Weather & Earth Science News

Washington DC region swelter after storm cuts power   whilst extreme heat wave is taking toll across the nation .   109-degree temp sets all-time record for Nashville Remains of 2nd person found in Colo. fire wreckage - and America's wildfires can be seen from space , the space station in fact Rainy weather breaks UK record for 3 months to June - but not in Evesham where 2007 was wetter, and this month looks set to be only the wettest June since 2009.  And the Sutton and East Surrey Water hosepipe ban remains , despite the rain. Northeast cleans up after worst storm in living memory , while the east and west coast lines reopen after both were closed due to landslides and other problems on Thursday and Friday, severing all rain links between England and Scotland.   The Independent ask: giant hailstones, terrible floods, homes evacuated.  Was all of this caused by the 'Spanish plume'?   Er, yes.  Next question .... And we...

Quite an exciting day yesterday with 3 supercell storms tracking across England, a huge amount of lighting, flash flooding, tornadoes and hailstones over 3" wide.   Here in Evesham we had a few grumbles of thunder and a breif downpour that produced over 4mm of rain .... It all started on Wednesday night in Ireland with chaos as front from Spain leads to huge downpours in Cork and in Belfast residents clearing up after ordeal Then, through yesterday: Man found dead as downpours cause chaos Storm causes flash flood havoc in Worcestershire 153 lightning strikes a minute and hailstones the size of golf balls as supertorm hits the Midlands and sweeps north Freak hail storm drive insurance claims Flooding in Northeast prompts evacuations and power cuts Landslides and fire disrupt trains as rains hit Scotland In Lincolnshire, brief video as  tornado hits Sleaford area And today, travel disruption continues  Good news though for kids as bad weathe...

The situation worsens in the US where towering Colorado wildfire devours homes, forces partial closure of Air Force Academy whilst another fire west of Boulder also threatening southern part of city .   Some photos of the Waldo Canyon fire here .   And from space, NASA satellites see wildfires across Colorado . And cloud seeding not really an option during wildfire season - because there aren't any clouds to seed It hasn't been helped by the temperatures, with Denver recording it's highest ever June maxima as record setting heat wave roast Rockies, Plains, headng east .   Florida braced for new Tropical Storm Debby rain Snow and ice closes roads in both islands in NZ with a fifty-year snowfall on 'temperate' coast .   Hmmm, NZ had a dull, wet summer and now we're having a dull, wet summer - is another cold winter on the cards for Britain?  There's no reason there should be a connection of course, but it does seems sometimes w...

Flooding cuts B.C. highway access and drinking water supply Wind warning as snow closes southern roads in NZ Young mother killed while shielding her daughter, three, as tornado ravaged their home in Florida at the weekend.  They were flung 200 yards from their mobile home, but the child is expected to survive.   Meanwhile NASA sees Tropical Storm Debby's clouds blanket Florida. Wildfire displaces thousands near Colorado Springs as western wildfires threaten summer tourism Study slashes deforestation carbon estimates - though of course, some of us argue that it's not the resultant CO2 emissions from deforestation that are of primary concern. Greenland ice may exaggerate magnitude of 13,000 year deep freeze - the Younger Dryas certainly occurred, but maybe wasn't so dramatically cold in Greenland as current ice core analysis suggests Well here's a surprise (not!) UK homes getting more hungry for electricity - well, it's so cheap and read...

In South Africa,  freak storm batters Vaal .   It's reported that up to 8 die in path of twister with another 76 injured. Most of Britain will have a short break from wet weather as temperatures rise but in the meantime the Daily Mail give us lots of pictures of flooding from the weekend. Tropical Storm Debby leaves once woman dead in Florida as heavy rain and tornadoes hit the state   Hundreds evacuated, one missing after flooding in B.C. Toll from Colo. wildfire grows to 248 homes Searing heat refuses to abate in north India Chinese earthquake kills at least four, injures 100 Scientists warn US east coast over accelerated sea level rise - sea level isn't uniform around the world to start with, and some places will see faster rises than others.   The latest in the ever changing, no-two-reports-the-same world of sea level rise predictions is for a significant sea level rise in two degree warmer world .   ...

This month is becoming worryingly like June 2007 - largely due to similar synoptics with a southerly jet stream sending Atlantic depressions across England, rather than safely up between Scotland and Iceland.   NW Scotland has had a very dry month.    Flooding hits northern England after torrential rain as Yorkshire Dales flash floods leave cars stuck and sirens sound after flood warnings for Caulder and Colne .    There were also flash floods as Scots are lashed by storms .   The west coast rail line is closed and had I gone to the Highlands for the solstice, as I often do, I might well have been planning on travelling home today. Also been wet in SW Canada bringing more Fraser River flood fears: some B.C. residents have evacuated, others watch warily 1,500 homes evacuated in Utah due to wildfire sparked by target shooters, spread by high winds In New York, lightning strike atop Empire State Building punctuates sweltering...

