Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes have killed at least 50 people and 52 cattle across Cambodia so far in 2018

Mom Kunthear
Khmer Times
Mon, 21 May 2018 12:48 UTC
A dead cow after being hit by lightning.
© Swift NewsA dead cow after being hit by lightning.
Lightning strikes have killed at least 50 people thus far this year, a government official said on Friday.

Keo Vy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, said in a statement that since January, 50 people have been killed and another 37 injured, while 52 cattle were killed and more than ten houses were damaged.

"Everyone must be careful during rainstorms and beware of lightning," he said. "Most will occur in April, May and June. It is a dangerous period for natural disasters."

Shortly after Mr Vy's statement was issued, two more people were killed as they slept after being struck with lightning at their home in Ratanakkiri province's Veun Sai district.
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Attention

3 monk seals found dead off Oahu, Hawaii

Dillon Ancheta
Hawaii News Now
Sat, 19 May 2018 12:30 UTC
Ua Malie previously seen resting with her pup on a beach.
© Nate Yuen/FacebookUa Malie previously seen resting with her pup on a beach.
NOAA officials are stressing the importance of reporting monk seal sightings following the discovery of three dead seals around Oahu this week.

The first dead monk seal was discovered Tuesday. NOAA officials say RK60 was found floating offshore in Kaneohe Bay.

The second discovery was made in Laie on Wednesday when a female pup was found dead. A day later, an adult female seal was found dead in Kahuku. That seal has been identified as Ua Malie, and is believed to be the dead pup's mother.

On all three seals, officials conducted examinations to determine the cause of death.
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Cloud Precipitation

Ice Age Farmer Report: Kilauea's explosive eruption, biblical hail kills people, crops


Ice Age Farmer
Fri, 18 May 2018 19:37 UTC
volcano
Explosive eruption at Kilauea this morning after increased seismic activity overnight. More massive hail storms around the world are damaging people, homes, animals, and crops alike, much as records from the previous Grand Solar Minima indicate happened in the past as well. Are you growing your own food yet?


Sources

Comment: See in addition for some more historical perspective: Baseball-sized hail: How severe hailstorms have caused devastation and killed people

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Black Cat

Mountain lion kills biker near North Bend, Washington


wpxi.com
Sun, 20 May 2018 13:58 UTC
A cougar
© DreamstimeA cougar
A mountain lion attacked two bikers, leaving one dead Saturday, according to King County Sheriff's officials.

See a photo of the mountain lion here (WARNING: Graphic).

Emergency crews responded to a report of a mountain lion attack in the foothills near North Bend around 11:20 a.m. Saturday, Eastside fire officials said.

Comment: Just to show the rarity of this kind of attack on people another report from The Seattle Times contains the following pertinent extract:
This was just the second fatal cougar attack in the state in the last 94 years, according to the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Interestingly, Wikipedia lists only 20 fatalities due to cougar attacks in North America between 1890 and 2011. Prior to 1990 most involved children while for the 3 most recent decades fatalities totaled 9 but with only one youngster killed

Are they becoming less wary and aggressive toward adults humans?.

See also these other reports from the last 5 years of non-fatal attacks on people: Jogger uses rock to battle cougar in attack on Vancouver Island, Canada

Cougar attacks pipeline worker near Grande Prairie, Canada

A third cougar attack within a month leaves six-year-old California boy injured

Teenager attacked by cougar in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

Some wild animals are losing fear of humans: Biologist recovering after cougar assault in Grand Prairie, Alberta

Cougar attack in British Columbia leaves woman in critical condition

Man fights off cougar with skateboard; Parks Canada tracking animal

Hiker attack by mountain lion reported near Waynesboro, Virginia

Man sustains minor injuries after attack by mountain lion near Libby, Montana

Mountain lion sought after apparent attack on homeless man, Perris, California

Mother pulls mountain lion off her 5-year-old son near Aspen, Colorado

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Tornado2

Viewer films "landspout" tornado near Pearl, Illinois

Meghan Danahey
kmov.com
Sun, 20 May 2018 13:36 UTC
Rex Kindheart captured a fantastic look at a
© Rex KindheartRex Kindheart captured a fantastic look at a "landpspout" tornado.
Rex Kindheart captured a fantastic look at a "landspout" tornado near Pearl, Illinois Tuesday evening.

