The Race to the Abyss — Fuel of Choice

IN PROGRESS…

• TIA [September 24, Confidential 10]
• RNR [December 3, Confidential 10]

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Nominated Groups:

• All Groups
  

FIRE-EARTH PRESENTATION 120902 — The Race to the Abyss: California vs. Australia [part two]

More fuel for faster race!

[Presented by FIRE-EARTH Science.]

• Presentation available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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FIRE-EARTH Top Ten Alerts

• All Groups

Latest FIRE-EARTH DIRECTIVES, ALERTS, FORECASTS, BULLETINS and MESSAGES available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

 

 

 

 

Australia: Catastrophe Continent

IN PROGRESS…

• TIA [September 24, Confidential 10]
• TNWG [October 22, Confidential 10]

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Nominated Groups:

• ALL Groups

FIRE-EARTH REPORT 112805

200 fires burning across Queensland, Australia

Catastrophic Fire Warning has been issued for the first time in Queensland

Queensland bushfire forces mass evacuation from Gracemere

Nearly all residents have fled the central Queensland town of Gracemere after authorities issued a state of emergency as a fast-moving and dangerous bushfire burnt toward the town.

• Catastrophic fire threat declared for Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfields

And this is why people are being urged to evacuate from Gracemere to Rockhampton. That wall of flames is dangerous. #qldfires @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/cgarcV3k13

— Allyson Horn (@allysonhorn) November 28, 2018

More horrific vision coming in from Deepwater in Central Queensland. These fires are catastrophic. Truly scary. #QLDFires @abcbrisbane pic.twitter.com/y0el1Ounqw

— Allyson Horn (@allysonhorn) November 28, 2018

 

Record-breaking heatwave

Extreme #heatwave conditions are impacting far north Queensland from #Cooktown and #Cairns to #Townsville, #Mackay and #Rockhampton. Max. temps are well above average, with records already broken. Tips from @qldhealthnews to beat the heat: https://t.co/jWnU3nkDIh. @ABCemergency pic.twitter.com/jABTAntQEi

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 26, 2018

Devastating Impact: Sydney has had its wettest November day in 34 years

Significant raised dust observed in southern inland QLD this morning

💨Significant raised dust observed in southern inland QLD this morning, with visibility as low as 1000m in #Charleville. Dust haze will move eastwards today. Widespread smoke can also be seen in eastern parts of QLD. Track it all on our satellite viewer: https://t.co/ql9VhgwhbC pic.twitter.com/HjSrDxkHEj

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) November 27, 2018

[Report Australia: Catastrophe Continent 112802 prepared by FIRE-EARTH Science Teams and affiliated scientists.]

• Presentation available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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FIRE-EARTH Top Ten Alerts

• All Groups

Latest FIRE-EARTH DIRECTIVES, ALERTS, FORECASTS, BULLETINS and MESSAGES available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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The Race to the Abyss: California vs. Australia

IN PROGRESS…

TIA [September 24, Confidential 10]
TNWG [October 22,Confidential 10]

Nominated Groups:

• All Groups
  

FIRE-EARTH PRESENTATION 111302 –  It’s the Ecology, Stupid!

Which will get there first, Australia or California?

[Presented by FIRE-EARTH Science.]

• Presentation available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Top Ten Alerts

• All Groups

Latest FIRE-EARTH DIRECTIVES, ALERTS, FORECASTS, BULLETINS and MESSAGES available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

 

 

The Cats that Kill the Birds…

Submitted by a Reader in Sydney, Australia

Australian pussies kill more than one million birds each day –Report

Australian academics estimate cats kill about four percent of the population of about 11 billion native birds across the country each year.

“… the amount of predation is staggering, and is likely to be driving the ongoing decline of many species,” said a senior academic at Charles Darwin University.

“We found records of cats killing 338 species of native birds, of which 71 were threatened species… That’s about 60 per cent of the threatened species in Australia,” said another academic at Australian National University.

Study Highlights:

• 377m birds killed by cats annually (or more than one million per day)
• 99 pct of the victims, or 373m, are native Australian birds
• 316m birds killed by feral cats; 61m killed by domestic cats
• 338 species of native Australian birds had been killed, including 71 threatened species

Where did they get the idea from?

