News

Florida Braces for Category Four Hurricane Florida, 28 Sep (ONA) --- Millions of Florida residents are bracing for life-threatening storm surges, catastrophic winds and flooding as the hurricane racing towards its shores intensifies to a category four. Hurricane Ian, which has already thrashed western Cuba, will reach Florida later today, BBC news reported. The storm, with maximum sustained winds rising to near 250 km/h (155 mph), is "rapidly intensifying", the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. It is due to hit the Tampa Bay region in Florida. The area is among the ...

Hurricane Ian Lashes Cuba, Aims at Florida Havana, 27 Sep (ONA) --- A strengthening Hurricane Ian’s rain and winds lashed Cuba’s western tip, where local authorities have evacuated 50,000 people, as it became a major Category 3 storm early today and roared on a path that could see it hit US Florida’s west coast as a Category 4 hurricane. Officials in Cuba’s set up 55 shelters, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops ahead of Ian’s expected landfall early today. The US National Hurricane Center said the island’s west coast could see as much as 14 ...

Vietnam Imposes Curfew, Evacuations Ahead of Typhoon Noru Hanoi, 27 Sep (ONA) --- Vietnam imposed a curfew and evacuated over 800,000 people as a powerful typhoon that had flooded villages and left at least eight dead in the Philippines aimed today for the country’s central region. People living near the coast where Typhoon Noru was expected to slam early tomorrow had been ordered to take shelter. Schools were closed and public events cancelled. Flights at five regional airports were cancelled and train service halted until the typhoon passes. The weather agency said Noru ...

Hurricane Ian Nears Cuba on Path to Strike Florida Havana, 26 Sep (ONA) --- Hurricane Ian moved near the Cayman Islands and closer to western Cuba early today on a track to hit Florida, USA as a major hurricane this week. Ian was forecast to intensify rapidly and become a major hurricane as soon as late Monday before becoming an even stronger Category 4 hurricane over warm Gulf of Mexico waters before striking the west central coast of Florida after tomorrow (Wednesday). Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in Pinar del Rio province and planned evacuations today as Ian ...

German Chancellor Tests Positive for Coronavirus Berlin, 26 Sep (ONA) --- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesman said today. The 64-year-old Chancellor has mild cold symptoms and immediately went into isolation after learning of the result, the spokesman said. --- Ends/AH ...

The Philippines on Red Alert as Super Typhoon Noru Approaches Manila, 25 Sep (ONA) --- The Philippines has issued an extreme emergency alert as Super Typhoon Noru approaches. The storm, known locally as Super Typhoon Karding, reached super typhoon status early today after suddenly intensifying. "The highest emergency preparedness and response protocol has been activated in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and the Bicol region," said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. It urged the public to take care, adding strong winds are ...

6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Mexico Mexico City, 22 Sep (ONA) --- A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck Mexico early today, causing buildings to sway and leaving at least one person dead in the nation’s capital. The earthquake struck shortly just three days after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook western and central Mexico, killing two. The US Geological Survey said today’s earthquake, like Monday’s, was centered in the western state of Michoacan near the Pacific coast. The epicentre was about 29 miles (46 kilometers) south-southwest of ...

Oil Leak from Ship off Gibraltar Affects Fishing, Beaches Madrid, 21 Sep (ONA) --- Teams are working to mitigate the impact of a new oil leak from a partly sunken cargo ship in Gibraltar that has affected fishing and bathing in both the British territory and in a town in nearby Spain, officials said today. The Gibraltar Port authority said the bad weather over the weekend triggered the leak. The authority said improved weather yesterday allowed it to place a boom around the ship to try contain the spill. Two beaches in Gibraltar and one in the Spanish town of La Línea de La ...

Mudslides, Flooding as Typhoon Batters Japan Tokyo, 20 Sep (ONA) --- Rescue workers in Japan have warned of mudslides and flooding as one of the biggest storms in recent decades batters the country. Typhoon Nanmadol has killed at least two people and injured 90 others since it made landfall on the southern island of Kyushu on Sunday morning. Nine million people have been told to evacuate, and more than 350,000 homes are without power. Forecasts predict up to 400mm (16in) of rain over the next 24 hours. The super typhoon brought gusts of up to 234km/h (145mph), ...

Sperm Whales Die in Mass Stranding on Australian Beach Tasmania, Australia, 20 Sep (ONA) --- Fourteen young sperm whales have died in a mass stranding on a beach in Tasmania, Australia. The whale carcasses were discovered by locals on King Island, Tasmania and reported to local authorities. The reason for the stranding is unknown, but wildlife biologists and a vet have been sent to investigate, BBC news reported. Whale strandings are not uncommon in Tasmania, experts say the island state is a "hotspot" for such events. An aerial survey will determine whether more animals ...

