Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 14s (Vernon), located approximately 999 nm east-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking southwestward at 20 knots.

NewsBytes:

Malaysia – Flooding has forced thousands of families to evacuate their homes in Malaysia after days of heavy rainfall. Flooding was also reported in several provinces of neighbouring southern Thailand where authorities say around 60,000 people have been affected. Flooding began in Peninsular Malaysia after heavy rainfall from 25 February 2022. The city of Kuala Trengganu in Terengganu recorded more than 400 mm of rain in 48 hours to 27 February 2022.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.7 earthquake hits offshore Bio-Bio, Chile.

5.2 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits east of the Kuril Islands.

Wildfires

Wildfires – South Korea

Forestry authorities struggled Saturday to extinguish a wildfire on a mountain in the northeastern county of Inje, officials said. There have been no reports of human casualties or property damage yet. The authorities deployed some 100 personnel and three helicopters to put out the blaze that broke out on a mountain in the county, 165 kilometers northeast of Seoul, at 4:39 p.m. The county sent a text message to residents close to the mountain to urge them to move to safer places.

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.1 earthquake hits south of Fiji.

5.0 earthquake hits the western Indian-Antarctic ridge.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 14s (Vernon), located approximately 934 nm east-southeast of Diego Garcia, is tracking north-northwestward at 05 knots.

Tropical cyclone 15s (Anika), located approximately 260 nm west-southwest of Darwin, Australia, is tracking southward at 05 knots.

Global Warming

Historic Sea Level Rise

An international team of researchers has determined that the modern trend of sea level rise began globally as early as 1863, when the Industrial Age began to produce the first surge in greenhouse gas emissions.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists say they examined tide records from 36 different regions around the world to find when and where the seas began to rise. They found it first started in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States between 1872 and 1894, and later in Canada and Europe. Sea level rise has mainly been driven by the thermal expansion of the oceans as the world warmed, as well as runoff from melting glaciers and ice sheets.

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.9 earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands.

5.5 earthquake hits Mindanao in the Philippines.

5.4 earthquake hits the Komandorskiye Ostrova region, Russia.

5.2 earthquake hits near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea.

5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.

5.0 earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.0 earthquake hits south of the Mariana Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the northern mid-Atlantic ridge.

5.0 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 14s (Vernon), located approximately 10061 nm east-northeast of Kingston, is tracking westward at 16 knots.

Tropical cyclone 15s (Anika), located approximately 220 nm west of Darwin, Australia, is tracking west-southwestward at 04 knots.

NewsBytes:

Australia – Three people have died in floodwaters and hundreds of Gympie residents have been told to evacuate as an extreme weather system continues to dump flooding rain across south-east Queensland.

Environment

Chernobyl radiation levels increase

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its surrounding area are showing increased radiation levels after heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the region, Ukrainian officials said Friday.

Online data from the Chernobyl exclusion zone’s automated radiation-monitoring system shows that gamma radiation has increased twenty times above usual levels at multiple observation points, which officials from the Ukrainian nuclear agency attributed to radioactive dust thrown up by the movement of heavy military equipment in the area.

Disease

Covid-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

Lassa fever – Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported an additional 91 confirmed Lassa fever cases the week ending February 20, bringing the total confirmed cases in 2022 to 450.

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.0 earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.2 earthquake hits Atacama, Chile.

5.0 earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.

5.0 earthquake hits the Ryukyu Islands off Japan.

5.0 earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Southern Hemisphere: Tropical cyclone 14s (Vernon), located approximately 176 nm southwest of the Cococ Islands, Australia, is tracking west-southwestward at 08 knots.

NewsBytes:

Brazil – The death toll from flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in the Brazilian city of Petropolis has surpassed 200.

Environment

Dual Harvest

A new solar power technique being launched in Kenya shows how the sun’s energy can be harvested twice by placing solar panels above rows of crops.

Known as agrivoltaics, the arrangement generates electricity while providing the partial shade some types of crops need. It also helps the soil to retain moisture. Cabbages grown under the well-placed solar panels were a third larger and appeared healthier than those in control plots with the same amount of fertilizer and water. The agrivoltaics configuration also allows the panels to collect rainwater to be stored for later use.