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Showing posts from October, 2016

31st October - Today's News: Storm Waves Flood Maltese Hotel

In Malta on Saturday nature's fury wreaks havoc across the island - waves flood Radisson Hotel in St Julian's Italy quake: Thousands spend night in temporary accommodation after San Benedetto basilica in Norcia is  destroyed by earthquake measuring 6.6 - the strongest this year but fortunately without any fatalities. Australia sees snow in October: Victoria hit with blizzard conditions as snow falls south west of Melbourne  - only fair given we saw snow in April ... Deadly storms hit Egypt Water warning for Joburg amid heatwave Nepal drains dangerous Everest lake Growth of city trees can cut air pollution, says report - of course, many trees in towns and cities have been cut down in recent years for fear someone might be hit on the head by a conker.  And sue the council for millions ...  And severe smog as Diwali fireworks choke Delhi, angering Indians

29th October - Today's News: Strange Storms on Alien Worlds

Fifteen dead after heavy rain hits Egypt   Severe southern African drought to worsen: UN Svensmark's "cosmic rays" hypothesis for climate change appears disproven as the Sun-clouds-climate connection takes a beating from CERN If it wasn’t already strange enough, now Saturn’s hexagon storm is changing color And with samhainn approaching, these are the spookiest, scariest storms on any known planet

28th October - Today's News: 50cm of Hail Falls on Mexican City

Unusual hailstorm blankets Central Mexican city with up to 50 centimeters of ice - that's a lot of ice!   At least they didn't think it was snow ... Although snow has fallen in the Northeast, some parts of the US remain exceptionally warm as Phoenix reaches record high of 100 degrees - the latest date on which that figure has been reached. Australia experiencing more extreme fire weather, hotter days as climate changes  A stunning video as morning mist rolls over cliffs at West Bay in Dorset Deadly Colombia landslide engulfs highway near Medellin Climate change means major ecosystem shifts for the Mediterranean Basin And is 120 days of snow really going to hit Britain this winter?    No.  The last time that happened there were woolly mammoths living in my back garden .......  And the last time Madded predicted 100 days of snow it was the wettest winter on record and we had no snow at all in Evesham.   Though it was a very snowy winter above

27th October - Today's News: Earthquakes Strike Italy

Central Italy hit by two strong earthquakes, two hours apart - buildings damaged but no reports of fatalities as yet and they don't seem tyo have been as bad as the quake earlier this year that killed several hundred. A heatwave in northwest Africa brings near record temperatures A 'mini-tornado' lifts roofs and smashes windows in central New Plymouth , NZ Aurora Australis dazzles Tasmania's night sky In response to Matt Drudge and other ignorant climate change deniers, hurricane intensity is not exaggerated to scare people, and here’s how we know Scientists agree that extreme cold winters fuelled by jet stream and climate change - but the location of them varies.  Which is partly why the last one in Britain was 2010 ....  Hopefully it means we will see one again before too long? Probably a bolide, UFO makes bright flash in the sky with green tail: meteor or missile or....? UCI and NASA document accelerated glacier melting in Wes

25th October - Today's News: Severe Drought in Madagascar

Risk of famine as severe drought grips Madagascar Cyclone Kyant to target India with torrential rainfall later this week Flood waters 'trap motorist in car' as thunder storm hits Plymouth Yesterday marked a hundred years of military weather forecasting by the Met Office Christopher Burt undertakes an investigation of Death Valley’s 134°F world temperature record and concludes that the meteorological conditions at the time could not support such a high reading and it must therefore be considered as erroneous. Ice shelf vibrations cause unusual waves in Antarctic atmosphere What the ancient carbon dioxide record may mean for future climate change And, apparently, Britain to have warmer than usual November-January: The Weather Company ......!   Whilst according to NOAA, the U.S. Winter outlook predicts warmer, drier South and cooler, wetter North

24th October - Today's News: Northeastern US Heat Wave End With Snow

In the US, the first snow falls in the Northeast after record warm temperatures Buildings collapsed after a freak storm hit the NSW town of Parkes Storm wreaks havoc in Pretoria CO2 levels mark 'new era' in the world's changing climate And what are these hexagonal clouds found over the Bermuda Triangle?   Nothing unusual .....  despite tabloid claims that they cause ships and aircraft to disappear (the Bermuda Triangle is a total myth anyway)

