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WordPress continues to hack FIRE-EARTH & affiliated blogs at the behest of its corporate clients.
Blog Moderators condemn in the strongest terms the blatant removal and manipulation of content.
Starting January 29, 2013, Google & WordPress have restricted access to FIRE-EARTH reducing blog traffic by up to 95 percent, enabling their affiliated sites and commercial partners to hijack (and twist) the news, analysis and core ideas presented here.
Blocking information, hacking websites and twisting the facts concerning harm inflicted to Earth by humans are major crimes against nature, punishable by drought, famine, disease...
Caution
Technical information and scientific data from the US Government agencies (NASA, EPA…) are subject to variation due to political expediency.
This caution also extends to the UN organizations (e.g., FAO, WHO…).
As of August 2011, FIRE-EARTH will no longer reprint photos from NASA, due to the agency's wanton crimes against nature.
50-Meter wide sinkhole opens up in the village of Foolow, the Peak District, England
“It’s quite a large hole and it’s getting bigger all the time. It’s probably increased by about 10% since it opened up [on December 25,]” said Mark Nobel, a member of Derbyshire Caving Association.
A large sinkhole appeared in the village of Foolow, the Peak District, Derbyshire, England. Mr Noble and his wife Wendy discovered the giant hole during a walk on Christmas Day. Credit: Mark Noble
Chaparrastique Volcano in Eastern El Salvador is Still Spewing Ash and Volcanic Gases
Up to 5,000 people live near the volcano, and the authorities have so far evacuated more than 1,600 to emergency shelters, but many have refused to leave their homes on the volcano slopes.
“The Chaparrastique volcano is still producing gases combined with small emissions of ash, which is normal after an eruption,” said El Salvador’s environment ministry.
The 2,130-m high volcano, El Salvador’s third highest, ejected columns of smoke and ash up to 5km above the summit on Sunday
Chaparrastique, aka San Miguel volcano, located about 15km SW of San Miguel city (population: 180,000), and about 140 km east of San Salvador, the capital, showed signs of increased activity on December 13.
The eruption has so far deposited more than 10cm of ash in the nearby areas within the coffee-producing region, according to reports.
Latest image of Chaparistique Eruption. Source: El-Salvador.com
Chaparistique eruption deposits volcanic ash on coffee plants. Source: El-Salvador.com
El Salvador
El Salvador sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, close to Middle America Trench, and is subject to significant tectonic movement, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The tiny country (population: 6.3 million) is home to at least 23 volcanoes.
Middle America Trench
A major subduction zone known for many large earthquakes, the Middle America Trench is a 2,800-km long oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, extending from central Mexico to Costa Rica. The trench is the boundary between five tectonic plates, including the Caribbean, Cocos (and Rivera), Nazca, the North American and the South American plates.
U.S. Earthquakes 24 Hrs to 02:30UTC – December 31, 2013
Of the 28 earthquakes measuring magnitude 2.5+ that have occurred globally in the past 24 hours, 6 have struck the Lower 48, including 2 in Oklahoma, as of posting.
Of the 171 earthquakes (all magnitudes) that have struck the globe in the past 24 hours, 102 have occurred in the Contiguous U.S., mostly in California, 39 in Alaska and 3 in Hawaii, as of posting, with the most significant quake measuring 3.7Mw, striking 4km SSW of Idyllwild, California at a depth of 19.4km (Also M3.8 event occurred 35km SW of Anchor Point, Alaska at a depth of 83.2km). Source: USGS/EHP.
The event was centered near 36.7ºN, 140.7ºE and occurred at a depth of 10km. The quake was followed by several aftershocks, with the largest measuring 3.6Mw, as of posting.
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE crossing Western Australia coast with “very destructive winds”
“The VERY DESTRUCTIVE inner core of Severe Tropical Cyclone Christine has begun to impact the coast between Port Hedland and Whim Creek,” said the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE was located 90km west of Port Hedland and 100km east northeast of Karratha, moving SSW at 18km/h toward the Pilbara coast, at 8:00 pm WST, said BOM.
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE. Infrared [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] Satellite Image. Recorded at 10:32UTC on Sunday December 30, 2013. The original Image Sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.
Cyclone Warning
A Cyclone Warning has been issued for coastal areas from Wallal to Onslow, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Onslow, and extending inland to Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Newman, Jigalong and Three Rivers, said BOM.
Red Alert
The authorities have issued a RED ALERT for residents in or near coastal areas between Pardoo and Mardie, including Port Hedland, South Hedland, Whim Creek, Roebourne, Point Samson, Wickham, Karratha and Dampier.
A Red Alert was also issued for Tom Price and Paraburdoo at 7pm local time (UTC + 8 hrs).
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE Forecast Track Map
Homo Ignarus Reach another Expected Milestone in their Brief Pathetic History
Year two of BIG “Surprises” is about to begin!
