Friday, November 12, 2010

**You must concentrate on one thing,
then everything else becomes easier.
But if you concentrate on many things,
you achieve nothing.**
Ravi Shankar


LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.8 BANDA SEA

Yesterday -
11/11/10 -
5.0 TONGA
5.7 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G
5.4 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.1 SOUTH OF MARIANA ISLANDS
5.1 SOUTHERN IRAN
5.3 MOLUCCA SEA

VOLCANOES -

PHILIPPINES - Mount Bulusan on Friday morning spewed ash and steam anew, the fourth time since Alert Level 1 was raised on the volcano last week. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the ash explosion occurred at 6:59 a.m. The explosion produced an ash and steam cloud which rose to about 700 meters above the volcano's summit. Before the explosion, 4 volcanic earthquakes were detected from the volcano and weak steaming was observed from the crater. Most of the ash is drifting towards Casiguran village in Escuala. The weather near the volcano remains clear unlike during the weekend when rain turned the ash into mud. Some residents have complained that the ash fall could trigger respiratory problems, which prompted many to wear gas masks.
Alert Level 1 was raised on Bulusan volcano after it emitted ash and steam over the weekend. Despite the ash explosion, residents within the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone refuse to leave their homes. Local officials are closely monitoring areas that may be affected by possible lahar flow from the volcano. The Phivolcs has repeatedly warned residents against possible lahar flows during heavy and continuous rainfall.

TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.

SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -

COLUMBIA's rainy season has now taken the lives of 117 people. Over all 1,170,480 people have been affected by the extreme weather, in 28 of Colombia's 32 departments. 191 people have been injured and 20 have disappeared, while 1,654 houses have been destroyed and 196,000 damaged. A proposal will be made to the Council of Ministers that a state of emergency be declared in Colombia, as the country experiences THE WORST RAINY SEASON IN 60 YEARS. (photo)

EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -

RUSSIA - Temperatures in the Russian capital soared to a RECORD HIGH FOR NOVEMBER on Wednesday, hitting 13 degrees Celsius (55.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by midday. Overcast skies may prevent the temperature from rising even further above the previous November high of 12.6 degrees Celsius. Moscow's average historical temperature in November is about -1 degree Celsius (30.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Russia was hit by a RECORD HEATWAVE and wildfires ravaged the country until well into October, killing dozens of people and causing a health crisis in the capital.