The National Weather Service says the average temperature for the period from December's winter solstice to the spring equinox on Tuesday was 45.6 degrees. The weather service says that's about 2 degrees higher than the previous record set in 1989-90.

The Washington Post reports that past winter was marked by a lack of very cold days. The temperature measured at Reagan National Airport fell to 32 degrees or below on 24 of the season's 89 days. That's the fewest on record for Washington.

Freak Canada Warmth Shatters March Records
Highest historical temperatures for March have been rewritten in much of eastern Canada this week in the face of extraordinary warmth.

Wednesday, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City were among the cities and towns marking monthly highs after readings soared into the summerlike mid-20s C, commonly 20 to 25 degrees C above normal, over a wide area.

Ottawa reached a July-like high of 27.4 degrees C (81 F). The old record high at the nation's capital city was 26.7 degrees C (80 F) set back on March 29, 1946.

In nearby Montreal, Quebec, the high of 25.8 degrees C barely edged out the old mark of 25.6, which was reached on March 28, 1945.

Likewise, Quebec City edged out its standing record high, hitting 18.3 degrees C (65 F). The old maximum was 17.8 degrees C, which was written into the climate books on March 30, 1962.

If some standing records were nudged aside, others were simply annihilated.

Take Saint John, New Brunswick, where, before this month, it had not officially warmed above 16.8 degrees C (62F). But this March 29, 1999, mark was shattered by Wednesday's top reading of 25.4 degrees C (78 F).

Chicago Hits Nine Record Highs in a Row

Chicago has set nine record highs in a row with temperatures climbing above-normal for July 4th on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The high soared to 85 degrees on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, and 87 degrees on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, shattering previous records for these dates. The normal high for this time of year in Chicago is 48 degrees, while the normal high on July 4th is 84 degrees.

The high of 87 degrees set on Wednesday ties for the second highest temperature ever recorded in Chicago during the month of March. The all-time record for March still stands as 88 degrees on March 29, 1986.

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, the ninth record high in row was set in Chicago as the high rose to 83 degrees during the afternoon.

High temperatures have been more than 15 degrees above normal in Chicago for 12 straight days, since March 10, 2012. The average temperature so far this month is 18 degrees above normal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2118747/Seasons-play-leapfr...

Spring into summer: Seasons play leapfrog as March feels just like a balmy British June

Weather for the weekend predicted to be warmer than Bermuda!

New Brunswick Shatters Weather Records (Canada)

"Weather records were shattered all over New Brunswick on Tuesday (Mar 20), and may be again today.

The hotspot Wednesday was St. Stephen where the temperature hit 24.6 C degrees. There were all-time highs for March in Fredericton at 23.9 C, in Moncton at 21 C and Bathurst at 22.8 C.

It’s never been this warm at this time of the year in the province, according to Environment Canada.

Senior climatologist David Phillips called the heat wave "unusual," and said it's being caused by a mass of warm air from the United States.

Phillips said that forecasters at this time of year are usually dealing with wind chill readings, not humidex readings."

Flooding Across Western New Brunswick Reaches Historic Levels

Southeastern U.S. Buried in Hail -

"Despite temperatures in the 60s and 70s, it looked like the middle of winter in parts of the Southeast on Saturday.

No, it wasn't snow--but hail that covered the ground up to 6 inches deep in some communities on Saturday from southwestern Virginia into South Carolina.

The Storm Prediction Center compiled 80 reports of hail from Saturday ranging from an inch (quarter size) to two and three-quarters of an inch in diameter (baseball size).

Windshields were busted out by golf ball-sized hail near Mount Herman, N.C. Near Salemburg, N.C., quarter-sized hail fell fast and furious for about seven minutes, pelting and denting everything in sight."

Blazing hot Britain! As temperatures soar, parched countryside is catching fire 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/9172897/Snow-forecast-fol... 

UK now experiencing warmest March temperatures ever probably but forecasters warn snow could be next!!!!They know about the wobble obviously.

Record Rain, Hail in McAllen, Texas (March 30) -

Mayor Richard Cortez declared a state of disaster Friday after a fierce storm that Thursday evening pummeled cars and buildings, ripped roofs, set fires and left mounds of hail still melting late into the afternoon.

“It was, according to the national weather bureau, a very, very unusual storm that had a lot of hail over a small area,” Cortez said. “The good thing is there was no loss of life, but it looks like a war zone in some places. People need help.”

The storm hovered over Hidalgo County for about four hours, dumping a record 4.37 inches of rain at the McAllen-Miller International Airport. Rescue crews scrambled as more than 100 calls came in to help people out of flooded homes and vehicles.

Hailstones as large as baseballs tore leaves from trees and killed wildlife.

“We did pick up many, many dead birds,” Cortez said.

He said officials were still going door-to-door but estimated as many as 1,000 homes were affected.

Damage and flooding prompted closure of dozens of schools in Hidalgo County, and social media sites buzzed with photos of battered property.

National Weather Service forecaster Jason Straub said rainfall from the storm was the most for a single day in McAllen since recording began in the early 1940s.

“We have a survey team out taking pictures, and one of the pictures is of a forecaster standing next to a drift of hail that's remaining still this morning, and it's up to his knees,” he said.

City spokesman Roy Cantu said it had been a long night for city officials and workers, starting with his own Facebook and Twitter shout-outs late Thursday for all involved to report to duty.

“That's never happened, so that was really interesting when I sent that out,” he said. “It worked. They had a whole bunch of guys out there.”

The Mission and McAllen school districts were among those to cancel classes.

McAllen school district spokesman Mark May said he saw a Volkswagen Beetle floating along a street in his own neighborhood and awoke to see his oak trees stripped of their leaves.

“It's amazing,” he said. “I just have twigs and leaves across my entire yard.”

See also: Hundreds of Birds Killed During McAllen Hail Storm

Warmest March on Record for 50+ U.S. Cities

Source

"In states from Colorado to Florida, more than 50 cities saw their warmest March on record, weather.com reported Sunday, citing National Weather Service data and its own research.

The list, compiled by weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce, shows that a few cities in states as far west as Colorado and Wyoming saw records. But the vast majority were in the central U.S. and the South. Large cities on the list include Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington D.C."

Colorado
Burlington

Florida
Tampa
Sarasota

Georgia
Atlanta

Ohio
Akron
Youngstown
Toledo
Mansfield

Illinois
Chicago
Quincy

Indiana
Indianapolis
Evansville

Kansas
Goodland

Kentucky
Paducah
London
Jackson

Louisiana
Monroe
Shreveport

Maine
Portland

Minnesota
Rochester
Minneapolis
Duluth
International Falls
St. Cloud

Michigan
Detroit
Flint
Saginaw
Muskegon
Lansing
Grand Rapids

Missouri
St. Louis
Kansas City
Columbia
Springfield
Vichy-Rolla
West Plains

Nebraska
McCook

New Hampshire
Concord

New Jersey
Trenton
Atlantic City

New York
Albany
Buffalo
Rochester

Ohio
Cleveland

Oklahoma
Oklahoma City

Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
Mount Pocono
Allentown
Erie

South Carolina
Florence

South Dakota
Rapid City

Tennessee
Nashville

Texas
Tyler
Longview

Vermont
Burlington

Wisconsin
La Crosse
Milwaukee
Madison
Eau Claire

West Virginia
Beckley
Parkersburg
Huntington

Wyoming
Riverton

Washington, D.C.

summer's gone and winter returns to the UK as parts of Scotland get over 6 inches of snow and the rest of the UK waits for the cold front to reach them later.

