Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are currently no tropical storm systems.
Newsbytes:
DR Congo – Heavy rains since the start of August have caused hardship and displacements for thousands of residents of 3 provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Flooding struck in Lubutu Territory in the north-eastern Maniema Province after heavy rainfall from around 08 August 2022. Areas of Lubutu town, Oso and Otaka were most affected, with homes and infrastructure damaged. At least 6,634 people have been affected or displaced. Flooding also struck in parts of Haut-Uélé Province, also in the north east of the country. Around 3,635 people were affected or displaced, mostly in areas of the provincial capital, Isiro, a city of around 180,000. Further west, overflowing rivers including the Ubangi River, caused flooding in areas near the town of Zongo in Sud-Ubangi Province. Local media reported about 300 homes were damaged or destroyed and 1,365 people affected or displaced. Over 600 000 people are exposed to the flooding.
Philippines – Tropical Storm Ma-On (known as Florita in the Philippines) made landfall in the province of Isabela, Cagayan Valley region in the Philippines on 23 August 2022, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. One person drowned in Camarines Sur. Two people died as a result of wind damage and falling trees in Cagayan (1) and Cordillera (1). Wind gusts of 150 km/h were reported in the province of Isabela. In a 24 hour period to late 23 August, Laoag, capital of the province of Ilocos Norte recorded 169 mm of rain and Tuguegarao, capital of the province of Cagayan, recorded 178 mm.
Nigeria – At least 10 people have died and thousands were displaced after heavy rain and flash floods destroyed homes in Adamawa State in north-eastern Nigeria. Flooding struck after heavy rain from 18 August 2022. OCHA reported more than 3,000 people were displaced across Jabilamba community and environs in Girei Local Government Area (LGA). At least 10 residents were killed and three others wounded in the flash flooding that also damaged or destroyed dozens of homes, critical facilities and livelihoods across the affected areas. As of 22 August, many homes remained submerged across the affected areas and most residents were unable to return to salvage property and valuables. Unconfirmed reports from Girei suggested that the village is completely deserted after the flooding and many of the disaplced households have moved to neighbouring Song and Yola LGAs.
Space Events
How Many Meteorites Hit Earth
Every year, millions of rocky shards from outer space burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, many briefly flaring and appearing in the sky as “shooting stars.” But how many survive their high-speed plunges to strike the ground?
Giant impacts, such as the one that likely ended the reign of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago, caused by an asteroid or comet measuring about 6 miles (10 kilometers) across, are extraordinarily rare. Instead, most rocks that fall to Earth are very small, and relatively few survive their fiery plummet through Earth’s atmosphere.
Scientists estimate that fewer than 10,000 meteorites collide into Earth’s land or water, which is a drop in the bucket compared with the moon, which doesn’t have an atmosphere and gets hit by varying sizes of space rocks: about 11 to 1,100 tons (10 to 1,000 metric tons) — the mass of about 5.5 cars — of space rock dust per day, and about 33,000 pingpong-ball-sized space rock collisions yearly, Live Science previously reported.
Disease
Rift Valley Fever – Uganda
Uganda health authorities reported two confirmed cases of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) on 27 July and 2 August, respectively, in Rubanda and Isingiro districts both located in the south western regions of the country.