Weather & Earth Science News

Eastern Canada grapples with extreme flooding   with warnings that Quebec's flood crisis could be terrifying new normal Mozambique cyclone: Death toll rises as storm blocks aid April ends with 13 consecutive months of record-high temperatures in Germany ; here in the UK it's also 13 months since we had a below average month in the CET record, although last October was exactly average. Satellite pictures show how Alaska's Excelsior Glacier is being replaced by a lake 5 times the size of Central Park And an interesting piece on why your brain doesn’t register the words ‘climate change’ - and why we may see the use of more dramatic phrases in future (but I still prefer anthropogenic climate change )

Mozambique flooding 'worse than thought': UN agency with more photos of destruction after Cyclone Kenneth ravages Mozambique Indonesia floods: At least 29 people dead, thousands displaced After Vietnam, now Myanmar suffers record-breaking pre-monsoon heat In Ashdown Forest: Fire breaks out in Winnie the Pooh wood - once again, almost certainly caused by irresponsible humans, even if not actually deliberate. In the US, satellite footage shows late winter Storm Xyler blasting the Midwest and Northeast And forget cars and power stations, climate change being fuelled by soil damage - report

  'Violent but short-lived' - Storm Hannah's 120kmh gusts leave power cuts and damage in their wake across SW Ireland, whilst strong winds hit power supplies to houses in Wales   Cyclone Kenneth: Flooding feared as heavy rains hit Mozambique whilst rescuers struggle to reach storm-hit villages And a 33-year study shows increasing ocean winds and wave heights

Cyclone Kenneth: Mozambique hit by its strongest storm ever As named by Met Eireann, Storm Hannah to bring gales and heavy rain to parts of England and Wales tonight, although it won't be anything exception for us.  We also had more heavy rain and even a crack of thunder in Evesham yesterday - useful for the gardens and farmers!  However more settled conditions look set to return again before long - could we be looking at a repeat of 2018's splendid spring and summer?   That could mean more wildfires to come,.  Hence plans for fighting fire with fire to tackle Scotland's wildfires Meanwhile, German farmers fear drought amid spate of forest fires Mother and son are killed by tornado after it rips through Louisiana town Canadian capital declares state of emergency as flood waters rise And see NASA's super soothing view of clouds rolling across Mars

Moray's major wildfire could be one of the largest for years meanwhile Europe wildfires: Norway police evacuate hundreds in Sokndal as  Scandinavia wildfires spark fears of another summer inferno .  And reports of tens of thousands of animals burned alive in raging wildfires in TransBaikal region . Is global warming quite literally setting the world on fire?   At least here we've now had some rain to damped things down. Not surprising given the lack of snow and cold weather, Scotland's latest mountain snowsports season 'was poor' Texas storms kill mother, two children as flood sweeps away car The recent early melting of winter snowfall advances the Arctic springtime Deforestation: Tropical tree losses persist at high levels - which obviously has impacts far and beyind just climate change, but can be solved much easier than cutting global CO2 emissions can. Changes in rainfall and temperatures have already impacted water quality And N...

South Africa floods: Death toll after heavy rains rises to 51 Meanwhile, another tropical storm could hit Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, Comoros this week Probably down to the general lack of snow, this season's avalanche numbers on Scottish mountains 'among lowest' However, the UK has already had more wildfires in 2019 than any year on record - with more still breaking out today, ahead of rain spreading up from the south that should ease things for a time. Australia's rain-bringing cold front means Lake Eyre could get to its fullest since 1974 but Murray-Darling Basin is missing out And the m ost powerful electrical storm on record detected - needless to say it wasn't over Evesham!

Well, it was the UK's hottest Easter Monday on record - but that's partly because it was quite late this year.  You can't really compare when the date varies by several weeks each year!   Unfortunately though, a busy weekend for the fire service with  Devon fire crews tackling twelve fires on Dartmoor   whilst in Snowdonia, Blaenau Ffestiniog mountain fire: About 20 homes evacuated , in Northern Ireland, the Mournes wildfire: Police treat blaze as suspicious , dramatic pictures from Yorkshire blaze that has destroyed more than 700 acres of moorland after being started by a barbecue and in Scotland a major wildfire threatens Moray wind farm . Many of these will have been started by arrogant and ignorant "wild" campers and picnic-ers who persist in ignoring warnings. Meanwhile, in Siberia, there's a state of emergency after dozens of houses destroyed in fearsome wildfires in TransBaikal region and more wildfires rage in Sweden after Easter heatwave ...

