Weather & Earth Science News

Having not dropped below 11.1c in my garden all month - the highest Aug min I've recorded - it all changed last night with the temp falling to 5.9c this monring, my 3rd coldest August night and the coldest since 2003.   Elsewhere in the country, cold night breaks August records in places .   Should still end a warmer than normal month though.   Rain over the past couple of days means my August rainfall is almost spot on average.  However across the country this Summer the wettest summer in 100 years (the third wettest summer on record in Wales ) - I've not checked my records yet by 2007 was much wetter here, and I think 2009 as well.  And some places saw more heavy rain yesterday and in Cumbria landslide derails train as forecasters warn more bad weather is on the way .   Tornadoes aren't unusual in Britain, even in summer (whatever the media may suggest) and this week an alleged freak mini tornado in New Forest tosses conservatory r...

Hurricane Issac makes landfall in Louisiana Isaac slams into southeast Lousiana; tests New Orleans post-Katrina flood controls Whilst in Asia, Typhoon Bolaven:  North Korea reports storm damage At Egremont in Cumbria, house turned into real life dolls house by flood waters While in Scotland, snow joke: first snow of the year predicted before the close of August .   I think they mean the first snow of autumn.    And there was quite a bit of snow on the Cairngorms in August last year ......  As Tom Jones would say, it's not unusual!   Very silly picture too.   But it is a comic. Spark triggered by twi boulders' collision starts a Utah wildfire Famed Italian botanic garden devastated by tornado Record temperatures and wildfires in Eastern Russia - as seen by NASA Traffic woes rain on Delhi Six dead in weekend flooding in Senegal's capital Arctic becoming a "giant slushie" says scientist ...

No question on the main weather news story this week:  Issac bears down on Gulf Coast as hurricane warning issued and Obama declares Louisiana emergency .   The Daily Mail, as usual, has plenty of pictures as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to turn into hurricane and devastate city on seventh anniversary of Katrina - though they've dropped the fake supercell image they used in an earlier story.   And a look here at how tropical storm Issac matches up against Hurricane Katrina Over the weekend, Typhoon Bolaven heads to S Korea after lashing Okinawa with today, Chinese fishermen killed as typhoon hits South Korea Flooding in Myanmar forces thousands to flee Niger floods cause widespread devastation Stockholm enjoys six summer days in 2012 - compared with 28 days when the temperature reached at least 25c in 2011.  Russia helps douse Bosnian forest fires whilsyt yet another fire in Madrid countryside approaching control Arctic ice re...

Tropical Storm Issac nears Haiti , whilst south Florida issued with severe weather warning as tropical storm Issac set to batter coast Powerful typhoon heads towards Okinawa after smaller storm soaks Taiwan Apparently a 'month's rain due on Saturday' - though I'm not quite sure where?   Haiti?   There could be some heavy slow moving showers about though which may give 10-15mm in places.   August is normally one of the wettest months of the year in England, simply because heavy, slow moving, thundery showers often occur at this time of year.   I note that someone from the MetO is quoted as suggesting up 50mm (sitill less than a month's rain) but I don't know where he gets that from.  Latest NAE suggests the highest totals today will be around 20mm over the Lake District whilst GFS has lower totals there but around 18mm for parts of East Anglia (to be fair, the story is from yesterday, but nonetheless such high totals have never been ...

Over 2 inches of rain fell on Wednesday morning in the Shetlands,  causing widespread problems as landslides hit parts of central Mainland and Uradale with one family lucky to survive peatslide .  Shetland is not cover by UK weather radar. Thanks to the weather. 'wonky' fruit and veg is back .   It all tastes just the same!  Hopefully folk will buy it and we'll stop wasting so much of our food. In the US, southwest flooding prompts dramatic Arizona rescue; search resumes for missing Nevada teen Air crews make dent in massive Calif. wildfire Haiti, Dominican Republic await Tropical Storm Issac Large tree snaps off during wild Adelaide storm, damaging 10 cars at shopping centre whilst earlier this week, Sydney records warmest August day on record Balkans hit by extreme drought   as NASA satellite captures intense smoke from Chios wildfire in the Aegean.  Meanwhile, Rome zoo cools anilmals with iced food during heatwave . Lin...

Town evacuated amid Idaho's worst fire season on record whilst authorities say wildfire destroys 50 buildings outside Northern California community Wildfire burns 30 square miles in Spain with a state of emergency called in town in Bosnia's northeast as Balkans heatwave fuels wildfires and Greek secret service called in to investigate wildfires, as island of Chios burns for 4th day . Meanwhile, heatwave breaks all-time Czech temperature record (more details on other temps around the country here ) and after a record hot June and July, five-day heatwave forecast from Thursday in Greece In contrast, here in Britain, after more thunderstorms yesterday (which all missed Evesham, obviously) firefighters rescue marrooned driver as flash floods hit St Helens and  parts of Greater Manchester on flood alert as forecasters predict bank holiday washout  - there's been an unfortunately trend of all the bank holidays this year coinciding with cooler unsettled spells of w...