“Our tally of bird deaths is comparable to similar estimates for other countries. Our figure is lower than a recent estimate for the United States, and slightly higher than in Canada. Overall, bird killings by cats seem to greatly outnumber those caused by humans,” the report authors say.

Bird Mortality Rates in the US

“[…] free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4–3.7 billion birds and 6.9–20.7 billion mammals annually. Un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality.”

“Domestic cats (Felis catus) are predators that humans have introduced globally and that have been listed among the 100 worst non-native invasive species in the world. Free-ranging cats on islands have caused or contributed to 33 (14%) of the modern bird, mammal and reptile extinctions recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.”

“Numerous anthropogenic mortality sources directly kill birds. Cause-specific annual mortality in the United States varies from billions (cat predation) to hundreds of millions (building and automobile collisions), tens of millions (power line collisions), millions (power line electrocutions, communication tower collisions), and hundreds of thousands (wind turbine collisions).” [Deaths from disease, and culling, are NOT included.]

 

Ex-Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE – UPDATE 000402

Record-Breaking Flood Forecast for Central Queensland, Australia

Residents central Queensland city of Rockhampton have been warned to leave low-lying areas ahead of a potentially record-breaking flood this week, as after-effects of ex-Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE loom, with major flooding expected in the Fitzroy River on Monday.

Some  5,400 properties, including 3,000 homes, face inundation when Fitzroy River reaches major flood levels on Monday and then peaks as high as 9.4 meters on Wednesday — its highest flood peak in more than 60 years.

Earlier, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) declared Cyclone DEBBIE a catastrophe and warned that, based on previous cyclones, the damage could cost billions of dollars.

FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models Show that the cost of damage caused by DEBBIE could exceed $8billion.

• City of Lismore in northeastern New South Wales described as “a disaster zone” as receding floodwaters reveal damage
• Towns between Murwillumbah and Stotts Creek are isolated
• Residents returning to properties in Tweed Heads, Lismore are told to look for wildlife, vermin and snakes that may have taken refuge in the property.

Related Links

• Ex-cyclone batters northern NSW, leaves trail of destruction in Qld
• House swept away minutes after family rescued from roof
• Receding water levels reveal NSW flood destruction
• Thousands of central Qld homes face inundation with flood peak expected
• Extensive damage revealed in northern NSW as floodwaters subside

 

Severe Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE – March 27, 2017 Update

DEBBIE intensifies to a Cat 4, Severe Tropical Cyclone with sustained wind gusts of up to 275 km/h

DEBBIE, now a category four Severe Tropical Cyclone is expected to hit the north Queensland coast on Tuesday morning local time, warned the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The cyclone could intensify to a category five system in the coming hours, BOM forecasters said. The “very intense system” is currently generating wind gusts near the center of up to 275 km/h.

Meanwhile, thousands of residents in low-lying Mackay areas have been ordered to evacuate.

Issued by BOM at 0:59 am EST (UTC + 10:00) on Tuesday 28 March 2017

Headline: Severe tropical cyclone DEBBIE, category 4, continues moving towards the Whitsunday coast (Qld, Australia).

Areas Affected: Warning Zone

Lucinda to St Lawrence, including Townsville, Mackay, and the Whitsunday Islands, extending inland to Charters Towers, Mount Coolon, Moranbah, and Pentland.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE at 1:00 am AEST:

Intensity: Category 4, sustained winds near the center of 175 km/h with wind gusts to 250 km/h.

Location: within 30km of 19.8 degrees South 149.6 degrees East, estimated to be 140km ENE of Bowen and 160km NNE of Mackay.

Movement: WSW at 8 km/h.

Severe tropical cyclone DEBBIE is currently a category 4 cyclone. It may intensify further as it continues to move west-southwest towards the Whitsunday coast this morning. Severe tropical cyclone DEBBIE is forecast to make landfall between Ayr and Cape Hillsborough (north of Mackay) late this morning.
Hazards:

The VERY DESTRUCTIVE CORE of tropical cyclone DEBBIE is forecast to cross the coast between Ayr and Cape Hillsborough (north of Mackay) late this morning with wind gusts potentially to 260 km/h near the center of the system.

