Weather & Earth Science News

A complaint that weather forecasts are ignoring the drought in England - rain isn't a bad thing when we're not getting enough of it!  May will be my 14th consecutive month of below average rainfall.   After nearly 400 reported twisters in 13 days, the tornado threat subsides but major flooding still a concern in central US .  But it's not wet everywhere: Record-shattering hot, dry weather sparks drought and wildfires in Southeast How this spring's record-breaking heat in Alaska wreaks havoc on communities and ecosystem Alberta wildfires grow ‘significantly’ The temperature record for May broken in Istanbul with 35.4c Three southern Queensland towns record coldest May morning on record whilst Perth weather shows  the second-driest May on record as winter starts with a warm stretch London creates its own clouds (along with many other cities) Not all glaciers are retreating; Pakistan scrambles to save mountain villages from ...

Another death as the stretch of violent weather continues and 328 twisters are reported across the U.S. in 12 days Floods, tornadoes, snow in May: Extreme weather driven by climate change across US  Australia just had its record warmest start to a year. Will winter turn it around? Melting glaciers threaten Asia's drought buffer, scientists warn How climate deniers are the hysterical alarmists and c limate undermined by lobbying And over in Bizarro-land, the US energy department rebrands gas exports 'molecules of freedom' .  It's not a joke, it's not a parody, it's real: the USA has entered the 13th century.

Ohio tornado blows parked car at home killing elderly man on Monday night, whilst yesterday's  Kansas City-area tornadoes add to 12 straight days of destruction It snowed at the Grand Canyon on Memorial Day  Wintry blast brings wind, rain and snow to Australia’s southeast - good news for skiers! Study of northern Alaska could rewrite Arctic history and the tectonic processes behind the opening of the Arctic basin A new model explains how a warming Arctic produces weather extremes in our latitudes And did ancient supernovae prompt human ancestors to walk upright?  The idea being that they were responsible for particles bombarding the atmosphere that triggered an increase in lightning that in turn led to more forest fires in Africa, opening up the savanna which resulted in our ancient ancestors becoming more adept at upright walking.

On Saturday in Oklahoma: two killed and 29 hurt in tornado as storms death toll climbs as video footage shows aftermath of deadly El Reno tornad . And then overnight, multiple 'rapid-fire' tornadoes hit Ohio city leaving buildings 'cut in half'   Meanwhile, May rainfall threatens monthly records, leading to record river flooding in parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and in the south-east a Memorial Day weekend heat wave sets all-time May records Japan gripped by heat wave; mercury tops 39 C in Hokkaido town North African heat wave hits Turkey And in India, another h eatwave grips several states, Delhi temperature to touch 43 degrees Here, temperatures are all pretty normal.  But a stunned hillwalker photographs rare twin twister in Angus glens last week    It's winter in Australia though where Victorian snow dump leads to rescues after eight people get trapped in cars at Mt Hotham At least one dead as huge magnitude 8 earthquake strikes city ...

Flooding worst Mississippi's seen since Great Flood of 1927. Here's why. Thankfully the Jefferson City tornado proved not to be as bad as initial reports suggested, and there were no reported deaths there, although some extensive damage to property.  But an elderly couple who were sucked out their house by tornado and hurled 600ft are identified as two of the seven people who died when twisters hit Missouri A "near-normal" Atlantic hurricane forecast offers little comfort Fires rage across Israel amid heat wave; homes evacuated, roads closed This April saw big decline in Arctic sea ice cover - which is a little ironic given I recently saw someone on Facebook comparing current sea ice cover with that of September to "prove" that contrary to claims, ice cover is in fact increasing! Climate change may make the Arctic tundra a drier landscape Unexpected observation of ice at low temperature, high pressure questions wat...

