Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.0 earthquake hits south of the Kermedec Islands.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Eastern North Pacific Ocean: Tropical Storm 06e (Estelle), located approximately 729 nm south-southwest of San Diego, is tracking west-northwestward at 11 knots.
Newsbytes:
New Zealand – Parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are experiencing flooding following heavy rain. The Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River has burst its banks leaving some roads submerged in water. Several roads around the city are closed. There is also flooding in Kaituna Valley on Banks Peninsula where roads are also closed. Down in South Canterbury the Timaru District Council last night declared a State of Emergency for Pleasant Point, Temuka after damage to a stopbank.
Wildfires
Wildfires – Europe
Though temperatures have cooled in France and the UK, firefighters are still tackling blazes in Greece, Spain and Italy.
The fires in France’s badly hit south-west have started to be brought under control.
And as the heatwave moves north-east, low water levels are hampering transport on rivers in Germany.
More than 1,000 deaths have been linked to the extremely high temperatures in Portugal while in Spain it is at least 500.
Spain has also been battling multiple wildfires. Though one in the central province of Zamora has been brought under control, according to the local government, two large wildfires are still out of control in the north-western region of Galicia. A fire in the Gredos mountain range is also spreading east towards the Madrid region, the BBC’s Guy Hedgecoe reports. Some 5,600 hectares (13,800 acres) of land have also been burnt in the north-eastern region of Aragon.
In Portugal, some 900 firefighters were fighting two active fires in the country’s far north.
Major fires have also affected Italy in the past days, causing the country to be put on its highest heatwave alert for Thursday. Italian infrastructure has also been heavily impacted, with temporary closure of a key rail route between Rome and Florence, Italian media report.
Disease
Covid-19
The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:
Volcanos
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week 13 July – 19 July 2022
Ebeko – Paramushir Island (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate activity at Ebeko was ongoing during 7-14 July. According to volcanologists in Severo-Kurilsk (Paramushir Island, about 7 km E) explosions generated ash plumes that rose up to 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E. A thermal anomaly over the volcano was identified in satellite images during 10-11 July. According to observers, an explosion at 1740 local time on 16 July produced an ash plume that rose to 4.5 km (14,800 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 5 km SE.
Turrialba – Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that at 0749 on 17 July a brief ash emission from Turrialba rose 200 m above the crater and drifted SW. Minor amounts of ash fell in Irazú Volcano National Park.