India: More Than 100 Die Of Exposure As Temperatures Drop In The North

A homeless child sits wrapped in a towel in his temporary home under a flyover in Jammu, India, on Jan. 2,2013. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Police say more than 100 people have died of exposure as northern India deals with historically cold temperatures.

Police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said Thursday that at least 114 people have died from the cold in the state of Uttar Pradesh. At least 23 of those died in the past 24 hours.

Srivastava said many of the dead were poor people whose bodies were found on sidewalks or in parks.

The weather department said temperatures in the state were 4 to 10 degrees Celsius (7 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit) below normal.

Temperatures in New Delhi, which borders Uttar Pradesh, hit a high Wednesday of 9.8 degrees (49.6 Fahrenheit), the lowest maximum temperature in the capital since 1969.

Heavy Snow Blankets Northern Mexico, West Texas (Jan 3)
Snow blankets Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on January 3, 2013. The same winter weather system forced the closure of Interstate 10 in El Paso, Texas, just across the border from Juarez.

Blizzard conditions hampered efforts early Friday to reopen large sections of Interstate 10 in west Texas that were closed following crashes.

Portions of a 240-mile stretch of the interstate were closed in both directions from El Paso to Fort Stockton city Thursday evening, said Veronica Beyer, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation.

She urged motorists to "avoid" the area.

The interstate will likely remain closed through the morning hours because of a "truck wreck and blizzard conditions," Beyer said.

Heavy snow also caused the closure of U.S. Highway 62/180, also from east of El Paso west to the New Mexico state line.

The National Weather Service predicted that some mountain areas in west Texas could see up to 8 inches of snow by midday Friday.

The snow storm caused the closure of some schools, stores and government buildings in the El Paso area Thursday, CNN affiliate KTSM said.

"The weather has had an impact on our flights today. We have seen cancellations and also many delays," Liz Bellegarde, a spokeswoman at El Paso International Airport, told KTSM.

Source

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/us/texas-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Worst drought in decades hits Brazil's Northeast

Ueslei Marcelino / Reuters

Farmers from the Brazilian northeast carry out a demonstration holding cattle skulls in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia Dec. 4, 2012. The protesters are demanding the cancellation of their debts and help from the government to alleviate the effects of the drought that rages over the region this year.

Brazil's Northeast is suffering its worst drought in decades, threatening hydro-power supplies in an area prone to blackouts and potentially slowing economic growth in one of the country's emerging agricultural frontiers.

Lack of rain has hurt corn and cotton crops, left cattle and goats to starve to death in dry pastures and wiped some 30 percent off sugar cane production in the region responsible for 10 percent of Brazil's cane output.

Thousands of subsistence farmers have seen their livelihoods wither away in recent months as animal carcasses lie abandoned in some areas that have seen almost no rain in two years.

"We are experiencing the worst drought in 50 years, with consequences that could be compared to a violent earthquake," Eduardo Salles, agriculture secretary in the northeastern state of Bahia, said in an emailed statement.

China's Coldest Winter in Decades at New Low

China is experiencing unusual chills this winter with its national average temperature hitting the lowest in 28 years, and snow and ice have closed highways, canceled flights, stranded tourists and knocked out power in several provinces.

China Meteorological Administration on Friday said the national average was -3.8 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit) since late November, the coldest in nearly three decades.

The average temperature in northeast China dipped to -15.3 degrees C (4.5 degrees F), the coldest in 43 years, and dropped to a 42-year low of -7.4 degrees C (18.7 degrees F) in northern China.

Source

Snow disaster affects 770,000 people in N China (Jan 6)

Thirty-year record-low temperatures and a snow disaster have left two people dead and affected 770,000 others in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities said Sunday.

Snow has fallen on 917,000 square kilometers, or 78 percent, of Inner Mongolia, with 82,000 square km buried in snow at least 25-centimeters deep, according to the regional meteorological authority.

More than 3,700 residents have been relocated and 260,000 others are in need of emergency aid, sources with the region's civil affairs department said.

By Jan. 4, snow had left about 180,000 head of livestock dead, with direct economic loss estimated at 690 million yuan (110 million U.S. dollars).

Civil affairs authorities have earmarked disaster relief funds that will be allocated to those affected by adverse weather conditions ahead of the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10 this year.

http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2013-01/06/content_27604...

Thirty-year record-low temperatures and a snow disaster have left two people dead and affected 770,000 others in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, local authorities said Sunday.

Snow has fallen on 917,000 square kilometers, or 78 percent, of Inner Mongolia, with 82,000 square km buried in snow at least 25-centimeters deep, according to the regional meteorological authority.

More than 3,700 residents have been relocated and 260,000 others are in need of emergency aid, sources with the region's civil affairs department said.

By Jan. 4, snow had left about 180,000 head of livestock dead, with direct economic loss estimated at 690 million yuan (110 million U.S. dollars).

Civil affairs authorities have earmarked disaster relief funds that will be allocated to those affected by adverse weather conditions ahead of the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10 this year.

Chicago Snowfall: City About To Break A 72-Year-Old Weather Record

A lone cyclist navigates the bike path through a snow storm at Chicago's North Ave. beach Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

It's already been a mild winter of record-shattering proportions in Chicago -- and the weather records keep falling in the city.

Unless at least an inch of snow falls yet Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, AccuWeather reports that the city will beat a record, dating back to 1940, for the longest stretch of consecutive days without an inch of the whit... falling to the ground: 319. Such snowfall is not in the forecast amid nearly spring-like temperatures arriving in the area.

Adding further insult to injury, at least for those Chicagoans who enjoy snow, the city has still only logged a grand total of just 1.3 inches of snowfall through the entire winter to this point, 0.4 of which fell Saturday, pushing the city past one inch of snowfall for the season on nearly the latest date on record since 1866.

As the RedEye points out, some unlikely cities have surpassed Chicago's paltry snowfall total this year, including El Paso, Texas (3.1 inches), Amarillo, Texas (2.1 inches) and Oklahoma City, Okla. (1.4 inches).

Still, winter is far from over and the average snowfall for a Chicago winter is 38 inches: the Chicago Weather Center notes that a blast of frigid air is forecast to come down from central Canada on Friday, at which point the Windy City could begin to make up some snowy ground.

Source

Australia swelters through hottest ever day

The hot weather that has fuelled fires in southern Australia has also delivered the nation its hottest day since records began a century ago.

In records going way back to the start of 1911, [Monday] - with an average temperature of 40.33 - is Australia's new hottest day on record," he said.

Dr Jones says the national temperature is the average of between 700 and 800 stations.

"And if we look at maximum temperatures that were recorded at those, average those across country, taking into account the spatial distribution, and then just get a simple number," Dr Jones said.

"So what it tells us really is if you look across Australia, as an average, what was the daytime maximum temperature."

The previous all-time high was in 1972.

