Weather & Earth Science News

Heavy snow causes travel chaos and power cuts in central France whilst the death toll in Italy storms rises to 11 and Spain has seen record October low temperatures in Murcia  Philippines races to free 30 trapped in landslide; typhoon kills 7 Garden Route wildfire: Seven killed in George, South Africa In Australia, early season records set to tumble as hot air mass looms from the north 'We've never seen this': massive Canadian glaciers shrinking rapidly Whilst it's certainly not the only factor, a warning to Frump on the unseen driver behind the migrant caravan: climate change - the numbers of people from Central America fleeing to the north is only going to increase.  Obviously fake news though, as it doesn't fit Grump very small-minded world view. And more sobering news in a WWF report: Mass wildlife loss caused by human consumption with many animal species becoming extinct in Haiti as deforestation nearly complete ...

At least six dead as heavy rain, flooding, hits Italy and more pictures in the Mail with Venice placed on ‘code red’ as flooding reaches historic levels whilst Rome schools close for second day over storm Meanwhile Spain battered by snow storms and a tornado in Menorca But in Hungary, temperature rises to record high for Oct. 29 All down to an area of low pressure the French have dubbed Adrian In the Atlantic, Hurricane Oscar strengthens into Category 2 storm and brings high surf to Bermuda beaches - the remnants of the storm are likely to turn next weekend somewhat unsettled across Britain Typhoon Yutu batters Philippines Why a warmer world may equal a wetter Arctic And a video as Indonesia's Krakatau volcano creates its own lightning during magnificent eruption

It's been the coldest coldest October days for a decade as Arctic blast brings snow and a three-day cold snap with temperatures plunging to just 19F - in fact, it has been so cold it even snowed in Cornwall . It dropped to -2.5c in my garden this morning which is the lowest October temperature I have recorded since it reached -2.9c in 2003. October frosts do seem to be getting rarer, with them occurring every 2 or 3 years prior to 2010, but only once since then (and that only just an air frost at -0.2c).  So, normal weather then, bucking the trend of recent years. Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/28/it-has-so-been-so-cold-it-even-snowed-in-cornwall-8082490/?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/ It has been so cold it even snowed in Cornwall Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/28/it-has-so-been-so-cold-it-even-snowed-in-cornwall-8082490/?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://w...

Down to -0.8c on my garden this morning and reports of snow falling as far south as Stoke as it turns distinctly autumnal in Britain. Children in the Middle East again killed by a flash flood as d eath toll in Jordan flood reaches 21 At least 37 other people rescued but more still missing.   Massive thunderstorm blankets Saudi with hail 1-metre deep   ‘It was like a sea’: St Helena residents describe flood terror in Trinidad Zakynthos earthquake: Greek island shaken by 6.4 tremor A warning for those living on the British coast as rising seas will swamp homes, report says whilst for everyone else, meteorologist expects severe drought and heavy rain events to worsen globally And the stilling: The curious case of land wind speed decline - maybe it's all those turbines?!

A remote island Off Hawaii vanishes overnight after major hurricane strike earlier this year Now the strongest storm this year, Super Typhoon Yutu hits Northern Mariana Islands, heads toward Asia Mexico deals with storm damage as Willa weakens  The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean hurricane season is most powerful on record this year Strong Indian monsoons steer Atlantic hurricanes towards land, study finds And climate change: Five cheap ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Hundreds flee as heavy floods hit Spain at the weekend with southern Spain hit by worst floods in living memory and centuries-old Arab Baths walls washed away by floods in Andalusia .  Also, some more pictures from Rome as the Italian capital comes to a standstill after it was battered by torrential rain and giant hailstones   Mexico braces for 'extremely dangerous' Hurricane Willa In Yemen: Death toll from tropical storm Luban rises to 12 Delhi smog: Foul air came from India's farming revolution How rising temperatures and human activity are increasing storm runoff and flash floods Scientists spot massive block of ice in the Antarctic - and yes, despite it's straight edges, it's perfectly natural The availability of nitrogen to plants is declining as climate warms - and for them to benefit from increased CO2 levels, they need an increase in nitrogen too ... A new model of Mars: Oxygen-rich, life-supporting liquid water? ...

