Posts

Showing posts from March, 2014

31st March - Today's News: Spring Snowstorm Hits Iran, Azerbaijan

Surpise snowstorm traps thousands of Iranians whilst Azerbaijan hit by unexpected snowstorm in spring as well The warmest day of the year so far in Britain yesterday with 20.9c reached in London and East Anglia as UK basks in warmer weather than Spain Lightning causes Banbury Twenty cricket pavillion fire last week Washington mudslide missing revised dfown 'substantially' More blizzards in eastern Canada Artificial islands off New York and New Jersey proposed as storm protection Sydney weather: hospital roof collapse and golf-ball sized hail as storm hits South Australia faces one of its hottest April days on record tomorrow A freak storm provides a possible preview of Hong Kong's extreme weather future Tropical Cyclone Hellen: massive storm surge threatens Madagascar coast Buenos Aires: fear of an epic flood persists in city Climate impact 'overwhelming' - UN - but as noted last week, I think this is very much an

28th March - Today's News: Big Wet hits SE Queensland

Big wet hits southeast Queensland: roads cut, flash flooding, massive rainfall Meanwhile, fog, rain and thunderstorms make for a wet weekend in Canberra Washington mudslide death toll to rise 'subsantially' with the current confirmed toll 25 but up to 90 still missing. New England wilts under spring snowstorm Massive haboob dust cloud blankets Phoenix in thunderstorm aftermath And tumbleweeds plague drought-stricken American west Snow falls in Britain but temperatures set to rise to 20c at weekend (obviously, no snow in Evesham!) Climate change will make UK weather too wet and too dry, say Met Office - I thought that was already the case?!  But seriously, this is no more than many of us have been saying for a good while now.  Though it may take time before the general public understand that it can become drier, but with more floods, warmer, but with colder winters, for example .... India's Brahmaputra river: 'the flood waters are eating

25th March - Today's News: Washington Landslide Death Toll Rises, Many Still Missing

Washington landslide death toll rises to 14 with up to 176 people still unaccounted for .... Powerful spring snowstorm to slam New England later today Moscow temperature to hit record high then fall to minus six - that's date record, of which there have already been 6 this month. And it's been exactly 29 years since Earth had a colder-than-average month - so much for global cooling! One I missed from last week: heavy snow, strong winds hit northern Japan with record snowfall for March, though I think that is only for the location, not the country. They are desperately seeking solutions to worst drought in decades in Brazil WMO annual climate statement highlights extreme events in 2013 Research says Arctic Sea Ice predicts Europe's winters Is Yellowstone Park volcano dying? A WHO report says air pollution 'kills 7m people a year' And there's dissent among scientists over key climate impact report - I suspect the problem may in pa

24th March - Today's News: At Least Eight Dead in US Landslide

I finally saw some snow yesterday - for the first time since March 2013!  Mind, it was only from the car as I travelled back from Glasgow past the snow-drapped higher peaks of the Lake District ..... Devastation in Washington state with eight found dead and 18 still missing after massive US landslide wipes out 30 homes In Colorado, massive dust devil forms during prescibed burn Sydney man dies in stormwater drain during storm Christmas Island damaged by cyclone but lucky it wasn't worse Heavy snow kills at least 15,000 reindeer in northern Siberia   Tibet records rising temperatures and extreme weather Indian farmers driven to suicide as unseasonable rains, hailstorm ruin crops Climber tells of surviving 'Dragon' avalanche on Ben Nevis Warmer spring could boost long-tailed tit survival - don't think I've seen any in may garden yet this year River pollution could be increased by wetter winters Southeast England most at

20th March - Today's News: Hekla About to Erupt?

