Weather & Earth Science News

There was record Snow in Reykjavík yesterday morning - with a total of 51cm, the highest ever for February.   Though actually not a huge amount more than we saw in Evesham in December 2010 .....  And here's some more incredible photos of the record breaking snowfall night in Reykjavik Man dies after tree fell on car during Storm Doris Antarctic sea ice 'obliterates' previous minimum record, in remarkable reverse In Zimbabwe, bridge swept away in Cyclone Dineo flood And apparently Britain was hit by a -8C chill and nearly two inches of snow this morning just one day before the start of spring . Which is as unusual in the Pennines and Highlands in February as a misleading Daily Mail headline any time of the year .....   Meanwhile the Mirror seems to think we're still being hit by (non) storm Ewan ....

Chile floods: Millions without water in capital Santiago After storm Doris finally formed some 3 weeks after the media incorrectly named it, further embarassment for the storm naming policy adopted by the MetO and Met Eirean with Ireland's snow, ice and wind warnings withdrawn as Storm Ewan weaker than forecast - in other words, Ewan is the storm that wasn't.   Although there are a few beefy showers around today, some of which could produce a little thunder, and snow over higher hills. A tornado touched down in Massachusetts during strong Saturday storm Dozens of storm chasers pay tribute to Twister actor Bill Paxton by spelling out his initials using GPS map coordinates in the heart of Tornado Alley An interesting article asking why did Greenland's Vikings vanish?   It seems the answer may be more complex than assumed.  Oh, isn't that "Mayhew's Law"?  Again! A sobering piece on plastic and how it affects our oceans And ...

Temperature records continue to tumble as spring arrives early in the Northeast USA, but how much is climate change to blame for this warm weather? Meanwhile, in SW Canada, the snow race is on: Vancouver’s snowfall total for this winter could soon surpass Edmonton’s Woman died after being blown into path of road sweeper during Storm Doris whilst a commuter hit by Tube roof tile fighting for life as London fire crews deal with hundreds of callouts and Cambridgeshire police has busiest 24 hours ever New images show how fast Sweden's glaciers are melting New footage from BAS as a plane flies along Antarctica's giant Larsen crack And plastic from tyres 'major source' of ocean pollution

Storm Doris devastation: Schoolgirl fights for her life after gym roof collapses on 40 pupils while debris kills woman, 29 whilst Storm Doris closes roads and schools across Scotland due to snow and in N Ireland, Game of Thrones tree victim of Storm Doris .  .   And this morning there are still 1,500 homes and businesses still without power in Wales.   It was just a windy day in Evesham.  Two plastic plant pots were blown from one side of my garden to the other.  And my rain gauge was somehow knocked over .... Meanwhile, the remnants of Storm Doris brings harsh winds and snow to Sweden and storm disrupts train and air travel, plane crashes off runway at Schiphol From NZ, the science behind the South Island's first fire tornado Did the drought contribute to severe flooding in San Jose? Toronto breaks 1984 record for highest temperature ever recorded in February There's also been a new temperatu...

Tomorrow's weather is starting to look serious as Met Office says Storm Doris is going to be bigger than previously thought - they've expanded theor amber warning for wind to include my back garden, and have also upgraded the warning for snow across southern Scotland to amber too.  However the spell of most intense winds looks likely to be fairly short lived.   The main issue is, of course, the lack of stormy weather this winter meaning more damage is possible than usual for this time of year - still plenty of dead branches on trees waiting to come down. The storm is also expected to affect northern Europe with all of the Netherlands under a yellow warning as storm force winds set to batter the Netherlands on Thursday and warnings of hurricane-force winds on the way to Germany There's at least 8 dead, more than 200 evacuated as northern California reels from second round of storms with San Jose flooding: Dozens rescued by boat There were seven killed ...

