Bog note: And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11). Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. This verse from Luke is one of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains that occur in greater severity, frequency and occurrence prior to giving birth. End of note.

Unhealthy air has become common thanks to Western wildfires

By Judson Jones, CNN

Updated 1:53 PM ET, Tue August 21, 2018

With hundreds of wildfires burning across British Columbia and the western United States, smoke is now an everyday occurrence in the Pacific Northwest.

“Unhealthy air has become common across the area due to smoke from wildfires,” the National Weather Service said Tuesday in its air-quality alert.

On Monday, air quality in Seattle reached one of the worst levels it has seen this year. And an “unhealthy” air-quality index was reported from British Columbia to Northern California.

When air is measured in the “unhealthy” category, everyone — not just sensitive groups — may begin to experience health effects, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

British Columbia had more fires burning on Tuesday than at any point last year, and the wildfire season still has months to go. Last year was a record year for acres burned across the province, and so far this year is already its third-worst on record.

The good news is that air quality will begin to improve later this week as the wind shifts direction. The bad news is the smoke has to go somewhere.

Like we have seen over the past few weeks, the smoke will continue to meander with the overall weather pattern. On Monday, smoke was already reaching Denver. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas, was predicting smoke across its horizon by late Tuesday.

At multiple points this month, satellite images have shown smoke caught up in the jet stream, which acts like a conveyer belt in the upper atmosphere, sending the smoke as far as the East Coast and even over the Atlantic.