Millions Evacuated as Super Typhoon Hits Japan Tokyo, 19 Sep (ONA) --- Nine million people have been told to evacuate their homes as Japan is battered by one of the worst typhoons the country has ever seen. The super typhoon Nanmadol has killed two people and injured almost 90. It hit Japan's most southerly island, Kyushu, yesterday (Sunday) morning, and is forecast to pass over the main island of Honshu in the next few days, BBC news reported. Tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350,000 homes are without power. Transport and ...

Powerful Typhoon Nanmadol Strikes Japan Tokyo, 18 Sep (ONA) --- One of the biggest typhoons ever to strike Japan has made landfall on the southern island of Kyushu. Typhoon Nanmadol has brought winds of at least 180 km/h (112mph) and some areas could see 500mm (20 inches) of rainfall over today and tonight. At least four million people have been told to evacuate their homes, BBC news reported. Extensive flooding and landslides are expected, while bullet train services, ferries, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. The typhoon made landfall near the city of ...

Storm Battering Western Alaska Causes Widespread Flooding Anchorage, Alaska, 18 Sep (ONA) --- A powerful storm sweeping north through the Bering Strait yesterday (Saturday) caused widespread flooding in several western Alaska coastal communities, knocking out power and sending residents fleeing for higher ground. The force of the water moved some homes off their foundations. The potent storm, what remains of Typhoon Merbok, has been influencing weather patterns as far away as California, where strong winds and a rare late-summer rainstorm were expected. Local ...

Hurricane Threat as Tropical Storm Fiona Approaches Puerto Rico Havana, 18 Sep (ONA) --- Puerto Ricans braced for severe wind and extreme rain as Tropical Storm Fiona bore down amid expectations it would grow into a hurricane before striking the US territory’s southern coast later today. Forecasters said “historic” levels of rain were expected to produce landslides and heavy flooding, with up to 20 inches forecast in isolated areas. Fiona was centered 150 miles (240 kilometers) southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, late yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 ...

Typhoon Muifa Strengthens, Heads for Shanghai on China CoastBeijing, 14 Sep (ONA) —- A major typhoon gathered strength today as it headed over open water toward the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai.Heavy rain was reported in the city of more than 20 million people as Typhoon Muifa approached in the evening. The Hong Kong Observatory classified it as a severe typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour.All flights at Shanghai’s two main airports were canceled and local authorities were evacuating people from construction sites and other risky areas, according ...

King Charles III, Queen Consort Leave Edinburgh For Belfast Edinburgh, 13 Sep (ONA) --- King Charles III of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Head of the Commonwealth, and his Queen Consort have left Edinburgh for Belfast - the next leg of their tour of the home nations where they will receive a message of condolence from the people of Northern Ireland.Their departure from the Palace of Holyroodhouse came after the new monarch and his siblings staged a vigil around their mother's coffin yesterday at St Giles' Cathedral.After touching down in Belfast, the King and Queen Consort ...

Australia to Face Wet Summer as Third La Nina is Declared Queensland, Sep 13 (ONA) - - - Another summer of heavy rainfall and humid nights is ahead for much of Australia as forecasters declare a rare third consecutive La Nina weather event, the SBS News reported. The outlook for the rest of 2022 has been raised to an established La Nina, according to atmospheric and oceanic indicators, which inform the Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM) La Niña alert system, the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The BoM observed cooling in the central tropical Pacific Ocean in recent ...

New Wildfires Hit Southwestern France amid Record Heat Paris, 13 Sep (ONA) --- New wildfires raging in southwestern France have torn through over 1,000 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of residents amid record temperatures for September 2022. Fires that began to rage caused the evacuation of over 500 people in the Gironde region, as a smaller blaze burned south of Bordeaux, near Dax, where temperatures reached 39C (102F). Strong winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters, who struggled to extinguish the flames throughout the night into today with little ...

Death Toll from Western China Earthquake Rises to 93 Beijing, 12 Sep (ONA) --- The death toll from a major earthquake in western China rose to 93 as the search for survivors continued, local authorities said. A magnitude 6.8 quake hit Sichuan province last week, with much of the damage concentrated in Ganze Tibetan Autonomous Region in the province. The search for survivors and recovery of bodies were complicated by heavy rains and the risks of landslides, which forced some residents to move to temporary shelters. The earthquake also affected Chengdu, the provincial ...

UN Rights Council Warns Europe Against Backtracking on Climate Geneva, 12 Sep (ONA) ---- The Acting Head of the UN Human Rights Council, Nada al-Nashif, has criticized EU countries for their continued investment in fossil fuels."In the face of soaring energy prices which threaten to impact the most vulnerable as winter approaches, some EU member States are turning to investments in fossil fuels infrastructure and supplies," she said."While that impulse is understandable, I urge the EU and its member states to consider the long-term consequences of locking in more fossil fuel ...

Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin Leaves Balmoral Castle for Journey To Edinburgh Aberdeenshire, 11 Sep (ONA) --- The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II has left Balmoral Castle to begin its six-hour journey to Edinburgh.A small gathering of well-wishers stood in silence as they lined the end of the route out of Balmoral to watch while the Queen's coffin passed by. The exit from the gates had been closed to members of the public in the hour before the coffin emerged.Draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland and with a wreath of flowers on top, it had remained at rest in the Balmoral ballroom ...

Europe’s Warm Summer Shatters Records Geneva, 8 Sep (ONA) --- This summer was the hottest on record in Europe, according to data from EU satellite monitoring. A series of extreme heatwaves and a long running drought saw June, July and August in 2022 shatter the previous high mark for temperature. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said the data showed August (2022) in Europe was the warmest on record by "a substantial margin." Globally, the researchers say August was the third warmest yet recorded. It will come as no surprise to anyone who experienced this ...

China’s Sichuan Quake Death Toll Rises to More Than 70 Deaths Chengdu, 7 Sep (ONA) --- A total of 74 people have been killed and 26 remain missing after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Luding County in southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said today, according to Xinhua News Agency. The rescue headquarters of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture said 40 were killed, 14 were missing and 170 were injured in Ganzi. In the city of Ya'an, 34 were dead, 12 remained missing and 89 were injured, said the city's emergency management ...

Typhoon Batters S. Korea with 3 Feet of Rain, Damaging Winds Seoul, 6 Sep (ONA) --- The most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in years battered its southern region today, dumping a meter (3 feet) of rain, destroying roads and felling power lines, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity before weakening at sea. Two people died, and some of the missing were stuck in a submerged basement parking lot. Typhoon Hinnamnor grazed the resort island of Jeju and hit the mainland near the port city of Busan before blowing into the waters between the Korean Peninsula ...

Death Toll from Earthquake In China's Sichuan Province Rises To 66 Beijing, Sep 6 (ONA) ---- The death toll from this week's earthquake in south-west China's Sichuan province has risen to 66. In addition, more than 200 people have been injured, as 50 of them are in serious condition, state media reported today. More than 10 are still considered missing. The Luding area, some 200 kilometres south-west of the provincial capital Chengdu, was the hardest hit in Monday's 6.8-magnitude quake. The earthquake destroyed homes and caused landslides. Many streets were still ...

Fire in Germany's Harz Mountains Under Control; Firefighting Goes On Berlin, Sept 6 (ONA) ---- Firefighting crews have brought a major forest fire under control in Germany's Harz region, a mountainous area popular with hikers, authorities said today.The fire at the tallest peak in northern Germany, the Brocken mountain - or Blocksberg - in the Harz national park, did not spread further, a spokesperson for the Harz district said today in Wernigerode.The blaze was discovered on Saturday afternoon along the Goethe Path, or Goetheweg, one of the most popular hiking trails in the national ...

Flights Grounded in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor Nears Seoul, 5 Sep (ONA) --- Hundreds of flights were grounded and more than 200 people evacuated in South Korea today as Typhoon Hinnamnor approached the country’s southern region with heavy rains and winds of up to 290 kilometers (180 miles) per hour, the strongest storm in decades. South Korea’s weather agency said the country will start to feel the full force of Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, by early Tuesday when it is forecast to graze the southern resort island of Jeju before making landfall near ...

Southwest China Quake Leaves 21 Dead Beijing, 5 Sep (ONA) --- At least 21 people were reported killed in a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shook China’s southwestern province of Sichuan today, triggering landslides and shaking buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu, whose 21 million residents are already under a COVID-19 lockdown. The temblor struck a mountainous area in Luding county shortly after noon, the China Earthquake Networks Center said. Sichuan, which sits on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau where tectonic plates meet, is regularly hit by earthquakes. Last ...

China, Japan Ground Ferries, Flights as Typhoon Approaches Beijing, 4 Sep (ONA) --- Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and flights were canceled in Japan today as Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, blew its way past Taiwan and the Koreas with fierce winds and heavy rains. Shanghai grounded ferry services and deployed more than 50,000 police officers to aid with rescues and guide traffic away from danger areas. The eastern business hub of Wenzhou ordered all classes suspended tomorrow (Monday). Hinnamnor is forecasted to move ...

Forest Fire In Germany's Harz National Park Continues To Spread Berlin, 4 Sept (ONA) --- A fire underneath the Blocksberg mountain in the Harz national park of northern Germany continued to spread during the night, stretching to an area of around 62 hectares, a government spokesperson said today.Five helicopters and more than 300 emergency workers are fighting back the blaze, while around 50 police officers are securing the area around the mountain, which is now closed to hikers and visitors, according to Ariane Hofmann, city spokesperson for nearby Wernigerode.The settlement of ...