Cyclone DEBBIE: Evacuations Ordered amid Threat of ‘Significant Tidal Surges’

Cyclone DEBBIE Bears Down on QLD Coast

Evacuations have been ordered in coastal towns and communities in north Queensland as Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE threatens to generate damaging tidal surges.

DEBBIE is forecast to cross the Queensland coast early on Tuesday morning with winds of up to 230 km/h and significant tidal surges.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warns that it could be the worst cyclone since Cat 5 YASI, which devastated the same region in 2011.

BOM satellite showing Cyclone Debbie’s approach on Sunday afternoon./www.abc.net.au/

Details of Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE at 1:00 am AEST (UTC + 10:00) on Monday, March 27, 2017 issued by BOM:

Intensity: Category 2, sustained winds near the center of 100 km/h with wind gusts to 150 km/hr.

Location: within 35km of 18.5 degrees South 150.6 degrees East, estimated to be 405km east northeast of Townsville and 300km northeast of Bowen.

Movement: west southwest at 6 km/h.

Tropical cyclone DEBBIE remains a category 2 cyclone. It is continuing to move WSW towards the north Queensland coast and is forecast to intensify to a category 3 system during Monday. Tropical cyclone DEBBIE is likely to continue on a similar track and may intensify further to category 4 prior to making landfall between Rollingstone and Proserpine on Tuesday morning. [BOM]

 

Cyclone DEBBIE Could Strike Australia’s QLD Coast as Cat 4

DEBBIE strengthens to cat 2, could strike QLD coast  as cat 4 cyclone —Report

Details of Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE at 1:00 am AEST (UTC+10:00) on Sunday 26 March 2017, sourced from BOM:

• Intensity: Category 2, sustained winds near the center of 100 km/h with wind gusts to 140 km/h
• Location: within 30km of 17.9 degrees South 151.8 degrees East, estimated to be 545km east northeast of Townsville and 500km east northeast of Ayr.
• Movement: slow moving.
• Tropical Cyclone DEBBIE intensified to a category 2 cyclone earlier tonight. The system remains slow moving at the present time. It is expected to adopt a steady west-southwest track later this morning, which will continue for the next few days. Conditions will remain favorable for the cyclone to develop further before landfall, which will likely be between Townsville and Proserpine on Tuesday morning.

The BOM satellite showing Cyclone DEBBIE on Saturday afternoon/ http://www.abc.net.au/

Australia: Sickly Canary in Planet Coalmine

205 Weather records broken in 90 days: Climate Council of Australia

Excerpts from “ANGRY SUMMER 2016/17: CLIMATE CHANGE SUPER-CHARGING EXTREME WEATHER”

The Australian summer of 2016/17 marked the return of the Angry Summer with record-breaking heat especially in the east of the nation. The Angry Summer was characterised [sic] by intense heatwaves, hot days and bushfires in central and eastern Australia, while heavy rainfall and flooding affected the west of the country.

Key Findings:

• More than 205 records were broken across Australia in 90 days.
• New South Wales (NSW) experienced its hottest state-wide mean temperature on record with temperatures 2.57°C above average.
• The 2016/17 extreme summer heat in NSW was at least 50 times more likely to occur due to climate change.

‘Catastrophic’ Fires Plague NSW, Australia

Residents told to get out as multiple bushfires breach containment lines

There are reports of dozens of homes and other structures being destroyed, machinery and other agricultural assets being lost, and hundreds of farm animals perished in the raging fires.

“The NSW Rural Fire Service says people who live in bushland areas with catastrophic fire conditions need to leave their homes as blazes can become uncontrollable in minutes,” said a report.

“At 8pm [Sunday] there are 97 fires across the state, with 37 uncontained. 4 are at Emergency Warning & 2 at Watch & Act,” NWS RFS reported.

A 40,000-hectare fire has been burning since Saturday at Leadville near Dunedoo, east of Dubbo, reports said.

Warnings and Additional information are available from http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings/

Hell Hath No Fury Like the Climate Scorned

Hottest February day in NSW as “extraordinary heatwave” moves across Australia

The heatwave moving across the sub continent is expected to intensify over the weekend, elevating the threat of potentially catastrophic fire conditions, authorities warned.

New South Wales could face its hottest February day on record, with temperatures reaching 47ºC in western parts of the state, said the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The temperature reached 47.4ºC in Hay Airport, making it the third-hottest day recorded in February for NSW, and the record could be shattered on Saturday, said reports.

Meanwhile, Sydney set a temperature record for the number of days over 35ºC, as most of the city broiled in the 40s.

 

 

Major Heatwave Sweeping across Australia

Extreme Weather Event

Near 50ºC Temperatures Forecast for NSW and QLD

An extreme heatwave will sweep across eastern Australia this weekend, with the temperatures soaring to near 50ºC (122℉) in parts of the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD), said forecasters.

The heatwave moves across Australia starting Friday. The red area represents temperatures above 45C. Image: Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

.

Extreme heat will scorch outback QLD and NSW by Tuesday, February 7. The red area represents temperatures above 45C. Image: Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

.

• Additional details are available from BOM.

 

Extreme Weather Hammers Victoria, Australia

Heavy storms trigger major deluge in Melbourne, move across the region

Multiple warnings have been issued across the state. Details are available from:

• http://www.abc.net.au/
• http://www.bom.gov.au/

Extreme Weather Events Pummel Australia

Extreme Rain Events, High Winds  Pummel NSW, Tasmania as Queensland Mops Up

“Wild weather that thrashed parts of Queensland over the weekend is continuing to pummel New South Wales, with the east coast low pressure system reaching as far south as Tasmania amid warnings of heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds,” said a report.

A flood evacuation warning is in place for multiple areas in NSW including residents living along the Georges River, in Sydney’s southwest, the report said.

Huge surf is also causing widespread coastal erosion with police door knocking affected homes in the Northern Beaches.

Hundreds of thousands of homes across the state have been affected by power outages as a result of wild weather.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from North Lismore, as major flooding peaked at 9.1 meters in the Lismore area Sunday afternoon.

The weather system has also extended down to Tasmania, with an “exceptional” huge swell expected to hit Tasmania’s north-east on Monday.

The state is predicted to receive up to 200 millimeters of rain in the coming days, with warnings of flash flooding.

Flood warnings are in place for eight rivers in the state, with major warnings current for the Meander River and Mersey River, with forecasters warning the Mersey basin is at most risk of major flooding.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has forecast ‘king waves’ of up to eight meters to cause erosion along the northeast coast.

Mount Victoria recorded rainfall amounts of 76mm, with destructive winds peaking at 107 km/h at Mount Read.

“That north-easterly swell’s actually getting up to the six to seven-metre mark on Monday which is very, very, large for our secondary swell,” a BoM forecaster said.

“Typically we only see those swell heights in our south-westerly stream. So it’s an exceptional swell for the east coast.”

Since Friday morning, 382mm of rain had fallen at Upper Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland, with nearby Mount Tamborine receiving  357mm, BoM reported.

Strong Earthquake Strikes Australia

M5.9 Quake Strikes Northern Territory, Australia

Centered at 25.534°S, 129.805°E [460.0 km WSW of Alice Springs] the event occurred at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi), reported USGS/EHP.

Significant Earthquakes Australia Region

Some 34 events measuring magnitude 5.0Mw or greater have been registered since 1990 [80 events since 1916] including

M 7.1 – south of Australia
Location: 42.813°S, 124.688°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2001-12-12 14:02:35 UTC

M 6.3 – Western Australia
Location: 16.013°S, 124.329°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 1997-08-10 09:20:30 UTC

M 5.2 – near the southeast coast of Australia
Location: 38.304°S 146.200°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2012-06-19 10:53:29 UTC

M 5.0 – Queensland, Australia
Location: 20.085°S, 147.764°E
Depth: 7.0 km
Time: 2011-04-16 05:31:18 UTC

Australian River on Fire in Mining Area

Massive fracking fires in the river burn for over an hour: Australian MP

Massive flames erupt from methane gas bubbling to the surface of the Condamine River in Quessland, Australia due to ongoing coal seam gas mining [fracking] in the region, according to locals.

[Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs, also known as coal seam gas mining releases coalbed methane, or coal seam gas (CSG), a method of gas production popular in Australia, Canada, United States, and several other countries.]

River on Fire in Queensland, Ausralia!

“Large bubbles of the gas gurgle along the surface of the river before [Australia] Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham waves a kitchen lighter over the side of a tinny boat,” said a report.

“I was shocked by the force of the explosion when I tested whether gas boiling through the Condamine River, Qld was flammable,” Buckingham said.

“So much gas is bubbling through the river that it held a huge flame for over an hour.”

“Over the last few years there more and more patches of bubbles have appeared on the river and the pressure of the gas has increased to the point where it is like an over-sized spa bath. It’s a river, it shouldn’t be doing that,” said local resident John Jenkyn, who lives next to the gas field.

Read more…

Eighth ZIKV Case Confirmed in Australia

ZIKV infected man staying in area infested with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Authorities are on high alert in Queensland, Australia after the eighth person in the country contracted Zika virus.

A Rockhampton man has become the eighth Queenslander to be diagnosed with Zika virus, but is the first to have brought it back to an area inhabited by the type of mosquito that could spread it.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the main Zika vector, have been found around the hotel in Rockhampton where the infected patient is staying, prompting the health alert.

“This is the most concerning case of Zika so far in Queensland because it’s someone who has the virus in an area where there is the mosquito capable of transmitting the virus,” said Queensland Health Minister.

Authorities are now spraying chemicals designed to kill mosquitoes in a 200-meter radius of the hotel, said a report.

*

Heatwave Melts 50-Year Record in Perth, Australia

CGFP

Perth records 40 plus degree temperatures three consecutive days

Western Australia’s capital city, Perth [pop:~ 2.1 million,] has recorded 40 plus degree (C) temperatures for three consecutive days, breaking a 50-year record for February, said a report.

The latest record-breaking heatwave was reportedly the seventh ever occurring in the region.

If the temperature reaches 40ºC or higher on Wednesday, it will be the first time there has been four consecutive 40ºC days since 1933, said Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) spokesman.

“Perth’s longest run of 40 degree days or more consecutively is four, and that was recorded back in 1933, if we get five we’ve broken that record and we’ve moved into uncharted territory basically.”

At sunrise today (Feb. 9), the temperature was 20ºC, reaching 32 within 2 hours, and 40ºC by 11:00am. It peaked at a sweltering 41.2ºC in the metro area, said the report.

“Pearce airbase was the hottest place in wider Perth at 44.3C and Mardie in the Pilbara was the state’s hotspot, reaching 45.6C.”

On Monday, the temperature reached 47ºCin Shark Bay Airport, situated in the Gascoyne region, northwest of Western Australia.

Image source: The Bureau of Meteorology BoM/ via news.com.au

 

Hottest place on Earth?

Temperatures touched 49°C in Sua Pan (Sowa Pan), a seasonal lake located in the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana, southern Africa, making it the hottest place on Earth, the UK Meteorological Office reported.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that 2015 was Australia’s fifth-warmest year on record, with the release of its final Annual Climate Report 2015.

Heatwave Situation for Thursday, Friday, & Saturday (3 days starting 11/02/2016)

Severe to extreme heatwave conditions continue over much of northern and central WA. Low intensity heatwave conditions for most of NSW and Tasmania. [BOM]

Severe Weather Events Plague Australian Continent

Australia battered by strong winds, heavy precipitation, deadly flooding, a cyclone, mini-tornado, wildfires… and  country-wide rainfall

Severe weather systems are pummeling multiple regions of Australia, with deadly  flash-flooding in Queensland, a destructive “mini-tornado” in New South Wales, ex-cyclone STAN in Western Australia, damaging heavy rain and flooding in eastern Tasmania, while up to 100 wildfires in western Tasmania consume about 75,000 hectares.

