Prophecy, Drought, Earthquakes, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Strange Weather.

[Soldier4Christ]

Thunderstorms may hit area of Southern California wildfires

Gerald Guthrie was last heard from when he called a relative from his 10-acre (4-hectare) property to say that a wildfire was close and he was preparing to evacuate.

His body was found by rescuers in a charred area less than a half mile (a kilometer) from his home, said Cindy Beavers of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Guthrie, 57 had been missing since Tuesday, and his death appeared to have been fire-related, sheriff's Detective James Porter said.

As nearly 4,000 firefighters prepared for another day of battling a huge complex of fires in rugged wilderness, weather forecasters predicted a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms Sunday, accompanied by lightning that could start new blazes.

"We're definitely concerned," California Department of Forestry spokeswoman Karen Guillemin said.

Fire officials Saturday reported some progress in battling the blazes, which covered more than 110 square miles (285 square kilometers) in Southern California about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

A 60,000-acre (24,000-hectare) fire was 50 percent contained, its eastern flank no longer a problem but its western side still a major concern. An evacuation remained in effect in one area, but were lifted in several others. Ignited by lightning a week ago it roared to life a few days later, destroying 58 desert homes.

An adjacent complex of fires that merged with the larger fire Friday grew to more than 15,572 acres (6,229 hectares) but was 10 percent contained. Crews protected a handful of homes in a canyon, but there were no evacuations.

The fires were burning below the flanks of the San Bernardino Mountains, but as of Saturday were not considered immediate threats to resort communities in the Big Bear Lake region atop the range.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who visited a command post at Yucca Valley High School with wife Maria Shriver, said their helicopter tour had flown close enough to see firefighters working on the ground.

"It is a huge fire. It is really extraordinary how quickly it has spread out," he said.

Cate Baker-Hall, 55, an artist, said her three-story home burned to the ground. She lost a collection of more than 100 paintings, lithographs and other art, and a manuscript of a book she had just completed on the 1960s British band, The Zombies, she said.

The house "is just gone," she said. "I'm trying to take the Buddha approach and deal with today. There's only so many tears you can cry."

Elsewhere in Southern California, a 500-acre (200-hectare) blaze in Redlands was 20 percent contained after destroying one building. It broke out Friday night and threatened 100 homes but there were no evacuations.

In San Diego County, a 120-acre (48-hectare) fire in Cleveland National Forest was fully contained and hand crews were finishing off the remains of a 20-acre (8-hectare) blaze that spread over both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border in Tecate, said state fire spokeswoman Audrey Hagen.

Meanwhile, in southern Montana, firefighters mostly east of Billings were battling four large fires that charred about 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares). The fires threatened about 150 homes, officials said.

In Wyoming, a wind shift helped firefighters keep a wildfire from advancing toward Devils Tower National Monument. Four fires near Devils Tower have burned about 13,700 acres (5,545 hectares) _ about 21 sq. miles (55 sq. kilometers) _ of mostly shrubs and ponderosa pine. About 10 percent of the fires were contained.

In northern Minnesota, a more than 1,400-acre (565-hectare) fire in a wilderness area near was worrying authorities, who feared it could be fueled by millions of trees that blew down in a 1999 storm. Temperatures were near 100 F (38 C) in nearby Duluth.

[Soldier4Christ]

National Weather Service: Stay inside

By: PHILIP K. IRELAND - Staff Writer

County officials and the National Weather Service are warning residents of North County to avoid outdoor activities and to find cool places to lay low through midday as a heat wave this weekend pushes inland temperatures into triple digits.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory about excessive heat on Friday that will be in effect through tonight. The warning means that area residents can expect a prolonged period of hot, humid weather that could cause heat-related illnesses.

"If (residents) must (work outside), they should do necessary outdoor activities in the early morning or late in the day when the sun is close to the horizon and the sun's rays are most indirect," said weather service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell.

Temperatures in Escondido and the valleys east of Escondido are expected to top 100 today. The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park and Ramona could be hotter still, Maxwell said. Desert temperatures could reach 120 degrees, he said. Coastal temperatures are expected to hover around 80 degrees.

