for waterside development. This human engineering of the landscape is constantly monitored and debated in this region. The current floods will add to that debate. (map & before-and-after photos)

Extreme Weather Wrecks Havoc in South Africa - Extreme weather, characterized by severe cold spells and heavy rains, have wrought havoc in parts of South Africa, leaving six people dead. Four people died due to extreme weather that has hit the Western Cape since Friday. Meanwhile, two people were believed to have died of exposure to cold in the Eastern Cape Province.
In Western Cape, an estimated 30,000 people have been affected by the extreme weather. In Cape Town which was hit by hail and thunderstorms at the weekend, 2,266 people were affected by floods and hundreds of houses were damaged. The South African Weather Service forecast snow for mountains in the Southern Cape and biting cold for the rest of the week. Western Cape Disaster Management officials said they are gearing up to assist more people who will be affected by stormy weather conditions as another cold front is on its way to the province.

EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -

Like a raging volcano, California wildfire expands to 46 square acres. Like a volcano spewing lava over the land, the California wildfire has now expanded to at least 46 square miles along the edges of the Angeles National Forest. While fire crews had doubled containment to 40 percent by Monday, as cooler temperatures prevailed.

HEALTH THREATS -

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus - Reports from Italy suggested that media stories of asymptomatic MERS-CoV infections there were probably a false alarm.
MERS-CoV - 2 more cases in Italy, 1 in Saudi Arabia. Two people in Italy who had contact with the country's first MERS-CoV case-patient are sick with the virus, while Saudi Arabia has another new case and three deaths in previously reported patients, health authorities reported over the weekend.

RECALLS & ALERTS
- Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, Oregon, announced that it is recalling certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend, out of an abundance of caution, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus.
- Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Company of Trumansburg, NY is recalling 12 wheels of GOUDA cheese manufactured on December 20, 2012. The results of U.S. Food and Drug Administration product sampling revealed the presence of GOUDA Cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes Type 1.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Countries in Central Europe were suffering from their WORST FLOODING IN MORE THAN A DECADE on Sunday after days of heavy rains left at least four people dead and inundated homes and motorways. Homes are evacuated across southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland as rivers reach dangerous levels following days of rain. The Czech capital Prague is on high alert as a swell of floodwater moves in from the south. Both Germany and Austria are deploying their armies to help emergency services.
A man was killed by a landslide near Salzburg in Austria and two people have died in the Czech Republic. The Czech government has declared a nationwide state of emergency. The Czech deaths came after floodwaters destroyed flimsy country cottages. Two more people are missing in the country after their raft overturned on a swollen river. In Prague, the Czech capital, the situation is tense.
Firemen have been putting up metal flood barriers and volunteers filling sandbags as the River Vltava is due to reach peak levels in Prague some time on Monday morning. Authorities believe the river in Prague will not reach the levels it did in 2002, when parts of the city were devastated, but will still be high enough to cause severe damage.
Parts of the old town of Passau in Bavaria are under water Bavaria's flood alert service warns that the forecast of continuing heavy rain is likely to worsen the flooding affecting the Danube and the Inn, among other rivers in the area. The German cities of Passau and Rosenheim have declared a state of emergency. Authorities in Passau, which lies at the confluence of three rivers in Bavaria, say they expect the Danube to reach 10.5m by Sunday evening and have requested help from the German army.
Bavaria is not the only German state to be affected; towns and cities in Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Wuerttemberg are also inundated. The German army is to be deployed in Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia to support the flood-affected areas. Near the Austrian city of Salzburg a man was found dead after being swept away as he worked to clear a landslip. Two further people are missing in the Salzburg area. A third is missing in Vorarlberg. The Austrian army was called in to help civil authorities in the settlement of Taxenbach, south of Salzburg. Their main task was to clear landslides and make roads passable. Parts of the Pinzgau region, which includes Taxenbach, have been declared a disaster zone.
Photos
Video

**A graduation ceremony is an event where
the commencement speaker tells thousands of students
dressed in identical caps and gowns
that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.**
Robert Purvis

There will be no update on Tuesday this week.

