Weather & Earth Science News

California fire: Deadly blazes continues to grow Typhoon Jongdari: Japan storm cuts power to thousands Huge golf ball-sized hailstones pummel Britain as heatwave gives rise to violent storms In NI on Saturday storms cause flooding and disruption with nearly 100mm pf rain falling at Belfast airport   Some welcome rain here over the weekend,  but not nearly enough to help with the deficit, especially with little forecast in the coming weeks. And anyway, it's the wrong type of rain! (quite true - especially with the ground parched and hard.  What we need is steady, constant, rain.  Not heavy deluges).  However, whilst tyhe River Wye could 'close' to businesses due to water levels the Avon still looks quite healthy.  And another Indonesia earthquake: 14 dead after 6.4 quake hits tourist island of Lombok

Another date record yesterday with 34.7c recorded at Tibbenham, but not quite the July record that had been predicted.  But the heatwave comes to an end, for now, as finally... it's raining! Britons breathe sigh of relief as colossal storms bring 97F heatwave to dramatic climax .  Of course, no storms for Evesham.  But we did have 1mm of rain this morning with more to come over the weekend.   Before the heat starts building again next week.  The rain came none to soon as wildfires ravage UK in Furnace Friday heat and homes set ablaze as 90,000 lightning bolts strike country Lightning strikes cause rail chaos across East Coast whilst one (un)lucky mother's iPhone hit by lightning as she films summer storm and Hunstanton lighthouse damaged after getting struck by lightning In the Netherlands, Thursday was the warmest night on record as the heatwave continues And scientists suggest that climate change driven by humans made heatwave 'twice as ...

Now Athens has been battered by flash flooding after wildfires killed 82 UK weather: Heatwave set to bring highs of 37C on hottest day of year - before lightning, flooding and hail - yesterday saw Wisley record a UK date record and highest temperature so far this year of 35.1c   Just 31.6c in my garden though.   Thunderstorms, hail and floods are not expected here, but we should get some much needed frontal rain over the weekend.   However, ‘everyone is laughing’: Australia reacts to British heatwave hysteria .  Of course, Aussies reach for their overcoats whenever the temperature drops below 25c.   So really the last laugh is on them. So, is summer temperature 2018 – the ‘new normal’? And meanwhile, the Netherland's national heatwave a fact; 15 records broken  and Germany swelters under heatwave - also recording its hottest day of the year yesterday.  In Denmark, after their 7th hottest night in history,...

Intriguing new evidence that Mars has a vast liquid water lake beneath its southern pole, scientists believe .  And there are plenty of signs, but how do we find out if there's really life on Mars? High pollution warning issued in London amid heatwave with temperatures over the next two days in the SE expected to push into the mid 30s, before a brief cool-down over the weekend. There's commuter fury after rail bosses cancel more than a dozen services because of the heat - and 99F 'Furnace Friday' that could be UK's warmest day ever is still to come .  And a warning that regular heatwaves 'will kill thousands' Disused camp fire causes wildfire in woodland near to Aviemore But there's some good news: Soaring temperatures are giving men 'summer penises': Doctors confirm the heatwave is having a positive effect on the size of male genitals .  I couldn't possibly comment! Germany braces for sweltering temperatures in Euro...

In the US, a horrific heatwave blankets 40 million people in the Southwest and West Coast, while 32 million face flood risk on the East Coast whilst sections of California's Yosemite National Park close and more than 1,000 campground and hotel bookings are canceled as crews battle raging wildfire Greece wildfires: Search for missing family members after 79 dead Parched Britain to drain the Lake District! Drought-hit water bosses seek extra supplies amid driest summer in 60 years as heatwave soars towards 97F - whilst maximum temperatures haven't been anything unusual, it's the longevity - and lack of rain - that make this an exception heatwave.  And a stunning interactive map reveals how record temperatures are being recorded all over the globe How the Little Ice Age affected South American climate And The Scream: What were those colorful, wavy clouds in Edvard Munch's famous painting?   Nacreous clouds at sunset?  Perhaps.

Greece fires kill 49 as blazes rage out of control with more harrowing pictures as US drones hunt 'criminal' arsonists behind gale-driven Greek forest fires that left scores dead - Japan heatwave declared natural disaster as death toll mounts Laos dam collapse leaves several dead, hundreds missing after flood hits villages - overwhelmed by monsson rains  Mystery gets murkier over cloud that turned day into night over parts of Siberia How a slowdown of North Atlantic circulation rocked the climate of ancient northern Europe - causing cold spells amid the Eemian interglacial (which was, overall, warmer than today.  At least in northern Europe, anyway) And after the hottest day of the year, so far, UK heatwave: Temperatures set to rise as alert continues  and whilst the weekend looks cooler, more extreme heat for the south looks likely yet again next week.