Storms ravage Texas with San Antonio the worst hit after three tornadoes touch down Meanwhile, northern California braces for flooding; Don Pedro spillway opened for the first time in 20 years In Omaha warm streak blasts one record after another - and they have not had a below average month since August 2015 Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall, weakens to tropical low A date record for the UK yesterday with 18.3c recorded at Northolt, and a slightly dubious 17c in my garden.  But winter is on its way back! And guess what, with an amber warning now issued for strong winds across the middle of Britain on Thursday, it's Storm Doris - the one the media told us we had three weeks ago  .... ! Thousands of homes flooded in Jakarta Singapore 'fire rainbow' cloud phenomenon lights up sky - it looks like particularly bright irridescence to me And there are plans afoot for an ice-locked ship to drift over North Pole and provide meteorol...

In Australia, King Ash Bay fishing village flooded as Tropical Cyclone Alfred forms in Gulf of Carpentaria whilst Kimberley wet season causing havoc but creating tourism opportunities and in the southeast, they get more white stuff than we do all winter long as summer snow falls through Victoria and NSW In NZ, there are raging rivers in flood Malaga flash floods rip through Spanish city, destroying cars and homes Flood fears renewed as California braces for another storm as California 'bombogenesis' storm pushes north Afghan snowstorms death toll jumps And India’s only volcano active again after lying dormant for 150 years

4 dead as high winds and heavy rain from California storms trigger mudslides, evacuations In Canada, and February's snowfall leader is . . . ?   New Brunswick's 3 largest cities have each received more than a metre of snow this month.  Ottawa on track for snowiest winter in nearly a decade .  Meanwhile, in the US, as Maine sees record snow depths, relief is just around the corner  but in contrast it’s been 60 days since Chicago has had an inch of snow . Superstorms with tennis ball-sized hailstones rip through Sydney with three people hit by lightning whilst a ‘mini-tornado’ causes major damage on Central Coast Six climbers die in two accidents in Italy and France when slabs of melting ice from frozen waterfalls collapse onto them after a thaw set in

California storms: rains drench the north as south braces for huge hit 'Where do you put the snow?': 4th storm in 9 days sees trouble pile up in New Brunswick But America’s February warmth is extreme, and it’s just getting started Sydney storm: Power cut to 40,000 homes across Sydney, Central Coast Christchurch fire halted as residents count losses Warnings of  less snow and a shorter ski season in the Alps by the end of this century Weather experts say new El Niño possible later this year Plastic 'nurdles' found littering UK beaches - I'm actually surprised how many (or that any!) beaches didn't have them .... And Zealandia: Is there an eighth continent under New Zealand?    Personally, I disagree.   Because it's not defined by tectonic boundaries - indeed, it's split across two seperate plates (NZ is formed by the collision between the Pacific and Austalian plates) .... 

Tropical Storm Dineo hits Mozambique 'Biggest storm of winter' to unleash flooding rain in California at week’s end Yosemite National Park's stunning 'firefall' doesn't disappoint as perfect conditions make waterfall glow like lava A bit of humour from down under as Australian town gets a ‘pounding’ from penis-shaped storm  More than 1,000 people evacuated as New Zealand bushfire rages into fourth day According to NASA January was the third warmest on record How an Ice Age paradox could inform sea level rise predictions And a sad case of the media once again publishing a misleading story whose headline in particular bears no relation to the actual press release as, for example, the Guardian claims Scottish gamekeepers and mountaineers oppose tree-planting plan .   They don't.  What they say is that they are  " ... concerned at the potential impacts fragmented policy may have on Scotland’s rare open landscapes ...

Oroville Dam: Residents remain in shelters as officials rush to repair damage before next storm hits   Australia’s extreme heatwave is a preview of things to come say scientists.  However, we should also remember how a 24 day heatwave on Australia's east coast in January 1896 saw temperatures climb to 49 degrees and killed 437 people .  An individual weather event, however extreme, is not in itself a sign of climate change.  What is a sign is a change in the frequency, duration and severity of such events over a period of decades. Ice pancakes pictured on Thurso River at Halkirk There's a flood alert in Hungary as temperatures rise Around Finland, ice cover at sea exceptionally low this winter There was record heat in east Iceland yesterday with a temperature of 19.1c briefly recorded Rain and snow cover Israel as cold front sweeps through Heavy snow blankets Iranian cities, shuts down schools   Indonesian life go...

