Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.4 earthquake hits Leyte in the Philippines.
5.2 earthquake hits the southwest Indian ridge.
5.0 earthquake hits Guam.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 08s (Cheneso), located approximately 135 nm south-southeast of Europa island, is tracking southward at 9 knots.
Newsbytes:
New Zealand – A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland, New Zealand after record rain caused widespread flooding on 27 January 2023. Major roads have been blocked by flooding, landslips or stranded vehicles, causing severe traffic disruption across the Auckland Region. Auckland Airport’s international terminal has been closed due to flooding. Homes were flooded in areas of West Auckland, prompting evacuations. In a period from 03:00 to 21:00, the Auckland Albany weather station recorded 260.6 mm of rain; Auckland Motat 238.4 mm; and Auckland Māngere 242.0 mm. This is approximately an entire summer’s worth of rain in one day and represents an all-time record. Two deaths have been reported, while two persons are still missing.
Global Warming
How Much the Oceans are Warming
The annual average temperature of ocean surfaces has been diverging from the 20th century (1900-1999) average more and more since the 1980s. In 2022, global ocean surface temperatures were 0.69 degrees Celsius higher than that century’s average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Disease
Dengue Fever – Vietnam
Vietnam reported 367,729 dengue cases and 140 deaths (CFR 0.04%) cumulatively in Vietnam in 2022. Compared to the same period in 2021 (72,88 cases and 27 deaths, CFR 0.04%), the cumulative number of cases was 5 times higher.
Syphilis – Serbia
Health officials in Serbia reported 238 cases of syphilis in 2021, which represents an incidence rate of 3.45 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Chikungunya – Paraguay
The latest report from the General Directorate of Health Surveillance in Paraguay indicates a progressive increase in cases of chikungunya. In the three epidemiological weeks evaluated (SE1, SE2, SE3) this year, a total of 5,625 cases of chikungunya and 37 of dengue were recorded.