11th April - Today's News: Cyclone Harold Batters Pacific Islands

As covid-19 continues to dominate the news, there haven't been a lot of weather events reported around the world ....  Although often this is anyway a "quiet" time of year.   Yesterday did however see a new UK date record with 25c recorded in Bude (25.3c in my garden) as the lockdown coincides with an Easter heatwave.  Typical!

Earlier this week, Cyclone Harold leaves a path of destruction in Fiji with 150mph winds flattening homes and flooding towns after which the Pacific's monster storm Harold destroys tourist resorts in Tonga, whilst the previously hit Vanuatu gets Australian aid to help Cyclone Harold relief efforts as COVID-19 frustrates response

Perth records hottest April day ever as Easter beach crowds observe coronavirus measures

Californian rain will linger another day as downtown L.A. sets record for most consecutive wet days in April

In Ukraine, a village evacuated as forest fires in Chernobyl exclusion zone continue to burn.  There have been a number of minor wildfires in Britain this week, but the lockdown should mean less than we'd normally expect, given the dry weather.

In Indonesia, Krakatoa volcano erupts 'spewing plumes of ash several kilometres into the air' whilst there are warnings than an awakening volcanic region in Iceland 'could cause disruption for centuries.  That's just what we need!

The highest-ever resolution images of the Sun reveal its atmosphere is much more complex than previously thought whilst there are warnings than an awakening volcanic region in Iceland 'could cause disruption for centuries.  That's just what we need! 

And NASA data reveals air pollution in northeast areas of the US have dropped by 30 percent as millions are under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic