Flash floods are becoming more of a global threat than ever before with errant climate patterns that are being constantly altered and disturbed with man’s intrusion. Global warming seems to be causing a lot more than just the gradual melting of the poles as the set climate patterns are now becoming more and more unpredictable.

Flash floods are different from normal floods, which are often the product of melting snow. Flash floods are short-lived and dump a lot of rain.

However, Professor Colin Price from the Tel Aviv University is studying the link between lightening and subsequent flash floods. If his research is taken forward and integrated into a study for climate patterns, then predicting flash floods might be a reality very soon.

Together with his team of five European scientists, Professor Colin has been studying the intensity of lightening before and during every thunderstorm. His breakthrough technology relies on studying the radiation emitted during a storm which allows to predict the course of thunderstorms. By predicting the course of the storm, one can easily evacuate people, put those in the path of imminent flash floods on alert and save millions of lives on certain occasions.

“And it will be even more exciting in the next decade, when we’ll have continuous real-time detection of lightning activity from satellites. That data will be used to predict floods anywhere”, said Professor Colin.

With US geostationary satellites being equipped with cameras that will capture pictures of lightenings from space and transmit them live to earth, the capability of such a system is immense. One can only hope that this will help us further combat the fury that nature unleashes, to some extent.

Source: DailyMail
Images courtesy of pHil and krisR99

Japan’s Dr. Shigeru Omi is/was a senior World Health Organization (WHO) offiical. He stepped down a couple days ago and was replaced by Dr. Shin Young-Soo of the ROK. Dr. Omi reflected on his 10 years on the post.

1. Tuberculosis in the Western Pacific Region dropped from 1,000 daily deaths to 600.

2. Tobacco control, fights against HIV/AIDS, measles and maternal mortality also made impressive progress.

The biggest problem – health care financing and building up human resources to fight the averse effects of climate change (global warming). “Dr Shigeru Omi said climate change would expand the range of mosquitoes that carry malaria and dengue to areas other than their natural Southeast Asia habitat.”

Omi continued,  “I must be honest. We have not been as successful in this area as we have with communicable diseases.”

So, what are we going to do? We can’t stop the world from its warming trend, but maybe we can do something about health care.