'First time' flooding event across the South Pacific amid ongoing heavy rainfall affectiing islands from PNG to Samoa Queensland weather: Cool change moves across south-east after record-breaking heatwave whilst heatwave kills thousands of bats across New South Wales Fortunately no fatalities in the NSW fires: Uarbry residents find homes destroyed as blaze continues near Dunedoo  Second man feared dead after floods wreck havoc in WA Oroville Dam risk: Thousands ordered to evacuate homes in California as heavy rain forces the first emergency evacuation in the history of the US's highest dam.   On the other side of the country, new snow storm causes 1,000 flight cancellations in the northeast as the season’s biggest storm slams Maine with blizzard conditions, up to 2 feet of snow .  And there's another blast of winter in Ontario and Eastern Canada Snow hits northern and eastern England, but warmer weather on way - an occasional...

Eastern Australia swelters as hot conditions continue with warnings that in NSW, unprecedented fire conditions are 'as bad as it gets' Meanwhile, in WA, Ravensthorpe cut off by floodwater, chopper sent to rescue stranded drivers We had a few hours this morning of intermittent light snow and snow grains - nothing settling, of course, but at least it feels like a "snow day" for a change.   That's probably it for the year though!  And it's not yet dropped below freezing in this supposed "coldest spell of the winter" ...... It’s about 50 degrees warmer than normal near the North Pole, yet again Is South Africa due for a tropical cyclone? And did a double plume of magma wipe out the dinosaurs?   No.  But it was a contributory factor.  Mayhew's Law!

Sydney has just broken a 121-year-old heat record, and it's only day one of the heatwave as the BOM predicts extreme heat, catastrophic fire conditions around Australia but heavy surf means beaches closed as heatwave hits Queensland .   And in NSW, there are concerns as Tomago aluminium smelter faces shutdown due to to the state's inability to generate enough electricity as demand soars.... A different story however for Perthites as WA towns flooded, cut off as record rainfall hits state; more wet weather set for weekend A powerful snowstorm blankets US east coast And heavy snow falls in Sea of Japan coastal areas; transportation disrupted Landslides kill 12 in Bali, torrential rains expected to continue   There appears to be an increase in the number of extremely strong fronts over Europe in summer and autumn - but the reason isn't clear.  So it may or may not be due to climate change Gas hydrate breakdown unlikely to cause massive ...

Australia heatwave sees Victoria, South Australia swelter, NSW expects temperatures to soar into te=he mid 40s as heatwave conditions spark concerns about potential power outages in NSW - they have already affected SA. Southern B.C. hit by record-breaking snowfall earlier this week, whilst over on the east coast New York, Boston braced for foot of snow: Schools closed, flights canceled - here in Britain we're expected a few light flurries in places over the next few days.  Which will no doubt cause nearly as much disrpution! Weather Service confirms monster New Orleans tornado was an EF-3 January sea-ice extent hits record low as Arctic storms bring another winter heatwave to North Pole Hidden lakes drain below West Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier Is a slowdown in overturning circulation why the ocean has absorbed more carbon over the past decade ?

More than 16,000 people left without power in Louisiana after at least seven tornadoes tear across the state with 28 injured in New Orleans In the Cairngorms, a 'willy-willy' hits chilly hilly: Rare 100ft tall snowado is spotted on Scottish mountain - and we could even see a snow flurry in Evesham later this week. In Sidmouth, nervous homeowners see large chunks of their gardens disappear as latest cliff fall threatens their homes - and the Daily Fail still hasn't recognised that storm "Doris" hasn't occurred yet!  SA's far north to sweat through 'unusually' long heatwave: BOM An ancient undersea landslide discovered in Australia - happened 300,000 years ago Tropical Cyclone Carlos brews up in the Indian Ocean The shocking animation that reveals how a massive Antarctic crack has grown 17 miles in the last two months Research predicts extreme fires will increasingly be part of our global landscape Were w...