22nd October - Today's News: Hailstorm Causes Damage in Bloemfontein

In South Africa, Bloemfontein cleans up hail-storm damage as stormy weekend looms 'Artificial' clouds captured at sunset in Forth Valley - what we normally call fumulus Strong storms cause floods, kill 1 person in Pennsylvania 5 dead as storm pounds hurricane-stricken Haiti And yet more evidence for ninth planet roaming Solar System's outer fringes

21st October - Today's News: Typhoon Haima Hits Hong Kong

Typhoon Haima batters Hong Kong as city in lockdown but Typhoon warning could be downgraded near dusk as Haima moves away from Hong Kong .   Meanwhile a 'Starbucks uncle' captures Hong Kong hearts during flooding earlier this week . Southern California schools cope with heat from gusty winds amid record (date) temperatures Heat records are vastly outnumbering cold records in Washington DC - and it's likely the same pattern is occurring elsewhere Receding glaciers in Bolivia leave communities at risk NOAA takes 'huge step' forward in predicting solar storm impacts on Earth

20th October - Today's News: Typhoon Haima Hits Philippines

Super Typhoon Haima batters Philippines - one of the strongest storms to ever hit the islands.  So far only 4 reported fatalities. What happened to fall? More heat records set Wednesday in the US Weather bureau confirms wettest period on record for New South Wales PNG battered by rain, at least seven deaths Awesome volcanic showtime at Klyuchevskaya Sopka in Kamchatka Scientists find a storm on Jupiter that towers above the planet’s pole Curious tilt of the Sun traced to undiscovered planet - more evidence that "Rupert" is out there somewhere.  As too is this new ice world with insane 20,000-year orbit discovered in solar system And there are possible clouds on Pluto, next target is reddish

19th October - Today's News: Philippines Braces for Typhoon Haima

Typhoon Sarika batters China's Hainan whilst the Philippines braces for Super Typhoon Haima, second typhoon in one week As noted yesterday, UK gets first snow in early sign that winter is coming - although snow at that altitude in mid October is not unusual - in fact, quite often there is a good dusting earlier than this, for example 2014 , 2013 and 2011 .... Too much rain causes roof at newly renovated Manchester station to collapse injuring commuters With the NOAA's latest state of teh climate report in, it turns out that the streak of record warm months ends for the planet, but global warming continues .  September last year was warmer.   And ESA's Mars storm chaser about to make history on red planet

18th October - Today's News: Los Angeles Sees First Rain Since 5th May

It's raining in Los Angeles and people are losing their minds - the city's last measureable rainfall was on the 5th May, 165 days ago.  Though apparently this is not unusual. Typhoon Haima rapidly intensifies, Philippines in danger whilst Typhoon Sarika to unleash torrential rain in China, Vietnam following deadly flooding In Alaska, Juneau sees snow before Fairbanks for first time in decades In pictures: Italy's first snowfall of the season which fell on Sunday.   Here, the Cairngorms were also white this morning, displaying the first laying snow of the season in the UK. Outrage (but no real surpise) as the Scottish Parliament shows utter contempt for wild land with plans for 22-turbine wind farm near Altnaharra approved Earth on track for its warmest year on record after hottest September in 136 years (but only by the tiniest fraction) And some somewhat misleading headlines across the media today suggesting that the Met Office can no

17th October - Today's News: Deadly Floods Hit Vietnam Ahead of Typhoon Sarika

Typhoon Sarika batters the Philippines, leaving at least 2 dead, more than 15,000 displaced whilst deadly flooding hits central Vietnam ahead of Typhoon Sarika Powerful storm slams Pacific Northwest, bringing down trees, power lines and spawning tornadoes whilst the last in trio of B.C. storms not as fierce, but wind takes its toll There's been record warmth in the Plains, Midwest, South and East at the weekend with more to come this week Snow continues to fall in the Australian Alps despite the ski season ending almost a month ago But snow in Lapland not yet "first snow" of the season - there has to 1cm at 9am for it to count Spain: Summer is over as autumn's violent storms arrive   with one dead, but in France red alert over as storm heads east And today, thousands of homes without power as wild winds hit south-east Queensland

14th October - Today's News: Hurricane Nicole Hits Bermuda as Cat 3 Storm

Bermuda seeks quick recovery from Hurricane Nicole's damages North Carolina's Storm-Related Death Toll Climbs to 22 September one of the hottest on record in Portugal South Africa faces water rationing as dam levels drop after drought The UN moves to ban 'fastest growing' greenhouse gases Proxima Centauri might be more sunlike than we thought And new research on how a comet impact 'linked' to rise of mammals 55mya

