Weather & Earth Science News

Tropical Depression Harvey trekking toward the Ohio Valley; major flooding swamps East Texas; heavy rain threat from Louisiana to Kentucky as a broken levee puts Louisiana homes in danger Houston flood: Explosions reported at Arkema chemical plant - this was expected .... Meanwhile, there's an intense heat wave across the west to end August And yes, Houston floods, but what about all the other disasters?    Houston has dominated the headlines in this blog, but other floods have still recieved due attention (bearing in mind Monsoon floods kill hundreds every year in SE Asia).   Heavy rains trigger deadly floods in Yemen Parts of the Netherlands gets 2 weeks worth of rain in 24 hours Last week saw August snowfall in Northern Romania mountains Bushfire conditions in Australia's east at ‘near record’ levels following dry winter Brazil court blocks Amazon mining decree - but for how long? Volcanic eruptions drove ...

Houston dam spills over for the first time in history, overwhelmed by Harvey rainfall whilst this morning Harvey makes second landfall along Louisiana-Texas border And we shouldn't forget that this isn't the only part of the world experiencing flooding with Mumbai paralysed by floods as India and region hit by heaviest monsoon rains in years whilst in Africa, Niger floods force thousands from homes in Niamey  Istanbul battered by 3rd mega-storm this summer Russian weather is finally back to what it does best: Snow Meanwhile plane makes harrowing landing in Sochi as tornadoes rip through Black Sea nearby And Cassini hints at young age for Saturn's rings

In Houston, thousands rescued as Harvey's waters rise as startling before and after photographs reveal the devastating floods in Houston and more rain is expected .... How Tropical Storm Harvey is feeding itself and wreaking devastation beyond its size Hurricane Harvey and the inevitable question of climate change In Australia, NSW Mid North coast fires: Coastal villages under threat after reports bushfire could burn for weeks and Mt Hotham had its coldest night on record while Melbourne has more rain before spring sets in It was a nice weekend in Evesham, though by no means record hot as Britons flock to the beach as the country enjoys hottest August Bank Holiday since records began with temperatures soaring to 83F And did life on Earth begin because our planet was once a giant snowball?  

Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Texas, could be 'on par with Katrina'   The A832 Highland road "washed away" by floods after heavy rain yesterday Remote Swiss town is hit by a second mudslide where earlier landslip dumped rocks and rubble, leaving eight people missing Down in Antarctica, snow cresting like waves as Davis Research Station cops record 'blizz days' Human-made fossil methane emission levels larger than previously believed

Hurricane Harvey strengthens to a Category 2 storm as it roars toward Texas Switzerland landslide: At least eight missing in Val Bondasca Possible tornado caught on camera near Aberdeen (almost certainly just a funnel cloud) First tanker crosses northern sea route without ice breaker Severity of North Pacific storms at highest point in over 1,200 years Methane from tundra, ocean floor didn't spike during previous natural warming period   - instead, the increase likely came from tropical wetlands. The sun has no influence on the current global temperature increase, study says And a little off topic, but hardly any surpise there's a littering issue on scenic North Coast 500 in northern Scotland, when townies so readily dump litter in hills and bothies .....

Typhoon Hato: Twelve killed as storm sweeps south China Heavy rain in Northern England sparks flash flood chaos (it was, of course, perfectly dry in Evesham!).  Meanwhile, after the Northern Ireland floods: Clean up and questions In Switzerland, village evacuated and climber dead in two separate Graubünden rockfalls Huge boom as lightning strikes five metres away from man, blowing a smouldering hole in his garden and sending turf and debris flying in the air in Norway   Cleanup underway after devastating storm hits Montreal Harvey likely to be 1st hurricane to strike Texas since 2008 Bad news for the planet as money talks and Brazil opens vast Amazon reserve to mining - and here's a thought: why don't governments use all the money they raise through "green" taxes aimed at curbing CO2 emissions to buy areas of tropical forest to protect them  from deforestation - and to encourgae reaforestation?  Something which would actuall...

Donegal residents told to avoid non-essential travel after severe flooding with bridges collapsed, roads washed away and houses destroyed during torrential rain as Northern Ireland floods: More than 120 people rescued .  In the Hebrides,  a Barra flood rescue after torrential rain and a family rescued from flooded campervan in Skye after torrential rain overnight And in the US, heavy rain causes record-breaking flooding in Kansas City, Missouri TS Harvey to redevelop over the Gulf of Mexico, then threaten Texas as tropical storm or hurricane with dangerous flooding rains Typhoon batters Hong Kong, south China, streets flooded, flights canceled Floods claim more than 800 lives across India, Nepal and Bangladesh More cloud-seeding experiments take off in India And the Atacama desert erupts in floral beauty after unexpected rain falls in driest place on Earth (actually, the driest place is in Antarctica, not the Atacama ... ) ...

