Weather & Earth Science News

Storm Gertrude's 144mph winds blow down trees and lorries and even leave a rabbit on a roof...  (although as the story reports, the strongest gust was 132mph.  On the summit of Cairn Gorm ...).  Meanwhile, rainbow cloud lights up stormy skies above north-east Scotland. Flash floods strike Sydney and 50,000 homes are left without power as 'dangerous' weather lashes the east coast - while a 17-year-old girl is struck by lightning while sitting on a public toilet in Queensland   Tropical Cyclone Stan: Pilbara towns brace for destructive winds as system looms off WA coast   In Japan, hundreds stranded at Nagano spa resort following heavy snow First humans to arrive in Australia behind huge flightless bird's extinction, scientists believe   Intact nature offers best defense against climate change - but humans being humans, we continue to destroy nature to combat the changes to climate that our destroying nature caused .... The Moon was...

Scotland battered by Storm Gertrude, with 90mph gusts recorded and 100mph now forecast for Shetland.  In Ireland,a status Orange alert as 130kph winds batter country .  However the Express, as usual, get it totally wrong suggesting the storm is heading for the south .  And they don't mean south Unst ....  (a front will bring some rain to England overnight though).  But Norway braces for wrath of mighty storm Tor (as the Scandinavians dub it). In Australia, man hit by falling tree in Hervey Bay as massive storm sweeps southern Queensland , in another Sydney storm: Commuter headaches as wild weather batters city whilst flash flooding eases in Tasmania's north east but forecasters expect more rain and the season's first WA cyclone: Alerts issued for Pilbara and Kimberley as Stan moves towards coast Meanwhile in the US, deadly winter storm Jonas now ranks as fourth largest blizzard to hit the Northeast and why was the Blizzard of 2016 so easy to pred...

Incredible scenes as torrential rain transforms Australian town into a flooded disaster zone... with raging rivers running down the streets with 18 people rescued in 'one-in-50-year' flash flooding And in NZ more thunder, flooding hits Auckland region A cyclone warning for north-west WA issued after El Nino delays season Tasmanian fires: Buildings damaged in state's north-west as strong winds fan flames Here, no snow even on the Scottish hills at the moment in scenes very reminiscent of 1989.  Is it spring already? More than 600 wild plants are blooming at the wrong time due to the warm and wet conditions of winter - one of my neighbours has a cherry tree in blossom, a few grape hyacinth are in flower in my garden - along with one "summer flowering" plant - and I have a few daffodils - that usually flower later in March - about to bloom ... Residents evacuated from seaside homes teetering on the brink as California cliffs crumble into th...

More than 2,000 flights are still cancelled and roads across the East Coast remain jammed with snow after record-breaking blizzard as Jonas death count rises to 41 .  But the storm did produce perfect conditions for 'snow-swimming' And in the US the number of blizzards has doubled in the past 20 years: Scientists blame global warming and sunspots for rise in storms Here, we never get blizzards any more, just heavy rain and gales as storm hits the UK   Canberra feeling the aftermath of wild storm   Recent record temperature years ‘extremely unlikely’ without global warming, scientists say   El Niño means glaciers in the Andes are melting at record rates while in Iceland, it's suggested that we could see Snæfellsjökull glacier gone by 2100 And whilst the pictures may be good , a mini ice age is not on the way ....

US blizzard 2016: Clearing up after huge snowstorm but with at least 30 killed in snowstorm-related deaths   it's likely Jonas fall-out will last for days .  And it wasn't just the cold and snow that caused problems as the Mid-Atlantic coastline flooded by blizzard’s storm surge . Meanwhile, East Asia cold snap 'kills 85 in Taiwan'   in Hong Kong record low temperatures close schools, hospitalise 45, injure 111, trap 130 on Kowloon Peak whilst there were 5 dead, over 100 injured due to snow, severe weather in Japan and in Thailand bitter cold snap grips northern provinces. And Jerusalem braces for snowfall as winter storm intensifies Here in Britain it was the mildest January 24th on record ....   The remnants of "Jonas" are expected to bring more wet and windy weather here on Tuesday, ushering in a spell of very unsettled weather that looks likely to result in further flooding .... In Australia, hail storm batters Canberra as emergency cre...

As a major snowstorm, dubbed 'Jonas' hits parts of eastern USA, at least 10 are killed by 'life and death' blizzard as massive US blizzard advances north   WA fires in Waroona, Yarloop extinguished after burning for 17 days   China raises warning level amid worst cold in decades   Nearly half a million lose power in Argentina heat wave Melting Greenland ice sheet may affect global ocean circulation, future climate   Future of arctic may depend on permafrost   Impact of human activity on local climate mapped   New study zeros in on plate tectonics' start date - it's later than thought Is the reason the aliens are silent because they are dead ?  Life is common in the universe, but it rarely gets the chance to evolve into complex lifeforms.  And as I have oft said, for 99.99% of the time there has been complex life on Earth, there was no species capable of emitting radio transmissions, let alone space travel .. ...