 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/snow-and-subzero-tem...

Here are some updates on the storms in Texas.

'The second trailer is ripped to pieces and thrown 50 to 100 feet into the air': Massive tornadoes toss TRUCKS across the skies as 'large and extremely dangerous' twisters target Texas

• Tornadoes reported in Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as cities Arlington and Lancaster
• News footage shows tractor-trailers being thrown by massive twister
• Several homes in the path of storm reportedly destroyed and others with their roofs torn off
• Texas TV news reporter says 'I've never seen this before'
• Tens of thousands of homes without power
  
• Flights into and out of DFW International Airport cancelled by FAA

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2124386/UK-weather-Spring-s...

in the UK, summer in March gives way to winter in April: 

"High winds have brought down the exterior wall of a house in Staffordshire (UK).

Staffordshire Police was called at 06:40 BST to the scene in Scot Hay Road, Alsagers Bank.

The falling bricks crushed two cars but no-one was hurt. Flying bricks also damaged a lamppost.

Structural engineers have assessed the house and Scot Hay Road was closed. Police said they had received a high number of weather-related calls.

A number of these were about trees that had blown over in the strong winds.

Some residents in the area where the wall collapsed claimed that lamp-posts were placed too close to their homes and that, due to their height, occasionally swayed during winds, touching exterior walls.

'Extremely unusual'

The collapsed wall has a lamp-post sited next to it.

Staffordshire county councillor Mike Maryon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The lighting column in question was installed in Oct 2006 by E.on under the provisions of a 25-year PFI contract awarded by the county council.

"Investigations need to be undertaken to fully ascertain the reasons for the failure of the wall, but it is extremely unusual for a lighting column to cause a wall to fail unless there is an issue with the wall itself.

"The local building inspector will be able to confirm this following an inspection, and we are currently awaiting those findings."

A road in north Staffordshire was closed earlier due to heavy snow.

The A53 was closed in both directions, near Leek, between Upper Hulme and Buxton Road.

Source

Records shattered for broad temperature trends in the contiguous United States -

• Last month was the warmest March on record (records go back to 1895) at 51.1 degrees; this is 8.6 degrees above the 20th century average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

• January-March was the warmest first quarter on record; the average temperature of 42 degrees was 6 degrees above average.

• April 2011-March 2012 was the warmest stretch of those 12 months on record; at 55.4 degrees, that period was 2.6 degrees above average.

• In March, 15,292 records were broken for warmth; 7,775 were new daytime highs in cities across the country and 7,517 were new nighttime highs.

A night to remember: Thunderstorm shatters records

The thunderstorm that blew through the Bay Area on Thursday night was one for the books - it shattered rainfall records in four cities and produced more lightning strikes than any storm in years.

All that rain pushed local precipitation totals closer to seasonal averages, percentage-wise, than they've been since a bone-dry December. It was accompanied by 750 lightning strikes across the Bay Area between 8 p.m. and midnight, said Chris Stumpf, a National Weather Service forecaster.

"That's quite a bit more than we've almost ever had, at least in recent memory," he said. "It's nice to mix things up."

Bolts hit the Transamerica Pyramid, towers on the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, the giant container cranes at the Port of Oakland and an airplane that had just taken off from San Francisco International Airport for London. The plane turned back without incident.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/14/BALB1O3...

For the first time cyclone appears on Turkey, severe storm batters Istanbul

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/for-the-first-time-cyclone...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2131939/UK-weather-After-aw...

After awful April comes miserable May as next month is predicted to be coldest for 100 YEARS... but it could be a sizzling summer

Hailstorms Annihilate San Joaquin Valley Crops - Growers Lose 100 Percent of Production 

A series of freak April storms hammered the San Joaquin Valley last week, damaging vulnerable crops with a one-two-three punch of hail, lightning and tornadoes that caused millions of dollars of crop losses.

It will be several weeks before an accurate tabulation of losses can be made, but for some growers it amounted to 100 percent of this year's production. A number of crops suffered damage from the unrelenting power of hailstones measuring 1.5 inches in diameter or larger.

Nature's fury came in the form of "supercells"—large thunderstorms that moved slowly across the valley from Kings County, through parts of Tulare County, up to Merced County and all the way eastward to Mariposa County.

The most destructive storm brought torrents of hail across a six-to-eight mile-wide swath of farmland that extended some 30 miles, accompanied by thunderstorms and numerous lightning strikes.

The epicenter of the more significant of two supercells last Wednesday was in Tulare County near Traver. Grower Ed Needham, who was caught driving near Traver when the storm struck, described it as "the sound of someone hitting my truck with a hammer."

Needham said he was in his truck with two other farmers and had pulled over to watch a huge storm cell to the south when the other cell struck from the north.

"It started out small and was no big deal and then all of a sudden the side-view mirrors on my truck shattered and the road started getting covered with huge hailstones. I looked at the wind and saw that it was going south, so I took off and went to the south and got out of it," he said.

Steve Johnson, a storm chaser with Atmospheric Group International, tracked the storms closely and estimated that the damage to agriculture could reach $25 million or more just from the two supercells that hit last Wednesday afternoon.

"While other thunderstorms were moving at about 25 miles per hour, these two slugs were moving at about 7 or 8 miles an hour, so they just trudged along producing very large hail and a high quantity of lightning," he said. "I estimate the damage at anywhere from 80 percent to 100 percent in fields and orchards where the hail struck. The fruit and nut trees were stripped bare. The trees look like they are in midwinter and haven't even budded yet."

Johnson also reported that a third supercell formed over farmland west of Lemoore, producing a tornado, and another one popped up near Huron, causing considerable crop damage to Westside lettuce and tomato fields.

The following day, a supercell formed in Merced County near Dos Palos and moved northeast between Atwater and Merced, once again accompanied by huge hailstones.

"The hailstones were larger than those on the previous day. There was 1 3/4-inch hail that was recorded near Castle Air Force Base, causing a lot of crop damage as well as other damage before moving up into Mariposa County," Johnson said.

John Diepersloot, one of the owners of Kingsburg Orchards, which grows peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots, said the storms wiped out some orchards while leaving adjacent ones unscathed. He said several of his orchards were struck and that while the visible damage is obvious, it will be several days before any accurate assessment can be made.

"Where the hail hit, it is a complete, 100 percent loss. It was hitting in cells, so one area was a complete disaster and another area got missed," he said. "Some of the fields look like they got beat up pretty bad. Most of the apricots, cherries, pluots and plums got scratched up pretty bad or even knocked off the trees."

Diepersloot also noted damage to other crops, particularly grapes and newly transplanted processing tomatoes.

"The tomatoes on certain blocks were stripped down. The transplants had leaves ripped off. The grapes had everything from tender, new shoots to the bark itself torn off. A lot of guys are planting their corn, but it isn't up yet, so that is still in the ground," he said.

