Ερχεται ο βαρύτερος χειμώνας της 10ετίας στην Ελλάδα. (Αναμένονται χαμηλές θερμοκρασίες και πολλά χιόνια σε όλη τη χώρα)

Ο πιο ψυχρός χειμώνας της τελευταίας 10ετίας στη χώρα μας και τα Βαλκάνια εκτιμάται ότι θα είναι ο φετινός καθώς έχουν πέσει αρκετά χιόνια αρκετά από τις 22 Οκτωβρίου, αλλά και θερμοκρασίες που σημειώνονται στη καρδιά του χειμώνα.
Ο χειμώνας που έχουμε μπροστά μας φαίνεται να μην έχει καμία απολύτως σχέση με προηγούμενους που επικράτησαν τουλάχιστον τη τελευταία 10ετία στη χώρα μας, οι οποίοι δεν είχαν πολλά χιόνια ούτε πολύ κρύο εκτός ελαχίστων εξαιρέσεων.

Φέτος φαίνεται να είναι η χρονιά των αντικυκλώνων στη δυτική Ευρώπη και η χρονιά των σφοδρών χιονοπτώσεων και του πολικού ψύχους στην ανατολική Ευρώπη. Οι αντικυκλώνες θα εγκατασταθούν στη δυτική Ευρώπη, αφήνοντας έτσι, όλα τα συστήματα και το κρύο από τη βόρεια Ευρώπη να κινηθεί προς τα Βαλκάνια και την Ελλάδα.
Χρονιές όπως το 1988, το 2001, το 2002, το 2004 και το 2008, είχε συμβεί κάτι παρόμοιο, ωστόσο το 1988, το 2001 και το 2004 τα φαινόμενα μέσα στο Χειμώνα ήταν ακραία και ασυνήθιστα σε όλη την Ελλάδα, ιδιαίτερα κατά τους μήνες Δεκέμβριο και Φεβρουάριο.
Στη Σιβηρία, φέτος μετά από πολλά χρόνια, επικρατεί ήδη αυτή την εποχή ψύχος με θερμοκρασίες ακόμα και -30oC. Το ψύχος αυτό αναμένεται να επισκεφτεί τη χώρας μας τόσο μέσα στον Νοέμβριο όσο και και στον Δεκέμβριο.
[tovima.gr]
2/11/14
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ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ:

• 2014-15: Ο πιο ψυχρός χειμώνας της τελευταίας δεκαετίας

• Weather forecasts predict colder winter in Europe this year

• Russia to supply enough gas to Europe in winter — (Putin)

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ΣΧΕΤΙΚΟ:

• Earth to face unprecedented heatwave in 2015

Earth to face unprecedented heatwave in 2015

NASA experts believe that in 2015, planet Earth will have to deal with an unprecedented heatwave. The forecast is based on temperature trends of recent years.

Since the start of permanent climate observations in 1880, the frequency of temperature anomalies has been growing. Occurrences of high average temperatures follow each other: in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2005 and 2010.
This September, average global temperature was 15.7 degrees Celsius, which is a new record for the past 135 years. During the first nine months of this year, average global temperature made up 14.7 degrees Celsius.

NASA experts say that the current year can be regarded the hottest since 1998. However, in the summer of 2015, different regions of the world will experience an unprecedented heatwave and drought, Rosbalt reports. 
Source: Pravda.Ru
30/10/14
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Related:

• 2014-15: Ο πιο ψυχρός χειμώνας της τελευταίας δεκαετίας

• Weather forecasts predict colder winter in Europe this year

• Climate catastrophe? Weather anomalies to double in 20 years – expert

2014-15: Ο πιο ψυχρός χειμώνας της τελευταίας δεκαετίας

Τον πιο «παγωμένο» χειμώνα της τελευταίας δεκαετίας στην Ευρώπη, περιμένουν για φέτος αρκετοί μετεωρολόγοι.
Ο Γερμανός μετεωρολόγος Ντομινίκ Γιουνγκ δήλωσε ότι ο χειμώνας του 2014-15 υπόσχεται να είναι αφύσικα παγερός. Οι χαμηλότερες θερμοκρασίες θα σημειωθούν τον Ιανουάριο και τον Φεβρουάριο, σημειώνει ο ίδιος. Και συνεχίζει: «Δεν θα πρέπει να αναμένει κανείς ανοιξιάτικη "απόψυξη" ούτε καν τον Μάρτιο. Οι Ευρωπαίοι θα μπορέσουν να ζεσταθούν στις ακτίνες του ήλιου όχι νωρίτερα από τον Απρίλιο.