Homes collapse and residents evacuated after a month's worth of rain lashes Sydney in an hour with more rain expected as residents return to Marrickville apartment after evacuation .   Meanwhile, in the Top End a monsoon burst causes havoc on Darwin roads, minor flooding Heavy rain and flood warnings remain in Fiji Does an anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field portend a coming pole reversal? Can you solve the mystery of the eruption without a volcano?    Ice cores reveal it happened, but no-one knows where .... And the Daily Fail goes from one extreme to the other with the daft headline has climate hit cricket for six? Sport could be under threat after bad weather causes £3.5bn of damage to 57 clubs across the UK .  The answer, of course, is No!

Australia melts: Sydney residents head to the beach to escape 40C temperatures as east coast heatwave returns with a vengeance but Melburnians endure month's worth of rain in a single evening Dramatic video shows a train being battered by waves as winds of up to 80mph and heavy rains lash the country on Firday - but it still wasn't Storm Doris ... And more violent storms batter France and Spain A wave of cold air brings snow to the Gulf with snow in Oman and UAE whilst in Qatar, Sunday records lowest ever temperature Heavy snow and avalanches in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan kill scores A meteorite found in Africa provides evidence of 2 billion years of volcanic activity on Mars And there's no point in posting the original (non)story, but the Mail on Sunday launches the first salvo in the latest war against climate scientists as David Rose pens an attack described by one expert as “so wrong it’s hard to know where to start”.   Sadly...

In the US, yesterday was Groundhog Day 2017: Phil says ‘long winter,’ but he was wrong before he even woke up   because there's unusual warmth projected for nearly all of North America in the next few weeks - he may be right for the UK though, with the current mild spell coming to and end and at least a  few cold days likely to set in towards the end of next week.   Here, storms bring huge waves, flash floods and leave cars smashed under fallen trees - but it still isn't (and won't be) Storm Doris no matter how often the Daily Fail and other lying media say it is!  They will hopefully look very silly if/when we do get our next named storm (which by the looks of things could still be some weeks away).  If the media in this country want any respect at all, the first thing they need to do is stop spreading lies and deliberately misleading disinformation .  And stick to facts. Panic in the ailses!  Supermarkets ration lettuces after poor weat...

Thousands of homes left without power as storm hits Devon - but it's not "Doris" !!!!  Even if the Daily Telegraph (and most other newspapers over the past few days) imply it is.   It's only noticeably windy because we have had so little stormy weather this winter compared with normal.  At present there's no indication that the further windy weather forecast for later tomorrow will be named. For real bad weather see these pictures from Norilsk where it's so windy people forced to move around on all-fours in atrocious conditions in Arctic city Footage shows dirty brown floodwater suddenly surging through the Peruvian capital Lima after a river burst its banks Photographs capture lakes and rivers forming on a melting polar ice cap Chances of seeing Aurora Borealis from UK 'may disappear' over the next few decades if, as predicted, solar activity continues to decline In Svalbard, coal mine dust lowers spectral reflectance ...

Severe blizzards wreak havoc on Russia’s Arctic city of Norilsk with heavier than usual snowfall Southern hemisphere's tropical cyclone streak shattered - there have been hurricane strength storms since Aril last year. the longest period on record Here, the media continue to publish stories about Storm Doris coming - and affecting, it seems, all parts of the country.  In fact, no storm has yet been named and there remains uncertainty as to where - if indeed anywhere - will see gales at the end of this weekend.  The SW is most at risk.  There is also no certainty of any particularly cold weather moving in from the east later in the month, although it's a possibility and it probably won't stay as mild as it currently is beyond next week. There a record low for ice in the Baltic for the time of year Heavy rains bring stunning changes to Western Australia's remote desert landscapes Canberra has sweated through the hottest January on record whilst Ja...