Weather & Earth Science News

In Sydney, state emergency service warns drivers of 'commuter hell' while elsewhere in NSW towns on flood alert as big wet hits . Looks like being a damp end to a cool summer. In Cyprus, severe weather hits islandwide Everest could soon become impossible to climb because of global warming, says top Sherpa - but when it comes to mountaineering there's no such thing as impossible. And lets face it, making the ascent more dangerous and difficult might deter some of the hundreds of 'tourists' who (try to) 'tramp' up the hill every year ...... Meanwhile, Nepal in new bid to finally settle Mount Everest height No surprise really that University survey links Americans' growing belief in global warming with warmer temperatures outside - the percentage may well be higher now after a very mild winter for most of North America.

Spring thaw triggers avalanche mayhem in Switzerland - with temperature being reported up to 23c. That sounds pretty warm to me. Wheat planting in Kazakhstan threatened as dry weather persists and in China, millions thirst in Yunnan drought . Flash flooding closes roads, floods homes in Victoria Tornado watchers brace for active season after early, deadly start More research suggests melting Arctic link to cold, snowy UK winters - though obviously not every year as we've just seen. It's not the only factor affecting synoptics and in no way guarantees cold and snow. But it may make such winters more likely than they would otherwise be. Snow in Baghdad and other ancient climates - what's interesting here is that in Baghdad " Snow was reported regularly in winters between 832 and 998 " but " Later scholars recorded no snow ." However, rather than " support[ing] the idea that Baghdad, and by extension the rest of the Mesopotamian region, experi...

In Australia today, drenching storms begin across country's south-east whilst hot spell breaks records in Tasmania Dust storm plays havoc with residents of the UAE Uganda: heavy storm destroys food crops, school in Sheema Australia's surfers moan disappearing east coast beaches as currents sweep sand out to sea Powerful quakes rock Taiwan and Siberia, no casualties

In California, warm weather, lack of snow turning state's ski season into a bust though further north, snowstorm slams Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Northeast with some suburbs digging out from snowstorm in Chicago . But it's whoops! A big fail for Environment Canada as a predicted snowstorm in Toronto fails to materialise In the Alps, avalanche accidents increase following record snow levels In Australia, Sunshine Coast clears up after torrential rain Drought spreads across England as soil moisture level in East Anglia reaches record low CFC substitutes: good for the ozone layer, bad for climate? The old law of unintended consequences haunts us again. And a cracking picture of the rare moment a tornado and a rainbow come head to head in Colorado sky

Constant rain brings floods to Cumbria, while drought strikes South East threatening a hosepipe ban - the map is interesting as it just shows our little corner of Worcestershire in a drought. Which it is. Almost certain now that Feb will be our 16th consecutive month of below average rainfall. And as temperatures hit 18.7c in Coleshill yesterday (just 16.3c in Evesham) it was the warmest February day since 1998 as we went from slipping in the snow to sunbathing on the beach in 12 days Meanwhile, yet again, landslip closes A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll In NZ they've had heavy rain, but still driest-ever February in places Bolivia floods: emergency declared in Amazon region Richard Black delves into the Heartland Institute files with confessions of a climate gate-opener It now looks like just a mild drought caused Maya collapse in Mexico, Guatemala - not the more severe one originally thought

One of the driest places on the planet, Chile's Atacama Desert hit by flooding as La Nina brings a month of flooding across South America Drought may be new norm for UK, says environment secretary - we were told the same after the drought in the early 90s. It was followed by a series of wet winters and widespread flooding .... And again in the mid 2000s - just a couple of years before the wet summers of 2007 and 2008. Expect the same to happen again before too long. In Australia 'mini cyclone' hits Maclean . I suppose it makes a change from a mini tornado! Trapped Dalmatian pelicans hand-fed in frozen Caspian sea Falling clouds could counter global warming MPs warn over space bombs and solar flares The moment BBC forecaster predicted "bucket loads of c***" over Britain - although in fact what he actually said was Kun, presumably because his mind was on the Man City game and he was thinking who his favourite player was ..... NASA satellite captures enormou...

