The Day Temps Plunged by 22°C

Temp in Paraguay capital Asuncion plunged from 35°C to 12°C.

As a ferocious storm devastated parts of  northern Argentina and southern Brazil, temperature in Paraguay capital Asuncion plunged from 35°C to 12°C.

A traffic warden (C) stands in an intersection following a power cut due to a heavy storm in Brazil. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Winds of 120km/h, torrential rain and hail destroyed homes and crops killing about 20 people and injuring dozens more in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Uruguay was also hit by the freak storm.

Meteorologists said a severe depression caused by collision between tropical warm air and frosty air caused the freak storm.

In Argentina, the towns of Pozo Azul, San Pedro, Santa Rosa and Tobuna were reported as the worst affected areas, where a senior official called the devastation “incredible.”

Torrential rains flooded many areas across the entire region destroying hundreds of homes, causing traffic problems and cutting off electricity and phone service. Landslides were also reported.

“We’ve always had very strong winds and torrential rains here. But this was a phenomenon never seen before. Houses were completely destroyed,” a Brazilian official said.

“Damage was registered in the areas of Neembucu, San Pedro, Paraguari, Cordillera, Canindeyu and Caaguazu. Many crops were damaged,” an official in Paraguay told reporters.

“Whole houses disappeared,” a rescue official in Santa Rosa, Argentina said. “There are posts down, trees down, and there are more than 50 injured.”

Related Links:

• Drought and Deluge
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Nature Rejects More Cars
• Nature’s Assault on Cars Continues
• Car burial day in S. Korea
• Drought and Deluge
• Landslides, Floods, Extreme Rain Events
• CO2e Links Page
• World CO2 Emissions
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• New York Cognitive Dissonance
• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature

El Niño Update [8 Sept 2009]

ENSO Cycle: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions

The following UPDATE is prepared by

Climate Prediction Center / NCEP – 8 Sept 2009

The latest weekly SST departures are:

• Niño 4   ~ 0.8ºC
• Niño 3.4  ~ 0.9ºC
• Niño 3 ~ 1.0ºC
• Niño 1+2 ~ 0.7ºC

El Niño Map. [SOURCE: NOAA/ Climate Prediction Center / NCEP]

Niño Region SST Departures (ºC) –  Recent Evolution

SST Departures (°C) in the Tropical Pacific During the Last 4 Weeks

During the last 4-weeks, equatorial SSTs were at least 0.5°C above-average across the Pacific Ocean and at least 1.0°C above average near the Date Line and in the eastern Pacific.

Global SST Departures (°C)

During the last four weeks, equatorial SSTs were above-average in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Also, above-average SSTs covered large areas of the Northern Hemisphere mid-to-high latitudes.

ONI (°C): Evolution since 1950

The most recent ONI value (June – August 2009) is +0.7°C.

Information and images on this page are sourced from Climate Prediction Center/NCEP/NOAA.

Summary

• El Niño is present across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• Sea surface temperatures (SST) remain +0.5 to +1.5 above-average across much of the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• Based on current observations and dynamical model forecasts, El Niño is expected to strengthen and last through Northern Hemisphere winter 2009-10.

For additional information see following links.

Relate Links:

• Recognizing El Niño
• El Niño and La Niña: Tracing the Dance of Ocean and Atmosphere
• TAO Diagrams
• El Niño Forecasts

El Niño Updates

• El Niño Update [31 Aug 2009]
• El Niño Update [17 Aug 2009]
• El Niño Update – 10 August 2009
• El Niño Update – 3 August 2009
• El Niño Update – 27 July 2009

• El Niño Update – 20 July 2009
• El Niño Update # 1
• El Niño conditions is in progress —NOAA
• El Niño event almost certain: BOM
• El Niño could develop June – August 2009
• World Now
• 2009 Hurricane Season

ENSO, wind anomaly El Niño, Indian Ocean, Ocean SST, Pacific Ocean, Positive SST

Nature Rejects More Cars

Images of the Day: Cars NOT Welcome!

Vehicles piled up by flood waters after heavy rains inundated Tlanepantla, Mexico. (Photo: The Associated Press/Eduardo Verdugo). Image may be subject to copyright.

The landslides are blamed on heavy rains that have fallen instead of the usual winter snowfall. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Heavy rain triggered rock and mud avalanches near the capital Santiago, killing at least two people and leaving one missing, Reuters reported.

The first avalanche buried homes and cars and swept a woman into a river, killing her on Sunday. The victim’s 1-year-old daughter is missing, AP reported the authorities as saying.

