15th August - Today's News: Wildfires Rage Across Western USA

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: cloud seeding credited for sparing city from worse disaster.   It's impossible to prove that the golf ball sized hail that hit the city would have been even bigger without the cloud seeding operation.  And that of course, is one of the problems with weather modification: not opportunity for controlled experiments

Tropical Depression Ernesto may evolve into  Hurricane Florence

IN NZ, rivers to peak after South Island deluge 

Another deluge hits western, central Japan

Nigeria Plateau state floods kill 33

Just when you thought the stop-start-stop-start story was over, Brazilian court halts Belo Monte hydro-electric dam project

I'd never heard of the 'mountain beaver' before, but it seems B.C.'s docile 'living fossil' can't handle the heat - however, this isn't another global warming doom story: it's logging that is their main threat.