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.

Yesterday -
6/2/13 -
5.5 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.1 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G.
5.3 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
6.2 TAIWAN
5.0 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS

Strong Taiwan quake kills two, injures 21 - one missing. At least two people have been killed by falling rocks after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The quake, which violently shook buildings in the capital Taipei on Sunday, sent people running into the streets and was also felt in Hong Kong, more than 700 kilometres away. Shoppers screamed and ran out of a 12-story department store that shook violently for nearly a minute, TV stations reported from the central city of Taichung. Households elsewhere in central Taiwan reported cracks on the walls or ceilings falling.
Taiwan's Seismology Centre measured the quake's magnitude at 6.3, while the US Geological Survey put it at 6.2. The tremor hit at 1.43pm, centred 32 kilometres east of the central county of Nantou at a depth of 10 kilometres, followed by a series of aftershocks. A mountain climber was killed after he was hit by falling rocks on Mount Ali in central Taiwan, while the second victim also died after being knocked down by falling rocks. In Chushan town of Nantou county, rescuers were running against time, digging through tonnes of rubble which buried a male angler. "The rescuers have been working hard to search and rescue the missing person, even though, I'm afraid, the odds of finding him alive is slim."
Twenty-one people were injured, including three severely. Operations at the three nuclear power plants on the island were not affected, according to state-owned Taiwan Power Co. Nantou county was the epicentre of a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 21, 1999 that killed around 2400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's recent history.

Philippines - The quake which struck late on Saturday with a magnitude of 5.7, injured 33 and also cracked roads, damaged the approach to a bridge and damaged water supply pipes in two farming communities. The earthquake jolted the southern Philippines, damaging more than 140 houses and several school buildings and setting off a landslide that partially blocked a road with boulders.
At least 33 people, including children, were injured by collapsed walls and falling debris in the hard-hit North Cotabato villages of Kimadzil and Kibugtongan. The quake, which was set off by the movement of a nearby fault, damaged the approaches to two bridges and concrete pipes that cut off water supply to the two villages. Some of the damaged school buildings won’t be able to be used for Monday’s resumption of classes after a summer break for safety reasons.
Many residents remained jittery Sunday because of continuing aftershocks. The ground started to shake and objects fell from shelves. “It’s a big relief that no motorist was passing through our highway when boulders rolled down from the mountainside." The Philippine archipelago is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people on the northern island of Luzon in 1990.

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Indonesia - Mount Kerinci in Jambi erupted on Sunday, spewing smoke as high as 600 meters. The eruption occurred at 8:43 a.m. local time. Everyone panicked, pouring out of their houses worried that a bigger eruption would follow.
“A loud bang was heard in our village. When we looked up we saw the volcano spew plumes of black smoke.” An ash cloud turned the sky black and locals could smell sulfur in the air. Half hour after the eruption, several villages in Gunung Tujuh district were blanketed in thick black ash, sparking concern for food crops, but heavy rain after the ash shower washed the crops clean. Mt Kerinci last erupted in 2009. Activity increased in July 2011 with tremors recorded in October that year.

Alaska - Pavlof activity has paused. During past eruptions of Pavlof, the style of eruptive activity fluctuated from higher to lower levels. Therefore, this pause in eruptive activity does not necessarily indicate that the eruption has ended. Renewed activity is possible.

TROPICAL STORMS -

No current tropical storms.

In the Gulf of Mexico, tropical moisture will increase Monday through much of the upcoming work-week as NOAA is tracking an area of low pressure located in the Bay of Campeche. There is potential that this low could turn into a depression or tropical storm as it tracks north.