John Thiesen, general manager of Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. of Reedley, said he is still trying to assess the losses, and that enough fruit to fill from 5 million to 12 million boxes may have been lost.

"That is a pretty big span, so no one really knows for sure. But we do know there is very significant damage," he said.

Thiesen said the magnitude of last week's hailstorms was stunning.

"One doesn't see this kind of devastation very often. I know for us here, we were fortunate to escape, but the emotions are such that we feel just awful for all our grower friends who were affected. It is heartbreaking," he said.

Michael Miya, who farms walnuts, pistachios and field crops such as wheat, corn and onions for seed north of Hanford, said this was the worst hailstorm he has ever witnessed.

"We inspected the damage to our walnuts and it chopped a lot of the young leaflets. It covered the ground in green where the hail went through. We are concerned with the nuts that are already set on the trees," he said. "Some of my neighbors with almonds say they lost about a third of their crop, some less and some more, depending on where they were located. One of my neighbors with cherries said he has probably lost 80 percent of his crop."

Johnson, a severe-weather specialist who provides private weather forecasting for farming operations, utility companies and irrigation districts in the San Joaquin Valley, said it has been at least 20 years since something this severe struck the region.

"I feel really bad for the farmers who have been annihilated, because they work very hard," he said.

Source

Alternating drought and deluge in the UK -

April 16: Drought Declared in 17 England Counties

April 25: Month's Worth of Rain Drenches UK in 24 Hours

Water levels continue to drop in Florida

Residents’ wells running dry

CHIEFLAND — While scientists, policymakers and stakeholders alike disagree on how to address the issue of Florida’s water, one thing is certain: It continues to become less available.

Drought is part of the problem.

The Suwannee River Water Management District, which manages 14 counties in Northern Florida, reports an overall rainfall deficit of about 16 inches for the last year, which, from April to March, has been the “driest April March period since 1932.”

Florida is known to undergo periods of drought every few years. Still, data from both SRWMD and the Florida Geological Society, taking drought years into account, shows groundwater levels in the area trending downward since the middle of the 20th century, suggesting increased withdrawal is having an affect.

“We’re mining the aquifer,” Chiefland resident and Save Our Suwannee Inc. representative Annette Long, said in an interview at Fanning Springs State Park Friday. “We’re taking more than is being recharged.

One hundred percent of the data shows that’s what’s happening.”

It was at Fanning Springs on Aug. 9 where Long, a veteran cave diver and springs advocate, captured on video a steady influx of brown river water flowing into the spring.

“I said, ‘I think I’m going to have a stroke. I need to sit down,” Long said. “The smallest rise or fall now causes the springs to
reverse.”

At about 50 cubic feet of water per second, both Fanning and Manatee springs are at about half the flow that typically categorized them as first magnitude springs. Fanning’s decline, according to SRWMD records, has been slow and steady during the last year, while Manatee has seen a sharp decline from more than 150 cubic feet per second a year ago.

Levy County representatives reported recently that Bronson Blue Springs has ceased flowing, and representatives from two of Williston’s most popular attractions, Blue Grotto and Devil’s Den, also report record low levels.

Dan Fisher, who has worked at Blue Grotto for about 14 years, said he’s never seen the spring’s level so low.

“The water is dropping like a rock,” he said Friday. “It’s probably a good 10 feet down from the average.”

According to Fisher, it measures at about 100 feet at its deepest point on average. He said he’s noticed levels dropping for the past two years.

Fisher said the lack of rain is certainly an issue, but agriculture and development also play a part, both of which, unlike rain, can be managed.

“Florida is just totally being destroyed,” he said. “The economy is the only thing anybody cares about anymore. Gotta make money. But once you destroy everything that everybody came here for, what’s left?”

Rowena Thomas, who co-manages Devil’s Den, said Friday the spring is down about 12 feet from its average of about 60 feet.

“Residents are concerned,” she said. “I would be too if I had wells. If you’re not concerned about it, you’re putting your head in the sand.”

There have been 71 wells reporting record low levels for March, according to SRWMD.

Jamie Storey, owner of Action Pump Repair and Well Drilling in Old Town, said he’s seen a lot of wells go dry in the past year.

“A lot of the 30- to 40-foot wells are drying up right now,” he said. “A lot of them are starting to pump air and sand.”

He said wells went dry during the drought in the early 2000s as well, though most of those were shallower wells, extending on average only about 20 feet into the ground. From that time, he said, water levels have continued to drop.

Storey said most of the wells he’s seen run dry recently are in the Dixie County area. People have had to extend wells to get their pumps farther down, sometimes having to purchase a more powerful pump.

Jody Stephenson, owner of Stephenson Septic Tank Services Inc., of Old Town, said he contracts out a lot of well drilling and pump repair and is running into the same problems.

“There are a lot of wells going dry, mostly in Dixie County. But it’s all around, Levy and Gilchrist. Everybody’s in the same boat,” he said last week.

The problem, which started about two years ago, has gotten worse in the last year, he said.

Steve Quinata, owner of Williston Well and Pump Inc., said he’s been seeing wells run dry in Morriston, Williston and in areas closer to Gainesville. He said the problem became most apparent at the beginning of the year.

Still, SRWMD board members continue to issue permits for millions of gallons of water withdrawals a day.

On April 10, the board approved for a third time temporary permits initially approved in December for about 3.9 million gallons of water a day to three farms operating in the Lower Suwannee River Basin wishing to expand operations.

The William Douberly Farm, Alliance Grazing Group (Lancala) and its sister operation, Piedmont Dairy Farm, are in total permitted to use about 6.3 million gallons of water a day. Combined, the farms will be using  15 new spray pivots for irrigation purposes, according to SRWMD records.

Long said she thinks people would be shocked to know that taxpayers eat the lion’s share of the cost of such pivots when farmers expand operations.

“We are out of water, and the feds and the state are helping farmers get 80 percent cost share for circle pivots for new land. That is insane!” she said.

John Sage Jr., who lives between Fowlers Bluff and Chiefland, complained last week about the installation of new pivots on farms near his home.

“It’s OK if there’s plenty of water,” he said. “But I don’t see me or anyone else, just regular people, losing their wells.”

Sage, who has lived in the area for 25 years, said he’s never seen the water situation so bad. He also said he does his part to conserve water, something SRWMD asks residents to do.

But he is losing his garden, and he’s starting to see a lot of iron in his water.

He said he’s not sure if he can afford the $3,500 it would cost him to increase the size of the pipe his well uses.

If he could address the water district, he said, “I’d ask them to curtail water use. These guys use enough water for a small city.”

And that’s another problem, Long said. The district doesn’t actually know how much water farmers are using because the vast majority of agricultural wells are not monitored.

“My theory is that they’re using a whole lot more water than they are permitted for,” said Long, who has been attending SRWMD meetings regularly for several years.

Why else would a farm lobbyist tell SRWMD board members at the December meeting that monitoring agricultural wells would put farmers out of business, she asked.

“I’m not asking them to lose business,” she said. “But they’re asking us to have a crisis.”

Several state agencies are currently working toward sharing resources and coming up with a single model to help determine what happens to the groundwater in North Florida, but Long said an accurate understanding of what’s going on depends on agricultural wells being monitored. Meanwhile, she said, water districts use outdated groundwater models for permitting purposes.

