Entire crops decimated by freak hail storm in central west New South Wales, Australia

Thousands of hectares of grain crops in New South Wales have been decimated in a freak hail storm.

 

A number of storm cells ripped through the central west on Friday night damaging crops, felling trees and ripping rooves off houses.

 

Trundle farmer David Watt said he believed the storm was about 10 kilometres wide and ran for at least 20 kilometres.

 

“There are going to be some crops that are a 100 percent loss,” he said.

 

“I have approximately 200 hectares of barley with severe damage. Around 600 hectares of canola would have severe damage.

 

“It’s patchy with our wheat, but there would be 800 hectares of wheat damaged.”

 

Neighbouring farmer Andrew Curr said hail stones broke windows and ripped through flyscreen on the night.

 

He farms with his son near Trundle and said it’s difficult for his son to watch brilliant crops go to waste.

 

“It’s a bit disappointing, when we have had such good potential yields and crops this year because of the season,” he said.

 

“To see it damaged like that is still a disappointment to them, even though we should be financially covered.”

Courtesy of abc.net.au

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Cyclonic Storm Sounds Coastal Alert In Odisha, India

The Odisha government has ordered complete preparedness in all districts, especially in the coastal region, as a cyclonic storm is developing over Bay of Bengal and is likely to hit the state on October 26 and 27, officials said here on Monday.

 

“The state government is prepared to face any eventuality. All district collectors, especially those in the coastal region, have been alerted. They have been told to be in a state of complete readiness,” Special Relief Commissioner Pradipta Mohapatra told media persons here.

 

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday to review the situation.

 

According to the weatherman, the present deep depression over Bay of Bengal, centred about 930 km rast-southeast of Gopalpur, is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm, move northeastwards and reach close to north Myanmar coast.

 

“It will intensify into a cyclonic storm by this evening. The impact will be felt in Odisha on October 26 and 27,” said Bhubaneswar Met. Office Director Sarat Chandra Sahu.

 

Thereafter, it is likely to recurve initially north-northwestwards skirting Myanmar coast and then northwestwards towards northwest Bay of Bengal, according to an Indian Meteorological Department forecast.

 

Distant Cautionary Signal Number One (DC-I) has been hoisted at all ports in Odisha and the fishermen have been advised to be cautious while venturing into interior/distant sea along the Odisha coast during the period of alert.

Courtesy of business-standard.com

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4 Killed in Australian Theme Park Accident

MAGNITUDE 4.7 RWANDA, AFRICA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=539317

Subject To Change

Depth: 5 km

Distances: 104 km N of Bujumbura, Burundi / pop: 332,000 / local time: 01:29:59.8 2016-10-25
22 km E of Bukavu, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the / pop: 226,000 / local time: 01:29:59.8 2016-10-25
17 km E of Cyangugu, Rwanda / pop: 63,900 / local time: 01:29:59.8 2016-10-25

MAGNITUDE 4.6 GUADELOUPE REGION, LEEWARD ISL.

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Subject To Change

Depth: 90 km

Distances: 32 km NE of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe / pop: 11,500 / local time: 14:45:34.2 2016-10-25
2 km S of Le Gosier, Guadeloupe / pop: 28,700 / local time: 14:45:34.2 2016-10-25

MAGNITUDE 5.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=539451

Subject To Change

Depth: 66 km

Distances: 823 km NE of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea / pop: 284,000 / local time: 04:15:01.0 2016-10-26
74 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea / pop: 26,300 / local time: 04:15:01.0 2016-10-26

MAGNITUDE 4.2 CENTRAL ITALY

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20007gn0#executive

Subject To Change

Depth: 10 km

Distances: 5 km (3 mi) NNE of Certaldo, Italy
5 km (3 mi) S of Montespertoli, Italy
7 km (4 mi) ESE of Castelfiorentino, Italy
12 km (7 mi) SW of San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Italy
117 km (72 mi) WSW of San Marino, San Marino

MAGNITUDE 5.0 TONGA

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Subject To Change

Depth: 60 km

Distances: 425 km SW of Apia, Samoa / pop: 40,500 / local time: 06:10:09.6 2016-10-26
364 km N of Neiafu, Tonga / pop: 4,400 / local time: 05:10:09.6 2016-10-26

MAGNITUDE 5.0 TONGA

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=539354

Subject To Change

Depth: 144 km

Distances: 401 km SW of Apia, Samoa / pop: 40,500 / local time: 01:46:12.8 2016-10-26
202 km N of Neiafu, Tonga / pop: 4,400 / local time: 00:46:12.8 2016-10-26

MAGNITUDE 5.0 KURIL ISLANDS

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Subject To Change

Depth: 46 km

Distances: 554 km E of Sapporo-shi, Japan / pop: 1,884,000 / local time: 19:45:22.2 2016-10-25
529 km SE of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russian Federation / pop: 177,000 / local time: 21:45:22.2 2016-10-25
111 km E of Шикотан, Russian Federation / pop: 2,100 / local time: 21:45:22.2 2016-10-25