2012-05-28

.ca Jucīgs laika maisījums => Klimata Parmaiņa?


Wacky weather mix across Canada

Sweltering temperatures for Southern Ontario; ice pellets in St. John's

CBC News 

Posted: May 28, 2012 12:58 PM ET 

Last Updated: May 28, 2012 2:22 PM ET 

Hot and muggy conditions are expected for Toronto and all of Southern Ontario.Hot and muggy conditions are expected for Toronto and all of Southern Ontario. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Canadians expecting a lovely spring day are getting more than they bargained for in many parts of the country today as weather forecasts look more like the dog days of summer or, in some cases, a winter freeze.
The major weather story is in southern Ontario, where hot and muggy weather rules the day and temperatures are expected to skyrocket well past the 30 degree mark, with record temperatures possible for Toronto. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for all of southwestern Ontario, warning residents of poor air quality and smog which could make it difficult to breathe, especially for those with asthma or other lung problems.
"A low pressure system is tracking across the Great Lakes and is pumping in warm, moist air all the way from the Gulf of Mexico," said CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe.
Factoring in the humidity, the temperature in Toronto could hit 39 degrees, with similar highs expected in Windsor, London, Kingston, and Ottawa. The average temperature for this time of year is around 21 degrees.
"That [temperature] is still pretty oppressive," said Wagstaffe, "just below advisory level — but enough that Environment Canada has said heads up, if you don't do well in the heat and humidity it's a good idea to stay inside, in the air conditioning today.
She said the record temperatures to beat include 32.5 degrees for Toronto, 31.6 degrees for Hamilton and 32.8 degrees for Windsor.
Trains are being delayed between Ottawa and Montreal as heat is causing railroad tracks to warp. The track, owned by the Canadian National Railway (CN), has forced trains to slow down through areas where tracks expand and contract. This phenomenon called "sun-kinking" usually only happens in July and August, according to CN.
In northwestern Ontario, heavy rains have led to flooding in a number of communities. The City of Thunder Bay has declared a state of emergency after more than 100 millimetres of rain fell over the past 24 to 36 hours. The city's pumping station is also flooded and residents are being asked to avoid releasing any more water into the sewage system.

Colder weather expected in Maritimes

In Atlantic Canada, the weather story is markedly different. Temperatures in St.John's and other parts of Newfoundland and Labrador will be in the single digits, below seasonal averages. Tonight, rain and ice pellets are expected in St. John's, the possibility of trace amounts of snow. A special weather statement for the area says northern regions of the province could see a few centimetres of wet snow accumulation.
Frost warnings have been issued for overnight Monday into Tuesday morning for much of Nova Scotia, including Halifax, and Prince Edward Island as temperatures will dip near or below freezing. Conditions are expected to remain cooler than normal for much of this week before returning to seasonal on Thursday and Friday.
Farmers in P.E.I. are keeping a close eye on the weather, as the appearance of frost could mean problems for the province's strawberry crops. A strong crop expectation this year would be put at risk if frost damages the delicate plants.
The weather story for the rest of the country shapes up like this:
  • Rain and seasonal temperatures for Vancouver, Victoria and much of British Columbia.
  • Sunny and warm for Calgary and Edmonton.
  • Following cool and stormy weather for much of southern Saskatchewan on Sunday, including heavy rain in Regina and upwards of 20 cm of snow in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, temperatures will begin to trend towards seasonal by the end of the week.
  • Rain expected across much of Quebec, including Quebec City and Montreal.
  • A sunny forecast for Yellowknife with the temperature expected to reach 24 degrees, nearly 10 degrees above seasonal.
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Uguns un ūdens


CANADA


Timmins' fire 'eats trees in a gulp'
by The Canadian Press - Story: 75703
May 26, 2012 / 1:00 pm