“The model shows we’re not supposed to be running out of water yet. This was way down the road. That’s why I was so shocked: because it’s happening.”

When enough springs quit flowing, she said, parts of the aquifer will be inundated with river water.

River water has high dissolved oxygen levels that can spur the quick release of salts such as gypsum, sulpher and arsenic found naturally in Florida’s geology.

“There will come a point when the water will poison the crops.”

Tornados, more rain on the way, and a drought ... the strange British weather which keeps on getting freakier Friday, 27 April 2012

Three tornados in 24 hours hit UK as Met Office says April could be 'wettest on record'
But drought could 'last till Christmas' as land is too dry to soak up the rain
The Environment Agency warns more heavy rain could lead to localised flooding across the nation
Possible weather warnings this Sunday as forecasters say weather looks set to remain unsettled for at least the next week with heavy showers

Being on course for the wettest April on record might have seemed bad enough – and then came the tornadoes.

As downpours triggered flood warnings across the country yesterday, householders in several areas were clearing the wreckage left by twisters.

One farm in Halstead, Essex, saw more than £100,000 of damage from the strong winds, which lifted farmer Alan Barrow off his feet and hurled him to the ground.

‘It was a really terrifying experience,’ the 55-year-old said. ‘It was like a physical blow. I never saw it coming.’

Mr Barrow, whose insurance does not cover the farm - which has been in Liz's family since 1929 - for storms, fears the couple will face huge repair bills.

He added: I feel very lucky to be here today but the damage caused will cost us about £100,000 to repair.

If I had got in the way of any of the flying debris though things would have been much worse.

Two chicken sheds were overturned and about 20 chickens were crushed under them as they came down.

Afterwards we started to clear the wreckage and we found two trapped under all the debris so we saved them but the majority didn't stand a chance.

One of our sheds had it's roof completely taken off and there is severe damage to another one and to the grain store.

It will take months to repair. We don't have storm insurance you never think you'll get a twister in Essex.

There are trees, even fully grown oaks ripped out of the ground up on the fields.

If this had gone through a town or something there is no doubt people would have got hurt, just think of the damage, it would have been awful.

The tornado's trail of destruction left behind flattened sheds, damaged walls, and killed 20 chickens when it lifted their run up into the air and then threw it back down to the ground.

Read more and see incredible images at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2135422/UK-weather-Farmer-l...

The morning after the day before..: Three yachts broke free from their mooring at Portland Harbour, Dorset, and were washed ashore at Castle Cove, Weymouth. The torrential rain and 50mph winds took the unmanned boats,

http://sawdis1.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/tornados-more-rain-on-way-an...

Floods, Sinkholes, Avalanches and Mudslides Leave BC Residents Scrambling (Canada) April 27 

Evacuation Alert Issued in B.C. Interior

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/27/bc-...

An evacuation alert has been issued for an area in B.C.'s Interior due to an immediate danger of a flash flood, local authorities say.  The order applies to residents in the area of Chute Lake, about 20 kilometres south of Kelowna.

The threat was the latest in a torrent of weather-related natural disasters that have hit B.C.'s interior, forcing people from their homes, closing highways and stranding travellers.

A slow-moving frontal system brought significant rain to interior parts of the province causing substantial flooding, as well as unusual avalanche activity, sinkholes and mudslides.

In West Kelowna, B.C., residents along Hitchner Road have had their houses flooded for the second time in two days.

On Wednesday, water from McDougall creek spilled its banks, and flooded three homes, including Ondreia Robie's house. Crews were able to divert the water back into the creek and build up the banks overnight.

"It's beyond frustrating. It's devastating. You think once, okay, and you come back and it's filling up again — another eight feet," said Robie Thursday night.

"You know, Doug has been here for almost 30 years. It's horrifying. He doesn't even know which way to look. I mean sleepless nights are going to be endless."

Unusual spring avalanches strand travellers
The Canadian Avalanche Centre is warning people to be wary of large avalanches, parts of the Purcells and Kootenary-Boundary regions not known for slides.

"In some cases, these slides have been rated size four or larger and are creating new (or at least new to us) avalanche paths by cleaning out many hectares of mature timber," warned Karl Klassen, public avalanche warning service manager.

"There are several cases where people have been trapped when they drive up a dry road in the morning then come back in the afternoon to find tens of metres and thousands of tonnes of snow covering the road," wrote Klassen on Thursday.

"In one place the slide ran across the valley bottom where it hit the road on the other side after climbing uphill. This one was completely covered with trees, making the snow almost invisible underneath."

Flooding and sinkholes close highways

Traffic is flowing again between Burns Lake and Houston, after a sinkhole two kilometres east of Topley, B.C., forced the closure of Highway 16 in both directions.

A mudslide just east of Salmon Arm, B.C., late Thursday, forced the closure of Highway 1 in both directions overnight, and pulled a tree down over power in the area, knocking out electricity to 368 homes. The highway has since been re-opened and power restored.

In the Kootenays, highways have been re-opened after summer (sudden?) melt and rain caused mudslides between Nelson and Salmo on Highway 6 and Highway 31, north of Trout Lake. Highway 3 was washed away east of Castlegar at the Bombi summit, but re-opened Friday morning.

1 dead, 100 injured as storm packing huge hail overturns tent at St. Louis sports bar - (April 28)

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/28/11449666-1-dead-100-in...

A storm blasting through the city blew away a tent outside a downtown bar, leaving one man dead Saturday afternoon, NBC station KSDK reported.

A least 17 others -- five in critical condition -- were taken to hospitals after the incident at Kilroy’s Sports Bar on South Seventh Street a couple of blocks south of Busch Stadium, KSDK reported. A total of 100 people received medical treatment, KSDK said. Photos showed the tent impaled on a nearby railroad trestle.

It was not clear whether the man who died was struck during the incident or went into cardiac arrest because of shock, officials said.

St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson told KSDK that a few hundred people were celebrating in the tent after the Cardinals' victory over the Milwaukee Brewers when the storm hit.

"We've got severe injuries to quite a few people," Jenkerson said, noting live wires were left on the ground after the tarp tied to galvanized pipes blew away. "We don't like this type of building. It gives us nightmares, and as you can see, it caused one."

The pipes "beat up" many of the people in the tent, Jenkerson said.

The tent was set up as a beer garden next to Kilroy's, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

"I thought a train fell off the track," Art Randall, Kilroy's owner, told the Post-Dispatch. "We all ducked for cover. Everything was going sideways. I had metal chairs ripping across the beer garden."

"People were pushing and shoving," said Christy Eilermann, 42, of St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch reported. "The wind just picked up and they started dragging people inside."

a video of the hail storm at a golf course in St. Louis

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136503/Thought-worse-A-mon...

It's a washout! Britain is battered by violent storms, 60mph winds and flooding as forecasters warn of MONTH of rainfall in just a DAY

• Met Office says April could be 'wettest on record' as the Environment Agency puts 42 flood alerts in place
  
• But drought could 'last till Christmas' as land is too dry to soak up the rain
• The Environment Agency warns combination of dry land and heavy rain could cause more flash flooding
  
• 60mph winds set to hit parts of the country today with downpours to continue into next week
  
• Dramatic scenes as scaffolding topples, a tree crushes a passing police van and monster waves hammer the coast
  
• Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, braced to relive disastrous flood of summer 2007

Fierce storms wreaked destruction in many parts of Britain last night, leaving roads and railways blocked by debris as forecasters warned 60mph winds will hit coastal areas today.