Critical Overload Threatens Planetary Life Support Systems
The FIRE-EARTH/CASF Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN), an index for calculating the human impact on the planetary life support systems, climbed to a critically high level of 323 on July 1, 2013. In other words, the anthropogenic impact on the living environment exceeded 3.23 times the planet’s diminishing carrying capacity.
The index is rising exponentially.
HIoN rose 38 points, or more than 13 percent, year to July 1, 2013.
The index was less than 80 in 1960, and rose to about 100 in 1980.
Based on current FIRE-EARTH projections, the HIoN on July 1, 2014 WILL be a big “surprise!”
“According to HIoN projections, our cities and population centers could become almost entirely unsustainable by as early as 2015.”
Diagram shows the exponential growth of Human Impact on Nature (HION) between 1960 and July 2013. Source: FIRE-EARTH Real-Time Earth Models. Copyright: FIRE-EARTH Blog Authors.
RAPID Decline IN PROGRESS!
Tidal Surge of Global Change 26 Times Faster in 21st Century: FIRE-EARTH
FIRE-EARTH Models show the rate of global change has intensified by a factor of at least 26 in the last decade compared with the 1960s.
FIRE-EARTH defines ‘global change’ as the deterioration in the planet’s life-support capacity, caused by large-scale anthropogenic impact, which is leading to a total collapse.
Humanoids are about to enter a new year as the anthropogenic impact on the living environment continues to exponentially destroy the planet’s diminishing carrying capacity.
No major “inspiration” since harnessing fire
Homo erectus making fire – source: arthursclipart.org
[December 30, 2013] DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 800 Days Left
Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
Chaparrastique volcano eruption prompts evacuation of hundreds of communities
Civil protection authorities in El Salvador have imposed a 5-km exclusion zone around the San Miguel volcano, aka Chaparrastique, and are evacuating up to 5,000 villagers that live near the volcano.
The 2,130-m high volcano, El Salvador’s third highest, ejected columns of smoke and ash up to 5km above the summit.
Chaparrastique, located about 15km SW of San Miguel city (population: 180,000), showed signs of increased activity on December 13.
The eruption has so far deposited more than 10cm of ash in the nearby areas within the coffee-producing region, officials said.
Chaparrastique erupts. Screen dump from a local news report timed at about 10:30 am local time December 29, 2013.
El Salvador
El Salvador sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, close to Middle America Trench, and is subject to significant tectonic movement, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The tiny country (population: 6.3 million) is home to at least 23 volcanoes.
9 Percent of the day’s global seismicity occurred in Oklahoma, 17 percent in Lower 48!!
M4.1 earthquakes strikes near Langston, Oklahoma
The quake was centered at 35.896°N, 97.306°W and struck at a depth of about 5.0km (3.1mi).
Earthquake Details
Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Event Time: 2013-12-29 08:14:36 UTC
Location: 35.896°N 97.306°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
Nearby Cities:
7km (4mi) SW of Langston, Oklahoma
10km (6mi) E of Guthrie, Oklahoma
31km (19mi) NNE of Edmond, Oklahoma
33km (21mi) SW of Stillwater, Oklahoma
51km (32mi) NNE of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Earthquakes Location Map.
The event followed two smaller earthquakes measuring
M3.4 (Location 36.870°N 97.622°W depth=4.3km; 155km N of Oklahoma City) and
M3.1 (36.141°N 97.329°W depth=5.0km; 76km NNE of Oklahoma City).
30 Days, Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. 40 Earthquakes in the map area. Global map includes 1012 earthquakes – Updated: 2013-12-29 10:06:05UTC. Source: USGS/EHP
About 17 percent of the global seismicity in the past 30 days, in terms of number of events measuring M2.5+, occurred in or near contiguous United States.
Oklahoma Earthquakes in November
At least 41 earthquakes measuring 2.5Mw or greater struck the state of Oklahoma in November 2013, according to data provided by USGS/EHP.
The largest shock in the cluster (No. 11 on the table below) measured 3.8Mw, striking at a depth of 5.9km on November 11, 2013 some 5km WNW of Jones, Oklahoma.
List of Oklahoma Earthquakes measuring 2.5Mw or greater, November 2013.
Tectonic Summary [USGS/EHP]
Induced Seismicity. As is the case elsewhere in the world, there is evidence that some central and eastern North America earthquakes have been triggered or caused by human activities that have altered the stress conditions in earth’s crust sufficiently to induce faulting. Activities that have induced felt earthquakes in some geologic environments have included impoundment of water behind dams, injection of fluid into the earth’s crust, extraction of fluid or gas, and removal of rock in mining or quarrying operations. In much of eastern and central North America, the number of earthquakes suspected of having been induced is much smaller than the number of natural earthquakes, but in some regions, such as the south-central states of the U.S., a significant majority of recent earthquakes are thought by many seismologists to have been human-induced. Even within areas with many human-induced earthquakes, however, the activity that seems to induce seismicity at one location may be taking place at many other locations without inducing felt earthquakes. In addition, regions with frequent induced earthquakes may also be subject to damaging earthquakes that would have occurred independently of human activity. Making a strong scientific case for a causative link between a particular human activity and a particular sequence of earthquakes typically involves special studies devoted specifically to the question. Such investigations usually address the process by which the suspected triggering activity might have significantly altered stresses in the bedrock at the earthquake source, and they commonly address the ways in which the characteristics of the suspected human-triggered earthquakes differ from the characteristics of natural earthquakes in the region.
