Sydney sweltered through its hottest New Year's Day on record yesterday as blowtorch conditions pushed the mercury to 44.2C (112F), causing power blackouts and sparking more than 40 bushfires along Australia's east coast.
Homes and cars were destroyed, towns isolated and roads cut off as firestorms raged across parts of New South Wales, Victoria and the capital, Canberra.
At least 35 people were treated for heat exhaustion at Sydney's beaches and 100 people were rescued by lifeguards.
NEW DELHI, India : A cold snap sweeping northern India has killed another five homeless people, taking the toll to 101 since the start of December.
Most of the fatalities were reported in northern Uttar Pradesh state, India's most populous and one of its poorest states. One-fifth of its population are homeless.
Comment: Comment: One fifth of the population is homeless??? !! We find that difficult to understand when you consider all the Western industry and money that has been outsourced to India... Obviously, somebody isn't planning things very well.
MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Zeta was expected to weaken Monday as it drifted westward over the central Atlantic, forecasters said.
The 27th named storm of a record-breaking hurricane season, Zeta had top sustained winds near 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said Zeta was not expected to become a hurricane or threaten land.
CARBON, Texas (AP) - Bill Sandlin and his wife saw smoke on the horizon as they returned home from church and started watering their yard.
But as flames approached, they packed clothes, pictures and his gun collection. They drove off just as flames started to engulf their house and three barns, located about 125 miles west of Dallas.
``We hate losing our stuff, but at least everybody's OK,'' Sandlin said.
Wildfires raged across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico on Sunday, burning homes and sparking a patchwork of flames across the region as gusting winds blew flaming embers into the dry grass.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- A moderate earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred in the Banda Sea, Indonesia, at 3.33am Monday, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Services Department.
The centre of the earthquake was located 1,180km southeast of Tawau, at co-ordinates 2.9 South, 125.9 East, it said in a statement here.
Based on its location and magnitude, the earthquake was not expected to generate a tsunami, it added.
HONG KONG -- A moderate earthquake struck under the sea near the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, Hong Kong seismologists said Monday. It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties or damage.
The magnitude-5.7 quake was recorded at 0108 GMT Monday, the Hong Kong Observatory said in a brief statement. The epicenter was about 90 kilometers (60 miles) south of the city of Agana, Guam, it said.
The small island of Guam is a US territory about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) east of the Philippine capital, Manila.
USGS 2006-01-02 -- A major earthquake occurred at 06:10:49 (UTC) on Monday, January 2, 2006. The magnitude 7.3 event has been located EAST OF THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)
Raging bushfires have destroyed at least 10 homes and threatened scores more in southeast Australia as a scorching heatwave hit Sydney with its hottest New Year's Day on record.
Temperatures soared up to 47 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit) as hundreds of firefighters backed by aircraft battled the blazes and sweltering residents of coastal cities flocked to the beaches.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) - A powerful storm sent rivers and creeks over their banks and into cities and set off mudslides that blocked major highways across Northern California on Saturday. At least a dozen people had to be rescued from the rushing water, and forecasters were warning of another storm on Sunday.
California officials urged residents along the Napa and Russian rivers and on hillsides to collect their valuables, gather emergency supplies and get out.
SEATTLE, Washington -- Roughly every three seconds, the equivalent of a large dump truck load of lava -- 10 cubic yards -- oozes into the crater of Mount St. Helens, and with the molten rock comes a steady drumfire of small earthquakes.
The unremitting pace, going on for 15 months now, is uncommon, said U.S. Geological Survey geologist Dave Sherrod. Experts say it is unclear what the activity signifies or how much longer it will continue.
Comment: Comment: One fifth of the population is homeless??? !! We find that difficult to understand when you consider all the Western industry and money that has been outsourced to India... Obviously, somebody isn't planning things very well.