In London a car was crushed under a falling tree, while a main road was closed after a large section of scaffolding collapsed across a junction.

And, following last night's violent storms, some areas were set to get a month's worth of rain in just one day today - making it the wettest day of the year so far.

Two inches of rain are expected to fall in many places along with high winds and potential flash flooding, meaning this month’s rain will beat the record for the wettest April – currently 120.3mm (4.7in) in 2000.

Central, eastern Europe swelter in record heat
VIENNA: Summer came early to central and eastern Europe as unseasonally-high temperatures were recorded on Saturday in several parts of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Temperatures "are exceptionally mild for April", Austria's ZAMG meteorological centre said, reporting a record 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) in the northern region of Lower Austria.

The centre said the main reason for the summer weather gracing the region was a strong southern wind from Africa's Sahara desert.

Temperatures hovering around 28 Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) in Vienna drew large crowds to the banks of the Danube while Germany's Bild carried front-page pictures of Berlin residents sunbathing in 30 degrees.

Prague experienced its hottest April 28 in 212 years, with mercury hitting 27.7 Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) while unusually-high temperatures were also recorded in Poland and Slovakia.

Moscow swelters in record heat
Moscow sweltered in unseasonable heat on Sunday, with temperatures of nearly 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 Fahrenheit), a record for April since data collection began 130 years ago, authorities said.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Moscow_swelters_in_record_heat_99...

April is the wettest month for 100 years

It has been the wettest April in the UK for over 100 years, with some areas seeing three times their usual average, figures from the Met Office show.

Yet another month passes with "Since records began" headlines in the UK.

Unusual Weather

Comoros (the) Flash Floods Situation Report # 1 – 28 April 2012

http://reliefweb.int/node/493172

Download PDF (68.89 KB)

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

• Since April 20 April, the Islands of Comoros have been battered by torrential rains. Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli islands are significantly affected with water supply, electricity and telecommunications services cut off as well as the market functionality disrupted.

• Some villages are inaccessible because roads and other communication infrastructure have been cut off.

• According to the Comoros meteorological services, more rainfall is expected for the next few days.

• An assessment was carried out by the Government and humanitarian partners.

• To date, 46,139 people are affected, 9228 people displaced in temporary shelters or hosted by relatives.

• On 26 April, the President declared a State of Emergency.

• A humanitarian coordination meeting was held on 27th April with the local donors to contribute to the President’s emergency fund in response to the current flooding

Comoros: Two dead after heavy rains in the center of Great Comoros

Moroni - Two people were killed in the center of Great Comoros during heavy rains that lashed the archipelago for two weeks and causing serious flooding in parts of the country, we learned in the early evening on Thursday in a statement of the crisis unit of the Directorate General of civil Protection.

"The situation has worsened in the region Hambou, south of the island, with the overflow water to Mitsoudjé, southwest of Grande Comore and Bangoi, north of the country. Men are carried away by waters, "the statement said.

President of the Republic, Ikililou Dhoinine and his wife, and other personalities of the country visited the affected areas to assess the damages. A parliament meeting in special session is requested by the government to declare the area as a disaster, affected regions by heavy rains and urged the international community and the partners of the Comoros to give their assistance.

The weather service said the Comoros on Wednesday that in normal rainfall in April is 266.8 mm while that at the moment it is 740 mm.

African Diplomacy Staff

Russia Strong Spring Flood

Russian village floods - 100's evacuated | News24

2012-04-24 22:34

Kadom - Over 1 000 homes were damaged as a river in central Russia's Ryazan region rose, displacing 300 people and turning streets into canals, officials said on Tuesday.

The local Moksha river rose earlier this week, flooding the village of Kadom and cutting off access.

"1 148 houses, populated by 3 545 people, were flooded in Kadom following the rise of the river," Ryazan region's emergency ministry branch said in a statement.

319 people have been evacuated from the area, and another 350 have been working non-stop, building levees out of sandbags and other materials, the statement said.

Locals however expressed frustration that emergency workers arrived only two days into the disaster after the rapid onset of spring swelled the river with melted snow, starting the flood last Thursday.

While river levels have stopped rising, locals are forced to travel by boat, on horseback or by bicycle while wearing tall rubber boots and even wet suits. 

Some houses are still half under water, an AFP correspondent observed during a visit. Water rose by about eight meters over the weekend, the emergency ministry said.

Kadom, Another Victim of Flooding

Water level in the river Moksha that has broken its banks is higher 8-9 m than normal. The dams made by the locals from sand are being actively washed away and the densely-populated village is being flooded on. The streets have turned into Russian Venice and it even looks beautiful but the people have lost almost everything they had. The road connecting Kadom with the big world has disappeared for a distance 1 km long. These people do not believe anymore that someone will help them but themselves…

Central Russia Flood Damage Estimated at $17 mln

MOSCOW, April 26 (RIA Novosti)

A strong spring flood has caused damage to the road system of Russia’s Volga republic of Mordovia estimated at 500 million rubles ($17 million), Russia’s Minister of Regional Development Viktor Basargin said on Thursday.

The flood affected about ninety towns and villages, Basargin said, adding that one bridge has been completely washed away. It is the worst flooding since 1963, according to local authorities.

More than 880 people out of the 12,000 who live in Mordovia’s flooded areas have been evacuated. “We are giving 10,000 rubles ($341) in compensation to each resident, in total this is 121.5 million rubles ($4 mln),” Basargin said, adding that an additional 665 million rubles ($22.6 mln) may be allocated to the victims of the flood.

Floods Hit Homes in Central Russia

MOSCOW, April 21 (RIA Novosti)

More than 500 homes have been flooded in the central Russian region of Ryazan after melting snow caused the river Moksha to overflow, emergency officials said on Saturday.

At least 1,179 people in the 803-year-old Kadom village were affected by the flooding, Ryazan's regional emergencies ministry said in a statement.

A state of emergency has been declared as flood waters continue to rise.

Five people have been evacuated.

Hundreds of homes were flooded in central and southern Russia earlier this month, and emergency officials said some 4,700 towns across the country may face floods in the coming weeks.

Thousands of Homes Flooded across Russia

MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti)

Spring floods have submerged 2,477 homes in Russia, up from 903 in the past 24 hours, the Emergencies Ministry said on Thursday.

A total of 5,223 residents have been affected.

Over 1,000 people, including 150 children had to be evacuated, the ministry said.

The situation is the worst in the Republic of Tatarstan, and Saratov and Samara regions, as well as in parts of the Central and Volga Federal Districts, where 45 bridges, two dams and two sections of highways have been flooded.

Over 4,700 towns are expected to be affected by floods in Yakutia, the Maritime, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk Territories, and the Irkutsk region in Siberia.

The risk zone includes some 1,900 highway sections, 378 railroad sections and 563 bridges.