Το τελευταίο διάστημα, ο καιρός δεν κάνει τα χατίρια των Ευρωπαίων. Το καλοκαίρι καίγεται τη μια φορά η Ελλάδα και την άλλη η Ισπανία. Και τον χειμώνα μπορεί να εμφανιστούν χιόνια του ενός μέτρου, το πολύ πολύ για μια μέρα. Οι παγωνιές που χτύπησαν την Ευρώπη την περσινή περίοδο πήραν μαζί τους και εκατοντάδες ζωές.
Στην Ιταλία, οι χιονοπτώσεις έγιναν αιτία για τεράστιες κυκλοφοριακές συμφορήσεις, αναβολές αεροπορικών πτήσεων και ποδοσφαιρικών αγώνων. Στη δε Μεγάλη Βρετανία, από το χιόνι που έπεσε τον Φεβρουάριο η κυκλοφορία παρέλυσε πρακτικά σε όλη τη χώρα».
Όλα αυτά είναι συνέπειες της κλιματικής αλλαγής, υποστηρίζουν οι επιστήμονες. 
[zougla.gr]
29/10/14
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ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ:

• Weather forecasts predict colder winter in Europe this year

• Russia to supply enough gas to Europe in winter — (Putin)

Over 400 trekkers rescued after Nepal mountain disaster

Over 400 people have been rescued in Nepal after a popular trekking route was hit by a major blizzard and avalanches earlier this week, the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) said Sunday.

“A total of 407 [181 Nepalis and 226 foreigners] have been rescued so far,” TAAN said in a statement citing Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The bodies of 15 Nepalis and 17 foreigners have been recovered and seven people are still unaccounted for, the trekking association said.

Nepal's worst mountain disaster occurred in the Mustang and Manang districts on Tuesday when the region was hit by an unseasonal snowstorm. Rescuers could only begin search efforts on Wednesday after the severe weather cleared.

Trekkers from all over the world travel to the Annapurna circuit of the Himalayas in October to hike the 150-mile route around the mountain which takes some three weeks to finish.
http://indian.ruvr.ru
19/10/14
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Related:

• 39 rescued from snowstorm hit area in Nepal 

• Nepal Annapurna: Search ends for surviving trekkers...

Cyclone Hudhud Hits India, Typhoon Vongfong Ravishes Japan

 - At least eight people have been killed, mostly due to collapsing walls and falling trees, and up to 400,000 have been evacuated in eastern India as powerful cyclone Hudhud raged through the country on Sunday, according to AP reports.

Officials say that at least two people were killed in the coastal state of Andhra Pradesh in southeast India: a man who was hit by a falling tree and a woman who was crushed by a collapsing wall, according to A. R. Sukumar, the state’s disaster management commissioner.
Three more people were reported killed in Odisha. On Saturday, an overloaded government evacuation boat capsized in Andhra Pradesh after it hit a tree trunk, drowning a 6-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, according to P. K. Mohapatra, the state’s special relief commissioner. A fisherman was killed while rescuing his boat at midnight on Saturday.

The cyclone brought heavy showers and strong gusts of wind, uprooting trees, disrupting electricity and bringing considerable damage to buildings and crops in the coastal districts. Rescue workers used helicopters, aircraft and ships to carry out relief operations and set up hundreds of shelters to house those who were evacuated.
On Monday, the storm was downgraded to a tropical depression, with wind speeds slowing to 70 kilometers per hour, considerably slower than on Sunday.

Another natural disaster lashed Asia over the weekend. At least 37 people were injured and 150,000 were told to evacuate when Typhoon Vongfong raged through Japan, hitting the island of Kyushu after battering the southern island of Okinawa.

The typhoon toppled trees, flooded streets and cut power to more than 60,000 homes. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the typhoon could reach the Tokyo area by Tuesday, predicting that it would gradually lose strength and be downgraded to a tropical storm as it moves up the archipelago.
(RIA Novosti)
13/10/14
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Related:

• Orange typhoon alert issued in China. (Typhoon Vongfong generates giant waves)

• Powerful typhoon makes landfall on southwestern Japan...