Worst ever Duluth, Minnesota flood causes $80 million in damage   and 3 die in crashes after heavy rain washes away 50 feet of cnetral Wisconsin highway .  But there's been brown-outs in NYC as heat wave blankets US Northeast for 2nd day . Chris back to tropical storm after hours as seasons 1st Atlantic hurricane far off Canada - it's now heading towards Britain.   And a new storm may be brewing in Gulf of Mexico .  The question is: will Debby do Dallas?  ( Sorry ..... ) Floods cause rock festival chaos on the Isle of Wight - I shall be watching the concerts - especially Springsteen on Sunday -  from the comfort of my leather recliner at home!   And there's a floods warning in North West England as heavy rain due overnight whilst more flood alerts return for counties hit  by major flooding in Wales . And in Germany too, weather watchers warn of washout weekend A tornado hits Long Sutton in Lincolnshire More nonsens...

In Australia, magnitude 5.4 strong earthquakes shakes Victoria In Colorado, nuns, boy scouts among new wildfire evacuees   and record-breaking heat hits Denver as Colorado sizzles .  A scorcher possible for Northeast's 1st summer day   as well. Yesterday, powerful typhoon hits Japan, 150,000 ordered to evacuate , with now  1 killed, 1 missing as Typhoon Guchol leaves Japan Don't blame the weather - it's those forecasters!   Says a Felixstow caravan park owner.   Though I'm not sure where he got the idea that all caravan parks in Southern England were on flood alert last weekend from? Aberdeen woman hurt and dog killed in lightning strike Curbs in sulphur emissions do their job as acid rain all but eliminated over Britain - until we start pumper sulphur back into the atmosphere to curb global warming, that is .... Size of particles in Martian clouds of carbon dioxide snow calculated And a slightly strange story from ...

Powerful typhoon hits Japan whilst Taiwan weather bureau issues sea warning for Tropical Storm Talim More evacuations and fears of looting in the US as wildfires spread across the west as firefighters battle harsh weather In Canada, flooding fears grip B.C. city located along banks of might Frazer River Warmer weather brings respite for Britain but misery for hay fever sufferers Tornado sweeps across the Vale of Aylesbury.  Well, funnel cloud, anyway.  My friend Vince also photographed it. Climate change affecting Scotland's plants, NHS says - though they seem to have forgotten than in many cases, it was climate change and deforestation by early human settlers that led to the blanket bogs forming in the first place. Flood toll rises to six in Assam as the Monsoon sets in Emergency official to storm-chasing tourists: get off the road How the expanding forests in the European Arctic could result in more carbon dioxide being released Som...

Dallas residents begin cleanup after brutal hailstorm pelts property, shreds trees - with some reports suggesting that the total cost could be $2Bn  Colorado fire tops 56,000 acres, weather stays hot and windy Storm Carlotta weakens over Mexico's Pacific coast, two dead  Storm chasers may have been disappointed, but I guess most Americans were quite happy that across the country, May was quietest months for tornadoes in 60 years Unsettled, though not unduly so, over the weekend, with Sir Elton John Blackpool gig abandoned due to weather and in London three young cricketers crushed by falling tree are off the critical list Why aren't there 50 words for rain? Powerful typhoon to hit wide parts of Japan later this week   Ancient warmed greened Antarctic - 20 million years ago Colombian volcano Nevada del Ruiz spews ash and gas - its last eruption in 1985 killed 25,000 people in mudslides And intrigue as UFO-shaped object foun...

Colorado wildfire could burn all summer, officials fear and that means it's could be cloudy with a chance of hell: wildfires change the weather In Lincolnshire, Sutton-on-Sea church hit by lightning - as usual all the storms missed here, though I did see some lightning over Doneskt in Ukraine, on TV .   Meanwhile washout weekend trend continues - and although midweek looks drier, next weekend is not looking too good either. Highlands and Islands fire crews praised for Lewis blaze efforts after another big heath fire on the island. And after their daft stories were highlighted yesterday, George Monbiot asks why the Daily Express continues to suffer outbreaks of dodgy weather reporting One I missed whilst I was on holiday: Stockholm sees coldest June day in 84 years Hurricane Carlotta makes landfall in Mexico Brazil biofuel: Shell axes 'illegal' sugar cane plan - good news for the Guarani, though I doubt it'll make much difference to defo...

