Archive | July 5, 2018
GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS Kp Index is at level 5
***ALERT***
GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS
Kp Index is at level 5
Scale of G1
Minor
Power systems: weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Spacecraft operations: minor impact on satellite operations possible.
Other systems: migratory animals are affected at this and higher levels
Record amount of snow may last the whole summer in northern Sweden
A car buried under snow in Luleå. File photo: Susanne Lindholm / TT
A record amount of snowfall in northern Sweden has left one city with a dilemma, as the snow looks likely to survive the entire summer despite a June heatwave.
The summer season has got off to a pleasant, warm start in Luleå, but there’s still a large amount of stubborn snow in the northern city that has yet to melt.
Each year during winter, snow is moved away from central areas to make it easier to get around the town, and tonnes of the white stuff are collected in one spot in Porsön, a largely residential area north of the city centre.
But in 2017 and early 2018, there was such heavy snow that the resulting heap is around three times as large as in previous years, according to reports in local media. Snowfall reached 93 centimetres, and the snow heap itself measured 38 metres tall when it first began to melt.
Now authorities are faced with the question of how to make sure it all melts away before the new winter season sets in.
Ordinarily, the municipality only needs to intervene once over the summer, using machines to break up the snow and help it melt faster, but this year more resources will be needed.
“It’s a bit of a dilemma. To try to get rid of the whole thing, it won’t work. It would require an excavator working there over the whole summer, and there’s no budget for that,” a representative from the municipality told SVT.
Instead, the authorities are hoping that nature will do the job, with sunshine, wind and rain allowing the snow pile to melt — heat alone isn’t enough, so wet, windy weather is essential.
If that doesn’t happen, they’ll be faced with the question of finding somewhere new to move snow to over the coming winter.
Courtesy of thelocal.se
Hosepipe ban for Ireland as heatwave simmers on
A nationwide hosepipe ban will be imposed across Ireland from Friday as the heatwave continues.
Irish Water announced the ban will come into force from 8am, saying Ireland is trying to “manage with the summer”.
A hosepipe ban is already in place across Dublin and its surrounding areas, after being brought in on Monday.
People across Ireland could face fines if they use hosepipes to water their gardens, wash cars or fill paddling pools or ponds.
The ban will last until the end of the month.
The heightened restrictions came as water companies in England urged people to save water where possible amid a period of dry weather the Met Office has said shows “no real signs” of coming to an end.
In the latest Sky News forecast, weather producer Chris England said parts of England and Wales could expect thunderstorms over the next few days, but echoed the Met Office warning that widespread showers would not be seen any time soon.
Yorkshire Water said daily water consumption was up by up to an extra 200 million litres, with contingency plans put in place to increase water production capacity.
While reservoir levels are close to three-quarters full, the lack of any impending rainfall is a worry.
Pamela Doherty, Yorkshire Water’s service delivery director, said: “Despite there being no current water shortages, water is a precious resource and we would still encourage everyone to do their bit to help by using water a little more efficiently.
“Our top tips are to limit time spent in the shower to no more than four minutes, use a watering can to water garden plants, and to hold off on cleaning the car – but if you have to wash it use just a bucket and sponge.”
Elsewhere, Severn Trent Water has been putting water directly into the pipes from tankers and providing bottled water stations in areas such as the High Peaks to deal with loss of supplies in the face of high demand.
Farming is among the industries likely to be counting the cost of the lack of rain.
National Farmers’ Union deputy president Guy Smith said: “A lack of rainfall will mean poor grass growth for livestock and dairy farmers, and some arable farmers will have seen no recordable rainfall in a key month for their crops.
“Growers of irrigated crops currently have sufficient access to water to grow our fruit and vegetables, however abstraction restrictions may become inevitable in some catchments.”
Courtesy of Sky News
MAGNITUDE 3.0 NEWDIGATE, SURREY, UNITED KINGDOM
Subject to change
Depth: 5 km
Distances: 41 km S of London, United Kingdom / pop: 7,557,000 / local time: 11:53:26.0 2018-07-05
5 km NW of Langley Green, United Kingdom / pop: 7,000 / local time: 11:53:26.0 2018-07-05
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