5.4 earthquake hits the Gulf of Aden.
In the Atlantic Ocean: Sub-Tropical Storm Beryl has strengthened again and is located about 415 mi…670 km n of bermuda about 445 mi…715 km s of Halifax Nova Scotia with maximum sustained winds…40 mph…65 km/h. Present movement…ne or 50 degrees at 3 mph…6 km/h.
In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Invest 99E is an area of disturbed weather in the eastern Pacific that has the potential for further tropical development.
China – Heavy rain and thunderstorms are wreaking havoc across China, with floods along major rivers destroying bridges, blocking roads and railways and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate, state media reported on Saturday. State television said 241 rivers in 24 provinces had flooded in the last few days, causing direct economic losses of 25.9 billion yuan ($3.87 billion). Weather authorities are forecasting more downpours throughout the country on Saturday, with floods and landslides expected in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
Russia spikes clouds to drench raging wildfires
Russia is using Soviet-era technology to make chemically induced rain clouds in desperate bid to stop raging wildfires.
Black smoke has already travelled 5,000 miles, hitting Canada and parts of the US, as the out-of-control fires spreading.
Originally invented to bring sunshine to the Red Square for communist military parades, the high-tech plan sess clouds spiked with a chemical cocktail causing precipitation to drench out-of-control flames affecting Yakutia – the world's coldest region.
Brown bears are fleeing the burning Siberian taiga and venturing close to towns and villages where they are being shot as a danger to people.
Greenpeace say territories equal to the size of Scotland and Northern Ireland combined has been destroyed in Russian wildfires in recent weeks – including swathes of irreplaceable ancient boreal forest.
Wildfires – British Columbia, Canada
As much of B.C. blisters under a heat wave, 11 new fires have sprung up across the province since Friday. Crews also continue to battle the 500-hectare East Shuswap Road wildfire east of Kamloops, which remains classified as "out of control."
According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, there were 61 fires burning across the province on Saturday, about half of them lightning-caused and at least 18 of them human-caused.
Enterovirus – Norway
Norway health officials are reporting a marked increase in cases of central nervous system infections caused by enterovirus in June. Of the tests that are typed, echovirus 30 is most commonly detected, a relatively common type of enterovirus. Most of the cases have been reported from Eastern Norway, but there are also several cases in the Bergens area and elsewhere in the country. So far, there are especially adults between the ages of 20 and 40 who are affected, but also young children.
Japanese Encephalitis – South Korea
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in response to mosquito surveillance results in South Jeolla Province confirming Culex tritaeniorhynchus, the main vector of JE.
Culex tritaeniorhynchus is a small, dark brown mosquito that is active at night and found mainly around puddles and in areas for farming and livestock. Of all the mosquitoes collected in South Jeolla Province on July 3rd, a daily average of 962 mosquitos were Culex tritaeniorhynchus, accounting for 64.7% of the total samples collected. Mosquitoes are collected twice every week as part of the JE surveillance system. An alert is issued when the daily average JE vector mosquito count is at least 500 and accounts for 50% or more of the total mosquitoes collected.
Ovine Rinderpest
An outbreak of ovine rinderpest, a contagious disease of cattle, sheep, and goats, has occurred in the southeastern province of Kerman.
Ovine rinderpest commonly known as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) or sheep and goat plague, is a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants. Once introduced, the virus can infect up to 90 percent of an animal heard, and the disease kills anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of infected animals. The PPR virus does not infect humans.
Following the spread of the infection in Khabr national park, in Kerman province, so far some 50 heads of rams and wild goats have been killed. There are concerns that the disease may spread along the unvaccinated livestock in the area.