Dr Jones says Tuesday is expected to be even hotter.

"Our guiders are suggesting we may beat yesterday's record by another 0.1 or 0.2 of a degree. The other record that we'll be watching is a run of very hot days," he said.

"We'd only ever seen four days of 39 degrees or above consecutively. We've now seen six, and we'll almost certainly see seven, and perhaps even eight.

"So, this event is now going beyond anything in our record books."

Source

It’s Now So Hot in Australia that Gasoline Evaporates Before You Can Pump It (Jan 9)

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology added new colors to its weather forecasting chart to represent record-breaking heat Tuesday.

Jerusalem hit by worst snowstorm in twenty years

Unusually heavy snowfall as temperatures dip below freezing

The Holy City of Jerusalem has been covered in a brilliant white blanket after the worst snowstorm in 20 years.
 
Schools and highways have been closed as up to eight inches of snow piled up in the city centre by this afternoon.
 
Israel and much of the surrounding region has been hit by five days of rain, wind and snow as temperatures have dipped below freezing.
 
Elisha Peleg, an official in charge of emergencies with the Jerusalem Municipality, urged the city's residents to remain at home and stay off the streets, telling Army Radio the area had overnight seen its greatest snowfall since 1992.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260223/Jerusalem-hit-worst...

Record Cold Kills 80 in Bangladesh (Jan 10)

A cold snap which saw temperatures drop on Thursday to their lowest point in Bangladesh's post-independence history has killed around 80 people, officials said.

The weather office said the lowest temperature was recorded at 3ºC in the northern town of Syedpur and the Red Crescent said hospitals were packed with patients suffering respiratory illness.

Shah Alam, deputy head of the weather office, said the last time the temperature had dropped below 3ºC was in February 1968 when Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan.

"The temperature is the lowest in Bangladesh's history," he said.

The Red Crescent Society said impoverished rural areas had been worst hit as many people could not afford warm clothing or heating.

"They are not prepared for such extreme weather. Many could not even go to work," the society's general-secretary Abu Bakar said.

"According to the reports of our district offices and local administrations about 80 people have died due to cold-related diseases such as respiratory problems, pneumonia and cough," Bakar added.

Bangladesh, which is a tropical country, normally sees temperatures fall to around 10ºC at this time of year.

Source

http://www.news24.com/World/News/Record-cold-kills-80-in-Bangladesh...

Deadly storms blanket parts of Mid-East in snow (Jan 10)

The worst storms to hit the region in a decade have claimed several lives and left parts of Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan covered in snow.

At least 10cm (4in) of snow fell on Jerusalem on Thursday.

Across the Middle East, many schools are shut and thousands of homes are without power.

Heavy snow in Jerusalem on Thursday brought transport to a standstill.

The freezing conditions have brought misery for thousands of Syrians living in refugee camps in northern Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

Two weather-related deaths were reported in Lebanon including that of a baby swept away in a flash flood.

Another four people died in the West Bank which has also suffered severe flooding.

Egyptian officials said five French tourists were injured when their minibus overturned on snow-covered mountain roads in the Sinai Peninsula.

In Jordan, police said a blizzard had blocked most roads in the capital Amman and other areas.

King Abdullah II ordered the army to help local authorities keep roads open and rescue those stranded by the severe conditions.

Power cuts were reported in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.

The snow followed days of heavy rain and high winds across the Middle East and meteorological officials have described it as the worst storm to hit the region in 10 years.

Correspondents say the storm has also badly hit regional economies.

The Manufacturers Association of Israel warned it cost the country's industry at least about 300m shekels (£50m) in damages, most caused by flooding.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20970870

N. America Record Highs/Lows Smashed From Coast to Coast (Jan 13)

Records were broken across the country Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning.

Dozens of record highs were set or tied from Ontario through Florida on Saturday while record lows were found throughout the West.

Below is a list of selected official record high temperatures from Saturday:

    Montgomery, Ala. 80 degrees broke the previous record of 76 from 1950.
    Tampa, Fla.  83 degrees broke the previous record of 82 from 1989.
    Atlanta, Ga.  76 degrees broke the previous record of 71 from 1995.
    Alpena, Mich.  57 degrees broke the record of 49 from 2005.
    Bradford, Pa.  53 degrees broke the record of 50 from 2006.
    Bluefield, W.V.  72 degrees broke the record of 68 from 2005.
    Ottawa, Ontario  45 degrees broke the record of 42 from 1932.
    Toronto, Ontario  55 degrees broke the record of 49 from 2006.
    Columbia, S.C.  82 degrees broke the record of 74 from 2005.

Below is a list of selected unofficial record low temperatures from Sunday morning:

    Ely, Nv.  -21 degrees which would break the record of -19 from 2007.
    Winnemucca, Nv.  -20 degrees which would break the record of -19 from 1917.
    South Lake Tahoe, Calif.  -14 degrees which would break the record of -6 from 2007.
    Thermal, Calif.  20 degrees which would break the record of 25 from 2012.
    Riverside, Calif.  22 degrees which would break the record of 25 from 1963.
    Burns, Ore.  -15 degrees which would break the record of -9 from 1960.

Source

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/records-highslows-smashe...

http://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conus.php#tabs

Temps across the USA setting records in stunning image forcast!  East of the Sierras is mostly in the Minus -F degrees purple to white!

Temperature anomaly in the Arctic11.01.13. Meteorologists for the first time report a record 7-degree deviation from the annual temperature in the Arctic.

According to Roman Vilfand of the Russian Hydrometeorology Center, a record small area of sea ice was observed in the Arctic in 2012.

As he addressed a news conference in Moscow, Vilfand said the temperature anomaly in question had been registered in the northern part of the Kara Sea between Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_11/Temperature-anomaly-in-the-Arctic/

Snow in Europe: Record amount of snow and the longest traffic jams

Zagreb, Amsterdam - in Zagreb after snowfall on Sunday and Monday January intention record amount of snow, snowfall in Holland today during rush hour resulted in the longest traffic jams in the country's history.

After the snowfall on Sunday and Monday in the Maksimir Park in the eastern part of Zagreb intent 68 cm of snow. It is a record amount of snow since January 1861, when in the end started to take measurements, confirmed the Croatian meteorologists. Also in the city center recorded a record as the only on Monday canceled almost 60 cm of snow.

Snowfall today in the Netherlands at the time of the peak resulted in the longest traffic jams in the country's history, the subject Dutch automobile association ANWD. The total length of all the congestion on highways across the country is 1,000 kilometers is exceeded.

http://alturl.com/j6med

Surprise winter storm creates travel woes across N. Texas (Jan 15)

An unexpected winter storm that struck North Texas before daybreak Tuesday put morning commuters on ice, canceled flights and forced some schools to open later than normal.

Forecasters had predicted a slight chance of light sleet but had said that most of the precipitation should stay southeast of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Oops.