After cyclone Mahasen hit the coastline of Bangladesh, there was a trail of devastations to human lives, their homesteads and standing crops. Though human casualties were not very high, yet losses to house-holds and crops were colossal.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

A veteran tornado scientist, his son, and a meteorologist died while chasing Friday's EF-3 tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma. The three were all featured chasers on the Discovery Channel’s series, Storm Chasers. They chased over 125 tornadoes together: In June 11, 2004 near Storm Lake, Iowa, "they defied the odds and deployed their probes right in the path of a tornado. The six-camera video probe captured amazing footage from multiple angles while the sensor probe recorded data that revealed just how fast wind speeds are close to the ground."
An aerodynamically-designed probe they placed in the path of an EF-4 tornado near Manchester, South Dakota on June 24, 2003, measured a WORLD-RECORD PRESSURE FALL of 100 mb over a 40 second period.

Damaging storms moving through U.S. east, south - Damaging winds flattened trees and utility wires and knocked out power in parts of northern New England on Sunday, flights were delayed in New York City and a tornado touched down in South Carolina as the East Coast weathered the remnants of violent storms that claimed 13 lives in Oklahoma.
Heavy rain, thunderstorms, high winds and hail moved through sections of the Northeast on Sunday afternoon, knocking out power to more than 40,000 in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The National Weather Service issued a RARE tornado warning as a line of thunderstorms raced through New Hampshire into western Maine. The weather service said a tornado warning was issued as radar indicated a possible tornado moving from Kingfield, Maine, to Bingham, Maine. The tornado was not immediately confirmed.
Thunderstorms and winds in excess of 60 mph in Vermont produced 1-inch-diameter hail and knocked down numerous trees and wires. In northern Maine, radar picked up a line of thunderstorms capable of producing quarter-sized hail and winds stronger than 70 mph.
In northwestern South Carolina, a tornado knocked a home off its foundation and blew part of the roof off. Some trees were blown down and there was heavy rain, but no widespread damage. No injuries were reported. In other parts of the South, thunderstorms, high winds and hail rolled through as part of a slow-moving cold front. Heavy rains could spawn flash flooding in some areas, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, residents in Oklahoma cleaned up after the storms there killed 13 people, including three veteran storm chasers. In El Reno, about 30 miles from Oklahoma City, the death toll could rise as emergency workers continue searching flooded areas for missing residents. The death toll had risen to 13 from Friday's EF3 tornado, which charged down a clogged Interstate 40 in the western suburbs. Among the dead were two children — an infant sucked out of the car with its mother and a 4-year-old boy who along with his family had sought shelter in a drainage ditch.
In Missouri, areas west of St. Louis received significant damage from an EF3 tornado Friday that packed estimated winds of 150 mph. In St. Charles County, at least 71 homes were heavily damaged and 100 had slight to moderate damage. Northeast of St. Louis, the town of Roxana, Ill., also saw damage from an EF3 tornado. It wasn't clear whether the damage in Missouri and Illinois came from the same twister or separate ones.
Five tornadoes struck the Oklahoma City metro area on Friday. 115 people were injured. The storms formed out on the prairie west of Oklahoma City, giving residents plenty of advance notice. When told to seek shelter, many ventured out and snarled traffic across the metro area — perhaps remembering when a tornado hit Moore on May 20 and killed 24 people. Roadways quickly became congested with the convergence of rush-hour traffic and fleeing residents. "They had no place to go, and that's always a bad thing. They were essentially targets just waiting for a tornado to touch down. I'm not sure why people do that sort of stuff, but it is very dangerous."

