**Every morning we are born again. It is what we do today that matters most.**
Guatama Buddha
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.0 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
Yesterday, 6/23/15 -
6.5 BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.7 TONGA
6/22/15 -
5.0 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
6/21/15 -
6.0 FIJI REGION
6/20/15 -
6.5 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
5.5 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.4 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
6.5 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE
6/19/15 -
None 5.0 or larger.
6/18/15 -
5.0 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
5.2 VANUATU
5.0 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
5.3 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
6/17/15 -
6.9 SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
6/16/15 -
5.9 FIJI REGION
6/15/15 -
5.7 KEPULAUAN SANGIHE, INDONESIA
5.0 KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
5.8 EAST TIMOR REGION
6/14/15 -
5.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
Japan - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck deep under the seabed off the coast of Japan south of Tokyo on Tuesday. The quake's epicenter was near the Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo. A tsunami warning had not been issued. The quake's preliminary depth was put at 480 km (300 miles) below the seabed. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas, and a magnitude 8.5 quake struck the area around the chain of islands that run south from Tokyo last month. Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical storms.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES -
Pakistan heatwave - Death toll crosses 700 people in Sindh. The death toll from an ongoing heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province has passed 700, as mortuaries reached capacity. At least 744 people died in Karachi and 38 in other areas. Officials have been criticised for not doing enough to tackle the crisis.
On Tuesday as temperatures reached 45C (113F), Pakistan's PM called for emergency measures and the army was deploying to help set up heat stroke centres. There is anger among local residents at the authorities because power cuts have restricted the use of air-conditioning units and fans. Matters have been made worse by the widespread abstention from water during daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadan. 612 people had died in the main government-run hospitals in the city of Karachi during the past four days. Another 80 are reported to have died in private hospitals.
Thousands of people are being treated in the Sindh province, and some of them are in serious condition. Many of the victims are elderly people from low-income families. Hot weather is not unusual during summer months in Pakistan, but prolonged power cuts seem to have made matters worse. Sporadic angry protests have taken place in parts of Karachi, with some people blaming the government and Karachi's main power utility, K-Electric, for failing to avoid deaths.
There's anger on the street about the government's slow response to the crisis. The provincial PPP government appeared aloof and unresponsive. The federal government of Prime Minister woke up to the tragic deaths on the third day. While politicians blamed each other for not doing enough, the army - always keen to seize opportunities to demonstrate its soft power - sprang into action to set up "heat stroke relief camps".
By the fourth day, a campaign was launched to reiterate steps people should take in sizzling temperatures. Many in Karachi feel that had the authorities moved proactively many lives could have been saved. The hope now is that with the expected pre-monsoon rains later in the week the weather will improve. That will certainly provide much-needed respite to millions affected by the heatwave, but it won't change the chronic underlying problems this ever-growing city of 20 million faces - a dysfunctional infrastructure and poor governance.
The body's normal core temperature is 37-38C. If it heats up to 39-40C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down and fatigue sets in. At 40-41C heat exhaustion is likely - and above 41C the body starts to shut down. Chemical processes start to be affected, the cells inside the body deteriorate and there is a risk of multiple organ failure. The body cannot even sweat at this point because blood flow to the skin stops, making it feel cold and clammy. Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and if not treated immediately, chances of survival can be slim.
The all-time highest temperature reached in Karachi is 47C, recorded in 1979. Last month, nearly 1,700 people died in a heatwave in neighbouring India.(map and photos at link)
UPDATE - Heat Wave Death Toll Rises to 2000 in Pakistan's Financial Hub - A heat wave in Pakistan's financial hub of Karachi and surrounding areas has killed about 2,000 people in the past two weeks, THE MOST IN RECENT MEMORY. Temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) have claimed about 1,500 lives in Karachi and 500 in other parts of southern Sindh province.
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