• Powerful Typhoon Vongfong churned towards Japan on Saturday (Oct 11), injuring at least a dozen people as it pounded the southern Okinawan islands with ferocious winds and driving rain....

• Super Typhoon Vongfong, World's Strongest Cyclone of 2014; Dangerous Threat to Okinawa, Japan This Weekend (FORECAST)

Super Typhoon Vongfong, World's Strongest Cyclone of 2014; Dangerous Threat to Okinawa, Japan This Weekend (FORECAST)

As of 12 a.m. Japanese time Thursday (11 a.m. EDT Wednesday in the U.S.), the eye of Vongfong was just under 600 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, moving northwest at 8 mph.

Maximum sustained winds had tailed off a bit, but were still an estimated 165 mph, solidly the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, according to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

With low vertical wind shear (change in wind speed and/or direction with height), impressive outflow (winds in the upper levels spreading apart from the center, favoring upward motion and thunderstorms) and warm western Pacific water, Vongfong intensified explosively.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Vongfong surpassed Genevieve for the most intense western Pacific typhoon of 2014 by estimated central pressure (900 millibars). On the JMA typhoon intensity scale, Vongfong is the third "violent typhoon" of 2014, following Genevieve and Halong.

"It's safe to say Vongfong was the strongest storm on earth since Haiyan last year," said Michael Lowry, storm specialist for The Weather Channel. Haiyan killed over 6,000 people when it slammed into the Philippines in November 2013 with maximum sustained winds estimated at 195 mph by JTWC.............http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/typhoon-vongfong-japan-threat-20141006
8/10/14
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Related:

• Some 400,000 told to evacuate in Japan amid Typhoon Phanfone

• Japon: le typhon Phanfone a fait 6 morts...

• Death toll in Typhoon Fung-Wong climbs to 7 in Philippines. (A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm)

• Some 22 million displaced by natural disasters in 2013, UN-backed report reveals

Prolonged Drought Plagues Oklahoma Farmers

ALTUS, OKLAHOMA— Parts of western Texas and southwestern Oklahoma have been in drought conditions for several years running and the deficit in rainfall has taken a heavy toll on cotton and grain production...

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said the state has suffered $2 billion in agricultural losses since 2011. There has been rain in recent weeks, but for most farmers it is too late.
Sometimes the rain falls hard now, but it was really needed several weeks ago when crops were at a critical stage of growth.

Farmer Matt Muller said his part of Oklahoma has been without sufficient rainfall for some time.
 “We were doing quite well farming until about 2010, the fall of 2010, when it basically stopped raining and for the past four years we have been in continuous drought,” said Muller.
A cool, wet spring and early summer this year gave Muller and other area farmers some hope.
“Things looked phenomenal because of the mild temperatures and the showers we were able to catch, but then August first it is like a blowtorch showed up,” said Muller.
High temperatures and lack of rain doomed most crops, but Muller said the drought-resistant Mung beans he planted did well.
“When it started raining, we jumped in and tried that crop and it was able to beat the heat of August and finish out and make a decent crop before it burned up in August,” he said.
Such drought-tolerant alternative crops and the use of irrigation where aquifers are not depleted help farmers get by, but yields on big-money crops like cotton are low.
Cotton farmer Clint Abernathy has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in machinery, like a cotton picker, but production in the past few years has fallen short of expectations.
“This year we did have enough rain in June and July to grow a crop that looks better and it is better, but this is ground where we normally would want to make three-bale an acre plus on and right now we are looking at a half to three-quarter of a bale cotton crop,” said Abernathy.
He said before the drought he produced much bigger plants with many more bolls of cotton. Crop insurance has helped, but Abernathy said what farmers really need is more water and better prices for what they produce.
“Even with crop insurance we are going downhill. Our insurance yield keeps going down every year. Prices on all commodities, except livestock, just keep going down,” said Abernathy.
Livestock prices dipped a few years ago when drought drove many ranchers to sell off herds, but few farmers in this area have anything to sell now. The less money they have to spend, the less money circulates in the local economy.
So farmers here in southwestern Oklahoma are hoping for next year will be a better year.    
voanews.com
22/9/14
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Related:

• California Experiencing Most Severe Drought Ever Recorded

Night flight operations in N. Philippine airport halted due to typhoon damage

Night flight operations in an international airport in northern Philippines have been suspended after its runway was partly damaged by tropical storm Fung-Wong (local name Mario), the state aviation agency said Monday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that it has informed the airline operators that arrival and departure of their aircraft were temporarily halted from sunset to sunrise at the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte province.
It cited the breakdown of the airport's runway edge light after the heavy rains spawned by Fung-Wong inundated the runway, grounding electrical connections.

