‘Weather Bomb’ Hits UK

DISASTERS CAUSED OR ENHANCED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
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Explosive Cyclogenesis Brings Massive Lightning Storm to NW Britain

Thousands are without electricity, train and ferries have been cancelled, as a weather bomb, bringing a massive lightning storm and “exceptionally high” waves, hit northwestern UK.

The UK Met Office had earlier warned that western and northern Scotland and the far north of Northern Ireland could experience “dangerous conditions” on Wednesday due to a rapidly-developing Atlantic storm known as an Explosive Cyclogenesis, with wind gusts of up to 130 km/h.

Explosive Cyclogenesis is a rapidly deepening extratropical cyclonic low-pressure area. It occurs when the central pressure of a depression at 60˚ latitude drops by 24 millibars (hPa) or more in 24 hours.

A second storm front is forecast to move  across the U.K. on Thursday, said the Met Office.

Amber & Yellow warnings of severe weather have been issued by the UK Met Office

Regions affected by Amber warning:
Highlands & Eilean Siar, Northern Ireland, Orkney & Shetland, Strathclyde

Regions affected by Yellow warnings:
Central, Tayside & Fife, East Midlands, East of England, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, London & South East England, North East England, North West England, Northern Ireland, Orkney & Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, South West England, Strathclyde, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber

Satellite animation showing developing area of low pressure

Lightning over 24 hours from 09:30 GMT on Tuesday, with darker colors indicating more recent strikes. Issued by UK Met Office/ via BBC.

10,000+ Lightning Strikes Spark Scores of New Wildfires in OR, WA

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME DROUGHT
LIGHTNING STORMS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
STATE OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 800,797, 777, 444, 311, 111, 101, 100, 070, 03, 02
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Raindrops evaporate before hitting the ground due to extremely dry air in parts of Oregon

Some 60 of the new fires are located in Oregon and 14 others in the state of Washington. Currently, three fires are spreading, according to the authorities.

Two fire are spreading in Oregon.

• The Rogue River Drive fire north of Medford, which has blackened  more than 600 acres and threatens more than 130 homes, as of Wednesday morning local time.
• 15 Cent fire southeast of Burns, which has  consumed 15,000 acres.

The third fire is in Washington state:  Lost Ridge Fire west of Ellensburg has charred 200 acres.

In Oregon, raindrops evaporated before reaching the ground because of extremely low humidity on Tuesday night, allowing lightning and winds to start and fuel new fires, said a spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Oregon Governor Kitzhaber has issued a state conflagration emergency for the fire zone. He proclaimed a state of emergency, also due to the wildfires, on July 16.

Fire crews are currently tackling at last 26 large fires across the two states including

In Oregon:

• The South Fork complex south of John Day has consumed more than 64,700 acres, and  is  30 percent contained.
• The 5 Mile fire east of Joseph has charred 4,500 acres.
• The Sommers Fire northeast of Enterprise has exploded to 27,000 acres, ttreateings ranches, historic structures, and is zero percent contained.
• The Beaver Complex northwest of Medford has grown to 35,300 acres. The fires are about 90 percent contained.
• The Staley complex southeast of Oakridge has burned more than 300 acres and is 15 percent contained.
• The Bald Sisters Fire in Grant County east of Prairie City has consumed more than 1,200 acres. It is  zero percent contained.
• The Rowena fire northwest of The Dalles has charred 3,680 acres, but is now 100 percent contained.
• The Camp Creek complex in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, has blackened about 800 acres and is 45 percent contained.
• The Nene Creek fire north of Warm Springs has consumed about 350 acres and is 90 percent contained.
• The Incident 769 fire north of Condon has burned 3,000 acres. It is zero percent contained.
• The Blaylock Canyon fire west of Arlington has consumed about 1,000 acres. The fire is also zero percent contained.

In Washington:

• The Devil’s Elbow complex northeast of Nespelem has burned about 21,000 acres and is 10 percent contained. The fire is threatening homes, with many residents under a mandatory evacuation order.
• The Snag Canyon fire has grown to 12,000 acres. It is 50 percent contained.
• The Hansel Creek fire south of Leavenworth has scorched more than 1,000 acres. It is 15 percent contained.
• The Duncan fire north of Leavenworth has consumed more than 10,500 acres and is also 15 percent contained.
• The Little Bridge Creek fire west of Winthrop has burned about 4,200 acres and is 14 percent contained.
• The Upper Falls fire north of Winthrop has scorched more than 8,000 acres and is only 6 percent contained.
• The South Cle Elum Ridge fire southwest of Cle Elum has grown to about 1,000 acres, and is 15 percent contained.
• The Chiwaukum complex near Leavenworth has charred about 14,200 acres and is 40 percent contained.
• The Carlton Complex south of Twisp has consumed about 256,200 acres and is now 95 percent contained.
• The Haven Lake fire northwest of Olympia has scorched about 200 acres and is zero percent contained.
• The Enterprise fire south and southeast of Colville, which had charred more than 150 acres is now 100 percent contained, according to Inciweb.