A second avalanche at Anglo American’s Los Bronces copper mines wept away buildings, killing a security guard and injuring  at least 10 others.

About 1,500 people , mostly tourists, have been stranded, according to various reports.

Related News Links:

Chile: Mudslides leave at least two dead and one missing

Related Links:

• Nature’s Assault on Cars Continues
• Car burial day in S. Korea
• Drought and Deluge
• Landslides, Floods, Extreme Rain Events
• CO2e Links Page
• World CO2 Emissions
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• New York Cognitive Dissonance

• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature

Another Busy Day for Earthquakes

Magnitude 6.2 Strikes South of Java, Indonesia

10-degree Map Centered at 10°S,110°E

EQ Location Map. USGS Map.

Earthquake Details

GFZ Potsdam – Earthquake Bulletin
Region: South of Java, Indonesia
Time: 2009-09-07 16:12:22.0 UTC
Magnitude: 6.2
Epicenter: 110.59°E 10.34°S
Depth: 20 km
Status: manually revised

© Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum – GFZ

The earthquake occurred close to a site forecast by FEWW as epicenter of a major 2009 earthquake measuring  ≥ 8.4 Mw. [See location map above.]

Meanwhile …

Magnitude 5.0  EQ struck  Hokkaido,  Japan Region

The quake struck onshore close to the south coast of Hokkaido on September 07, 2009 at 16:24 UTC. The earthquake was the second of the same size to strike the area in 5 days.

10-degree Map Centered at 40°N,145°E

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS

EQ Details:

• Magnitude: 5.0
• Date-Time:  Monday, September 07, 2009 at 16:24:27 UTC [Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 01:24:27 AM at epicenter]
• Location: 42.167°N, 142.824°E
• Depth: 71 km (44.1 miles)
• Region:  HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
• Distances:
  • 155 km (100 miles) SW of Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan
  • 160 km (100 miles) SE of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
  • 770 km (480 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan
  • 7095 km (4400 miles) NE of MOSCOW, Russia
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: us2009lgbc

JAPAN  EARTHQUAKE  UPDATE:

At 10:03 JST on   Sep 08, 2009  a  magnitude   3.9    quake struck  Chiba-ken Hokuseibu region centered at  35.8N,  140.1E and at a depth of  50km, JMA reported. [For background information and FEWW forecast see:  Earthquake Forecast: Tokyo, Japan]

Soon after, Sicily was struck …

Magnitude 5.0 EQ Strikes Sicily, Italy

The quake struck on Monday, September 07, 2009 at 21:26 UTC.

10-degree Map Centered at 40°N,15°E

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS

Earthquake Details

• Location: 38.652°N, 14.074°E
• Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles)
• Region:  SICILY, ITALY
• Distances:
  • 85 km (50 miles) NE of Palermo, Sicily, Italy
  • 140 km (85 miles) WNW of Messina, Sicily, Italy
  • 155 km (95 miles) NW of Catania, Sicily, Italy
  • 385 km (240 miles) SSE of ROME, Italy

• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: us2009lgbr

See also: FEWW forecast: Earthquake Forecast: Southern Italy, Sicily

An hour or so later …

Magnitude 6.2 Strikes  Georgia (SAK’ART’VELO)

The strong mainshock was followed by a magnitude 5.0 aftershock about 8 minutes later.

10-degree Map Centered at 45°N,45°E

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS

EQ Details (mainshock)

• Magnitude: 6.2
• Date-Time: Monday, September 07, 2009 at 22:41:37 UTC [Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 03:41:37 AM at epicenter]
• Location: 42.712°N, 43.483°E
• Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
• Region: GEORGIA (SAK’ART’VELO)
• Distances:
  • 80 km (50 miles) NE of K’ut’aisi, Georgia
  • 105 km (65 miles) WSW of Vladikavkaz, Russia
  • 135 km (85 miles) E of Zugdidi, Georgia
  • 155 km (95 miles) NW of TBILISI, Georgia
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: us2009lgbw

The two events were similar to a pair of quakes, measuring 5.9 and 5.3, that struck  eastern Chechnya at a depth of 10km, about 240km to the NE, on October 11, 2008.

The Chechnya quakes killed more than a dozen people and injured up to 150 others.

Related Links:

• FEWW Earthquake Forecast: Timor Sea
• Magnitude 6.8 EQ Strikes BANDA SEA
• Deadly Earthquake Strikes Java, Indonesia
• Earthquake Forecast: Southern Italy, Sicily
• Earthquakes [Main Index page]