Cyclone STAN made landfall about 120 km northeast of Port Hedland, early Sunday morning, reported the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said a unique set of weather patterns were responsible for the nation-wide wet weather event, not expected to be repeated anytime soon. [ABC]

“It’s quite unusual to see this sort of pattern develop right across that broad section of states,” BoM meteorologist told the ABC.

“It is unlikely we would see the same extent again like what we have seen in the past few days.

“This was a unique weather set up.”

In southeast NSW, destructive winds during thunderstorms destroyed several homes at Forbes Creek, about an hour east of Canberra.

Storms lashed South Australia and Victoria on Saturday, cutting power to homes and businesses and causing flash flooding in multiple areas, while in the Northern Territory, a weak monsoon dumped up to 100mm of rain in some areas, causing numerous road closures in Darwin.

Storms also wreaked havoc on Sydney and other parts of New South Wales on Saturday, with major roads flooded and power out several regions.

Floodwaters in southern Queensland killed a man near Bundaberg.

ZIKV Found in Australian Travelers Returning from S. America

Submitted by a reader – Edited by FEWW

Australians authorities echo warning to travelers planing to visit 22 countries affected by ZIKV

Australian health experts report mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV), linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, has already been discovered in Australia in travelers returning from South America, said a report.

For the virus to spread, however, it would require specific species of mosquitoes to act as a vector. The Aedes aegypti mosquito, one such vector, is currently found only in far north Queensland.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued new advice warning Australians, particularly pregnant women, to reconsider plans to travel to 22 countries affected by the virus, including many in South and Central America, and the Pacific island nation Samoa.

[FIRE-EARTH Models show more than one million incidences of ZIKV infections may have occurred worldwide since October 2015. —Editor]

The new travel advice comes in response to a warning by the World Health Organisation that Zika virus is now likely to spread to all countries in South, Central and North America except Canada and Chile. [Blog Moderators have not found any evidence to confirm either PAHO or WHO has issued a warning to this effect. This appears to be media sensationalism at best, or a desperate ruse designed for phishing more information from independent sources. —Editor]

At least 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly had occurred in Brazil as of January 22, 2016, or over 30 times more than in any year since 2010 and equivalent to 1 to 2 per cent of all newborns in the state of Pernambuco, one of the worst-hit areas, said WHO.

ZIKV was first detected in a monkey in Zika forest near Lake Victoria, Uganda, in 1947.

Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age. Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly. Microcephaly is not a common condition. State birth defects tracking systems have estimated that microcephaly ranges from 2 babies per 10,000 live births to about 12 babies per 10,000 live births in the Unites States.

• Zika and pregnancy [CDC]

Countries that have past or current evidence of Zika virus transmission

AFRICA: Angola*, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt*, Ethiopia*, Gabon, Gambia*, Kenya*, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone*, Somalia*, Tanzania*, Uganda and Zambia*.

AMERICAS: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname and Venezuela.

OCEANIA/PACIFIC ISLANDS: Cook Islands, Easter Island, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

ASIA: Cambodia, India*, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan*, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam*.

[*For these countries, the only evidence of Zika virus transmission is from studies that detected Zika virus antibodies in healthy people.  These studies cannot determine where the people were infected or if they were infected with Zika virus because the antibodies may have resulted from infections with other closely related viruses, such as dengue virus.]

Related Links

• ZIKV Emergency: New Warnings Issued by Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador & Jamaica January 23, 2016

Additional Links

ZIKV

• CDC Issues Travel Warning as Zika Virus Epidemic Continues to Spread January 16, 2016
• Zika Virus: Coming to a Place Near You…  January 5, 2016
• Disasters/ Significant Events – Dec 25, 2015 Posted on December 25, 2015
• Most Dangerous Pathogens  December 12, 2015
• ZIKV – Emerging Virus May Cause Severe Birth Defects  December 4, 2015

DENGUE

• Latest Dengue Fever Outbreaks January 20, 2016
• Top Emerging Diseases Likely to Cause Major Epidemics December 12, 2015
• ZIKV – Emerging Virus May Cause Severe Birth Defects December 4, 2015
• Dengue Fever Kills 204 in Taiwan  December 16, 2015
• State of Emergency Declared in East Java  January 26, 2015
• Dengue Fever Outbreak Prompts State of Emergency in Brazil City  January 21, 2013
• State of emergency in Marshall Islands as dengue outbreak spirals  October 29, 2011
• Chikungunya Makes West Nile Look Like Nappy Rash  September 19, 2009

What went wrong with the humans?