Emergency officials in northern Ontario say the powerful winds that have fanned the flames of fierce wildfires and pushed smoke and ash toward Timmins have calmed down.
Officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources say the change in weather is helping firefighting efforts, previously hampered by strong gusts that limited the use of water bombers.
Meanwhile, an evacuation order for the lakeside community of Kamiskotia on the outskirts of Timmins was lifted Friday night as a heavy haze that blanketed the area suddenly cleared.
The ministry says roughly 300 people have been allowed back into their homes, but all other evacuation orders remain in effect and the city is still under a state of emergency.
Some 800 have been forced to flee cottages, campgrounds and camps in rural areas surrounding the city of 43,000 since the fires began on Sunday.
An evacuation order issued earlier this week saw 118 residents from the nearby Mattagami First Nation relocate to Kapuskasing.
Provincial police say they are tracking the blaze and its fumes, ready to clear out any homes in the path of danger.
Officials aren't the only ones on high alert. Even as conditions seemed to improve Saturday, residents said the situation has them on edge.
"Everybody's worried because we've got our life over there," said Eric Germain, who watched emergency crews from the fringes of the evacuation zone.
Germain said he and his family were told to leave their camp just west of the city on Sunday. Since then, the flames have also shut down the gold mine where he works.
So far, he said, there hasn't been any damage to his property, but a friend lost several pieces of heavy equipment to the blaze.
Others seemed hopeful the tide was turning in their favour.
Daniel Geoffroy returned to his home in Kamiskotia late Friday and noticed a significant improvement.
"Tuesday night, the smoke was really, really bad," he said. "It smelled like if you're near a dump and they're doing a burn, it smelled like that. It didn't smell like a nice bush fire."
"The skies were a really, really nasty, colour. The sun was like a red ball... It was eerie," he said. "I think if the wind had kept going... in the same direction, I think we would be having more problems."
The winds have impeded efforts to douse the fire about 30 kilometres outside Timmins and even caused a new one to flare up Friday, though it has since largely been contained.
A fire ranger dispatched to battle the blaze described 17-hour days grappling with flames "big enough to eat trees in a gulp."
The ministry estimated the size of the Timmins fire at about 41,210 hectares Saturday, up from 31,660 the day before.
Provincial police said officers were prepared to perform more evacuations "as needed."
"Our primary focus is on security of persons who have chosen or by accident are ignoring the order to evacuate the area," said provincial police spokesman Marc Depatie.
Smoke from the Timmins fire was blowing toward Kirkland Lake, about 140 kilometres southeast, even as fire crews there tackled the remnants of a massive wildfire.
But emergency officials in the community of almost 10,000 said things were looking up Saturday, with the blaze reduced to 2,635 hectares from 2,757. It was not under control.
Evacuated residents along Goldthorpe Road were told they could return home as early as 6 p.m. Saturday, while some residents on Goodfish Lake Road could go back home by 10 a.m. Sunday, pending any changes in conditions.
Schools in Kirkland Lake were shut down as a precaution Friday, as was the courthouse.
No relief from extreme burning conditions was expected in the northeast of the province until at least Sunday, the ministry said.
Throughout the province, some 1,300 people, 15 CL-415 water bombers, four Twin Otter medium water bombers and 77 helicopters were on hand Saturday to battle forest fires, the ministry said.
The Canadian Press


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By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: May 28, 2012 1:41 PM