Monster tornado tears through Jefferson City in Missouri causing 'catastrophic damage' and a 'mass casualty event' with more local reporting as Jefferson City tornado video shows catastrophic damage  - more details obviously to emerge through the day.  Earlier, there were at least 7 dead as severe weather hits the Plains; storms next headed to East Coast  Meanwhile one meteorologist claims storm chasers are becoming 'mobs' who block roads, create traffic jams and drive on the wrong side of highways in a desperate quest to capture viral content - and he's right.  Indeed, I know some regular storm chasers are thinking of giving up due to the sheer numbers - and consequential danger. B.C. snowpacks near 40-year lows prompting drought fears And strange spring storms bring pea-size pellets to Southern California .  Interesting that they associate hail with winter; in the UK it's more usual in spring and summer in association with convec...

There were reports of 30 tornadoes in the central US on Tuesday and scores of people rescued from flash floods Storm Desmond: Study says flood was 'largest in 600 years' in Cumbria.  No, the name means nothing to me either.  It was the early December floods of  2015 . A pair of beavers in Essex doing 'better job' of making flood defences Yunnan, Jilin provinces hit by worst of drought in China Brian Kahn asks should we be calling climate change a 'climate crisis'? And how the formation of the moon brought water to Earth - meaning life could evolve .....

After 14 tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, millions in Central Plains are under flash flood threats Springtime snow falls in northern Arizona, bit more likely to come whilst Yosemite visitors can expect tow feet of snow as the California park suffers unusual wintry storms on Memorial Day weekend Canadian wildfire rips through Alberta burning 400 million square meters of land and forcing 5,000 residents to evacuate The first named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season forms , but Andrea isn't expected to cause any problems,  But are hurricanes getting stronger – and is the climate crisis to blame?   And will I ever get used to calling anthropogenic climate change a "climate crisis"?  I don't think so ....   The more they sensationalise it, the more I feel turned off. It now looks likely that a giant impact caused difference between Moon's hemispheres - way back in the early days of the solar system Is this where the Mi-Go are hi...

The death-defying moment a storm chaser gets caught in the eye of a tornado as it forms in Nebraska as a series of tornadoes, damaging winds and ‘unprecedented flooding’ hit parts of the Central U.S. Welcome rain helps bring Highland wild fires under control Flooding in Mali kills at least 15 Widespread flooding in Paraguay causes damage, deaths Heavy rain and flooding hit parts of the Arabian Peninsula A positive Indian Ocean Dipole this winter is bad news for drought-hit parts of Australia Tonnes of plastic waste pollute Cocos Island beaches, and what you see is only a fragment Water returns to dried-up section of China's longest inland river And there's still plenty of snow about in some places as the world’s nickel capital Norilsk is gripped by eternal winter

The Mediterranean island of Corsica witnesses snow in May Swansea homes evacuated due to Kilvey Hill wildfire California's Bay Area rain: ‘Atmospheric river’ storm delivers ‘impressive’ May totals  I celand volcano eruption in 1783-84 did not spawn extreme heat wave , but it did cause a cold winter Nearly a quarter of West Antarctic ice is now unstable How plants are working hard for the planet by increasing photosynthesis and drawing CO2 out of the atmosphere.  Until we chop them down and burn them, that is .... And yet more p lastic pollution: Flip-flop tide engulfs 'paradise' island

It was 28.9 degrees Celsius near the Arctic Ocean this weekend as carbon dioxide hit its highest level in human history Bosnia, Croatia fear repeat of devastating 2014 floods after recent heavy rain. Crews tackle wildfire in Sutherland burning since Sunday - there's no significant rain in the forecast for northern Scotland, but some showers likely by the weekend. Jakobshavn Isbrae: Mighty Greenland glacier slams on brakes 'Tragedy' as 300 yaks starve trapped by snow in India but good news from Siberia where hero father stork protects nest full of eggs as wildfire threatens his life And another violent earthquake hits Papua New Guinea

North Korean media calls for mass mobilization to combat drought damage to crops   with rainfall to the end of May expected to be the lowest ever recorded  Late season storm batters the Balkans Cyclone warning issued for Far North Queensland coast , but Ann isn't expected to cause much damage There's a new wildfire warning for Scotland as temperatures rise Today’s floods occur along “a very different” Mississippi River to that which Mark Twain knew - they are becoming more severe, more frequent and less predictable New data platform illuminates history of humans' environmental impact How a shrinking moon may be generating moonquakes And deep down in the Mariana Trench: Deepest-ever sub dive finds plastic bag

