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India is likely to fire its Agni-V ballistic missile with a range of 5,000 km by the end of 2010, a senior official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said Friday.

“We should be able to do something before December 2010,” DRDO chief M. Natarajan said.

After the successful test of the 3,500 km range Agni-III in May last year, scientists are now working to club the first and second stage of the missile to increase its range to 5,000 km.

“We will be working on capitalising the first and second stages,” Natarajan explained.

Agni-III is capable of carrying warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes, is 16 metres tall and weighs 48 tonnes.

Agni-I is a 750-800 km short-range missile. Agni-II has a range of more than 1,500 km. Both have already been inducted in the armed forces.

While Agni-III is capable of reaching strategic targets deep inside China like Beijing and Shanghai, it falls short of being an ICBM (inter-continental ballistic missile) that has a range of over 5,000 km.

Hurricane season 2008, unlike 2006 and 2007, was a shift back to the years of numerous damaging and deadly U.S. and Caribbean storms and hurricanes; so far 883 direct deaths and 99 indirect deaths have been documented. Sixteen named storms formed, 8 became hurricanes of which 5 became major hurricanes. These numbers are very close to the 1995 to 2008 average of 15, 8 and 4, respectively rounded to the nearest whole number. Similar to the busy 2004 hurricane season there were numerous tropical cyclone strikes on the U.S. coastline. It was fortunate for the US that both of the strongest hurricanes of the season (Gustav and Ike, both CAT 4’s) struck other land areas and weakened before striking the US as weaker hurricanes, but unfortunately in the process Ike greatly expanded in size. The 2008 hurricane season was an all time record breaker; 5 of the 6 months of hurricane season had a major hurricane. The old record (2005) was a least one major hurricane in 4 months of hurricane season. In 2008 Bertha became a major in July, Gustav a major in August, Ike a major in September, Omar a major in October and finally Paloma shattered the Atlantic Basin record when it became a major hurricane in November. Hurricane Bertha became the longest –lived named storm on record in July in the Atlantic Basin (17 days). Bertha also formed farther east than any other on record so early in the season (east of 25W as a storm and 50W as a hurricane).
Image of Hurricane Bertha in the west-central Atlantic. However prior to the satellite era few observations were available in this area to “see” any tropical storms; there have probably been others tropical storms like Bertha that are just not documented. A series of 7 named storms starting with Cristobal and ending with Ike struck the U.S. coastline, this extended series of named storms all striking the U.S. with no non-strikers between is a record for the U.S. Ike was by far the most costly hurricane for the U.S. in 2008 and will likely go into the record books in the top 5 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history, possibly in the top three.
Hurricane Ike as it emerges into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico after dealing a destructive blow on the western end of Cuba. Although Ike struck near Galveston Texas as only a category 2 hurricane the enormous size of Ike’s hurricane winds and its gigantic area of tropical storm winds brought huge waves and very high surge to the coast, both more representative of what would be expected from an average size CAT 4/5 hurricane, except that those extreme affects covered a much larger coastal and inland area than that observed from an average sized hurricane so that far more areas felt impacts from Ike.
A wild-looking Ike as it menaces the Gulf Coast just prior to landfall. Image courtesy of WeatherTap Waves, surge and winds ransacked the coast from east-central Louisiana to near Freeport, Texas. Impacts on Galveston, southeast Houston, and the Bolivar Peninsula all the way to Lake Charles were extreme and the resulting wave, surge and wind damage caused oil drilling disruptions and gas refinery disruptions both resulting in an extended period of gas shortages to area as far away as north Georgia. The combination of surge and additional water rise from battering high waves destroyed homes in west Galveston, flooding homes and businesses in north Galveston, flooding many homes and businesses around Galveston Bay, devastated many homes on the Bolivar Peninsula, and flooding residences, businesses and destroying infrastructure to areas to southeast of Lake Charles. In many wave and surge areas, homes vanished beneath the pounding surf.
The incredible breadth of Ike’s surge. AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Michael DeMocker: Plaquemines Parish, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 Wave heights were estimated to be near 40-50 feet and water rise, based on high water marks, is estimated to be 15-20 feet near the Bolivar Peninsula; portions of southeast Galveston Bay may have seen water briefly and very locally exceed 20 feet. A large area of coastline reported 10 feet of water rise, and coastal water level stations measured heights as high as 12 feet, heights exceeded 8 feet at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Tide gauges failed or terminated transmission of data prior to measuring maximum values. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power in the Greater Houston Galveston area and across areas to the south and east of Houston. Some lost power for many weeks and some still do not have power or any hint of a home left along the coast. Ike was a most classic example of how damaging a very large hurricane can be despite the fact that its maximum winds at the coast were less than 111 mph. Sadly, even though hundreds of thousands evacuated, many did not and the result was that an unnecessary number of people died in the raging waves and high water that were forced onshore by Ike. Hundreds were rescued at the last hours before Ike’s landfall or after Ike moved inland as many were left stranded by destroyed or impassible roads. A year with a hurricane Ike comes along only once in 20 years or less and this hurricane alone would have made 2008 a season to remember. But 6 other storms and hurricanes also struck the U.S. coastline, thus making this one of the most destructive in U.S. history, obviously mostly because the U.S. has built up a huge and continuous population of hurricane vulnerable structures along its coasts. NOAA 2008 HURRICANE SEASON RECAP The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially comes to a close on Sunday, marking the end of a season that produced a record number of consecutive storms to strike the United States and ranks as one of the more active seasons in the 64 years since comprehensive records began. A total of 16 named storms formed this season, based on an operational estimate by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. The storms included eight hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher. These numbers fall within the ranges predicted in NOAA’s pre- and mid-season outlooks issued in May and August. The August outlook called for 14 to 18 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes. An average season has 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. “This year’s hurricane season continues the current active hurricane era and is the tenth season to produce above-normal