Thunder Bay declares state of emergency

Thunder Bay declares state of emergency
Extensive flooding has prompted the City of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario to declare a state of emergency, on the heels of similar announcements earlier today in Conmee Township and the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge.
Pump failures and flooding at the Atlantic Avenue Secondary Sewage Treatment Plant prompted the state of emergency declaration at an Emergency Operations Control Group meeting Monday morning.
Homeowners are asked to avoid flushing or releasing any water down their drains for now.
The plant has been flooded and the main pumping station is out of commission.
top news
Darrel Matson, the manager of infrastructure, said he doesn't know how long it will take to fix the situation.
“Until we get everything pumped out and get our skilled crews in to do a damage assessment, we have no idea at this point of time how long that is going to take,” he said.
“We … will know more in the next 24 hours. It's weather dependent … we are doing our best to get it emptied out.”
Calling a state of emergency indicates to the provincial headquarters of emergency Ontario that the city may require help. It also confirms to the public service — including the Ministry of the Environment — that the emergency task team is on the job and the community's remedial plan is in action.
Thunder Bay fire Chief John Hay said the city has “significant issues, or the potential to have significant issues.”
He said the province has asked if the city needs help now.
"And we've said we'll get back to you. We think we have things in hand.”
Hay said a lot of what happens in the next 24 hours depends on if the city and region get more rain.
High rainfall recorded
Anywhere from 25 millimetres to more than 100 millimetres of rain have been recorded by the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority over the last 24 to 36 hours. In at least one case, 108 millimetres of rainfall were recorded. The highest amounts were logged in Thunder Bay and Oliver Paipoonge.
The authority is warning that water tables will continue to rise over the course of the day, as more rain is in the forecast.
Residents in both Conmee Township and the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge are being asked to stay home if they can.
Thunder Bay OPP says some sections of Highway 11-17 west of Thunder Bay have reopened. But police still advise westbound motorists to use Highway 102 as an alternate route.
Highway 11-17 remains closed between Mapleward Road and Vibert Road, and between Highway 590 and Holland Road.
Police say Highway 61 remains open.
Elsewhere in the northwest, Highway 642 is closed at the junction of Highway 516. Sioux Lookout OPP say Highway 642 is washed out.
Conmee Reeve Kevin Holland says at least seven roads in his community are washed out, as well as about half a dozen others.
Earlier in the day, numerous roads were reported to have been washed out or have water running across them. The closures included several sections of Highway 11 and 17, Oliver Road, Twin City Crossroads, Fraser Road, Boulter Road, Poleline Road, Veley Lane, Maki Road and Mud Lake Road.
In the Thunder Bay, police said there is extensive flooding in the south of the city — including Northwood, the Intercity area, parts of Westfort, as well as James Street.
Basements Flooded
Many homeowners have reported flooded basements, and Thunder Bay Fire Service officials said they are getting reports of people with 1.2 to 1.5 metres of water in their basements. Residents are advised not to go into flooded basements, and not to call 911 unless it is an emergency.
One of the worst-hit areas is the city's east end.
Rob Brown, who has a home on McPherson Street, said he and his neighbours all have flooded basements.
“And that's what everybody else is dealing with,” he said. “I'm worried about my furnace and everything else.”
Brown said he estimates he has several feet of water in his basement, and much of it is sewage.
Widespread flooding in Thunder Bay means a busy time for city hydro crews.
Thunder Bay Hydro vice-president Tim Wilson said the utility has all available trucks on the road to perform disconnections.
Wilson said that so far, Hydro has had to cut power to about 50 homes.
“We'll pull the meter outside the house,” Wilson said. “If the meter happens to be located in the house — in the basement for example — then we'll perform [a] disconnect at the pole.”
Wilson said people should stay out of their basements if water levels are approaching electrical outlets. Once power has been cut off, Hydro will not perform reconnections until basements are pumped out and an inspection has been done by the Electrical Safety Authority.
Other flooding notes
- The Northwood Mall is also reported to be flooded out.
- The railway underpass on South James Street is closed due to flooding.
- Police said most ditches in the Intercity area are overflowing and have begun to cover the roads. There are numerous vehicles stalled out in the roadways.
- People are also being asked to stay away from waterways on the Kaministiquia River system. The Ontario Power Generation said recent rainfalls have caused high water levels and fast currents.
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Sarkankrūtis, kungs (mājās)

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Mazgāšanās mežā


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Why is walking in the woods so good for you?