"Airlines are only allowed to operate during day time from 6 a. m. to 6 p.m. until the grounded portion of runway are fixed," CAAP said.

Technical personnel were already deployed in the area to fix the problem, it added.

As of Monday, Fung-Wong has left 11 people dead, 12 injured and two missing.

• Of the 258,976 families affected in 1,126 villages in 27 provinces in northern part of the Philippines, including Metro Manila, 30,266 families or 129,676 individuals were being assisted at 324 evacuation centers.

Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
22/9/14
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Related:

• Powerful Storm Blows Through Taiwan, Hits China 

• Death toll in Typhoon Fung-Wong climbs to 7 in Philippines. (A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm)

• The tropical storm Fung-Wong which begun in Philippines earlier this week causing heavy flooding and five deaths is expected to hit Taiwan by Monday, according to the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan....

Powerful Storm Blows Through Taiwan, Hits China

Taiwan has begun cleanup efforts after Tropical Storm Fung-Wong pounded the island with massive downpours, while China braced for the onslaught of the upgraded Typhoon Fung-Wong.

The powerful storm arrived in Taiwan Sunday, pounding the north and south of the island but causing only limited damage. It blew into the South China Sea Monday morning, leaving at least one person dead and four injured.
East China's Zhejiang Province faced a strengthened storm as Fung-Wong made landfall Monday afternoon.

Authorities say more than 157,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas.

Fung-Wong, which means "phoenix" in Chinese, caused severe damage when it moved through the Philippines Friday and Saturday, killing at least five people.http://www.voanews.com/content/powerful-storm-blows-through-taiwan-hits-china/2457819.html
22/9/14
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Related:

• Death toll in Typhoon Fung-Wong climbs to 7 in Philippines. (A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm)

• The tropical storm Fung-Wong which begun in Philippines earlier this week causing heavy flooding and five deaths is expected to hit Taiwan by Monday, according to the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan....

Death toll in Typhoon Fung-Wong climbs to 7 in Philippines. (A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm)

Typhoon Fung-Wong, which was enhanced by southwest monsoon, left at least seven people dead in the northern parts of the Philippines, including Metro Manila, the state disaster management agency said Saturday.

In its 8:00 a.m. report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that six other people were injured, while one was missing.

Of those who died, two were female and the rest were male, who were either drowned, electrocuted or hit by falling objects.

A 55-year old male was reported missing in Quezon City, Metro Manila.

• A total 118,839 families or 530,438 persons were affected by the storm, of which 23,581 families or 93,062 individuals were inside 181 evacuation centers.

Some areas in the provinces of Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Laguna and Occidental Mindoro were experiencing power interruption.

A total of 2,400 passengers, 15 vessels, 254 rolling cargoes were stranded in central region of Visayas due to rough sea condition.

Meanwhile, 46 flgihts, six international and 40 domestic, were diverted or canceled.

An estimated 87 roads and five bridges are still not passable in the capital region of Metro Manila and southern Luzon island.
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
20/9/14
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Related:

• Heavy Rain Floods Philippine Capital; Markets, Schools Shut

• Some 22 million displaced by natural disasters in 2013, UN-backed report reveals 

• Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations

• VIDEO. Philippines : Haiyan, "le typhon le plus puissant jamais connu"./Officials say death toll in Leyte province expected to be as high as 10,000

• Vers des cyclones plus violents et pluvieux .

  Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

• Προειδοποίηση για εκδήλωση Ελ Νίνιο (ΜΕ ΞΗΡΑΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΗΜΜΥΡΕΣ)

• Climate catastrophe? Weather anomalies to double in 20 years – expert

Heavy Rain Floods Philippine Capital; Markets, Schools Shut

A tropical storm dumped heavy rain on the Philippine capital on Friday, flooding many parts of the city, shutting schools, government offices and financial markets.

Thousands of residents in low-lying areas were moved to higher ground, officials said, as flood waters rose quickly after the equivalent of half a month's usual rain fell in six hours.

