Weather & Earth Science News

March goes out like a lion with very strong winds roaring across much of the country with travel chaos as Britain is battered by 100mph winds overnight (actually, the highest low level gust was 97mph - but gusts to 60mph were widespread) whilst in south London Lord's Father Time weather vane damaged by high winds .   Conditions will remain unsettled through the week but it still looks like being much quieter - and mostly dry - over Easter. And across the North Sea, storm brings transport chaos to the Netherlands too Meanwhile, March continues sunny theme for UK Two people were rescued from their cars after being caught in flash floods caused by heavy rain in Sydney, with reports also of a "mini tornado" Decaying Cyclone Nathan dumps heavy rain on Pilbara, Goldfields But it's a cold start to autumn for southeast Australia with parts of Victoria recording their lowest March temperatures for 20 years.   Must be the new ice age ..... Kashmir floods: Fi...

Flood alert sounded in Kashmir valley , with this morning the news that 10 bodies recovered, 21 still missing in Budgam; disaster relief teams rushed in California drought goes from bad to worse as state grapples with heat wave NZ town mops up after spectacular storm with an inch of rain falling in an hour Beijing caught out as year's first severe dust storm goes off the scale Peru mudslide emergency declared in Chosica, near Lima And a poweful earthquake generates small tsunami off Papua New Guinea

Antarctic may have set its highest temperature ever recorded Tuesday as it hit 17.5c at Argentina's Esperanza base.  Of course, we haven't been recording temperatures there for very long and even now the data is very sparse - so it could have been warmer elsewhere in the past.   But still, that's quite warm. And perhaps then no surprise Antarctic ice shelf thinning speeds up In the US it's snow joke: winter refuses to budge in the East while West gets record highs Climate change does not cause extreme winters, experts say - contradicting other experts who have suggested it does ......  But that's science! There is more evidence for groundwater on Mars - conditions may be suitable for microbial life - whilst ancient Martian lake system records two water-related events And finally, what will the weather be like at Easter?   Cold and snowy?    Or the hottest ever?   Well, current indications are neither.   Quite n...

One dead as scattered tornadoes sweep through Oklahoma - in the first outbreak of what has so far been a very quiet season. Heavy rains lead to flooding in Chile; at least 7 dead Record breaking Sahara rain - one years worth falls in five days in Algeria, although that still isn't a lot! Snow paralysed Oslo and beyond on Thursday Anchorage, Alaska may shatter its least snowy season on record Antarctic ise shelves rapidly thinning

Welcome to the tropics: Bogata covered in 24 inches of snow - or, rather, of hail (but I guess snow sounds more dramatic?) In the US, this winter's nation's snow capital: Saul Ste. Marie - with 158.7 inches Records melt across inland Australia in unusual March heatwave Evidence of huge avalanche recorded in Cairngorms Chile declares forest fires alert Curiosity Mars rover detects 'useful nitrogen' - as opposed to useless nitrogen ....? And it seems that wandering Jupiter accounts for our unusual solar system - this does not mean that Velikovsky was right!

A new study (already poo-pooed by the deniers on WUWT - see also below) suggests that global warming is now slowing down circulation of the oceans - with potentially dire consequences .  Basically, Arctic melting is causing the Gulf Stream to weaken. Water wars looming?  Global water use may outstrip supply by mid-century This is Spring?  Parts of Midwest get hit with up to 15 inches of snow on the first Monday of the new season Meanwhile, these snowless resorts show just how bad California's drought is Winter storm deaths are drastically underestimated according to a scientific study in the US Goulburn Island residents to return home as ex-Tropical Cyclone Nathan downgraded to tropical low Woolly mammoth could be revived after scientists paste DNA into elephant's genetic code 'Largest ever asteroid impact' found in Australia Spring is 30 seconds shorter every year - so summer will be here even sooner! And finally, let's...

Arctic sea ice extent hits record low for winter Cyclone Nathan: Adam Giles urges Darwin to prepare, Goulburn Island evacuates as storm forecast to intensify to category three Chinchilla, Queensland mops up after storm that brought softball-sized hail Did easyJet flight from Manchester get the best view of eclipse?   And although it was cloudy, we did still managed a view of it in Evesham: 'Tide of the century' draws tens of thousands to French coast Bad weather saved Iceland from volcano pollution International study raises questions about causes of ice ages And did a volcanic cataclysm 40,000 year ago trigger the final demise of the Neanderthals?