Planet sees warmest May on record - makes you wonder what could happen if we get an El Nino, which normally produces higher temperatures (at present ENSO is neutral).   And all this despite most 'natural' forcings, such as solar activity, pointing towards cooler conditions at present.  Whither now the great global cooling?   Full NOAA report here . (Note: it was the warmest May over land, but taking oceans into account as well, only the 2nd warmest after 2010 - when we last had El Nino conditions). And it seem that the two warmest months in Midwest  US history may have connection However, not everywhere has been enjoying warmth, and Vancouver's  stormy summer on pace for record cold Here in Britain it's also been a cold June and a second weekend of flooding forecast - with heavy rain in places, although not quite the 80mph gales and 8 inches of rain or the 'worst storm for 50 years' that Nathan Rao at the Daily Express has forecast! ...

Greenland sees hottest May temperatures on record - and only just below their all time highest temperature. Overall it's proving a very wet late spring/early summer although here in Evesham amounts are nowhere near what they were in 2007.  But there's more to come later this week .....   At least it all means three water firms are to lift hosepipe bans - though why anyone would want to use a hosepipe at the moment beats me! One I missed yesterday, as Belfast flash floods cause chao s on Monday Video footage as a tornado sweeps across Venice In Western Australia, wild wind and rain but south-west spared major destruction And in Canada, northern BC town devastated by record flood Hundreds more firefighters called in to battle Colorado wildfire Good news as EU Council agrees to end fish discards - which basically saw millions of tonnes of fish caught each year and then thrown back into the sea because the species wasn't part of the permitted quo...

In the US, western wildfires straining resources   - in the Colorado fire: 41,140 acres burned, 1 dead As homes evacuated after floods (some good pictures there) rain battered Britain at risk of further flooding - more rain is expected across most parts later this week.  It's looking very much like a repeat of 2007, though here in Evesham, although we've already had more than the normal rainfall for the whole month, totals are not nearly as bad as they were that year. Osprey chick dies at Dyfi reserve after bad weather - as reported live in Facebook at the weekend.  There were some impressive scenes of flooding on Springwatch last night too.  Meanwhile,  mines pollution fears investigated. Tornadoes spotted in Co Donegal (it's not certain whether it actually touched down though, so atm it's just a very impressive funnel cloud) In Australia, another storm warning adds to WA residents' misery In Taiwan. landslide in Nantou kills two, inju...

In Wales, flood-risk villages return home to Pennal in Gwynedd , having been evacuated due to fears a dam would breach.  The 'dam' was actually formed of debris from former quarry workings (I assume in Cwm Ebol), and not a deliberate man-made structure as many reports may have suggested.  Meanwhile, Dol-y-Bont resident Jason Hughes recalls 'awful flood' .   And whilst there is a call for action to avoid repeat as clean up continues , the fact is that there's nothing we can do to prevent this sort of thing, which has happened before, occuring somewhere or other again.   Not that politicians are ever interested in reality.   And I daresay some are already looking at whom to blame .....  better get God on the blower! Heavy rain yerstday led to the M1 in Yorkshire closed in flash flooding whilst the River Wear 'remains too unsafe' for Durham Regatta .   Today, parts of southern Britain on flood alert as month's worth of rain fall...

Something a little different .... Background: I don't get away much these days, mostly it's just on MBA business, but for once I was determined to have a holiday going where I wanted, when I wanted, doing what I wanted. I decided on Wales because it's was easy for me to get too, I'd not been there for a few years, and there were things to do if the weather was bad. Then I discovered a beacon was due to be lit on Snowdon to celebrate the Jubilee and the idea arose that it'd be rather fun to sit on a different hill and photograph the event from afar. Moel Meirch, north of the Moelwyns looked a good spot with plenty of spots suitable for camping in the area, plus it would allow me to bag a few 2,000 footers that were still outstanding from pervious trips (mostky in my long distant youth). The week beforehand had been a heatwave. But the weather still looked good for the Jubilee. Until a couple of days before. And then it all changed ..... ...

Wales flooding: rescue at flooded caravan parks   whilst in Sussex, teen dies after being flung from moped in gale force winds and high winds continue to cause disruption in Dorset .   'Summer' weather wreaks havoc in the Southwest.  Not surprisingly, Aberystwyth and Ceredigion County Show off due to rain But is summer postponed until July ?   I don;t think so, I've a feeling (and model output partially supports this at present) that we'll see some fine, warm, dry conditions set in after the 21st/22nd of the month - very much replicating what happened in May, though at this stage no signs it'll turn quite as hot as it did last month). The Highlands have once again been the warmest and driest area, as Fire crews battle moorland blaze near Stornoway In Perth, WA, Thursday's tornado winds were 180km/h - and prepare for more wild weather whilst earlier in the week, cyclone-like storms cause havoc across cities in eastern Australia Global...