Black skies over Siberia as wildfires rage around the world’s oldest lake Streets flood as heavy rain slams New Orleans Sunday morning In Canada, 'the 500-year flood': Dozens forced from homes in Whitewater Region with water at record levels India's Cyclone Fani death toll rises as anger grows against government And a waterspout near Tanjong Pagar Terminal startles residents of Singapore

Schools close in water-soaked Houston as serious flooding continues for 20 million South Gippsland hailstorm blankets beaches as wet weather sweeps across Victoria Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones  Do most Americans believe in human-caused climate change?  Apparently, it depends on how you ask: Three wording decisions can significantly alter estimates And are you feeling miserable in the rain? These gorillas too

It never rains, but it pours .... Emergency in Paraguay after flooding from torrential rains In Tanzania, roads closed as flooding hits Dar-es-Salaam Flooding turns Ottawa Valley community into island Flash flooding kills 1, prompts rescues, evacuations in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma; tornadoes reported in at least 3 States And there are landslide fears as torrential rain pounds eastern Indonesia My second rumble of thunder heard in Evesham yesterday as we got some much needed rain too.  However, with rainfall expected to swing widely between extremes due to climate change: England flood planners 'must prepare for worst' In contrast, m ore than 500,000 at risk in drought-hit Namibia whilst in the neighbouring Angola drought: Millions struggle for food Heat wave grips North And South India, Andhra Pradesh to touch 47 degrees Wildfires ravage Siberia and Far East of Russia There's a proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate ...

In Europe, late spring feels more like winter in May with lots of snowy scenes, whilst rave-goers get hypothermia after unexpected snow in France On the Mississippi River, the Iowa town of Davenport remains flooded a week after temporary levee breaks   Australia's Mildura dust storm turns day into night In India, Andhra Pradesh reeling under heat wave conditions with 52 locations recording temperatures above 45c.  Meanwhile, across the border, after Cyclone Fani: More than 1,000 Bangladesh homes destroyed After Moscow airport's deadly superjet-100 accident: can lightning cause a crash?   In theory, no. 'Impossible' research produces 400-year El Niño record, revealing startling changes Asteroid disaster simulation tests Earth's ability to avoid catastrophic impact And a new report warns that humans 'threaten 1m species with extinction' d more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/andhra-pradesh-reeling-...

At least 4 dead as U.S. Midwest hit with devastating spring floods Cyclone Fani kills 12 and leaves million homeless as strongest storm in five years tramples Indian's east coast on deadly collision course with Bangladesh (it's generally reported as the biggest storm to hit India since 1999) but the toll copuld have been much, much worse, so the India Cyclone Fani evacuation efforts hailed a success And 'low rains, a heatwave. Then floods': Bad harvest pushes North Korea to the brink

Cyclone Fani: Powerful storm slams into eastern India coast Winter hangs on but spring floods are with the US with more than 30 million under flash flood watch from Texas to Illinois In Australia, 24 hours of rain offers some NSW farmers much-needed drought relief whilst Victoria is hit by a powerful rain bomb triggering flash flooding and a tornado Human influence on global droughts goes back 100 years, NASA study finds Apparently, the UK 'can cut emissions to nearly zero' by 2050 - basically by doing what I've been doing most of my life .....   But rather than turn my thermostat up to 19c I'll just eat more meat! And who drank all the water?!   The mystery of the disappearing loch in the Cairngorms

As it approaches NE India, Cyclone Fani forecast equivalent to a category 4 hurricane   Ottawa River poised to peak amid flooding in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick - but there are warnings of more heavy rain to come. Extreme weather junkies fly a drone into a tornado storm to capture close-up footage There's video as a powerful tornado touches down in Romanian countryside leaving wreckage behind There are s igns of faster melting in world's largest ice shelf , the Ross ice shelf in Antarctica And r ain saves Prague witch-burning festival - fire restrictions had been in place due to recent very dry weather