No real surprise here: Northeast USA left out in the cold in Earth's warmest winter on record - with the full NOAA report here In Queensland, record Sunshine Coast temperature as state sweats Another storm batters Nova Scotia Lots of stunning pictures as sensational light shows wow crowds across the globe as 'severe' solar storm strikes planet (not sure there were quite any crowds out watching it, and sadly nothing was visible to the naked eye in Evesham - and worth noting that quite often what we actually see is not as stunning as shown in long exposure photos) And 'northern lights' observed on Mars , too Warnings issued as air pollution rockets across Britain Strange 'snow carrots' found at meteorite impact site There are probably planets in the habitable zone around most stars, researchers calculate - increasing the already strong likelihood of there being an abundance of extraterrestrial life, though not necessarily as ...

New research suggests that El Nino can predict tornado season's severity More snow possible for Atlantic Canada after record-breaking storm on Monday Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu relief teams reach damaged islands - the good news is that 'only' 11 people have been confirmed dead. Cyclone Nathan tipped to cross far north Queensland coast on Friday Freak storm rips homes apart in Kimberley, South Africa Rain sweeps across UAE; hail, flooding in Saudi, Oman There have been more than 1800 landslides in Bulgaria after the heavy rain and snow earlier this month Tourist captures incredible footage of rare volcanic lightning as Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupts in front of him Morning is the time for powerful lightning (except in Evesham ...) East Antarctic melting could be explained by ocean gateways - allowing warmer sea water to reach the base of the Totten glacier A new study shows that past warming increased snowfall on Antarctica, af...

Boston clinches snowiest season on record amid winter of superlatives - 108.6 inches of snow is only 108.4 inches more than we had in Evesham .... Cyclone Pam: Foreign aid reaches Port Vila as Vanuatu counts cost of destruction as Vanuatu's president blames climate change for extreme weather .  More pictures here .    Meanwhile, today, the remnants of Cyclone Pam hits New Zealand . Cyclone Nathan could turn back to Queensland coast Winter storm batters Maritimes, cancelling flights and prompting closures Angola storm death toll rises to 69, half children Rain lashes north and west India, dozen people killed, crops damaged And a new study suggests that the moods of British people are not affected by daily changes in weather .  I'm not convinced: after a week of anticyclonic gloom, a sharp frost and sunny skies always makes me feel much happiers!

Six people confirmed dead in catastrophic storm that hit Vanuatu, with fears dozens more have been killed Meanwhile, in WA, Cyclone Olwyn: Recovery efforts hampered as criticial infrastructure knocked out in Carnarvon With only one year of water left in California, NASA scientist suggests rationing NASA sees fading rare South Atlantic storm 90Q, one of three since 2004 Global CO2 emissions 'stalled' in 2014

Cyclone Pam: Vanuatu issues evacuation alerts as category five storm weaks havoc across Pacific as Kiwis prepare for storm to impact them on Monday. Meanwhile, in Australia, Cyclone Olwyn inflicts flooding and storm surges on WA's mid-north coast And in the Southern Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Haliba hits holiday isles of Reunion and Mauritus Angola floods kill at least 35 children and 27 adults Some places in southern Bulgaria still inaccessible after heavy snowfall last week Arctic sea ice dwindles towards record winter low Summer storm weakening leads to more persistent heatwaves whilst warming Arctic blamed for worsening summer heatwaves too Hunga Tonga volcano eruption forms new S Pacific island Hubble finds 'best evidence' for Ganymede sub-surface ocean And some habitable exoplanets could experience wildly unpredictable climates

In Washington, the world's snowiest resort shuts due to lack of snow Sydney storm: Thousands without power as trees, powerlines brought down Cyclone Pam: Pacific nations on alert as storm intensifies into category three system Last week, surprise flood ruins 45,000 hectares of Spainish farmland Also last week, massive flooding in Argentina kills 12 and causes thousands to evacuate homes Severe sandstorm hits UAE And how climate change may be producing more blockbuster snowstorms - simply put, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so whether it fall as rain or snow, the amounts are higher.   Heavy snowfall is NOT a symptom of a colder climate. 

