22nd September - Today's News: Spring Storms Continue to Batter NZ

It's been a week of wild weather as NZ storm continues its carnage with gales, snow and more to come.

Hurricane Igor rips into Nfld., washing out roads, toppling trees and this morning the Igor clean-up starts in Newfoundland

It just won't stop raining as a new tropical storm hits flood drenched Mexico

Typhoon Fanapi kills 18 in southern China whilst Tropical Storm Malakas churns over western Pacific toward Japanese islands

Rains continue to cause havoc in N India, 90 dead - and provide yet another threat to the beleagured Commonwealth Games due to start in a few days time.

And record rain leaves 2 missing, drives thousands from homes in S Korea

Rare Aussie plants sprout in rain

In the Canadian Rockies, snow arrives on the last day of summer

Is this the 'greenest' energy source of all? Central America taps volcanoes for electricity. Of course, Iceland's been doing that for decades.

Windblow dust falls in high peaks, dampens Colorado River runoff

Interesting piece on speculative geoengineering from New Scientist: Can we hold back the oceans?

The Amazon tainforest - a cloud factory

Computers how how wind could have parted the Red Sea - assuming, of course, it was actually the Sea of Reeds and that the Exodus took place. There is however exactly no evidence whatsoever for the Exodus being a real event, indeed the total absence of evidence is in this case very strong evidence of absence. It was simply a origin myth as real as that of Brutus the Trojan defeating the giants Gog and Magog in Devon and then founding New Troy on the banks of the Thames...

Wales due for strong shock says earthquake expert - the English media have been saying the same for London. Fact is, earthquakes happen and one day there'll be another big one somewhere in Britain. Could be today. Could be 1,000 years time .... Which lead me on to a brief update to the Exercise Orion story - turns out that Hampshire FRS have been organising similar exercises on an annual basis for years ..... It was just that this years was the biggest yet. I'd never make a journalist - I'm just far too good at checking the facts!

Maybe that practice might be needed sooner than thought? Scientists to drill 13,000ft into active volcano in test that could cause earthquake. Or even an eruption. Although this operation, into the side of Mount Vesuvius and aimed to help determine when the volcano may next erupt, will probably cause nothing of the sort and might save thousands of lives. Like earthquakes in Wales, volcanic eruptions in Italy could occur again any day soon.

And finally, you'll believe a hill can fly ... new height makes Snowonia peak 'super mountain'. Well, Glyder Fawr is now just a fraction over 1,000m instead of a mere 999m .... All credit to those who surveyed the hill (and many, many other hills as part of an on-going exercise) - but there's been a lot of media publicity over something which frankly is of interest to barely a handful of people. But if you know anyone who only climbs hills over 1,000m and thus has not previously given any thought to Glyder Fawr, please let me know!

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