Latest news with #FIRMS
Shafaq News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Shafaq News
Temperatures top 52°C in Southern Iraq
Shafaq News – Basra On Sunday, weather stations across Iraq recorded soaring temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius in several southern cities. The Basra International Airport area registered the highest temperature at 52.6°C. Al-Nasiriyah followed with 50.7°C, Basra–Al-Hussein station at 50.3°C, Al-Samawah at 50.2°C, and Amara at 50.0°C. Temperatures in other cities ranged from 48.8 °C to 49.6 °C. These included Al-Rifai, Karbala, Kut, Al-Hillah, Al-Diwaniyah, and Ain al-Tamr. Baghdad International Airport recorded 49.2°C. Earlier data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) highlighted dozens of hotspots across Iraq and nearby areas. The report attributes these anomalies to multiple factors, including wildfires, oil infrastructure operations, seasonal agricultural burns, and other industrial or natural heat sources.
Shafaq News
07-08-2025
- Climate
- Shafaq News
NASA detects widespread heat anomalies across Iraq
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq's General Authority for Meteorology and Seismology on Thursday published satellite imagery revealing significant thermal activity across the country over the past 24 hours. The data, sourced from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), highlighted dozens of hotspots in Iraq and nearby areas, indicating elevated surface temperatures and potential fire risks. According to the Authority's statement, the anomalies are likely linked to multiple causes, including wildfires, oil infrastructure operations, seasonal agricultural burns, and other industrial or natural heat sources. Such thermal monitoring, the statement noted, is essential for early detection and disaster management. The system provides critical data to environmental agencies and civil defense teams tasked with tracking fire outbreaks and broader environmental changes. The release follows a string of devastating fires across Iraq, including a deadly blaze in a Kut hypermarket that claimed at least 70 lives and left many more injured.
Egypt Independent
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Egypt Independent
Wildfires sweep through forests in drought-hit Syrian coast in major test for new government
CNN — Massive wildfires have torn through Syria's coastal mountain region of Jabal Turkman since Thursday, destroying thousands of hectares of forest and overwhelming emergency services. Abdel Kafi Kayyal, director of civil defense in Lattakia province, said efforts to control the fires have been hampered by strong winds, rugged terrain and the danger of landmines left behind from years of war. The fires come as Syria's new government tries to drive the country's recovery after more than a decade of war and crippling sanctions, with basic services non-existent in many parts of the country. Syrian firefighters battle wildfires sweeping through the forests of Latakia, Syria, on Saturday. Moawia Atrash/picture-alliance/dpa/AP The fires have burned along a line of 20-kilometers (12 miles), cutting off roads and forcing thousands to flee their homes. They have also left some areas without power. Drone video showed fires advancing along a broad front in rugged territory, occasionally flaring up as they encounter tinder-dry woodland. 'This fire is extremely difficult,' Kayyal told CNN on Saturday, adding that reinforcements have been called in from across the country. The fires have now spread into parts of Tartous province, despite the efforts of more than 60 firefighting units. Syrian authorities have appealed for international assistance. Turkey has sent two helicopters and 11 firefighting vehicles, and on Sunday Jordanian civil defense teams crossed the border to join efforts to contain the fires. Smoke billowing from a forest fire in the coastal Syrian province of Latakia on Saturday. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images Satellite data from NASA's FIRMS service indicates the burned area now exceeds 180 square kilometers, an area larger than the capital, Damascus. According to Syrian government figures from 2023, the country's forest cover stands at around 5,270 square kilometers, suggesting that these fires have consumed more than 3% of the country's total forested land in just three days. The country is also in the grip of a long-running drought. The Carnegie Endowment Middle East program reported last year that the entire Euphrates Basin region, particularly the southern and eastern desert areas of Syria, had suffered from low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures for four years.
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First Post
17-06-2025
- General
- First Post
At least 3 ships on fire after collision in Gulf of Oman, UAE sends rescue teams
At least three ships are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman following a collision between two vessels, prompting an emergency rescue operation near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to the UAE National Guard read more At least three vessels are reportedly on fire in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, following what officials described as a collision between two ships. The incident has triggered an emergency response and raised concerns over the safety of one of the world's most vital maritime trade routes. According to the UAE National Guard, the collision prompted a major rescue operation earlier on Tuesday. 'The Coast Guard of the National Guard carried out today, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, an evacuation mission involving 24 crew members of the oil tanker ADALYNN, following a collision between two ships in the Gulf of Oman. The ship's crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country's coast, to the Port of Khor Fakkan using search and rescue boats,' the National Guard said in a statement posted on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unverified images circulating on social media appeared to show large plumes of smoke and fire rising from the sea, with some users claiming the visuals depicted oil tankers burning near the Iranian coastline. While these claims remain unconfirmed, satellite and maritime monitoring data suggest that a serious maritime incident has taken place. One of the fires was reported aboard a vessel approximately 22 nautical miles from the coast of Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates. Authorities have not confirmed if this blaze is directly linked to the reported ship collision, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. UK-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed it is aware of a 'vessel-related incident' near Khor Fakkan in UAE waters. The company said it is actively monitoring the situation, which is unfolding in a high-traffic maritime corridor critical to global oil shipments. Though Ambrey has not released further details, its acknowledgement supports earlier reports of a vessel fire in the area. NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) also detected three active fire zones in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday. The heat signatures, not present in previous days, indicate recent and ongoing fire activity, lending additional credibility to reports of the incident. So far, Iranian authorities and other international officials have not commented on the situation. It remains unclear whether any of the vessels were targeted or if the fires were the result of mechanical failures or navigational errors. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Strait of Hormuz, connecting the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf, has historically been a flashpoint for naval tensions and oil tanker incidents. With nearly 20% of global oil supplies passing through its narrow waters, any disruption could have wide-reaching implications for energy markets. Further details are expected as maritime agencies conduct investigations and assess the scene in daylight. With inputs from agencies
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Business Standard
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
UAE coast guard evacuates 24 from oil tanker crash near Strait of Hormuz
The Emirati national guard said it evacuated 24 people from an oil tanker Tuesday after a collision between two ships just east of the world's most critical oil chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz. The crude oil tanker, ADALYNN, was bound for Egypt's Suez Canal when the crash in the Gulf of Oman happened. Nasa FIRMS satellite data showed heat signatures in the area early morning. The United Arab Emirates national guard said it deployed its coast guard's search and rescue boats to the site, 24 nautical miles off the country's coast, and that the crew was evacuated to the port of Khor Fakkan. The strait is the strategic maritime entryway to the Persian Gulf and sees about a fifth of the world's oil pass through it, according to the US Energy Information Administration. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of oil travelled through it daily. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, worry mounted over whether the Islamic Republic might block the waterway. Maritime ship experts say shipowners are increasingly wary of using the waterway, with some ships having tightened security and others cancelling routes there. As the Israel-Iran warfare intensified over the weekend, hundreds of ships in the strait saw spotty navigation signals and had to rely more on radar, though it wasn't immediately clear what caused Tuesday's incident. The Financial Times reported Friday that the world's largest publicly listed oil tanker company, Frontline, said it would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz after the Israel-Iran conflict broke out. Meanwhile, oil prices continued to climb as US futures were lower Tuesday morning after Israel's military issued an evacuation warning to 330,000 people in Iran's capital, Tehran. Tuesday's rescue came less than two weeks after the UAE national guard airlifted an injured man from an oil tanker to an Emirati hospital.