Has snowfall world record been broken?   Over 100 inches reportedly fell in 18 hours in a village in the Apennines.   However, it can be proven and be accepted or not remains to be seen.  The Telegraph has more pictures of the village that got eight feet of snow in one day . Meanwhile, heavy snowfall in Bulgaria claims new victim as man found frozen to death Effort to restore power after gales batter Scotland And in Stornoway, it's been one of the wettest ends to winter in past 80 years Australia's Queensland and Northern Territory brace for cyclones Earth's climate is starting to change faster, new research shows whilst CO2 increase can intensify future drought sin tropics, study suggests

As forecast , there was a landslip and flooding after heavy rain hits Scotland at the weekend with flood misery across Highlands as River Ness banks burst - Cluanie Inn reported ~185mm of rain in a 48 hour period.  Meanwhile, strong winds over North Wales produced a host of pictures of rare lenticular clouds over Cheshire States of emergency, power cuts as Bulgaria continues grappling with heavy snowfalls with tens of thousands without electricity as snow heaps southern Bulgaria Australia's Bureau or Meteorology cyclone team to assess Coral Sea tropical low And despite deep blankets of snow across much of US experts say this winter was the 19th warmest since records began – and for five states it was the warmest ever winter

Snowstorms wreak havoc in parts of Bosnia with thousands marooned as heavy snow hits Serbia and there are power cuts and warnings to motorists as heavy snow hits southern Bulgaria Where's the snow?  Alaska's Iditarod has to move north But there are record snow falls in Siberia and Far East In NZ, flash flooding closes Wellington motorway Caught on camera, the terrifying moment tornado sweeps along Brazilian beach knocking down sunbathers and sending them running for their lives And combined Arctic ice observations show decades of loss

SA weather confirms record high temperatures for CT - reaching 42c on Tuesday, the highest ever recorded in Cape Town Hundreds of stranded drivers finally on the move after some were stuck in their cars without food or heat for 24 hours on Kentucky highway after 2,000-mile-wide winter storm as late winter snowstorm blankets South, Northeast In Europe, Balkan blizzard cuts off villages, electricity .  One man dies in landslide in Bosnia as bad weather hits Balkans whilst skiers in cable car drama amid Italy storms The elusive El Niño arrives: Forecasters predict it will stay weak, have little influence on weather and climate Extreme rain may flood 54 million people by 2030 whilst another study suggests that the flood and drought risk to cities on rise even without climate change Arctic sea ice is getting thinner faster than expected whilst around Finland, sea ice thinner than usual, FMI warns And rough and tumble sea ice becoming rarer as ...

Relentless, endless summer.  The Queensland town where its been 40 degrees pretty much forever - well, the past 25 days anyway.  Making it possibly my least favourite town in the whole world! Hot on the heels of Portland, Seattle sets twin records for warmest February, winter on record Snow causes school and travel disruption in Northern Ireland, snow closes schools and affects travel in Scotland and there has been snow in parts of England and Wales too.   But here in Evesham we have nice sunshine after a spot of light rain overnight .... Rare hail storm hits California's Huntington beach Unseasonal rain lashes north India; traffic jams in Delhi South African firefighters battle blaze on Cape Town mountains Global warming's effects on glaciers revealed Chile volcano Villarica eruption spews ash and lava Bright spotlight on Dawn mission to Ceres - is it space aliens?! And the weather forecast for early Earth involved iron rain - ...

It was the coldest February on record in Quebec and Ontario as February 2015 enters many record books across US -  whilst in stark contrast, in Oregon, Portland sets record for warmest winter Weather chaos in Texas and Oklahoma forces 1,600 flight cancellations whilst new round of snow could push Boston to season record as snow forecast for all 50 states And, 10 wierd things Americans are doing in the snow Major thunderstorms lead to flooded south Florida streets Warm weather brings abnormally high waters to parts of Finland Pyrenees hamlet cut off after massive mudslide Spectacular storm rolls in Sydney sending Bondi beach goers running for cover whilst in WA, thunderstorms damage homes in Mid West, flood roads in five regions Afghanistan's Panjshir valley hit by fresh avalanches And an intriguing study finds that introverts prefer mountains ....  That's me down to a t!