China's plan to slash cotton imports next year has dealt one of the biggest blows yet to US farmers' hopes of a sustained recovery in prices, raising further fears the policy overhaul may roil global trade and curb demand. China will cut imports next year to 894,000 tonnes, the minimum required under World Trade Organization commitments.
In Brazil, the 2014 aggregate (first and second seasons) maize production is forecast at 76.2 million tonnes, 5 percent below than previous year’s record high, but still well above the average level. Harvest of the main 2014 second season`s maize crop is well advanced in Brazil. Brazil is the major maize producing country.
Soybean planting in Argentina is expected to climb slightly from the record 20 million hectares sown with the oilseed last season, according to crop analysts. A bigger soybean harvest from Argentina, the world's No. 3 exporter, would put downward pressure on prices already trounced this year by a United States bumper crop.
Mount Ontake volcano erupted at 3,067m (10,120ft) peak, situated between Nagano and Gifu prefectures, which trapped hundreds of climbers who were forced to seek shelter in lodges near the summit. Around 230 climbers managed to climb down while around 40 climbers are yet to be rescued.
There have been warnings that volcanic debris may settle within 4km (2.5 miles) of the peak. Efforts to recover the bodies of at least 24 climbers have been suspended again after the eruption on Japan's Mount Ontake intensified.
Despite Japan's advanced volcano monitoring system, this eruption came with virtually no warning. Scientists suspect this is because it was a phreatic eruption which was caused by steam rather than magma. When magma moves under a volcano, it can be picked up by seismic monitoring systems. In a phreatic eruption, ground water is super-heated rapidly by the heat from magma. Steam is formed which takes up more volume than liquid water.
If there is enough steam formed by super-heated ground water quickly enough with no way to escape, it can blast through the overlying rocks, pulverizing it into ash.
Japan is situated on the edge of two colliding tectonic plates. The Pacific plate is being forced beneath other plates all along its border, this region is also known as the Rim of Fire. The continuous collision generates earthquakes. The more the Pacific plate is pushed into the Earth’s mantle, the more surface water and hydrated minerals heat up, which melts the mantle and creates the magma that causes volcanic eruptions. Japan has more than 100 active volcanoes.
Picture courtesy: imaggeo.egu.eu
As weekend approaches, so do the cyclones for two Asian countries – Japan and India. While Japan prepares to battle a super typhoon Vongfong right after a week of Typhone Phanfone, India readies as cyclone Hudhud is forecasted to make a landfall near coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh by Sunday morning.
A super Typhoon Vongfong, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, is on course to make landfall in Japan over the weekend. Vongfong is currently moving across the western Pacific, tracking slowly north-west and packing wind gusts of about 135 kilometres per hour.
The strength of typhoon Vongfong is similar to Typhoon Haiyan that ripped through the Philippines last November.
Vongfong is also following the same track as Phanfone that just crossed Japan after soaking the Land of rising sun.
While Typhoon Vongfong is weakening at the moment, it is still packing strong winds before it reaches Japan this weekend.
India faces threat
At the moment cyclone Hudhud is moving at a speed of 10 kmph and is punched with winds speed of 110 kmph at the core gusting at 130 kmph, demonstrating strength equivalent to CAT I storm. The chances of the cyclonic storm turning into a CAT III storm are also very high.
Hudhud is likely to make landfall between Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha by the night of October 11 or early morning of October 12. But chances of the cyclone hitting Visakhapatnam are rather high.
What to expect over the weekend
As both – Vongfong and Hudhud - make a landfall, areas getting affected can expect heavy showers coupled with strong winds. High tides and surges are also a possibility even before cyclones make landfall.
Distinct features of Vongfong & Hudhud
a) After the Landfall, cyclone Hudhud will weaken as it will hit land mass unlike Vongfong that is approaching open sea.
b) Places that have proximity to the center of the system will witness multidirectional wind and variation in rain intensity in Hudhud’s case. The case is likely to be less in Vongfong’s case as it has already weakened.
The current structure of cyclone Hudhud suggests that it could intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm very soon, but will definitely not be as devastating as Phailin. The latter had intensified into a Super cyclone but weakened to a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall.
At the moment cyclone Hudhud is moving at a speed of 10 kmph and is punched with winds speed of 110 kmph at the core gusting at 130 kmph, demonstrating strength equivalent to CAT I storm. It could also turn into a CAT III storm but will not be as intense as Phailin.
Phailin was the strongest tropical cyclone that ever made landfall in India, behind only the Odisha Cyclone which ripped through the state in 1999. At the time of landfall Phailin was punched with strong winds blowing at about 200- 220 kmph.
Similarities between Hudhud and Phailin
The present storm is likely to make landfall between Visakhapatnam in Andhra coast and Gopalpur in Odisha on the 12th morning. Phailin had lashed Gopalpur in Ganjam district of Odisha on October 12, 2013. In its wake, Phailin brought torrential rains in Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Just like Phailin, Hudhud also originated in the Gulf of Siam and is following the same path.
Nevertheless, one should always keep in mind that no two cyclones are absolutely similar in nature. Cyclones in general are complex and leave a trail of mysteries unresolved.
Super Typhoon Vongfong, is all set to hit the islands of Kadena and Okinawa before making a landfall at Japan by the weekend. Both the islands are of strategic importance, as these act as some of the largest military bases for US in Pacific ocean.
Earlier on Tuesday, Super Typhoon Vongfong had intensified into the strongest tropical cyclone of 2014 after growing rapidly overnight on Monday. According to Joint Typhoon Warning Center, USA, maximum sustained winds had reached its peak when they had skyrocketed to an estimated 180 mph, which is equivalent of a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. With this, Vongfong has become the fifth super typhoon of 2014.
However on Wednesday, it had started weakening slightly but still maintains the maximum winds of 165 mph, just as it is about to turn northwards towards Japan. Japan Meteorological Agency reported that with the US military islands in its sight on Saturday and Sunday, the landfall on Japan would be sometime during Monday night. According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, ocean waves are expected to be 40-50 feet high.
Around 24,000 US and Japanese military personnel and contractors are stationed at the Kadena Air Base. As deadly cyclone approaches, people at these islands have already started stocking up food and water supplies, and fuel.
Maximum winds of the Super Typhoon Vongfong are rated as the highest winds of any tropical cyclone since Super Typhoon Haiyan's 195 mph winds of November 7, 2013. Reportedly, Haiyan had caused lot of casualties in Philippines last November.
For years, China has wrestled with its awful pollution woes that block out skylines and force citizens to wear masks to keep from getting sick.
The filthy air in the form of smog revisits China as a blanket of smog has covered north China as well as northwest China's Shaanxi Province since Wednesday, with air conditions in northern Chinese cities including Beijing and Tianjin severely downgraded.
Visibility in Beijing and Tianjin has reduced to less than 1 km due to heavy smog.
The situation is expected to worsen as some areas will experience torrential rains and thunderstorms.
Hazy skies leading to low visibility have forced people to stay indoors or use caution while venturing out. Sever pollution in Beijing also led to the enforcement of yellow alert in the city.
Country's rapid pace of industrialization, coal power, explosive growth in car ownership and disregard to environmental laws are the main causes for hazardous air pollution in China. It typically gets worse in the winter because of heating needs.
