Lesson 4

It is important for members of the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee to know the latest current events in the Muggle world. Sadly, Muggle newspapers are printed once a day and do not update by themselves during the day. The internet can be a great source of news, as long as you go to the right sites. The Muggle news is typically on television three times a day - morning, afternoon, and evening. Every once in a while there is a breaking news story. We do not want our committee members sitting in front of televisions all day, so we charm Quick Quote Quills to take notes for us. The quills are checked once at the beginning of the day (in London) to make sure they have enough ink and parchment. The notes are reviewed after each newscast. Of course, newscasts are at different times in different countries, so at least one committee member is assigned to each country. The notes are kept for a week, unless it is a huge story that effects the Muggle world for a longer period of time.

You must be educated about different types of natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes. While wizards and witches usually do not cause as much damage as a storm, Muggles will be more inclined to believe that lightning struck than admit that a magical accident occurred.

Hurricanes are also known as typhoons or tropical cyclones. A hurricane begins as a tropical storm that forms around the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), also called the doldrums, which is a band of thunderstorms around the equator. They become hurricanes once they reach wind speeds of 119 km/h (74 mph). Hurricanes require water to keep going. If there is no water, you cannot use a hurricane as an excuse. Hurricane season peaks during the summer months of each hemisphere. Hurricanes can lead to floods. The most destructive hurricanes are the ones that are able to "refuel" by passing over part of the ocean, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

Twister time! Tornadoes always extend from thunderstorm clouds. In order to be classified as a tornado, the funnel must be touching both the cloud and the ground. The average tornado is 150 m (500 ft) across and travels on the ground for about 8 km (5 mi). A weak tornado will only uproot trees, whereas a strong tornado can damage skyscrapers. "Tornado Alley" in the United States is where most tornadoes occur, but they have appeared on every continent except Antarctica.

Earthquakes are the result of energy released from Earth's crust in the form of seismic waves. About 500,000 earthquakes happen every year, but only 100,000 of them can be felt. Shaking and ground rupture are the major effects of an earthquake. They have the power to damage Muggle bridges, dams, and nuclear power plants. The magnitude of the shaking depends on the distance from the epicenter of the earthquake. Other consequences of earthquakes are landslides and tsunamis. Earthquakes are most common at fault lines, but they can also occur because of the magma of volcanoes.

A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust that allows hot magma, volcanic ash, and gases to escape in an eruption. Volcanoes are found where tectonic plates are converging or diverging, like the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. Muggles typically do not live near volcanoes, but the gases emitted by a volcano can have disastrous effects many kilometers away. Fire is often associated with volcanoes, but fire is the ultimate cover up. Anything electrical can lead to a fire, whether it be lightning or wires knocked down by a storm. Muggles also start their own fires on purpose, like a campfire. Fires can also be due to a haphazardly discarded cigarette or a stray firework. So, make sure to tell the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad members to perfect their Incendio charms! Some other mishaps by Muggles include gas explosions, which was used to explain the situation with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, and mountaineering accidents, especially when giants are involved.

Lastly, as crazy as it sounds, some Muggles believe in the supernatural. They will believe that an alien came from another planet before they think there is a witch or wizard living on their planet. Unbelievable! Still, you should be cautious with extra-terrestrial talk. Make sure there are only one or two Muggles involved in the incident.