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Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

6.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.9 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.9 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.8 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.4 earthquake hits Fiji.

5.3 earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

Two 5.3 earthquakes hit the South Sandwich Islands.

5.1 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

Haiti – Update

The death toll from the Magnitude 7.6 earthquake that hit Haiti on 14 August has risen to 1 941 deaths with more than 9 900 injuries. The earthquake destroyed at least 860 homes and 700 others have been damaged.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

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In the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Depression Fred is located about 20 mi…30 km nw of Charleston West Virginia and about 260 mi…420 km sw of State College Pennsylvania with maximum sustained winds…25 mph…35 km/h. Present movement…ne or 35 degrees at 20 mph…31 km/h.

Tropical Storm Grace is located about 20 mi…30 km sw of Grand Cayman and about 405 mi…650 km ese of Tulum Mexico with maximum sustained winds…65 mph…100 km/h. resent movement…wnw or 285 degrees at 16 mph…26 km/h.

Tropical Storm Henri is located about 160 mi…260 km ssw of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds…65 mph…100 km/h . Pesent movement…w or 260 degrees at 8 mph…13 km/h.

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Hurricane 12e (Linda), located approximately 1132 nm southwest of San Diego, is tracking westward at 11 knots.

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Newsbytes:

Arizona, USA – Officials in Coconino County, Arizona, reported record rainfall fell on burn scar areas on 17 August 2021, causing more severe flooding in areas around the city of Flagstaff.

Turkey – Update – A week after flooding struck, rescue workers in Turkey are continuing their search for people missing in the northwestern Black Sea provinces of Kastamonu, Sinop and Bartın. The death toll has increased to 77, which includes 62 in Kastamonu, 14 in Sinop, and 1 in Bartın.

Caribbean – Flooding rain from Tropical Storm Grace has complicated rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti in which 1,941 people have now died. Meanwhile over 500 homes were damaged by floods in neighbouring Dominican Republic. As the storm moved west, incidents of flooding and landslides were reported in Jamaica. Earlier heavy rain associated with Storm Grace caused flooding and landslides in Trinidad where one person died.

Germany, Austra, Italy – Flash floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across parts of southern Germany, Austria and northern Italy from 16 August. One person died and one reported missing in Bavaria, Germany. Flash floods in Austria buried a train in rocks and debris in Wald im Pinzgau, Austria. Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall were reported in Grainau in Garmisch-Partenkirchen district, southern Bavaria in Germany. Police reported 12 people were swept away or stranded after flash floods from the Hammersbach stream swept through the narrow Höllental gorge situated at the foot of the Zugspitze, the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains. The area is popular with tourists and hikers. Heavy rain in parts of Salzburg State in Austria from 16 August triggered mudslides and flash floods in the Pongau and Pinzgau regions. The severe weather caused damage in parts of South Tyrol Province of northern Italy on 16 August. The communes of Ahrntal and Pflersch were the worst affected.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – France

Thousands of people fled homes, campgrounds and hotels near the French Riviera on Tuesday as firefighters battled a blaze that raced through nearby forests, sending smoke pouring down wooded slopes toward vineyards in the picturesque area.

The wildfire started Monday evening, in the height of France’s summer vacation season, about 40 kilometers (24 miles) inland from the coastal resort of Saint-Tropez. Fueled by powerful seasonal winds coming off the Mediterranean Sea, the fire had spread across 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of forest by Tuesday morning.

Wildfires – California – Update

– Antelope Fire – 56,753 acres, 27% contained, started Aug. 1.

– Dixie Fire – 604,511 acres, 31% contained, started July 13.

– River Complex – 44,117 acres, 10% contained, started July 30.

– McFarland Fire – 97,407 acres, 68% contained, started July 29.

– Monument Fire – 119,280 acres, 10% contained, started July 30.

– Caldor Fire – 6,500 acres, 0% contained, started Aug. 14.

Wildfires – Washington, USA

The Schneider Springs Fire grew has burned more than 44 square miles (114 square kilometers) since the lightning-ignited blaze started.

The Corkscrew Fire has damaged or destroyed 20 buildings — including eight homes — and has burned through more than 20 square miles (52 square kilometers).

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Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

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Covid-19 – New Zealand

Auckland health officials reported a positive case of COVID-19 in a 58-year-old man who was unvaccinated–the first locally acquired case in six months. This prompted New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern to put the whole country on lockdown–7 days for Auckland and 3 days for the rest of the country.

Syphilis – Alberta, Canada

Health officials in the province say Alberta has not seen such high levels of syphilis since 1948. With 765 cases reported in the province during the first three months of 2021.

Polio – Uganda

The Ministry of Health has declared Polio a Public Health Emergency in Uganda following confirmation of positive laboratory tests from environmental samples in Kampala. The samples were collected from the sewage plants in Bugolobi and Lbigi which are two of the sentinel environmental surveillance sites in Kampala.