Earthquake Location Map. 1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes Worldwide. 34 earthquakes shown on the map, updated at 2013-12-29 09:49:36 UTC. Source: USGS/EHP
M5.8 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of Turkey
Event Time:2013-12-28 15:21:05 UTC
Location: 35.980°N 31.340°E depth=51.1km (31.7mi)
Nearby Cities
80km (50mi) SSW of Avsallar, Turkey
204km (127mi) WNW of Nicosia, Cyprus
Tectonic Summary: Seismotectonics of the Mediterranean Region and Vicinity
The Mediterranean region is seismically active due to the northward convergence (4-10 mm/yr) of the African plate with respect to the Eurasian plate along a complex plate boundary. This convergence began approximately 50 Ma and was associated with the closure of the Tethys Sea. The modern day remnant of the Tethys Sea is the Mediterranean Sea. The highest rates of seismicity in the Mediterranean region are found along the Hellenic subduction zone of southern Greece, along the North Anatolian Fault Zone of western Turkey and the Calabrian subduction zone of southern Italy. Local high rates of convergence at the Hellenic subduction zone (35mm/yr) are associated with back-arc spreading throughout Greece and western Turkey above the subducting Mediterranean oceanic crust.
The region of the Marmara Sea is a transition zone between this extensional regime, to the west, and the strike-slip regime of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, to the east. The North Anatolian Fault accommodates much of the right-lateral horizontal motion (23-24 mm/yr) between the Anatolian micro-plate and Eurasian plate as the Anatolian micro-plate is being pushed westward to further accommodate closure of the Mediterranean basin caused by the collision of the African and Arabian plates in southeastern Turkey. Subduction of the Mediterranean Sea floor beneath the Tyrrhenian Sea at the Calabrian subduction zone causes a significant zone of seismicity around Sicily and southern Italy. Active volcanoes are located above intermediate depth earthquakes in the Cyclades of the Aegean Sea and in southern Italy.
In the Mediterranean region there is a written record, several centuries long, documenting pre-instrumental seismicity (pre-20th century). Earthquakes have historically caused widespread damage across central and southern Greece, Cyprus, Sicily, Crete, the Nile Delta, Northern Libya, the Atlas Mountains of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The 1903 M8.2 Kythera earthquake and the 1926 M7.8 Rhodes earthquakes are the largest instrumentally recorded Mediterranean earthquakes, both of which are associated with subduction zone tectonics. Between 1939 and 1999 a series of devastating M7+ strike-slip earthquakes propagated westward along the North Anatolian Fault Zone, beginning with the 1939 M7.8 Erzincan earthquake on the eastern end of the North Anatolian Fault system. The 1999 M7.6 Izmit earthquake, located on the westward end of the fault, struck one of Turkey’s most densely populated and industrialized urban areas killing, more than 17,000 people. Although seismicity rates are comparatively low along the northern margin of the African continent, large destructive earthquakes have been recorded and reported from Morocco in the western Mediterranean, to the Dead Sea in the eastern Mediterranean. The 1980 M7.3 El Asnam earthquake was one of Africa’s largest and most destructive earthquakes within the 20th century.
Large earthquakes throughout the Mediterranean region have also been known to produce significant and damaging tsunamis. One of the more prominent historical earthquakes within the region is the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, whose magnitude has been estimated from non-instrumental data to be about 8.0. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake is thought to have occurred within or near the Azores-Gibraltar transform fault, which defines the boundary between the African and Eurasian plates off the west coast of Morocco and Portugal. The earthquake is notable for both a large death toll of approximately 60,000 people and for generating a tsunami that swept up the Portuguese coast inundating coastal villages and Lisbon. An earthquake of approximately M8.0 near Sicily in 1693 generated a large tsunami wave that destroyed numerous towns along Sicily’s east coast. The M7.2 December 28, 1908 Messina earthquake is the deadliest documented European earthquake. The combination of severe ground shaking and a local tsunami caused an estimated 60,000 to 120,000 fatalities. [Source:USGS National Earthquake Information Center.]
Massive Storm CHRISTINE could intensify to a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone
FIRE-EARTH Models show CHRISTINE could intensify to a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone with sustained winds of 165 km/h or higher, and wind gusts in excess of 225 km/h over the next 24 hours, subject to continued favorable conditions [probability: 0.45]
As of 05:32 UTC on December 29, 2013 FIRE-EARTH models located CHRISTINE (TC 05S) near 17.1ºS, 119.9ºE, about 425 km NNE of Port Hedland, Australia, inching SSW towards the Pilbara coast at a forward speed of about 3 km/h.