Submitted by a reader

Racism in Australia more prevalent than ever before

If you thought Australia was a multicultural safe haven of equal opportunity, think again!

 

DISASTER DIARY – DECEMBER 31, 2015

Major to record flooding continues over parts of Mississippi River Valley: NWS

Major flooding is occurring or forecast on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers & tributaries in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, with record flooding at several locations. Major flooding is also occurring on the Arkansas River & tributaries in Arkansas. Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January. Read More…

More flooding is forecast for Missouri and Illinois were on Thursday as rain-swollen rivers overflowed their banks, inundating vast areas, washing out hundreds of homes and leaving thousands of people displaced.

Flood Warnings were in effect in at least 16 states, as of posting. The Mississippi River, North America’s third longest, is forecast to crest early next week in Thebes, Illinois, at 14.48 meter, more than 0.46 cm above the 1995 record, said NWS.

Tornadoes, flooding and extreme rain have killed dozens of peephole in the southern and central U.S. since last week.

Yemen: Humanitarian catastrophe worsens

Conflict continues to devastate the lives of men, women, and children in Yemen. Eighty-two per cent of Yemen’s population requires some form of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights. After nine months of intensified conflict the severity of needs, among the most vulnerable populations, has deepened and the lack of a political solution will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, UN said.

Ongoing air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition and conflict on the ground makes humanitarian activities, including the transportation of goods, difficult and, at times, dangerous.

Over one million migrant/ refugee sea arrivals reach Europe in 2015

Some 1,000,573 people have reached Europe across the Mediterranean, mainly to Greece and Italy, in 2015 including 3,735 who were missing, believed drowned, according to the latest figures released by UNHCR.

Mass evacuations in three Australian towns as bushfires reignite

Thousands of residents and tourists were evacuated on Thursday from three regions along the scenic Great Ocean Road in southern Australia as hot, windy weather reignited  bushfires that destroyed 116 homes on Christmas Day.

The fires, which started by lightning 12 days ago, have consumed more than 2,500 hectares, and threatened to re-intensify amid record warm temperatures and high winds.

“The local community has listened to the best of advice and will leave their homes because on such a challenging day, with that fire still active, so close to them, it’s not safe for them nor is it safe for those who have been called on to protect them,” Victoria state Premier said

Colombia issues ‘Red Alert’ over record low river levels

Colombia has issued a red alert after water levels dropped significantly in the Magdalena River, the country’s main waterway, and Cauca River, another key river, said a report.

Hundreds of towns and cities across the country rely on the two rivers for water.

“The Magdalena River presents the lowest levels since 1973. The level is 45 centimeters, when it should be 134 centimeters,” said President Santos.

Drought Plunges Lesotho into Emergency

More than 650,000 people face hunger in Lesotho’s worst drought in decades. Struggling from two successive crop failures, the mountain kingdom has been pushed into a state of crisis by low rainfall across much of southern Africa.

Impact of flooding in northern Argentina

The number of families impacted by the flooding in the north and central parts of the Argentina is growing.

• More than 25,000 people have been affected by the overflow of the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers, according to the latest estimates.

• At least 1,900 inhabitants of Concordia have been evacuated due to historic river flooding in the city.

• Over 15,000 people have been affected in Concordia, a number that includes 2,000 evacuees and over 9,000 people that have abandoned their homes and are living with family or friends.

Hundreds evacuated from BP oil platforms in North Sea

Some 235 workers were evacuated from BP’s oil platforms in the Vallhall oilfield in the Norwegian North Sea after a 110-meter monster barge drifted near the major oilfield uncontrollably, local media reported.