So what exactly is a "landspout" tornado?

They are called "landspout" tornadoes because they form on the surface of the ground then stretch up into the thunderstorm cloud. They are usually very weak and don't live very long. This is the complete opposite of how classic strong tornadoes develop.

Classic tornadoes form with rotation aloft that tightens down toward the ground.
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Tornado2

Waterspout captured on camera off Fort Morgan, Alabama


wsfa.com
Sun, 20 May 2018 12:59 UTC
FOX10 News viewer Sam Sumlin provides these images of a waterspout seen from the beach at Fort Morgan.
FOX10 News viewer Sam Sumlin provides these images of a waterspout seen from the beach at Fort Morgan.
FOX10 News viewer Sam Sumlin shared these pictures and a video clip with us after he encountered a waterspout while he was on the beach on the Fort Morgan peninsula Saturday morning.

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Ice Cube

Ice tsunami breaches metal barriers as unseasonal cold drags into spring in Surgut, Russia


Siberia Times
Sat, 19 May 2018 12:00 UTC
ob river ice tsunami
Spectacular ice show attracts mesmerised crowds of onlookers in Surgut as world's 7th longest river defies spring.

By this time of year, boats are usually plying the ice-free Ob, but in 2018, while the winter covering the river has begun to move like a giant monster - but it has not cleared.

Far from it.

Here the thick ice is slowly drifting downstream in a northerly direction towards the Arctic yet with temperatures still of an unseasonal -5C, this could go on a while.
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Cloud Precipitation

Torrential rains flood city of New Orleans - over 4 inches in hour and a half

Jason Disharoon
wgno.com
Fri, 18 May 2018 14:15 UTC
3600 Block of Dumaine Street in Mid-City.
© Josh Adams3600 Block of Dumaine Street in Mid-City.
A series of summertime storms once again brought the city of New Orleans to its knees as flooded streets brought the evening commute to a screeching halt.

Up to four and a half inches of rain fell over parts of the city in as little as an hour and a half, clogging catch basins and causing flooding in areas that were also hard hit last August.

Mayor Latoya Cantrell lifted the parking restrictions on the neutral grounds across the city and encouraged citizens to get their cars to higher ground.

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Cloud Precipitation

Western Kansas wheat fields hit by severe hailstorm


High Plains Journal
Fri, 18 May 2018 13:57 UTC
Hail damaged field at Rich and Glenda Randall's near Scott City, Kansas.
© Kansas WheatHail damaged field at Rich and Glenda Randall's near Scott City, Kansas.
Storms ripped through western Kansas from Wallace County to Ness County in a swath 10 to 15 miles wide on May 14. Wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour and hail from pea-sized to baseball-sized broke out windows, dented cars and tore siding off of houses.

Wheat fields in the area weren't spared either. Fields that were already suffering from drought stress were completely destroyed by the "great white combine."

In Scott County, Glenda and Rich Randall estimate that they lost about 300 acres of wheat near their home. Within ten minutes, marble sized hail paired with 70 mile per hour winds tore through their irrigated wheat field. The wheat was just beginning to head out, but after the storm, it appeared as though it had been mowed off by a dull blade. Glenda said, "You looked outside, and it just looked like winter." Rich estimated that field, which was planted late after corn, would have made 40 bushels per acre, but now was a total loss. A field to the west also suffered severe damage, but Rich estimated it was only a 50 percent loss. On the upside, the Randalls did have multi-peril and hail insurance, as hail is common in their area.

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Cloud Precipitation

Massive hailstorm damages crops, wreaks havoc in many areas of Kashmir


Free Press Kashmir
Fri, 18 May 2018 13:29 UTC
hail damaged
Hail Storm wreaked havoc in several areas of Karnah Tangdarh in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, causing damage to crops and walnut trees.

The hailstorm on Friday afternoon caused extensive damage to orchards and crop fields in many areas of Tangdarh Karnh including Tangdar, Gumal, Nowpora, Hajinar, Bagbela, Shamspora, Badwan, Tangdar Naar, Shatkula and Lootha.

The hailstorm which continued for at least four minutes damaged crops and walnut trees as well, causing huge damage to the farmers and growers.

Comment: Across Asia this spring severe hailstorms have caused extensive damage to crops and orchards in Pakistan, several areas of India, Bhutan and Nepal.

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