The Philippine Stock Exchange suspended trade after the government cancelled work and classes in the capital.

Trading at the electronic foreign exchange platform Philippine Dealing System was also suspended, with clearing and settlement cancelled for the day.

Tropical storm Fung-Wong, with maximum winds of 85 kph (50 mph) and gusts of up to 100 kph (62 mph), was hovering about 210 km (130 miles) east of Casiguran town in northern Aurora province.

It is expected to hit land at around noon on Friday and move northwest at 22 kph (13 mph) towards the South China Sea.

About 7,000 people were evacuated in Marikina City in the eastern part of the capital where a swollen river caused flooding, said Del De Guzman, city mayor.

"We are now on sweeping operations for those trapped by the floods. The rains were so heavy, so fast, some were not able to evacuate," De Guzman said in an interview with GMA TV, adding the government was sending amphibious vehicles and rubber boats to help get people out.
http://indian.ruvr.ru
19/9/14
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Some 22 million displaced by natural disasters in 2013, UN-backed report reveals

UN, 17 September 2014 – A new United Nations-backed report launched today reveals that 22 million people worldwide were displaced in 2013 by disasters sparked largely by earthquakes or climate- and weather-related events – almost three times more than by conflict in the same year. The report, Global Estimates 2014: people displaced by disasters, conducted by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), shows that the risk of displacement due to disasters has more than doubled over the last four decades–largely due to the growth and concentration of urban populations, particularly in vulnerable countries.

“This increasing trend will continue as more and more people live and work in hazard-prone areas. It is expected to be aggravated in the future by the impacts of climate change,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, at a Headquarters conference. Launching the report alongside Mr. Egeland, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the report was “extremely timely” as it highlights the need for early warning systems and emergency evacuations in today’s world of increasing and intensifying disasters. “The numbers of people who need humanitarian assistance, and the cost of helping them, are skyrocketing. We need to shift our focus to prevention and preparedness in close cooperation with national partners,” said Mr. Eliasson. The report calls for action to be taken to reduce disaster risk and to help communities adapt to changing and more unpredictable weather patterns, to prevent further displacement.
  According to the report, both wealthy and poorer countries are affected, although developing countries bear the brunt, accounting for more than 85 per cent of displacement. But as in previous years the worst affected was Asia, where 19 million people, or 87.1 per cent of the global total, were displaced. In the Philippines, typhoon Haiyan alone displaced 4.1 million people, a million more than in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania combined. 

Seasonal floods also caused significant displacement in sub-Saharan Africa, most notably in Niger, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan – countries with highly vulnerable populations who are also affected by conflict and drought.
Africa’s population is predicted to double by 2050 therefore displacement risk is expected to increase faster than in any other region in the world.
The extent to which populations in the most developed countries are exposed to hazards also led to some of the world’s largest displacements. Typhoon Man-yi in Japan displaced 260,000 people and tornadoes in the United States state of Oklahoma 218,500.
As the world gears up to solidify a post-2015 development agenda, there will also be an opportunity to include the needs and challenges of internally displaced people in negotiations.
“As we prepare for the [Secretary-General’s] climate summit next week the devastating impact of disasters and the massive displacement we see as a result, highlight the need for strong and decisive action to tackle the catastrophic threat of climate change,” Mr. Eliasson said. 
un.org
17/9/14
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Related:  

• Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations

• VIDEO. Philippines : Haiyan, "le typhon le plus puissant jamais connu"./Officials say death toll in Leyte province expected to be as high as 10,000

• Vers des cyclones plus violents et pluvieux .

  Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

• Προειδοποίηση για εκδήλωση Ελ Νίνιο (ΜΕ ΞΗΡΑΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΗΜΜΥΡΕΣ)

• Climate catastrophe? Weather anomalies to double in 20 years – expert

Weather forecasts predict colder winter in Europe this year

The upcoming winter in European is expected to be colder than the 2012-2013 winter, Russian federal hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring service (Rosgidromet) said on Tuesday.

“Frequent invasions of cold air with short warm spells are expected,” said Rosgidromet head, Roman Vilfand.

He said that last year’s stable cyclonic weather in the Arctic had ensured the influx of warm air from the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasts for the coming winter say that cyclones in the Arctic will be followed by anticyclones that will “pump” icy wind from the Barents and Kara Seas to Western Europe. The coldest weather is expected in February when air temperatures may drop much below average.
Winter will be also cold in European Russia, in Belarus and Ukraine.

According to Rosgidromet forecasts, the weather in western Ukraine will be colder than usual in November. Colder weather is also forecasted in the Caucasian republics. February will be the coldest winter month.http://en.itar-tass.com/non-political/749856
16/9/14
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Exxon Starts "Most Controversial Oil Rig in the World”

For the oil industry, business comes first. After years of preparation, on Saturday ExxonMobil began drilling a $700 million well in the Kara Sea in Russia’s Arctic. It is Russia’s most northerly well.

In doing so, the oil giant has ignored growing concerns over Russia’s role in the Ukrainian conflict, and the sanctions imposed on its business partner, Rosneft, which is run by a close associate of Putin, Igor Sechin, who is also personally blacklisted.

Indeed, the go ahead shows just how ineffectual the sanctions against Russia really are. Exxon’s excuse is that the contract to hire the rig was signed before sanctions were announced, but the oil giant is still working with Putin’s blacklisted inner circle.

Exxon has also ignored huge questions over whether an oil spill in the region could be contained. And of course it has totally disregarded the issue of climate change and the need to disinvest from fossil fuels in the most ecologically sensitive areas, such as the Arctic.

Not surprisingly, the start of drilling was praised by President Putin, who many people feel has blood on his hands over Ukraine. Putin sang the praises of Exxon, calling it “Russia’s old and reliable partner.”

He also labelled the joint venture as a model of “efficient international cooperation” which Russia was “open to expand.”

Putin added “businesses, including Russian and foreign companies, perfectly realize that and despite certain current political difficulties, pragmatism and common sense prevail, and we are pleased to hear that.”

Rosneft is certainly excited by the Kara Sea drilling. The well, known as Universitetskaya, is the first of as many as 40 offshore wells the Russian company plans to drill in the Arctic by 2018.

Igor Sechin calls the drilling of the Kara Sea well the “most important event of the year for the global oil and gas industry. As a result of this work we are planning to discover a new Kara sea oil province. Developing of the Arctic shelf has a huge multiplicative effect on the whole Russian economy.”

Sechin brags about the so-called vast reserves of the region arguing that “The volume of resources exceeds the oil and gas resources of the Gulf of Mexico, the Brazilian shelf, the shelf of Alaska and Canada, and it will be comparable to the resource base of Saudi Arabia.”

Exxon for its part said it was keen to carry on investing in Russia. “Our cooperation is a long-term one,” a spokesperson said. “We see big benefits here and are ready to work here with your agreement.”

Many environmentalists are outraged by Exxon’s Arctic plans. Gustavo Ampugnani, an Arctic campaigner at Greenpeace, argues that “The West Alpha platform is fast becoming the most controversial oil rig in the world. He added that Exxon and Rosneft’s plan “to drill in the ecologically sensitive Arctic is nothing less than absurd.”
 http://ecowatch.com
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Related:

• Arctique: Washington souhaite coopérer avec Moscou

Typhoon Rammasun strikes South China

Super typhoon Rammasun, the strongest to hit South China since 1973, made landfall in Wenchang, South China's Hainan Province on Friday afternoon, and continued to ravage Guangdong Province on Friday evening.

According to the National Meteorological Center, the typhoon landed in Wenchang packing rainstorms and winds of up to 60 meters per second and the lowest central atmospheric pressure dropped to 910 hectopascals.

The meteorological center forecast that some of the coastal areas in Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region would have to sustain gales and heavy rainstorms until Sunday. The rainfall is expected to surpass 600 millimeters in some of the regions.

The center is warning against possible geological disasters including landslides and mudslides in Yunnan Province and Hainan, and water logging in farmland as well as in-city surface water logging in Hainan, southwestern Guangdong and southern Guangxi.

Although more than 198,000 fishermen and residents in areas in possible danger in Hainan had been evacuated by 8 am Friday, around 1,300 people were trapped in rural Wenchang soon after the typhoon landed, according to the Hainan provincial command center for flood prevention, drought control and typhoon response. At least one person died in Wenchang, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Hainan provincial tourism authority issued an urgent circular on Friday and Guangdong provincial authorities put their emergency response system at the highest level.

