The Extinction Protocol, 5/2/13

Wunderground.com - 5/3/13, Dr. Jeff Masters

Figure 1. Residents look on as a back fire set by firefighters consumes the hillside behind their homes as a wildfire burns on May 2, 2013 in Newbury Park, Calif. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Nationalgeographic, By: Andrew Fazekas, 05/03/2013

Halley’s Comet won’t swing by Earth for another 48 years, but you won’t have to wait that long to watch bits of the iconic comet zip across our skies. That’s because this weekend Earth smashes into a stream of material, known as the Eta Aquarid meteors, shed from the speedy iceberg in years past.

Coming through the inner solar system every 76 years, Halley melts a bit from the heat of the sun and sheds some pounds as gas, dust, and rocks break off.  All this material then gets deposited in clouds of debris which follow the same orbit as the comet.

For more on this story visit www.nationalgeographic.com

Weatherzone, By: Drew Casper-Richardson, 05/04/2013

A vigorous cold front has brought damaging wind and the heaviest May rainfall in up to 13 years for parts of Tasmania.

During Friday a strong cold front blasted its way across the Apple Isle. Winds gusted over 100km/h at many locations with the passage of the front. On Friday afternoon Scotts Peak Dam gusted to 122km/h with Mt Wellington and Maatsuyker Island both reaching 109km/h. Hobart wasn't spared from the wind with a gust of 102km/h at 3:40pm. Damaging wind gusts lasted until the small hours of Saturday morning for some parts. Tasman Island gusted to 113km/h and Cape Grim 109km/h before the sun came up. At 10am, Tasman Island was still recording gust of over 100km/h.

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com