Xデーと呼ばれる日－世界で最も過密な都市の直下で大地震が起きれば、第二次世界大戦以来の甚大な被害が予想される。先端技術は東京を救えるか。
東京都港区。毎日午後5時になると、区内のスピーカーから童謡「夕焼け小焼け」のやさしいメロディーが鳴り渡る。人口3700万人を抱えるこの巨大都市では学校や公園など至る所にこうしたスピーカーが設置され、その数は数百台にものぼる。
毎日鳴るこのメロディーには、夜の訪れを知らせる以上の意味がある。人類史上最悪となりうる自然災害から東京都民を守るためのシステムをテストしているのだ。その災害とは、地球上最も過密な都市を直撃する地震だ。
Continue reading...They call it X Day – a major earthquake striking the heart of the world’s most populous city in the most calamitous event since the second world war. Can hi-tech solutions save Tokyo?
Every day, at 5pm, the gentle melody of the children’s song Yuyake Koyake chimes across the Minato area of Tokyo from a loudspeaker – one of hundreds dotted across schools and parks throughout this megacity of 37 million people.
The daily jingle does more than signify the arrival of evening. It is a test for the system that is designed to save Tokyoites from what would be one of the worst natural disasters in recorded human history: an earthquake striking the centre of the most populous city on Earth.
Continue reading...A woman has died and at least six people were injured when a crane collapsed on to an apartment building in Dallas amid severe thunderstorms early on Sunday afternoon.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans told reporters first responders searching the Elan City Lights building found a woman inside an apartment who was later pronounced dead.
Continue reading...Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, erupted on Friday, spewing lava and volcanic ash into the sky above Catania. The overnight eruptions led to rivers of lava streaming down the south-eastern slope of the Sicilian volcano. Mount Etna has seen an increase in seismic activity in recent days
Continue reading...Severe weather has spawned multiple tornadoes, flooding and even snow across America’s Midwest and Northeast
Continue reading...There has been a spate of tornadoes in the US over the last two weeks as a volatile mix of warm, moist air from the south-east and persistent cold from the Rocky Mountains clashes over the midwest
Continue reading...A line of tornadoes tore across Indiana and Ohio overnight, killing one person and injuring dozens in a wave so close together that one tornado crossed the path carved by another. In and around Dayton, Ohio, more than 40 people were taken to hospital for storm-related injuries
Continue reading...Sweltering heat, storms and possible twisters were expected to hit the southern plains and south-eastern states on Memorial Day, on the heels of deadly tornadoes and flooding.
Related: Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is the climate crisis to blame?
Continue reading...Volcano spews ash over popular tourist island but authorities yet to raise alert level
Bali’s airport has cancelled flights following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano, which spread ash over the south of the Indonesian island.
The national disaster agency said Friday night’s eruption lasted four minutes and 30 seconds, spreading lava and incandescent rocks about 3km from the crater.
Continue reading...Top official condemns lack of focus on record 41 million people left homeless in their own countries after fleeing violence
Record numbers of people have been forced from their homes by conflict in a crisis that has received “pitiful” international attention, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council has said.
A total of 41.3 million people were living in a state of internal displacement by the end of 2018 due to violence, researchers for the organisation found, with increasing numbers unable to return home for protracted periods. This is a rise of more than a million on the previous year.
Continue reading...Environment Agency calls for urgent action to protect country from river and coastal floods
Entire communities might need to be moved away from coasts and rivers as the UK takes urgent action to prepare for an average global temperature rise of 4C, the Environment Agency warned.
The agency said on Thursday that difficult decisions would have to be taken in the coming years to make sure the UK was resilient amid flooding that would not be held back by higher land defences.
Continue reading...More than two million people in at-risk areas in two countries were moved into shelters
The strongest cyclone to hit India in five years killed at least 15 people in the eastern state of Odisha, before swinging north-eastwards into Bangladesh on Saturday, where more than a million people have been moved to safety.
After hitting land, Cyclone Fani lost some of its power and was downgraded to a deep depression by the India Meteorological Department.
Continue reading...Cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, where officials were trying to evacuate the homes of one million people in its path.
Continue reading...One million people evacuated as huge storm hits small city of Puri on east coast
Cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, where officials were trying to evacuate the homes of 1 million people in its path.
The “extremely severe” storm bearing winds of up to 185km/h barrelled into the small city of Puri, home to about 200,000 people, at aabout 8am local time on Friday, according to Indian meteorological officials.
Continue reading...Emergency crews deployed to Odisha state with 127mph winds predicted to hit east coast
India has begun the evacuation of 800,000 people and deployed emergency personnel as the country’s east coast braces for a severe cyclonic storm.
Tropical Cyclone Fani, located in the Bay of Bengal and packing wind speeds up to 205 km (127 miles) per hour, is expected to make landfall on the coast of Odisha state on Friday.
Continue reading...Five people are dead and aid workers have reported scenes of destruction in the wake of Cyclone Kenneth, the second tropical cyclone to lay waste to swathes of Mozambique in five weeks. Rescuers have moved in to help people trapped by rapidly rising flood water in the northern city of Pemba, a United Nations spokesman said, as the storm dumps more rain on the region
Continue reading...People trapped by rising flood water as Cyclone Kenneth dumps more rain on the region
Five people have died and aid workers have reported scenes of destruction in the wake of Cyclone Kenneth, the second tropical cyclone to lay waste to swathes of Mozambique in five weeks.
Rescuers have moved in to help people trapped by rapidly rising flood water in the northern city of Pemba, home to 200,000 people, a United Nations spokesman said, as Kenneth dumped more rain on the region.
Continue reading...Still reeling from Cyclone Idai, country hit by its strongest ever recorded storm
The destruction caused by Cyclone Kenneth, the strongest storm on record to hit Mozambique, may require another massive aid effort in a country still reeling from the year’s first tropical cyclone, the UN has said.
With high winds and torrential rain, Kenneth made landfall in the country’s north on Thursday night, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre.
Continue reading...19 April 1906: Thousands of buildings were either damaged or destroyed, and several hundred persons killed
New York, Wednesday
Early this morning a violent earthquake wrecked the business quarter of the city of San Francisco, and an appalling fire completed the devastation. All the land wires were broken, and for some hours the United States was in an agony of suspense. The absence of authentic news produced the wildest rumours. Now that communication has been partially restored the story is scarcely less alarming, for it is known that not less than 1,500 people have perished, and some estimates place the figure ultimately at more than double that number.
Related: Mark Oliver on the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco quake
Continue reading...Authorities warn considerable damage to poorly built structures possible in Sulawesi from 6.8-magnitude quake
A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake has rocked eastern Indonesia, reportedly killing one person and triggering a brief tsunami warning that sent panicked residents fleeing to higher ground.
The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 17 kilometres off the east coast of Sulawesi island, the US Geological Survey said. A 7.5-magnitude quake and tsunami struck near the city of Palu on the other side of the island last year, killing more than 4,300 people.
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