Nearly One Thousand Houses Flooded in Russia

Russian Federation: Floods - April 2012

Download PDF (531.61 KB)

Record-breaking temps make May 4 a scorcher in Denver mercury crept to 88 degrees
The 30-year average for Friday's date is 67 degrees.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20553207/record-breaking-temps-ma...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Toledo sets heat record for May 3
After setting three record highs during March — including an all-time high for the month of 85 degrees on consecutive days — and tying three others during a 15-day run of abnormal warmth
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/05/03/Toledo-sets-heat-record...
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Texas  report of record breakers everywhere...
Texas Crop Report
http://lubbockonline.com/agriculture/2012-05-06/texas-crop-report#....
COLLEGE STATION (AP) — The following reports were compiled by AgriLife Extension Service for the week of May 1:

■ South Plains: The region had a record-breaking high temperature of 104 degrees on April 25 and wind gusts up to 50 mph on May 27, with rain finally coming on April 29. Unfortunately, pea- to baseball-size hail and tornadoes accompanied the rain. Rainfall totals across the region ranged from zero to more than 2 inches. Wheat was being harvested for hay and silage. Producers were pre-watering and doing general fieldwork in preparation for spring planting. Some producers began planting corn and cotton. Most others will follow suit the first week of May. Pasture and rangeland needed rain in most areas. Cattle were in fair to good condition, and were still being provided supplemental feed in areas where forage remained limited due to the drought.

■ Panhandle: Record-breaking temperatures were reported in many parts of the region. Soil-moisture levels were from very short to adequate with most counties reporting very short to short. Many producers were waiting for more moisture before planting corn. Wheat was in from very poor to excellent condition, with most counties reporting poor to fair. Some counties reported that wheat was starting to become stressed due to lack of moisture. Some producers treated irrigated wheat for rust. Cotton growers began planting on irrigated ground. Rangeland and pastures were improving. Cattle were in good condition. Fly and other insect populations increased.

■ Rolling Plains: Though technically it was still spring, daytime highs reached 100. Cottle County posted the nation’s high temperature of 108 on April 25. Along with the heat, a dry spell set in. Soil moisture levels were very low, and producers were beginning to worry that 2012 will be a repeat of 2011. Pastures turned brown in a few days. Warm (hyphen) season grass stands were slow to green up because of damage by last year’s drought summer’s drought and lack of moisture this spring. Some cotton farmers stopped field preparations because it was furthering soil-moisture loss. Livestock remained in good condition, but without rains there won’t be forage to maintain their condition. Wheat producers expected to start harvesting soon. Peanut producers began planting. The Parker County peach and pecan crops looked good, but pecan case-bearer moths were showing up early in traps. Wise and Young counties reported major armyworm infestations.

■ Far West: Most of the region remained hot and dry, and the risk of wildfire increased. Temperatures reached 105 degrees in some areas. Lightning in Brewster County started four fires, and burned more than 12,000 acres. The continuing drought raised the specter of further herd sell-offs.

Cotton farmers were planting, but in many areas, planted acreage was expected to be reduced because of the lack of surface water for irrigation. Already-planted cotton was emerging in some areas. Supplemental feeding of cattle remained a constant expense for ranchers that still have stock.

■ Central: The trend of above-average temperatures continued, and soils and pastures further dried out. Most small grains were harvested for hay or silage. Most hay was being stored. Grasshoppers were reported, and a big outbreak was expected without a rain soon. Some producers replanted coastal and Bermuda grass fields killed by the drought. Winter grasses continued to provide grazing, but were also depleting the soil moisture summer grasses will need to grow. Corn and sunflowers were growing very fast. Wheat neared being ready for harvest — two to three weeks ahead of normal. Corn, cotton, and milo producers hoped for rain in early May. Livestock were in good condition.

■ Coastal Bend: Lack of rain and above-normal temperatures in April caused soil moisture levels to become short. Pecan growers were spraying for nut case-bearer early this year. Crops in western part of district were very moisture stressed.

■ East: Dry, windy conditions and above-normal temperatures continued to dry out topsoils around the region. Most counties reported no rain. Hay producers were cutting and baling ryegrass and other winter forages. A short supply of fertilizer continued to keep prices high. Insects and diseases were reported on ornamental plants. Blueberries and blackberries made good progress. Feral hogs continued to be a problem for many landowners. Spring cattle work was under way. Fly populations increased for cowherds.

■ North: Weather was mild and dry. Soil moisture was short to adequate, but high winds were drying out soils and raising the potential for wildfire. Hay harvesting was in full swing, and producers were excited about quality and quantity. A wide variety of weeds were appearing everywhere. Oats and wheat are beginning to turn color. Many areas reported seeing the best wheat crop they’ve had for many years. Grain sorghum and soybeans farmers were planting. Cattle were in good shape, and spring cattle work was under way. Insect and disease problems were reported in some ornamental plants. Peaches looked extremely good. There were reports of armyworms, and feral hogs continued to be a major problem.

■ South: Extremely hot daytime temperatures coupled with high winds began drying out soils. Most counties reported short to very short soil-moisture levels. The exceptions were Cameron County, which reported 55 percent adequate moisture levels, and Willacy County with 100 percent adequate. Pasture grasses were quickly drying out and turning brown. Livestock producers increased supplemental feeding of cattle. Hay prices also increased, and livestock prices remained at a high for all classes. Cattle body condition scores continued to be good to fair. In Atascosa County, the wheat harvest began, and grain sorghum looked good. In Frio County, the harvesting of potatoes and wheat were in full swing, corn crops neared the tassel stage and cotton planting was completed. In Jim Wells County, field-crop conditions declined because of the dry, hot and windy weather. In Zavala County, high temperatures dried out wheat very quickly. Producers there expected to begin harvesting by the first week of May. Also in Zavala County, onion harvesting began, cabbage harvesting was ongoing, irrigated corn and cotton made good progress, and pecan producers reported heavy blooms on all trees with no heavy insect pressure. In Hidalgo and Starr counties, the citrus harvesting was winding down, onions and watermelons were being harvested, and the cantaloupe, tomato and squash harvests began.

■ Southeast: Producers were baling cool-season annuals to clean off fields in preparation for warm-season grass growth. Pastures continue to improve because of additional rain and less grazing pressure as livestock numbers were down. Cattle condition was good due to the improved pasture conditions. Crop production looked good compared to last year. Ponds levels further rose with additional rains. Many ponds had increased weed pressure.

■ Southwest: Higher-than-normal temperatures and windy conditions caused shallow soils to dry out and crack. Winter weeds were burning up, and there did not appear to be much grass left in pastures. These conditions were once again putting pressure on livestock producers to find forage for cattle. Livestock remained in good condition. Most well-managed hay pastures were cut for the first time, but yields were low and weedy, and quality poor. Many field crops were maturing ahead of schedule due to the warmer temperatures and earlier precipitation. However, some crops were starting to show signs of drought stress. Forage sorghum and haygrazer planted early in March were about 3 feet tall and were expected to yield some good hay. However, these crops were stressed as well and in need of moisture.

