IGS revisits Sheepleas despite heavy rain
The Imperial Geographical Society (IGS) today conducted an expedition to Sheepleas, attempting to retrace a route last taken in 2010. In a sign of his continued involvement in some non-governmental institutions following the recent implementation of a regency, the expedition was led by Emperor Jonathan I, the Society’s Director-General. The 2010 IGS expedition had first explored Sheepleas, a nature reserve in Surrey, before walking through woods and farmland in West Horsely, forming a figure-of-eight route centred on the 11th century St Mary’s Church. However, today’s expedition was unable to follow the whole of 2010’s route due to torrential rain significantly impeding their progress. The expedition reached the church in double the time it had expected to take, and so had lunch there in the shelter of its porch before deciding to cancel the northern circuit of the route and head back via another path through the nature reserve. Sheepleas is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, notable for the diversity of its plants and wildlife as well as being of geological interest. Ten people were on today’s expedition. The IGS has conducted an expedition to areas of countryside in Surrey on the first Monday of May every year since 2009, with the exceptions of 2018, 2020 and 2021. The Emperor and his parents were joined by Emperor Mother Margaret’s brother Lord Michael and his wife Lady Rosalind, as well as five members of Carshalton Methodist Church. The heavy rain made it difficult for recording equipment to be used, but a short video of the expedition composed of what was able to be filmed will be uploaded in the coming days.
Western Jarrahview threatened by bushfire
A huge wildfire in western Australia has resulted in concerns for the Austenasian Territory of Western Jarrahview. The unpredictable and as of yet uncontrolled fire, which is raging within Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park and fanned by strong winds, has already razed over 5,000 hectares of bushland. No injuries have yet been reported, but while the Australian authorities fight the fire, homes in the area have been evacuated and tourists are being instructed to stay away. Western Jarrahview is an uninhabited wooded area spanning 155,000 square feet, and was annexed by Austenasia after being claimed for the Empire by its now governor, Lord Daniel Hamilton, in January this year. In zones established by the Australian authorities, Western Jarrahview is at the outer edge of the “Emergency” zone (red, in the image above), bordering the “Watch and Act” zone (yellow). The Austenasian territory (white border) is therefore at direct threat from the wildfire. Although Western Jarrahview is uninhabited, it is home to dozens of Jarrah trees and Eucalyptus bushes, and the ecological impact of the fire reaching the territory would be devastating. UPDATE 10 DECEMBER 22:20 – Lord Hamilton has reported that the bushfire is now under control, with Western Jarrahview having been spared any damage. Roughly 7,800 hectares of bushland were destroyed by the fire, which is suspected to have been started deliberately. Australian authorities have downgraded the threat to the zone in which Western Jarrahview is situated to “Bushfire Advice”, meaning it is unlikely it will come under threat again.
MicroWorld Newsbites – December 2016
DELVERA On 19 December, the Delveran Ministry of State released a document claiming some half a million square miles of the United States of America around their territorial claims as a “sphere on influence” in which they claimed to have exclusive rights to cultural, military, political, and economic development and expansion along with the US, to the exclusion of any other small nations that may arise. FLORENIA On 23 December, King Eran passed a decree ordering the foreign ministry “to resume and expand the diplomatic efforts” of Florenia. JUCLANDIA On 20 December, the state owned media service Scânteia was transitioned into an independent news agency, Telenot, funded but not administered by the government. Reforms were also made to the nation’s public broadcasting service. SANDUS On 21 December, the five citizens of Sandus unanimously voted for the Sôgmô’s reign to continue in the annual solstice election. Earlier today, Sôgmô Soergel added two new days to the already famously busy Sandum calendar; African Diaspora Recognition Day on 12 February to reflect on the effects of slavery and imperialism on African people around the world, and Religious Tolerance Day on 24 August to reflect on religious violence. VIKESLAND On 26 December, Vikesland was hit by a snowstorm which blocked the roads into the small country. WILDFLOWER MEADOWS On 25 December, Princess Hannah appointed her sister, the now Lady Stephanie, as Marchioness of Wandleside, the most recent territorial acquisition of Wildflower Meadows. Two days later, the neighbouring UK had set up security cameras around the Marquessate, although whether or not this was in response to the claim is yet to be seen.
New Richmond hit by blizzard
The Town of New Richmond has seen almost two feet of snow since it began to fall on Monday evening. New Richmond and the nearby area is currently experiencing the most snow it has seen in over a decade, and the surrounding U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky has declared a state of emergency. Lord Dux Joseph Kennedy, Representative of New Richmond, has moved to Dominion House in North New Richmond after Town Hall in West Richmond lost running water due to the cold weather. The adverse conditions also caused Lord Joseph’s father’s vehicle to crash into a ditch, but no injuries were reported.
Snow in Greater Wrythe
Greater Wrythe saw a blanket of snow on the ground this morning for the first time since January 2013. Residents of Wrythe, Zephyria and Thanasia awoke to find roughly two inches of snow had fallen overnight. Although some snow has fallen already this winter in Greater Wrythe, conditions were not suitable for it then to settle. The snow fell over south London, including Roehampton, home to the university at which the Emperor currently lives on-campus. The snow had begun to melt by midday, with none remaining by the evening.