A strong high pressure system stalled over northern New Mexico and southern Utah is responsible for the heat wave that is expected to last through Sunday afternoon. Maxwell noted that the heat tends to limit onshore breezes to the coast. Meteorologists expect the high pressure system to move north by Sunday night, lowering temperatures but dragging moist gulf air behind it.

"The real humidity comes next week," Maxwell said, predicting thunderstorms in San Diego's mountains by Sunday night.

Maxwell said people working outside should drink plenty of water and wear clothes that are light in weight and color. If possible, Maxwell said, people should stay inside air-conditioned buildings.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. spokeswoman Anne Silva said the company does not anticipate power outages this weekend, but noted that the heat is expected to continue through next week, and encouraged residents to conserve. She recommended running washing machines and dishwashers after 7 p.m. to avoid peak consumption hours.

Washing clothes with cold water, using a toaster oven rather than the big oven, turning off lights, and setting the air conditioner to 78 degrees all offer substantial energy savings.

For those who do not have air conditioning, county spokesperson Denise Nelesen recommended that they go to any of several "cool zones" around the county, such as air-conditioned libraries, community centers and senior centers.

"We encourage people to go to cool places, particularly older adults because they are more at risk because their mechanisms for cooling themselves off are not as good," said Nelesen, of the County Department of Health's Aging and Independence Services.

The Valley Center Library at 29200 Cole Grade Road is one such cool zone that will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Nelesen suggested making the visit a social event by inviting an elderly friend to go along.

Residents can also go to the movies, to the mall, or grocery stores as a way to beat the heat, Nelesen said.

Dr. Cary Mells, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Tri-City Hospital, offered tips for recognizing heat-related illnesses and ways to avoid them.

From simple sunburn to heat stroke, Mells said caution is the best defense.

"Prevention is really the primary way we physicians recommend people avoid having these problems," he said Friday. "Stay well hydrated, out of the heat, and out of direct sunlight. The vast majority of cases can be prevented by staying out those situations."

Symptoms of minor overheating include excessive sweating, fatigue, thirst and feeling overheated, Mells said. Drinking water and getting out of the heat and sun will help, he said.

Heat exhaustion comes next, he said. Symptoms include extreme cases of all of the above symptoms, plus muscle cramping, dizziness, vomiting and headache.

"We do see patients in ER from time to time like this," Mells said. Rest, fluids and immediate cooling all help, he said. Treatment also includes getting the victim in the shade, removing as much clothing as possible, applying moist towels to the skin and fanning air over the body.

Heat stroke is the most extreme heat-related illness, Mells said, and is fatal in about 15 percent of all cases. Symptoms include all of the above plus mental confusion, fever and coma. Again, rest, fluids and immediate cooling are required.

Dan Zapata, a "comfort adviser" with American Heating and Air-Conditioning in San Marcos, said sales of air conditioners are up by about 30 percent for the month. Reached by cell phone in Valley Center on Friday, Zapata said the temperature there was more than 100 degrees.

"No June gloom," said Zapata. "That's what did it. It went straight from spring to summer, and air-conditioning sales have not stopped since."

Zapata said the company's installers are scrambling to keep up with demand.

"When people are hot, they want it now," said Zapata. "We're doing installs on Saturdays and Sundays now, seven days a week."

COOL ZONES


The county of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency has identified several North County agencies and organizations that have agreed to open their facilities to people trying to escape the heat.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tsunami hits Indonesia's Java island; 5 dead
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A strong earthquake triggered a two-metre-high tsunami that slammed into Indonesia's Java island, causing widespread damage and forcing people to flee.

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said five people had died.

A witness who identified herself as Teti told el-Shinta told a local radio station that the tsunami had damaged hotels and houses along the beach.

"Small hotels are completely destroyed and at least one restaurant was washed away," she told el-Shinta.

Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa was also reported as telling the radio station that he had heard reports of a tsunami striking two seaside towns.

"Everyone should move from the beach,'' he said.