"It's always a challenge to predict winter precipitation in North Texas," said Nick Hampshire, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth. "It's always a fine line. If it had been two or three degrees warmer, we would have been talking about a rain event."

Many parts of Tarrant County received as much as a half-inch of sleet and snow, the most significant icy precipitation since the Christmas Day storm, said Dan Shoemaker, another weather service meteorologist.

Photos: Real Time Weather Observation: Flooding parts of Kruger National Park (19 January 2013) - SOUTH AFRICA

http://sawdis1.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/flooding-hits-kruger-nationa...
Flooding hits Kruger National Park
According to Latest Sightings Kruger, flooding has hit the national park.

According the reports on Latest Sightings, the once dry river at Tamboti is nearing the camp's fence.

The river near the Malelane gate has risen and is apparently pulling down trees.

http://sawdis1.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/photos-real-time-weather-obs...
Photos: Real Time Weather Observation: Flooding parts of South Africa (19 January 2013)

Record snowfall closes lifts and roads in the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees are experiencing historic, but also terrifying moments right now. Around 200 centimeters of freshies came down in the ski resorts on the French side of the Pyrenees since Sunday. All the lifts in the resorts are closed since Tuesday morning as a precaution.

Historical snow fall
The start of the season wasn’t that good for the Pyrenees. Until Friday. Where the snowcover was less than in other years, this huge dump changed it all. In just three days time. This is happening just once every twenty years. We have to go back to the nineties for a similar situation. Lots of snow in a short period of time and the highest avalanche danger (five) for days.

Source

Snowpocalypse Russia: 'Snow tsunami' swallows streets, cars, buildings (PHOTOS)

Norilsk. (Photo from bigpicture.ru)

Unrelenting snowfalls have caused unprecedented chaos in Russia. Over the past week, the country has seen scores of traffic accidents, flight delays and, in some cases, the complete isolation of some remote settlements and towns.

Norilsk (Photo from bigpicture.ru)

Norilsk (Photo from bigpicture.ru)

On Friday, Moscow was on a verge of traffic collapse as more than 10 inches of snow fell on the city, which is more than half of January’s average.

Thousands of passengers were stranded overnight in the capital’s major airports, as several dozen flights were delayed.

Muscovites woke up and found their cars, driveways and houses buried under a thick layer of snow, with city workers unable to get to smaller streets.

Moscow’s Yandex app showed traffic at level 10, the highest possible, as strong winds created blizzard conditions and built imposing snow drifts.

Falling snow and ice caused many accidents due to poor visibility and bad road conditions. Moscow witnessed a 13-kilometer jam on MKAD, one of the city's main highways, reducing speeds to 10 to 25 kph in the capital.

More than 12,000 snow removal trucks worked around-the-clock to clean up the mess, but their efforts did little, with the city coming to an effective standstill.

The chair of the Duma’s transport committee called for local transport officials to face legal sanctions for failing to cope with the winter weather. “Until local bureaucrats face the wrath of the law, winter will always be a surprise occurrence. They will continue to do nothing, as people suffer,” Mikhail Bryachak told Kommersant FM radio.

However, meteorologists have promised some good news for Moscow: The stormy conditions are expected to recede over the weekend.

'Incredible:' Another snowless record on tap for Chicago

Whether you like it or not, we will officially break another record for no snow today, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's pretty incredible," said NWS meteorologist Gino Izzi. "It's the middle of January and there's no snow on the ground. Dallas, Texas has had more snow than us."

Source

N.India snowfall at eight-year record

The Queen of the Hills, as Shimla was fondly called by the British, recorded the highest snowfall on a single day January in the past eight years, a Met official said here Saturday.

Manmohan Singh, director of the meteorological office here, told IANS that the town recorded 38.6 cm snow in the past 24 hours, the highest in the first month of the year since 2005.

"The maximum snow in a day in January was recorded was in 2005. It was 33.2 cm Jan 18," he said, adding: "On two consecutive days (Jan 17 and 18 this year) the town got 63.6 cm."

Source

update on the pathetic start to colorado's 2013 snowpack

 here is all of colorado

 this is the arkansas river valley

this is a map of all the colorado river basins

and this is a link to the chose any basin map

the last 2 years have certainly showed the wobble.

* Dangerous cold snap hits Midwest, Eastern US [CBS NEWS; Jan 22, 2013]

The National Weather Service says temperatures in the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and New England regions will fall to 10-15 below zero, with wind chill temperatures as low as 45 degrees below. / NWS

A dangerous cold snap is gripping much of the nation.

Single-digit temperatures are in today's forecast from the Dakotas to New England, with wind chill readings down to about 45 degrees below zero in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, accounting for some of the coldest temperatures the region has seen in two years.

A variety of winter weather advisories and warnings are in effect for much of Michigan, and downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

The coldest wind chill temperatures recorded yesterday were 54 degrees below zero in Grand Marais, Minn., on the north shore of Lake Superior; -44 in International Falls, Minn., and -40 in Minot, N.D.

Meteorologist Mike Augustyniak from CBS Station WCCO in Minneapolis says the brutal cold continues Tuesday - temperatures of nine below zero in Minneapolis-St. Paul, -25 in International Falls. Factor in the wind, Augustyniak said, and wind chills measurements approach 40 below in International Falls, 27 below in Green Bay, Wis., 31 below in Marquette, Wis., and Chicago and Detroit will feel in the teens below zero.

And there's more: Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo will all feel like 10 to 25 below. Frostbite times there on exposed skin is 10 to 15 minutes.

Another pocket of brutally cold wind is chilling northern New York, northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

* Temperature and Jet stream [18 GMT, Jan 22, 2013]

Special Climate Statement 43 - Extreme January heat. [Australian Bureau of Meteorology; 2013, January 14] 

Large parts of central and southern Australia are currently under the influence of a persistent and widespread heatwave event. This event is ongoing with further significant records likely to be set. Further updates of this statement and associated significant observations will be made as they occur, and a full and comprehensive report on this significant climatic event will be made when the current event ends.

The last four months of 2012 were abnormally hot across Australia, and particularly so for maximum (day-time) temperatures. For September to December (i.e. the last four months of 2012) the average Australian maximum temperature was the highest on record with a national anomaly of +1.61 °C, slightly ahead of the previous record of 1.60 °C set in 2002 (national records go back to 1910). In this context the current heatwave event extends a four month spell of record hot conditions affecting Australia. These hot conditions have been exacerbated by very dry conditions affecting much of Australia since mid 2012 and a delayed start to a weak Australian monsoon.

The start of the current heatwave event traces back to late December 2012, and all states and territories have seen unusually hot temperatures with many site records approached or exceeded across southern and central Australia. A full list of records broken at stations with long records (>30 years) is given below.