Alex Hutchinson

From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published 
In Japan, they call it shinrin-yoku – literally, “forest bathing.” Here, we might just call it a walk in the park. Either way, people around the world have an intuitive sense of the restorative power of natural environments. The question is: Why?
Scientists have advanced a wide range of theories about the specific physical and mental benefits nature can provide, ranging from clean air and lack of noise pollution to the apparent immune-boosting effects of a fine mist of “wood essential oils.” But the most powerful benefits, a new study suggests, may result from the way trees and birds and sunsets gently tug – but never grab – at our attention.
The study, which will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders, found that volunteers suffering from depression who took a 50-minute walk in a woodland park improved their cognition, as measured by the ability to remember a random string of digits and repeat them in reverse order, compared to those who took a walk through city streets. An earlier study found similar results in subjects who weren’t depressed.
The explanation, according to lead author Marc Berman, a research fellow at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest in Toronto, lies in the distinction between two types of attention: “voluntary,” in which we consciously focus on something; and “involuntary,” in which something grabs our attention.
The ability to direct voluntary attention is crucial in daily life (and for cognitive tasks like remembering random digits), but it’s easily fatigued. Dr. Berman and his colleagues believe that going for a walk in the park gives voluntary attention a break, since your mind has a chance to wander aimlessly and be engaged – involuntarily but gently – by your surroundings.
“In a lot of natural areas, you’re away from loud noises and distractions,” Dr. Berman explains. “It tends to be less crowded so you don’t have to worry about bumping into people, and it also has interesting stimulation to look at, which captures your attention automatically.”
In contrast, honking horns and traffic lights and crowded sidewalks – and pretty much every other ingredient of modern life in a big city – constantly force you to exert your voluntary attention to react or block them out, leaving you more cognitively depleted.
All this makes it sound as if the benefits of nature are mostly in your head. It’s true that simply looking out a window at nature or, to a slightly lesser extent, looking at pictures of nature scenes can produce some of the same effects. But the physical environment itself may also play a role, Dr. Berman notes.
One obvious candidate is air quality: A single exposure to polluted air can trigger lung and heart problems, and chronic exposure has been linked to cognitive decline. Even downtown parks and riverside bike paths are likely to have significantly better air quality than busy city streets, and trees offer an additional protective effect. The level of vehicle emissions just 200 metres away from a road is already four times lower than it is on the sidewalk next to the road.
A more unusual suggestion, proposed by researchers at Japan’s Nippon Medical School, is that trees emit a fine mist of health-giving “wood essential oils.” In a series of shinrin-yoku studies, the researchers have reported that walking for two hours in a forest enhances immune function (as measured by levels of “natural killer cells”), reduces levels of stress hormones and lowers blood pressure, compared to similar walks in downtown Tokyo.
(Before you rush out to buy a case of wood essential oils, it’s worth noting that this research was funded in part by Japan’s Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute.)
Still, the fact that pictures of nature can produce cognitive benefits suggests that at least part of the effect is mediated by what we see. One simple hypothesis is colour: Nature scenes tend to feature more green than urban scenes. A more subtle possibility is that natural landscapes have more fractal patterns – a mathematical classification that describes the complex shapes of phenomena like coastlines, mountain ranges and broccoli florets – compared to the simple straight lines that characterize man-made environments.
“Maybe looking at these fractal patterns captures attention automatically, which leads to this more restorative process,” Dr. Berman says.
Teasing out the key variables will take time – and ultimately, it seems unlikely that there’s a single magical quality or essential oil that fully explains the call of the semi-wild. For now, it’s enough to know that the benefits of exposure to nature are real and measurable. And in an increasingly distracting and distracted world, they’re more important than ever.
Alex Hutchinson blogs about research on exercise at sweatscience.com. His latest book is Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?
How to get the best from nature
Suck it up
While many people enjoy a walk in the park, pleasure isn’t required to get cognitive benefits. Marc Berman’s volunteers were less likely to enjoy their nature walks in winter than summer, but both groups aced the post-walk cognitive tests.
Think outside the park
Nature isn’t the only option: A trip to the museum might offer the same attention-restoring experience. Conversely, scaling Mount Kilimanjaro or trudging through a snake-infested swamp is unlikely to boost your mental health.
Find the sweet spot
You want to be stimulated enough to avoid boredom, but have enough freedom for your mind to wander. “For example, I don’t think walking in the park and talking on the cellphone would be restorative,” Dr. Berman says.
– Alex Hutchinson
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Apdāvināti / izglītoti policisti ... ?

Police in Nova Scotia are investigating after a woman's remains were found in a hockey bag floating on a Cape Breton river Friday night. ...
"Investigators are trying to determine at this point who this lady is," said Staff Sgt. Mike Kennedy, head of major crime for Cape Breton Regional Police. "Because of what we've learned so far, we are treating this death as a homicide."
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