Europe - Four people have died and at least eight more are missing as torrential rains lash central Europe, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes after floods and landslides. Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic have sent in army units to help with rescue efforts after RAINS REACHED RECORD LEVELS in some areas, while hundreds of roads have been closed and rail services cut.
The banks of the mighty Danube River burst in one area in Germany, and dozens of towns have been put on flood alert across a large swathe of central Europe. In Austria, one person has been killed and two are reported missing following landslides triggered by heavy rains that forced several hundred people from their homes. Two people were also missing in neighbouring Germany following a 48-hour downpour that hit record levels in parts of the south and east.
In the Czech Republic, a man and woman were killed in Trebenice, just outside Prague, when their house collapsed. At least four other people are missing. The body of a man in his fifties was found on Sunday evening in the swollen waters of the Upa River, at Trutnov, 150km northeast of the capital. Two men who were rafting on the Berounka River, 30km southwest of Prague, have been missing since Saturday. The government declared a state of emergency and released 300 million korunas ($A16.33 million) in disaster funds. Several hundred people had to be evacuated, as well as a hospital and the Prague Zoo.
The southern German town of Passau on the Austrian border was partly flooded when the Danube burst its banks. Rail services between Munich and Salzburg have been cancelled. Much of Austria's western provinces of Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Salzburg, as well as northern Upper Austria, are on flood alert. Rail links have been suspended due to landslides in many parts of Salzburg and Tyrol, while a section of the motorway to Switzerland is closed because of flooding, as are smaller roads throughout the country.
German summer a washout - The national weather office has issued extreme weather warnings after 178% MORE RAIN FELL IN MAY THAN THE YEAR BEFORE. A typical low weather pattern is forcing clouds up the Alps, where they cool off and shed heavy rain. But this time it's LASTED FOR WEEKS, washing out the southern states of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, Lower Saxony and other regions. Trees have fallen as the soil has weakened, crops have been ruined and basements flooded. A cyclist drowned in Hannover after being swept away.
Switzerland has also been affected, with ships banned from the Rhine in Basel. 100 more litres of rain per square meter have been forecast between Saturday and Sunday. Germans are renowned for their stoical attitude. But after THE DARKEST WINTER IN OVER 40 YEARS, even the hardiest residents are being tested as rain and floods replace the traditional warm summer. (YouTube Video)

EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -

Thousands evacuated as crews fight California wildfire - A wildfire that destroyed at least six homes, damaged 15 others and threatened hundreds more grew quickly Sunday as it triggered evacuations for nearly 3,000 people and burned dangerously close to communities.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