The current heatwave event commenced with a build up of extreme heat in the southwest of Western Australia from 25-30 December 2012 as a high in the Bight and a trough near the west coast directed hot easterly winds over the area. Particularly hot conditions were observed on the 30th, with Cape Naturaliste observing 37.7 °C, its hottest December day in 56 years of record.

From 31 December the high pressure system began to shift eastward, bringing well above average temperatures across southern WA between the 30 December and 2 January. Temperatures reached 47.7 °C at Eyre on the 2nd its hottest day in 24 years of record, while Eucla recorded 48.2 °C on the 3rd, its hottest day since records began in 1957.

By 4 January the high pressure system had moved off eastern Australia, with northerly winds directing very hot air into southeast Australia, while southerly winds eased temperatures in WA. Hobart experienced a minimum temperature of 23.4 °C on the 4th (its hottest January night on record), followed by a maximum of 41.8 °C (its hottest maximum temperature on record for any month in 130 years of records) and the highest temperature observed anywhere in southern Tasmania.

The area of intense heat moved northeast on the 5th as the high pressure system, now centred over the Tasman Sea, and a low pressure trough directed hot northerly winds into the Riverina and western NSW. Areas affected recorded temperatures well in excess of 40 °C, with Marree in SA recording 48.4 °C, Yarrawonga in VIC recording 45.7 °C and Hay in NSW recording 47.7 °C, breaking its annual daytime temperature record.

The area of intense heat lingered over eastern SA and the southern half of NSW until 8 January when the high pressure system in the Tasman Sea began to move eastward. On 8 January, north-westerly winds ahead of a cold front extended the influence of the heatwave to the coast of NSW with temperatures reaching 41 °C in Bega, 42.4 °C in Nowra and 42.4 °C at Sydney Observatory Hill.Western Australia saw a second wave of recording breaking heat on 8-10 January as a second high pressure system moved into the Great Australian Bight directing hot easterly winds in to the state. The highest temperature recorded in WA during this event was 49.0 °C at Leonora, breaking Leonora’s previous record of 48.3 °C, set the day before, with temperatures above 45 °C widespread in interior Western Australia.

Following two days of cooler conditions in the southeast of Australia intense heat returned on the 11th of January. This second wave of heat reached its peak on the 12th and 13th in the eastern states, with Moomba Airport in SA recording 49.6 °C on the 12th (the highest of the event thus far and the highest temperature in SA outside of January 1960), 48.6 °C at Wanaaring Post Office in NSW on the 12th and 49.0 °C at Birdsville in QLD on the 13th. On the morning of the 14th Bedouri Police Station in QLD recorded an overnight minimum temperature of 34.1 °C the highest of the event thus far and the hottest in Queensland since 34.4 °C on 5 January 2006.

Unusual Cold in China and Northeast Asia [Earth Observatory; Jan24, 2013]

How Widespread was the Australian Heatwave? [Earth Observatory; Jan23, 2013]

Thank you for your comment about Queensland floods, Lindi Lou.

* Queensland on flood alert [ABC Online; William Rollo reported this story on Saturday, January 26, 2013]

ASHLEY HALL: Many parts of Queensland are on flood alert this weekend, as torrential rain from ex-tropical cyclone Oswald drenches much of the state.
In Brisbane, water is being released from dams to avoid a repeat of the devastating 2011 floods.
Residents around Gladstone are being warned to expect the inundation of their properties
The ABC's William Rollo is in Gladstone.
WILLIAM ROLLO: Yeah the situation' changing pretty quickly actually. A flooding emergency alert has just been issued because a record amount of water is spilling over the Awoonga Dam, which is to the southwest of Gladstone.
The 4.81 metres of water is spilling downstream into the Boyne River, and that's, and there's going to be a 4.2 metre high tide very soon. That could potentially impact hundreds of homes in the suburbs of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands, they're two major residential areas along the Gladstone coast.
Local disaster management crews have described it as an unprecedented situation. Police and SES volunteers are door-knocking homes at the moment, they're urging residents to take higher ground.
They've also opened up the Boyne-Tannum Community Centre for those that need to take refuge. And there's also an emergency alert for people near Callide Creek, near Biloela, to the west of Gladstone, that's because water is being released from the Callide Dam.
Landlines in the area are also down, making communication a little bit tricky. People are using the local ABC Radio station as a bit of a community noticeboard at the moment.
ASHLEY HALL: So Will, there's been an enormous dumping of water. How much rain has hit the city so far?
WILLIAM ROLLO: Since this time yesterday, there's been well over 270 millimetres on Gladstone itself. To the south, in Wallaroo, there's been over 370mls. It's not going to ease up any time soon. Over the next two days, a further 200mls is forecast to fall over the city.
ASHLEY HALL: And it's not looking good in southeast Queensland either. What's the situation there?
WILLIAM ROLLO: No it's not. Emergency Management Queensland are calling on people to stay vigilant with the bad weather. It's expected to hit the southeast later today. Moreton Bay regional council is saying that the storm surges could affect well over 1,000 homes and businesses from Bribie Island to Redcliffe.
ASHLEY HALL: ABC's William Rollo in Gladstone, Queensland
Sam McKee lives in the suburb of Boyne Island, and he's waiting and watching for the worst of the floods to come at high tide.
SAM MCKEE: We're at Boyne Island, standing on the banks of the river near the bridge that links Tannum Sands. The river is about an hour away from high tide and it's still contained within the banks. So we're just watching and waiting, really.
ASHLEY HALL: Watching and waiting. Have you taken any preparations?
SAM MCKEE: Yeah. At five o'clock this morning we received an emergency text from the services followed by a phone call, so we took up some low lying equipment and the kids and the animals and moved them to higher ground.
Now we're just sitting and waiting to see how bad it actually gets.
ASHLEY HALL: What are your expectations?
SAM MCKEE: Well they're claiming a one in 100 level flood. It's still got a way to go yet, but having said that it is an hour til high tide, but all good so far.
ASHLEY HALL: Have you experienced flooding before in this area?
SAM MCKEE: Oh look every summer we get sort of one off events overnight where we get the typical tropical storm, but they normally sort of create flash flooding, whereas this one appears to be possibly a larger event over a wider area.
ASHLEY HALL: Sam McKee at Boyne Island, near Gladstone.

EDITORS NOTE: TRANSCRIPT AND AUDIO FOR THIS STORY FROM THE QUEENSLAND UPDATE OF AM.

* Queensland flooding in pictures - ABC Western Queensland

* Flooding forces rescues from homes, cars in Rockhampton [THE AUSTRALIAN; January 25, 2013]

A RESCUER was swept away saving a teenager from raging floodwaters in Rockhampton, parts of which are under water after the city's wettest day in more than 60 years.

Councillor Bill Ludwig says many of the central Queensland city's streets are flooded and “very destructive winds” are being felt from the low pressure system that once was cyclone Oswald.

The system is currently sitting about 120km west of Mackay and expected to cause flooding in communities further south in coming days.