It's the Aegean's turn to be hit now as wildfire sweeps across Greek island of Chios Meanwhile, in the US, huge wildfire burns to edge of 3 small towns in Calif.; lightning sparks blazes across West and in Canada, more lightning storms stoke wildfires throughout B.C. Season's heaviest rain halts Delhi Torrential rains cause numerous woes in northwest Alaska Shanghai 'most vulnerable to flood risk' of all the world's major cities Arctic sea ice set to hit record low 'Soap bubble' clouds appear over Antarctica BBC burnt over climate change claim UK will be as hot as Madeira - though of course, most newspapers have made similar misleading claims themselves, falsely implying them to be the firm convictions of science.  So don;t get too cocky Telegraph! Could we use cloud brightening to control global warming? Geoengineers propose and experiment - I guess it's a lot safer than spraying sulphur aerosols into the str...

Saturday was the hottest day of the year so far in Britain - and will probably remain so now.     However, yesterday the BBC apologises for forecasting sunshine after downpours dampen barbeque weekend and it was only SE England that was hot anyway, with much of the north and west seeing more (predicted) rain over the weekend. Typhoon Kai-Tak claims 27 lives as floods hit north Viet Nam Northern California fire forces evacuation of some 2,000 homes Massachusettes butterflies move north as climate warms

Tropical Storm Helene threatens Mexico, Hurricane Gordon heads for Azores Forest fire threatens Lacanau resort in western France while France braces for heat wave as temperatures soar In Wales, Mum and child in flood car rescue as more rain forecast And the mayor of a Belgium town may sue over soggy weather forecast

It's rather warm and wet here today.   But nothing compared with what looks to have been the hottest rain on record?  Rain falls at 115f at Needles, California Tropical storm heads towards China Thousands of Sydney homes with power as winds hit ..... again and it's raining snow as Canberra shovers through cold blast And it being the height of summer, it must be time to start thinking about our coming winter.   Already a harsh winter predicted for North America whilst up in the Cairngorms, ski bosses snowberries 'a sign of a hard winter' for 2012 .   Supposedly.   As previously mentioned, my current thoughts are that we could see a cold start to winter, but a mild end.  Not dissimilar to 2010/11. But that may of course change and I'm starting to lean towards a return of colder conditions in late Feb/March.   A mild January sandwich. 'Tornado' causes damage to Bolton farm - though in fact it was almost certainly caused...

Residents join in desperate bid to be beat back fast-mving wildfire that has destroyed 70 homes in Washington whilst in California, another wildfire burns 3,000 acres in San Jacinto foothills A rather wet and windy day for most of Britain and Ireland today, with the Irish being warned the worst storm in 26 years to batter the country throughout the day .   Not sure it'll be quite as bad as Hurricane Charlie , the remants of which infamously hit the British Isles over the late summer bank holiday weekend in August 1986 though.  At least the wind takes the edge off the heat and humidity though: only dropped to 17.2c here overnight.  Looks like turning even more hot and humid for the weekend though.  My least favourite weather. Meanwhile, keepers 'hand-feeding' bees after Wales' wet summer Philippines storm brings new floods, landslides with 2 deaths reported so far as TS Kai-tak batters the country. An interesting report after Calgary hail storm: cl...

Fire in Spain's Canary Islands an 'ecological disaster' whilst in the US  wildfires threaten homes in several western states Storms leave incredible damage behind in Texas Incredible footage shows massive dust storm hitting Phoenix , Arizona at the weekend Cornwall's Tregothnan Estate tea harvest 'boosted' by rain - so our wet summer hasn't all been bad news Climate change is driving British wildlife northwards, scientists claim - well if it drives all the midges north to Shetland, I'll be quite happy! Far northern Queensland feels big chill a snear-record lows sweep region Fresh water breathes fresh life into Hurricanes Latest satellite data suggest Arct sea ice 'melting faster' - it's worth remembering when someone points outthe Earth as a whole doe not appear to warming as fast as some earlier computer prediction suggested, Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than predictions made around the same time ..... Neandert...

Well, it's over.   The greatest 2 weeks of sport in the history of, er, history ......   We had many many doubts, but in the end Britain showed we are still Great.   And our athletes did well too.   The weather also held up - looks like being much wetter and unsettled this week.  This piece by Martin Samuel probably sums it up best: the real Team GB is all of us - let the Olympics be a game-changer   Time will tell.   Also, a nice summary from Japan:  London - the Olympics as they should be and from Australia praise indeed: it's been a rigfht bang-up job .  If they liked it, it must have been good.   As for the closing ceremony - well, it had Eric Idle Utterly mad.  Utterly brilliant.  And back on subject .... New storm threatens flood-hit Philippines Rain forces evacuation in Canterbury In South Africa, KZN battered by rain, snow and veld fires whilst rain, snow and gale-for...