The tsunami followed an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2. It hit at 3:24 p.m. local time and caused buildings in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta to sway for around two minutes.

Indonesia's Java and Sumatra islands and Australia's Christmas and Cocos islands were warned it may have triggered a tsunami.

An aftershock with a magnitude of 6.1 struck two hours later.

Indonesia is prone to seismic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

On December 26, 2004, a huge earthquake measuring over 9.0 in magnitude off Indonesia's coast triggered a tsunami and killed at least 216,000 people -- most of them in Indonesia's Aceh province.

And last May, a magnitude-5.9 quake killed more than 5,800 people on Java island.

[Soldier4Christ]

Large Fires Burn in Calif., 8 Other States

Fire crews struggled Sunday to quell wildfires still raging across steep, rocky swaths of this desert region, as the harsh terrain slowed efforts to fully contain the blazes that have destroyed 58 homes and scorched more than 120 square miles.

Large wildfires are burning in nine states, most in the West, according to the National Fire Information Center in Boise, Idaho.

Two major fires in the California desert have merged, which fire officials described as a positive development.

"The fact that they burned together makes it easier for us because now we're only dealing with one perimeter," said Wayne Barringer, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry.

One area of the fire, spanning about 97 square miles, was 60 percent contained, fire officials said. An adjacent fire had grown to more than 23 square miles since merging with the larger fire and was 10 percent contained, officials said.

Difficulties in getting to the remote, rugged pockets of fire were hampering firefighters. Fire officials were forced to rely on helicopters to drop in suppression teams, rather than using bulldozers and other heavy equipment.

Fire officials estimate damage from the fires at more than $8.4 million and firefighting costs at $10.3 million.

On Saturday, searchers found the body of a man who had been missing since the fire burned through historic Pioneertown on Tuesday. The cause of the man's death remained under investigation but sheriff's officials have said it appeared to be fire-related.

At least 11 people have been injured.

Meanwhile, fire officials were bracing Sunday for the possibility that thunderstorms could roll over the region, potentially triggering lightning that could start new blazes or rain that could flood the scorched canyonlands.

The National Weather Service said there was about a 30 percent chance of storms in the region. Some rain began to fall in the Big Bear area by early afternoon.

Authorities were advising residents living in a previously designated flood zone to stock up on sand bags.

The fires had burned into the San Bernardino National Forest but were not considered immediate threats to communities at higher elevations in the Big Bear Lake region.

Elsewhere in Southern California, a 500-acre blaze at Redlands was fully contained Sunday after destroying one building. It broke out Friday night and initially threatened 100 homes.

In San Diego County, a 260-acre wildfire about 10 miles east of Julian also was fully contained, said California Department of Forestry spokeswoman Roxanne Provaznik.

Firefighters in southern and eastern Montana were battling five major fires that charred about 294 square miles, mostly east of Billings. About 125 homes were potentially threatened, officials said.

In Wyoming, a wind shift helped firefighters keep a blaze from advancing toward Devils Tower National Monument. Four fires about five miles southwest of Devils Tower have burned about 14,848 acres about 23 square miles of mostly brush and ponderosa pine. About 10 percent of the fires were contained. Started by lightning Wednesday, the fire had damaged two homes and threatened 35 others.

In Minnesota, authorities were letting two wildfires burn Sunday in the northeastern part of the state, which is having a second consecutive day of a "red flag warning" for fires. The more serious of the two is expected to burn eastward toward a part of a "blowdown area" where prescribed burns were conducted in 2003 and 2004, making firefighting easier and safer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hot time in the city this week ( as well as everywhere else in the nation. )

It's hot out there. Scorching hot. And the area's most oppressive heat wave so far this summer is threatening to stick around a while.

Forecasters say you should expect temperatures close to 100 degrees for the rest of the week. Factor in the steamy humidity, and it could feel like 115 degrees over the next several days.

As temperatures soar into the triple digits, meteorologists and health professionals are bracing for increases in heat-related illnesses, which account for about 350 deaths nationwide each year.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the St. Louis area, and that advisory won't expire until Friday night.

