**Man is what he believes.**
Anton Chekhov
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
None 5.0 or larger.
Yesterday, 6/8/14 -
5.2 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Aftershocks expected after powerful quake in Caspian Sea - The 5.6-magnitude quake shook the Caspian Sea at a depth of 61 km. The Republic Seismological Service Center clarified the causes of the recent earthquakes in the Caspian Sea. The Head Director of RSSC said that all the earthquake epicenters covering Absheron and Baku are in the Caspian Sea.
When the quake jolted the Caspian Sea it is palpable in Baku and Absheron. He informed that seismic events are observed in the Caspian Sea in different times. He said that quakes with various magnitudes shake the Caspian Sea for a few days.
“All of these were foreshocks before the strong quake in the morning today. This quake was a shock. Following it, aftershocks are expected. Aftershocks are inevitable after such a strong tremor. Aftershocks can be in different magnitudes. Anyway we will see the process."
The Head Director emphasized that the earthquake focus is calm now and the process stopped. He said that the actions will be studied. But there is no danger, because the earthquake focus is at great depth. Noting that there are activations and regular earthquakes in the Caspian Sea, hei said that the earthquake focus is near “Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli” oil fields.
“Even the causes of the 36 tremors in the Caspian Sea within a month have been examined. At a meeting with BP representatives, it was noted that oil production decreased as a result of the earthquakes, because decomposition is observed after each quakes. Sometimes the fault passes through the oil fields and decomposition is observed during an earthquake. In each of faults oil flows in the decompositions may decrease the production."
TROPICAL STORMS -
Current tropical storms - maps and details.
No current tropical storms.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
India - Some 24 students from a college in Hyderabad have been swept away by a sudden surge of water in Himachal Pradesh. A search is on for the missing students following the surge of the Beas river in the Kullu valley.
One state official said the surge was a result of water being released from an upstream dam. The students had reportedly left a bus to take photographs when the surge occurred. The incident took place some 200km (125 miles) from the state capital, Shimla, as the students were travelling to the popular tourist resort of Manali.
Aangry locals and tourists have blocked traffic on the busy road, asking why there was no warning before the dam released the water. The Himachal Transport Minister said: "Rescue teams are looking downstream for the missing in the dark. They are engineering students of the VNR college, Hyderabad. The students had got off the bus to take photographs at the edge of the river at around 1930 when the sudden rise of the water washed them away." A senior state government official, said: "The water was released by the Larji power project dam."
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES -
Syria: Drought - The drought threatens to put new pressures on Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, where Syrian refugees are already straining the water supply.
Drought Jolts Coffee Bean Prices - The price of coffee is on the rise. It's all because of a drought in South America.
Early warning of possible drought in the Greater Horn of Africa - A recent climatic early warning report is out on the irregular rainfall situation experienced in the current season by the Horn of Africa.
Callifornia - RECORD HEAT expected today in Sacramento. Residents can expect record breaking heat with a high of 104. The old record - 102 degrees - was set last year on June 9.
Rioting in India as officials Cut Power During RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE - Thousands of people enraged by power cuts during an extreme heat wave have been protesting across northern India, setting electricity sub-stations on fire and taking power company officials hostage, officials said on Saturday.
A state utility official said thousands ransacked an electricity substation on Friday near Uttar Pradesh's capital city Lucknow, taking several workers hostage until police intervened on Saturday morning. Elsewhere, angry crowds set fire to electricity substations in Gonda and Gorakhpur.
The mercury touched a new high of 47 degrees celsius in the state capital, while Allahabad was the hottest place in the state with 48.3 degrees celsius. Banda was a close second with 47.6 degrees celsius. In most other places, the maximum temperature hovered between 44 and 47 degrees celsius.
The Met office said there will no respite from the intense heat in the coming days.There is no likelihood of any change in the heat wave conditions for most part of the coming week.
SPACE WEATHER -
All Sky Fireball Network - On Jun. 8, the network reported 69 fireballs, all sporadics.
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