Earthquakes

The Greek holiday island of Kos and the nearby Turkish resort of Bodrum were rocked by a powerful quake that killed two people, injured hundreds more and caused extensive damage. A small tsunami sent fishing boats crashing into Kos harbor. A series of earthquakes rattled southern Iceland, including Reykjavik. Earth movements also were felt in south-central Iran and the Scottish Highlands. July with mysterious yellow, sponge- like puffs. Officials have so far been unable to identify what is littering the shoreline along that stretch of the English Channel but have determined that it doesn’t appear to be a danger to public health, animals or plants. “It seems to come from an oil product,” said Jonathan Henicart, president of the nonprofit Sea-Mer Association. He told the French TV news channel BFMTV: “It could come from a polyurethane product commonly used for building. And it smells very, very lightly of paraffin.” Sizzling Shanghai

On July 21, Shanghai registered its hottest day since record-keeping began in 1872 as a stubborn heat wave baked much of China. The mark of 40.9 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) broke the previous record of 40.8 set in 2013. Chinese meteorologists say Shanghai is getting hotter, with eight of the 12 highest temperatures over the past century occurring during the past five years. Shanghai’s weather bureau blamed the heat on a stubborn subtropical high and southwesterly winds that are predicted to last until early August.

Sumatran Blast Indonesia’s restive Mount Sinabung volcano produced a series of eruptions that sent ash soaring as high as 2 miles above northern Sumatra and lava flowing down its flanks. Ongoing eruptions during the past seven years have displaced about 2,000 families, many of whom are still living in temporary shelters set up by the government.