2015 'shattered' global temperature record by wide margin - the NOAA's full report can be read here . Meanwhile, global ocean warming has doubled in recent decades , scientists find and warmer oceans could produce more powerful superstorms And  how a 2°C rise means even higher temperatures where we live How a mere inch of snow turned DC into a total nightmare on Wednesday night.  See, it's not just Britain that can't cope with a little snow .... Meanwhile, millions prepare for huge blizzard expected to hit parts of northeastern USA later today. Storm sweeps over Adelaide following night of SA’s heaviest rain since September   Airport, highways closed as China sees worst cold in decades whilst  North Korea's day of the 'Big Cold' lives up to reputation And a more detailed account of how evidence of a real ninth planet discovered .   I think we should call it Rupert .... 

Six weeks of snow hits Vladivostok in two days - mind, if we had 6 weeks worth of snow in two days in Evesham there would be exactly 0.00mm of snow cover ..... !   We do at least have a second consecutive frosty day after the temp fell to -3.9c overnight.    Pembrokeshire village of Eglwyswrw falls just short of record rainfall as dry weather moves in In Australia, WA town of Gnowangerup flooded as heavy rains fall And Thailand to drill 4,300 wells as drought hits hard

Ice Pancakes anyone? …These are normally seen in the Arctic – but today they’re in the Highlands This winter's lowest temperature recorded in Kinbrace with -12.4c (unconfirmed reports suggest the actual fugure may have been -12.7c) and it even dropped to -2.9c in my garden: still some way off my normal lowest winter temp though.   But nice to have a bright, crisp, frosty morning at last!   Sad news from Glen Coe as the MRT loses one of their own in an avalanche at the weekend. Simon Davidson and Joe Smith who died in Glen Coe were 'skilled' climbers - just in the wrong place at the wrong time.   A risk we all take. And here's how snow is causing chaos for Swedish travellers In Luxembourg at the weekend, roads closed as trees collapse under snow   Cold weather and snow return to Turkey Hurricane Alex may have done 'winter haters' a favor El Niño's effect on the US is 'just beginning' forecasters warn as they reveal i...

Severe situation in northern Bulgaria because of snow, strong winds whilst Romanian ports remains closed after snowstorm Here, instead of the expected dry, bright, frosty weekend, snow sweeps across parts of the UK -  but it was just cold rain for others (including Evesham, naturally!). People in Stuttgart asked to stop driving as pollution hits a new high   Florida couple die after tornado destroys their mobile home Total fire ban for Tasmania's north as 80 blazes stretch resources and tax crews More than 100 injured in heavy snow around Tokyo, eastern Japan Extreme drought persists across South Africa

Apparently it's been raining in Pembrokeshire village, Eglwyswrw, for 81 days   Uluru's magnificent waterfalls: landmark transformed by rain – in pictures  A video shows heavy rain, snowfall in Saudi Arabia The Spanish winter finally arrives Rare January Hurricane Alex Made Landfall in The Azores as a Tropical Storm Study finds high melt rates on Antarctica's most stable ice shelf Northwest Atlantic Ocean may get warmer, sooner Does Pluto have the biggest ice volcano in the solar system ? And there are forecasts of snow from Scotland to London tonight: Britain to be blanketed with three inches falling across huge area of the country as temperatures plummet to -10C .  But I am only expecting rain (and perhaps a bit of sleet)

Alex Becomes the Atlantic’s First January Hurricane Since 1955 and the first named storm to actually form in January since 1938.   It's playing havoc with our weather models! Yesterday, Sydney sweltered but then came the rain and with heatwaves, floods and a dose of summer snow: Australia's crazy weather continues Gulf of St. Lawrence hits record-high temperature A new study shows how carbon emission 'postpone ice age' And there may be a 'gigantic chasm under Antarctic ice'

Major snowstorm hits southern, central Finland whilst the first proper snow this winter has Muscovites snap-happy Rail commuters suffer major delays as weather 'too sunny' for Southeastern train drivers   Melbourne weather: Power blackouts after dust storm sweeps across city Always wear gloves when cycling in the snow ... Teen suffers frostbite riding his bike and Interstate 74 shut down after 40-vehicle pileup as 'whiteout' snow sweeps through the Midwest and Northeast Despite some claims to the contrary by the usual suspects, the independent Berkeley Earth (who a few years ago conducted a study on global warming on behalf of sceptics, which was then dismissed by them because it didn't return the expected results ... ) find that 2015 unambiguously the hottest year on record

Shock!  Horror! Hailstones the size of marbles hit Britain - although most appear to be the size of a pea and, in any case, such hail is as rare in Britain as a hen's egg ...   Of more interest, Rare 'hair ice' discovered in Bracklinn Woods near Callendar. Meanwhile, Maidenhead 'tornado' causes damage to buildings , and a Tesco van blown over by "mini-tornado" in south Wales .  In Evesham there was some drizzle ....  Annual perihelion event compounding heatwave across Australia - or, why the southern hemisphere can always have warmer summers than the north, due to the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit.  Just waiting now for someone to claim we didn't have record cold and snow this week (as some idiots predicted) because the Earth has gotten too close to the Sun ....   Sundogs come out to play in cold winter air across the US Midwest   Car parked by Lake Erie is frozen solid after waves spilled over and covered it with a thick l...

