Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Brazil: Hepatitis A
The largest city in the Americas, São Paulo, Brazil is reporting a dramatic increase in hepatitis A cases this year according to data released by the Municipal Health Secretariat earlier this week. According to a local media report, between January 1 and September 16 of this year, the city recorded 517 cases of hepatitis A.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
There are no current tropical storms.
NewsBytes:
Pennsylvania, USA – A severe thunderstorm hammered western Pennsylvania Thursday evening, bringing with it flash flooding that shut down low-lying roads throughout the area. Severe thunderstorms walloped the Pittsburgh area Thursday afternoon and evening. The storms downed wires and trees and flooded roads across Allegheny County when it hit just after 4 p.m., according to initial reports.
India – Several northeastern states are taking stock of the situation following incessant rains over the last three days, which have triggered flash floods and landslides. The swollen Khawthlangtuipui river has submerged over 350 houses in Tlabung sub-division in Lunglei where eight persons died after flash floods caused by heavy rainfall wrecked havoc yesterday. Officials estimated that over 2,000 families were affected by the floods. The whole of south Mizoram – Serchhip, Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Siaha districts and eastern Champhai district bordering Myanmar remained cut off from the rest of the country for the third day today due landslides at many places. Around 10 buildings have submerged in the swelling waters of the Tlawng river. In Assam, the districts of Lakhimpur, Darrang and Hailakandi have been hit by floods affecting nearly 14,000 people in 39 villages there.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.3 Earthquake hits central Peru.
5.3 Earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits Krygyzstan.
5.1 Earthquake hits Tajikistan.
5.1 Earthquake hits near the coast of southern Peru.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Caucasus, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits eastern Sichuan, China.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the South Pacific: Tropical cyclone 18p (Donna), located approximately 318 nm north of Port Vila, Vanuatu, is tracking westward at 05 knots.
NewsBytes:
Missouri, USA – Flooding along the Meramec River near St. Louis has closed one major interstate and is threatening a second and hundreds of smaller roads and highways. That would cut off thousands of workers from getting to work and school. More than 200 homes have been damaged, and St. Louis County’s emergency management chief says another 1,500 are in harm’s way. The Meramec and other rivers in Missouri and Illinois rose sharply after significant rain in the past few days.
Louisiana, USA – A rainstorm dumped over 10 inches of rain in less than four hours on parts of Avoyelles, flooding homes, businesses and farmland throughout the parish. Approximately 100-125 homes were flooded and several roads were closed.
Lake Ontario, USA – The Lake is at its highest level in 24 years, roughly 20 inches above average, because of near-record spring rains. Waves are crashing over breakwalls and flooding hundreds of properties along the lake’s southern and eastern shores. Owners of lakeside homes are piling sandbags against the floodwaters.
Colombia: Leishmaniasis outbreak
Health officials have issued an epidemiological alert for the city of Neiva, located in south central Colombia due to a leishmaniasis outbreak, according to a La Nacion report (computer translated). The alert, issued on Apr. 26, came after a number of people became infected, including a four-month-old baby who died from the parasitic infection. In addition, of the approximately 1000 dogs from the street tested for the parasite, 500 turned out infected. The infected dogs were sacrificed, according to the report.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – New Activity for the week of 26 April-2 May 2017
Aira | Kyushu (Japan) : JMA reported that there were less than 10 small events at Showa Crater (at Aira Caldera’s Sakurajima volcano) during 26-27 April, the first eruptions at that crater since 26 July 2016. During 28 April-1 May there were 16 events, of which two were explosive, ejecting tephra up to 800 m from the crater. One of the explosive events, at 1101 on 28 April, generated an ash plume that rose 3.2 km above the crater rim. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a 5-level scale).
Ibu | Halmahera (Indonesia) : Based on PVMBG observations and satellite images the Darwin VAAC reported that during 26-27 and 29-30 April ash plumes from Ibu rose 1.5-1.8 km (5,000-6,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E, NE, and N.
Kambalny | Southern Kamchatka (Russia) : KVERT reported that moderate levels of activity at Kambalny continued during 21-28 April. The Aviation colour Code remained at Orange.
Langila | New Britain (Papua New Guinea) : Based on analyses of satellite imagery, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 26 April and 2 May ash plumes from Langila drifted E and NE at an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l.