"Climatologically speaking, we're at the hottest time of the year," said Jim Sieveking, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Weldon Spring.

The St. Louis area is caught in the middle of a steamy weather pattern that's baking the Midwest, from the Colorado Rockies to the Ohio River Valley. The high temperature at Lambert Field on Sunday afternoon was 98 degrees, and the temperature could nudge into the triple digits today. Although forecasts from different weather services tend to vary by a few degrees, the National Weather Service's forecast calls for a high of 101 today.

In St. Louis, it was so hot Sunday that some Cardinals fans had to leave the game early, and 80 people were treated for heat sickness at Busch Stadium.

Area hospitals did not report any heat-related deaths, though some hospitals treated a few heat cases.

"Most of it is driven by people becoming very dehydrated," said Dr. John Wilmas, an emergency department doctor at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. "It can kind of come in waves. With the heat and humidity rising, I would expect that we would start seeing more cases."

Dr. Wilmas said the high humidity limits the body's ability to cool itself, which is why it's important to avoid the heat if possible, drink plenty of fluids, wear light-colored clothing and take frequent breaks.

Meanwhile, more than 60 cooling centers are opening across the St. Louis area. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that the state would open more than 130 cooling centers at state office buildings today to provide refuge from the heat. Most of the centers will be in places like community and recreation centers and Salvation Army facilities.

Sieveking, of the weather service, blamed a ridge of high pressure growing across the center of the country for the current heat wave. This ridge has drawn hot, moist air from the south, while recent rainfall has produced high humidity throughout the region.

In fact, searing heat has blanketed large sections of the nation. Denver had a record high of 101 Saturday, while the temperature surpassed 100 degrees in Oklahoma and climbed well into the 90s on Sunday in Chicago.

At Busch Stadium, Jacque Phillips, president of Accu-Care, which provides medical services at the stadium, said two people of the 80 treated on Sunday had to be taken to area hospitals.

The heat at Sunday's Cardinals game was just too much for some fans, including Laura Hamilton of Alton. She and her daughter, Amanda, headed home early. "We left after the fourth inning," Hamilton said. "It was just too hot."

Many St. Louisans tried to beat Sunday's heat using motorized personal fans, guzzling large bottles of water and scoping out the relief of shaded spots in area parks.

Many of the outdoor patios at restaurants downtown and in the Central West End were nearly empty Sunday afternoon.

For some people, the dog days of summer have really arrived. St. Charles resident Kathy Carrier and her border collie, Jenny, watched the races at the third annual Paddle with Your Pooch contest at the Boat House in Forest Park. Carrier tried to cool off with Jenny by sitting under umbrellas attached to lawn chairs at the edge of the lake.

"I brought lots of water and there happens to be a great wind, so that's helping also," she said. "You kind of have to pace yourself. You can't overdo (it) on days like this."


_____________________

Be careful and stay cool.

[Soldier4Christ]

Indonesia Quake, Tsunami Kill at Least Five People (Update2)

An earthquake struck south of Indonesia's Java island, triggering a tsunami and killing at least five people, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said today in Jakarta.

The 7.2 magnitude quake occurred beneath the sea about 260 kilometers (160 miles) south of Bandung, Java, at 3:19 p.m. local time, according to a preliminary report on the U.S. Geological Survey Web site. There was a 6.1 magnitude aftershock.

``Search teams are still working as we speak,'' Yudhoyono said. ``The local government has started to evacuate people.''

Indonesia was the country worst hit by the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami that devastated coastal communities across the Indian Ocean, killing more than 200,000 people from Indonesia and Thailand to the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Somalia and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Today's quake ``generated cascading tsunami waves between three-and-six meters; the largest wave by far was six meters,'' Dr. Puji Pujiono, regional disaster response adviser for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said by telephone from Yogyakarta.

``Rows of houses along the coast were swept away, the waves did not go far inland,'' said Pujiono. There was damage, not ``devastation.''