Worrying news for Icelanders and transatlantic passengers as Icelandic volcano Hekla is starting to ‘bulge’ with magma amid fears major eruption could happen within days and hit air travel California officials prepare for the worst as historic drought deepens risk of wildfires Newfoundland couple abandons house completely covered in snow - to be fair, they were not in residence through the winter which enabled the drifts to build up

19th March - Today's News: Record Highs in Europe After Mild Winter

After their third warmest winter on record, spring breaks out in much of Switzerland with near record high temps in some places, whilst in Slovenia March temperature record broken in Ljubljana on Monday Poland pounded by gales at the weekend Did Germany contribute to Paris smog?   And was their bizarre paranoid close down of nuclear power stations in favour of coal, after Fukushima,  to blame? Late winter storm continues to cut through Midwest USA Cook Islands bracing for Cyclone Mike as it moves towards the main island Haiti drought: people need food, says official Climatologists offer explanation for widening of Earth's tropical belt Amazon inhales more carbon than it emits, NASA finds A survey by the MCofS finds that walkers are 'turning away from windfarm Scotland' - though presumably not in favour of mid Wales!  But there's a green light for world's third largest offshore wind farm off Caithness A fierce 2012 magnetic storm just m

17ty March - Today's News: Smog Leads to Paris Car Ban

Paris car ban set to start after Pollution hits high Glaciers in Western Canada still receding despite cold, snow Whilst northeast Greenland ice loss accelerating, researchers say In the eastern US, here we go again with the winter that just won't end , as snow falls once more Dust cuts visibility on UAE roads, floods displace dozens of families Rain brings relief to sweltering Singapore African dust changes India's rainfall

15th March - Today's News: Cyclone Lusi Hits NZ

As Cyclone Lusi hits NZ, high tides prompt possible evacuations   but many householders defy tropical storm whilst North Island assesses damage as storm head south with Cyclone Lusi ready to hit Wellington tomorrow   Sudden storms plunge greater Sydney into cold, dark chaos In the southern US, the Haboob is coming! Cold front kicks up huge 10,500ft wall of dust in Texas and New Mexico Paris offers free public transport to reduce smog In Eritrea: hail storm dumps metre of ice on capital Hail-storm hit Dubai wakes up to more wild weather forecast for UAE Are lightning deaths increasing?   Or are they just being reported more? Stunning map charts 365 days of weather in 35 cities around the world - Evesham not included ... Wind leaves nuclear behind in China Ongoing climate change means that it's likely the number of days without rain to dramatically increase in some world regions by the end of this century (ie, not next year) - but this

14th March - Today's News: Deadly Cyclone Lusi Approaches NZ

Cyclone Lusi: storm bears down on NZ with three confirmed dead and six people missing after Tropical Cyclone Lusi hits Vanuatu Mid-March snowstorm blankets southern Quebec Meanwhile, despite all that snow and the 'polar vortex', the US had coldest winter for four years whilst California's winter was its warmest on record Mild weather leads to biggest ever magnolia blossom in UK history although for the last couple of days there's been travel chaos as thick fog blankets Britain (well, parts of Britain .... ) Incredibly rare tornado sighting over Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe 'Rainbow' on Venus captured by ESA And Siberian scientists announce they now have a 'high chance' to clone the woolly mammoth

12th March - Today's News: Singapore's Driest February

Singapore joins the extreme weather club with its driest February on record Is Europe on track for its hottest March ever? Yet another storm to hit snow-weary Midwest, Northeast as America continues to hog winter In NZ, civil defence warning ahead of Tropical Storm Lusi's arrival this weekend Lebanon's snow-free ski resorts push economy downhill In Jammu & Kashmir: snow continues to create havoc, 11 people killed in avalanche February Arctic sea ice extent fourth lowest since 1979 Land cover change over five years across North America revealed - and in some places the deforestation is quite dramatic .... And a new NASA study says long-term warming likely to be significant despite recent slowdown

