Weather & Earth Science News

DR Congo floods leave 50 dead in Boma In Canada snow, heavy winds wallop eastern Quebec, Atlantic whilst in the US Northeast storm intensifies amid reports of thundersnow U.S. records fewest tornado deaths in 30 years   Perth weather: Cool summer for Christmas holidays makes for tough time for beachside businesses - seems too hot to me ...... !  Norway’s December weather as warm as summer And the fake weather images that fooled the internet in 2016 - I wonder how many will reappear next year? The next news update will be on the 3rd January 2017 - so bliadhna mhath ur! 

Blizzard will bury New England under two feet of snow today, ahead of bitterly cold New Year that could see a record-breaking 48 states below freezing and it's so cold that snow is 'erupting' from Yellowstone's Old Faithful geyser Whilst heavy fog disrupts travel across southern England here in Evesham it's been perferct winter weather: bright and sunny with nice frosts.  -3.9c this morning after a max yesterday of +2.2c    Just as shame I'm stuck at work .... Melbourne storms: Flash flooding, mass road closures across Victoria but in NSW an extreme heatwave forecast to bring sizzling end to 2016 and in the NT Kintore residents "shaken up", still stranded after days of flooding Snow sweeps into Greece, dusting capital’s center Bolivia floods leave at least eight dead   Dense winter fog blankets Arab Gulf countries And there's a  warning of 'collapse' of buildings in Siberia's permafrost cities ...

On Boxing Day, storm Conor brings snow and wind to Scotland In the US, thousands remain powerless after Christmas storm wreaks havoc but Charleston, other WV cities see record high temperatures with other record temperatures set on Christmas day in parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and Christmas Day in North Texas sees record-high temperature as well I also recorded my highest ever Christmas Day temperature (14.3c) - though records do only go back to 2003 .... Adelaide sets records for Christmas heat but it's followed by more wild weather hits state after Adelaide storm leaves trail of destruction Australia flood: Six found safe after record rainfall that brought waterfalls to Uluru  Charleston, other WV cities see record high temperatures - See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20161227/charleston-other-wv-cities-see-record-high-temperatures#sthash.FXxUvwnp.dpuf Canadians ice skate on the streets as 'freezing rain' turns roads in...

In Wales a school roof has been ripped off during Storm Barbara - actually, it was just caused by a squally cold font: "Barbara" was to the north of Scotland and only directed affected northern parts of the UK.  In Northern Ireland hundreds lefts without power as Storm Barbara hits and there was some disruption as Storm Barbara starts moving across Scotland .  The Christmas Day storm - now named Conor - will affect even less people.   Nothing like the storms we had this time last year! We could, however, have a record mild Christmas Day ..... though this does not mean the Daily Express were right when they forecast this just hours before predicting a "snow wall" ....  It's complete coincidence!  Signs of a settled, cooler, spell after Christmas and just maybe somethng wintry in the early new year. It looks like WA likely to avoid Christmas cyclone but nonetheless, on the Pilbara coast,  Broome swamped in wettest December on record ...

Sinister footage of huge dust storm in Western Australia - as the state braces for tropical Cyclone Yvette whilst Adelaide set for hottest Christmas Day since 1945 as heatwave conditions hit South Australia A non uncommon occurrence this time of year:  fog causes delays to Christmas travellers at Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports And it says something about our winter when the BBC have a headline about a dusting of snow with wintry conditions in Scotland's hills ahead of Storm Barbara Rain totals were 400% of normal in parts of Northern California this fall   First snow covers war-torn Aleppo And biting cold below minus 60C brings out the best in Siberian face fashion

Merry Solstice one and all.  Ring out those bells and let the 12 days of Christmas begin!   Algerian villagers stunned as snow falls in the Sahara for the first time in 37 years and we can also watch how Saudis are celebrating the snow .   In contrast, there's not even any snow on the highest Scottish hills as freak heatwave causes meltdown on Inverness mountain .  There should at least be some snow up there over the next week though.  But nothing on the horizon for Evesham.  ‘Industrial snow’ gives Swiss village very own white Christmas - something we have had before in Evesham - caused, bizarrely, by trains in the station! - but not for 2 weeks.  And interesting to note that White Christmas to remain a dream in Switzerland as well. Thundersnow hits Hawaii's volcanoes   In Scotland, it's predicted that tree felling by beavers may save millions in flood repairs Arctic lakes thawing earlier each year NOAA's November clim...

