Weather & Earth Science News

Heatwave continues to see weather records broken in regional Queensland as searing temperatures continue, and southeast hit by 25,000 lightning strikes Whilst Cyclone Christine tears through Western Australia's Pilbara, lifting roofs and felling trees Here in Britain, Dumfries and Galloway flood rescue family speak of ordeal whilst more gales and rain cause travel chaos in Wales amid warnings of more floods to come as 2014 looks set to continue as 2013 ended. Peak District sinkhole appears in Foolow, Derbyshire Indonesia volcano Mt Sinabung in fresh eruptions Proof we landed on the Moon as China's Yutu Moon rover pictured from orbit by NASA satellite And no real surprise that climate change misinformer of year: The Daily Mail

Having intensified over the weekend, Cyclone Christine threatens Pilbara coast with 200km/h winds, heavy rain as strengthening cyclone sets path for Australian iron ore mines - my brother is a train driver out there for RTZ and has wrangled a flight home early as a consequence ......  Meanwhile, heatwave declared as Queensland interior swelters through record-breaking temperatures And back home, more flooding and disruption expected as latest storm hits Britain Whilst in the US, frigid temperatures put Midwest in deep freeze, Northeast gets snow In the Philippines, metro Manila records coldest December temperature - a chilly, er, 20.8c ..... Lightning kills eight church-goers in Malawi And thousands in El Salvador flee erupting Chaparrastique volcano  

In Australia, Tropical Cyclone Christine intensifying as WA's Pilbara battens down - with forecasts that winds could be nearly as strong as they were across much of Britain yesterday where thousands still without power   - and whilst most of us shouldn't see quite such high winds again for a while, there could be quite a bit more rain before the year is out. Meanwhile, experts warn Queenslanders to stay cool, hydrated as temperatures expected to hit up to 46c    And some good photos as an obscene amount of snow falls in Switzerland (here in England, we could just possibly see winter arrive by the middle of January - though no promises yet!)

High winds and heavy rain lash UK and Ireland again In Eire, around 70,000 homes without power as storm chaos continues And 100mph gales and rain bring power cuts to Wales Wildlife 'thrived' in 2013 after hot summer There's been more than a metre of snow in Swiss Alps in 12 hours as snow storms batter northern Italy Macedonia extends emergency amid dense smog At least 44 dead in Brazil's flooding and landslides

The Avon peaked around 3m in Evesham on Christmas Day - similar to the same time last year, but fortunately not affecting residential properties.   Less luck elsewhere though as flooding ruins Christmas for thousands and footage of planes underwater in Surrey whilst plane takes off sideways in storm in Shetland Islands .  Today new flood fear as more rain and high winds forecast .   In Scotland, Salmond praises workers for Christmas emergency efforts And its not just us suffering as mass power cuts continue in US and Canada after storm In the Caribbean, heavy rain kills eight in St Vincent Brazil president pledges aid after deadly floods there Meanwhile, Moscow weather beats 1910 temperature record to give them their warmest ever Christmas A warning that 'snow cyclones' could threaten Sochi Olympics in the new year And Met Office to offer daily space weather forecasts

All in all, nothing that eventful here - although about an inch of rain and the river is in flood again - nothing unsual but more rain (and gales) are expected on Friday and again next Monday.  But yesterday's storm winds and torrential rain buffet Britain, leaving two dead   as heavy rain and 87mph winds bring disruption in Wales and it's not over yet with attention switching north today with Northern Ireland power cut warning due to storms and Scotland weather: high winds and flooding expected . The Daily Mail as usual has lots of dramatic pictures of the nightmare before Christmas  Meanwhile, North America storms spell cold, dark Christmas for many and half the US is already covered in snow .   It's rumoured we might see some snow here.  In 2014.   Sometime.  Perhaps ..... Tropical cyclone expected to form over northern WA Christmas morning Japanese volcanologists say several nuclear power stations at risk if major erupti...

Well it's looking quite a miserable day with wind and rain disrupting Christmas travel in the UK - no doubt plenty to report on that tomorrow. Over the weekend, freak storm destroys trees at Llanbedr, Gwynedd - possibly a tornado - whilst in the Borders Jedburgh hit by flash flooding Meanwhile, in Norway wild weather hit holday rush at the weekend And the weather outside is frightful across the Atlantic too where Toronto and eastern Canada battered by winter storm whilst deadly US storm cuts power and hits flights with, across the country, tornadoes, ice and record-breaking temperatures California closes in on driest calendar year on record In Queensland, weather bureau tracks new Gold Coast hinterland hail corridor 'Massive' reservoir of melt water found under Greenland ice And solar activity not a key cause of climate change, study shows