Mr Ludwig warned the situation in Rockhampton is serious and residents should stay off the streets, after a number of dramatic rescues today and overnight.

“They're saying this is not a cyclone but it's not far off it,” he told ABC News 24.

He said he wasn't game to go outside because the wind had left a large sheet of corrugated iron flapping from a nearby building.

“I haven't seen water like this on our roads. I've come in from a rural location and it was pretty hairy to say the least.”

There have been about 20 swift water rescues in central Queensland overnight and today.

The most dramatic was in the Rockhampton suburb of Frenchville, where a rescuer was washed away after dragging a 14-year-old boy to safety.

He was swept under a nearby bridge but then able to reach safety, the ABC said.

The rescued boy has been taken to hospital as a precaution.

A search is also underway for two fisherman whose boat started taking on water off  Rockhampton overnight.

The skipper of the 38-foot fishing vessel made the call late last night, but bad weather prevented an immediate search and is hampering search efforts today.

Meanwhile, a house in Frenchville in Rockhampton was hit by a large landslide, the Department of Community Safety said.

The house is still standing and no one was injured but debris has been left piled against the first floor of the two-storey house in Archer View Terrace.

There have been many other rescues in the past 12 hours, including that of a man saved from his car after it began filling with water when he tried to drive through floodwaters at Kabra, west of Rockhampton.

The driver was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

More than 70 roads, including major highways, have been cut across the state since Oswald was downgraded after crossing the Cape York Peninsula's west coast on Tuesday.

At Yeppoon, northeast of Rockhampton, more than 10 homes have flooded and people are sandbagging other properties in a bid to save them.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Rockhampton had recorded its wettest day since 1939, with 349mm falling in the 24 hours to 9am (AEST) today, and it's not over yet.

The city is expected to cop at least another 100mm over the next 12 hours but by tomorrow, the heaviest falls should be further south.

At this stage, authorities are not expecting the Fitzroy River to break its banks at Rockhampton but is likely to reach minor flood levels.

At Gladstone, south of Rockhampton, the city's sewage system is overflowing, sending excrement into people's homes.

The local council is using sandbags to try to weigh down manholes to prevent the problem worsening.

“It comes up through manholes and bubbles into properties. It's not pleasant,” Gladstone Mayor Gail Sellers told ABC Radio.

Supermarket giant Coles said supplies to 26 of its 32 stores in far north Queensland had been affected by the torrential rain and flooding.

Stores in Rockhampton and at Yeppoon had also been forced to close.

With rail lines cut, supplies are being trucked from Townsville to Cairns via Charters Towers.

“We ask our customers to be patient and not to panic buy as there are groceries on the way,” Coles managing director Ian McLeod said.

* Dam levels to be cut amid flood 'concern' [JAMIE WALKER From: The Australian January 25, 2013]

LEVELS in Brisbane's flood shield, the Wivenhoe dam, will be reduced as monsoonal rain intensifies across the city, capping a day of chaos caused by former cyclone Oswald.

Premier Campbell Newman said water would be released from Wivenhoe and a satellite dam at Somerset this afternoon as a precautionary measure.

More than 100mm of rain is forecast to deluge Brisbane over the coming 24 hours, after the monsoonal low left over from the cyclone caused flooding high drama in Rockhampton overnight and early today.

Flooding during Rockhampton's wettest day in over 60 years forced a series of dramatic rescues, including that of a teenager pulled from floodwaters that also briefly swept away a man who had dragged him to safety.

Beaches on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, were today being pounded by massive seas whipped up the intense weather system.

Allegations that Wivenhoe's managers failed to lower the level of the huge dam early enough prior to the disastrous 2011 flooding of Ipswich and Brisbane, resulting in emergency releases that compounded the crisis, are being pursued by lawyers who have launched a class action on behalf of flood victims.

“We're adopting a precautionary principle here,” Mr Newman said of today's releases from Wivenhoe, Somerset and the smaller North Pine dams.

Mr Newman said the Wivenhoe dam was nowhere near the levels seen before the January 2011 floods.

But he wanted to give the state's southeast the biggest buffer he could to ensure the safety of residents, and the protection of their property.

“I am concerned, but I'm not worried,” the Premier said.

He said that even without the dam drawdowns, he'd been assured that “we have enough in that 1.4 megalitre flood storage compartment to take what's coming”.

But he said Oswald and the low it has become had proven to be an unpredictable weather system, and the drawdowns were about providing additional security and peace of mind.

“Let's make sure we look at what could happen, in the worst case,” Mr Newman said.

Mr Newman said the greatest risk was considered to be urban flooding in the usual low-lying areas close to creeks and stormwater drains.

Asked if he could categorically rule out a repeat of the 2010-11 floods he replied: “Of course, nobody can do that.”

But he said with the capacity available in the dams that was extremely unlikely.

Water Supply Minister Mark McArdle said 41,000 megalitres would be released from Wivenhoe dam over 24 hours from this afternoon.

And 8000 megalitres will be released from North Pine Dam over 11 hours from this afternoon.

“We are giving the biggest buffer we possibly can,” he said.

“Our aim is to protect the people and the property of the southeast corner by making certain the dams are at their most efficient, and best levels, to take inflows.”

The Bureau of Meteorology says the southeast will be lashed by severe weather over the next two days, with rainfalls of 200 to 300mm expected.

There are warnings of potential flash flooding for the southeast, damaging winds and abnormally high tides.

The low is currently swamping communities in central Queensland, causing significant flooding and sparking rescues including in the city of Rockhampton.

The bureau's regional director Rob Webb said the system was expected to remain over land and weaken as it tracks south.

It had been previously feared it might head back out to sea and strengthen into a cyclone again.

“We do expect Saturday and Sunday's morning high tides, from the Fraser Coast south to the border, to approach, if not exceed the highest tide of the year,” Mr Webb told reporters.

Mr Webb said already up to 800mm has fallen in a couple of days in areas from Tully in north Queensland south to Rockhampton.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said he was not expecting any widespread flooding in the city, which was hit hard in the 2011 floods.

But he said people in the Bundamba and Woogaroo Creek catchment areas need to remain vigilant and aware of the risk of localised flash flooding.

While some roads may be closed the latest computer modelling indicates there should be only minimal stream rises in the Bremer River between One Mile and the junction of the Brisbane River.

“It is important to note that while significant rainfall is forecast, the dryness of the catchment means we are not expecting any major flooding.” he said in a statement.

Snow-covered deserts are rare, but that’s exactly what the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite observed as it passed over the Taklimakan Desert in western China on January 2, 2013. Snow has covered much of the desert since a storm blew through the area on December 26. The day after the storm, Chinese Central Television (CNTV) reported that the Xinjian Uygyr autonomous region was among the hardest hit.

