Thursday, December 19News That Matters

Tag: coastal disaster

Cyclone Fengal to Make Landfall Near Puducherry Today, IMD Issues Red Alert for Southern States

Cyclone Fengal to Make Landfall Near Puducherry Today, IMD Issues Red Alert for Southern States

Breaking News, Disasters
Cyclone Fengal is set to make landfall near Puducherry this afternoon, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and high wind speeds. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu, South Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and interior Karnataka, warning of intense weather conditions and disruptions. Cyclone Fengal, positioned approximately 300-350 km off the Tamil Nadu coast as of Friday evening, is expected to make landfall between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram near Puducherry. Wind speeds are predicted to reach 70-80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h during the landfall, according to IMD Cyclonic Division Head Ananda Das. “Coastal districts of North Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh will experience heavy to extremely heavy rainfall,” said Das, adding that the cycl...
Cyclone Fengal to Bring Heavy Rain and Strong Winds to Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Fengal to Bring Heavy Rain and Strong Winds to Tamil Nadu

Breaking News, Disasters
Cyclone Fengal is intensifying over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram on the morning of November 30. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rainfall and heavy winds across Tamil Nadu in the coming days. S Balachandran, Director of the IMD’s Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre, stated that the storm is currently located 310 km southeast of Nagapattinam and 480 km south-southeast of Chennai. He said most parts of Tamil Nadu would see moderate rainfall over the next two to three days. Some areas, including Viluppuram, Cuddalore, and Chengalpattu, are likely to experience extremely heavy rainfall. Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the sea until November 31 as rough conditions are expected....
Cyclone Fengal Likely to Hit Tamil Nadu Puducherry Coast by November 30 Morning

Cyclone Fengal Likely to Hit Tamil Nadu Puducherry Coast by November 30 Morning

Breaking News, Disasters
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal will intensify into Cyclone Fengal within 12 hours, as it moves northwestward. The system is expected to cross the northern Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts, between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram, on the morning of November 30, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds. Current Location and Forecast The IMD reported the depression is currently stationary near latitude 9.0°N and longitude 82.1°E, about: 100 km east-northeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. 550 km south-southeast of Chennai. 370 km southeast of Karaikal. 470 km southeast of Puducherry. The system is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move north-northwest, skirting Sri Lanka's coast. Upon lan...
Breaking News Depression in Bay of Bengal Intensifies, Landfall Expected Between Chennai and Puducherry

Breaking News Depression in Bay of Bengal Intensifies, Landfall Expected Between Chennai and Puducherry

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a critical alert as a depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and East Equatorial Indian Ocean moves toward the Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coasts. The weather system is expected to intensify into a deep depression within the next 24 hours and could potentially make landfall between Chennai and Puducherry in the coming days. Current Position and Movement As of 11:30 AM IST on November 25, the depression was located at: 5.1°N latitude and 84.5°E longitude Approximately 530 km southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) 810 km southeast of Nagappattinam 920 km southeast of Puducherry 1,000 km south-southeast of Chennai The system is currently moving west-northwestward at a speed of 30 km/h. IMD’s Projections Accor...
Great Barrier Reef Faces Record Coral Mortality Amid Bleaching Crisis

Great Barrier Reef Faces Record Coral Mortality Amid Bleaching Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Learning & Developments
The Great Barrier Reef, a global icon of marine biodiversity, has suffered unprecedented coral loss, with Australian researchers reporting the highest mortality on record. Surveys conducted by the Australian Institute of Marine Science revealed up to 72% coral mortality across 12 reefs, driven by a summer of extreme weather, including mass bleaching, two cyclones, and flooding. Severe Decline in Northern Reefs In the reef's northern section, a third of hard coral perished the largest annual decline in 39 years of monitoring. Scientists fear similar devastation may have occurred in other parts of the 2,300-kilometer-long reef, known as the world's largest living structure. Mass bleaching occurs when rising sea temperatures force corals to expel the microscopic algae (zooxanthellae)...
Mysterious Black Balls on Sydney Beaches May Be “Fatbergs” Containing Human Waste and Chemicals

Mysterious Black Balls on Sydney Beaches May Be “Fatbergs” Containing Human Waste and Chemicals