Snow falls in WA in April for first time in 49 years as Good Friday cold blast turns Bluff Knoll white  (no, id doesn't mean there is no global warming!) Rain and melting snow sparks flood alert in eastern Canada Eight-year-old Florida girl is among five killed in storms in the SE USA A series of wildfires burn on the Isle of Bute Last year's Hurricane Michael upgraded to Category Five storm And the latest NOAA Global Climate Report confirms March was the 2nd warmest on record.

Recent global warming as confirmed by AIRS   ‘The worst is almost over’: 100+ killed by rain & dust storms across India and Pakistan now. More wildfires ..... Bodmin Moor fires: Crews tackle four blazes over two miles and in Wales pictures show the devastating impact of a catastrophic mountain wildfire... a year on ,  whilst two Italian students' BBQ results in €13m fine for forest fire .  More prosecutions of that nature in this country would be good. Meanwhile, a bunch of yahoos in London think gluing themselves to trains will persuade the Government to ban air travel and the use of cement ..... Of course they don't have a solution, just demands.  It's still all someone else's problem .....  Polls show they have little public support - which is what is needed since we can only fight climate change if we also focus on the mundane - and in my opinion they have done immense damage to the campaign to get the public on side.  Mad worl...

As Sutherland residents return home after wildfire near Durness, and there are dramatic scenes as 'apocalyptic' mile-long grass fires rip through Maerdy and Rhigos in South Wales, Mountaineering Scotland issue a warning to be aware of fire risk this Easter .  Sadly, many so-called "wild campers" continue to insist they have a "right" to an open fire when camping. You don't actually need a fire, ever.   And you should only ever even consider one when you are certain conditions are absolutely safe.  So never on peat, for example.

25 killed as rain, dust storms lash Pakistan Japan's alpine sightseeing route featuring snow walls opens The Arctic in trouble: Sea ice melt falls to record lows for early April A graphic shows the true scale of world's glaciers disappearing at record speeds  Warming Arctic permafrost releasing large amounts of potent greenhouse gas New evidence suggests volcanoes caused biggest mass extinction ever - not that the link was really in any doubt! And the predictability limit: Scientists find bounds of weather forecasting - it's about 2 weeks.

In the US, the death toll from storms ripping across the South rises to eight, including three children Iran suffers '$2bn in damages' as flood toll continues to rise with 76 now confirmed dead, and some 726 bridges destroyed Firefighters spend second night at Ayrshire blaze above Loch Doon.  This is now the traditional UK wildfire season.   And reported last week, here's the full paper on how recent summer warming in northwestern Canada exceeds the Holocene thermal maximum

Last month was the second warmest March ever recorded as temperatures continue to rise worldwide, report finds   - the warmest was, of course, during a strong El Nino.  Which we do not currently have. Two dead after apartment buildings collapse in rain-soaked Brazil Why is brown snow falling in the US Midwest?   Because it contains Texan dust - much as we get Saharan dust in storms here. You want to try predicting heat waves? Look half a world away   Heavy rain in SE Asia means high temps coming for California ....  Warm winds in autumn could strain Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf Ice Ages occur when tropical islands and continents collide How climate change is turning parts of the Arctic brown And should we ditch our fleece jackets? Microplastics from 'high-tech hiking gear' has been found in remote glaciers for the first time, say scientists

Ten dead as torrential rain lashes Rio 'Historic' April blizzard dumps 18 inches snow on parts of Plains and Upper Midwest as millions brace for 'life-threatening' conditions and potential flooding Huge wildfire cuts power to more than 13,000 people in the Western Isles More than 90% of glacier volume in the Alps could be lost by 2100 The Yukon warmest it has been in 13,600 years - in fact, 2c warmer!   So where did the Mars methane go?   It was there (at least, we think it was), and now it's not .... There could be life could be evolving right now on nearest exoplanets And the first ever black hole image released - but if you ask me, that's not a perfect circle ......