WA Declares State of Emergency due to Ferocious Forest Fires

EXTREME CLIMATE HAZARDS
INTENSE DROUGHT
HIGH TEMPERATURES
MAJOR LIGHTNING STORMS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
MASS EVACUATIONS
STATE OF EMERGENCY
SCENARIOS 797, 111, 101, 03
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Multiple Wildfires Raging in Western US

A state of emergency has been declared in the state of Washington for 20 eastern counties after wildfires burned tens of thousands of acres and dozens of homes and other structures, threatening about 1,000 more homes and forcing mass evacuations.

The emergency proclamation covers Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima counties.

The largest fire in the state of Washington is the Mills Canyon Fire, which has consumed about 93km² (23,000 acres) near the town of Entiat, along the Columbia River, as the temperatures soared above 43°C (110 degrees).

“Extreme fire weather conditions and a lack of available firefighting resources in the Pacific Northwest could hamper future firefighting efforts in the state,” said Washington’s Emergency Management Division.

Oregon

In southern Oregon, the Moccasin Hill fire near the town of Sprague River, has consumed about 10km²,  destroying two dozen homes and other structures since last week.

About a dozen wildfires have been sparked by massive lightning storms. An estimated 15,000 lightning strikes were recorded in Oregon over the weekend.

Idaho

A major wildfire in Idaho has consumed about 130km² near the city of Carey. The blaze was sparked by a lightning strike.

The fires in the drought stricken West are fueled by high winds, soaring temperatures and very low humidity.

The Big Smoke

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,270 Days Left

[September 23, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,270 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

U.S. Wildfires Prompt Air Quality Alerts

Hundreds of wildfires across the Midwest, Northwestern and Southern U.S. prompt Red Flag Warnings, air quality alerts and more evacuation orders.

Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS

Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data – NESDIS

See also Washington state health provides thousands of respirators as Wildfire smoke worsens

Other Disasters

• Alabama, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama following the damage caused by Hurricane Isaac during the period of August 26 to September 5, 2012.

Related Links

• Massive Wildfires Raging in Washington Threaten to Merge into ‘Monster Blaze’ Posted September 22, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Massive Wildfires Raging in Washington Threaten to Merge into ‘Monster Blaze’

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,271 Days Left

[September 22, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,271 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Washington, USA.  Several wildfires burning in Central Washington are threatening to merge into a ‘monster blaze,’ authorities said.

• About 1,150 homes are threatened by two of the fires, the Table Mountain Fire and Wenatchee River Complex, which have forced at least 2,000 people to evacuate.

• The largest fire, the Wenatchee Complex, has grown to about 70 square miles, threatening about 500 homes and other structures.
  • “The Wenatchee Complex is the result of an extensive, severe lightning storm which occurred the evening of Saturday, September 9, 2012. Lightning strikes were reported to have started [hundreds of] individual fires.” Inciweb reported.

• Table Mountain Fire is threatening about 650 homes.

• Fueled by warm temperatures, very low humidity and winds, the fires have so far consumed about 140 square miles on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range.

• Smoke from the fires is causing hazardous air quality in Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Spokane, Pullman, Clarkston and elsewhere across the state.

• A total of about 5,000 fire and emergency personnel are deployed.

Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS

Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data – NESDIS

Utah, USA. Gov. Herbert has declared a state of emergency in Santa Clara after flooding caused extensive damage to homes and businesses.

• Santa Clara is located about 270 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Florida. Federal government has denied a request by the Florida Gov. to declare the state a presidential major disaster area following the damage caused by Hurricane ISAAC late August.

• The storm reportedly caused about $40million damage across 7 counties in Florida, especially Palm Beach.

Alaska.  Alaska’s governor has declared a state disaster for communities worst-hit by recent storms, forcing residents in Talkeetna area to evacuate, a report said.

• “Flooding is causing problems over a wide swath of Alaska, from Talkeetna, near the base of Mount McKinley in the Mat-Su Borough, to the port town of Seward, 175 miles to the south on the Kenai Peninsula.”

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Storms and floods Cause Chaos in the UK‎

Fierce storms, lightning, ‘giant’ hail stones, torrential rains, and flash floods in parts of the UK  prompt evacuations and power cuts

Flash floods have inundated thousands of homes and businesses and forced evacuations in Northern England, the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lightning storms have cut power to tens of thousands of people in the North East, derailed a train and closed the railway between Scotland and England.

Torrential downpours and flash floods have caused major travel disruption across a wide region.

