Weather & Earth Science News

Last day of summer yesterday (meteorologically speaking) and finally the sun has come out! It's ended up my coldest August on record though, mainly due to the lack of high daytime temps (and some rather cool days near the end of the month). Probably wettest too although records there only go back to 2007. August almost over and finally the sunshine arrives and across the country it was the coldest august for 17 years . So, a cool summer here (although overall warmer than 2007, 2008 and 2009!) but in the USA, Houston weathers its hottest month on record and this was New York's hottest summer too while across the NE the numbers confirm it: summer was a scorcher . 2010 summer 'hottest in 40 years' in the Arabian Gulf as well while Meteorological agency say Japan experienced hottest August since 1946 Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, Perth runs dry as rain goes to Victoria in weirdest of winters Over the weekend Hurricane Earl gains strength in eastern Caribbe...

Pakistan floods 'consuming' southern villages , whilst South Pakistan floods displace a million in 48 hours and today another levee breach threatens south Pakistan city . But at least some good(ish) news from the sub-continent as flood situation eases in Punjab, Haryana There are now 12 dead in northern Turkey landslides Brazil government gives go-ahead for huge Amazon dam - proving once again that the environment will always take second place in the pursuit of 'green' energy. And yes, I'm quite sure the irony is totally lost on them. Having recently heard it's been 'proven' that it was the Chicxulub impact that killed the dinosaurs, is it any surprise now to hear that a double meteorite strike 'caused dinosaur extinction' ? A new crater has been found in the Ukraine. And there may be more .... Indeed, there's already this one in India . And after a wet week in Britain, bank holiday weekend to get 'sunny weather' in summer'...

When a tornado hit Great Livermere in Suffolk on Monday, a cup of tea saved my life (the blacksmith's life that is, not mine!). Meanwhile, picture and report of a nice funnel over Stanford le Hope in Essex from earlier this month, with a typically misleading headline. There's an excellent discuss and site report on the Suffolk tornado on Ukweatherworld Well, over 62mm of rain in the past 4 days here in Evesham, and with a maxima of just 14c yesterday was the coldest August day in my records. Although the overnight minima was 12.2c and therefore warmer than average ..... Anyway, no surprise to see that flooding hits South Wales after torrential rain However, we had nothing compared with Ahaus in Germany which apparently had 153mm of rain yesterday (although the German media report suggests 115mm) Having had a lean season so far, Australian ski resorts expect a rush after biggest dump in decades Canada in track for mildest year ever Death toll rises in northern Turkey land...

This is something you don't see every day, fire devil twister blazes a trail in Brazil (it's not a tornado though!) One of the most intense, prolonged, downpours I've experienced in years produced 17mm of rain in the space of about 20 minutes just after lunchtime on Monday - and means monthly rainfall is now running at about 125% of average, with more on the way. And as the cold front that produced that deluge moved east a tornado damages Suffolk village . Over on WUWT they've been getting excited over a chart that suggests there's lying snow in northern Russia - a quick check revealed that local temperatures were almost spot on average for the time of year and too warm for there to be snow on the ground. Sorry guys! However, there's has been a near decade-high snow dump on Mount Hotham in Australia whilst a current cold snap to bring last snow of winter - though I'm not sure they can be entirely certain about that? It might snow again next week ......

Flood warnings as heavy rain hits England and Wales - we had 15.7mm overnight, which is about a quarter of the expected monthly average. A wet night but nothing special. Some heavy showers likely later today though to help top that total up further. And apparently summer's over say forecasters - although at the moment that late August Bank Holiday is looking not too bad, whatever the doomsters want you to think. And it does seem to be mostly rain related news again today: Tropical storm approaches southern China island amid nationwide rain disasters Hail batters Calgary in wake of record storm . I'm afraid I have no idea how big a looney is though! And in Australia, travellers stranded after outback rain . There's a fight to save Pakistan city from flooding as mighty flood waves hit Shahdadkot In New Zealand, glacier break changes landscape Russian heatwave dents hopes of 'climate winners' Danielle forecast to be hurricane midweek - only the 4th named stor...

Problems continue in Asia with 3 people missing, 50,000 evacuated after flood hits NE China and across China, geological disasters spike this year - in part at least due to El Nino. Latest floods haven't just hit China; State media reports that N Korea devastated by flood caused by the same weather system. And in Pakistan a second wave of floods hits Sindh, Balochistan . In Britain yesterday, heavy rain sparks flash floods in Wales - and there is more rain to come today. Meanwhile, weather station data shed light on wet July in Scotland. As previously noted, here in Evesham it was a significantly drier month than in the past 3 years. Is the ice in the Arctic Ocean getting thinner? Whilst sea ice extent may be down to weather and prevailing synoptic conditions, any long term thinning may be more indicative of a general warming trend. Worrying news for Californians as research shows big quakes more frequent than thought on San Andreas fault . And from the department of t...

There's a report that snow in Kenya destroys crops - similar to a case in 2008 . On the previous occasion we were quite sure it was actually hail and on this occasion too, although hail is seperately mentioned in the report, it seems most likely that the 'snow' is actually a covering of partially melted small hail. Fair bit of rain here overnight - 13.6mm making it the wettest spell since mid June. A lot more over Wales though and there could be some flash flood stories to come over the next day or so with more heavy rain expected and a new weather warning for Wales after overnight rain . Wet too in parts of the USA where Tenn. dries out after deluge washes through State and storms flood parts of Washington region, stranding motorists while storm slams part of metro Detroit, leave 82,000 without power and another storm shatters rainfall records, floods homes across Utah . And down in California, San Francisco sweater weather keeping air cleaner . Meanwhile, in NW E...