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE. Infrared [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] Satellite Image. Recorded at 04:32UTC on Sunday December 29, 2013. The original Image Sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.
ABOM Forecast
According to Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABOM), CHRISTINE will develop to a Cat 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone at 5 am WST (UTC +8 hrs) and weaken to Cat2 at 11 am on December 31.
Severe Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE projected path. Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABOM).
ABOM Cyclone Warning
“During Monday gales and heavy rainfall are expected to extend to Mardie and possibly as far west as Exmouth, and then to the inland Pilbara late Monday and on Tuesday. If Christine continues to develop as expected a severe tropical cyclone impact on the Pilbara coast is likely late on Monday or early on Tuesday, with VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts in excess of 170 kilometres per hour near the cyclone centre,” warned BOM.
“People on the coast between Pardoo and Mardie, including Port Hedland and Karratha, are warned of the potential for a VERY DANGEROUS STORM TIDE late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Tides may rise significantly above the normal high tide mark with DAMAGING WAVES and VERY DANGEROUS COASTAL INUNDATION.”
FIRE-EARTH Forecast for 2014 [Part I] has now been released.
Non-members
Please note that the 2014 FIRE-EARTH Forecast will NOT be made public to prevent repeat abuse of important information that has been perpetrated by third parties in the past.
Forecasts, concepts, ideas and information [even the format and technical terms used by the moderators] posted on FIRE-EARTH have been/are being hijacked/plagiarized, twisted and misrepresented by various Internet sites, including
Google-affiliated commercial and advertising blogs,
Special interest sites like the “Cabal News Network,” “‘Greek’ post,” and various “tabloids,”
NSA-sponsored blogs and disinformation networks, such as the “end-world prophecy,” “extinction,” “die-off protocol,” “poleshift,” “‘shame’ progress,” “2012 and beyond,” “Planet X, Nibiru,” and numerous other spin sites.
In fact, nearly all of the so-called disaster blogs that have mushroomed since early 2010 fit in one or more of the above categories.
For a list of the perpetrators, google the Internet using search terms associated with disaster topics and you’ll find the worst of those spin-doctors displayed prominently (top 40, or higher), often repeatedly, in the search results.
NOTE: FIRE-EARTH Bulletins are released at such times and frequency to make it highly improbable to establish a pattern with global disasters that may proceed them.
Traders who continue to relate the two will do so at their own expense.
CHRISTINE Could Develop to Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone: FIRE-EARTH
FIRE-EARTH Models show Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE could intensify to a Category 3 Severe Tropical Cyclone with sustained winds of 140 km/h or higher, and wind gusts in excess of 180 km/h over the next 24 -36 hours, subject to favorable conditions.
Tropical Cyclone CHRISTINE. Water Vapor [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] Satellite Image. Recorded at 12:32UTC on Saturday December 28, 2013.The original Image Sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.
At 13:00UTC on December 28, 2013 CHRISTINE was located about 505km north northeast of Port Hedland, Australia moving SSW at 11 km/h parallel to the coast. Maximum significant wave hight was about 4 meters.
“Ports in Australia’s Pilbara region, through which almost half of the world’s seaborne iron ore is shipped, were sending ships out to sea on Saturday ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to reach the coast by Tuesday,” reported Reuters.
More than 40 vessels in the anchorages and harbor at Port Hedland will be leaving by early Sunday, according to the port authorities.
UPDATE
Embedded Thunderstorms
“A large area of embedded thunderstorms over the Kimberley, the western Top End and waters to the north, is associated with Tropical Cyclone Christine,” said Australian BOM.
BOM has issued a Cyclone Warning for coastal areas from Cape Leveque to Whim Creek, including Broome and Port Hedland and a Cyclone Watch for coastal areas from Whim Creek to Exmouth, including Karratha and Onslow, extending inland to Paraburdoo, Western Australia (WA).
The earthquake, centered at 27.915°N, 18.271°W, about 31km NW of El Hierro, struck at a depth of about 23 km [ GEOFON Program reported depth as 10km.]
El Hierro (area: 280 km², Elevation 1,500; population: 14,000) is a steeply mountainous volcanic island, which emerged from the ocean about 1.2 million year ago following three successive explosive eruptions. The only recorded eruption on the island in recent times occurred in 1793, which lasted for more than 30 days and produced lava flows, after the Volcan de Lomo Negro vented.
Earthquake Location Map
Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog.
Quake Details [USGS/EHP]
Human-enhanced natural disasters affected 390 million people across China
Some 390 million people across the country, or about 30 percent of China’s population, were affected by [human-enhanced] natural disasters, which left at least 1,181 people dead, 431 others missing [and possibly thousands injured] and resulted in direct economic losses of about 593 billion yuan (US$98 billion), according to an annual report issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on Friday, Xinhua reported.
“The National Committee for Disaster Reduction and the MCA have issued 49 warning or emergency responses in response to various disasters, and a total of 10.1 billion yuan (US$1.7 billion) in disaster relief funds was allocated by the central authorities this year,” the report said.
The ministry has also promised to protect “615,000 graves of revolutionary martyrs and 12,000 memorial facilities for them,” the report quoted an official as saying.
-oOo-
China Formally Eases One Child Policy after 30 Years
China’s top legislature passed a resolution easing the country’s one-child policy on Saturday following a six-day meeting , Xinhua reported.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children provided either parent is an only child.
NPC also adopted a proposal to abolish “re-education” through labor camps, said the state news agency.
China introduced its one-child policy in the late 1970s to curtail rapid population growth. However, the policy has reportedly become increasingly unpopular because the country’s aging population is both reducing the labor pool and burdening elderly care systems.
Dozens of swimmers injured by large piranha in Parana River, Rosario, Argentina
“This is not normal. It’s normal for there to be an isolated bite or injury, but the magnitude in this case was great. This is an exceptional event,” said an official.
Officials have blamed the bloody attack on a large carnivorous fish called palometa, described as “a type of piranha, big, voracious and with [razor] sharp teeth that can really bite.”
Several children lost entire digits, a paramedic told Associated Press, adding that more than 70 people had been injured by the fish.
The attack occurred in Parana River in Rosario, about 300km north of the capital, Buenos Aires, on Christmas Day.
Piranha. About 50 or so species of piranha exist globally.
A piranha or piraña is an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits rivers in South America. They have razor sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for flesh.
The attacks on humans have been rare until recently; however, at least two fatalities and hundreds of injuries have been reported throughout the Amazon basin since 2009, including attacks in Bolivian and Brazilian rivers.
Death Toll Rises to 50 in Brazil Floods; 60,000 Displaced
Dozens of people are confirmed dead, and more than 60,000 others displaced due to severe flooding and landslides in Brazil’s southeast states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo, authorities said.
At least 54 of the 79 municipalities in Espirito Santo (population: 4 million), have declared states of emergency. In Minas Gerais (population: 20 million), the authorities have declared states of emergency in at least 26 municipalities.
Extreme Rain Events in Espirito Santo have inundated roads, bridges and homes. The floods were the “worst ever” since record-taking began 90 years ago, said the Espirito Santo governor Renato Casagrande.
He called the week-long rainstorm “the worst natural disaster in thehistory of Espirito Santo.”
Most of the victims were buried in deadly torrents of mud and authorities say the death toll may rise. Landslides have also destroyed a large number of homes, roads and bridges, burying everything in their paths and leaving dozens of cities (Municipalities) are without electricity and drinking water.
Minas Gerais
In January 2012, Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais (pop: 20 million) declared a States of Emergency in 46 cities following sever flooding.
Flooding and mudslides triggered by extreme rain events in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais left at least 50 people dead, missing or injured and forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes.
About 3,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged.
The disasters have affected at least 2 million people.
Rio de Janeiro
The state Civil defense authorities placed several municipalities in Rio de Janeiro under a state of maximum alert following widespread flooding.
The worst-hit area is the municipality of Nova Friburgo, located about 135 km from the state capital Rio de Janeiro [city.]
Tens of Thousands of UK homes remain without power, 1,200 flooded, as more hurricane-force winds and heavy rains threaten Europe
The UK authorities have warned of further significant disruption from floods in southern England, and issued more than 200 flood warnings and alerts throughout England and Wales.
Damage from the last round of storms has caused power cuts and travel delays, as more severe storms approach the country.
River Medway. Photo taken from the Redhill Police and Air Ambulance reveal the extent of the flooding on the Medway, Kent, England. Source: Kent Police Pictures.
Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded before Christmas, with scores of flight delays and cancellations after flooding caused a major power failure in the airport, said a report.
The authorities at Gatwick airport called the weather “unprecedented.”
Meantime, the UK Met Office is warning of another storm system from the Atlantic which is forecast to hit the country by early Friday.
Hurricane force winds with gusts of up to 150 km/h (80mph) are forecast for some coastal areas, said the report.
Deadly floods and landslides kill many, force evacuations in eastern Caribbean islands
Torrential rains, flooding and landslides kill more than a dozen people and force hundreds of others out of their homes on the volcanic islands of St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.
Torrential rains have also caused destruction on the islands of Martinique and Dominica, located north of Saint Lucia, in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
“I don’t think I can recall when we have had such heavy rainfall on the eve of Christmas,” said St Lucia’s Prime Minister.
Other Global Disasters, Significant Events
Israel Demolishes Palestinian Homes
At least 663 Palestinian buildings— including 259 homes— have been demolished, and 1,103 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank and East Jerusalem so far this year, according to The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The UN agency has strongly condemned Israel for the demolition of Palestinian Bedouin dwellings in the West Bank.