activity in the past 14 years,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Overall, the season is tied as the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five), and is tied as the fifth most active in terms of hurricanes (eight) since 1944, which was the first year aircraft missions flew into tropical storms and hurricanes. For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the U.S. mainland and a record three major hurricanes (Gustav, Ike and Paloma) struck Cuba. This is also the first Atlantic season to have a major hurricane (Category 3) form in five consecutive months (July: Bertha, August: Gustav, September: Ike, October: Omar, November: Paloma). Bell attributes this year’s above-normal season to conditions that include: An ongoing multi-decadal signal. This combination of ocean and atmospheric conditions has spawned increased hurricane activity since 1995. Lingering La Ni#a effects. Although the La Ni#a that began in the Fall of 2007 ended in June, its influence of light wind shear lingered. Warmer tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures. On average, the tropical Atlantic was about 1.0 degree Fahrenheit above normal during the peak of the season. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center is conducting comprehensive post-event assessments of each named storm of the season. Some of the early noteworthy findings include: Bertha was a tropical cyclone for 17 days (July 3-20), making it the longest-lived July storm on record in the Atlantic Basin. Fay is the only storm on record to make landfall four times in the state of Florida, and to prompt tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for the state’s entire coastline (at various times during its August lifespan). Paloma, reaching Category 4 status with top winds of 145 mph, is the second strongest November hurricane on record behind Lenny in 1999 with top winds of 155 mph. Much of the storm-specific information is based on operational estimates and some changes could be made during the review process that is underway. DETAILED LOOK AT EACH EVENT IN 2008: 2008 Atlantic Basin Tropical Summary: Hurricane season 2008, unlike 2006 and 2007, was a shift back to the years of numerous damaging and deadly U.S. and Caribbean storms and hurricanes; so far 883 direct deaths and 99 indirect deaths have been documented. Sixteen named storms formed, 8 became hurricanes of which 5 became major hurricanes. These numbers are very close to the 1995 to 2008 average of 15, 8 and 4, respectively rounded to the nearest whole number. Similar to the busy 2004 hurricane season there were numerous tropical cyclone strikes on the U.S. coastline. It was fortunate for the US that both of the strongest hurricanes of the season (Gustav and Ike, both CAT 4’s) struck other land areas and weakened before striking the US as weaker hurricanes, but unfortunately in the process Ike greatly expanded in size. May and June: Tropical Storm Arthur, the first Atlantic storm of the 2008 season, formed on May 31 in the Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Belize and lasted into very early June. On average a Tropical Storm occurs in the Atlantic Basin during late May to June about every other year. Arthur took many by surprise because it rapidly intensified to a tropical storm and made landfall in Belize that same day. It was the result of a combination of the low to mid-level remnants of eastern Pacific Tropical Storm Alma and a westward moving Tropical Wave over the Caribbean Sea. Arthur formed on May 31 about 45 miles north-northwest of Belize City. Arthur brought torrential rain to Belize with storm totals up to 15 inches, prompting flash floods that claimed five lives. The Belize National Emergency Organization estimates that total damages were about 78 million U.S. dollars. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND DEATHS U.S. DAMAGE MPH $MILLION TS ATHUR 31 May 45 5 NONE July: Tropical activity during July was much above average. There were three Tropical Storms forming during the month. Two of these became Hurricanes, and one became a Major Hurricane reaching category three or higher. On average there is one Tropical Storm that forms in July and a Hurricane forms about every other July. Hurricane Bertha, the Atlantic’s first hurricane for the 2008 season, developed in the Atlantic Ocean on July 3. The storm reached peak intensity on July 7 with maximum sustained winds Category three at 120 mph, but as it traveled toward Bermuda, Bertha weakened into a tropical storm. Although Bertha did not make landfall, Bermuda was battered by the storm’s heavy rain and strong winds, causing roads to be flooded and leaving 7,500 people without electricity (Associated Press). Bertha was the longest-lived July Atlantic tropical storm when it entered its 16th day on July 19. The second longest-lived July tropical storm was Storm Number 2 in 1960, lasting just over 12 days. Tropical Storm Cristobel, A trough of low pressure associated with an old frontal zone became nearly stationary along the east coast of the United States on July 15. The trough extended southwestward across Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico and on July 16, an area of low pressure formed on the southern portion of the trough near the southwest coast of Florida. The low moved northeastward across Florida, producing heavy rains, and it became better defined just off the Georgia coast on July 17. The shower activity around the low gradually increased and became more concentrated, with ample mid-level rotation. A well-defined surface circulation center then developed, and is estimated that a tropical depression formed at 8 p.m. EDT on July 19 about 60 n mi east of the Georgia/South Carolina border. The depression moved slowly toward the northeast with most of the shower activity located to the east of the center. The surface circulation and convection continued to become better organized and it is estimated that by 8 a.m. EDT July 19 the depression strengthened to a tropical storm. Cristobal moved northeastward very close to the Outer Banks of North Carolina but the strongest winds remained over water to the east of the center. The cloud pattern was unimpressive at times with very limited convection while Cristobal continued to move toward the northeast. The cyclone encountered a more favorable atmospheric environment and strengthened, reaching a peak intensity of 65 mph or55 knots with a minimum pressure of 998 mb at 8 a.m. EDT on July 22. An eye feature was observed in microwave data around that time at this time. By then, Cristobal was located about 180 n mi southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Thereafter, Cristobal encountered cooler waters and began to weaken. By 8 a.m. EDT on July 23, Cristobal was absorbed by a large extratropical cyclone. Hurricane Dolly, the Atlantic’s second hurricane for the 2008 season, developed as a tropical storm in the western Caribbean Sea on July 20. The storm made landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula on July 21 with maximum sustained winds near 49 mph or 43 knots. The tropical storm brought heavy rains to parts of Guatemala where deadly landslides were triggered, killing 21 people. Dolly moved towards the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened to a category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph or 87 knots on the 23rd. Later that same day, Dolly made a second landfall in the South Padre Island, southern Texas. The storm lashed the U.S.