A lack of winter storms mean Ben Nevis snow free for first time in 11 years Ischia earthquake: Last of three brothers freed from rubble but two other people dies on tha Napolian holiday island  Hong Kong sees hottest weather for 132 years as Typhoon Hato nears city (I think it's just a date record) Terrifying footage shows powerful tornado ripping through a Chinese county destroying houses and tossing cars in the air A hidden river once flowed beneath Antarctic ice Dino-killing asteroid could have thrust Earth into two years of darkness And what the eclipse looked like from space: NASA reveals stunning satellite images of yesterday's once-in-a-lifetime event   and it was described by some as the best sunset in years: Skygazers across Europe catch a glimpse of the spectacular solar eclipse – but cloudy skies stop most Brits from witnessing it .  Not to worry, there'll be another partial eclipse visible from Britain next August!

Two people are killed and dozens injured as storm rips through Austrian beer tent There were high-rise office windows blown out, flights cancelled and traffic chaos as Sydney is battered with 100km/h winds Our second thunder day of the year in Evesham yesterday, albeit just one solitary rumble as a heavy shower passed over. It's claimed that global warming 'is causing the Alps to crumble: Huge rock fall in Austria is latest sign of climate change's effects on the mountain range And so far, Delhi sees 37% rain shortfall though it recorded wettest June in 10 years - and across the country as a whole, despite floods, India faces 5% rain deficit

The Atlantic hurricane season heats up: Tropical Storm Harvey forms near Caribbean as two other systems brew in Atlantic The latest NOAA data shows that the Globe had 2nd warmest July and year to date on record (NASA data has previously shown July as joint warmest with 2016).   As previously noted, 2016's record was attributed to El Nino; there is no El Nino this year.  All this despite some still claiming we are plummeting into a new ice age! In India's Bihar floods: 119 dead; bridge collapse caught on camera DR Congo landslide kills scores in northeast Study validates East Antarctic ice sheet to remain stable even if western ice sheet melts But Greenland ice flow likely to speed up A warning of how future volcanic eruptions will impact Earth's ozone layer Astrophysicists predict Earth-like planet in star system only 16 light years away And scientists improve brown dwarf weather forecasts

In western Canada, B.C. surpasses worst wildfire season on record — and threat is far from over Hurricane Gert swells to Category 2, strongest storm so far this season Polish PM, ministers discuss cleanup after storm damage at the weekend.  Six people died and the clean up in Poland's forests is expected to take until 2019 The first snow of the season just fell in Sweden (but nothing that unusual - we often see snow in the Cairngorms, much further south, by the end of August ... And it seems the last time snow fell this early was, er, last year) Two Bangladeshis die taking flood selfies as crisis worsens Explaining the deadly Sierra Leone mudslide - as usual, it wasn't just rain, deforestation is to blame as well ... Climate change not the full story when it comes to above average winter temperatures in Australia this year One in the face for those who claim the Sun controls our climate (so ironic I found it via an AGW denial site!):...

For the second consecutive year, Earth has recorded its warmest July on record according to NASA  data - and that's without the benefit of El Nino .... Sierra Leone mudslide: At least 600 still missing in Freetown In Qatar, rare August thunderstorms hit Doha Greece asks EU for air support to battle wild fires whilst another 3,000 firefighters in Portugal combat raging wildfires there. Storms and heavy rain bring trains to halt at Frankfurt central station And in India's Bengaluru: Monday rain highest for August in 127 years

More than 300 people feared dead after mudslide in Sierra Leone that wiped out families as rescuers battle to free trapped people Torrential monsoon rains wreaking havoc across parts of southern Asia 2017 hurricane season named storm pace tivals most active seasons on record, but there's a distinct difference - most of this year's storms (so far) have been weak and short-lived Flames engulf homes near Athens and wild fires spark a state of emergency on Greek holiday island as crews battle 200 infernos in Portugal In Australia, the Matilda Bay Brewery facade collapses, crushing car in Fremantle as strong winds hit WA The world's largest volcanic range may lurk beneath Antarctic ice And Cassini skims Saturn's atmosphere

The heatwave that has scorched Europe now causes rainstorms and howling gales at tourist destinations after 'Lucifer' heatwave shuts down summer skiing on Italian glacier for first time in 90 years Meanwhile, Iraq sends workers home as 'ungodly' heat grips Middle East with temperatures there hitting 51c.   I much prefer the 22-23c we keep getting in England!  Yemen's capital Sanaa experiences flash flooding A nice example of a rare skypunch forms over Southern Finland Emergency declared in New Orleans as new flood threat looms Alaskan towns at risk from rising seas sound alarm as Trump pulls federal help - he won't help because he is an ignorant moron sticking to his religious dogmatic claptrap, and refuses to accept that climate change is happening at all, let alone directly, adversely, affecting American people.  This is what happens when the appoint someone as president who only listens to those who agree with him and ignor...

British summer time: It's raining - in fact, quite a bit of rain over the past 2 days in some parts of England (Over 18mm even here in Evesham, so one of the wettest spells of the year .... the rover rose several centimetres above drought level!).  Yorkshire and Lincolnshire flooding caused by heavy rain on Tuesday, whilst twisters spiral from the clouds as torrential downpours tear across Britain bringing flash flooding Tropical Storm Franklin weakening after landfall as a hurricane in eastern Mexico; major inland flood threat looms Malta's current heatwave is mildest one in recent years but longest since 1960 – Met office 'Unusual' Greenland wildfires linked to peat - it's drying out ....  Quokkas frolic in snow on Bluff Knoll as cold front blasts southern WA Chinese tourists head to Africa to escape heat wave Rising rivers flood homes in southern Venezuela And two potentially habitable 'super Earths' are spotted orbiti...