Typhoon Rammasun is expected to land in Guangxi early on Saturday morning. "This is possibly the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Guangxi since 1949," said Zhang Ling, chief forecaster at the Typhoon and Marine Forecast Center of the China Meteorological Administration.

The typhoon had killed 64 and injured another 100-plus in the Philippines by Friday since it made landfall there Tuesday night.
 By Ni Dandan Source:Global Times 
19/7/14
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Related:

• Rammasun strengthens to super typhoon

• Beijing prepares for more wild weather...

• Central and Southwest China: Concern for ancient buildings after floods 

• Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

• Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations 

Rammasun strengthens to super typhoon

HAIKOU, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Rammasun has strengthened to a super typhoon and is expected to make landfall in south China's island province of Hainan or coastal area of Guangdong Province on Friday afternoon, Hainan provincial meteorological station said on Friday.

Rammasun packing rainstorms and winds of up to 180 km per hour, is moving northwest at a speed of 20 to 25 km per hour and will probably land in Qionghai City of Hainan or Dianbai District, Maoming City of Guangdong, according to the station's forecast.

The super typhoon is expected to be the strongest that Hainan Province has witnessed in 40 years. 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-07/18/c_133493184.htm

18/7/14

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Related:

• Central and Southwest China: Concern for ancient buildings after floods 

• Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

• Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations 

Typhoon Rammasun leaves at least 27 dead in Philippines

MANILA: The death toll from the first typhoon of the Philippines' rainy season climbed to at least 27 on Thursday, authorities said, as millions in the capital and elsewhere endured a second day without power.

As Typhoon Rammasun moved further towards southern China, streets across Manila remained littered with fallen trees, branches and electrical posts while repairmen struggled to restore power services.

The head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Alexander Pama, said that his agency had confirmed 20 fatalities as of late Wednesday, but he expected the death toll to rise with more reports coming in.


"Most of the deaths were hit by falling trees, primarily by debris," Pama told ABS-CBN television.

The council listed five people missing and seven injured. Governors of provinces outside Manila said they had recorded seven other deaths not yet on the council's total.

The typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Tuesday before crossing over the main island of Luzon and then moving westward out to the South China Sea by the middle of Wednesday. 
AFP
[timesofindia.indiatimes.com]
17/7/4
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• Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations

• Typhoon kills 10 in Philippines, shuts Manila, cuts power, prompts evacuations...

• VIDEO. Philippines : Haiyan, "le typhon le plus puissant jamais connu"./Officials say death toll in Leyte province expected to be as high as 10,000

• Vers des cyclones plus violents et pluvieux .

Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, triggers mass evacuations

MANILA - Philippine authorities evacuated almost 150,000 people from their homes and shuttered financial markets, government offices, businesses and schools on Wednesday as typhoon Rammasun gathered strength and hit the capital, Manila.
The typhoon, the strongest to hit the country this year, has already torn through eastern islands, toppling trees and power lines and causing blackouts. On Wednesday, it brought storm surges to the Manila Bay area and prompted disaster officials to evacuate slum-dwellers on the capital's outskirts.

"The wind is very strong, stronger than the rains. It's something that I've never experienced in the past," Mark Leviste, vice governor of Batangas province south of the capital, said in a radio interview.

• Parts of the Philippines are still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan, one of the biggest cyclones known to have made landfall anywhere. It killed more than 6,100 people last November in the central provinces, many in tsunami-like sea surges, and left millions homeless.

Typhoon Rammasun was gusting up to 185 kph (115 mph) on Wednesday with sustained winds of 150 kph (93 mph) near its centre.
A 25-year-old woman was killed when she was hit by a falling electricity pole as Rammasun entered the country's eastern coast on Tuesday, the Philippine disaster agency said.
Nearly 150,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in low-lying and coastal areas. More than 60 international and domestic flights have been cancelled over the past two days.
Trading at the Philippine Stock Exchange and Philippine Dealing System, used for foreign exchange trading, were suspended after government offices were ordered shut.
Tropical Storm Risk rated Rammasun as a category-three typhoon, on a scale of one to five where five is the most severe. It is expected to bring heavy to intense rainfall of up to 30 mm per hour within its 500-km (300-mile) radius.
Rammasun was expected to bring storm surges of up to three metres (10 feet) in coastal villages, the weather bureau said. REUTERS
http://www.todayonline.com/world/typhoon-shuts-down-philippine-capital-triggers-mass-evacuations
16/7/14
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Related:

• VIDEO. Philippines : Haiyan, "le typhon le plus puissant jamais connu"./Officials say death toll in Leyte province expected to be as high as 10,000

• Vers des cyclones plus violents et pluvieux .