13 die as lightning strikes Bangladesh mosque - whilst fatalities from lightning strikes on open ground are not at all uncommon on the sub-continent, so many killed indoors is, I think, very unusual. Intense heatwave, brush fires hit southern California In New York, tornado hits Long Island, knocking down trees Seven dead following Mexico storms caused by TS Ernesto In China: reservoir collapse leaves 10 dead , after heavy rains from Typhoon Haikui In Sydney, wildest winds in six years batter coast, leaving city under the weather A closer look at ice impacts of a rare Arctic summer storm Unusual weather events identified during the Black Saturday bushfires that devastated Victoria in 2009 High temperatures scorch Balkan economies Bad weather set to increase bread price - too wet in Britain, too dry in the US .... Meteor smoke makes strange clouds - sadly though, not nocties seen in Evesham this year. Vast volcanic 'raft' found in Pacific near New...

NOAA confirm what we suspected would be the case a couple of weeks back: July was warmest month in 100-plus years of US record Weird weather rains seaweed over Gloucestershire village .  Makes a change from fish. Wildfires hit Greece's Mt Athos peninsular, scorch parts of Bulgaria and Italy Massive post-flood clean-up in Philippines with the death toll now on 60, whilst the UN warns 'unplanned urban expansion' to cause more floods .   And that's without any anthropogenic (or other) climate change. And in NZ, there are flood fears for Canterbury with 6 days of heavy rain forecast next week Thousands without power as winds lash Sydney Girl, 3, killed as cold weather hits SA Tropical storm Ernesto hits Mexico's Gulf coast for a second time, as US hurricane forecast upgraded to 17 storms Unusually strong Arctic storm spied from above El Nino arrives, likely to last till winter say the JMA Marine species' deaths caused by UVB...

Shanghai issues highest storm alert as Haikui grounds planes whilst in the Gulf, Hurricane Ernesto lands on Mexican coast Meanwhile, Manila flood death toll rises to 16 as rain continues  The ongoing heatwave in South Korea kills poultry, threatens drinking water Southern Norway hit by flooding and rail chaos Romania faces severe drought whilst Bulgaria endures record number of temperature records with more temperature records all over Montenegro But down under (in the land with very few gold medals!!!!) Brr-isbane's oit cold as longest winter chill in 17 years makes us shiver Whilst in SA, there's cheers as snow hits capital Wet weather brings mosquito plague to Somerset August Arctic sea ice extent a low record breaker Alaska's Arctic villages hit hard by climate change as the permafrost melts Second  New Zealand volcano 'burps' after eruption And after an incredibly successful (in every respect) Games, a mini he...

Philippine capital paralysed by floods  - with reports that UST hospital flood reaches 2nd floor and 'unprecedented' heavy rain to continue until Thursday Also,  rains spawn deadly floods, landslide , in China whilst 200,000 evacuated as typhoon threatens Shanghai More torrential rain devastates parts of Scotland and England Tropical storm Ernesto swirls off Honduras as authorities warn of flood danger from rains Wildfire threatens World Heritage site on Canary island whilst in the US, Oklahoma town completely wiped out by devasting wildfire - and there are suspicions that it could have been started deliberately.   And relentless heat cataylst for Idaho forest fires It felt like 'Christmas' in SA as snow falls NSW records one of the coldest August nights ever But last week was hellishly hot in Kuwait with a temperature of 53.6c New Zealand dormant volcano erupts after a century What can the Mars rover tell us about climate ...

Back from Moffat where I finally managed to climb a hill!  Hart Fell was my first new Corbett (hill over 2,500ft) for 5 years and also the first hill I've carried a full pack over since I can't remember when.  Weather was dry - until the Saturday afternoon when we had some thunderstorms.   But I was indoors then, so all good! Problems in many parts of the country from heavy storms over the weekend though: Pembrokeshire flood: 'Ocean of water' in Narberth with five rescued from 4x4 as flash flooding hst Carmarthenshire Clear-up in southern Scotland as flood alerts continue Tornado hits the north and torrential downpours bring flooding to the West Country Tyneside floods return to cause chaos And elsewhere: India monsoon floods kill 34 in Uttarakhand North Korean floods: death toll raised, WFP sends food aid   Six dead as Typhoon Saola pounds Taiwan NW China floods in typhoon's wake whilst today, China braces for third typ...

Off to the Borders tomorrow for a walk over the Moffat hills and an MBA meeting on Saturday - so no updates until probably next Tuesday. Simmering summer puts Midwest in hot water - with the Mississippi river hitting 91f (32.8c);  that's more than the highest shade temperature recorded in Britain all summer .... In NZ, fresh snow a boost for southern ski season Austria opens manslaughter probe after killer storm German storms 'getting stronger' due to warmer ground Taiwan, China on alert as typhoons approach In Siberia, marooned firefighters pray for rain Arctic sea ice tracks near record low in July And in SA, controversial weather bill canned - this was the one that would have led to punative fines for anyone other than the official met agency if they issue sensational weather warnings in the media ......  (as seen here in the Daily Express most weeks).