3rd January - Today's News: Four Killed in Alabama Tornado

In the US, one dead as Winter Storm Gregory begins its cross-country trek whilst further south storms kill 4 in southern Alabama

2016 shatters record for Alaska's warmest year

Britain's New Year begins with ice, snow, rain and sleet

Weather is upside down as London freezes and Scotland bakes in 11C heatwave

From the Met Office 2016: A year in weather statistics

New Year's Eve saw snow chaos in eastern Bulgaria

Huge wildfire burns homes in Valparaiso, Chile

Birds migrating earlier as temperatures rise

And stately homes tell BBC to cheer up their weather forecasts in bid to improve visitor numbers

 - though the irony that "The association even tried to organise a survey of its members to see if the Met Office’s forecasts were matched by the reality on the ground.  However, the August 2015 Bank Holiday weekend was a wash out, with torrential rain, which meant that the survey was a failure." seems lost on them ....