Manam | Papua New Guinea : RVO reported that periods of Strombolian activity at Manam’s Southern Crater were observed during 24-30 April, and roaring and rumbling was heard. Explosions were also heard and sometimes followed by detectable shock waves. Most incandescent tephra fell back into the crater but some were deposited in the SW and SE valleys. Strombolian activity declined for a period on 25 April, and only dense gray ash plumes were seen rising from the crater. Activity was lower during 26-27 April. Strombolian explosions returned on 28 April; some of the explosions were strong and rattled nearby houses. One strong explosion and banging was heard at the Bogia Government Station. A period of moderate to moderately-high Strombolian activity was detected during 0200-0330 on 30 April. A small pyroclastic flow traveled down the SW valley, stopping around 200 m a.s.l. Scoria (up to 40 mm in diameter) and ash fell on the E side of the island in Abaria and Boakure.
Poas | Costa Rica : OVSICORI-UNA reported that during 30 April-1 May seismicity at Poás was characterized by volcano-tectonic events, long-period events, and low-amplitude tremor. A larger event was recorded at 0621 on 1 May, though there was no other confirmation of an eruption.
Global Temperature Extremes
The week’s hottest temperature was 116.0 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 degrees Celsius) in Nawabshah, Pakistan.
The week’s coldest temperature was minus 99.0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 72.8 degrees Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica.
Temperatures were tabulated from the more than 10,000 worldwide synoptic weather stations. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization sets the standards for weather observations, and provides a global telecommunications circuit for data distribution.
Wildfires – South Africa
A blaze which started in the Du Toitskloof mountains in Paarl in the Western Cape in the early hours of Tuesday morning has already ripped through about 250 hectares of land, destroying nine cottages and two guest houses along the way, fire services have confirmed.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.2 Earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits central Peru.
Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity – Ongoing Activity for the week of 26 October-1 November 2016
Bagana | Bougainville (Papua New Guinea): Based on analyses of satellite imagery and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 28-29 October ash plumes from Bagana rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted W.
Colima | Mexico: Based on satellite images, the Washington VAAC reported that on 30 October an ash plume from Colima rose to an altitude of 4.3 km (14,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted SW.
Dukono | Halmahera (Indonesia): Based on analyses of satellite imagery, information from PVMBG, and model data, the Darwin VAAC reported that during 26 October-1 November ash plumes from Dukono rose to altitudes of 2.1-2.4 km (7,000-8,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted NE and E.
Cleveland | Aleutian Islands, Alaska: The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) lowered the alert level to “yellow” after no activity has been detected at the volcano since its last eruption on 24 Oct (a small explosion). According to AVO, “recent satellite views indicate that the lava dome emplaced in late May was mostly destroyed in the explosion and has been replaced with a deep pit within the summit crater.”
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.6 Earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.
5.4 Earthquake hits the Pagan region in the North Mariana Islands.
5.2 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits the South Georgia Islands.
Two 5.1 Earthquakes hit off the east coast of Honshu Japan.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Komandorskiye Ostrava region, Russia.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Bonin Islands off Japan.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
6.2 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.8 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.8 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.6 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
5.1 Earthquake hits Tanzania.
5.0 Earthquake hits the State of Yap, Micronesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.
Gulf Stream slowdown to moderate warming in Europe
New research confirms the likelihood of a Gulf Stream slowdown in the North Atlantic. Scientists suggest the phenomenon will spare Europe from the worst of global warming.
Thermohaline Circulation is a massive ocean current system that carries warm water from the tropics north toward Europe. As water evaporates in the North Atlantic its salinity and density increase, and it sinks, cools and is carried south again.
The global conveyor belt includes wind-driven warm water surface currents like the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift — currents that moderate temperatures along the East Coast of the United States and Europe’s west coast.
Scientists have long predicted the Thermohaline Circulation would slow as global warming encouraged precipitation and polar melting, flooding the world’s oceans with cold freshwater.
Some researchers have speculated that a slowdown could precipitate an ice age in Europe.
New modeling by a team of researchers from the University of Sussex, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the University of California, Berkeley, show that’s not the case.
The slowdown won’t reverse global warming and plunge Europe into another ice age. Instead, it is expected to slow the rate of warming in the region. While the rest of the world warms more quickly, Europe will warm at a moderated pace.
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.1 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
5.0 Earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.0 Earthquake hits southeast of Easter Island.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
Tropical cyclone (tc) 02a (Two), located approximately 266 nm east of Masirah Island, is tracking south-southwestward at 04 knots.
Newsbytes:
Thailand – About six hours of heavy rain caused flooding over a large area of Khon Kaen’s Muang district on Monday, and in adjoining Kalasin province national park runoff from three days of rain inundated homes and farmland in Yang Talat district. In parts of downtown Khon Kaen the water was up to a metre deep.