-Mexico border with strong winds that brought down trees and power lines, and brought heavy rain that caused extensive flooding (Associated Press/AFP). One fatality was reported and nearly 250,000 people were left without drinking water in Mexico. Dolly was downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved further inland on July 25. Dolly’s remnants caused heavy rainfall that triggered flash floods across parts of New Mexico, killing one person, flooding nearly 60 homes, and destroying 12 bridges (Reuters). SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS MH BERTHA 3 JUL - 20 JUL 120 * TS CRISTOBAL 19 JUL - 23 JUL 65 H DOLLY 20 JUL - 25 JUL 100 23 MH DENOTES MAJOR HURRICANE…CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. August: Tropical activity during August was near Average with four Tropical Storms forming during the month. One of these became a Major Hurricane. On average, three Tropical Storms form during August with two becoming Hurricanes. Tropical Storm Edouard developed as a tropical depression in northern Gulf of Mexico on August 3. The storm strengthened to a tropical storm later that same day, but reached its peak intensity of 65 mph or 56 knots before it made landfall along the upper Texas coast, east of Galveston, on the 5th. The storm brought much-needed precipitation to parts of Texas. Edouard weakened as it moved further inland. No fatalities were reported. Tropical Storm Fay developed over the Dominican Republic on August 15. The storm brought 45 mph or 39 knots winds and heavy rains across the island of Hispaniola. In the Dominican Republic, Fay downed trees and power lines, damaged hundreds of homes, and was blamed for killing 5 people who were swept away by flood waters. In Haiti, a bus was swept away by a flooded river, causing the deaths of 7 people and leaving 3 others missing (Associated Press). Fay exited the Island of Hispaniola and tracked toward Cuba, where authorities had already evacuated residents from low-lying areas. However, heavy downpours associated with Tropical Storm Fay caused floods across parts of Jamaica, resulting in two deaths (Reuters). The storm made landfall in western Cuba on August 17, with maximum sustained winds near 49 mph or 43 knots. No fatalities were reported for Cuba (Associated Press/AFP). In total, Fay was blamed for 23 fatalities across the Caribbean. The storm was expected to become a hurricane after exiting Cuba into open waters; however, it remained a dangerous tropical storm. Fay made its first landfall in Florida, over Key West, on the 18th with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph or 52 knots, and then again south of Naples on the 19th. The storm dumped copious amounts of rain across parts of Florida and spawned several tornadoes. It was reported that Fay downed trees, flooded streets, and left more than 93,000 residents without power. The storm moved toward the northeast, exiting the Florida panhandle near Melbourne on August 20. Nonetheless, Fay made its third landfall in Florida near Daytona Beach on August 21, tracking westward. The storm made its fourth and final landfall in Florida on the 23rd when it re-entered the state near Panama City, becoming the first storm in recorded history to strike the state (or any state) four concurrent times. As the storm zigzagged across Florida, Fay hammered parts of the state with heavy rainfall. It was reported that Melbourne received more than (26 inches) of rain and damages were estimated to be up to $12 million. The damage left by the storm across the state led President Bush to declare a state of emergency. Fay weakened into a depression as it drifted across the Gulf Coast states. Nevertheless, remnants of the storm caused heavy rain and widespread flooding across the drought-stricken Southeast. According to reports, Fay was responsible for 13 fatalities in the U.S. and 20+ in the Caribbean. Hurricane Gustav developed as a tropical depression in the Caribbean Sea, south of the island of Hispaniola, on August 25. The following day the storm rapidly intensified into a tropical storm, then a category one hurricane, and made landfall in Haiti later that day, near the city of Jacmel, only a week after Tropical Storm Fay claimed 23 lives across the Caribbean. Gustav lashed Haiti with maximum sustained winds near 92 mph or 80 knots and torrential rain, prompting deadly floods and landslides. The storm was responsible for at least 59 fatalities in Haiti and 8 in neighboring Dominican Republic (Reuters) and for damaging nearly 900 homes. The storm weakened into a tropical storm as it exited Haiti. Gustav unexpectedly tracked south toward Jamaica, lashing the island on August 28 with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph or 60 knots and pounding rains. Gustav prompted flash floods that affected about 1,500 people and claimed the lives of 11 people (AFP). On August 30, Gustav made landfall in western Cuba as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph or 130 knots. The storm caused major flooding, damaged crops, ripped roofs off houses, uprooted trees, and disrupted power and phone services. However, no fatalities where reported (BBC News). It was reported that Gustav was the worst storm to hit Cuba in 50 years. In the city of Paso Real de San Diego, 212 mph or 184 knots wind gusts were registered, the highest in Cuba’s history (Miami Herald). By August 31, the storm moved across the Gulf of Mexico towards the U.S. Hurricane Gustav, which developed during the last week of August, pounded several Caribbean nations before making landfall west of Grand Isle, LA on September 1 as a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph or 100 knots. Nearly two million people fled coastal areas as many feared a repetition of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to reports, this was described as the biggest evacuation in U.S. history (AFP). Gustav’s ferocious winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving thousands of customers without power in Louisiana (Associated Press). As Gustav moved inland, the storm weakened to a depression. The storm was blamed for 25 fatalities in the U.S. Hurricane Hanna developed as a tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean on August 28, strengthening into a tropical storm later that day. By September 1, Hanna intensified to a hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 81 mph or 70 knots as it trailed towards the Bahamas. Although Hanna did not make landfall on the Island of Hispaniola, the storms outer rain bands brought heavy rain to Haiti’s saturated grounds. The copious rain caused fatal floods and mudslides, claiming the lives of 529 people (Reuters) and destroying immense areas of crops (BBC News). The worst affected city was Gonaives, which according to reports was completely devastated (BBC News). The storm tracked towards the Eastern Seaboard, making landfall near the North and South Carolina border on the 6th with maximum sustained winds near 58 mph or 50 knots. Hanna brought much needed rain to the Carolinas; however severe to exceptional drought persisted according to 9 September 2008 U.S. Drought Monitor Map. The storm moved towards the Northeast region, dumping heavy rains and lashing the region with strong winds. Hanna was blamed for flooding highways, delaying flights, and leaving thousands of residents without power (Associated Press). SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS TS EDOUARD 3- 6 AUG 65 0 TS FAY 15-26 AUG 65 36+ MH GUSTAV 25 AUG- 2 SEP 150 122+ H HANNA 28 AUG- 7 SEP 80 600+ MH DENOTES MAJOR HURRICANE…CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. September: Tropical activity during September was near average, with four named Tropical Storms forming of which two were Hurricanes and one a Major Hurricane. On average four named Tropical Storms form during September with two becoming Hurricanes and one strengthening into a Major Hurricane. Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, which formed in August, were also active during the month of September. Hurricane Ike developed as a tropical storm, west of the Cape Verde Islands, on September 1. The storm quickly intensified, reaching its peak strength (a dangerous Category 4 hurricane) on the 4th when it had maximum sustained winds near 145 mph or 126 knots and a pressure of 935 mb. So far, Ike has been the strongest storm in the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Haiti, already ravaged by three previous tropical storms (Fay, Gustav, and Hanna), was affected by Ike’s outer rain bands. Torrential rain fell, producing swollen rivers, mudslides, and floods, which claimed the lives of 74 people (AFP). The storm tracked towards Cuba (also previously affected by Fay, Gustav, and Hanna), which was preparing itself for a fourth time, evacuating nearly a million Cubans across the coastal areas. Prior to making landfall in Cuba, Ike slightly weakened to a Category 3 hurricane. Ike made landfall in eastern Cuba on September 7 with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph or 104 knots. Ike’s ferocious winds tore off roofs, toppled trees and power lines. As the storm roared across the island, Ike weakened; however, remained a dangerous Category 1 hurricane. The storm crossed over western Cuba, striking the area with additional flooding and storm surge (AFP). Hurricane Ike was responsible for seven fatalities in Cuba, the highest death toll for any storm in years, according to reports. Ike’s death toll in Cuba exceeds the death toll from Hurricane Michelle in 2001 when five fatalities were reported (Associated Press). It has been reported that Hurricane Gustav and Ike caused nearly 5 billion U.S. dollars in damages in Cuba. More than 63,000 homes were destroyed and about 450,000 were damaged (Associated Press). After lashing Cuba, Ike moved into the Gulf’s warm waters, tracking towards the U.S.-Mexico coasts. As the storm moved steadily towards Texas coast, Ike strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Ike was a large storm. Long before it made landfall, Louisiana and Texas coast felt Ike’s effects. The storm made U.S. landfall at Galveston, Texas on the 13th with maximum sustained winds near 109 mph or 95 knots. The storm brought widespread floods across the Galveston area. Houston was also pummeled as the storm moved inland, blowing out windows and leaving millions of residents without power (BBC News). As the storm tracked towards the Midwest, it weakened. However, Ike’s remnants caused havoc across the Midwest. Torrential rain and strong winds were responsible for inundating homes and causing blackouts to more than a million homes and businesses. The storm dumped 6-8 inches of rain across parts of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. The storm was also responsible for spawning a tornado in Arkansas that caused damage to several buildings. Ike was blamed for 15 fatalities across the Midwest, which brought the U.S. death toll from Ike to 92 (Associated Press). Tropical Storm Josephine developed from a well-organized Tropical Wave that departed the West Coast of Africa on September 1. A Tropical Depression formed early on September 2, located about 170 miles south-southeast of The Cape Verde Islands. The Tropical Depression became a Tropical Storm late on September 2. Josephine reached peak intensity of 65 mph or 56 kts on September 3 while the system was located 305 miles west-southwest of The Cape Verde Islands. Thereafter a combination of moderate to strong southwesterly wind shear and cooling waters caused the Tropical Storm to weaken over the next several days. Early on September 6, Josephine weakened to Tropical Depression and then dissipated. Hurricane Kyle originated from an area of low pressure that formed in the Windward Islands on September 19. The Low moved slowly toward the northwest and then drifted over western Puerto Rioc and The Dominican Republic for a couple of days producing torrential rains and plenty of damage over Puerto Rico due to Flash Floods. Once the low moved northward away from Hispaniola it developed a well-defined center and became a Tropical Storm late on September 25. Kyle moved on a general northward track and passed well to the west of Bermuda on the morning of September 27 and then became a Hurricane later that day. Kyle then accelerated northward with no significant change in strength and then made landfall over western Nova Scotia late on September 28. It continued northward and lost tropical characteristics as it approached New Brunswick. Kyle brought heavy flooding rain and high surf to eastern Canada. Tropical Storm Laura originated from a non-tropical low pressure system over the central North Atlantic. It formed over the central North Atlantic into a subtropical storm with 60 mph winds early on September 29 about 1000 miles west of the westernmost Azores Islands. Laura initially moved west-northwest but it soon turned northward. On September 30 Subtropical Storm Laura made a transition to a Tropical Storm. At Month’s end, Laura began to lose Tropical characteristics over the cold waters of the North Atlantic a few hundred miles southeast of New Foundland. The extratropical system then traveled to the east eventually bringing heavy wind and rains to the British Isles on October 5. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS MH GUSTAV 25 AUG - 2 SEP 150 122+ H HANNA 28 AUG - 7 SEP 80 600+ MH IKE 1 SEP - 14 SEP 145 175+ TS JOSEPHINE 2 SEP - 6 SEP 65 H KYLE 25 SEP - 29 SEP 80 TS LAURA 29 SEP — 30 SEP 60 MH DENOTES MAJOR HURRICANE…CATEGORY 3 OR HIGHER ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. October: Four Tropical Cyclone formed during October. Tropical Storms Marco and Nana, Hurricane Omar, and Tropical Depression Sixteen. Tropical Storm Laura which formed in September was still active at the beginning of the month. Tropical Storm Marco roared ashore on Mexico’s Gulf coast with near-hurricane force winds on Tuesday October 8th with top winds of 65 mph, prompting a shutdown of some oil platforms. The storm flooded coastal highways and brought heavy rains to the city of Veracruz, but the busy port appeared to have escaped most of the storm’s wrath. Veracruz state authorities closed schools and set up some 200 shelters. Soldiers and rescue officials lined up buses and prepared to evacuate communities, some in low-lying areas still trying to recover from heavy flooding caused by rains last week. Mexico’s state oil company said it had evacuated 33 workers from four offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, closed six wells and shut down a natural gas processing plant in Veracruz State ahead of Marco’s arrival. Marco was a tightly wound cyclone with tropical-storm-force winds extending only about 15 miles from the center, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Marco hit land about 55 miles north of Veracruz with winds near hurricane strength, but quickly weakened as it headed inland. Forecasters said it would dissipate as it moves over mountainous terrain, and state officials warned that rainfall of as much as 4 inches in places could unleash dangerous mudslides. Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Department ordered the small ports of Nautla and Alvarado closed to small vessels. Ranulfo Marquez, the state’s top civil protection official, said dozens of shelters would remain open in southern Veracruz, where rain-swollen rivers jumped their banks, leaving the towns of Minatitlan and Hidalgotitlan under 10 feet of water. Tropical Storm Nana was weak, short-lived Tropical Storm that developed from a Tropical Wave on October 12 about 925 miles west of The Cape Verde Islands. Nana became a Tropical Storm later that day and remained over the open Atlantic for the duration of its lifetime. Tropical Storm Nana moved steadily west-northwestward and southwesterly upper-level shear caused Nana to weaken to a Tropical Depression on October 13. The system degenerated into a remnant low on October 14 about 1300 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Hurricane Omar started as a Tropical Wave that moved westward from coast of Africa on September 30. The Tropical Wave moved slowly across the Tropical Atlantic and reached the eastern Caribbean Sea on October 10. The associated shower activity showed signs of organization on October 11 and became a Tropical Depression on October 13 about 175 miles north-northwest of Curacao in the Netherland Antilles. The cyclone moved slowly and erratically on October 13-14 and then became a Tropical Storm on October 14 about 125 miles north of Curacao. Omar turned northeastward and accelerated on October 15 as it became a hurricane. It rapidly strengthened to a peak intensity of 125 mph early on October 16 as it passed through the Virgin and northern Leeward Islands. The powerful core of the storm passed overnight between St. Martin and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, said Lixion Avila, a hurricane specialist with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. “It could have been worse,” Avila said. “They were very, very lucky.” Omar knocked down trees, caused some flooding and minor mudslides but there were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands, said Mark Walters, director of the disaster management agency for the Caribbean territory. A last-minute shift to the east spared St. Croix, the most populated of the islands. The nearby British Virgin Islands also emerged largely unscathed, said Deputy Gov. Inez Archibald, noting there was little damage beyond some mudslides and scattered debris. In St. Maarten, roads were flooded and littered with tree branches and other debris, but authorities lifted a curfew Thursday afternoon and planned to reopen the main airport on Friday. In Dominica, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit toured the island’s west coast. “There is substantial damage to housing, fishing boats and port infrastructure,” he said. One death was reported on Puerto Rico’s tiny island of Culebra. Authorities say a 55-year-old man collapsed from cardiac arrest while trying to install storm shutters on his house. The island’s Hovensa oil refinery, one of the 10 largest in the world, shut down operations for the storm but didn’t sustain any major damage. Hurricane Omar forced at least three cruise ships to change course and flights were canceled on several islands. Later that day, southwesterly sheared caused rapid weakening and Omar weakened to a Tropical Storm early on October 17. A temporary decrease in the shear allowed Omar to regain Hurricane strength later that day. Hurricane Omar then moved rapidly northeastward over the Open Atlantic. However, it weakened back to a Tropical Storm on October 18. Movement over colder water caused Omar to decay to a remnant low late on October 18, about 820 miles east of Bermuda. This low moved slowly northeastward and dissipated on October 21, about 650 miles west of the Western Azores Islands. Tropical Depression Sixteen formed about 45 miles north-northeast of Cabo Gracias A Dios on the Nicaragua/Honduras border out of a broad area of low pressure in the western Caribbean on October 14. The sprawling system was never able to gain much organization as it moved along the north coast of Honduras on October 15. The center of the Depression moved inland over north-central Honduras that afternoon and dissipated early on October 16. The depression and its precursor low and its remnants caused massive flooding that resulted in 54+ deaths in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. As many as 1 million people were impacted by the widespread flooding. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS TS LAURA 29 SEP-1 OCT 60 TS MARCO 6-8 OCT 65 TS NANA 12-14 OCT 40 H OMAR 13-18 OCT 125 1 TD SIXTEEN 14-16 OCT 30 54+ November: Hurricane Paloma was the seventeenth tropical cyclone, sixteenth tropical storm, eighth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Paloma developed out of a strong tropical disturbance off the eastern coast of Nicaragua and northern coast of Honduras on November 5. The disturbance had slowly developed into a tropical depression while hugging the coastline. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm early on November 6, then a hurricane later that day. The next day, Paloma intensified into a Category 2 hurricane then soon a Category 3 and impacted Grand Cayman and then Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Early on November 8, Paloma continued to intensify and reached Category 4 intensity, and then weakened into a Category 3 again before making landfall in Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba. Paloma weakened into a tropical storm on November 9 while moving over Cuba, where it stalled out. It dissipated later that evening. Hurricane Paloma caused heavy damage, to south-central Cuba. The system that became Paloma formed off a low pressure system on November 3. It slowly organized into a tropical disturbance soon after. The disturbance slowly organized and became a Depression#the seventeenth of the season on November 5. The next day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Paloma. On the evening of November 6, Paloma strengthened into a hurricane according to supporting data from a NOAA buoy. Gradual strengthening continued on November 7, and Paloma became a Category 2 hurricane that afternoon, the first hurricane to reach such intensity in the Atlantic in November since Hurricane Michelle in 2001. It continued to strengthen at a more rapid pace and became a Category 3 hurricane that evening and a Category 4 hurricane early on November 8. The center of Paloma passed directly over Little Cayman and Cayman Brac that morning with 140 mph winds. Paloma continued northeastward, and hit its peak winds of 145 mph by 4 p.m. EDT, making it officially the second most powerful November hurricane by wind speed in recorded history, behind only Hurricane Lenny in 1999 which reached 155 mph. Paloma held steady in intensity, but it suddenly weakened to a 125 mph Category 3 before making landfall near Santa Cruz del Sur, Cuba that evening, striking on the same day and within the same area as the 1932 Cuba Hurricane 76 years earlier. After making landfall, Paloma steadily weakened over Cuba. It became a tropical storm early on November 9 EST and a tropical depression that afternoon while stalling over the area. Later that day, the last advisory was issued at 10:00 pm. EST. SUMMARY TABLE NAME DATES MAX WIND (MPH) DEATHS MH PALOMA 05-09 NOV 145 Information and Data Courtesy: National Hurricane Center - NOAA National Climatic Data Center - NOAA GOES PROJECT - NOAA Colorado State University - Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray

A record cold snap gripped the American Midwest Friday as temperatures plummeted to lows of minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) and officials scrambled to protect the homeless and vulnerable.

The cold was the result of an arctic blast that descended from Canada and settled across the upper Midwest, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Wilson.

“The wind patterns are like this during the winter,” he said. “Some winters it gets cold. Some winters it gets extreme. This is what we term extreme.”

The temperatures were the coldest since 1999 in Illinois and since 1994 in some parts of Ohio and Indiana.

Temperatures of minus 32 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 36 degrees Celsius) overnight were recorded in Rockford, Illinois, breaking a record set in 1983, Wilson said.

The front was expected to move east in coming days and bring similar bone-chilling temperatures to the East Coast.

Relief may be a long way off, however, as temperatures remained locked below zero (minus 17 Celsius) Friday and weren’t expected to break above 32 degrees Fahrenheit (zero Celsius) until later next week, according to the National Weather Service.

In Canada the polar freeze was not any kinder as the extreme cold caused flooding in Montreal and left 100,000 people in Toronto without power or heating for over 12 hours, as temperatures stood frozen at zero degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius).

The severe cold forced scores of school closures, prompted people to leave their homes for warming centers and saw cadres of volunteers and government officials take to the streets across affected states to ensure the homeless and vulnerable were not stuck in the deadly winter freeze.

Homeless shelters, jammed even beyond capacity because of surging home foreclosures that has produced a significant rise in the numbers of homeless people, looked for churches and other social service agencies to open their doors to make room.

Eddy Bazile, executive director of the Fort Wayne, Indiana Rescue Mission reported his facility had seen a 100 percent increase in occupancy over the last few days.

“I believe there is a surge in need just about everywhere,” Bazile said.

In Cleveland, Ohio officials converted recreation centers into warming centers, and issued cold-weather alerts to roughly 100,000 elderly residents, according to the mayor’s office spokeswoman Andrea Taylor.

“People are used to the cold here, but they’re saying that it hasn’t been this cold in years,” Taylor said.

Chicago is operating six warming centers, including one open 24 hours a day, and authorities are checking on at least 3,000 residents considered most at risk, said Anne Sheahan, spokeswoman for Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

“We have some challenges with our homeless population as some people refuse to come in from the cold. That’s probably the hardest thing for us to deal with. They’re adults, so we can’t make them.”

Temperatures plummeted in Flint, Michigan, forcing all the city’s schools to close, according to Police Chief David Forystek. At midday the temperature was seven degrees Fahrenheit (-14 Celsius) Friday, or 13 degrees below zero (-25 Celsius) factoring in the wind chill.

Flint’s local energy company had also postponed cutting power to residents who have fallen behind on their bills, added Forystek,

“That’s a private industry thing, but it’s a sign of how cold it really is,” Forystek said.

“We are used to temperatures in the 20s (minus six to one degree Celsius) and 30s (one to four degrees Celsius), but it’s not very often we see the temperature fall to 19 degrees below zero (minus 28 Celsius).”

A biodiversity researcher has found a huge basalt rock formation in the Taiwan Strait, resembling a city wall and rivaling similar monoliths on land.

The 200 meter-long, 10 meter-high undersea wall, which looks like thousands of pillars packed together, is near the Pescadores archipelago, researcher Jeng Ming-hsiou said on Monday.

Jeng, who is a professor at the state-run Academia Sinica in Taipei, was diving in the area when he saw and filmed the wall, about 40 km (25 miles) west of Taiwan’s main island.

“It was completely unexpected,” said Jeng. “It’s not easy to see these formations underwater.”

Basalt walls such as the famed Giant’s Causeway on the coast of Ireland and the Wairere Boulders of New Zealand are known to have occurred on land but seldom, if ever, found at sea.

The Taiwan Strait formation, which local media have compared to a city wall, likely began with a volcanic eruption as far back as 1,800 years ago, Jeng said.

Russia reduced gas flows to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, a measure it said was to stop its neighbor siphoning off fuel but which Kiev said could jeopardize supplies to European countries including Germany.

Countries in southern and eastern Europe reported new falls in gas supplies from Russia while Serbia and Bulgaria urged industry to scale back demand and switch to alternative fuels, the first sign supply disruptions were hitting customers.

In an escalation of a pricing row with Ukraine that saw Russia cut off gas supplies to its neighbor on New Year’s Day, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered supplies pumped via Ukraine to Europe to be cut by about one sixth — the same amount Moscow accuses Kiev of illegally siphoning off.

“Yes, cut it today,” Putin told Alexei Miller, chief executive of state-controlled gas export monopoly Gazprom, adding that the company should brief European Union states on what it was doing.

Europe relies on pipelines across Ukraine for one fifth of its gas. Russia alleges that since the cut-off Kiev has been taking supplies intended for customers in Europe, while Ukraine blames Russia for the supply shortfalls.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he had appealed to Putin and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko not to let their dispute affect Europe’s gas supplies.

“I hope that the matter will be resolved, as the reality is that if it is not then it may create problems for European countries who are not responsible for the situation,” he said.

WINTER TEMPERATURES

The disruption to gas flows has raised new questions about Russia’s reliability as an energy supplier and rekindled Western suspicions — still fresh after Russia’s war with Georgia last year — that the Kremlin bullies its pro-Western neighbors.

Russia has clashed repeatedly with Ukraine’s pro-Western leaders over their ambition to join the NATO alliance. Gazprom denies any political motive in the row and says it is purely about Kiev’s refusal to pay a fair price for its gas.

Ukrainian state energy firm Naftogaz said in a statement Putin’s order to cut supplies threatened gas flows to 10 countries including Germany, Europe’s biggest economy. Gas deliveries to Germany have so far been unaffected.

The supply disruptions are worse than those caused by a similar row over gas three years ago, with countries in southeastern Europe reporting the steepest falls in flows. For a list of countries affected, click on.

Greek natural gas operator DEPA said delivery of Russian gas was down by a third, supplies to Romania dropped 33.8 percent between Sunday and Monday, and Macedonia said its gas flows also fell by about a third.

The disruptions come at the worst possible time of year because cold temperatures mean demand is high. The daytime temperature in Bulgaria on Monday was minus 5 degrees Celsius and in Hungary, another affected country, it was minus 3.

CONTINGENCY PLANS

Russia has said it would compensate for the reduction in supplies via Ukraine by pumping more gas through alternative routes, which pass through Belarus and Turkey.

It was unclear if these routes had the spare capacity to cover the shortfall. For a factbox on export routes for Russian gas, click on.