There's already an amber Storm Barbara warning for Scotland for Friday into Christmas Eve with uncertainty still as to whether there will be a second storm on Christmas Day - current indications are that if there is, it won't be quite as bad.  And down south it'll just be windy.  But mild ...  Sand 'tornado' terrifies little nippers on Gold Coast beach Fiji floods: Flood threat continues with major concerns for Rewa River communities Smog chokes China cities for fourth day of 'airpocalypse', grounding flights and closing roads In parts of Mongolia the temperature expected to reach 50 celsius next week .  That's cold! It's claimed that Arctic ice melt 'already affecting weather patterns where you live right now' - perhaps we need to see a big refreeze then?  Maybe then we'd finally get a cold winter here! The "Clovis Comet" debate continues as studies refute hypothesis on what caused abrupt clim...

Fiji floods: Days of torrential rain causes severe flooding and landslides, with more rain forecast Bitter cold weather breaks records in Midwest, Plains - nothing like that heading this way, but we could be in for a very stormy Christmas if current model output verifies ..... Storm Barbara set to bring rain, 70mph gales and even a little snow for December 25 (snow showers only in the north, though blizzards are possible in the Highlands) A dangerous storm hits southeast Queensland Man swept to his death in violent flood as Spain battles fierce storms Water bodies freeze in Kashmir as cold weather persists in North India Jacob Zuma speech: Tent blows away in the middle of a speech by the SA President Farmers in Sudan battle climate change and hunger as desert creeps closer Papua New Guinea earthquake: Residents flee to hills after magnitude-7.9 quake, tsunami threat passes And Beijing factories ordered to shut or cut output after pollution red alert

Earlier this week, Chilean heat wave breaks record temperature set a century ago As major storms barrel into California: 'Every field is a big lake' whilst elsewhere, after first bitter blast, U.S. faces second wave of frigid air this weekend Warm sea temperature readings signal more and stronger cyclones in Australia this summer The Earth’s driest desert once had lakes   Abnormally warm Arctic spurs planet to second-warmest November on record A new article from the AMS: Explaining Extreme Events from a Climate Perspective looks at events in 2015 and finds strong anthropogenic signals Researchers dial in to 'thermostat' in Earth's upper atmosphere that cools us down after corornal mass ejections Met Observer needed on Tasmania's Maatsuyker Island: Volunteers wanted to really 'get away from it all' at remote lighthouse Antarctic research into warm water causing rapid glacial ice melt And is there...

Winter Storm Decima triggers avalanches in Oregon, cripples evening commute in Portland 2016 set to be New Zealand's hottest year on record New weird landforms appear due to thawing permafrost on Yamal peninsula This strange 'spherical' cloud appeared in the sky over Japan - but it was probably just perspective that made it look unusual And the oldest water on Earth found in Canada

On the 4th February 2013 we had the highest wave in history: UN confirms six-storey-high North Atlantic wave is a record setter Sydney weather: Overnight temperature is record high for December, BOM says but there was less frolicking in the water further north as Ekman Transport weather system blamed for frigid waters off Queensland coast Arctic blast marches eastward, bringing record low temperatures to the northern U.S. In Israel, winter is finally here: Temperatures drop, snowfall on Mt. Hermon whilst rain brings fears of flash flooding Chennai, adjacent districts grapple with cyclone havoc Change in the Arctic this year was unlike any ever seen before, scientists say  Spy satellites reveal Himalayan melt 'Smart boulders' record huge underwater avalanche off the California coast And genuine concerns of a new "Spanish Inquistion" against science?  Or just paranoia?  Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data,...

Cyclone Vardah: Several dead as storm lashes Indian coast Two dead as US winter storm wreaks havoc Commuter chaos as heatwave shuts down 30 Sydney trains whilst across the country, high temperatures, fire warnings signal concerning season ahead, BOM says Much loved and respected weatherman Ian McCaskill dies, aged 78 Scottish avalanche information season to begin on Friday - although the risk currently remains extremely low on account of there being almost now snow cover .... As high pressure continues to dominate, fog blankets large parts of Asia and Europe World's largest reindeer herd plummets due to climate changes in Siberia, whilst a 'mass death' threatens roe deer in Altai and eastern Russia due to freak snow falls The world's wet regions are getting wetter, the dry regions are getting drier Scientists find a nickel clue to 'dinosaur killer' asteroid The first exoplanet weather report shows clouds of ruby and sapphire And, ne...

