Major Heatwave Plagues Europe

Temperatures exceed 40°C in parts of Europe

Heat warnings and alerts are in effect throughout  Spain and Portugal after temperatures soared to as high as 44ºC (111ºF).

The hot weather has also impacted Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands, while UK had its hottest day in nearly a decade.

• England had its hottest July day on record, with temperatures reaching 36.7ºC (98ºF).
• Paris saw temperatures of up to 40ºC.
• Red Alert was issued for the southern city of Cordoba in Spain.

Heatwaves across Europe

In 2003, a heatwave resulted in excess mortality, causing  70,000 more deaths than usual across Europe, including up to 20,000 in France.

In 2010, the daytime temperatures in Moscow climbed over 38ºC (100°F) for the first time since record-keeping began in 1879. A total of about 56,000 more deaths were reported nationwide during July and August 2010, compared with the same period previous year.

U.S. High Temperature for Tuesday, June 30, 2015

In the US high temperature of 52ºC (125ºF) was registered at Death Valley (CA), while the lowest temperature for Wednesday, July 1, 2015 was 0.6ºC (33ºF) at Tomahawk, WI

Rare Earthquake Strikes near Union City, Michigan

Earthquake strikes 11km NE of Union City, Michigan

Centered at 42.147°N, 85.048°W the quake occurred at a [signature] depth of 5.0 km (3.1 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

Our searches of the USGS Earthquake archive show that only four earthquakes have struck the State of Michigan in the past 100 years.

Michigan EQs

• M3.3, 11km NE of Union City, Michigan 2015-06-30 at 15:42:54 UTC depth=5.0 km
• 4.2, 8km S of Galesburg, Michigan 2015-05-02 16:23:07 UTC depth=5.4 km
• M2.5, Michigan 2010-03-08 at 10:10:38 UTC depth=18.0 km
• 3.5 Michigan 1994-09-02 at 21:23:06 UTC depth=5.0 km

Earthquake location Map.  31 earthquakes in map area since June 23, 915.  U.S. Hazard map layer activated. [Source: USGS Earthquake Archive.]

Fort McMurray: The Most Polluted Place in N. America

AQI reached a high of 456 in Fort McMurray , Alberta, Canada

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Fort McMurray [pop: ~ 80,000] reached a hazardous high of 456 Monday night local time, the highest in North America, and was hovering in the “Very Unhealthy” territory, as of posting.

“Fort Muck,” as the city is also referred to, has been described as a “place of sex, drugs, violence, homelessness, massive trucks, polluted air and contaminated water.”

PM2.5 Pollution Level

AQi Values of 300 or greater are considered “Hazardous,” the highest health threat level on the EPA scale. This would trigger health warnings of emergency conditions because it puts the entire population at risk.

“Fueling Epidemics of Syphilis and HIV”

“The sex trade in Fort McMurray has kept pace with the booming oil industry, and goes hand in hand with the increase in hard drug use,” said a report, citing a Coordinator for the Council of Canadians.

“The drug of choice changed overnight, from pot to coke,” said the coordinator.

I’ve had boys barely out of high school come into my office freaked out over their sexual identities after getting drunk and having gay sex for the first time, and often unprotected. It’s just plain sad to see.

Does everyone do it [engage in high risk sexual behavior and drug use]? No, but the fact is we have a Syphilis outbreak in this province, and these workers go back to where they are from and it spreads. There are health centers at the work sights, but people don’t go to them for fear that it’ll get back to their employers. It’s an unacceptable situation, but the municipality has bigger things to think about and so the problem is not dealt with effectively.

Related Links

• A Tale of Two Cities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Fort McMurray

[The link is provided for information only. FIRE-EARTH is not associated with Oil Sands Truth.]