25th October - Today's News: Floods Hit Britain & Ireland as the Drought Continues

A rather wet day in the west yesterday, expecially in the Dublin area where over 80mm rain fell in places. Northern Ireland floods cause transport havoc. In County Tyrone, 18 people rescued from flood waters. In County Wicklow body found in search for Garda swept away by floods whilst across Dublin flood waters recede but driving conditions difficult. Problems in the SW of England too with rivers on flood warning as storms lash Westcountry whilst floods force sewerage down Conwall's Par village street

But, 60mph winds and flooding as winter blasts back: So why are parts of the country still facing a hosepipe ban? Because some of us have had little more than half the normal rainfall so far this year - in Evesham just 10.2mm this month, about 23% of average. We had only a trace last night - not sufficent to register in my gauge.

One I missed last week: severe flooding shuts Colosseum in Rome

The season is coming to an end, but it's not over yet as Hurricane Rina forms in Caribbean

In South Africa, Jo'burg heatwave claims new record temperature for October

Two week old baby rescued alive from Turkish earthquake rubble

Apparently the public supports geo-engineering ideas, study suggests. Maybe because they don't understand the implications? Of course, there's nowt wrong with testing ideas to see if just possibly they might work.

Earthquakes generate big heat in super-small areas

Fiery volcano offers Geologists glimpse into land that time forgot

NASA telescopes help solve ancient supernova mystery

And, just in case end of the world prediction #987 plays out next month, as asteroid YU55 makes a close pass of the Earth, fallout of a giant meterorite strike revealed in new model