Another 30c+ day in Evesham on Sunday - and today likely to be even hotter.  It's also now much more humid.  But not as bad as in Japan where the temperature soars to 41.1 C in Kumagaya; highest ever in Japan Meanwhile, scorching heatwave across South Korea leads to electricity outages, casualties In Europe,  n orthern France basks in record sunshine Sweden heatwave: hottest July in (at least) 260 years and in pictures: Fighting the Swedish wildfires Waterspout on Black Sea off Russia captivates beachgoers Sun blanked out in Arctic Siberia by what was presumably a dust storm And there's horrific damage to Polar Airlines plane after it flew through thunderstorm in eastern Siberia  36-year rainfall record shattered in Odisha Afghanistan faces worst drought in decades, as UN warns 1.4 million people need help   Shanghai back to normal after typhoon lashes city Flooding and landslides hit Vietnam and Philippi...

It's been the driest start to summer on modern record (since 1961).  After a brief spell of light rain yesterday evening, Evesham has had 5.6mm of rain since the start of June.   And I know some places have seen less. As the heatwave and drought continues in Scandinavia, wildfires rage in Lapland, more threaten Finland from the east whilst Sweden now fighting 50 wildfires as EU nations rush water bombers Meanwhile, in Canada all eyes on weather as Okanagan wildfires continue to burn 'Duck boat' capsizes in storm in Missouri, killing 17 people including nine from one family And dramatic video footage as a bush fire along Colorado River turns into a firenado before hitting the water and spouting out burning debris

Tornadoes sweep through Iowa, flattening buildings and forcing evacuation of a hospital EU countries send aircraft to Sweden to help fight wildfires The record breaking heatwave that is gripping northern Europe Meanwhile, the Japanese heat wave sparks fears for ’20 Games In NSW, 'It's dire': farmers battle their worst drought in 100 years but earlier this week the Monday morning mercury drops below zero as cold snap grips eastern states with one place recording its coldest night on record.  Since 2002.  Overall, it's been quite a mild winter Down Under.   Worth reading the comments here (but keep your tinfoil hat firmly on your head!).  And today some incredible pictures show ski resorts blanketed in snow - though quite why the Daily Fail think pictures of mountain ski resorts blanketed in snow in mid winter are incredible beats me! And a study concludes that the Cape Town drought was made three times more likely by global...

Why temperatures at night are going up around the world and what we can do about it Saddleworth Moor fire is out after more than three weeks Hot and bothered workers flood job safety hotline as Finland sees 100-year highs as Sweden battles wildfires from Arctic Circle to Baltic Sea 'It looks like it will catch us’: Russian fishermen film stunning waterspout (and it did catch them) Dust storms build across Queensland 8 killed, 7 missing after torrential rain in NW China  whilst in India another 16 dead as Kerala badly hit by heavy rains  Surrey earthquakes: Another two tremors strike county as mysterious 'swarm' continues Billion-year-old lake deposit yields clues to Earth's ancient biosphere Earth-based telescope takes super-sharp image of Neptune And scientists recover possible fragments of meteorite that landed in marine sanctuary off the US coast (and prompted conspiracy theories that they were really loo...

Record-breaking heat hits Norway, Finland and Sweden as Sweden asks for more EU water bombers to combat wildfires and Norway calls in military to relieve exhausted fire service as one dies fighting forest blaze - as in Britain, most of the fires have been started by wholly irresponsible morons lighting BBQs and campfires. The MetO assess the summer so far across the UK  The Scottish government promises water help for communities 'running dry' after heatwave - mind, I recall Highland burns running almost completely dry in summer '99 .... and whilst the article specifies NE and SW Scotland, it's in the Highlands where most rural properties take their water direct from a burn.  Though they have seen somewhat more rain there than most of us. British couple hit by lightning during violent storm in France Rare funnel cloud forms over New York harbor during violent Northeast storm Hundreds of Arctic glaciers shrinking, disappearing into...