It was a terrifying evening of tornado chaos and extreme atmospheric violence in the Oklahoma City area on Friday. Three tornadoes touched down near the city, killing nine, injuring at least 71, and causing widespread destruction. Huge hail up to baseball-sized battered portions the the metro area, accompanied by torrential flooding rains, widespread damaging straight-line winds, and lightning that flashed nearly continuously.
The strongest tornado, which touched down west of Oklahoma City in El Reno, has been preliminarily rated an EF-3 with 136 - 165 mph winds. The tornado warning for the storm was issued 19 minutes before it touched down. Two other EF-3 tornadoes touched down near St. Louis, Missouri, and NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) logged 20 preliminary tornado reports on Friday.
Tinker Air Force Base on the east side of Oklahoma City reported sustained winds of 68 mph, gusting to 88 mph, at 8:09 pm CDT. The Oklahoma City airport had sustained winds of 53 mph, gusting to 71 mph at 7:26 pm. These winds were generated by the massive and powerful downdrafts from the supercell thunderstorm that spawned the El Reno tornado.
At least five of the deaths in Friday's El Reno tornado occurred in vehicles attempting to flee. Thousands of cars were bumper-to-bumper on the roads as a dangerous tornado approached them. Had the El Reno tornado plowed directly down one of these car-choked interstates, the death toll could have easily exceeded 500.
There was one local TV station that urged residents without underground shelters to get in their cars and "get south" in advance of the tornado that was approaching Oklahoma City, since chasers were reporting that the El Reno tornado may have been so strong that only an underground shelter would have provided adequate protection. This terrible piece of advice likely contributed to the incredible traffic jams on I-35, I-40, I-44, and other local roads Friday night. Some roads became six-lane highways as everyone panicked and drove on the wrong side of the road.
Getting in a car and attempting to flee the tornado is the worst thing you can do in an urban area. You may not be able to see the tornado if it is dark or the tornado is wrapped in rain. You are likely to encounter hazardous winds, rain, and hail, run into unexpected traffic, or flooded or debris-blocked roads that will put you directly in the path of the tornado. It's better to abandon your vehicle and take shelter in a ditch, if you are caught in a car during a tornado.
Cars and tornadoes can prove a dangerous mix even for the world's most experienced storm chasers. Tornadoes by their nature are unpredictable, and can change course unexpectedly, or pop up suddenly. It's particularly dangerous when a tornado is wrapped in rain, making it hard to see, or if a chaser is operating in a heavily populated area, where roads may suddenly become congested. All four of these conditions occurred Friday during the El Reno tornado, and it is very fortunate that multiple chasers were not killed. "We thought we were clear until we saw the TRAINING OF TORNADIC SUPERCELLS on radar, ALL CONNECTED SOMEHOW. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT."
Even without an underground shelter, most people indoors will be able to survive a dangerous EF-4 tornado. If you are located in a metro area and don't have an underground shelter, the best thing to do it to take shelter in an interior windowless room or hallway, with protective furniture over your body.
The 5.64" of rain that fell at the Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport on Friday was their 6th wettest day in city history, and brought the total rainfall for the month of May to 14.52", the WETTEST MAY IN OKLAHOMA CITY'S HISTORY. The North Canadian River in Oklahoma City rose sixteen feet in twelve hours, cresting at its 2nd highest flood on record Saturday morning. The heavy rains spread eastwards on Saturday, causing more flooding problems. Paducah, KY had its wettest June day and 3rd wettest day on record on June 1, with 5.73" of rain (all-time record: 7.49" on 9/5/1985.) Major flooding is occurring along a substantial stretch of the Mississippi River in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri.
Thankfully, Friday was likely the peak day for this week's severe weather outbreak, as SPC was calling for only a "Slight Risk" of severe weather Saturday and Sunday.
Video
UPDATE - The tornadoes have killed at least 14 people, as flooding hampered cleanup efforts in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office announced nine fatalities in the state and said five of the victims had not been identified, while the sheriffs' offices in towns east of Oklahoma City confirmed two other people had died. In Missouri, authorities said three people died from severe flooding in the wake of the storms. Streets turned into rivers, with stranded cars submerged in water as high as their door handles in some places. A massive sink hole off a major road developed due to the deluge, halting traffic.

**The human brain is a wonderful thing.
It starts working the moment you are born,
and never stops
until you stand up to speak in public.**
George Jessel

LARGEST QUAKES -

Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)

This morning -
6.2 TAIWAN
5.0 NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA

Yesterday -
6/1/13 -
5.5 SOLOMON ISLANDS
5.6 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.2 SAMAR, PHILIPPINES
5.5 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS

5/31/13 -
5.0 NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
5.8 NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
5.1 SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
5.1 FIJI REGION
5.3 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
5.0 LOYALTY ISLANDS
5.1 KHABAROVSKIY KRAY, RUSSIA
5.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

New Zealand - Quake-hit residents now face flood risk. In South New Brighton, worried residents are poring over Lidar charts - the aerial radar mapping of post-earthquake ground levels - to see where the water will get to if it over-runs their sunken stopbanks and spreads along their sunken roads.
In Sumner, Parklands and Avondale, even way up river in Fendalton, homeowners have been realising what it might mean: after the earthquakes, Christchurch has dropped by 20 to 30 centimetres in many places and, in others, by quite a lot more. Flooding was always Christchurch's major natural hazard - a more immediate threat than earthquakes. But after four big quakes and, faced with a metre of sea-level rise over the next century, many more properties have become vulnerable to tidal surges and overflowing rivers.
And the question is, are the authorities doing enough? Is Christchurch's recovery taking sufficient account of its increased flood risk or are people having houses repaired where they can expect to be swamped by brackish muddy waters within a few short years? It could be just a sign of the dark times, but there is widespread suspicion of a dodge and cover-up going on. Insurance companies are trying to fix houses as they stand, even where the ground has fallen inside an official flood management area. And no-one seems to be warning homeowners to consider the long-term consequences.
"There should be a managed retreat from the affected areas. But ultimately it's too expensive. For the Government, there's so much else happening that it's leaving it up to the individual households." Unless there are payouts that allow houses to be lifted and put on solid foundations, there is the real prospect of the council slapping on hazard notices at some later date, making people's homes uninsurable and unsellable. Fears are rising rapidly in the east. The flooding issue is being seen as the latest symptom of how the residential recovery is being "smoke and mirrored".
But are the authorities handling the recovery improperly? Are they captive to the wishes of the insurance industry, looking for the fastest exit from an overwhelming problem? Where does the truth lie in a very complicated situation? Complicating the recovery for Christchurch is that coincidentally, on the eve of the quakes, it brought in new planning restrictions in an attempt to deal with future sea rises. New Zealand has two options. Either it can wall its cities behind dykes or mount a "managed retreat". In other words, accept the sea will take people's land. And realistically, the first is not an option. As spelt out in the 2010 New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, the general plan is to rely on land use regulations that will steadily move Kiwi homeowners back from the sea over the next century.