Floods in Copan end
Warm weather has resulted in the water which had been flowing into the Copanese capital drying up. The flood began on 8 January earlier this year after heavy rain throughout the winter made an old source of the River Wandle flow for the first time in 15 years. A usually dry riverbed, the Westcroft Canal, filled with water which flowed into the capital of Copan, the Secluded Place, and through it out onto the Plain of Copan (a large field which comprises the majority of the kingdom) to cause flooding. Recent warm weather had caused the water on the Plain of Copan to recede considerably, but until recently water was still flowing into the Secluded Place. This was still the case – albeit at a greatly diminished rate – on Tuesday 13th May, but it was today reported that the water level in Westcroft Canal had fallen to the extent that water was no longer flowing into the Secluded Place. The water which had been flooding the Secluded Place and flowing out from it onto the Plain of Copan has now mostly drained away, with some large puddles remaining. For the first time since the start of the year, the Secluded Place is can now be accessed due to no longer being underwater. However, Smoker’s Wall, a large set of brick and cement steps which are the main entrance to the capital, has been badly damaged by the water, with a breach in the wall and a large crack in the steps. Bits of masonry from Smoker’s Wall and other pieces of assorted debris brought there by the flow of the water now litter the ground of the Secluded Place, but the news has been happily welcomed by Copanese citizens that the flood is finally over.
Flood waters receding from Copan
Recent warm weather has resulted in the flood waters partially receding from Copan. The Orlian kingdom has been affected by floods since the start of the year when an old source of the River Wandle started flowing again after heavy rain, putting much of the country underwater as an old riverbed refilled with water and brought it into Copan. Sunny weather over late March and the past month has seen the flood waters receding from the Plain of Copan – the large field which makes up the majority of the kingdom – which for several weeks saw those parts of it which were not underwater to be so muddy as to be impassable. Despite the Plain of Copan now being mostly free of flooding, excepting some large puddles remaining in the northern-most corner, the capital of Copan remains flooded. The capital, known as the Secluded Place, has had water flowing down into it over (and, after a breach developed, through) its main entrance Smoker’s Wall since the start of the floods. However, the level of water in the old riverbed (Westcroft Canal) has now fallen to the degree that water is no longer flowing over Smoker’s Wall, but only through the breach in it caused by the floods in February. Should the warm weather continue, it is likely that the water will fall so low so as to no longer be able to flow into the Secluded Place before the end of the month.
Orange Pyramid in ruins after storm
The Orange Pyramid has been ruined after a heavy storm. The pyramid, situated in Wrythe Public Park, was noted at the end of last year to have been damaged by a bush growing over it. Strong winds of up to 80 mph during a storm on the evening of 14 February are thought to have pushed the bush against the monument violently enough to severely damage it. Some of the bricks out of which the pyramid is built have fallen off, and most of the others have become dislodged. Wrythe Genocide Memorial, an unrelated monument situated next to the pyramid, is undamaged. The Emperor has so far given no indication as to whether the ruined pyramid will be rebuilt, dismantled, or left as it is.
Devastation in Copan as floods continue
The Secluded Place, capital of Copan, has been cordoned off after water from what used to be a dry river-bed continues to flow into it, coinciding with torrential rain. Last month, Westcroft Canal – an old tributary of the River Wandle in Carshalton which is usually dry – started to flow again after heavy rain, flowing down into the Secluded Place. Smoker’s Wall, the brick structure leading down into the capital, became a waterfall, but now the upper wall has broken under the pressure of the water, with the water no longer flowing over the main structure but strongly gushing down past one side, revealing that a large crack has appeared in Smoker’s Wall. Sutton Parks Service, which has continued to maintain The Grove Park after it became independent from the United Kingdom in July 2010 as Orly (of which Copan is a constituent country), has set up barriers around the Secluded Place warning people of the steep slippery slopes and the fast-flowing water. It was reported earlier this month that some Orlians had attempted to dam the pipe which carries water from the United Kingdom into Copan so as to stop the flooding, but to no avail. The water flowing through the Secluded Place has nowhere to go once it reaches the end, spilling out onto the Plain of Copan (the large field which makes up the majority of the country) and resulting in most of the kingdom being either flooded or extremely muddy. The Playing Field – a large area comprising roughly two-fifths of Copan – is completely cut off, as it is surrounded on most sides by fences and its only entrances are blocked by floodwater. As well as the flooding and the damage to Smoker’s Wall, the Secluded Place has also had a tree blown over by strong winds last night. Westcroft Canal is expected to keep flowing for several more weeks at least, with more damage likely to take place over that time. An album of photographs of the flooding can be seen here.
Floods in Copan as old source of Wandle flows
The capital of Copan has flooded after heavy rain caused an old source of the River Wandle to start flowing again. Westcroft Canal, which runs from the Grotto in Carshalton Park to the Secluded Place (or “Smokers’ Wall”), capital of Copan, has been dry for many years now, but over the past few days it has become full of water after heavy rain. The canal is now flowing over the entrance to the Secluded Place (a large depression in the ground surrounded by trees), creating a waterfall and stream in the capital. It is thought that the Secluded Place would once have been totally underwater – there is a grated pipe at its other end, through which the water has flowed and made a large part of the Plain of Copan completely waterlogged. Located in Carshalton Park, the Grotto was the original source of the Wandle before drying up late last century, and fed the current source, Carshalton Ponds (another source of the river arises in Croydon). According to the Sutton Guardian, this is the first time in 15 years that heavy rainfall has caused the water-table to rise sufficiently for the source at the Grotto to flow, filling Westcroft Canal with water. Queen Emma of Copan has expressed dismay at her capital being flooded, but reflected on the fact that Westcroft Canal has prevented the water it now holds from flooding other areas. A short video of the flooding of Copan can be seen here – to reclarify, everything shown in the video would usually be dry. UPDATE 19 JANUARY 18:00 – Water continues to flow over the entrance to the Secluded Place, with the flow if anything having increased. Large parts of the Plain of Copan are now completely waterlogged.