I normally ignore political news stories so almost missed this: Speaking on Monday at a campaign stop in Ohio, Mr Santorum hit out at the concept of global warming, and said that as president he would support the coal industry. "I refer to global warming as not climate science, but political science," he said. Two days earlier, Mr Santorum told voters that Mr Obama's agenda was based on "some phony theology, not a theology based on the Bible". Pressed on the meaning of his comments, Mr Santorum told US Sunday talk shows that he was referring to Mr Obama's environmental policies - rather than his religious beliefs. "This is not questioning the president's beliefs in Christianity," he told CBS News. "I'm talking about the belief that man should be in charge of the Earth, and have dominion on it, and be good stewards of it." Rick Santorum hits Barack Obama on energy and climate Santorum wa...

Boats sink in Belgrade as thaw causes Danube ice chaos In Finland, blizzard causes traffic delays Mumbai swelters at 35 degrees celsius in 'winter' Wild storms hit southern Queensland An update in the intriguing story about the man who supposedly spent 2 months in a car buried in the snow 'he said he was living in the woods': shopkeeper - and had been there since last summer. MPs back more powerful supercomputers for the Met Office so they can improve on seasonal forecasts. Climate change increased likelihood of Russian 2010 heatwave according to a new study which finds nonetheless that the severity was within natural expectations. This actually confirms previous studies, such as this from NOAA which similarly concluded that whilst the heatwave was natural, climate change would mean such events occuring more frequently. NASA spacecraft reveals recent geological activity on the Moon 300 million year old forest discovered preserved in volcanic ash Ancient plants ...

Snowdon getting 'warmer and wetter' says 15 year survey - the lack of lying snow on the higher peaks of North Wales has been well noted in recent years. We actually has some more snow in Evesham on Sunday! Well, a little. It was a good ol' 'wintry mix' of sleet, snow grains and small flakes. But a nice surprise to wake to, even if it only gave a very slight covering that was soon gone. Winter's not over yet and although spring temperatures just days away , there are still indications that we could see some colder spells and even a risk of more snow as we go into March. More here on the drought summits as rivers in England dry up - interesting to note in the map that most of Worcestershire at only a moderate risk. Except for the Vale which is at high risk. And in the Guardian today my friend John says a drought summit in winter feels wrong instinctively - ignore those instincts Ferry hits pier at Oban in strong winds on Saturday A remarkable story f...

After a dry winter and no real sign of any prolonged rain for the early spring, drought fears in Britain prompt water summit , and fears of severe drought recall the summer of 1976 . Lebanon hit by extreme weather conditions including snow Fracking contamination downplayed - basically the argument is that other processes cause contamination, so fracking is therefore no worse and thus acceptable. In the same way that because other people drop litter it's okay for me to do so too ..... And pictures of Uganda's disappearing glaciers - it's often forgotten that as well as Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzori mountains also have 'snow in the tropics'. As Heartland Institute faces fresh scrutinies over tax status , we bring you the climate sceptics - who gets paid what? Just in case you ever wondered. So that's how Wattsy makes a living. However I can assure you that I have not received 1p from anyone for anything - not even the Hersey bar the CIA promised me for year...

Sydney experiences its coldest summer on record In NZ they spotted an Auckland waterspout: weather same as Albany tornado day Fifteen feet of snow buries Eastern Europe in historic winter whilst a blanket of snow covers Italy , as seen from satellite. Cononish, near Tyndrum, reopens as Loch Lomond park gold mine plan secires formal approval And as the tables turn on the 'deniers', leak exposes how Heartland Institute works to undermine climate science .