11th March - Today's News: Snowmelt Brings Flooding to Montana

Montana declares state of emergency as rising flood waters caused by melting snow inundate towns One person dead as Cyclone Lusi hits Vanuatu There were more than 150 Australian temperature records broken this summer Meanwhile, threat of twin cyclones fizzles but economy takes $14m blow Pretoria bridge washed away as six drown in Mpumalanda floods Storms whip up differences in polar sea ice Mongol Empire rode on wave of mild climate, but warming may be tipping region into unparalleled drought Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages And for once pollution is good: aerosols from human activities tend to weaken hurricanes and cyclones

10th March - Today's News: Spring Brings Record Temperatures to Europe

Spring sprung yesterday as parts of UK enjoy warmest day of the year so far with temperatures reaching 20.5c in London (one of the earliest dates on which 20c has been recorded in Britain) and 18.9c in my garden - a fine days for a walk with friends through the woods and riverside around Pershore, and a couple of pints afterwards.  And it was warm in parts of Europe too over the weekend with record breaking temperatures as the Netherlands basks in the Sun , a Spring temperature record measured in Ã…land Islands in the Baltic, whilst today it's predicted that weather in Moscow about to set new temperature record Twin cyclone threat strands tourists, shuts ports in north, far north Queensland A shrinking country: Ireland 250 acres smaller after floods tear chunks off coastline over the winter. Earlier last week tornado blacks out 13.500 homes in France In Pune, India, unseasonal rain and hailstones lash district, 15 hurt And is it too little too late?  After dry

7th March - Today's News: El Nino on the Way

Across Britain, this winter's tree storm damage 'worst since 1987' - locally there's been very little sign of any damage although I'm sure we've lost a couple of trees from the river bank at one point ....  Meanwhile, more concerns that careless farming 'adding to floods' - and as I've said before, it's in farmers' interests to do all they can to prevent theirs or their colleagues' fields being flooded as some have this year. El Nino may arrive as early as mid year, US climate center says Helvellyn weather trek up for auction - not sure I'd pay £90 to accompany someone up a hill when I could readily climb it myself (and record weather en route) for free!   But nonetheless an innovative way to raise funds to cover the cost of the service. In the past this would probably have been inexplicable, miraculous even, and been written down as a mystery unsolved to this day, but it turns out that Ireland's long hot summer r

March 5th - Today's News: Flooding Hits Christchurch, NZ

New Zealand's turn to flood with tourists trapped in Akaroa , Christchurch as 'once-in-century' storm finally eases Washington DC takes a snow day as much of US hit by another winter storm February was Singapore's driest month since 1869 (when records began) Sydney Opera House and Statue of Liberty 'will be lost to sea level rise' New data confirms Arctic ice trends: ice-free season getting longer by 5 days per decade Oceanographer refutes claim that climate change is slowing pace of Gulf Stream

3rd March - Today's News: Another Winter Storms Hits Central, Eastern US

Massive storm system takes aim at winter-weary US East Coast California cleans-up after storm brings destruction but much needed rainfall Here in Britain, storms knock out Flat Holme weather station web feed Heavy rains bring down Pompeii wall Europe-wide flood losses 'to increase four-fold' by 2050 according to latest model simulations February temps almost break Finland's all-time record - only 1990 was warmer Heavy rain floods Hyderabad Thousands in Guatemala facing avacuation as Pacaya volcano erupts In the Indus Valley it's revealed: how climate change ended the world's first great civilisations

1st March - Today's News: Storm Brings Welcome Rain to California

It was officially a snow-free winter in Evesham, the first I've recorded and the first I can remember experiencing anywhere.   Frosts were also notable by their absence with only 6 days recording temperatures below freezing and that helped make it my mildest recorded winter.  It was also my wettest winter - though by no means my wettest 3 month period, with rainfall for the whole of winter close to that of July 2007.   But spring arrives bright, sunny, calm and ..... frosty! Storm lashes California, but not a drought buster The great freeze over Great Lakes as seen by satellite Cyclone warning in place for Tonga NASA scientists find evidence of water in meterorite, reviving debate over life on Mars And how Earth might have looked: how a failed Saharan Atlantic rift zone sculped Africa's margin