13th October - Today's News: Cat 4 Hurricane Nicole Approaches Bermuda

Hurricane Nicole Approaches Bermuda as Category 4 Storm Storm blows the lights out in parts of Atlantic Canada as the remnants of Hurricane Matthew hit  How a remnant typhoon could bring a destructive windstorm to the Pacific Northwest Last night a 'tornado' was spotted off the coast of Whistable and Herne Bay whilst earlier in the day another tornado or twister captured passing Falmouth in these amazing pictures (in both cases they appear to be funnel clouds) And apparently Americans have yet to hear of fallstreaks .... they think space aliens are responsible as bizarre cloud formation appears over southern California

12th October - Today's News: Record Floods Continue in North Carolina

Record flooding in North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew as the hurricane plunges a North Carolina town’s future into doubt Meanwhile, Hurricane Nicole targets Bermuda, could impact Canada In NZ, spring snow cuts power, downs trees and causes road chaos across South Island   September one of the hottest on record for Portugal which, like Britain, recorded it's hottest day of the year during the month  Ancient Andes glaciers have lost half their ice in just 40 years Chicxulub 'dinosaur crater' investigation begins in earnest There's been another new dwarf planet found in our solar system And the media never learn.  Based on a wholly erroneous story in (where else?) the Daily Express, regional papers warn Britain braced for wintry weekend - and prospect of snow .  In fact, it'll turn a bit warmer this weekend.  And the only place with any chance of snow is some higher hills in Scotland (which, unusually, have not as yet seen any

11th October - Today's News: Major N Carolina Flooding in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew kills at least 26 in U.S.; Dangerous flooding situation unfolding in North Carolina after Hurricane Matthew dumped enough rain to fill the Rose Bowl 163,000 times whilst the Haiti death toll tops 1,000 in Hurricane Matthew's devastating wake .  It's interesting that this has been almost a non event so far as UK news outlets - especially the more tabloid ones - have been concerned.   It's barely been mentioned in print copies of the Sun or even the Daily Mail .... Germany's south sees first snowfall of season as cold bite sets in Hail causes massive highway collision in Switzerland on Sunday Climate change has been making western forest fires worse for decades, study says And did anyone see these rare hole-punch clouds yesterday?   No, cos they were only visible down south!

10th October 2016 - 18 Deaths in US from Hurricane Matthew as Haitian Toll Passes 1,000

In the US, Matthew death toll climbs to 18 as it's finally downgraded to a tropical cyclone with the latest developments in the historic NC/SC flood as the Haiti death toll from Hurricane Matthew passes 1,000 Melbourne weather: Wild wind storms leave 40,000 homes without power with rain, hail and thunder on the way whilst in South Australia, severe winds lash state in wake of recent storm damage, body of missing man found and in Tasmania strong winds rip roof from Hobart high school, bring down power lines, trees And apparently, we can expect a Beast from the East: Britain to be rocked by snowy storms, howling gales, freezing temperatures and flooding because " The Met Office has forecast shocking “storm systems” hitting in the second half of October "!!!   The Sun then goes on to point out that what the latest MetO forecast actually says is that " there is a trend for more changeable weather into late October across most parts, with t

8th October - Today's News: Hurricane Matthew: Haitian Death Toll Over 800

Hurricane Matthew: Haiti dead reach 800 as south awaits aid as 'Big bad beast' storm batters Florida and through today, Matthew to hammer coastal Georgia and South Carolina, after battering Florida And Matt Drudge conspiracy comments kick up storm - basically he's an nasty, ignorant moron.   If he had any ounce of humanity or humility he'd spend then next 12 months as a volunteer aid worker in Haiti.  But typical of the "elite", he doesn't care about anyone but himself (and money). School bus rollover sends 7 to hospital as snow wreaks havoc on Calgary-area roads - you'd think they would be used to it.  But just shows it's not just Britain where a little snow causes a lot of disruption! Meanwhile another bus rolls over as early storm sets snowfall and temperature records in Saskatoon Spring starting earlier in U.S. national parks, study finds With methane muted: How did early Earth stay warm? And another volcano goes off

7th October - Today's News: Hurricane Matthew: Hundreds Dead in Haiti; Florida Evacuates

Hurricane Matthew: Hundreds dead in Haiti storm disaster as aerial footage shows Haiti villages leveled by Hurricane Matthew as death toll climbs to at least 340 across the Caribbean' and honeymooners film their luxury Bahamas hotel being ripped to shreds by Hurricane Matthew Meanwhile, in the US 'Monster' Matthew hits Florida leaving 200,000 without power on first impact: Now 26 million lie in hurricane's path with states of emergency in three states And now Hurricane Nicole forms off Bermuda in the Atlantic and could be absorbed by Matthew as they cross paths A scientists warns New Jersey that as the climate warms, we are 'primed' for worse storms than Sandy Unexpectedly (to me, anyway) reservoirs play substantial role in global warming - and of course with ever growing populations wanting more and more water, we need more reservoirs .... Saturn’s moon Dione harbors a subsurface ocean And a volcano insight: Fifty years of