Tsunami Warnings

India issued a local tsunami warning for the nation's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

``We will be watching the situation closely for the next 24 hours and our disaster management cell has been activated,'' Ankita Mishra, deputy Commissioner of the Nicobar Islands, said by telephone from Car Nicobar island.

Still, after confirming that an Indonesian tsunami had been triggered, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin for Indian Ocean areas ``a more widespread tsunami threat probably does not exist.''

``There is no tsunami threat to Thailand,'' said Chitipat Bejraburanin, chief of policy and planning at the National Disaster Warning Center in Bangkok. ``The earthquake had not caused any evacuations or warnings for Thailand's coast.''

Areas further from the epicenter could experience ``sea level changes and strong or unusual coastal currents.''

Phone calls to the Cocos Islands Shire Council and the Christmas Island Shire were not answered, though the calls were made after 7 p.m. local time.

Jakarta

Today's temblor was felt in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Aftershocks with magnitudes of 6.1 and 6.0 struck the area at 4:13 p.m. and 5:09 p.m. local time, according to bulletins e- mailed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The tsunami struck the southern Indonesian coastal villages of Cipatujah and Pangandaran, Transport Minister M Hatta Rajasa told reporters after a cabinet meeting. Both villages are on the coast south of Bandung, a popular hillside town in West Java.

State oil company PT Pertamina's refinery in Cilacap on the southern coast of the Central Java province is undamaged from the quakes, Suroso Atmomartoyo, the company's director of processing, said by telephone.

The refinery, the biggest in the country, has a capacity to process 348,000 barrels of oil a day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Death Toll From China Storm Rises to 178

China's death toll from Tropical Storm Bilis rose to at least 178 Monday, with 138 people missing, as torrential rains swept away houses and set off mudslides.

Bilis weakened as it moved inland over the weekend, but the death toll climbed steadily as police and soldiers waded through flooded streets and used boats to reach thousands of people stranded by high water.

More heavy rains were forecast in Guangdong province, a major economic center that borders Hong Kong, where Bilis flooded farmland, washed out roads and railway lines and cut power supplies, television and newspaper reports said.

Hardest-hit was the inland province of Hunan, where at least 92 people were killed, according to newspapers and the official Xinhua News Agency. They said 43 people were killed in coastal Fujian province and 33 in Guangdong.

The Hunan deaths included 14 coal miners killed Saturday after rains burst a dam, flooding the pit and collapsing buildings above ground at the Shenjiawan Colliery, Xinhua said.

In Fujian's Zanghzhou city, a landslide killed 10 people and a second left another 10 missing, the China Daily newspaper said, citing state television.

State media reported a total of 178 deaths, including several in Jiangxi, Guangxi and Zhejiang provinces.

The government evacuated more than 250,000 fishermen and others from coastal areas before the storm roared ashore Friday, and thousands more were forced to flee their homes as waters rose.

In Lechang, a city in Guangdong, authorities evacuated 1,663 inmates from a prison as waters rose 10 feet high in some areas, reports said. Residents standing knee-deep in flooded streets used nets to catch fish swept in from a nearby river.

[Soldier4Christ]

At Least 69 Dead in Indonesia Tsunami

A powerful earthquake sent a 6-foot-high tsunami crashing into beach resorts on Indonesia's Java island Monday, killing at least 69 people and leaving scores missing and sending thousands fleeing to higher ground, officials and witnesses said.

Regional agencies had issued bulletins that the 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake was strong enough to send a killer wave steaming toward the country worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, but they did not reach the victims because the island has no warning system.

The hardest-hit area appeared to be Pangandaran, an idyllic beach resort long popular with local and foreign tourists, where witnesses said people shouted "Tsunami! Tsunami!" and climbed trees or crowded inland mosques as the wave approached.

Red Cross official Arifin Muhadi told The Associated Press that 69 people were killed, most in Pangandaran, and that 77 others were missing.

"We are still evacuating areas and cross-checking data," he said.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tsunami kills dozens in Indonesia

At least 100 people have been killed in a tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the island of Java, an aid agency in Indonesia said.

The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.2, struck off the town of Pangandaran at 1519 local time (0819 GMT), causing a two-metre-high wave.

One resident, Teti, said high waves had destroyed hotels in Pangandaran and thrown boats onto the beach.

"Waves suddenly came and we ran to the hills," she told local radio.

Seeking refuge

"Many small hotels were destroyed," she said. "Boats have been thrown into hotels."

Putu Suryawan, a Red Cross official in the area, said 105 people were believed to have been killed, with 148 injured and 127 still missing.

"Possibly this number could rise because many people are still missing," he told the Reuters news agency.

At least 2,000 people are also thought to have been displaced from the area.

A local official, Rudi Supriatna Bahro, said that thousands of people had sought refuge in mosques and other safe places.

"Many of the injured were suffering from broken bones," he told Indonesia's Metro TV.

Earlier, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the search was still ongoing for the missing.

Mr Yudhoyono urged residents in coastal areas to move to safer places and said that rescue teams had been sent to the affected area.

Warnings

Tremors from the earthquake were felt in the capital, Jakarta, for more than one minute, but there were no reports of damage or casualties there.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii had issued tsunami warnings for parts of Indonesia and Australia, and the Japan Meteorological Agency also warned of localised tsunamis.

Police in Australia's Christmas Island reported a 60 cm surge but no damage, Reuters news agency said, while India authorities issued a tsunami warning for the Andaman and Nicobar islands, which are located west of Indonesia.

But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on its website that based on historical and current data, "a more widespread tsunami threat probably does not exist".

Earthquakes occur frequently in Indonesia, which sits on the seismically active so-called Pacific Rim of Fire.

On May 27, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit near the city of Yogyakarta in Java, killing more than 5,800 people.

More than 130,000 people were killed in Indonesia in the December 2004 Asian tsunami.

[Shammu]

Floods ravage south China
Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:48am ET14

BEIJING (Reuters) - Torrential rains killed at least 164 people across south China over the weekend, flooding major cities, sweeping away houses and cutting off a main rail link, state media reported on Monday.

The rains were triggered by Tropical Storm Bilis, which killed dozens in the Philippines and Taiwan before hitting China on Friday. Forecasters had said the storm would weaken as it hit China, but instead it wrought havoc across the country's south.

Downpours continued on Monday across much of southern China, where 12 million people in six provinces have been affected by floods and 138 are still missing, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) said.

A section of the Beijing-Zhuhai highway that links the national capital to the country's southern industrial hubs has been submerged by water as deep as three metres (9 ft 10 in) in Hunan, CCTV said.

In far-southern Guangdong province, floods severed water supplies and caused blackouts in Shaoguan, a city of half a million, the television said.

In the southeastern coastal province of Fujian, where Bilis made landfall in China, floods swept away 19,000 homes and forced the evacuation of 519,000 people, the Beijing News said.

CCTV showed pictures of residents wading in water up to their knees on flooded streets in the provincial capital Fuzhou.

South China is plagued by rainstorms every summer, but this year's flood season has been particularly deadly, already claiming hundreds of lives before Bilis struck.

The Beijing-Guangzhou railway was cut near Shaoguan, disrupting cargo and passenger services, and it was unclear when trains services could resume, CCTV said.

Floods ravage south China

[Shammu]

Britain set to sizzle in hottest temperatures ever
Jul 17 2:37 PM US/Eastern

Britain could soon swelter in the highest temperatures ever recorded, weather forecasters said, with a 30 percent chance that Wednesday will become the country's hottest day ever.

Temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius are expected in southeast England and forecasters at Britain's Meteorological Office say one or two areas could experience 39 C (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

That would beat the previous high of 38.5 C, recorded at Faversham in Kent, southeast England, on August 10, 2003, and make parts of the Britain hotter than Spain or Greece.

A Met Office spokesman said the present heatwave was due to a period of very settled weather.

"Over coming days, even hotter air will move across from continental Europe causing the temperature to rise even further," he added.

"Our research shows that there is a significant human contribution to these heatwaves because of carbon dioxide emissions over recent decades.