Cold weather kills dozens in Algeria Mild winter breaks in US as central plains are hit by snow and freezing rain and east coast sees temperatures plumme t - though it has to be said that conditions are only what would be expected this time of year and not particularly severe. Russian cold snap kills 215 while in Belarus, Minsk struggles with coldest days on record Some great pictures as Australian waterspout touches land 15 die as rainstorm wreaks havoc in Lagos Madagascar hit by Cyclone Giovanni West Iceland glacier to vanish in a few years - no suggestion made as to why this particular glacier is receeding quicker than others on Iceland Even moderate air pollution can raise stroke risk Darwin proved right on origin of life on Earth - it began in a pond. An amusing if it wasn't serious story from a US shooting website 'Ammoland' claims global warming hoax - now killing people . It seems to equate homeless people dying due to the cold weather in Europe as being caused ...

As severe weather continues across Europe, nine dead after avalanche hits Kosovo village while Europe's rivers, lakes and even seas are iced over as bitter Siberian cold leads to temperatures of almost -40c But in Britain, cold snap to finally end after record-breaking sub-zero temperatures - though it should be moted that Chesham is not an official Met Office station and it's data won't count in the official records. Officially, the coldest temperatures of winter so far have been at Holbeach with -15.6c, and on Sunday morning, -12.7c at Cavendish. Meanwhile, in the US, winter 2011-12 on low-snow records pace and as a storm lashes Newfoundland and Labrador it's more rain than snow. In Essex, a man in underwear crawls over frozen river to rescue dog - fortunately both survived okay Fears of British super-drought after record low rainfall in winter Woman rescued as storms lash southeast Queenland Clouds unleash hail on the Blue Mountains At least 1 dead as storm ...

From one extreme to another as cold snapped: record warm Alaska weather out of nowhere Down to -6.2c this morning in Evesham to give just the 3rd decent frost of the cold spell. But at least we finally have clear blue skies! Further east though, temperatures hit -18c with -15c and -16c widely reported across East Anglia and the Home Counties ( other reports say -17.8c). In December 2010 it dropped to -16.2c in Evesham, the lowest temperature I have experienced. Not as cold as Europe though where it's been minus 31.5 degrees in Austria with more similar - or lower - temperatures expected over the weekend as Russia, Europe freeze in cold spell Europe's cold snap leaves many of Turkey's earthquake survivors shivering in tents What does new glacier data mean for the climate debate? - it actually doesn't mean anything. Although presumably there will be no grumbles from the sceptics about the veracity of the data if in 10 years time it shows there has been a decli...

Disappointed with the snow (or lack of) last night - just 1cm settled and most had gone by this monring. Though we have had a few unexpected flurries this morning as well. Disappointed too in the lack of severe frosts this week - the colder air just hasn't reached us and we've been under grey cloud most of the week. Oh well, winter's not over yet so always chance of some better wintry weather (which for me means a light covering of snow on the ground, a hard frost and bright blue skies) before the Spring. We did have a little freezing rain for a time yesterday evening, though not enough to cause problems. But further north, freezing rain causes more than 100 crashes in Cumbria . Bulgaria faces further fatal freeze a day after Black Sea devastation Danube river shut in six countries due to ice Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany Heavy rain lashes western Sydney Mumbai weather: city shivers on second coldest day in 10 years while Delhi shivers at 4c, lowe...

Quite a shock this morning to see the latest model output and forecasts suggesting a spell of heavy snow here on Friday - still time for changes in that but it does look like winter is not yet done with us and this time we may not only get a lot more snow but also see it stick around longer. Whilst the media warn snowy blast to put Britain back in the freezer , the lastest forecasts suggest snowfall totals could be much higher. But news as a boy aged 10 dies as he play wth friends in snow . Meanwhile, UK freezes as night-time temperatures fall , though it's not been as cold as last week thanks mainly to more cloud cover (only -5.3c here last night). And there's no let up further east as Ukraine freezes to death and emergencies in Italy, Greece and Serbia as ice-breakers battle Europe's big chill on the Danube There's also been a new low temperature record in Azerbaijan In Alaska snow load beginning to worry building owners January was USA's 4th warmest on r...