Fatality on board COSL rig in North Sea

Statoil and COSL say one worker was killed an at least two others injured as a result of the “breaking wave” that hit the drilling rig COSL Innovator.

“COSL Innovator is under contract to Statoil at the Troll field in the North Sea, west of Bergen. The rig had been taken off the well as a result of the bad weather before the incident occurred. The breaking wave also caused some damage to the rig’s accommodation module.”

The rig is being evacuated, and the evacuees are being flown ashore, according to a statement posted on Statoil website.

Bushfires Plague Australia

Wildfires consume thousand of acres, 15 homes in Victoria, Australia

About 900 firefighters responded to dozens of grass and bushfires across the state of Victoria on Sunday amid hot, dry and windy conditions from South Australia that pushed into New South Wales.

Extreme heat caused some of Victoria state’s worst fires burning out of control over the the weekend.

On Sunday, “more than 6,000 people in the Indigo Valley were texted emergency alerts when they were told it was too late to leave, and to instead take shelter.”

“[The fire] closed the Hume Freeway for hours, saw hundreds of cars backed up on the Hume Freeway, in 40 degree temperatures, not a nice place to be,” said Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner.

“[We had] multiple fires across the state but our fire crews did a fantastic job to pull up, we had the potential to have this morning many, many fires.”

A fire in Scotsburn killed more than a thousand sheep, five horses, 12 homes, 30 sheds and much of the fencing in the area, he said.

On Monday, dozens of warnings and alerts were in effect across the country including multiple fire warnings in New South Wales & ACT, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Deadly Wildfires Consume 300,000 Ha in Western Australia

Extreme weather system generating temperatures in excess of 45ºC, fueling deadly, destructive fires in Australia

The fires started during harvest season destroying large volumes of crops, as well as farming equipment, fences and buildings.

At least three Europeans were among those killed by the fires, including “a 19-year-old German woman as an apprentice farm-hand; a 29-year-old Norwegian woman as a cook, while she studied at Curtin University in Perth; and a 31-year-old British man as a mechanic,” reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Fire Weather Warning

Australia Bureau of Meteorology has issued Fire Weather Warnings for several areas in Western Australia, forecasting Severe Fire Danger for the district of South Interior, and Gascoyne Coast.

 

Australia Hammers a Fat Nail in Climate’s Coffin

Australia approves massive Carmichael coal mine, one of the world’s largest

Australia’s government has given mining giant Adani re-approval for the extraction and export of massive amounts of coal from the Carmichael Coal Mine.

In a showcase ruling, a court had temporarily blocked the project due to environmental concerns in August.

The Adani Mining in Queensland has been awarded the project, which is said to be worth A$16 billion (USD12 bn), to dig up and export about 60 million metric tons of coal a year, mostly to India.

Meanwhile, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has cited, “scientific evidence that shows the mine would destroy 10,000 hectares of habitat for endangered species, including the largest known population of the southern black-throated finch.”

“To approve a massive coal mine that would make species extinct, deplete 297 billion litres of precious groundwater and produce 128.4 million tonnes of CO2 a year is grossly irresponsible,” said ACF President Geoff Cousins.

“At a time when the world is desperately seeking cleaner energy options this huge new coal mine will make the effort to combat climate change all the more difficult.”

Most Australians oppose the project. They “do not want Adani to dig a massive coal mine and export the coal across the Great Barrier Reef,” said Cousins.

“We will use all appropriate means to stop this mine,” he added.

The mine is located in the Galilee Basin, Queensland, about 400km west of the Great Barrier Reef.

Cooking the Climate Wrecking the Reef: The global impact of coal exports from
Australia’s Galilee Basin

“Advanced plans are in place to build nine mega mines in one region of Queensland, Australia. Located in the Galilee Basin, five of these projects would each be larger than any coal mine currently operating in the country. If these go ahead, they could produce more coal than Australia currently exports. If the Galilee Basin were a country, the carbon dioxide produced from using this coal would make it the seventh dirtiest fossil fuel burner on the planet. The Galilee Basin coal boom is not just one of the greatest ever environmental threats to Australia, its climate implications are global,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific.