Weekly wrap-up: Lunar trifecta dazzles skywatchers; Volcanic eruption causes chaos in Philippines
A volcanic eruption caused chaos in the Philippines this week.
Nearly 90,000 people have been directly impacted as Mount Mayon in Albay province, around 200 miles from Manila, continued to spew lava and ash during the week.
Several violent eruptions from Monday into Tuesday dispersed ash on the villages of Camalig and Guinobatan, according to the Associated Press.
An evacuee drives his motorcycle through a gully which shows signs of lahar flow (volcanic landslides) near the slopes of Mayon volcano following overnight rains at Camalig, Albay province, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Heavy rain also resulted in flooding and volcanic landslides, called lahars.
The Seine River, which runs through Paris, crested early this week after torrential rain fell in the region. Flooding inundated roads, railways and walking paths along the river.
In total, flooding across France has caused damage in 242 towns along the Seine and its tributaries in recent weeks, according to the AP.
The Seine River in Paris rose after intense rainfall, blocking walkways and causing flooding. (Photo/Stephanie Agoreyo)
Monday's crest of 5.86 meters (19.23 feet) on Monday fell just short of levels recorded during the June 2016 flooding.
Heavy snow in Tehran, Iran's capital, forced schools and airports to close at the start of the week, the AP reported.
According to the AP, state radio reported that some cars were stranded on snowy roads for hours. Mohammad Ali Najafi, Tehran's mayor, urged residents on Twitter to shake snow from tree branches.
Two Iranian women build a snowman in Mellat Park in northern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
It was the first snowfall of the season in Tehran. More than a foot of snow was reported at Mehrabad International Airport on Sunday.
Punxsutawney Phil made his annual declaration this year, signaling six more weeks of winter.
The groundhog was surrounded by the "Inner Circle" of event organizers and upholders of the century-old tradition in central Pennsylvania.
A rare lunar trifecta unfolded early Wednesday when a lunar eclipse coincided with a super moon and blue moon for the first time in 150 years.
Skywatchers in the Central and Western states were able to view a total lunar eclipse, although people in parts of the central United States did not see the the entire 76 minutes of totality.
Report a Typo