Devastating Earthquake Predicted In Himalayas - A devastating earthquake is expected in Himalayan region stretching from Indian Administrated Kashmir to Northern Pakistani areas, a latest scientific research has revealed. “The projected strike length of the fault would be 120 km which consists of 80 km strike length of the mapped fault and 40 k length from the implied portion." The study anticipates a magnitude 7.6 quake happening on this fault line.
Unearthing records of 13 major historical earthquakes in the valley over the last millennium, the study indicates that Kashmir Valley is a locus of active deformation. “There are a few active faults in the Kashmir Basin and which are capable to host a magnitute 7.6 earthquake, big enough to shake the entire valley." An earthquake of similar magnitude struck Northern Pakistan and Kashmir regions in 2005 which killed at least 73,000 people.
The report says that the on-going collision deformation along the 2,000-km long Himalayan orogenic belt is distributed differently along the central and western portions of the belt. The study concludes the fault trace could be continuous over a distance of 210 km and might connect on the west with the Balakot Bagh fault. Balakot is the second most affected city by 2005 disaster in Northern Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It concludes that Kashmir Basin fault is an independent thrust, a possible ramp on the Main Himalayan Thrust that has uplifting the south-western portion of the KB and drowning everything to the north-east of it. The study found a clear geomorphic evidence of active thrusting in the Kashmir basin and possibility of a fault stepping. It also forecasts that Balakot Bagh may continue on the east as the Riasi Thrust and the Kashmir Basin fault.
The seismologist believes that the investigations will further unravel the earthquake chronology of the region where earthquake research is extremely important for hazard mitigation. Strict building code must be imposed to promote earthquake resistant structures. In the past years other geologists have also presented similar scientific calculations about the arrival of a devastating earthquake in the Himalayas.

VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams

Mayon volcano exhibiting abnormal behavior - Alert Level on Mayon Volcano in the northern Philippine province of Albay has been risen to Level 1 after exhibiting abnormal behavior. The level of the volcanic alarm was raised Friday afternoon after volcanologists noted mainly bluish steam emissions, a persistent, although weak, crater glow , and Phivolcs’ instruments had detected slight bulging or inflations in two areas of the volcano’s structure — one on the northwest side facing Barangay Buang in Tabaco City; and the other on the southwest section facing Barangay Lidong in Sto. Domingo town.
The volcano’s slight deformation and crater glow might be an indication that magma activity was increasing beneath the volcano. However, that there were no indications of an imminent eruption as the other characteristics were not yet present, such as low and high frequency volcanic quakes, high sulphur dioxide emissions, lava fountaining, lava flows, magmatic activities, pyroclastic flows and steam and ash explosions. The raising of alert status directed local disaster councils, various village chiefs, the police and the military to enforce the “no human activity” restriction, including mountain climbing, farming, orchids gathering and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) tours within the danger zone.
In its bulletin on Saturday morning, Phivolcs said that during its past 36-hour observation period, Mount Mayon continued to emit weak and short-lived bluish fumes with persistent crater glow of Intensity 1 (weak). The volcano had a steam-driven phreatic explosion on May 7 that sent a three-kilometer-high ash cloud, killing five mountaineers. Mount Mayon’s last recorded eruption was in December 2009 during which 8,637 families or 40,991 persons living in 30 villages at the foot of the volcanoe had to be evacuated. Phivolcs strongly reiterated that the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone was off-limits to the public because of the constant danger of rockfalls, avalanches, ash puffs and sudden phreatic or steam-driven eruptions.

