**Land is the secure ground of home, the sea is like life, the outside, the unknown.**
Stephen Gardiner
LARGEST QUAKES so far today -
5.4 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.
5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
Yesterday, 8/19/15 -
5.0 LAKE MWERU REGION, CONGO-ZAMBIA
8/18/15 -
5.1 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
Earthquake in Colorado - A magnitude 4.2 quake hit about 25 miles west of Trinidad in Las Animas County at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday.
California - Oakland Water Main Bursts Near Piedmont Where Quake Struck On Monday Repairs to the 82-year-old water main that broke in Oakland near the Piedmont border early Thursday morning were expected to last the rest of the day.
TROPICAL STORMS -
* In the Atlantic Ocean -
- Hurricane Danny strengthens a little more, about 1030 mi (1655 km) E of the Windward Islands. Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, but a weakening trend is expected to begin after that. Danny is a very small tropical cyclone. Hurricane-force winds only extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km).
* In the Eastern Pacific -
- Tropical depression Three-C formed far southeast of the Hawaiian islands about 875 mi (1410 km) SE of Honolulu, Hawaii.
* In the Western Pacific -
- Typhoon 16w (Goni) is located approximately 504 nm south-southwest of Kadena AB.
- Typhoon 17w (Atsani)is located approximately 325 nm east-southeast of Iwo To.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Footage captures moment lightning hits plane on runway - An airline passenger in the US was shooting mobile phone video of the runway at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport while his plane was delayed due to severe weather. He wanted to send some images of the storm to his wife, while letting her know he was running late. However, he didn't even realise the plane was hit by lightning until he watched the video later on.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES -
Three firefighters were killed battling a wildfire in Washington state - Three firefighters died while battling the Twisp fire and four were injured near the eastern Washington town. (video at link)
July was the hottest month on Earth since records began, averaging 16.6 C (61.9 F), according to US scientists. That is 0.08 degrees higher than the previous record, set in July 1998 - a significant margin in weather records. Scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a report that they expect 2015 to be the hottest year on record.
Nine of the 10 hottest months since records began in 1880 have occurred since 2005. Scientists say global climate change and the impacts of the El Nino weather phenomenon are behind the record temperatures. The first seven months of 2015 have already set an all-time temperature record for the period. "A strong El Nino is under way in the tropical Pacific and this, combined with the long-term global warming trend, means there is the potential to see some very warm months throughout this year - as the new figures for July appear to show. "This is consistent with the Met Office's global temperature forecast which predicted that a record or near record year is very much on the cards for 2015."
HEALTH THREATS -
RECALLS & ALERTS
Long Hours at Work Increase Stroke Risk 33%, Says Study - Workers who toil for long hours faced a high risk of both stroke and heart attack.
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