Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 Earthquake hits the Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea.
5.2 Earthquake hits the Azores.
5.0 Earthquake hits south of Alaska.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the North Atlantic:
Hurricane Matthew is located about 345 mi…555 km SSW of Port au Prince Haiti and about 335 mi…540 km SSE of Kingston Jamaica with maximum sustained winds…150 mph…240 km/h. Present movement…NW or 320 degrees at 5 mph…7 km/h.
Invest 98L is an area of disturbed weather in the North Atlantic that has the potential for further tropical development.
In the Western Pacific:
Tropical Storm 21w (Chaba), located approximately 371 nm south-southeast of Kadena AB, Guam, is tracking northwestward at 16 knots.
Newsbytes:
Australia – The South Australian towns of Virginia and Port Wakefield have been threatened with flooding after the Gawler and Wakefield rivers burst their banks. Floodwaters could breach a rail line and flood Virginia on the northern outskirts of Adelaide, authorities warned on Saturday night. The Wakefield river 70km further north also broke its banks on Saturday morning, the breach coming at Balaclava Road and threatening the town of Port Wakefield. In Western Australia, more than 9000 properties were without power on Saturday night as wild weather continued to lash the state. Some 24,000 customers lost power on Saturday after a front started to move across WA overnight.
Maryland, USA – While flooding fears have receded in the Baltimore area, it’s a much different story on the Eastern Shore, where heavy rain flooded roads and homes. Wicomico County officials said 17 roads were washed out or damaged by floodwaters. Flooding at the Canal Woods condominiums in Salisbury forced residents to find shelter elsewhere.
Wildlife
Hawaiian Bees added to endangered species list in the U.S. for the first time
Federal authorities on Friday added seven yellow-faced bee species, Hawaii’s only native bees, for protection under the Endangered Species Act, a first for any bees in the United States.
Yellow-faced bees can be found elsewhere in the world, but these particular species are native only to Hawaii and pollinate plant species indigenous to the islands.
The bees face a variety of threats including feral pigs, invasive ants, loss of native habitat due to invasive plants, fire, as well as development, especially in some for the coastal areas.
The bees can be found in a wide variety of habitats in Hawaii, from coastal environments to high-elevation shrub lands, she said. The yellow-faced bees pollinate some of Hawaii’s endangered native plant species. While other bees could potentially pollinate those species, many could become extinct if these bees were to die off entirely.
World unites to save the Pangolin
After months of vociferous lobbying, conservationists succeeded in eliciting the support of 19 countries to totally ban all trade, except for scientific research, of the endangered pangolin – an animal that has earned the unfortunate label of “the most trafficked mammal” in the world.
Unlike the high-profile marketing drives undertaken on behalf of elephants, rhinos, tigers, leopards and lions, pangolins remained under the radar of mainstream conservation campaigns.
In July, Hong Kong customs officers seized more than 4 000kg of pangolin scales, which were hidden in a container labelled “sliced plastics” from Cameroon. This represents up to 6 000 pangolins – the largest seizure of pangolin scales in five years.
Pangolin body parts have been used for centuries in both traditional Asian and African medicine. But it is evident that in Asia, especially China and Vietnam, pangolin scales are now being exploited for everything from fashion items to status symbols and the species is being eaten to extinction.
Disease
Zika Virus – Puerto Rico
Upon recording an additional 2,391 locally acquired, or autochthonous Zika virus cases during the first week of September, the case count on the island has surpassed 20,000 cases (22,358), according to an update from Secretary of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, Ana Ríus Armendariz.
Chkungunya – Philippines
The Provincial Health Office of Cavite in the Calabarzon region on Luzon island has declared an outbreak of the mosquito borne viral disease, chikungunya, after detecting 400 suspected cases, Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag said Friday during a radio interview. The 400 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year.
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity
Colima (Mexico): Fresh eruptions from the Colima volcano in Mexico have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes. Ash and thick black smoke rose from the volcano, 430 miles (690km) north-west of Mexico City. A flow of lava could be seen pouring down its slopes. More than 350 villagers living in La Yerbabuena and La Becerrera at the foot of the mountain were moved to safety, emergency officials said. Authorities in neighbouring Jalisco state also evacuated some residents.