Hailstorm in Rome as wave of extreme weather hits central and southern Italy with video footage as flooded roads and metro stations lead to commuter chaos in Rome .  This comes  after violent storms cause flooding in eastern Sicily  After Doha experiences its wettest October day on record, storms leave parts of Qatar under water Severe storms bring damaging winds and hail to parts of south-east Queensland Mexico gets flash flood warning as 'life-threatening' Hurricane Willa reaches Category 4 and is expected to lash tourist resort region Tuesday And evidence that an ice-free oasis in the Arctic sheltered life during the last ice age

More devastating Majorca floods see cops forced to rescue 60 people including tourists from cars and roofs of buildings Water woes as drought leaves Germany's Rhine shallow Man killed by lightning near Dubbo, as electrical storms lash Sydney And is it coincidence? Blackpool hit by four earthquakes just days after fracking started again in the area   In fact the latest BSG list shows five - but all very, very, small and with zero impact. Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/19/blackpool-hit-by-four-earthquakes-just-days-after-fracking-started-again-in-the-area-8056505/?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/lackpool hit by four earthquakes just days after fracking started again in the area Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/19/blackpool-hit-by-four-earthquakes-just-days-after-fracking-started-again-in-the-area-8056505/?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://w...

Cherry blossoms bloom unexpectedly in Japan with the loss of leaves from recent typhoons suggested as a possible reason Hurricane Michael: Death toll continues to rise amid searches US tornado frequency shifting eastward from Great Plains New research on wind farms and reducing hurricane precipitation Arctic greening thaws permafrost, boosts runoff How Arctic ice sets speed limit for major ocean current with the possibility being that further Arctic warming could means colder water spilling into the North Atlantic, with implications for, at least, NW European weather. An end to night?  China plans to launch artificial moon bright enough to replace city's streetlights by 2020 .  Serious implications for health and wildlife, I think!  If it works .... And the Pando aspen clone or 'trembling giant', the world's largest organism, is collapsing - probably due to an increase in the deer population

Rescuers search for 1,000 missing in Florida Panhandle after hurricane however the death toll attributed to the storm is currently just 19.  And Michael’s second wind: A rare case of a tropical storm that strengthened over land   At least 1 dead in Texas flooding that caused bridge collapse, breached dam After the flash floods hit France: the scale of the damage It's been quite warm across northern Europe of late.  In Finland on Sunday it was 20C in October, Autumn temperature records broken , in Czechia, Prague temperatures eclipse October record  whilst record, near record high temperatures reached as autumn persists mild in Estonia as well.  And on Saturday the record temperature for Brussels beaten though this appears only to have been a date record, as was the case in Ukraine yesterday where the temperature record broken in Kyiv, thermometers show +23 by Celsius on October 16 And it's been a 'year of extremes' for shrinking Swiss gl...

More pictures as nun is swept to her death as ten people are killed by flash flooding in France Hail storm kills 400 kangaroos and 150 goats on properties in far-west New South Wales North American snow cover is the most it's been in mid-October in 13 years One dead as tropical storm Luban slams Oman and Yemen Mammals cannot evolve fast enough to escape current extinction crisis Climate models fail to simulate recent air-pressure changes over Greenland And the worrying news on how climate change could cause global beer shortages

France weather: Red alert as flash floods kill six in south-west whilst two bodies found in southern France after flash floods sweep cars out to sea last Thursday Tropical Storm Leslie: Portugal hit by hurricane-force winds - only the 5th recorded tropical storm to reach Iberian waters. Storm Callum: Flood defence review after Wales battered .  With a total of 16.1mm yesterday was the wettest day of the year in Evesham.  Not flood concersn here though. Hurricane Michael: Dozens still missing on Florida coast Snow warnings are issued across eight states as the Rockies brace for record-cold temperatures and a foot of snow Himalayan storm: Climbers' bodies removed from Nepal mountain - it now appears the camp was hit by a massive, sudden, downbust of wind caused by a collapsing serac Indonesia flash flooding kills at least 21 on Sumatra island Two drownings under investigation as flash floods hit Pretoria And with t hick ice gone, Ar...

Storm Callum: Village's evacuation warning and people rescued from train in Wales with more rain set to bring further disruption , and flooding, through the weekend Hurricane Michael: Rescue teams find bodies in ground-zero town, as death toll reaches 16 Uganda landslide near Mount Elgon kills more than 40 after heavy rain Nepal storm kills several climbers in Himalayas - it's uncertain exactly what happened; it appears their camp was at a relatively low level, below the treeline.  Antarctic base station experiences warmest August on record amid blizzard run - however September was a colder than average month New climate report actually understates threat, some researchers argue - the irony is that politicians have consistently watered down IPCC reports .... And the Australia drought: How much rain would end 'the big dry'?

Storm Callum brings travel chaos with dozens of flights and trains cancelled across Britain and Ireland Shocking drone footage shows devastation of Hurricane Michael, including battered Tyndall Air Force base and an in depth look at Hurricane Michael’s remarkable, terrifying run Majorca floods: Scenes of hell on an island paradise with around the western Med a search for missing after 15 killed in Europe floods Queensland hail storm injures mother and baby trapped in car Tornadoes in Australia getting more attention thanks to storm chasers and social media Eight Die as Cyclone Titli Batters Andhra, Odisha Coast 3 killed in earthquake off East Java, Bali And does climate vary more from century to century when it is warmer? It would seem so.

