Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 earthquake hits Tonga.
5.1 earthquake hits the Batan Islands, Philippines.
Storms and Floods
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storm systems.
NewsBytes:
New Zealand – Authorities in Auckland, New Zealand, declared a state of emergency in response to the threat of flooding and landslides caused by very heavy rainfall on 09 May 2023. MetService New Zealand reported rain rates of 40-50mm per hour in areas of Aukland.
Global Warming
Arctic – Frontline of Climate Change
The Arctic is warming nearly four times as fast as global averages, with some locations, such as Svalbard, warming up to seven times faster.
The Arctic Ocean is mostly covered with a layer of sea ice. But as the planet warms, this is declining with about half of the sea-ice area lost since 1981 and predictions of a mostly ice-free Arctic summer by 2050. With less sea ice in summer, more of the ocean’s surface is exposed, turning a reflective, white surface dark and trapping the sun’s heat.
The Arctic is covered with snow for much of the year, but each summer the snowy landscapes turn green for a few short weeks. This is when plants and animals kick into gear to carry out their life cycles. As temperatures increase, tundra ecosystems are in sharp transition. Plants are ‘greening up’ earlier and there has been a marked increase in certain species such as shrubs, the trees of the tundra.
With accelerating warming, the permafrost is starting to thaw and carbon is being released as CO2 or methane, a more potent greenhouse gas. If all of it were released, it would more than double the carbon in the atmosphere.
Disease
Marburg Virus
Equatorial Guinea – Since the declaration of the outbreak on 13 February 2023, a total of 17 laboratory-confirmed cases of MVD and 23 probable cases have been reported as of 1 May. Among laboratory-confirmed cases, 12 deaths were recorded (CFR 75%). For one confirmed case, the outcome of the illness is unknown. All probable cases are dead.
Tanzania – Since the declaration of the MVD outbreak on 21 March 2023, a total of nine cases (eight laboratory-confirmed and one probable case) have been reported as of 30 April 2023. Among the total cases, six deaths were recorded (CFR 66.7%). Among the confirmed cases, three have recovered, and two have been reported among healthcare workers, one of whom died.
Monkeypox – South Korea
The Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters reported 6 additional confirmed cases (#55~60) after the announcement of a Mpox outbreak on May 3. To date, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Korea has reached 60.
Dengue Fever – Philippines
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Negros Oriental reports a spike in dengue fever cases in 2023 to date. The PHO reports 398 cases, including one death, which is 91 percent increase compared to the 208 cases reported last year during this time. Nationally, the Philippines has reported 32,799 total cases through April 8, a 61 percent increase compared to 2022.