“There was also widespread disruption on rail services and roads, with many routes under several inches of water. A number were closed,” said a report.

“Flooding and landslips are causing heavy delays on routes between Northern England and Scotland, with very limited travel options,” the railway operators reported.

Since the begging of June, heavy rain and flash floods have brought havoc to communities in west Wales, and across northern England flooding thousands of homes and businesses.

Extreme rain events have dumped more than a month’s rain in less than 24 hours in some places.

There are also reports of damage from squalls and tornadoes in the region.

Record Number of Lightning Strikes

More than 110,000 lightning bolts struck the UK, with more than 200 strikes recorded every minute during peak activity, the UK Met Office reported.

“Experts said this was 40 times higher than an average lightning storm and was the equivalent of four months’ worth of strikes in one day,” said a report.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

United States.

• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand. “Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories will be in effect throughout the Plains, the Midwest, the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Critical fire weather conditions will continue for the central Great Basin and the Plains with several large wildfires burning in Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico,” NWS reported.

US Weather Hazards Map, June 30, 2012

• Record high temperatures are expected to continue, while excessive heat also continues to worsen the air quality in various areas. “One of the worst areas is the lower end of Lake Michigan from the Wisconsin-Illinois state line to Montague, Mich,” NWS said.

NESDIS Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data

Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS – June 29, 2012 – Time: See inset.

• “Excessive Heat Warnings cover the eastern half of Kansas, the western fourth of Missouri and parts of southwest Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Heat Advisories cover parts of 16 states, including:  Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect today for most of the Atlantic Coast,” NWS reported.

U.S. Wildfires

• Waldo Canyon Fire in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, El Paso County, CO. State of Disaster has been declared by the President. Size revised down to 17,073 acres; the deadly fire has caused at least two fatalities, destroyed at least 346 homes and damaged two dozens more. The blaze is reportedly 25% contained.

• Pine Ridge Fire. The town of De Beque remains under evacuation as the explosive blaze grows to 12,047 acres with an estimated 10% contained. Lightning ignited the blaze on Wednesday June 27th, 2012. Fire conditions are said to be extreme with high temperatures, high winds, low humidities, and extremely dry fuels.

• Wyoming.  Arapaho Fire in Medicine Bow National Forest & Thunder Basin National grassland is one of three fires believed to have been ignited by lightning in the Laramie Peak area.
  • “Due to the fast-moving nature of this fire, evacuations were initiated in the Cottonwood Park, Friend Park, North Laramie Trailhead and Harris Park areas. At this time it is unknown if structures were burned. Residents in and south of Esterbrook were notified of possible evacuations, but have not been evacuated at this time,” USFS reported.
  • The 2-day old blaze has consumed an estimated 5,000 acres and is said to have extreme growth potential, with plume dominated behavior, rapid rate of spread (1 – 1.5 miles/hour), and long range spotting.

Arapaho Fire Map.  Medicine Bow National Forest & Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming.  “The fire has been creating its own weather.”

• Utah.Clay Springs Fire, Fishlake National Forest, Clay Springs, East of Oak City, Utah.
  • A super explosive blaze has consumed 68,309 acres in two days.
  • Fire Behavior: Today the fire made extreme runs with spotting to 1/2 a mile and growing from 50000 acres to 68000 acres, with potential for similar rates of spread tonight. … running crown fire and intense ground fire with nearly complete combustion occurring in all fuel types. Extreme resistance to control and high probability of ignition …
  • Significant Events: Fire spread down Wide Canyon to the east as well as running down the back of Canyon Mountains towards I-15 and the towns of Scipio and Mills.
  • Current Weather:  SW winds of 17-25 mph; 98 degrees heat; 11% humidity.

• Utah.  Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon has declared a state of emergency due to the Rose Crest Fire in Herriman. The blaze has destroyed or damaged 5 houses and forced mandatory evacuation of some 948 houses in an area, a report said.
  • The fire started mid afternoon when “a car with a hot exhaust parked on top of some dry weeds” and and set them on fire. The temperature in Herriman was 92 degrees and the relative humidity just 11 percent when the blaze ignited.

• List of Impacted Properties
• Map of Impacted Properties
• Complete listing of impacted streets

Dozens of active wildfires across the country are burning about 1 million acres in a dozen states. For details of some of the other fires see

• Explosive Wildfires Continue Erupting Across the U.S.
• Destructive Wildfire Activity Intensifies in Colorado
• U.S. Overwhelmed by Excessive Heat, Fire, Flooding, Extreme Weather Events
• Fire, Flood and Red Flag Warnings, Storm Emergency Force Evacuations
• Thousands Evacuated as Utah Wildfire Explodes

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs

• Mega Disasters
• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar
• Mass Die-offs