Tropical Storm Franklin makes landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Homes evacuated, drivers rescued as flooding swamps San Antonio , Texas Lightning strike puts France teenagers in hospital More storms, heavy winds hit Balkans after blistering heat wave   Tropical storm brings heavy rain, strong winds to Honshu Researchers crack the 'Karakoram anomaly': Why glaciers near K2 are growing in size By the end of the century extreme weather events may affect two in three Europeans every year Apparently, a US federal department is censoring use of term 'climate change', emails reveal 'Dodgy' greenhouse gas data threatens Paris accord - basically, we don't really know who is producing what emissions .....    Yet another reason to end ridiculous targets and concentrate on just reducing emissions across the board; reducing demand and developing cleaner and alternative technologies -  whilst simultaneously tackling the ot...

Heatwave 'Lucifer' continues to claim victims with highs over 40C as wildfires rage across south Europe including three dead as storms strike across northern Italy Evesham experienced it's first thunder of 2017 on Saturday - in fact, we had a "storm" pass overhead ..... but it produced only a few spots of rain, despite the radar suggesting a deluge.  A strange case of thunder non-rain. Tulsa storms leave dozens injured as floods submerge parts of Kansas City and New Orleans In Australia, NSW and Victoria rocked by rare thundersnow storms Weakening Typhoon Noru hits Osaka, heads for eastern Japan A s trange storm as wide as Earth appears on Neptune And how ludicrous can the Euroloonies get?  Burning policy puts pressure on recycling targets - converting refuse into electricity IS recycling .....  Especially when most of it is stuff that can't be recycled!

Good news for Aussie skiers as strong snow falls on Victoria's alps, as authorities prepare for blizzards but a warning that climate change puts Australia's ski industry on a downhill slope July cold weather in Uganda blamed on SA winter Death toll rises in northern Vietnam flash floods It's the worst wildfire season in B.C. since 1958 Extreme weather 'could kill up to 152,000 a year' in Europe by 2100 (but that doesn't mean that it will - or that it might not be many more)  Satellites recorded fifth lowest sea ice extent for July last month: NSIDC despite predominant weather conditions that were not conducive for sea ice loss.  Given that more unsual weather patterns helped the near record loss last year, it's possible that this summer may give a more realistic picture of the current "state of play". Another small earthquake felt across Highlands - the biggest in the areas since 1986.   I hope Essan is okay ......

Tourists are warned to stay in the shade as heatwave christened 'Lucifer' hits south Europe with highs of 43C in Croatia and Spain with more details of Croatia's record temperatures: 42.3c at Split Airport, 39.7c in Zadar And more records broken in North America as Death Valley just experienced the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S. - but, in stark contrast, a cold and soggy July breaks Ottawa rainfall record Meanwhile, flood waters trap drivers, damage homes in south Jersey whilst in California, more drivers trapped, roadways closed after knee-high flooding in Acton and hikers form human chain to cross river after flash-flood in the Utah desert The weather this summer here in Evesham is, in comparison, very nice indeed!  Alaska's North Slope snow-free season is lengthening Climate plays role in decline of one of Asia's most critical water resources More deadly heat waves could hit South Asia this century ...

Residents seek relief as heat wave bakes Northwest with the Pacific Northwest threatened by hottest weather ever recorded; Seattle could hit 100   Neighbouring B.C.’s heat wave is breaking maximum temperature records that have stood for over 100 years (these are date temps) and there are new evacuation orders in B.C. Interior as large wildfires grow In contrast, storms dump nearly 4 inches of rain on parts of Boston Last month, 3 Interior Alaska towns just had their warmest month on record whilst down in Florida it's confirmed Miami just had its hottest month on record as well How Tropical Storm Emily surprised Florida   15-year-old camper killed by falling tree amid severe storm in Germany.  Meanwhile across the alpine border, there were record temperatures, storms and landslides on Switzerland’s birthday (which is Aug 1st).   And this week's hottest temperature in Europe recorded in Croatia Shetland has sunnier July than...

Tropical Storm Emily makes landfall and tears the roof off a Florida beach resort Meanwhile, in the Pacific, after explosive strengthening, Super Typhoon Noru is 2017’s strongest storm so far - though it appears to have since weakened again At least 35 hikers stranded by flash flooding in Arizona forest are dramatically air-lifted out by rescue helicopter Australia records hottest July, Bureau of Meteorology says A Ukrainian 'hero' pilot gets medal for landing blind after hailstorm smashes windowscreen in Turkey last week Once again, firefighters battle blazes across Portugal with the country's drought to "last months" .  And, as wildfires are raging in the Mediterranean. What can we learn? Aerial images reveal extent of storm damage in Perth from a suspected tornado Ancient glaciers may have helped warm Earth (their impact has no significance on a human timescale though) Loss of Arctic sea ice impacting Atl...