Sep 23 2011

Hilary becomes Category 4 hurricane, Mexican coast on alert

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Hilary, a small but powerful storm, strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane late on Thursday as its core continued to move parallel to the southwest Pacific coast of Mexico. The storm was 85 miles southwest of the popular resort of Acapulco, packing maximum sustained winds of 135 miles per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. "Some additional strengthening is possible on Friday. There will be some fluctuations in intensity during the next day or so," forecasters added. Hilary, now on the fourth rung of a five-step severity scale, is the seventh hurricane of the Pacific season. None has caused major damage so far.
Categories: News
Feb 15 2011

Monarch butterfly count bounces back from bad year

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Monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico more than doubled in size this winter after bad storms devastated their numbers a year ago, conservationists said on Monday although the migrating insect remains under threat. Millions of butterflies make a 2,000-mile journey each year from Canada to winter in central Mexico's warmer weather but the size of that migration can vary wildly. Fewer of the orange and black insects arrived in Mexico last year than ever before, researchers said, but the butterfly colonies increased by 109 percent this year to cover roughly 10 acres of forest. Researchers estimate the size of the butterfly colonies based on the area they occupy in a forest. "Certainly this is good news and indicates a recovering trend," said Omar Vidal, director of the Mexico branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Categories: News