With the row in its fifth day and no sign of a resolution or even a resumption of aborted talks between Russia and Ukraine, energy firms were concerned the gas they had stockpiled might not see them through the crisis.

“We have already asked our major consumers to prepare plans for switching to another fuel,” said Dusan Bajatovic, head of Serbia’s state-run gas monopoly. Bulgaria’s Economy Ministry said it was taking similar measures.

As demand for gas tightened, Norwegian oil and gas producer StatoilHydro — Europe’s No. 2 supplier after Gazprom — pledged to sell surplus natural gas to EU markets.

The head of a consortium hoping to build a pipeline that will provide Europe with an alternative to Russian gas supplies said on Monday he believed the project, dogged by doubts about its viability, would receive key EU approvals early this year.

“Diversification will be even more important in light of … developments,” said Reinhard Mitschek, Managing Director of the Nabucco consortium, referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The project plans to plans to pump gas from the Caspian region to the EU.

Gazprom is demanding Ukraine pay $450 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas after Kiev rejected a previous proposal of $418. The price is more than double what Kiev says it is willing to pay, though less than what most EU states pay.

EU customers pay about $500 per 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas, but the price — which traditionally follows oil with a six-month lag — is set to drop in line with crude, which has lost two-thirds of its value since peaking in July 2008.

After nearly a decade of uninterrupted boom, the Indian information technology industry finds the road ahead bumpy as 2008 draws to a close, with the global meltdown and financial turmoil in the US and other rich countries catching the otherwise resilient sector off-guard.

With no signs of early revival, even the top firms - TCS, Infosys and Wipro - are bracing for hard times in the year ahead.

A reality check of the industry by leading IT industry-specific publication Dataquest of Cyber Media shows that the Indian software services sector is set for a lower growth this fiscal due to declining IT spends by enterprises worldwide and a volatile currency market.

‘The global economic slowdown is impacting the Indian software services sector as never before. With the US, Europe and Japan slipping into recession, demand for outsourcing and offshoring IT services will slacken over the next three-four quarters,’ Dataquest warned.

Though the software industry body Nasscom projected 21-24 percent revenue growth rate for this fiscal as against 28 percent in 2007-08, analysts fear the annual growth could decline to 15 percent by the end of the fiscal - the lowest in a decade.

Nasscom president Som Mittal said the growth rate target would now be reviewed in January, as the member-companies were in the process of furnishing fresh data to the representative body.

‘We wanted to review the forecast in mid-December but could not do so as export and domestic firms are still assessing the situation. We will re-visit the numbers and give a revised forecast next month,’ Mittal told IANS.

A performance review of the top 20 Indian IT firms shows the projected growth rate of 28 percent may not be met.

‘The slowdown is likely to last 12-15 months. New application development is expected to be affected the most. Smaller companies looking for funding are equally affected by the tight credit market, while the large outsourcing firms/IT bellwethers are sitting pretty on cash on their balance sheets,’ Dataquest said.

According to global technology and market research firm Forrester, slowdown in the technology sector will continue till the third quarter of 2009, while outsourcing growth will remain moderate till 2010.

‘Slowdown will force companies to turn to vendors to help cut costs. Growth in IT outsourcing revenues will remain moderate due to the use of lower-cost offshore resources and smaller-scale outsourcing deals,’ Forrester said in its report ‘Outlook for the global IT industry’.

‘Unlike in the first two quarters (April-September), clients have put discretionary projects on hold in the third quarter. Decisions on new projects have been postponed to next year, as clients are busy grappling with the ongoing crisis,’ the report said.

Bearish sentiment in the US and British markets, which account for about 80 percent of the Indian IT export revenues, are compelling vendors to tap emerging markets.

According to Dataquest, the meltdown also impacted projects in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors, which contribute about 40 percent of software sector revenues.

‘Coupled with recession, the prevailing negative sentiment is also affecting new projects in manufacturing and retail verticals, which account for 15 percent and eight percent of the total revenues,’ it added.

To sustain the growth momentum, albeit more slowly, Indian IT vendors are shifting to fixed price model from time-and-material billing model. Infosys, Wipro and HCL are moving away from billing customers by the hour to entire projects or in parts to maintain their profitability, as fixed price contracts give flexibility to drive productivity and protect margins.

In the second quarter (July-September), fixed price contracts accounted for 34 percent of the combined business of Infosys, Wipro and HCL, as against 29 percent in the same quarter the previous fiscal. TCS has been sustaining on fixed price contracts, which accounted for 44 percent in the last quarter.

The currency volatility has also compounded the woes of the Indian IT sector.

If a rising rupee in the last fiscal had dented export earnings, the steady rise of the US dollar against the rupee, British pound and Euro during the second quarter (July-September), impacted revenue realisation in dollar terms since 30 percent of the billing is done in these currencies.

‘The sharp and sudden appreciation of the US dollar against the rupee by 5.5 percent, euro (13 percent) and pound (13.8 percent) in the second quarter had adversely impacted the revenue of Indian IT firms in dollar terms,’ Dataquest noted.

As a result of over-hedging in forward contracts, benefits of a weak rupee were limited. For instance, Infosys posted a market-to-market loss of $28 million (Rs.1.35 billion) on hedging $932 million for the entire fiscal.

Similarly, Wipro suffered a forex loss of Rs.280 million in the second quarter on hedging $2.1 billion, while HCL took a hit of Rs.970 million.

On the other hand, multinational companies proved to be resilient.

‘Having consolidated their presence in the hardware segment, thanks to a liberalised import regime and lowered tariffs, global brands such as Dell and Lenovo have outperformed their Indian counterparts even in these times of slowdown,’ the Dataquest report said.

Similarly, in the software segment, global majors like Microsoft and SAP registered revenue growth of 29 percent and 104 percent respectively last fiscal, and continue to grow despite the slowdown.

Astronomers have used the ESO’s (European Southern Observatory’s) Very Large Telescope, along with a double natural “magnifying glass” known as the “Einstein Cross”, to scrutinize the inner parts of the disc around a supermassive black hole 10 billion light years away.

The “Einstein Cross”, a famous cosmic mirage, is a cross-shaped configuration consisting of four images of a single very distant source.

