A major emergency exercise started on 4^th April in Spain. Exercise Gamma Sur will simulate an earthquake striking north of the City of Seville followed by a further earthquake in the area of Ceuta.

The exercise scenario will simulate many failures of infrastructure such as buildings, dams and communications as it grows from a Regional to a National Emergency. Radio Amateurs will play a part in the exercise as it develops and EMCOM SPAIN and REMER are both taking part. They are expecting to utilise the Winlink system to send data files also frequencies in the areas of the IARU Emergency Centre of Activity frequencies to confirm the flow of messages on the data system. The scenario will call for the total failure of normal communications at some point.

More information will be posted as the exercise develops but please be aware that there may be increased activity around the CoA frequencies.

UPDATE — Amateur Radio involvement in the exercise starts today ( 6^th ), expected that 40m Emergency CoA will be in use.

The exercise will close on 7^th April.

An earthquake measuring 6.4 has hit Taiwan, and caused buildings to collapse.

HARTS has received a weak voice signal from the CTARL Taiwan that asks that the following frequencies be kept clear.

HF frequencies used in Taiwan are voice: Main is 7.060 MHz with backup 7.050MHz and 3.560 MHz. Short range frequencies are on VHF and UHF.

At least four buildings have collapsed in the south of the island. Dozens of residents are reported to be trapped in the city of Tainan, those houses nearly two million people.

Tremors were felt in the capital Taipei, on the other side of the island, and aftershocks were felt.

Taiwan lies in the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ and in 2013, four people were killed in a 6.3‑magnitude quake.

-Jim Linton VK3PC, IARU Chairman Disaster Communications Committee.

Radio Amateurs in the Azores are preparing for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Alex on 15^th January.

The Atlantic Hurricane is the first to form in January since 1938 and has developed from a sub-Tropical Storm to one forecast to bring maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour ( 140 kph ) to the Azores, an island chain 850 miles west of Portugal that’s home to about 245,000 people.

Carlos Nora CT1END of the Portuguese National Society REP reports that local amateurs are standing by on 145.525MHz FM ready for the storm which threatens the islands with a maximum 7 inches ( 17 cm ) of rainfall possible and the chance of flooding or mudslides.

The storm is expected to weaken late on Friday after it has passed over the islands.

Info: CT1END, www​.gdacs​.org