Weather & Earth Science News

Although nothing special here (had wetter and windier weather this month, and, indeed, most months, the SE of England was hit by bad weather on Bank Holiday Monday from Storm Katie: Flights cancelled and property damaged as hopes fade for father feared drowned while saving his son when their kayak capsized as motorist is killed after plunging into a lake from a 70ft bridge as 106mph winds batter UK .  In the Channel Islands, stable crashes into house in Alderney during Storm Katie In the US, winter storm Troy hits the West whilst severe storms whip across Florida; lightning injures firemen, damages homes   Scientists develop method that may predict East Coast heat waves up to 50 days in advance   Arctic winter sees sluggish sea-ice growth whilst Greenland melting tied to shrinking Arctic sea ice And watch the moment Jupiter gets hit by an asteroid: Amateur astronomers capture rare event 600 million miles away

Thousands without power in aftermath of Ontario ice storm Albuquerque couple's backyard is overrun with tumbleweeds after fierce wind storm Hail the size of golf balls pelts North Texas as powerful storms sweep across the state Deadly stars: Our sun could also be superflare star   And evidence that human impact forms 'striking new pattern' in Earth's global energy flow

Severe weather sweeps through Midwest as Denver digs out   NZ sees  evacuations and homes without power as storms batter country Wind power: plane pirouettes on tarmac in Arctic storm in Siberia Chinese natural disasters leave 1,500 people dead, missing annually The Pacific's Tamu Massif even more massive: world’s largest volcano almost same size as Japan, widest in solar system Scientists part the clouds on how droplets form   Antarctic scientists monitoring clouds to better understand weather, improve forecasting for Australia Is Ceres' mysterious bright dome an ice volcano? And meteorologists overwhelmingly conclude climate change is real and human-caused

Rare heat wave hits Kenya   Winter's Arctic sea ice could be lowest area ever, scientists warn Palau declares state of emergency over drought New York and London could be underwater within decades: Scientists say devastating climate change will take place sooner than thought .   The actual paper, together with the questions and answers made during the peer review process, can be downloaded from here .  Of coursde, not everyone concurs with Hansen etal's conclusions .... Rare lunar halo and moondogs captured on a cold Alaska night Global warming pushes wines into uncharted terroir   Rivers and lakes of liquid nitrogen may have once flowed on Pluto And the 'northern lights' spotted on Jupiter

According to a new WMO climate report: 2015 'shattered' temperature records around the world A 'dzud' - hot summer and drought followed by cold winter - means Mongolia herders face disaster: Red Cross   One foot of snow falls across parts of New England bringing traffic chaos to the roads during first week of spring  NW China glaciers retreat over the past decade In Siberia, a hurricane gush rips roof off entire apartment block, caught on video The rate of carbon emissions put in context - it's 10 times faster than during the PETM!  And another positive feedback from increased CO2: P lants boost extreme temperatures by 5°C because with higher amounts of atmospheric CO2, they releases less water into the atmosphere.  However, also some better news as scientists say many plants don't respond to warming as thought and also release less extra CO2 into the atmosphere.  A not so positive feedback.

February was the warmest month in recorded history, climate experts say - the full NOAA report for February is here - and the current record-shattering temperatures are shocking even to climate scientists In the US,  winter storm Regis brings icy flurries - with eight inches of snow expected on the East Coast this week From last week: Interstate 10 closed at Texas-Louisiana border as floodwaters rise Late rains leave Queensland quenched and Sydney sodden   Calls for climate action over Great Barrier Reef bleaching A record temperature for early summer in Hyderabad   Malaysia heatwave set to last till April How mushrooms make it rain   European clean air policies unmask Arctic warming by greenhouse gases Most eccentric planet ever known flashes astronomers with reflected light And Ben Nevis gains a metre thanks to GPS height measurement

In the US, 2 million across South brace for devastating flooding as southern flooding kills 6; hundreds rescued from rising waters 31 killed in rain-related accidents in Pakistan   Downpours cause deadly floods, mudslides in Sao Paulo And as the month's temp data starts coming in, it appears that February breaks global temperature records by 'shocking' amount

The US gets battered again:  'Life-threatening' storm hammers Gulf Coast as more than 23 inches of rain is expected to trigger destructive flash flooding and drive some rivers to historic levels in days ahead while another storm drenches drought-parched California Australia's scorching start to autumn smashed national heat records, Bureau of Meteorology says   Floodwaters remain in some Dubai communities days after storm A study concludes that science can now link climate change with some extreme weather events - particularly extremes of heat and, to the confusion no doubt of the deniers, cold.   Usefully, the entire publication can be downloaded free of charge here . El Niño 2015 forces largest carbon dioxide spike on record And the terrestrial biosphere contributing to warming climate - especially where rice is cultivated

It was America’s year without a winter: The 2015-2016 season was the warmest on record - but they still had tons more snow me! It’s raining fish in outback Queensland Heavy rain kills six in Oman, UAE Understanding why nights are getting warmer faster than days Tree planting 'can reduce flooding' A view of the eclipse from space And could we refreeze Antarctic water to stop sea levels rising?   Er, not really ...

Over an inch of rain (around 75% of the March average), mostly falling before dawn yesterday, led to widespread flash flooding here in the morning with the river now in flood as well.   There were also damaging winds in the southwest.  Thousands of commuters stranded in London after flooding overwhelms train lines as heavy rain, 80mph winds and snow batter Britain whilst flood warnings remain after downpours in central England . The good news is that it's looking dry and settled for at least the next week. Meanwhile, in the US, 3 dead as historic flooding swamps Louisiana, thousands evacuated with more rain on the way after massive flooding in Southeast Whilst in the UAE, Dubai rains flood communities; water seeps into homes, cars  Sydney weather: Record 21 days since temperatures dropped below 20C And in NZ, wild winds wreak havoc in Southland; Invercargill flights cancelled

L.A. officials seeded clouds during El Nino storm in hopes of more rain   As the SE Aussie autumn heatwave continues Melbourne records its hottest March night since records began UAE battered and disrupted by thunderstorms An unusually intense Lagos heatwave reminds Nigerians they’re not ready for climate change Why Hurricane Irene fizzled as it neared New Jersey in 2011 Total eclipse: Indonesia witnesses totality as Sun is blocked by the Moon A new study shows global warming increases rain in world's driest areas Whilst human influence on climate dates back to 1930s, new research finds

In Australia, Antarctic oscillation brings a record breaking run of hot weather as capitals break 30C and Melbourne swelters as several towns record hottest March days ever In California, 2 dead, 4 rescued from L.A. river as storms slam West Coast Serbia Declares Emergency after Regional Floods   And Mercury's mysterious 'darkness' explained

Last week there were monster traffic jams in Moscow after heaviest spring snowfall in 50yrs     I go all the way to Lochaber, and I still haven't seen a snowflake ...... at least I did some some snow on the hills!    Whilst I was up there in the sun, heavy snow affects travel in the north of England .  Meanwhile, after I get back to Evesham, spectacular Northern Lights illuminate sky over UK - but not down here! Peru battered by severe floods   Extreme tornado outbreaks have become more common, says study Greenland's ice is getting darker, increasing risk of melting Some good news? China's carbon emissions may have already peaked, report shows Cloudy problems: Today's clouds might not be the same as pre-industrial ones   And new research uncovers the ‘myths’ behind technological solutions to aviation’s climate change crisis

Apologies for the lack of recent updates, due to ongoing computer problems and the fact that I'll be away the next few days.  Normal service should resume by the middle of next week. A few stories to keep you going till then: El Nino failed to deliver in California as instead of record rains, L.A. gets the hottest February on record whilst mid-winter months break temperature records across Alaska Here, it looks like winter 'was probably warmest ever in England and Wales' whilst winter of 2015/2016 wettest on record in Scotland Globally, it looks like February will easily the the warmest on record.   In NZ the second hottest February on record sparks fresh concerns over climate change whilst 'Autumn may not start until April' as warm summer maintains grip on Australia In Israel early spring heat wave reaches a peak The recent drought in Eastern Mediterranean worst of past 900 years - worth noting that this caused population mov...