Weather & Earth Science News

The heatwave is just about over - grey skies here today and distinctly cooler - and it's still looking cool and at times wet for Easter (as has been predicted for the past week). Nonetheless, for the time it remains very dry across Britain, with warnings gorse fires in Northern Ireland 'will cost lives' whilst homes evacuated due to heath fire near Beauly and in the Brecon Beacons helicopter to fight grass fires in new crackdown . And although some snow if forecast for the hills this weekend and next week, Cairngorm Mountain ski resort in 'summer mode' - at what should normally be one of their busiest times of the year Deaths feared as severe storm hits Fiji In Viet Nam, Deputy PM warns of abnormal early storm as TS Pakhar apporaches Weather cooperates as firefighters battle Colorado wildfire CO2 was hidden in the ocean during last ice age Met Office to provide space weather warnings for planet Earth and forecasts for exoplanets - the latter should keep them q...

As expected, March temperature records broken again in Scotland with 23.6c at Aboyne - also the UK date record. Once again almost the entire country experienced clear blue skies - it's rare indeed to go so long without seeing a cloud! Dry and hot weather spark 'perfect recipe' for raging wildfires across UK as grass fire in Swansea Valley spreads to Ystalyfera house , though at least the Borders and Dunfries grass fires 'under control' Yorkshire declared in drought as warm weather continues And weather models are starting to back away from the idea of a breakdown to more unsettled conditions, with dry weather now likely to continue for most places until at least the end of next week, though it should turn cooler over the weekend and through next week with more cloud and maybe some light rain at times, mainly in the Highlands. Whether it will make any difference here remains to be see (the effect of ENSO in W Europe is debateable) but we should start seeing drie...

The heatwave continues as Scottish temperatures hit new March high - and we could yet beat that again today or tomorrow before it cools down for the weekend. But, says Max Hastings, this glorious record-breaking weather will bring us nothing but misery Meanwhile, Dumfriesshire hillside grass fir burns through night Save our floundering fish! Thousands moved as the drought takes its toll on water levels I person found dead on Colorado wildfire Despite more rain, flood threat eases in soggy far north Qld 'Compost bomb' is latest climate change tipping point A glow in the Martian night throws light on atmospheric circulation Geologists correct a 'rift' in Africa And they been studying Atlantis - the Atlantis massif that is, in the Atlantic, where expedition to undersea mountain yields new information about sub-seafloor structure

A record breaking weekend in Britain with the maximum on Saturday tying the date record and on Sunday, not only brealking it but also producing the warmest March day ever for Scotland. Today looks like being a repeat. It was also the warmest 2 days I've ever recorded in Evesham in March. At 22.8c Scotland breaks record for March 'Hospepipe hotlines' to enforce drought restrictions as March heatwave continues all week Heath fires on the rise as UK drought worsens - still looks like most places should see some rain over Easter though. And there was also record March temperature set at 21.2c in St Helier - though the Channel Islands might still be a little aggreived it was even warmer in Scotland! In Canada, heatwave, ice jams lead to flooding in western New Brunswick 'Tornado' downs trees in Leeston in NZ Temperatures could rise by 3c by 2050, models suggest - but only according to some of the higher model simulaton runs (though as usual, this is not immediately...

19.1c in my garden yesterday. Could see 20c today. Easter still looking wet ... Charlwood hit 21.3c on the hottest day of the year as Britain prepares for a BBQ weekend - but it's not surprising it's warmer than Bondi beach given it's autumn down there! Up in Scotland the wildfire season has started as heath fires tackled across the Highlands and Islands - several weeks earlier than last year. Meanwhile, US heat 'unprecedented', 7,000 records set or tied - but that means daily records for specific locations. It's a bit different in Russia though where spring snowstorm envelops Moscow - interesting to note that it's the first this year that snow cover there has been more than normal. There's been jolts across the desert as earthquake strikes central Australia And according to the latest WMO report, 2011 was the 11th warmest year on record (despite La Nina) and the second wettest year on record for Aust . The report also shows (again, as we alrea...

Otterbourne in Hampshire was the first place in Britain to break the 20c barrier this year, with 20.1c recorded there yesterday. There's a fine, warm weekend in store and much the same next week. Seasons play leapfrog as March feels just like balmy June . But signs are that it will turn cooler and wet just in time for Easter .... with even a risk of snow over Scottish hills. Warm, dry weather fuels wildfire season in Plains, Midwest but floods continue to swamp Louisiana and in the Pacific NW spring storm dumps on Ore valley, mountains - with record amounts of snowfall for this time of year. Which has got Wattsy and his mates quite excited ! (they seem to think it's due to global warming or something. Idiots) Queensland's Sunshine Coast mobs up after torrential rain In the UAE sandstorms and cold temperatures are drastic turns in weather transition Warm weather sparks early hay fever in Germany Meet the weather frogs - Swiss prophets with sizzling secrets Vicky ...

Tornado hits San Antonio as severe weather rattles South and Midwest and there's been some 'extremely dangerous' flash floods reported in Louisiana, Texas In Canada they explain the anatomy of a heatwave It never rains OR pours: what can we do about the worst British drought for 30 years? asks Michael Hanlon - some quite bizarre comments posted there! There's snow expected in the hills of SE Australia this week so get your winter clothes: the chill is nigh Climate 'tech fixes' urged for Arctic methane - but not by me. Geoengineering is a new disatser just waiting to happen: beware the Law of Unintended Consequences. Illegal logging makes billions for gangs according to a new report. It alos causes regional climate change and increases the risk of drought and flood - and especially landslides. But money is all. Mexico hit by strong earthquake near Acapulco Venice continues slow sink, satellite readings show - although water extraction from beneath the cit...