Record snowfall in Merikarvia spurs community spirit In the US, Winter Storm Hera leaves at least 7 dead; over 120,000 without power In Australia's Northern Territory,  Newcastle Waters Station and Indigenous outstation cut off by floodwaters Cyclone Ula tracking north of New Zealand, after passing Vanuatu Pali Becomes Earliest Central Pacific Tropical Storm on Record Norway became warmer and wetter in 2015 Ireland's ongoing flooding has forced 540 families out of homes Melting of massive ice 'lid' resulted in huge release of carbon dioxide at the end of the ice age And how have crops and animals coped with the mild winter?

Scotland flooding: Record high for river levels with north-east Scotland warned of risk of further flood damagethis week - more rain is on the way - whilst in the southwest, routes blocked as snow strikes in Borders and Dumfries and Galloway .   Meanwhile, there remains a great deal of uncertainty as to whether the south will see any particularly cold weather or snow this month, despite the usual disingenuous and dangerously misleading claims in the media .... Flash floods hit Kosovo as snow melts while the army joins flood relief efforts in Albania Several missing after Australian bushfire   Rare tropical cyclone activity blossoms from the Pacific to the Atlantic And what has New Horizons spotted on Pluto?   Surely not a Mi-go ?!!!

Scotland flooding: Homes evacuated and travel disrupted - some places in Aberdeenshire have already recieved record January rainfall after just one week, and there is more rain to come this weekend before things hopefully ease off next week. Even East Anglia has been hit with a plea for motorists to drive carefully following day of flooding across the region A sensible idea, farmers in England could be paid to let land flood .  A contributory factor to flooding in some areas is improved drainage of agricultural land ....  Cyprus recovering from freak storm   Chilly Sweden brrr-eaks another winter record with the lowest January temperature since 1999 Light pillars: rare light phenomemon spotted in Oslo skies Mudslides, flooding reported as storms drench California whilst Washington D.C. breaks record for absence of snow so deep into winter Australia Waroona fire threatens more towns after devastating Yarloop as Yarloop blaze creates own ...

Australia rains cause rare filling of massive desert lake but in the NSW floods: Record rain brings chaos to Hunter amid search for missing sailor Shetland residents forced to abandon cars as storm destroys road School children trapped in bus by flood water near York December 2015 broke a string of long-standing heat records in Western Europe Swedes shiver as -34.8C freezes new record for this winter El Nino storms slam Southern California Some key numbers after historic Illinois, Missouri flooding South African heatwave sizzles across provinces Siberian Arctic leads the way in 'revolutionary' Northern Hemisphere warming And there is drought and water shortage in Cherrapunji, India , the world's second wettest place

More than 20 die as cold blast grips Poland Germany shivers through sub-zero cold snap Snow finally arrives on the Swiss Alps Blizzards cause spike in accidents in Kosovo  And Denmark's bitterly cold week to end with snow Whereas here, just more homes flooded in Scotland as heavy rain hits again with Whitby cut off by flash flooding as Britain hit by more heavy rain Avalanche from Turkish rooftop buries pedestrians as snow, ice storm turns deadly in Turkey NSW weather: Flash flooding in parts of Hunter as deluge set to continue In Ireland, car buried in sand shows power of Storm Frank - or, rather, why you shouldn't park your car on the beach! Child dies and mountain is closed off due to bad weather in UAE Something I have often been a pains to point out, South American floods put deforestation in spotlight Climate change is altering Greenland ice sheet, accelerating sea level rise Worldwide electricity production vulne...

Midwest floods: death toll rises to 24 as states take stock of 'catastrophic' ruin Up on Deeside, Queen's neighbour flees his 450-year-old home after it was left teetering on the brink by rising flood waters - and with it still raining, Scottish communities prepare for more floods Heavy rain and thunderstorms smash NSW, Queensland and Victoria   State of emergency declared in Tonga after Cyclone Ula rips off roofs and destroys crops with furious winds of up to 200km/h As flooding also continues in Argentina, number of evacuees increases to 30,000   Heavy snowfall and cold weather continue to paralyze Turkey Earthquake hits India's Manipur state As El Nino brings unusual start to the year for many

Freak storm pushes North Pole 50 degrees above normal to melting point - another consequence of 'Frank' ... Meanwhile here, Storm Frank: A day of total chaos in the north-east of Scotland on Wednesday with homes evacuated and power cuts as Storm Frank hits UK . And the latest update on Storm Frank: Second man dies in Scotland - though both victims though were kayakers who deliberately chose to go out into swollen rivers. So what have we done to make the flooding worse?    On the dedging note, it's worth saying that this only applies to lowland rivers and apart from the York area, most of the worst flooding so far has been in association with upland rivers that are not, and cannot, be dredged (unless we start blowing up the bedrock!) And mild, wet December breaks Met Office records - though here it was only the wettest December since 2012, but by far the warmest December on record.   2015 has also been m,y second dries year, although my records f...