■ West Central: Hot, dry, windy conditions continued, drying out soils and crops. Highs were already in the 100s. Wheat was reaching maturity fast, and above average yields were expected. Some producers were cutting and baling wheat and oat fields for hay. Others were preparing fields for cotton planting. Many were busy planting hay crops. Cool-season plants entered dormancy. Some warm-season grasses were showing heat stress. Weeds continue to hinder grass growth in pastures. Cattle remained in good condition. Flies became a major nuisance. Pecan growers were spraying and irrigating.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A record-breaking cold front brought five centimetres of snow to Edmonton.
The high temperature was only 1.5 C, smashing a record for the day that was set in 1937, when it was 4.4 C. The normal high for early May is 16
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/1996+Snow+ends+brief+flirtati...
A record-breaking cold front brought five centimetres of snow to Edmonton.

The high temperature was only 1.5 C, smashing a record for the day that was set in 1937, when it was 4.4 C. The normal high for early May is 16.

The foul weather contributed to several accidents in the morning commute, including a 10-vehicle pileup that closed Quesnell Bridge and backed up cars on Whitemud Drive as far as 184th Street.

The city had planned to open its five outdoor swimming pools earlier than usual, but that was postponed. It was too cold to start the 10-day process of filling and heating the pools.

“Most Albertans appreciate that May is still a snow month, but temperatures are running well below average,” Environment Canada meteorologist Claire Martin said.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
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Deadly Tornado Strikes Japan (May 6) -

A deadly tornado struck the Japanese city of Tsukuba on Sunday, leaving devastation in its wake. Over 30 were injured, with at least one death, the AP reports.

Tsukuba, a city only 40 miles away from Tokyo, took considerable damage, with over 200 homes damaged by the twister.

The one death from the tornado was a 14-year old boy. Details about how the boy died have not been released, other than that he died in the Tsukuba Medical Center from injured obtained during the storm.

Outside of the direct damage caused by the lethal tornado, the storm's lightning and gusty winds knocked out power to over 24,000 homes, according to the Tokyo Electric Power Company.

While Japan is more famously known for its many intense earthquakes, severe weather does occur on the islands from time to time.

Drought Leaves 680,000 People Without Drinking Water in Southwest China -

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2012-05/07/c_131572267.htm

A sustained drought has caused water shortages for more than 680,000 people living in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and neighboring Guizhou Province.

What used to be land that promised a solid harvest is now the source of despair. In six counties around the city of Baise of northwest Guangxi, the water shortages have so far affected at least 200,000 people, and more than 70,000 heads of livestock.

31,000 hectares (120 square miles) of crops have been damaged. Yang Yulong, a villager in Longlin County, Guangxi, said, "Normally, the seedlings would show 7-10 leaves after a month and now there are only three. They can survive but are too fragile to grow."

The average temperature has been 2-3 degrees Celsius higher than normal in drought-hit Guangxi, while the region has seen 30 to 50 percent less precipitation than usual.

In Guizhou, a similar drought is affecting farmers there. The local government has mobilized more than 500 vehicles to provide drinking water to the thirsty population.

But the weather authority says, no effective precipitation is expected for the coming week.

While a swath of the Brazilian Amazon is under a state of emergency with one of the worst floods ever, the country's northeastern region is suffering through its worst drought in the last 30 years. Source

Over 1 Million Affected By Heavy Rains in Central China (May 9) -

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-05/09/c_131577802.htm

Lingering rains have affected about 1.07 million people in central China's Hunan province, and more than 30,000 residents have been evacuated to safe locations, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said Wednesday.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the province had been hit by storms, heavy rains and thunderstorms since Tuesday. And monitoring statistics released by the local meteorological department showed that precipitation in the most affected areas, such as Fenghuang and Chenxi counties, reached 200 mm during the past 24 hours.

The water level of the Yuanjiang River, one of the most important rivers in Hunan, may surpass warning stages, and the Wuqiangxi Reservoir in the basin of the Yuanjiang began to release flood waters on Wednesday morning.

According to the local meteorological department, 595,000 residents in the Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi have been affected by heavy rains, and 33,049 have been evacuated. 35,333 hectares of cropland has been damaged, and direct economic losses total 520 million yuan (82.5 million U.S. dollars).

Meanwhile, 1,200 residents in Huihua county have also been evacuated to safe places, and 26 houses have collapsed due to heavy rains. 47,666 hectares of cropland has been damaged, and direct economic losses total 210 million yuan.

Traffic, telecommunications and power supplies have also been suspended in Mayang and Chenxi counties.

The local meteorological department forecast that rains will continue in the coming days and may trigger floods and landslides, and it required relevant departments to strengthen measures to prevent or reduce damage from natural disasters.

May snow surprises the Balkans

Sarajevo - In several cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina last night and this morning snow. The amount of snow in the capital of Sarajevo in the morning was 39 CENTIMETRES (error in translation).

Even some cities in the north of Montenegro has surprised the snow and the temperature was compared to the previous day dropped by 20 degrees.

In Republika Srpska, the snow caused damage to power lines. Therefore, in the municipalities of Sokolac and Han Pijesak more settlements remain without electricity.

Google translate:

http://alturl.com/jwrys

Brazilians Wage 'Water Wars' in Severe Drought (May 14) -

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objecti...

 Severe drought gripping northeastern Brazil - the worst in 50 years - is taking its toll on more than 1100 towns, even triggering fighting in rural areas.

An average of one person a day is being killed in "water wars", while scores of animals are wasting away before perishing, the O Globo newspaper reported.

Short water supplies have devastated farm output, the report said, endangering the lives of local people and their livestock.

Many people in the area have lost half their stock, and the Government has reduced forecasts for corn, soy and bean crops.

In Pernambuco, 66 municipalities are on emergencies, local dams are drying up, rivers have run dry and animals looking for water in the riverbed can find only the odd muddy puddle.

Arkansas record setting spring.....
 
 Remember, records in Little Rock Arkansas date back to the 1870s.

As I ( TODD YAKOUBIAN KATV_WEATHER Meterologist) look at the long range models with about 2 weeks left, I don't see any reason why this will change much.  Here are the startling statistics.

    If spring ended today, it would be the hottest spring on record by average high temperature.  As of May 15th, that's 78.04 degrees.  The current number 1 is 76.64 degrees set in 1987.
    
If spring ended today, it would be the hottest spring on record by average seasonal temperature.  As of May 15th, that's 67.02 degrees.  The current number 1 is  65.37 degrees set in 2006.
    
If spring ended today, it would be the 4th hottest on record by average low temperature.  As of May 15th, that's 56.00 degrees.  This number could easily vault higher as number 1 on the list is 56.49 degrees set in 1880.
http://arkansasweather.blogspot.com/2012/05/spring-fever-record-bre...

A week after seeing snow, Scotland records hottest temperature in the UK this year - and it's hotter than the Mediterranean: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2148751/UK-weather-forecast...

Monster supercell tornado cloud formations in Texas (May 21) -

Source

May 25, Eastern Turkey

Snow in the last days of May surprised people.

Sudden drop of temperature caused heavy snow in Erzurum. Snow in the last days of May surprised local people.

Source

MAY 29, NEW ZEALAND (NORTHLAND)

FREAK HAILSTORM HITS WELLINGTON

A freak hailstorm lashed the capital this morning - causing at least three minor crashes.

Two were on the motorway between Thorndon and Aotea Quay and one on Wallace St in Mt Cook.

