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800 AM EDT SUN AUG 31 2008

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

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THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE GUSTAV…

LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ABOUT 375 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER…

AND ON TROPICAL STORM HANNA…LOCATED ABOUT 155 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 850 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.

AFP reports more than a million fled already Louisiana.

Uploaded by: WSBTVdotcom, March 15, 2008; 4:19min

A severe weather system moved into Georgia March 14 resulting in numerous injuries and major destruction and damage to areas of Atlanta and Fulton County, Ga.

The system produced one tornado, injuring at least 20 people and damaging dozens of homes and businesses, according to Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue.

Up to 80 different fires claimed already more than 50 lives in Greece, Europe. Yesterday Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis declared a nationwide state of emergency, mobilizing all resources.

International help started arriving today, with planes or firemen from France, Italy, and Cyprus and more help expected from Serbia, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Since June more than 3,000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country - nearly triple last year’s total - according to officials.

The smoke ranges from Greece to Tripolis, Lybia. Photo captured by Daily Terra - 2007-08-25.

The death toll from flood-related incidents in the archipelagonow stands at 46 according to officials and media reports. About 340,000 are displaced, many of them were staying with friends or family or at mosques and government buildings.

Some places are flooded up to five meters and freshwater situation is still scary. Health ministry fears that diarrhea and dysentery may break out, as well as illnesses spread by rats or cockroaches. Jakarta Post reports soaring absence of antibiotics in the city.

Jakarta is regularly struck with floods, though not on the scale as in recent days. Officials blame either poor urban planning or deforestation in Puncak or tropical storms.

The Indonesian minister, Rachmat Witoelar, predicted that some 2,000 of Indonesia’s estimated 18,000 islands would be swallowed by the sea within three decades because of man-made climate change according to latest IPCC SPM report.

More:
WHO: Emergency Report, flood map (5 Feb), Marek Bialoglowy’s Blog

Picture credit: Marek Bialoglowy

Indonesia is very vulnerable to climate change. The country is tropical, poor, crowded and archipelago. It’s capital Jakarta counts nearly 10 million inhabitants, has 12 rivers, is located directly to the coast and some 40 percent of the city’s land area is below sea level. In 2100, Indonesia’s population is projected to grow to 389 millions.

Today officials report current flooding has killed at least five people and left more than 100,000 others homeless. The last days of heavy rain inundated 20,000 homes, government buildings and businesses. Authorities cut electricity and water supplies in strucked areas. Flood victims also badly need clean water for their daily usage as tap water was cut off in the flood affected areas.

The meteorological office projects more rain in next 2 weeks.

More:
MPI: The impact of international climate policy on Indonesia

Picture credit: Marek Bialoglowy

Update: Jakarta satellite picture from Modis Realtime - 2007-02-04 06:20 UTC

The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) integrates remote sensing and GIS technologies to deliver MODIS active fire locations to natural resource managers and other stakeholders around the World in near real time. With a resolution of 1 square kilometers the service detects fires or thermal anomalies (volcanoes, …).

Fire detection is performed using a contextual algorithm that exploits the strong emission of mid-infrared radiation from fires. Under ideal conditions the smallest flaming fire that can be routinely detected is approximately 50 m

Though Kyrill was not an extrem storm its footprint is impressive. The storm struck Europe with hurricane-force winds over the course of two days, causing significant flight, rail, ferry and power disruptions, flooding, and building damage over a large part of Europe including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany. (more…)

Last weekend Sweden was hit by a strong storm with wind speeds of more than 100kph. Falling trees killed at least five people and hundreds of thousands were left without power. An estimated amount of that 12 million cubic metres of forest was felled.

The bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark was temporarily shut to all traffic, while nearly all train departures in southern Sweden and parts of Norway were canceled. The Swedish weather service SMHI said the storm was the worst to hit the country in two years.

Germany’s famous North Sea island and symbol Sylt lost 700,00 m3 sand used to protect the coast. Climate scientists warn more and more efforts are needed to save island from rising sea levels and Climate Change.

Tomorrow depression Kyrill is expected to arrive in Germany with hurricane strength. German weather service DWD warns gusts will have up to 150kph and whole country should prepare for heavy rain and Beaufort 11-12.

zdf.de: Orkan “Kyrill” kommt nach Deutschland

Picture credit: Naval Research Laboratory

Today Bushfire swept through transmission lines near Benalla, caused a massive blackouts in Victoria and affected 200,000. Temperature was at 39°C and network came under demand by cooling devices. Seen by Daily Terra, 2007-01-15.

Today tropical cyclone Clovis struck Madagascar. Clovis brought 1-minute maximum sustained winds to the region of around 120 km/h. Wind gusts in the area have been considerably higher. Captured by Daily Terra, 2007-01-02.