Greece declares emergency in flood hit north whilst there are floods in Bulgaria: evacuation of district in Svilengrad after dam bursts in Bulgaria, 8 killed in floods . So far, the European cold snap toll tops 360 . And it's not just Europe, as China gripped by unusual cold spell as well. Whilst there's no more snow on the horizon - except perhaps the odd flurry here and there - it does look like the rest of this week will bring my favourite weather as UK weather turns cold but sunny . We could see the lowest temperatures of the winter by the end of the week. La Nina brings record-breaking rains to Australia over the past 2 years Vanuatu braces for Cyclone Jasmine Unusual February tropical system douses south Florida So far, winter is 6th warmest ever in Illinois Sunbathers pack out Ipanema beach as Rio de Janiero swelters in heatwave Philippines earthquake toll rises as dig continues for landslide casualties Michael Hanlon has what is actually quite an interesting piece...

Snow arrived in Evesham around 14z on Saturday and continued through until about 22z, turning briefly to rain on the back edge. In total there was about 4cm accumulation with 2cm still on the ground Sunday morning. My manual rain gauge recorded 14mm (15.6mm reported at nearly Astwood Bank) which suggests a lot of the snow may have been wet and didn't settle - due in part to our low elevation. By this morning, just traces left. Nothing special, especially by the standard of recent winters, But at least we've had some snow this year! Being the first widespread snow fall of the winter (indeed, the first since December 2010), there's little surprise that Saturday night and Sunday saw severe snow and ice bring Britain to a standstill . Though even by English standards it wasn't particularly severe, and was forecast well in advance. The Met have a list of snow depths on Sunday . And today, as drivers warned after accidents due to icy conditions we're told it...

Monday's main headlines will hopefully be about the snow expected across much of Britain - due here around 15z. -7.3c in my garden this morning but nearly -11c at Pershore and with cloud cover I'm expecting it to stay close to freezing all day. How much it warms up tonight and ho much the snow turns to rain later, remains to be seen. But I'm confident of seeing my first snowflakes since the 22nd December 2010! Meanwhile, freezing Europe hit by Russian gas shortage Snow falls in Rome as cold snap hits - their first significant fall for 26 years And is climate change bringing the Arctic to Europe? Er, no. Well, no more so that it has been for millenia. After all, why would it bring cold weather to Europe in December one year and then February the next? Unless it's just ...... weather. In Japan, record lows recorded at 38 locations - but I suspect these are daily records and not all time records. Major storm hits Colorado, moving east Snakes compete for rooftop...

Britain shivers at -11c as cold snap brings snow - there was a good covering in parts of Lincolnshire, for example, overnight. Temp in Evesham dropped to -7.1c - the lowest since the 31st January 2011. Still looking good from some fairly widespread snow across England - including the Vale - tomorrow night. But we'll see nothing like they've had in many parts of Europe where cold weather death toll passes 100 in Ukraine and Serbia says 11,000 people trapped in remote villages by snow . Elsewhere, Cold and snow wreaks havoc over Sweden whilst Norway numbed: mercury drops to -37 degrees and in Germany, freeze deepens to minus 20 celsius and snow . As the cold spreads south there's also a Costa del Sol weather warning . And it's be quite funny if it wasn't, sadly, so deadly serious, as Mini names lethal cold front 'Cooper' in PR gaffe . But the end is in sight for some; temperatures return to near 'normal' as Bugaria's big freeze ends . In...

The latest from Europe is that Ukraine says death toll from cold weather at 43 whilst the European side of Istanbul paralysed by heavy snow and cold weather and Switzerland braces for Siberian cold front . Bulgaria's Arctic blast to continue until Friday (with a nice dig at the Daily Mail there!). The big freeze has also extended to Finland where there's been record cold in Kuusamo - though I think it's only the coldest of the winter. And further south, snow blankets Italy on coldest week in 27 years . Here, the so-called big freeze continues as snow hits British coast - though to be fair, it's just been a few chilly, frosty days with the odd snow flurry. Sort of thing you expect to occur several times in a normal winter. Not much snow and certainly no record temperatures! There's still uncertainty on what will happen at the weekend but, although the Met Office said yesterday they expect Atlantic fronts to stall over Britain and for cold to conti...