2nd March - Today's News: 13 Killed as Tornadoes Ravage US Midwest

February comes to a tragic end in the US as Wednesday's Midwest tornado death toll rises to 13 as tornado-ravaged towns brace for more storms. One tornado destroys Illinois catholic church, but Harrisburg hospital in tornado's path stands its ground.

Elsewhere, late season now hits parts if NH, Maine, Vt whilst Ca snow exceeds forecast, but too little too late to replenish water supplies for the year. And overall for the US, snow was a no-show during most of weak, warm winter

Floods force 1700 evacuation across NSW and with more rain, records tumble with news just in that Warragamba dam finally spills over.

In NZ, weather bomb forecast widened as severe weather expected this weekend - and nice to see an explanation there of what meteorologists mean by a 'bomb'.

Heavy snow falls in Jersusalem for first time in 4 years

Cyclone warning in Swaziland as Cyclone Irina heads for S Africa

Thickest parts of the Arctic ice cap melting faster whilst a NASA study suggests that loss of Arctic sea ice may lead to mercury deposits - though presumably no more so than occurred a few thousand years ago when the Arctic is last believed to have been largely ice free in summer?

Gigantic Antarctic crack measured for the first time

Fireball strikes land in southern Norway

Some sturdy Scandinavian conifers survived ice age

Climate change skeptic's university course criticised

Is climate change raising UK disease risk? By aiding the spread of disease carrying midges?

Now, this is why current human activity is such a concern for the rest of life on Earth: ocean acidification rate may be unprecedented. Whether it's this or warming or sea ice decline or other climate changes, it's not the extent that's the issue, it's the rate. Not how much is happening but how quickly it is happening. So next time someone says "it was warmer x number of years ago, so why worry about AGW?" you can be sure that they dont actually understand the issue.

And finally, stunning other-worldly images of climber perched on edge of a volcano in Iceland

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