Tsunami hits Majorca and Menorca flooding shops and restaurants Here, millions to face hosepipe ban in north-west England - although ironically NW England was amongtst places that did get some decent rain yesterday.  In the south though, at best just enough to dampen the ground and nothing forecast in the foreseeable future.  And the BBC has more pictures of the hidden landscapes the heatwave is revealing In the US, flash flooding wreaked havoc from Georgia to Utah over the weekend Heatwave blankets much of Japan, killing 14 people over long weekend Typhoon signal upgraded to No 3 as Tropical Storm Son-Tinh edges closer to Hong Kong Just as well the football's finished as heavy rain damages Russian World Cup stadium When volcanos attack: Kilauea volcano: 'Lava bomb' injures 23 on Hawaii boat How thawing permafrost microbiomes fuel climate change And lift-off for Scotland: Sutherland to host first UK spaceport on the remot...

Sweden issues 'unusual' weather warning as heatwave continues As the drought continues (1mm of rain in a month here, less in many places) Wanstead Flats grass fire tackled by 200 firefighters whilst there's a warning that the hot summer leading to 'toxic' algae Sunscreen for cows: UK farmers struggle to cope with heatwave And how Europe's blistering heatwave is ruining this year's harvest But no sunscreen needed for cows in Australia  where they have some pleasantly cold weather: If you're shivering, spare a thought for these cows Japan floods: Heat wave adds to misery in devastated areas  Drone captures rescue of 55 from trucks in raging flood waters in Andhra Nigeria floods worsen food shortages And concern over raging wildfires as smoke from Siberia crosses Alaska and Canada, reaching New England

Well, we managed 1mm of rain yesterday - so the absolute drought is over but it's really made much difference ....   Nothing much forecast in the next few days at least.   No storms, of course, though I hear Worcester had one. 'Training thunderstorms' made Japan's floods even deadlier China floods wreak havoc, block roads and railways; more rain due Huge iceberg threatens Greenland village And here's five places that have just broken heat records

Crop marks reveal ancient sites in Wales due to heatwave whilst in Scotland warm weather reveals previously unknown archaeology and a new henge appears near Newgrange as a heatwave hits Ireland Some places in England and Wales had rain yesterday.  Not here, but we may see some later today.   Last rainfall in my garden was 17th June.   And has the heatwave ruined Christmas? Trees are hit by the scorching temperatures with 10,000 pines killed off so far while bizarre mini-tornadoes known as dust-devils pop up and tear through building site British salt marshes 'to disappear' as sea levels rise - of course, left to nature, the marshes would just "move inland" - but human activity now prevents that ....  And indeed, we'val already drained many of the marshes for agriculture anyway.  Newborn killed, dozens hurt by North Dakota tornado Flash flooding near the Grand Canyon sends muddy water roaring over picturesque waterfalls as 20...

Puerto Rico deals with rain and flooding as remnants of Beryl move over the island Typhoon Maria barrels into China after pounding Taiwan Japanese PM to meet flood evacuees as death toll rises to 179 Strengthening west winds close to Antarctica previously led to massive outgassing of carbon Pulse of the polar vortex revealed: A key to mapping future storms and helping us make long range forecasts And excellent news from the Thai cave rescue: All 12 boys and football coach free after three-day diving mission .  Congratulations to all involved.

Japan floods: Death toll hits 155 as Government struggles to restore utilities .  It's the highest toll from a rainfall event there in more than 3 decades.  But why have record rains been so deadly in Japan? Taiwan braces for impact with Super Typhoon Maria at 5 p.m.  Incredible footage shows a Surrey farmer running through a mini-tornado as heatwave causes 60ft of hay, dust and grass to swirl in the air .  It's a dust devil. Forest fire puts northeastern Ontario community under state of emergency Video captures the moment a four mile long iceberg breaks off a Greenland glacier Mesmerising maps reveal record-breaking temperatures across the world Ozone hole mystery: China insulating chemical said to be source of rise

Millions are evacuated and at least 81 people killed after 'unprecedented' rain sparks landslides in Japan with the latest reports today saying 105 dead, 87 missing in floods and landslides across western Japan Yesterday was the warmest day of the year so far locally, with 32.6c in my garden and 31.2c recorded at Pershore.  Just nice for a 15 miles walk down the Severn ....  !  Gosport took the honors as the hottest place in England so far with 32.4c as Britain's heatwave is now longest in five years .  While in Ireland too, heatwave shows no signs of abating as drought conditions to continue for at least ten more days Health warnings issued as Golspie wildfire spreads It's expected that Tropical Storm Chris to become a hurricane well off Carolina coast Super Typhoon Maria spurs heavy rain, wind warnings for Taiwan And Africa may have witnessed its all-time hottest temperature Thursday: 124 degrees in Algeria

 Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated as heavy rain hits wide areas of Japan with the latest being that there are at least 27 dead, over 50 missing as heavy rain hits southwestern Japan .  Yanasa in Umaji village, Kochi Prefecture, saw 1,132 millimeters of rain in 72 hours, which is double the total amount that usually falls in the month of July, according to NHK.  Or nearly twice as much as normally fallls in Evesham in a whole year. The latest UK heatwave news is that three million homes could be hit with a hosepipe ban within days as soaring demand (and 91F temperatures) cause reservoir levels to plummet But spare a thought for our Atlantic neighbours: Iceland is having the worst summer for 100 years – is Britain’s heatwave to blame? There have now been at least 54 heat-related deaths in Quebec as hot spell comes to an end And records broken as heat wave bakes Southern California

UK heatwave: Photos show dramatic impact on River Teme - this comes after yesterday saw the highest temperatures of the year locally; 30.8c at Pershore and 32.1c in my garden.   However there were thunderstorms in the SE where Tunbridge Wells recovers after flash flooding .  However, the Met Office issue an update on a record breaking June - the Scottish record temperature recorded at Strathclyde Park has been ruled invalid due to a nearlby parked vehicle.  The exact location of the weather station remains a bit of a mystery though as no-one can find it on Google Earth, at least, not where the official coordinates indicate it to be! Hail storm in France left 1 dead, dozens injured after extensive damage The  blistering heat wave blamed for 33 deaths in Quebec As the first of the season's dust storm rolls through Phoenix area; high temp hits 115 degrees   More landslide, flood warnings as heavy rain lashes wide are...

In Canada heat wave: Death toll in Quebec climbs to 18 Now Scottish farmers warn of crisis amid 'drought' Northern Ireland's fire service deals with 600 gorse fires in a week In NZ it's a crazy cold winter, and don't expect spring to be much better An update on the rescue operation in Thailand cave: Rescuers in race against weather as rains close in And a revolution in quake detection technology

It's a red-hot planet: All-time heat records have been set all over the world during the past week In the UK Heatwave: Welsh dairy farmers 'fighting to survive' as the UK battles double crisis as taps run dry forcing schools to shut while raging fires devastate countryside amid searing heatwave - one of the latest fires being in the Malverns.   But there are signs we may see a change in the weather - though sadly no thundery breakdown - around mid-month - just in time for the school holidays!   But I have a feeling it'll be short lived. Meanwhile there's a 'rise' in horsefly bites in Scotland amid warm weather - whilst down here I am covered in mozzie bites .... And in Ireland, with 16 hours of sun and 32 degree days - this heatwave is a record-breaker Six die in Montreal as heat wave grips eastern Canada On man dies amid hailstones, thunderstorms and flash floods in northern Italy In Pakistan, at least eight dead as over 28...

Latest model output suggests the heatwave to continue for another two weeks at the least, and beyond that Met Office forecasts indicate reasonable confidence similar conditions persisting into August for the south.....   There may be the odd day with temperatures dropping to the low 20s (ie, nearer normal) and maybe the occasional thunderstorm.  But warm, dry and settled is the theme for the foreseeable future.  Whilst we have had hotter spells, it's been a very long time since we've seen such a long heatwave; bearing in mind too that May and June were both very warm months.  Indeed, sunny June hottest on record for Northern Ireland and Wales and as more data comes in, it looks like Scotland 'breaks temperature record' last Thursday ( as was predicted ).  And with so little rain the relentless heatwave transforms reservoir banks into arid deserts across the country. In Snowdonia, evacuation threat eases over Bethesda forest fire as there's a ho...

Denver just tied its all-time temperature record on Thursday whilst over the weekend record-breaking temperatures continue to bake the US as 18 states battle July 4th holiday week heat warnings of over 100F But longtime Iowa sportscaster, 66, is killed in flash floods as rain swamps Des Moines forcing homes to be evacuated Meanwhile here, Britain's earliest harvest for 40 years: Farmer says UK heatwave has brought an almost unheard of June yield  but other farmers warn of lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower shortages .  It was, incidentally, my warmest ever June and driest ever month.  Winter Hill fire: Crews continue to battle blaze whilst in Wales crews return to Cwm Rheidol wildfire blaze scene And not everywhere in the world is hot and sunny .... Hailstones as big as golf balls rain down in Russia’s South whilst there are street torrents & falling rocks: Moscow endures tropical storm  Floods and winds put Greek summer on hold...