**You may not be interested in war,
but war is interested in you.**
Leon Trotsky
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.1 SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Yesterday, 1/26/14 -
5.0 NEAR S COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
5.3 GREECE
5.2 MINDORO, PHILIPPINES
6.0 GREECE
5.2 MYANMAR
5.1 TONGA
5.1 VANUATU
5.5 PERU-ECUADOR BORDER REGION
5.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS
Greece - A very strong 6.0 earthquake has hit the Greek island of Kefalonia. The srong quake damaged roads, buildings in Cephalonia. The quake, which struck at 3.55 p.m., was felt in several parts of Greece and as far away as Karditsa in the north.
No casualties have been reported from the earthquake that rocked the Ionian island of Cephalonia on Sunday, though the tremor damaged parts of the road network and a number of older buildings. The quake, which struck at 3.55 p.m., was felt in several parts of Greece and as far away as Karditsa in the north. It has been followed by a series of aftershocks measuring between 3.5 - 4.4. Rockfalls have closed down some of the island's roads and a number of old buildings in the village of Pallikis, including a retirement home, suffered damage. The residents of the retirement home have been evacuated while the extent of the damage is assessed.
The epicenter of the quake was some 11 kilometers from the island's main town of Argostoli and 2 kilometers north of the town of Lixouri. In both towns there were reports of broken windows at stores and residences. The local soccer ground has reportedly also suffered a deep rift, as have parts of the road network. Emergency crews have been dispatched by the Public Power Corporation to restore damages suffered by parts of the electricity network that caused blackouts. Authorities declared a state of emergency and ordered that all schools remain closed on Monday. (photo at link)
TROPICAL STORMS -
Current tropical storms - maps and details.
No current tropical storms.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
UK weather - Tornado ‘lifts cats into air’ as storms and rain sweep across country, bringing further risk of flooding.
HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD -
United Kingdom - Temperatures are expected to plummet later with the Met Office warning the UK to prepare for icy, frozen surfaces. Parts of the country are also braced for snow. Meanwhile, some communities in England and Scotland are being warned to expect more flooding after rain swept across much of Britain on Sunday.
The Environment Agency still has 14 flood warnings in place, meaning immediate action is required, with the majority in south-west England. A severe weather warning issued by the Met Office covers much of the country and is due to last until 10:00 GMT on Monday morning. Forecasters said people should be aware of the potential for travel disruption as untreated surfaces freeze. Only some western and southern coastal areas are excluded from the warning.
"Our main concern as temperatures dip down fairly close to freezing will be the risk of ice. As the morning goes on there will mainly be sleet across any higher ground, rain at lower levels." The heaviest rain on Monday would be in the northern half of the UK. But flood warnings were in place for the Midlands, North East, South East and South West. There were also 149 flood alerts - indicating flooding is possible - issued FOR EVERY REGION of England.
In Scotland, river levels on the Nith in Dumfries continued to rise. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency warned Whitesands residents to remain vigilant. Motorists on the higher routes across parts of central Scotland were warned to prepare for snow and gale-force winds. "The public should be aware of the potential for disruption to travel as well as difficult driving conditions with a risk of blizzards at times." The weekend weather caused power outages in south-east England where more than 1,000 homes were left without electricity.
In Surrey - one of the counties hit by power cuts - eyewitnesses in Chobham reported a "mini-tornado" so strong it lifted feral cats into the air like "paper bags". There were reports of a second tornado further north in Warwickshire where some families had to seek overnight shelter at a community hall. The BBC Weather Centre said it was unable to confirm any tornadoes had struck without expert verification.
The weather caused some travel disruption in parts of the UK over the weekend. The heaviest rainfall was in Wales, where about 22mm (0.9in) came down in 12 hours. The line between Machynlleth and Pwllhelli remains closed following recent flooding, while a recent major landslip means a very limited service is running between Horsham and Dorking.
Winter Weather, Extreme Cold Hits Chicago; Hundreds of Flights Canceled.
'GLOBAL WEIRDNESS' / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Severe weather leads to record $3.2 billion in Canadian insurance payouts - Catastrophic weather disasters in 2013 resulted in the HIGHEST PAYOUT EVER for Canada's property and casualty insurers.
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