“UNRWA condemns the latest demolitions in the West Bank, which displaced 68 people, the most recent of which occurred on Christmas Eve,” said a spokesman in a statement.
“The demolitions took place in Ein Ayoub near Ramallah and Fasayil al-Wusta near Jericho in the Jordan valley with 61 persons displaced in Ein Ayoub, and seven persons, all refugees, displaced in Fasayil al-Wusta,” he said, adding that 32 of the victims were children, “including a five year old girl who is paralyzed from the waist down.”
“In addition, some 750 head of sheep and goats are without shelter at this crucial lambing season,” he said.
Father and child walk among their belonging after their homes was demolished by Israeli forces. Source: UNRWA
“Demolitions often occur to facilitate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, with 60 percent of demolitions occurring in Palestinian communities close to settlement zones,” said NGOs, and rights organizations in a joint statement released earlier in December.
Up to 650,000 homes in northeastern US and southeastern Canada still without electricity days after deadly ice storm. Dozens of fatalities reported in the region, many caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from heating appliances.
Mercury (!) rises above 86 degrees at Oceanside, CA. Warm, dry Santa Ana winds drove temperatures to record or near-record highs in southern California on Wednesday.
Up to 650,000 homes in northeastern US and southeastern Canada still without electricity days after deadly ice storm
Dozens of fatalities reported in the region, many caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from heating appliances.
The ice storm severely impacted a vast area in the US, from Michigan to Maine, and large parts of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada.
Toronto’s Mayor called the ice storm “one of the worst storms in Toronto history.”
The ice storm also battered New York state, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, forcing New York Governor to declare a winter ice storm emergency on Friday in four counties where more than 2 inches of ice covered the roads.
States of emergency were in effect across many towns, cities and counties during the ice storm.
Low Temperature Embarrass MN
Low Temperature in the U.S. on Thursday, December 26, 2013 was -28 degrees (-33ºC) at Embarrass, MN
(as received by 7 am EST December 26), reported NWS Weather Prediction Center.
Record Daily High and Low Temps
As of December 24, 2013 some 983 daily record high temperatures and 1,124 daily record low temperatures were broken or tied across the U.S. for the month, according to National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, North Carolina.
Mercury (!) rises above 86 degrees at Oceanside, CA
Warm, dry Santa Ana winds drove temperatures to record or near-record highs in southern California on Wednesday.
National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
High Temperature for Wednesday: 86ºF (30ºC) at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, CA
Low Temperature for Wednesday: -22ºF (-30ºC) at Mount Washington, NH
Source: NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD – Issued 7 pm EST Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Long Beach reported highs of above 83 degrees, 2 degrees above the 1972 daily record for Xmas, according to NWS.
As of December 24, 2013 California had broken or tied a total of 43 daily high temperatures for the month.
Santa Ana Winds
The arrival of Santa Ana winds coupled with very low relative humidity prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue Red Flag Warnings for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Moderate to locally strong Santa Ana winds will continue across the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and associated coast and valley areas through Thursday afternoon. The offshore winds will strengthen into Thursday morning with gusts up to 40 – 45 mph.
Poor relative humidity recoveries are expected tonight with many locations remaining below 25 percent. On Thursday, conditions will continue to dry with areas of single digit relative humidities likely along with well above normal temperatures for most areas. Very dry conditions are likely to persist into Friday, but with much lighter winds.
A red flag warning remains in effect for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday due to the combination of moderate offshore winds, low humidities, warm temperatures, and abnormally dry fuels. —NWS
“Red Alert” declared in Santiago metropolitan region as Massive wildfires burn out of control
At least six major fires have destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of forest in Melipilla, 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of the Chilean capital Santiago, officials said.
National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry (ONEMI) has declared a red alert in the Santiago metropolitan region (population: 6.7 million) due to the raging fires and other incidents that have impacted the mountainous regions near the capital.
Fanned by strong winds and high temperatures, the fires were burning out of control for a third day on Wednesday.
More than 2,000 fire crews have been deployed to the fire zones. Evacuations were underway as of posting.
Flash floods wreak havoc in 45 Brazil municipalities, killing at least 30 people, and forcing 50,000 to flee their homes
Flash floods, triggered by Extreme Rain Events that began last week, have caused severe landslides killing at least 30 people and forcing tens of thousands of others to flee their homes.
Some 130 millimeters of rain fell in Espirito Santo state, swamping roads, bridges and homes. The floods were the “worst ever” since record-taking began 90 years ago, said the Espirito Santo governor.
Most of the victims were buried in deadly torrents of mud and authorities say the death toll may rise.
Landslides have also destroyed a large number of homes, roads and bridges, burying everything in their paths and leaving dozens of cities without electricity and drinking water.