 

Storm "Arthur" to turn into hurricane by Thursday (Hatteras Island in North Carolina evacuation)

US authorities announced the evacuation of residents of Hatteras Island in North Carolina because of the approaching tropical storm "Arthur." This was announced today that the regional emergency service. Start of the evacuation of residents and visitors of the island is scheduled for 5:00 Thursday local time (13:00 MSK). Gusts of wind, rough seas and flooding of the highway connecting the island to the mainland are expected in the region.

"All residents and visitors of the island are advised to leave it as soon as possible during the day," it says in the message.

Earlier storm alert was issued in the state. According to experts from the National Centre for Monitoring hurricanes in Miami, "Arthur" continues to gain strength and will turn into a hurricane on Thursday.

For now it is unclear where exactly it would hit the land, but scientists believe that it might happen right next to Cape Hatteras.

East Coast residents fear that "Arthur" can ruin their plans to celebrate on Friday one of the major US national holidays, Independence Day. Americans often spend this day outdoors, having picnics with friends. In many cities, including Washington and New York, colorful fireworks are usually taking place. This year heavy rains and strong winds might cancel these plans.

The hurricane season in Atlantic usually lasts from June 1 to November 30. It is expected that this year it will not be very active. According to the meteorologists’ forecasts, from 8 to 13, tropical storms will be started over the Atlantic. About three or six of them will turn into hurricanes, and one or two will grow up to the third category of danger according to the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Atmospheric phenomenon is classified as a storm and gets its own name, if the wind speed reaches its epicenter at 63 kilometers per hour. Storm becomes a hurricane when wind speed reaches 118 km per hour.
[voiceofrussia.com]
3/7/14
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Προειδοποίηση για εκδήλωση Ελ Νίνιο (ΜΕ ΞΗΡΑΣΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΗΜΜΥΡΕΣ)

Για τον κίνδυνο εκδήλωσης ενός σοβαρού μετεωρολογικού φαινομένου Ελ Νίνιο, με ξηρασίες και πλημμύρες προειδοποίησε ο Παγκόσμιος Οργανισμός Μετεωρολογίας.

«Ο κόσμος πρέπει να προετοιμαστεί για μια νέα εκδήλωση του Ελ Νίνιο, καθώς η πιθανότητα ανάπτυξής του ανέρχεται σε 60% τον Ιούνιο και τον Αύγουστο και σε 75% με 80% για την περίοδο Οκτωβρίου-Δεκεμβρίου», επισημαίνεται στο ενημερωτικό δελτίο του οργανισμού του ΟΗΕ.

«Πολλές κυβερνήσεις έχουν ήδη αρχίσει να προετοιμάζονται για την έλευση του Ελ Νίνιο», προσθέτει ο διεθνής οργανισμός που διευκρινίζει, ωστόσο, ότι το φαινόμενο θα έχει μάλλον «μέτρια» ένταση, και όχι «ασθενή», ούτε «ισχυρή».

Σε συνέντευξη Τύπου σήμερα στη Γενεύη, οι ειδικοί του Παγκόσμιου Οργανισμού Μετεωρολογίας δήλωσαν ότι ακόμη είναι πολύ νωρίς να πουν ποιες περιοχές στον κόσμο θα πληγούν και από ποιο φαινόμενο, αν αυτό είναι ξηρασία, σφοδρές βροχοπτώσεις ή πλημμύρες.

«Θα γνωρίζουμε περίπου τον Αύγουστο», δήλωσε ο δρ. Ρούπα Κουμάρ Κόλι, υπεύθυνος του τμήματος για το παγκόσμιο κλίμα του οργανισμού, προσθέτοντας ότι η πρόβλεψη για την εκδήλωση του Ελ Νίνιο δεν έχει οριστικοποιηθεί πλήρως, καθώς μένει να συνυπολογιστούν ατμοσφαιρικά δεδομένα, για να επιβεβαιωθεί η έλευσή του.
http://www.elzoni.gr/html/ent/161/ent.46161.asp
28/6/14
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