"This is a sign of things to come, with the current temperatures becoming a normal event by the middle of this century."

Forecasters expect Britain to cool down by the weekend but predict that temperatures will remain above average for the rest of the month.

Bookmaker William Hill said it would have to pay out 100,000 pounds (145,000 euros, 182,000 dollars) to punters who have bet on the temperature if the thermometer hits 38 C.

The average maximum temperature for July is 23 C.


Britain set to sizzle in hottest temperatures ever

[Soldier4Christ]

 Etna awakes with storm of fire and lava

Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, threw fire and rocks more than 800ft into the air yesterday.

Etna, which is almost 11,000ft high, sits 18 miles from Catania on Sicily's east coast. Several villages lie on its lower slopes, but the Italian government said yesterday that the lava was flowing away from them, and that there was no immediate danger.

The explosions are coming from two holes near to the top of the volcano, creating a lava field more than a mile long which is flowing at a rate faster than 90 cubic feet a minute. Even though the eruption has continued for three days, scientists said it had lost little of its force.

Etna is in an almost constant state of activity, but is not considered particularly dangerous and its slopes are home to farms and vineyards that make use of the rich volcanic soil. The last major eruption was in 2002.

[Soldier4Christ]

Death toll in Indonesian tsunami rises to 357

The U.N. humanitarian mission was sent to the tsunami-hit areas in Indonesia's southern Java coasts Tuesday as death toll climbs to 357.

    Members of several organizations like UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA and WHO departed from Jakarta and Yogyakarta to the areas hit by the second tsunami in two years.

    The majority of casualties happened in Ciamis regency, some 250 km south of Jakarta, where rescue team found 184 bodies.

    Local news website Detikcom, quoting reports from the Ministry of Social Affairs and disaster emergency response centers, said 97 people were killed in nearby Tasikmalaya regency, 67 people in Cilacap, six people in Kebumen, 2 people in Gunung Kidul and one person in Garut.

    Ministry's spokesman Herry Kristanto told reporters in Jakarta three Saudis, one Pakistani, one Dutchman, one Japanese and one Swede were among the casualties.

    An aerial observation by the Air Force found that the Pangandaran resort beach in Ciamis was severely destroyed by the Monday's tsunami, which was triggered by a magnitude-6.8 earthquake.

    Hotels and houses were damages; fishing ships were hooked on house roofs.

    It was the second tsunami after the one in December 2004, which killed 131,000 people in Aceh and North Sumatra province.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tropical Depression Forms Off N.C. Coast

The second tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season formed off the North Carolina coast Tuesday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for the eastern part of the state.

Meteorologists said the depression could strengthen into a tropical storm as early as Tuesday evening.

Its top sustained wind speed late Tuesday morning was 35 mph. If that reached 39 mph, the depression would become tropical storm Beryl.

At 2 p.m. EDT, the depression was centered about 210 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving toward the north at about 5 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. A slow turn toward the north-northwest or northwest was expected later Tuesday or Wednesday.
   
   

A hurricane hunter aircraft flew into the storm Tuesday to acquire detailed information for forecasters, hurricane specialist Jamie Rhome said. However, early indications were that the system's sustained wind wouldn't reach 74 mph, the threshold for a hurricane.

"We're certainly not expecting anything major, a major hurricane or anything like that," Rhome said.

The early forecast track indicated that the system could drift toward the west and be near the North Carolina coast by the middle or later part of the week, Rhome said.

The tropical storm watch, indicating tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours, extended along the coast from north of Cape Lookout to south of Currituck Beach Light.

"We are watching the storm very closely. With the projected track at this point we're not anticipating problems, but certainly things can change quickly," said Dorothy Toolan, a spokeswoman for Dare County, N.C., which includes the state's northern Outer Banks.

The first named storm of the June-November Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Alberto, splashed ashore in Florida in mid-June, then plowed northward along the coast past North Carolina's Outer Banks. It was blamed for one drowning.

Experts say the Atlantic Ocean is in the middle of a cycle of increased hurricane activity. Last year, there were a record 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes, including destructive Katrina.