The multiple images are a result of gravitational lensing by a foreground galaxy, an effect that was predicted by Albert Einstein as a consequence of his theory of general relativity.

The light source in the Einstein Cross is a quasar approximately ten billion light-years away, whereas the foreground lensing galaxy is ten times closer.

The light from the quasar is bent in its path and magnified by the gravitational field of the lensing galaxy.

This magnification effect, known as “macrolensing”, in which a galaxy plays the role of a cosmic magnifying glass or a natural telescope, proves very useful in astronomy as it allows us to observe distant objects that would otherwise be too faint to explore using currently available telescopes.

“The combination of this natural magnification with the use of a big telescope provides us with the sharpest details ever obtained,” explained Frederic Courbin, leader of the programme studying the Einstein Cross with ESO’s Very Large Telescope.

The microlensing affects various emission regions of the disc in different ways, with smaller regions being more magnified.

Because differently sized regions have different colours (or temperatures), the net effect of the microlensing is to produce colour variations in the quasar images, in addition to the brightness variations.

By observing these variations in detail for several years, astronomers can measure how matter and energy are distributed about the supermassive black hole that lurks inside the quasar.

Astronomers observed the Einstein Cross three times a month over a period of three years using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, monitoring all the brightness and colour changes of the four images.

“Thanks to this unique dataset, we could show that the most energetic radiation is emitted in the central light-day away from the supermassive black hole and, more importantly, that the energy decreases with distance to the black hole almost exactly in the way predicted by theory,” said Alexander Eigenbrod, who completed the analysis of the data.

Toshiba has developed a new lithium-ion battery that can charge to 90 percent capacity in just 5 minutes.

According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), the life cycle of the new battery, which is called SCiB (or Super Charge Ion Battery), is more than 10 years even if it is rapidly charged and discharged many times.

The battery is also much safer than other types of lithium ion batteries, which are potential fire hazards.

Toshiba said its batteries use a lithium-titanium oxide negative electrode. That makes the batteries more stable than typical lithium ion batteries, which use carbon-based negative electrodes.

The SCiB battery uses lithium titanate for enhanced safety and is made up of ten battery cells connected in series.

The key feature of the battery is the use of lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) is used as a negative electrode material with electrolyte with a high flash point and a separator with a high heat resistance.

Because of this feature, a thermal runaway is less likely to occur in case of an internal short-circuit, so the risks of burst and combustion are reduced, according to Toshiba.

For a positive-electrode material, lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) was adopted as in the case of Li-ion secondary batteries for portable devices.

The company said that the battery can be used in electric motorcycles and hybrid cars.

Toshiba recently unveiled a bike manufactured by Cannondale Sports Group that uses the quick-charging lithium ion battery.

The company will begin commercial production of the battery in March 2008.

Britain is set to launch its maiden moon mission to study the phenomenon of mysterious moonquakes, weeks after India’s spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 successfully entered the lunar orbit.

The 100-million-pound unmanned mission ‘MoonLITE’ would aim to understand the cause of mysterious quakes that vibrate through the lunar rock and put it into the satellite’s orbit before firing a series of probes into the moon’s surface, the newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report said that the launch of Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecommunications Experiment or MoonLITE, will be announced by Science Minister Lord Drayson next month after which engineers would work on the technical designs with an aim to launch the satellite between 2012 and 2014.

Backed by NASA, the spacecraft would also examine the chemical composition of the rocks and even search for water on the moon’s surface.

The existence of moonquakes has puzzled scientists as the moon does not have the tectonic plate activity that causes quakes on the earth.

“The moon still holds an awful lot of secrets. Most of what we know about the moon is from a relatively small area on the nearside of the moon and we have no samples or data from the far side,” the daily quoted Ian Crawford, from the school of Earth sciences at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Crawford was one of the scientists who first proposed the MoonLITE mission, which would fire four suitcase-sized penetrator probes into different points around the lunar surface. NASA’s Apollo mission had shown that there are several different types of moonquakes, some thought to be caused by earth’s gravitational pull on the moon and others which are caused by the expansion of rocks when heated by sunlight.

A third mysterious form of moonquake, which reach up to magnitude 5 on the Richter Scale, has raised the possibility that the moon may be geologically active just beneath its crust, the paper said.

“Knowing more about these moonquake events is quite important if we are going to build a lunar base that is susceptible to them…can withstand them,” Crawford was quoted as saying.

Nasa has already announced plans to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020 and the agency is also aiming to build a permanent base on the lunar surface that could provide a staging post for future missions to Mars.

According to the daily, China and Russia are also planning missions to the moon, raising expectations of a new space race.

The creator of the giant space telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK has disclosed after 50 years that the telescope was secretly modified to track incoming Soviet nuclear missiles during the Cold War.

According to a report in Telegraph, the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank was set up to provide a ‘four-minute warning’ of missile attacks during the Cold War, its creator, Sir Bernard Lovell, has disclosed.

Sir Bernard Lovell, who founded the renowned Cheshire observatory at the end of the Second World War, has told how the facility was adapted on the orders of military chiefs to provide a “four-minute warning” of an impending attack by Soviet Russia.

Now, Sir Bernard has also disclosed for the first time how Russian spymasters sought to persuade him to defect during a scientific visit to the USSR in 1963.

The 250 feet Lovell Telescope was lampooned by the press and politicians as a costly experiment during its construction in the mid 1950s.

But, unknown to the public, part of the reason for the over-run was because changes had to be made to design to track intercontinental missiles.

Scientists at the site were also unwittingly working alongside plain clothed defence officials, with only Lovell Sir Bernard and his superiors aware of their true identity.

According to the celebrated astronomer and physicist, he was approached by the Chief of the Air Staff while the telescope was being constructed.

“He told me we had the only instrument in the world that could detect a Soviet missile. I simply wanted to come back and to do research, but events wouldn’t allow me to,” recalled Sir Bernard.

“During the building of the telescope I made two vital changes in the design, one of which was to make it possible to detect missiles. Against my wishes, I had been pulled back to the defence network of the country,” he added.

During the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962, the telescope’s dish was turned toward the USSR on the orders of the Cabinet to provide an early warning of attack.

The observatory’s secret military role finally came to an end in 1963 with the creation of the dedicated RAF Fylingdales warning system in Yorkshire.