The Taklimakan is one of the world’s largest—and hottest—sandy deserts. Water flowing into the Tarim Basin has no outlet, so over the years, sediments have steadily accumulated. In parts of the desert, sand can pile up to 300 meters (roughly 1,000 feet) high. The mountains that enclose the sea of sand—the Tien Shan in the north and the Kunlun Shan in the south—were also covered with what appeared to be a significantly thicker layer of snow in January 2013.

Source

Devastating floods strike Queensland, disaster declared

http://rt.com/news/australia-queensland-floods-823/

Floods have wreaked havoc in Bundaberg on Australian’s east coast, causing hundreds of homes to be evacuated. Six tornadoes have already brought about at least one death in the northeastern state of Queensland as authorities declare a disaster.

­An elderly man was found dead following heavy flooding which has devastated the area in the aftermath of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.

“The damage is absolutely extraordinary – trees have been shredded, leaves thrown everywhere, trees pulled down, power lines pulled down, and a series of serious car accidents,” Jessie Grayson told Australia’s Ten News.

Army helicopters were called in to aid with the unfolding crisis. Eight people have already been airlifted from danger zones. Only one fisherman was found on Sunday morning, after two were reported missing following a skipper's emergency call in the early hours of Thursday morning, saying that the boat was taking on water.

An emergency evacuation warning was issued in Bundaberg, north of Brisbane, after the Burnett River’s banks broke on Sunday afternoon. It is expected to peak at more than 9 meters, topping the levels recorded in the 2010/2011 floods. The town of Gladstone is also preparing for the possibility of major floods, and 400 properties have been evacuated.

Up to 300mm of rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours, and in some areas it may even reach 400mm, according to Queensland weather services manager Richard Wardle. The flooding has blocked more than 70 roads, including major highway since Oswald was downgraded to a storm, after crossing Cape York Peninsula’s west coast on Tuesday.

Destructive wind gusts of up to 120km/h and further tornados are likely, according to the Australian weather bureau.

The State Emergency Service has reportedly received over 300 calls for help in the Queensland region.

The Australasia and South-East Asia region is no stranger to the severe rainfall, and Indonesia has been plagued with sporadic flooding, leaving parts of Jakarta submerged for weeks and, most recently, killing nine on Sumatra Island. Indonesia is taking measures to circumvent their proneness to flooding, such as employing a Hercules plane to carry out cloud seeding measures, which will force approaching clouds to rain at sea before they arrive over the country.

As the floods swamp Indonesia and northeastern Australia, Australia’s south is falling victim to violent bushfires. The Country Fire Authority reported an out-of-control blaze, also on Sunday, which has destroyed 750 hectares of and is heading towards the community of Boho, near Benalla in northeast Victoria. The sparks from the fire is igniting fresh fires 1km ahead of itself.

http://zen-haven.com/ferocious-storm-set-to-explode-in-north-atlantic/

Ferocious Storm Set to Explode in North Atlantic

Some of the most powerful storms on earth form in the North Atlantic Ocean during wintertime, spelling peril for sailors unfortunate enough to encounter them.

For the past few days, the meteorologists at the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) in College Park, Md., whose job it is to warn vessels of weather hazards, have been highlighting the likelihood of a treacherous storm event that is taking place in the open ocean, to the south of Iceland.

A storm that was rather inoccuous when it affected the U.S. is exploding, through a process known to meteorologists as “bombogenesis,” into a ferocious storm over the North Atlantic. The storm has intensified enough to become stronger than Hurricane Sandy was, as measured by the minimum central air pressure.

Record rainfall in January that swelled rivers

It rained a lot during the month of January and rainfall records were broken. All this is now reflected in the river with a yellow alert for some streams

Météo-France-Bordeaux tells us that the rains in January 2013 broke records. Thus, it usually falls to 88 mm of rain in January Luchon. In 2013, the 209 mm gauge swallowed! The previous record of 186 mm is blown! Also record foot of the Pyrenees Campistrous near Lannemezan with 232 mm in January, a third of which falls in Toulouse in a year! A Francazal, it is 144 mm, three times more than the average, and Blagnac 120 mm, the record in 1955 with 149 mm ...

Vigilance yellow region

The yellow alert for the Ger-Salat section in Comminges in Haute-Garonne, Arize and Lèze from north of the Ariege and the center of the Haute-Garonne rivers Arrats, Gimone , Save and Touch between the Haute-Garonne and the Gers, Gers Baïse and Gélise in the department of Gers. Side Hautes-Pyrenees, Pyrenees-Atlantiques and Landes will be monitored Arros sludge; Adour Upstream, Gave de Pau, the Gave d'Oloron, Season, Nive, Nivelle and Adour way.

Depending on the extent of rainfall, these rivers are likely to cause flooding "moderate."

Source French

Snow you see it, snow you don't: Floods hit Britain as dramatic satellite pictures show how Big Freeze turned into the Big Thaw in a DAY

  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269000/What-difference-day...

Rare "tornado" spotted in Bristol Channel as storms hit North Somerset

Snow, hail, heavy rain and thunder – the North Somerset area has experienced it all over the past two weeks.

And now the wild weather has caused a spectacle in the Bristol Channel, with local people capturing a picture of what appears to be a mini tornado in the estuary.

This picture was taken by Sue Hewitt, of Downend, who spotted the event while out walking along the coastal path between Clevedon and Portishead at around 1pm on Sunday.

Mrs Hewitt, 53, a keen walker, said: “The weather was very overcast with dark clouds and it looked like it was going to rain.

“I suddenly noticed what I thought was a tornado about half-way across the channel so quickly took some pictures.

“I could see it spinning around and around and lifting up the sea.

“As it went past me towards the Severn Bridges, it got wider at the bottom and the top of the spout started to disperse so it eventually looked like a large cloud over the sea.

“It only took around five minutes from the time I first spotted it to it dispersing completely.

“The weather was dreadful on Sunday with strong winds and squally showers but I have never seen anything like this.

 Source

Spain's bumper olive years come to bitter end

Spain is by far the biggest producer of olive oil in the world, accounting last year for around 50% of the total production worldwide.

However farmers in southern Spain believe their crop of olives this year is down by as much as 80%, and some think it is inevitable that the price of this increasingly sought-after commodity will rise.

Wherever you drive in Jaen, part of Spain's southern region of Andalucia, there are olive fields, stretching as far as the eye can see.

The province accounts of around half of Spain's total production.

As the olive harvest draws to a close, farmers in Jaen say their crop could be only 20% of what it was last year.

"The rain was noticeable for its absence," says Diego Galindo, vice-president of the San Julian Olive Oil Cooperative in Jaen.

He describes the harvest this year as "really bad".

'Dangerous level'

Industry experts such as Juan Vilar, who has written 14 books about olive oil and teaches a course in olive oil at Jaen University, believe the fall in production could be felt around the world.

"This year, Spain will have only enough production to cover its internal consumption," he says.