[Soldier4Christ]

Americans Can't Escape Sweltering Heat

The heat wave that has gripped most of the nation showed few signs of abating Tuesday and may persist for some regions until the weekend.

Temperatures predicted to soar past 100 degrees in parts of the Plains, Great Basin, Desert Southwest and California Valley. And a cold front on track to push southeastward through the Northeast, northern Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, brings a slight risk of severe thunderstorms, some with large hail and damaging winds.

But it is the stagnant, sticky, downright dense heat that blanketed much of the northeast that has residents such as Philadelphia's Cheryl Kennedy worried.

"Insanity. Insanity!" she said.
   
   

After a long sip from her bottled water, Kennedy added, "This is not fit for human beings. Without air conditioning, I don't think many of us could last like this for too long."

She and millions of Americans may have no choice.

Scores of communities Monday reported temperatures of more than 100 degrees: Redding, Calif., about 160 miles north of Sacramento, reached 110 degrees; Grand Junction in western Colorado hit 101; Russell, Kan., hit 108. At least four deaths have been blamed on the heat, and the heat is suspected in at least three others.

Parts of the Midwest got a little relief Tuesday from a cool front squeezing down from Canada. The 8 a.m. temperature in Milwaukee was 65, compared 76 at the same time Monday.

The cooler air set off storms in Wisconsin and Michigan, with utilities in the two states reporting more than 300,000 customers black out. One woman was reported killed by lightning early Tuesday in Detroit.

The Northeast could get a break starting Tuesday night, with scattered showers and thunderstorms expected for parts of the region, but the heat was likely to persist in the southern Plains until Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat killed a 76-year-old Oklahoma City man in a house where the air conditioner was broken, officials said Tuesday. Three other deaths in Oklahoma were suspected to be linked to the heat.

A 60-year-old woman was found dead of lung disease and heat stress in her Philadelphia home. In Arkansas, authorities blamed the heat for at least one death but did not release any details. On Saturday, a 3-year-old boy died in South Bend, Ind., after apparently locking himself inside a car in 90-degree heat.

The heat may have caused a New York subway train to lose power, stranding commuters for about 2 1/2 hours. About 70 people had to be evacuated. A transit spokesman said the power loss may have been caused when the "third rail" - which powers the train - buckled.

A train derailment in rural Oklahoma's Lincoln County on Monday afternoon might have been attributable to the heat, Highway Patrol Capt. Stewart Meyer said. There were no injuries.

One of LaGuardia Airport's four terminals and part of a second lost power in New York when high demand caused by the heat triggered equipment problems.

In Illinois, state officials made more than 130 office buildings available as cooling centers. Detroit cranked up the air conditioning in 11 of its libraries and invited the public to take refuge from the heat. In Kentucky, Louisville officials offered free fans or air conditioners to those in immediate need.

The heat pushed power consumption to a record in some states, and calls also went out for electricity conservation. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state offices to adjust thermostats and turn off nonessential lights for the rest of the week.

PJM Interconnection, which operates the electric grid for all or part of 13 states and the District of Columbia, asked people to reduce usage, especially between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

In Chicago, the stifling weather prompted organizers of the Gay Games to deliver extra water and sports drinks to athletes. Spokesman Kevin Boyer said organizers asked competitors to bring extra ice and fluids to various events. Several cities, including the District of Columbia, opened cooling centers for people.

For some, the heat was a bonanza. Rick Boaz, owner of Oklahoma City AC Rescue, said his air conditioning installation and repair business is busier than ever.

"We're getting more business than we can handle - it's just the heat," Boaz said. "I'd hate for the heat to affect my business but the reality of it is, extreme temperatures drive my business."

At the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, gorillas got frozen fruit treats, bears played with ice-covered fish, elephants were hosed down, and large fans, water sprinklers and kiddie pools helped other animals stay cool.

Construction worker Chuck Trautman, 54, of Pittsburgh, spends his days outdoors working with a blow torch and wearing heavy protective gear.

"When you're burning with that torch, it makes it twice as hot," he said. "But you've just got to deal with it."