Powerful storm threatens more misery in flood-hit Midwest Last year's h eatwave helps Britain's rarest butterflies boom to record numbers Air temperatures in the Arctic are driving system change Nigeria suffers severe heatwave with no relief in sight Large meteor explodes in sky over Siberia in third major space fireball incursion in four months European team to drill for 'oldest ice' in Antarctica - a continuous ice core going back 1.5 million years And the Daily Express stoop to new lows by claiming that the Met Office forecast for the end of this week is the one for Easter ......  I guess no-one checks this nonsense before it's published!

In the continuing Iran floods: Thousands evacuate homes as heavy rain forecast again Spring snowfall in Saudi Arabia delights residents but did it actually snow in Saudi Arabia?   It seems it may just have been hail .... In Queensland, Thargomindah dusts off never-been-used SES boat as flooded Bulloo River cuts off town And unexpected rain on Sun links two solar mysteries

South Korea wildfires: Deadly blaze declared a national emergency - not a common event over there. At least 62 people killed in Iran floods as US accused of blocking aid Parts of India swelter under heatwave There may have been some falls this week, but the overall winter and spring's snow no-show spells disaster for north and north-east ski centres - and I suspect this the pattern to come.  Either a very good year or a very bad year with no predictability. Yesterday, snow hits roads and school across Wales whilst in the Cairngorms, two walkers trapped in bothy by deep snow in Cairngorms had to be rescued by helicopter.   Faindouran is a very long way from anywhere! Meanwhile in the Alps, heavy April snowfall heightens Swiss avalanche risk And there's 'no role' for climate in Halley iceberg splitting

After a warm and wet March (but still below average rainfall in Evesham) we had a bit of sleet here this morning!   And some more pictures as spring snowfall surprises parts of England A new cyclone may form off WA, could hit Pilbara just weeks after Cyclone Veronica, BOM warns Denmark amongst countries with highest temperature increase Here are all the records broken by Alaska's weather last month 'Our dams are 95 percent full': Iran braces for more flooding Climate change: 'Magic bullet' carbon solution takes big step as oil companies invest in developing a way of  making liquid fuel from CO2 extracted from the air. A climate change warning from 'Antarctica's last forests' when CO2 levels were similar to those of today, and trees grew in the Antarctic.   It may be a while before they start re-colonising down there though! How Permian volcanism contributed to atmospheric greenhouse gas content in Antarctica...

It must be British summer time! UK is hit with four inches of snow in the north with snow and high winds affecting travel in Highlands and on the M55 in Lancashire last night a sudden "microburst" of snow and hail causes 24-car pile-up on motorway .  There's also snow on the ground this morning in parts of Wales and on Dartmoor, with a few April showers giving flurries elsewhere too. Canada warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, report says - particularly in the Arctic Melting permafrost in the Arctic is causing ice landslides the size of Manhattan, study warns Meanwhile the Transpolar Drift is faltering: Sea ice is now melting before it can leave the nursery The question of life on Mars is asked again as Mars methane surge spotted from space And what it's like to live in the middle of Australia's 'dreadful' drought - with teenagers barely able to remember what rain is ....

Death toll from powerful Nepal rainstorm rises to 28 as survivors search for food More floods demolish 25,000 houses across Iran, damage 60,000 others with a t least 86 dead after floods and rains wreak havoc across Middle East and Asia Video as freak hail storm hits south of Spain  Tourists flee as falling slabs of Icelandic glacier create huge waves Massive waterspout appears in Penang, damaging at least 50 houses China bouncy castle: Dust devil kills two children and injures 20 people What does air pollution do to our bodies? And this is what you call space weather: A violent planetwide storm spotted above distant exoplanet 129 light years away

Australia swelters through the warmest March on record And on the other side of the planet, Anchorage reaches 50 degrees amid record warmth for Alaska  whilst an unlikely Canadian town crushes all-time temperature record The Finnish climate heating up, says meteorological institute Dozens killed as storm hits southern Nepal Afghanistan floods kill dozens, worsen desperate situation