18th April - Today's News: Flash Floods Hit NSW

More flash flooding in Australia where Mum, three kids amongt NSW flood rescues and there's more rain on the way as Sydney covered by a blanket of grey

Here in Britain, late snowfall boosts ski centres which had been closed through March - cool, unsettled conditions look like persisting for another couple of weeks at least so more snow in the 'Gorms and Lochaber is more than likely, though this is far from unusual in April and despite perceptions the month isn't proving especially cold compared with average.

Blustery conditions today as gales bring down trees and power lines in Cornwall

Floods swamp south Texas

Kansas officials call storm chasers 'outrageously stupid' - the problem partly being the popularity of TV programmes about stormchasing which have encouraged many more 'amateurs' to get involved just for the thrill, without any respect for others and offering none of the very important observational and meteorological information to authorirties that 'serious' stormchasers provide.  Not only do thrill seekrs clog the roads delaying emergency vehicles, but if a tornado dropped nearby there could be fatal consequences if not all were able to quickly move away in the right direction.  Stormchasing is dangerous - only go with those who have experience!

Flash flood kills prison offical in Benin

 

Mexico raises Popocatepetl volcano alert

Traffic pollution kills 5,000 a year in the UK, study says - that's a lot more than are killed in traffic accidents.  Even more interesting to see that a further 2,000 (allegedly) die due to aircraft exhaust fumes.  Of course, the victims are mostly those who already have respiratory problems living in cities, but far more people live near major roads than airports so the latter figure seems proportionately much higher, though has attracted less attention in the media.

Wind turbine plan will drive my golf course out of Scotland, says Trump - which wll please those of us who have long  objected to his plans to ruin a stretch of Aberdeenshire coast in the first place!