Mr Vilar argues that, because Spain normally produces between 40 and 60% of the world's olive oil, there might not be enough this year to meet demand worldwide.

"If this year we don't have enough oil to cover the total consumption worldwide, then the price will increase to a dangerous level," he says.

By "dangerous" he means that there is the risk that consumers might be tempted to opt for cheaper alternatives.

However an expert at Deoleo, one of the biggest olive oil companies in the world, believes the fall in production in Spain this year will not be so marked.

The company's managing director in Spain and Italy, Jose Maria Collantes, estimates that the Spanish olive harvest will be around 50% of what it was last year - and last year was a bumper crop.

"We have had record crops for the three previous years," he says.

He argues that the surplus from recent years will reduce the impact of this year's poor harvest.

"Like in any other market, if you have a shortage of supply the price goes up. However a price increase came in, in late August of 2012, and we don't expect any other price increase for the remainder of this crop."

source- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21144023

UK Weather Chaos: Flooding Forecast as Temperatures Rise [IB Times UK; 26 Jan 2013]

As heavy snowfall forced motorists to spend the night in their cars, forecasters predicted the United Kingdom will next be battered by rain and flooding.

Weather: Big thaw and now flooding warnings [The Star; 26 Jan 2013]

A BLANKET of snow covering South Yorkshire and much of Britain finally gave way to rapid thaw today - but forecasters warn that now brings the risk of floods, writes Graham Walker.

Flooding in East Anglia as snow melts [The Telegraph; 27 Jan 2013]

Floods have affected parts of East Anglia, including Norfolk and Suffolk, as rain falls on ground already saturated by snow.

The Environment Agency issued nearly 400 warnings of possible flooding across England and Wales this morning, with the largest numbers in the Midlands and East Anglia.

Parts of Wales and Norfolk have already suffered floods since a fortnight of snow and ice abruptly gave way to downpours and milder temperatures yesterday, causing fresh disruption on the roads and railways.

Heavy rain came down overnight and into this morning, with an inch falling in Wales, central and south-west England, and the rest of Britain experiencing at least half an inch.

The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning for much of the country, warning that people should be aware that flooding could cause disruption, in particular to travel.

At midday, the Environment Agency had in place 74 flood warnings, 37 of them in the Midlands and 18 in East Anglia, as well 313 less serious flood alerts.

UK weather It's raining, it's thawing: Flooding across Britain as snow melts and storms lash regions [Mirror online; 28 Jan 2013]

Roads were closed, several people were injured in crashes and a canoeist died as heavy rain replaced two weeks of snow and ice

Melting Snow And Downpours Cause Flooding [Sky News; 28 Jan 2013]

Almost 100 flood warnings remain in place across England as rivers continue to swell from heavy rain.

Heavy rains combined with thawing snow are bringing flooding problems to many parts of Britain.

Ice jam causes flooding in Malone [WCAX; 28 Jan 2013]

MALONE, N.Y. -

Martin Lamica has lived on Lower Park Street in Malone for five decades.

"It's never been this bad," he said.

He and his neighbors are used to seeing the Salmon River flood each winter, but residents and emergency officials say this is the worst it has even been. Rarely has the water made it inside homes across the street.

Forecast in West Virginia predicts 71 degrees today plummeting down to 17 degrees on Friday.

* Belarus: Cold Wave - Jan 2013 [ReliefWeb]

Belarus: Extreme winter conditions DREF operation (MDRBY002) [ReliefWeb: 28 Jan 2013]

Download PDF (441.22 KB)

Freezing weather has already killed 4 people in Belarus over the past few days, and temperatures are set to drop even further according to weather forecasts.

The second half of January 2013 has been marked by severe frosts and snowfalls, for which many of Belarus citizens turned to be unprepared. People are being affected by extreme frosts. The current temperatures are below minus 20 degrees Celsius at night and minus 17 degrees during the day.

In Belarus, during the harsh winter period, 1,325 people have been hospitalized with various traumas caused by frostbites. Overall, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people have been affected of hypothermia, and three of them died.

Frosts will go down to reach minus 25 degrees Celsius at night in the period between 25th and 28th January. Northern winds of 6 to 7 m/sec will add to the severe frosty conditions.

Belarus: Extreme winter conditions (as of 25 Jan 2013) [ReliefWeb: 29 Jan 2013]

* Freezing weather [Sacramento Bee: 23 Jan 2013]

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/23/5136233/freezing-weather.html?mi_r...

* Picture desk live: the best news pictures of the day [The Guardian (blog): 24 Jan 2013]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2013/jan/24/picture-desk-live-the-be...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271147/Nine-people-killed-...

Nine people killed as freak hailstorm rains massive boulders down on Indian villages

• The hail storm covered the entire villages under the snow like blanket
• Destroyed crops, houses and live stock in seven villages
  
• The hailstones started falling from the sky on Tuesday night
  

By Jill Reilly

PUBLISHED: 10:56 GMT, 31 January 2013 | UPDATED: 11:25 GMT, 31 January 2013

Hailstones the size of boulders have rained down on villages in southern India.

At least nine people were killed when the violent weather hit several villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The hailstorm which lasted for almost 20 minutes, destroyed crops, houses and live stock, causing devastating financial implications for residents.

Raining down: People cleaning the streets covered with large boulders of hailstorm Andhra Pradesh, India

Killed: At least nine people died when a violent hailstorm hit several villages of Andhra Pradesh in South India

It was once-in-lifetime experience for people living in seven villages in Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally.

The hailstones started falling from the sky on Tuesday night and covered the entire villages under the snow-like blanket.

Some women were seen attempting to sweep up the massive boulders using flimsy brushes more suited to lighter debris.

There were also heavy losses to livestock as huge pieces of ice came crashing through flimsy roofs.

A very troubled time in the Southwest of France

Since 10 January, the successive rainfall events near the Pyrenees, particularly south of the Garonne. This situation is very disturbed due to a large low pressure system extended from the North Atlantic to Central Europe which maintains a system of northwest very wet towards the Pyrenees where clouds gather and give a lot of rain causing many floods of rivers (Nive, Nivelle, Adour, Dordogne).


To 4.75 meter high snow slopes in the Pyrenees

In the mountains, it snowed a lot last Wednesday and Thursday, with accumulations of more than 1 meter in places, Pyrénées-Atlantiques in Haute-Garonne (Aspe Osseau). Above 1800 meters, snow thickness reached 1.50 meters and 3.10 meters measured up to Gavarnie station located 1850 meters. Top ski areas and Cauterêts Gavarnie, total snow depth reached in the areas most exposed to the north wind, nearly 4.50 meters, ie the height of a 2-storey building.

Because of these high accumulations of snow, avalanche danger continues throughout Sunday and part of next week with a very high risk, or maximum (5/5).

The snow is unusual for the season on the whole chain, especially on the Western Pyrenees with snow depths that had not been seen for twenty years.