Minas Gerais
In January 2012, Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais (pop: 20 million) declared a States of Emergency in 46 cities following sever flooding.
Flooding and mudslides triggered by extreme rain events in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais left at least 50 people dead, missing or injured and forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes.
About 3,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged.
The disasters have affected at least 2 million people.
Rio de Janeiro
The state Civil defense authorities placed several municipalities in Rio de Janeiro under a state of maximum alert following widespread flooding.
The worst-hit area is the municipality of Nova Friburgo, located about 135 km from the state capital Rio de Janeiro [city.]
Related Links
Search blog content for a comprehensive list of major flood and landslides in Brazil since 2010.
Thousands of people have been killed since fighting began 10 days ago: UN OCHA
“I think it’s undeniable at this stage that there must have been thousands of people who have lost their lives.” Toby Lanzer, the senior UN humanitarian coordinator, told the BBC.
“When I’ve looked at the hospitals in key towns and I’ve looked at the hospitals in the capital itself, the range of injuries, this is no longer a situation where we can merely say it’s hundreds of people who’ve lost their lives.”
There are up to “hundreds of thousands,” of people seeking shelter from the fighting , he added, it’s been “a devastating week for South Sudan.”
Five out of 10 states in the country have been affected by the latest round of fighting, according to UN OCHA.
UN OCHA Situation report as of 23 December 2013
The following are highlights of the latest UN report on South Sudan crisis.
The estimated number of people displaced by in the current crisis in South Sudan has risen to 81,000*. Given the limited access to civilians outside population centers, the number is likely to
be significantly higher.
The response to people displaced in Juba is gaining momentum, with registration underway in UNMISS Tomping and food distributions ongoing in both sites.
Priorities for the response to the displaced are food, healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services and protection. [Preferably NOT in that order: Editor]
Situation Overview
On 22-23 December, the security situation remained stable but tense in Juba. At least 20,000 people are still sheltering at the two main UNMISS bases in town. Registration began in UNMISS Tomping on 23 December, with 894 people registered on the first day. The registration is being done simultaneously with distributions of basic food rations and household kits. Preparations are underway for a similar registration exercise in UN House. The main concern in the sites, in particular in UNMISS Tomping, is currently the lack of sanitation and the risks it poses for disease outbreak such as cholera in the sites. Large numbers of people have been seen leaving the city, including towards Nimule on the border with Uganda. There are already reports that people have crossed into Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, and aid agencies are mobilizing to monitor these population flows more closely, to ensure that people are assisted where necessary.
The situation in Jonglei deteriorated further, with reported clashes between different armed factions south of Bor. At the peacekeeping base in Bor, an estimated 17,000 people are sheltering. As of 22 December, all international aid workers have been relocated from Bor to Juba, though the base is being reinforced with additional peacekeeping troops. Additional protective barriers have also been constructed around the base, including the area hosting the displaced civilians. There has been large-scale looting of humanitarian compounds and civilian property. Looting has also been reported in Akobo, Jonglei State, and in Bentiu and Koch County, Unity State.
The displaced people who had been sheltering at the UNMISS in Pibor have left [fled?] the base.
The fighting, despite its complexity, is being portrayed as an “ethnic war” between the Dinka and Nuer. South Sudan President Kiir is of the Dinka ethnicity, while the rebel commander, the former vice-president Riek Machar, is an ethnic Nuer.
Estimated 81,000 people have been displaced, since 15 December 2013
5 of 10 States in South Sudan are affected by current wave of violence (States affected by violence and main reported concentrations of people displaced, says OCHA)
Estimated 45,000 people seeking refuge in UNMISS bases. (Includes reports of people in other locations not mapped. The total number of people displaced is likely higher, as aid agencies have very limited information about displacement outside main population centers.)
The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday to increase its peacekeepers from 7,000 to 12,500, and its international police force from 900 to 1,323.
Sudan was devastated by a 22-year civil war that left more than 1.5 million people dead prior to South Sudan becoming independent in 2011.
Mass Graves and Grave Abuses Committed Against Civilians
The UN High Commissioner for Human Chief Navi Pillay says a mass grave was found in the rebel-held town of Bentiu, and there were “reportedly at least two other mass graves” in the capital Juba.
“We have discovered a mass grave in Bentiu, in Unity State, and there are reportedly at least two other mass graves in Juba,” Ms Pillay said.
The situation is increasingly tense in Bentiu, with military mobilizations reported and sporadic fighting. Some 7,000 people are sheltering in the UNMISS base. Non-essential staff are being evacuated from Bentiu to Juba, in view of the deteriorating security situation, though essential staff remain to ensure response. Aid workers have also been pulled out of Yida and Ajoung Thok refugee sites.
