9th August - Today's News: At Least 15 Killed in European Flash Floods

A lot of bad weather news from around the world at the moment....

Flash floods strike Central Europe killing at least 15 while Brandenburg braces as floods spread into eastern Germany

Meanwhile, as Pakistan floods 'hit 14m people' there are concerns that Pakistan floods threaten key barrage in southern Sindh

Rescuers sent to landslide victims in NW China where 1,300 people are missing

'Brutal' weather tranforms Iowa into giant sauna and in New York, as August continues brutal heatwave; could help hurricanes

As the heatwave continues, Moscow weather sets sixth heatwave in August but Moscow's toxic smog fails to shift as anger grows whilst reports suggest Russian heatwave kills 5,000 as fires rage out of control. Meanwhile, in the skies above, NASA instrument tracks pollution from Russian fires.

And it's not just Russia. Heatwave causes fires across Israel while in neighbouring Jordan power cuts add to suffering as another heatwave starts. And in Canada, wet weather not enough to check spread of stubborn B.C. wildfires.

On the 1st August, Cyprus records all time high temperature - yet another in the growing list for 2010. The Ukraine tied it's highest ever temperature of 41.3c on the same day - though it may yet be beaten! And this summer in Belarus becomes the hottest in 100 year observations

But not everywhere is suffering heat or floods. In New Zealand freezing temperatures bring fresh powder to the delight of skiers

Storm leaves dozens hurt at heavy metal meet in Finland

NASA's hurricane quest set to begin - with the hope of finding out just why tropical despressions sometimes develop into hurricanes. Meanwhile, despite a slow start, NOAA still expects active Atlantic hurricane season as La Nina starts to develop.

Greenland glacier calves island 4 times the size of Manhattan - if only we could tow it to those countries struggling for fresh water!

Secrets of life on Earth may be as simple as what happens between the sheets .... of mica

Worst impact of climate change may be how humanity reacts to it. No maybes about it!

Ancient Hawaiian glaciers reveal clues to global climate impacts - in particular the effects of a slowing or cessation of the AMOC

And finally, ice age permafrost uncovered in Poland - if it's deep enough, there's no interglacial warmth can penetrate down to melt it. Interesting. I wonder what might be preserved deep down elsewhere? A 150,000 year old mammoth mummy? Who knows .....