Yawn

I warned you all about Etna three weeks ago. There was little point telling you about the increased flooding on a global scale (all that melt water has to go somewhere, duh) and now California is under threat. I thought Turkey was - and still is - due an earthquake but apparently S.W.Pakistan got in first.

The strong earthquake measuring 7.2 hit south-western Pakistan, in a desert area bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The quake struck at 0123 on Wednesday (2023 GMT on Tuesday), some 55 km (34 miles) west of Dalbandin in Pakistan, at a depth of 84km (52 miles). It was located several hundred kilometres from the Pakistani city of Quetta and the city of Zahedan, Iran.

Stroke of luck but there's more to come!

As for the flooding in Califorinia it appears some of you monkey scientists are starting to pay attention. They have warned politicians to take preventative action as a superstorm, dubbed the 'Big One', is expected to hit California.

US Geological Survey scientists predict that the storm could last 40 days (and 40 nights? Hmm), producing up to 10-feet of rain and causing £190 billion ($300 billion) worth of flooding damage, which would make it the most destructive storm in California's modern history.

National Weather Service images show an atmospheric river system - a huge hose-like flow of Pacific Ocean moisture - moving onto the state increasing the risk of the winter weather phenomenon.

The storm scenario, combining prehistoric geologic flood history with modern flood mapping and climate-change projections, was released at an ARkStorm Summit in Sacramento, California last week.

The scenario suggests that a quarter of houses in the Golden State could be battered by flooding.

Weather experts say the statewide weather event, which strikes once every 100-200 years could bring an unprecedented scale of destruction. There is also a considerable risk of wind damage to the eastern part of the state, according to chief scientist Lucy Jones.

The last superstorm hit California between 1861 and 1862, but scientists predict that the threat of another one looms closer as weather patterns become more volatile, due to rising temperatures in the atmosphere.

Okay predicting flooding is no great shakes and Etna is the Italian pressure release valve along with Stromboli, which stops Vesuvius wiping out Naples. These 'release valves' are all over the world most notably in Indonesia, Central America, Hawaii and Iceland. I've got a feeling about Japan and New Zealand though.