Plane slides off runway as a snowstorm sweeps across US Midwest Snow and ice disrupt flights and roads in Sweden In deepest Siberia children get a day off school, but only because thermometer hits minus 45C or below And as it remains snowless in Britain (and likely so over Christmas), there were even stunning photos of Victoria's Alps dusted in snow as wild weather sees temperatures plummet to -2.4C Tropical cyclone Vardah barrels towards eastern India After last week's Solomon Islands earthquakes: Disaster preparedness helped 'save lives', World Vision says Australian scientists prepare to unveil 'holy grail of climate change' amid $45m funding boost - a million year ice core And climate change was to blame for the deadly 2016 avalanche that killed nine yak herders in Tibet, researchers claim

For the second year running we saw the UK date maximum temperature date record broken yesterday with 17.0c in Harwarden - the previous record set last year was 16.4c in Gogerddan, West Wales.  And in Northern Ireland the warmest December day since 1994 recorded .    The highest temperature ever recorded in the whole UK in December though was 18.3c in 1948  Interestingly, most UK coastal flooding caused by moderate, not extreme storms In the US, some ND residents stuck indoors after blizzard sweeps through State but whilst winter is finally arriving in some parts, this fall was the warmest on record, 2016 will be at least second-warmest year Despite La Nina, Australia's Top End residents could be waiting until Christmas for a bit of rain relief Indonesia quake: Search for survivors continues Is mining to blame for the drought in Bolivia?   No. The drought is caused by a lack of rain!   But mining activities do use a lot o...

Deadly magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Aceh in Indonesia Brisbane weather: Thunder and lightning as storms light up south-east Queensland whilst a US backpacker killed by lightning strike on Australian mountain and cricket fans treated to spectacular Canberra sunset It may be the start of Europe’s winter but it looks like it's the end of ours ..... much milder here for the next week or so, with just the glimmer of hope of more seasonal conditions near Christmas Andaman: Rains leave tourists stranded on India island Sea ice extent in Arctic and Antarctic reached record lows in November A giant flash across Siberian sky: meteor, missile, fallout from spacecraft?   And it seems tsunamis threaten Britain’s nuclear power plants, scientists warn - although the likelihood is miniscule ... But it hasn't stopped the tabloid press telling we're all about to die.  Again.

There is slo-mo snow mayhem in Montreal as buses, cars and trucks crash NSW weather: Severe thunderstorm works its way from Sydney to state's north Southern US hit by record rain In Thailand, southern floods spread, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan declared disaster areas  There were 12 weather records broken in 2016 for Hong Kong A warning that extreme downpours could increase fivefold across parts of the US And corporate growth still driving deforestation, CDP shows - which is no good for man nor beast.  Nor plant ...

Two drown in flash floods as torrential rain hits southern Spain Hawaii snowfall: Parts of state receive weather warning And last winter's flooding 'most extreme on record' in UK

Couple among 13 dead in Tennessee fire A sunny and dry November breaks Scottish records Unusual 'fog dome' spotted in North Wales Another Brisbane storm: Teen struck by lightning, thousands without power in Queensland storms whilst Sydneysiders flock to Bondi Beach to cool off as 30C heatwave hits the east coast Winter digs in for Europe and the Middle East And climate change will drive stronger, smaller storms in U.S., new modeling approach forecasts

Heatwave to scorch Queensland 'well into next week', BOM warns Tennessee wildfires killed at least 11, officials report A mystery as researchers find extreme tornado outbreaks are spawning more twisters than ever before - or are we just better at recording them? Flooding, road closures as heavy rain pounds Israel Cyclone Nada weakens, coastal Tamil Nadu receives heavy rain Where the 1430s the coldest decade of the millennium? Environmental vandalism is nothing new: Fires set by Ice Age hunters destroyed forests throughout Europe And how climate cycles may explain how running water carved Mars' surface features - with CO2 as a major factor ....  Of particular interest to those who argue such a small trace gas can have no effect here on Earth.

The first day of the meteorological winter and I have already recorded a lower temperature than last winter .....  Although only -4.0c so not nearly a cold as yesterday. There are now seven people dead in Tennessee wildfire whilst tornadoes and storms kill five in US South Queensland weather: 'Very dangerous' thunderstorms cross south-east Queensland with tennis ball sized hail Heatstroke: Darwin researchers find links between fear and feeling symptoms of heat stress Rare hair ice spotted in Highlands Homes destroyed as heavy rains hit the Caribbean Cyclone Nada, 350 Km away from Chennai, has weakened, says Met Office 6,000 years ago the Sahara Desert was tropical, so what happened? And Earth warming to climate tipping point, warns study