Weekly Weird News for 26 August 2022

Hi everyone. Welcome to another late summer edition of WWN. As usual, I skip some of the more popular stories or tabloid stuff that isn’t worth discussing in order to focus on more interesting things. I usually find some common threads. This week it was weird weather again.

Drought reveals more secrets worldwide

It’s August, it’s hot and it’s dry. In many places, it’s drier than most people have ever seen as climate change has brought excessive heat and has changed precipitation patterns. This article reveals that major rivers in China, Europe, and the US are experiencing record low levels. The lack of water has revealed secrets long hidden. As with Lake Mead in the US exposing some nefarious deeds, interesting features have surfaced. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/drought-hit-rivers-world-reveal-treasures-climate-change-heat-wave-rcna44192

New trackway in Dinosaur Valley State Park

The Texas location along the Paluxy River that has several trackways preserved has a new trackway not typically visible. The 113 million-year-old trackway is typically hidden under the water and sediment but severe drought conditions revealed the trail made by a theropod dinosaur called Acrocanthosaurus. While exposed, researchers are documenting the trackway. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/25/1119331502/dinosaur-tracks-texas-drought

More historical treasures

Spain has had its worst drought in decades revealing rare prehistoric stone sites.  German warships from WWII are revealed in the Danube in Serbia. 600-year-old Buddhist statues appeared in the Yangtze River.  https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/yangtze-river-reveals-buddhist-statues/index.html

Making it rain in China

China will attempt to use cloud seeding to generate rain to ease the drought problems and save their harvest. Cloud seeding involves releasing chemicals into clouds to promote water droplets forming and falling. While parts of the country are in drought, other areas have had catastrophic flooding. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118683699/china-grain-harvest-cloud-seeding

Sunken graves in Texas

Graves at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery in Texas have sunk due to heavy rain events. About 100 sites have been affected over the past year. But this is not a new problem. Over 300 gravesites sank in 2013 when heavy rains came through. The director at that time noted that the damage is most often affecting older burials where bare caskets were used. The caskets deteriorate over time, collect water and soil inside that void, and cause the collapse at the surface. https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/about-100-graves-have-sunk-at-fort-bliss-cemetery-due-to-rainstorm-el-aspo-texas-rain-weather

Fire the weather reporter

When a weather forecaster predicted storms and wind gusts for a night last week in Budapest, officials canceled their fireworks celebration. The storms missed the city. The head of the National Weather Service in Hungary and her deputy were fired. The issue is deeper than just bad weather forecasting (which is inherently uncertain). Many people claimed the planned event was a waste of money in a precarious time. A storm killed people during the event in 2006. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/23/hungary-sacks-weather-chief-after-forecast-forces-fireworks-cancellation

Purple haze

An ominous purple cloud hovered over a town in Chile last weekend. The cloud was iodine vapor released from a mine site due to a failure of a pump. The heat turned the element from solid to vapor. https://meaww.com/mysterious-purple-cloud-spotted-in-sky-over-chile-leaving-residents-confused

Who stole the gators?

A woman in east central Pennsylvania discovered her two alligators were missing from a backyard fenced pond enclosure. There was no sign of escape or break in. It is not usual for alligators to wander off. She asserts that they were stolen. That’s a brave soul. The alligators were about 4 feet long. Alligators are legal to keep in PA and she was an experienced handler. gators https://www.ldnews.com/story/news/local/2022/08/23/two-alligators-have-been-missing-since-saturday-according-to-north-cornwall-police/65414290007/

Hairless animal causes panic in India

A strange animal was captured in Muzaffarpur, India. The hairless mid-sized creature was found exploring an abandoned room. It’s odd characteristics made it unidentifiable to locals. It reportedly created a bit of a panic. As usual, people were eager to add their uneducated guesses to what it could be, including a dragon, an alien, a demogorgon, and the default weird hairless monster - the chupacabra. It’s likely the animal is a diseased civet. https://apnlive.com/india-news/bihar-mystery-animal-muzaffarpur/

Python on the loose

A huge python escaped from a house in Hampshire, England and was spotted on the roof of an adjacent house entering an open window. The people rightly panicked and the snake fell. A neighbor who was familiar with the snake picked up the 18 foot yellow snake and took it home. She said it was a very docile pet. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-62678259

Little big snakes get eaten

Baby pythons in Florida are being eaten by native snakes. How researchers discovered this is rather weird. Radio transmitters attached to baby Burmese pythons captured in Florida were found inside native cottonmouth snakes. The fully grown predators ate the babies, transmitters and all. Two cottonmouths were discovered with transmitters. Researchers made sure the devices were expelled and the snakes were returned to the wild, hopefully, to keep doing what they are doing. Burmese pythons are invasive and cause serious damage to the Florida ecosystem. https://www.9news.com.au/world/burmese-python-snake-cottonmouth-florida-moccasin-usa-nature-news/705a45eb-2101-4c98-be1c-3c608a0a1186

Unusual house guest

A baby seal followed a family pet through the cat flap in New Zealand and played around inside for a while. While it freaked out the cat, the seal did no damage and was safely returned to the sea near the home. Seals can be dangerous and carry diseases, they should not be handled except by professionals. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/19/seal-breaks-into-new-zealand-home-traumatises-cat-and-hangs-out-on-couch

Orca boat attacks

Killer whales are attacking boats in Europe. They ram the boat and damage the equipment. The seemingly coordinated attacks have been reported in France, Portugal, and Africa. At first, it was assumed to be the same pod of animals but the distance between the attacks suggests it isn’t. Scientists don’t know why the orcas attack but they seem to focus on the rudder which they seem to strongly dislike. Researchers also think this might just be a “fad” for young orcas and the attacks will dissipate. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/20/1117993583/orcas-attacks-spain-portugal-killer-whales

Now some updates from previous stories:

Chile sinkhole

In an update about the giant sinkhole in Chile, government officials warned of repercussions if the mining company caused the huge gaping hole but the conditions that created the problem are much more complex. The original assumption by officials was characterized as over-extraction by the mining company. The mining company disagrees, and frankly, they are probably right. More study is needed to determine the factors that caused the collapse. Likely the lowered groundwater table and existing soil conditions contributed to the hole. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/more-study-needed-explain-origin-chile-sinkhole-lundin-unit-president-2022-08-25/

Missing wolf found

One missing wolf released from the Vancouver zoo was found safe and returned. As noted in the last WWN, the enclosure was deliberately vandalized and one wolf died. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62608918

Yellowstone death still a mystery

The foot found in a Yellowstone hot spring, noted in last WWN, appears to be connected to a person who died in July. But the details remain unclear as there is no identification noted and no missing person has been officially connected to the remains. https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/local/yellowstone-foot-found-in-abyss-pool-likely-from-july-accident-no-foul-play-suspected/article_cf9e9895-80d3-5483-87f5-91efaee76984.html

And finally, Welsh folklore may be bolstered by the finding of sunken islands in an old map. The Welsh legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod, a lost land sunken below Cardigan Bay, may be related to islands that are now underwater. A medieval map depicts the islands that may have been visible in the 13th century. The legends may have a grounding in times of low sea levels and a time when the coastline was different. Like the legend of “Atlantis”, the Welsh tale is one of many that relates the story of a land that was flooded or destroyed. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62605682

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