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In mid-October, Sydney beaches were alarmingly littered with black, tar-like balls. Initial suspicions pointed to tar balls from an oil spill, but a detailed analysis revealed a more disturbing source: these black lumps are likely "fatbergs," congealed masses of human waste and pollutants, including chemicals from industrial and domestic runoff. The first sightings appeared on October 16 at Coogee Beach, with subsequent reports from Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, and Maroubra. Authorities closed the beaches amid concerns of toxic exposure, initially linking the spheres to oil. However, scientific analysis, led by a team from the University of New South Wales and multiple environmental agencies, found that only 30% of the black balls’ carbon content was fossil-based, ruling out oil as the prim...
Deep-Sea Rocks Reveal a Surprising Source of Oxygen That Could Support Life Beyond Light’s Reach

Deep-Sea Rocks Reveal a Surprising Source of Oxygen That Could Support Life Beyond Light’s Reach

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Oxygen essential to most complex life on Earth, is primarily produced by plants and photosynthetic organisms on land and underwater. However, a new study published in Nature Geoscience unveils a surprising discovery: oxygen production can occur in complete darkness, deep within the ocean where sunlight never penetrates. Scientists, aiming to understand oxygen consumption on the seafloor, unexpectedly observed a rise in oxygen levels in certain deep-sea sediments. This finding puzzled researchers, as it defied the typical expectation of oxygen depletion in such environments. The study found that the source of this “dark oxygen” production lies in polymetallic nodules and metalliferous sediments—concentrated deposits of metals on the ocean floor. These nodules, rich in metals like mang...
Scientists Edge Closer to Creating Heaviest Element Ever Using New Titanium Beam Technique

Scientists Edge Closer to Creating Heaviest Element Ever Using New Titanium Beam Technique

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment
In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have fused vaporized titanium with plutonium, successfully creating a few atoms of livermorium, one of the heaviest elements known. This accomplishment, achieved by using a new technique involving titanium-50 heated to nearly 1,650°C, marks an essential step toward synthesizing even heavier elements. Livermorium, first discovered in 2000, contains 116 protons and is far from the heaviest superheavy element ever produced—oganesson holds that record with 118 protons. However, this experiment isn’t about rediscovering old elements; it's a strategic move to develop the tools needed to produce element 120, known as unbinilium, a potential breakthrough in the field of nuclear science.   ...
Spain Deadliest Floods Claim Over 200 Lives Rescue Efforts Intensify Amid Rising Tensions

Spain Deadliest Floods Claim Over 200 Lives Rescue Efforts Intensify Amid Rising Tensions

Breaking News, Disasters
Spain faced a somber day as the death toll from the week’s devastating floods climbed past 200, marking the country's deadliest natural disaster in recent history. Heavy rains continued Friday, battering already-stricken regions and challenging strained rescue operations. The Valencia region suffered the worst, with 202 confirmed deaths, as announced by regional president Carlos Mazón. With an additional three fatalities reported in neighboring areas, the total has reached 205, and officials fear the count could rise as rescue teams work through mud-soaked towns and debris-filled streets. Late Thursday and early Friday, intense rains spread to other southern regions. In Andalusia, the province of Huelva was hit hardest as Halloween celebrations turned dangerous under relentless rain....
Historic Flooding in Spain’s Valencia Region Highlights Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Ocean Heat and Extreme Weather

Historic Flooding in Spain’s Valencia Region Highlights Climate Change’s Role in Intensifying Ocean Heat and Extreme Weather

Breaking News, Disasters
Spain's Valencia region faced catastrophic flooding due to record-setting torrential rains, resulting in at least 95 deaths and massive damage to infrastructure and homes. Rainfall totals reached a staggering 20 inches (500 mm) in some areas equivalent to the region's usual annual total. This devastating event was fueled by a low-pressure system that drew on an atmospheric river carrying high moisture levels from the unseasonably warm Tropical Atlantic. According to the Climate Shift Index: Ocean (CSI: Ocean), the unusually high sea surface temperatures were made up to 300 times more likely due to human-caused climate change. How Climate Change is Amplifying Ocean Heat The Climate Shift Index: Ocean, a tool grounded in peer-reviewed science and reliable data, evaluates the extent ...