Chile to lower Copahue volcano red alert, Argentina extends evacuations - Chilean authorities were planning to lower the alert level in the upcoming hours, while authorities of the Southern province of Neuquén maintain the red alert expecting an “imminent eruption” of the Copahue volcano. Chilean Geological Mining Service' risk programme (Sernageomin), assured that the volcanic activity "has decreased in the previous days comparing to last week." They reported evacuation of 3,000 people, 700 of them on the Argentine side.
“Having said this, we suppose that the eruption risk has already passed...The situation is still unstable” which requires keeping track of the “volcano’s performance." Meanwhile, an Argentine Cabinet official said he respected the Chilean's "personal opinion" but explained their volcanologist has advised to keep the red alert" in Argentina's territory. "Lava is climbing up slowly" and the Copahue volcano "has the last word" in deciding to keep the red alert and continue with evacuations "at least till Sunday."

TROPICAL STORMS -

No current tropical storms.

Samoa economy begins to recover after cyclone - New economic figures show Samoa's economy is starting to recover from Cyclone Evan, almost six months after it tore through the island's capital Apia, causing death and destruction.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

Extreme Weather Whips Areas of the Midwest and West United States - Flash flooding and tornadoes killed three people in Arkansas overnight Thursday, and a new string of severe storms marched across the nation's midsection Friday. Up to a dozen tornadoes touched down in Arkansas alone, as well as one in Illinois and three in Oklahoma that caused structural damage to homes. The storm system brought heavy rain with it, making flash flooding a problem across the region.
In the Western U.S., firefighters fought two growing wildfires. A rapidly moving blaze some 25 miles west of Santa Fe, New Mexico, already has already scorched 1,000 acres and jumped a highway. Meanwhile, 500 firefighters in California tried to control a 1,400-acre wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, north of Los Angeles. It was only 15 percent contained.

Iowa's weather has been weird, downright extreme, recently - May began with snow, then brutally hot temperatures, and now drought-busting rains as Iowa experiences its WETTEST SPRING EVER. A week's worth of downpours threatens serious damage in Iowa City, with streets under water and residents evacuating some neighborhoods. Nearly five years from when a so-called "500-year flood" wreaked havoc on several parts of eastern Iowa, residents in Iowa City fear the days ahead will bring a repeat. While some homeowners packed up their belongings and headed for higher, drier ground, others fished in the Iowa River, which has spilled into their yards.

This now ranks as one of the wettest and coolest springs in Minnesota history - For the 4th consecutive month Minnesota observers reported monthly mean temperatures that were cooler than normal. Most reports ranged from 1 to 3 degrees F cooler than normal for May. Combined with the temperature data for March and April, the overall spring temperatures (March-May) were the third coldest in state history, trailing only 1907, and 1950.
Most observers reported above normal precipitation for the month of May, ranging from 4 to 6 inches. In many southern counties monthly precipitation was well above normal, and in some areas record-setting. Those reporting a NEW RECORD WET MAY included: Austin (10.97"), Grand Meadow (14.39"), La Crescent (10.18"), Rochester (10.56"), Spring Valley (12.23"), and Theilman (10.55"). In addition, many observers reported precipitation on over 20 days during the month.
Combined with the precipitation for March and April, the overall spring season (March-May) was THE WETTEST IN HISTORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA, saturating soils, and putting streams and rivers near bank full. The snow storm over the first few days of May established some records in southeastern Minnesota as well. Dodge Center reported a statewide daily RECORD SNOWFALL FOR MAY for May with 15.4 inches on the 2nd. Snow totals ranged from 9 inches (Albert Lea) to 17.3 inches (Ellendale) across many areas of southern Minnesota in ONE OF THE SNOWIEST MAYS IN STATE HISTORY.