6th October - Today's News: Matthew Pounds Bahamas, Threatens Florida

Hurricane Matthew pounds parts of the Bahamas with at least 25 deaths now attributed to the storm and it’s not hype — Hurricane Matthew has been blasting through records .  Meanwhile Hurricane Matthew marches closer to U.S.; forces mass evacuations as Florida warned of 'direct hit' Typhoon Chaba batters South Korea and heads to Japan   In Australia, NT sweats through unprecedented heatwave but it's still soggy in parts of the south; Victoria floods: Closed roads, landslides and non-flushing loos Gulf Stream slowdown tied to changes in Southern Hemisphere

5th October - Today's News: Cat 4 Hurricane Matthew Hits Haiti, Cuba

Hurricane Matthew hits Cuba hours after slamming Haiti as Haitians describe their ordeal at the hands of Hurricane Matthew and at least eleven dead as UN warns of 'worst humanitarian crisis in Haiti since 2010 quake' .  Meanwhile, the US, 1 million-plus urged to flee coastal South Carolina today, including most of the population of Charleston ... Powerful typhoon Chaba barrels toward Japan after striking South Korea a glancing blow  Warnings in Thailand that Bangkok's flood defences losing battle with heavy rain  Wild spring weather lashes Tasmania, Maatsuyker sets wind record but the flood risk drops in South Australia, as BOM forecasts 40C   The NZ community covered in fog - for 11 straight days Arctic methane gas emission 'significantly increased since 2014' - major new research  New fault discovered in earthquake-prone Southern California region Well done Ian Currie (and the Croydon Advertiser) .... Croydon weatherman p

4th October - Today's News: "Strongest Ever" Typhoon Chaba Hits Okinawa

Typhoon Chaba most intense on record in parts of Okinawa Hurricane Matthew: Haitians flee inland as violent storm approaches It's been the most snow days ever recorded in WA as state experiences coldest winter in 24 years Violent storm rips through Canberra with dozens of trees down across town A possible 'tornado' rips through New Forest boatyard on Saturday morning Passenger captures the incredible moment a sea of clouds is transformed into 'molten lava' by the setting sun Historical records may underestimate global sea level rise And according to a new paper from James Hansen planet at its hottest in 115,000 years thanks to climate change, experts sa y.  But I am not convinced.  In any case, we need a sustained period (decades) of such temperatures before we can compare with a previous mean and it's quite possibly that overall it was still warmer (at least some years) during the Mid-Holocene warm period .

3rd October - Today's News: Concerns for Haiti as Hurricane Matthew Looms

Hurricane Matthew: Evacuations in Haiti as powerful storm looms with Jamaica and Cuba also preparing. Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, 'Sprites' hit the heights: Lightning-like electrical disturbances light up the night sky in a rare and striking display Wild weather spreads in Australia as severe thunderstorm blows roof off home, cuts power to 10,000 properties around Brisbane whilst in SA, more rain, wind expected after midnight across flood watch areas Rosetta mission ends in comet collision And the first snow of winter has fallen in the Cairngorms - just about!  With reports also of similar on the Ben: light and not settling.  Recent years have seen snow settle as early as late August ...

1st October - Today's News: Caribbean Storm Matthew Becomes Cat 5 Hurricane

Now the strongest Atlantic storm since Felix in 2007, Matthew intensifies into a rare category 5 hurricane; forecast to turn toward Jamaica, Cuba South Australia storms: Ring of wind slams into state a day after power blackout with the latest SA weather: Gawler flooding in wake of severe storms as river levels peak whilst thousands without power, flood warnings issued for Barossa Valley and Onkaparinga Elsewhere in Australia NSW weather: Evacuation order for Condobolin as Lachlan River flood moves downstream as floods strand 181 families for month on islands in the middle of NSW whilst a  WA storm blacks out homes, blocks roads as severe weather warning remains .  Makes Britain's weather all seem very benign ....  In Ontario, storm sets new rain record for Windsor and Tecumseh Swedes bake during 'record' warm September Largely unreported (except for here!) recent forest fires 'destroyed' 2 million hectares - 'an unprecedented catastro