Affected vehicles were not blocking traffic and there were no reports of injuries.

Weather Watch spokesman Philip Duncan said the hailstorm was unexpected and is part of a swift southerly change that has been "dropping temperatures everywhere"....... Source

Unprecedented May heat in Greenland

The record books for Greenland's climate were re-written on Tuesday, when the mercury hit 24.8°C (76.6°F) at Narsarsuaq, Greenland, on the southern coast. According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, this is the hottest temperature on record in Greenland for May, and is just 0.7°C (1.3°F) below the hottest temperature ever measured in Greenland.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=...

Rare Tornado Trashes Homes in Hungary (June 1) -

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tornado-touches-down-in-...

A tornado was reported in far eastern Hungary, near the town of Nyiracsad, on Friday.

Reports indicate the tornado occurred at about 3:00 p.m., which correlates with data obtained by AccuWeather.com that reported a thunderstorm passed through the city of Debrecen within three hours of that time. Debrecen is located less than 50 miles to the west-southwest of Nyiracsad.

Reports from the area indicate that some 30 homes were damaged by the tornado as it moved through the region. There are no known reports of deaths or injuries from this tornado at this time.

The unsettled weather was caused by a cold front which was rapidly moving across the region. This front caused widespread showers and thunderstorms from Hungary, Slovakia and eastern Poland into Belarus, Ukraine and Romania. Some areas received more than an inch of rainfall along with gusty winds.

Dry weather behind the front will aid in cleanup efforts through Sunday morning; however, a fast-moving storm system will then bring the threat for showers from later Sunday through Monday followed by a chance for a soaking rainfall Monday night and Tuesday.

pictures

8 Inches of Snow in Sweden, Stockholm Colder Than Christmas (June 1 ) -

Residents in northern Sweden were forced to grab shovels rather than sun lotion on what was supposed to be the first day of summer, as much of the region was left covered in a thick blanket of snow on Friday.

As much as 20 centimetres of thick, wet snow fell in parts of Västerbotten County, giving residents quite a shock when they woke up Friday morning.

June started with subzero temperatures and snow in many places across northern Sweden.

Even further south, high temperatures weren't expected to creep above the single digits across much of the country on the first day of June.

"Summer has been halted for the time being across the country," meteorologist Linnea Rehn from Swedish meteorological institute SMHI told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

In the town of Börtnan in Jämtländ County in northwestern Sweden, the mercury dropped to minus six degrees Celsius, the lowest June temperature recorded in Sweden in 20 years, according to SMHI.

The weather agency forecasts that the first weekend in June will feel more like the start of winter than the start of summer, with snow and below-freezing temperatures persisting in northern Sweden.

Further south, temperatures may rise to the low-teens, but rain showers are expected to continue into next week as a cold air from the North Sea remains over Sweden for several more days.

"I'd have to say it's probably going to get worse. The rain and clouds will continue for some time to come," Rehn told Aftonbladet.

Stockholm Sees Coldest June Day in 84 Years -

Stockholm broke an 84-year-old cold record on Saturday, as the capital's temperature only reached 6 degrees Celsius, the lowest June maximum daily temperature the city has seen since 1928.

"This is a pretty sharp contrast to the warm weather we've just seen,” Lovisa Andersson, meteorologist at meteorological institute SMHI said to news agency TT.

Indeed, you could be excused for thinking that the current chill is more like winter than summer. It was actually colder in the capital yesterday than on Christmas Eve.

"The temperature was a degree lower than it was at Christmas in Stockholm, so it is colder. And it's windier, too," said SMHI's meteorologist Lisa Frost to newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

The less than balmy temperatures are likely to last a few more days yet, warned SMHI.

The cold is expected to last at least for the first couple of days of next week, and much of the country will continue to be covered by rainclouds on Monday and Tuesday.

However, by the coming weekend the temperatures may rise once more, hitting 20 degrees Celsius in many parts of Sweden, according to SMHI.

The country’s southern-most areas have the best chance of sun.

Stockholm isn’t alone in the unusually harsh weather for the season. June kicked off with up to 20 centimetres of snow and several degrees below freezing in parts of northern Sweden.

Rare Snowstorm in Christchurch NZ (June 5)

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/rare-snowstorm-in-christ...

Conditions are improving after a rare snowstorm crippled travel in and around the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, leaving thousands without power.

Various reports along with data accessed by Accuweather.com indicate that around 3-6 inches of wet snow fell Wednesday morning local time, causing numerous flight cancellations at Christchurch Airport.

Additionally, TVNZ reports that about 3,000 people are still without power across suburbs of Christchurch.

The strong storm system responsible for the rare event arrived Tuesday evening, bringing gusty winds and rain. Overnight, temperatures plummeted to the freezing point and rain changed over to wet snow.

Snow is rare in Christchurch, according to Accuweather.com meteorologist Eric Wanenchak, with the city averaging "only 1-2 snow events per season."

While the snow cleared out by Wednesday afternoon as the storm system exited, near freezing temperatures will continue to create hazardous travel through the overnight hours as roads again become icy.

Storm Damage Report: Severe Thunderstorm Sedgefield (5 June 2012)
SOUTH AFRICA

It is sad and disturbing that the weather has be kept such a secret from us. What do they have to gain by doing so?

As I said in my first email, I always check sawdos, yrno, and accuweather before I go to bed at night, to see the forecast for the next day.

Had I decided to go to Knysna yesterday evening (I never leave Sedgefield, but if I had wanted to) I would have been in serious danger on the roads.

I always read the sawdos letters about the lack of support from the weather stations in SA (to put it simply) but I never realised they actually withheld life-saving information.

Accuweather is usually the first station to warn of a storm in our area. last time, about a month ago, they forecast a storm that never came, it was the first time I had seen them make a mistake. Not even they saw last nights storm coming!

Not the newspaper, nor any of the sites forecast last nights storm.

Im not sure what it was like in George or Mossel bay, but it was truly terrifying here in Sedgefield.

My neighbours 10meter brick wall was knocked down, the chemist's car park metallic awning shade cover was torn down (bent in half), numerous trees were pulled up, my son's school's electrical outlets blown to bits from the 20 second power surge, and Kingfisher drive was knee deep in landslide mud, which had to be cleared for people to get to work. And that's just what I saw, there's probably more.

I always unplug my computers in my house the minute I see lighting. I come from Tulbagh and 6 years ago a palm tree in my garden was struck (windows shattered, stench of sulphur, burning in the pouring rain), and I still haven't overcome my fear of storms.

http://sawdis1.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/storm-damage-report-severe-t...

Cold wave hits Argentina

A polar wave has reached great part of the country, according to the National Meteorology Service (SNM) which added that below zero tempreatures may be felt within the next days.

Strong winds and a polar wave have reached the Patagonia Southern region yesterday affecting other areas like the province of Buenos Aires, where temperatures registered at noon were below 10°C.

"Rainfalls and snow, specially in Tierra del Fuego, Santa Cruz and east of Chubut" are expected this week, the SNM added.
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/102656/cold-wave-hits-arge...

Coldest day in 130 years of records

Christchurch shivered through its coldest day on record yesterday.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7055292/Coldest-day-in-130-ye...