In Bentiu, UNMISS peacekeeping troops remain in place. The situation is also fragile in Upper Nile State, where sporadic fighting has been reported in several locations in the past days. Protection of civilians, along with issues of lack of command and control of various armed groups, are serious concerns in all areas affected by fighting. There are credible reports of grave abuses committed against civilians in different parts of the country, including killings. Some of these abuses have reportedly been tied to the ethnic identity of the victims.
Deadly storms cripple transport, cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes in UK and France
At least threepeople have been killed in storm-related incidents as storms with winds of up to 100mph continued to batter the UK, crippling the transport network and cutting power to at least 100,000 homes in southern England.
The UK’s Environment Agency has issued hundreds of flood warnings across England and Wales with the highest warning level, “danger to life,” for the South West, where flooding is forecast to inundate large areas.
The chaos began just as millions of Britons were planning to return home or travel out of the country for Christmas holidays.
In the Southern England the impact of the storm system “has been greater than that of St Jude’s a few weeks ago and the railway has suffered flooding and dozens of trees have fallen on the tracks,” said the operator, Network Rail.
“A man in England and a woman in Wales died when heavy rain and strong winds lashed the UK on Monday. A woman has also died in a car crash in ‘difficult conditions’ in Shropshire,” reported BBC.
“Gusts of 87mph were recorded at Capel Curig in Conwy, North Wales, and disruption has been caused across Wales.”
“Northern Ireland will face some of the worst weather in the UK on Christmas Eve, with warnings of winds of up to 90mph.”
UK High Streets have reported a 6% fall in shopper numbers compared with last year, said the report.
IR Satellite Image of Northern Europe at 08:00UTC on December 24, 2013. Copyright EUMETSAT/UK Met Office.
Wind Warning by the UK Met Office:
A spell of very strong winds will affect Northern Ireland through Tuesday morning. Gusts of 60-70 mph are expected inland with 80 mph gusts possible along the North coast and over high ground. Along with the winds there will be sleet and snow showers these mainly affecting County Derry and County Antrim.
The public should be prepared for disruption, particularly to travel, and interruptions to power supplies.
France: 240,000 homes without power
High winds and torrential rains battering France have severely damaged the country’s power grid, leaving at least 240,000 homes without electricity, said Électricité Réseau Distribution France (ERDF), the country’s largest electricity distribution network on Tuesday.
At least one person has died in storm-related incidents so far.
“Brittany and Normandy were among the regions worst hit by winds reaching speeds of 130 km an hour (80 mph) on Monday and which have so far caused one death. The storms began abating on Tuesday morning,” reported Reuters.
NOTE: FIRE-EARTH Bulletins are released at such times and frequency to make it highly improbable to establish a pattern with global disasters that may proceed them.
Traders who continue to relate the two will do so at their own expense.
1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes Worldwide- December 23-24, 2013. There are 28 Earthquakes on the map. Multiple earthquakes striking the same location aren’t visible due to size restriction. Source: USGS/EHP. Map created by FIRE-EARTH blog.
Other Significant Quakes
M4.3 – 51km S of Lone Pine, California
Event Time: 2013-12-23 13:39:26 UTC
Location: 36.141°N 118.065°W depth=2.1km (1.3mi)
Nearby Cities:
51km (32mi) S of Lone Pine, California
67km (42mi) NNW of Ridgecrest, California
86km (53mi) E of Porterville, California
92km (57mi) E of Lindsay, California
367km (228mi) SSE of Carson City, Nevada
M 3.3 – 1km S of Reno, Texas Event Time: 2013-12-23 13:11:34 UTC
Location: 32.927°N 97.577°W depth=6.5km (4.0mi)
Nearby Cities:
1km (1mi) S of Reno, Texas
4km (2mi) NW of Azle, Texas
281km (175mi) S of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
M5.2 – North Atlantic Ocean
Event Time: 2013-12-23 16:45:49 UTC
Location: 25.722°N 66.600°W depth=4.3km (2.7mi)
Nearby Cities:
661km (411mi) NE of Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands
774km (481mi) NNE of Santa Barbara de Samana, Dominican Republic
M5.8 – 186km WSW of Merizo Village, Guam
Event Time: 2013-12-23 09:12:28 UTC
Location: 12.757°N 143.033°E depth=103.2km (64.2mi)
M5.1 – 93km NE of Visokoi Island
Event Time: 2013-12-23 12:05:47 UTC
Location: 56.130°S 26.087°W depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities: 2632km (1635mi) ESE of Ushuaia, Argentina
Source: USGS/EHP
M5.8 Kanto Toho-oki region, Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan)
Time 09:25 UTC 23 December 2013
Location: 35.7°N, 142.3°E
Depth: 10 km
Approximate Distances to Nearest Cities
120km (76mi) E of Hasaki, Japan
140km (86mi) E of Asahi, Japan
225km (140mi) E of Tokyo, Japan
M5.7 Kanto Toho-oki region, Japan
Time 06:57 UTC 23 December 2013
Location: 35.7°N, 142.2°E
Depth: 10 km
Fire Earth 