8th November - Today's News: "Mediterranean Cyclone" Brings 'Tropical Storm Conditions' to Malta, Southern Italy

Exceptional rain expected in Italy over the next few days with flooding very likely as rare cyclone suspends aircraft activity, power outages reported in Malta.  More on the Mediterannean Cyclone - or Medicane - on Jeff Master's blog

Rapidly strengthening monster storm becomes most intense ever for Alaska

Heavy rain causes severe flooding in Campbeltown yesterday, with further flooding in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion after downpours in Wales.  And the outlook looks wet for much of the country over the next week or so: expect more floods.

Bewick's swans arrival at Slimbridge heralds 'late' winter - and whilst I don't believe their arrival time has any bearing on our winter, I do agree - as mentioned before - that it will be late with a mild December but a notably cold/snowy spell sometime around late January or early February (probably the only really wintry spell for many of us, though a further late burst of cold weather in early Spring is also possible) - all based on my patent SLATless Antipodean Forecasting Model!

In Finland, snow storms cause massive power outage in Ostrobothnia

Northern Lights, Milky Way and an erupting volcano captured in one jaw-dropping photo in Iceland

And where did all the lightning go?   To South America ...... Venezuela's everlasting lightning storm enters record books