Germany braces for more flooding - Water levels on German's Rhine, Danube and Neckar rivers are rising steadily, with many smaller streams also threatening to break their banks.

EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -

British Columbia, Canada, needs to produce more food while contending with rising seas, diminishing water resources and changing patterns of rain and drought, according to a new report by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. The idea that climate change will expand agricultural opportunities for B.C. farmers is false, says the lead author of the report. "The scope, scale and pace of climate change are expected to exceed anything previously experienced. This affects everything on the farm including the viability of certain crops, reliability of water supply, and having to cope with new pests, diseases and more extreme weather events."
Recent events, such as the rise of cherry-destroying spotted wing drosophila in the Okanagan in 2009, the extreme wet weather that ruined most of Delta's root crops in 2010 and the 2012 drought in the Peace River region, are the kind of challenges predicted by climate change. Sea levels are predicted to rise by up to 1.2 metres in the Fraser Delta, raising the risk of flooding and salination on B.C.'s most productive farmland. Flood risk will be exacerbated by increasing extreme weather and rising cool season precipitation, the report warns.
The report notes that California produces most of the fruits and vegetables consumed in B.C., but farmers there are facing water shortages that are likely to worsen over time. The San Joaquin Valley — which produces about one eighth of the food supply in the United States — will receive only 20 per cent of its normal allocation of irrigation water in 2013. Summer drought is already becoming more frequent in B.C. and has severely damaged crops in the United States, Russia and Australia in recent years. "We need to increase food capacity in B.C. Uneven supply and input costs are going to affect food production and the price of food here."
Rice crop failures in Southeast Asia and wheat scarcity in Russia have resulted in export bans that caused price shocks all over the world. The report calls on governments to formulate more adaptive responses to changing conditions faced by the province's farmers, plan for greater food security and complete an in-depth risk assessment for commodities grown in B.C.

SPACE WEATHER -

GEOMAGNETIC STORM, SUBSIDING - Interplanetary shock wave: source unknown. Earth's magnetic field was calming down on June 1st following nearly 15 hours of non-stop geomagnetic storming. The storminess was caused by the arrival of an interplanetary shock wave on May 31st (1618 UT). The source of the shock is unknown.
Current speculation focuses on a corotating interaction region (CIR) -- a shock-like transition zone between high- and low-speed solar wind streams. Whatever it was, the impact ignited some beautiful auroras. More storms could be in the offing tonight as the solar wind continues to blow faster than 600 km/s.
Last night, Northern Lights spilled across the Canadian border into more than a dozen US states, turning the sky purple and green as far south as Colorado and Nebraska.
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: On May 30-31, sky watchers across northern Europe witnessed a vivid display of noctilucent ("night-shining") clouds. Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) form near the top of Earth's polar atmosphere when water vapor from the planet below mixes with meteor debris from space. They appear during summer because that is when the mesosphere is coldest and most humid.
This year, NLCs appeared early, more than a full month before the solstice, setting the stage for an unusually good NLC-watching season. High latitude sky watchers should be alert for NLCs in the evenings ahead. In recent years they have been sighted as far south as Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska.

HEALTH THREATS -

Italy resident has MERS after trip to Jordan - Italy announced its first Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) case, in a man who recently spent time in Jordan, site of the first known MERS illnesses.

China ends local emergency responses to H7N9 - Local emergency responses to H7N9 influenza outbreaks in China have all ended, as the World Health Organization (WHO) released an overview of what has been learned about the virus and the disease since it emerged 2 months ago.

Frozen berry mix sparks hepatitis A outbreak in 5 states - A hepatitis A outbreak has been linked to a berry mix sold in Costco stores.

RECALLS & ALERTS