Barbmac

The aftershocks can go on for months afterwards. I did hear them report on the BBC news that they were expecting another 'large' aftershock (around mag 7.0) in the next few days. If you check out the NOAA site, yoiu can see on the left hand side at the top the most recent 'quakes. If you refresh the page at intervals, you'll see just how many aftershocks are occurring in the Honshuu area - I'd say a new one every half hour to one hour at the very least, of around magnitude 4.5 upwards. http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/quake.php

Good lord no! No I meant that the authorities there might need a thorough rethink on their nuclear policy in terms of making better contingency plans. However I don't think there are any 'easy' solutions to the energy question for any of us, no matter where we live. Maybe they could use wave energy or wind energy to supplement their nuclear electricity production instead?

I think it's all very sad. Putting nuclear reactors in Japan is highly risky to say the least with the level of tectonic activity experience there, even with multiple levels of containment. I'm sure the plant designers must have had contingency plans for any emergencies but they appear to have fallen way short of being adequate in this type of situation. If it was just one reactor then maybe they could get things under control but there are multiple reactors experiencing problems and that must be extremely difficult to deal with, having to have various teams deployed at different reactors under the current trying conditions with constant risk of more high-magnitude aftershocks, and even tsunamis. I think Japan will have to seriously reconsider their nuclear reactor policy after this, and other governments would do well to review their own reactors' emergency plans as well.

latest developments

Apparently (according to one expert interviewed on the BBC) aftershocks can go up to as high as one magnitude below the original quake (which would be pretty disastrous) and go on for many weeks after the original. Must be incredibly difficult for all concerned. He also said tsunamis could occur with quakes over mag 7.0.

It's this one, a 6.4 magnitude: Magnitude6.4 Date-Time Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 13:15:41 UTCSaturday, March 12, 2011 at 10:15:41 PM at epicenterLocation37.261°N, 141.175°E Depth37.5 km (23.3 miles) RegionNEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances 33 km (20 miles) NE (48°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan 82 km (51 miles) SE (130°) from Fukushima, Honshu, Japan 113 km (70 miles) SSE (167°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan 218 km (136 miles) NE (35°) from TOKYO, JapanLocation Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 16.8 km (10.4 miles); depth +/- 0.9 km (0.6 miles) ParametersNST=366, Nph=374, Dmin=476.4 km, Rmss=0.49 sec, Gp= 50°,M-type="moment" magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=8

BBC news has just reported another earthquake around magnitude 6 has just hit the Fukushima region. Not going terribly well for them, one has to say. Edited to add: Magnitude5.8 Date-Time Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 12:53:50 UTCSaturday, March 12, 2011 at 10:53:50 PM at epicenterTime of Earthquake in other Time ZonesLocation37.754°N, 143.573°E Depth19.2 km (11.9 miles) RegionOFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN Distances242 km (150 miles) ESE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan250 km (155 miles) ENE of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan 273 km (169 miles) E of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan 410 km (254 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 15.4 km (9.6 miles); depth +/- 0.5 km (0.3 miles) ParametersNST=380, Nph=385, Dmin=475.3 km, Rmss=0.64 sec, Gp= 50°, M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=A Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)Event IDusc00020m9

From what I understand, the reactor rods have to be kept cooled by water at all costs until they cool right down and that could be several days. Even if they use sea water to do it. If the rods become exposed due to the coolant evaporating and not enough being available, that's when they will really be in trouble and there could be larger explosions and much more contamination. So fingers crossed they can keep the cooling going on.

Various information about Pacific tsunami warnings here: NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre

Just been watching the devastating effects of the tsunami on the news... unbelievably powerful. I think the tsunamis that follow could be very bad for some other pacific regions:

Woke up to a frost this morning with the temperature just below -1oC. Temperature rose quickly so that now it's 5.0oC, not too bad out as the wind's dropped down. Grey skies so far today, yesterday was better with a lot of sunshine.

Brightened up in Malvern this afternoon, despite feeling pretty raw outside at 4oC maximum today. Roll on springtime!

One short and sharp hail shower a couple of hours ago here in west Malvern, nothing after that. Sunny at the moment, but breezy. 6.1oC currently.

Hmmm well in Malvern at the moment the rain hadn't materialised - from the radar looks as if most of it is further north over Brum and Manchester. Maybe some of those showers further west will come our way? February 2011 has to be one of the least memorable weather-wise for me! Dull, grey and mainly dry.

Rain has cleared to leave us with thick fog. Might just be on the Hills but can't see for more than 20 metres! 4.3oC currently.

Still dark here, 2.4oC, but very wet outside, can hear the rain, looked out the back door and it's soggy everywhere. So I guess the prolonged dry or near-dry spell is over, at least here. Radar looks like it's clearing our area shortly so maybe a fine day in store? Certainly nothing sleety or snowy here at all.

So much for that sunny afternoon I was anticipating... it has gotten cloudy and there are only odd patches where the sun almost breaks through.

Nice! Looking hopeful here in Malvern too. Yesterday was just rain, rain, rain! Today it's mainly blue sky, could see fog lying in the valleys below a couple of hours ago but that appears to have lifted now. With any luck the sun should appear round this side of the hills in a couple of hours.

Lovely day here as well, sunshine, light wind, temp currently 6.6oC. Looks like rain on the way though so not going to stay dry for long.

Hmmm. That might just lead to a repeat of NEly's bringing in snow showers for the NE of the UK, and we in the Midlands miss out again. Not pinning my hopes on that one.

We've had very little 'weather' since 9th January, for sure... not even any good winter storms. I'm sure rainfall must be below average in this area, I don't recall any really good downpours for months. And I'd remember because we have a dodgy roof! It's gone back to being grey, a bit damp and feeling mild, 8.5oC currently. I take it that you aren't a Piers Corbyn 'the Ice Age is upon us' believer! I think we humans have far too much time to sit and think about climate, now we don't have to go out and hunt for our dinners - and so we come up with all kinds of theories about what apocalyptic doom we imagine might be on the horizon. When in fact it's just another dull, grey day! :lol:

I was surprised at how cold it was this morning, 0.8oC when I checked at around 7 am. Saw frost on the car roofs outside. Even at 2.30 pm there was still frost lying on the grass on the northern side of the Malverns when I went for a walk. But a lovely day, could even feel some warmth out of the sun.

Certainly been very windy in Malvern for the past few days, but temperatures holding up around the 8-10oC mark. It 'sounds' more like winter, although there's no rain to go with it.

*jumps into shiny new snowless thread* Hi AJ Not a sign of precipitation here today - currently 5.0oC, bright and sunny out, moderate breeze. Maybe a nice day before we are hit by wind and rain? Netweather is forecasting rain for Fri-Sat-Sun for my area.

2.9oC in West Malvern at the moment and it's started to rain quite hard. That would correlate with the bright band on the radar just moving this way. Looks to be a short spell of rain only as that band is quite narrow over this area. Maybe more rain for those further north?