Hurricane Michael wrecks Florida Panhandle, blitzes every home in its path and kills at least two - officially becoming worst ever to hit the region - and, indeed, at Cat 4 as it reached land, the third strongest to ever make landfall in the US.  Today, Michael now accelerating through central Georgia; deadly storm surge, damaging winds continue following Florida Panhandle landfall .  And incredible NASA footage shows hurricane's swirling vortex from space Meanwhile, in the British Isles, we await Storm Calum tomorrow after yesterday was the warmest October day for several years, hitting 24.3c in my garden, 24.2c at Pershore and 24.6c in Northolt.   Having seen a widespread ground frost a few days ago, and an air frost in places, the current warm spell might for once be correctly described as an "Indian Summer".   Even the Highlands had a chance to dry out.   We could, however, do with a bit of rain in the Vale, as we've so far had just ove...

Hurricane Michael is 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm hours before landfall in Florida later today Severe weather disrupts power, flips vehicles in Oklahoma British couple are among five people killed in Majorca flash floods And there's an increase in plastics waste reaching remote South Atlantic islands

Heavy rain causes flooding in parts of Scotland whilst shocking pictures show extent of Oban flash floods as motors submerged in water at Tesco car park - it's been a tad wet in the Highlands, and there's more to come ....  In Australia, El Nino alert declared by Bureau of Meteorology, with 70pc chance of hot and dry conditions , which won't help the farmers.  But better news as BOM season outlook predicts fewer tropical cyclones than normal Taller plants in warming Arctic could speed up climate change SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch confuses and amazes observers in California And a decades-old bottle of Fairy dishwashing liquid found on English beach - there's plenty more where that came from ....

Now released, the latest IPCC climate report: Scientists urge deep rapid change to limit warming to just 1.5c   But it won't be easy (or cheap) .... The full report and summary for policymakers can be downloaded here Florida declares emergency in 26 counties as Tropical Storm Michael approaches Halfway through spring, get ready for a wintry storm in NZ this week  Heavy rain causes floods, landslides in Central America Haiti struck by deadly earthquake And after the  Indonesia tsunami: Search for victims to end, though hundreds still missing

In Italy, Calabria flooding claims mother and son with another young child missing Heavy rain on Costa Rica's Pacific coast forces evacuations In Japan today it hit 35.5 C - Niigata Pref sees record high temperature for October . That's a national month record, unlike the US local day records.  Oman on alert as tropical cyclone begins to form in Arabian Sea Vietnam's children and the fear of climate change Earth's climate monsters could be unleashed as temperatures rise And the g athering storm over how hurricanes are measured - the Saffir-Simpson scale is based on windspeed, but often it's the rain and tidal surge that is most devastating to life and property,

Heavy rain continues as drought-stricken NSW farmers celebrate but whilst rain gives relief to dry southern Queensland but not drought breaking, BOM says Typhoon eyes Japan, South Korea as hurricane prompts evacuations from remote Hawaiian island Record-breaking cold temperatures and snowfall amounts recorded across B.C. - as usual for North America, these are date records for specific locations Lightning kills 3 children, injures 72 others in Uganda How Cassini's death dive into Saturn reveals weird ring 'rain' & other surprises Astronomers find first compelling evidence for a moon outside our solar system Now this is interesting: Wind turbines cause warming?! Large-scale US wind power would cause warming that would take roughly a century to offset (but the equivalent energy production from fossil fuels would have a bigger global effect) .  The point though is that "renewable"  energy isn't without it's own drawbacks a...

The effects of the remnants of hurricane Rosa in the Southwest: Overtaken by floodwaters, roads shut down; 1 killed in Mexico Record snowfall blankets Calgary - though I suspect that's a date record, nothing more Super Typhoon Kong-Rey to bring heavy rain to northern Taiwan before heading up to Japan for the weekend Indonesia tsunami: Death toll rises to nearly 1,350 as satellite images reveal extent of damage in earthquake-hit Palu and an explanation of how Palu hit by 'worst case scenario' - interesting though to note that a bigger tsunami hit there in 1924. Wildfire aerosols remain longer in atmosphere than expected - meaning more impact on warming What does 1.5C mean in a warming world? New extremely distant solar system object found during hunt for Planet X And, oops... a dearth of wind power in Europe to bring back dirty plants if October sees high pressure dominate the weather ....

Indonesia tsunami: Every building destroyed in tiny fishing village Indonesia earthquake and tsunami: Desperate search for survivors Ships destroyed, homes ruined and buildings flooded after cyclone 'Zorba' batters Greece with winds of 55mph and torrential rain Typhoon Trami: Powerful storm hits Japan, killing two IPCC: Climate scientists consider 'life changing' report