Rainfall accumulations impressive since January 10

In the valleys,  it has not snowed because temperatures remain relatively mild,  many cities had between 150 and 300 mm pécipitations, from Biarritz to Mont-de-Marsan through Saint-Girons . In a little more than 10 days, the equivalent of more than two months of rain! At the forefront of Socoa  in 15 days the equivalent of six months of rain in Paris was measured

Source in French

Google translation

Source map

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273174/Incredible-picture-...

Let's get spout of here: Gigantic ocean tornado swirls over the Mediterranean as a tiny yacht bobs on the waves

• Powerful vortex formed over the sea off the coast of Bastia, Corsica
• Rare waterspout tornado lasted around 10 minutes then disappeared
• Formed when layers of cool air blowing over the water cause warm, moist air to sweep up from underneath and form a column of condensation
  

By Kerry Mcdermott

PUBLISHED: 11:11 GMT, 4 February 2013 | UPDATED: 11:28 GMT, 4 February 2013

A yacht bobbing on the Mediterranean is dwarfed by a furious waterspout in this incredible picture.

Holidaymaker Isabelle Filippini had been admiring the calm sea off the coast of the French island of Corsica when the enormous, powerful vortex formed above the surface of the water.

Mrs Filippini, who ran to grab her camera, said witnessing the phenomenon had left her stunned.

Waterspout: The enormous vortex appeared over the sea off the coast of the French island of Corsica

Extreme Weather Destroys Homes, Over 400 Acres of Crops In Tanzania (Feb 4)

Nearly 50 houses were destroyed by strong winds accompanied by heavy rains that rocked Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region.

Close to 100 families have been rendered homeless by the natural disaster, which also destroyed over 400 acres of maize, beans and banana plantations.

The winds accompanied by heavy rains currently pounding Kilimanjaro Region also destroyed a number of bridges, cutting off communication between villages and wards and according to Mr Makunga, the rivers have also swelled and are overflowing, making rescue operations difficult.

The most affected areas so far include the Boma-Ng'ombe Township, which is the district headquarters, Rundugai and Chemka villages. Other parts that suffered the calamity are Kwa-Tito, and Shiri-Mgungani villages in Machame and Weruweru wards as well as Mijongeni village of Machame-Kusini Ward, further south.

The Ward Councillor for Machame-Kusini, Mr Nassib Mdeme, said more than 23 houses have so far been destroyed by the gusts of wind and heavy rains which fell in his ward last weekend. "A total of 255 acres of maize and 177 acres of banana plantations have been destroyed by the winds in this ward alone," said the Machame representative.

Source

http://allafrica.com/stories/201302040067.html

Russia: Moscow endures the snowiest winter in 100 years

The snowfall, which continued in and around the capital until the early hours of Tuesday, brought Moscow's traffic to a virtual standstill. The total length of traffic jams in the city reached 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles), which is equal to the distance between Moscow and Madrid.

Whirlwind: 70 homes damaged, 6 uninhabitable in Oosterzele (Belgium)

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 6:40 p.m.

The tornado in Oosterzele has ultimately damaged 76 homes, six of which have been declared uninhabitable. The Municipality of Oosterzele wants the storm declared as a natural disaster .

International Space Station photograph captures giant 'underwater' wave spread over hundreds of miles in the Caribbean Sea

A stunning new image taken from the International Space Station shows a huge 'underwater' wave moving through the Caribbean.

The giant wave, believed to be hundreds of miles in width, was captured by a photographer on board the space station and appears particularly visually clear thanks to a beam of sunlight being reflected back to the camera at the exact moment the photo was taken.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/international-space-stati...

Exceptional rain in Midi-Pyrénées ( France) in January

A large part of the western region has experienced exceptional rainfall early this year. We even broke records in Auch and Tarbes.

No need to be a meteorologist to have noticed it rained a lot in January. But the numbers of Météo France still teach us that the level of rainfall was exceptional in Midi-Pyrénées. A good thing for groundwater recharge and water supplies this summer. However, this level of rain is always a risk especially with regard to floods and flooding.

 It particularly rained in the south of a line ranging from the Ariège Charentes where averages for  January were exceeded. In contrast, in the rest of France, the phenomenon is reversed with a rainfall deficit and thus the concern for groundwater levels.

In the Hautes-Pyrenees and the Gers , we even broke records of cumulative rainfall. Tarbes, had 258 mm of water for an average of 95 mm in January. A record since 1946! Auch, again not seen since 1985 (date of creation of the weather station) with 163 mm of rain against 58 average. In Aveyron however, less rain than usual.

No record, however, (you can not have everything) on ​​the number of rainy days. In Toulouse, you spent 15 days under your umbrella, 19 days Tarbes and Saint-Girons, 20 days.

Source in French

Source map

MASSIVE POWER OUTAGES AS NORTHEAST BLIZZARD TURNS DEADLY

Source

Pyrenées (France) snow braking records

Snow: "Never seen for thirty years!"

We have never seen so much snowfall in the Pyrenees in such a short time. Cauterets was ranked the snowiest town in the world. And snowfall will continue.

Cauterets, snowiest town in the world? Record calls. It is true that seven feet of snow fell in less than a month on the small Pyrenean village, it is not nothing. The resort even had to be closed for a few days, time for teams to deal with this sudden snow.

"What is surprising is not so much the depth of snow, but the amount that fell in such a short time," says Hervé Mairal whom arrived yesterday in Peyragudes on the eve of the European Cup boardercross, the spokesman of the of the Confederation Pyrenean .

Source in French

MASSIVE SNOW STORM LEAVES DEATH & DESTRUCTION IN IT'S PATH, 700.000 LOSE POWER TO STORM

700,000 lose power to storm. Massive snow storm leaves death, destruction in its path

A record-breaking storm in the Northeast has left 700,000 without power, and killed at least four people. The storm has had Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts in its grip with snowfall rates up to six inches per hour. Nearly 25 million people are affected.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Maloy has declared a state of emergency and closed all the roads in the state. Milford, CT has received 38 inches already. “Even snowplows are getting stuck” Stratford, CT Mayor John Harkins told local WTNH television.

Hundreds of cars have been stranded on the Long Island Expressway.

Snowy road conditions lead to a 19-car-pile-up in Cumberland, ME.

High winds associated with the storm, some reaching hurricane force, whipped up high waves. Coastal flood warnings have been in affect for parts of the coastline. U.S. 1A in Massachusetts was closed due to debris washed ashore.

The ocean overflows the sea wall on Winthrop Shore Drive, Feb. 9, in Winthrop, Mass.

People shovel snow as floodwaters flow down Coral Street, Feb. 9, in Winthrop, Mass.

CNN reported the U.S. Postal service suspended service in seven states.

At least 5,000 flights in 60 airports throughout the region have been cancelled. Amtrak crews have been working continuously and some service has been restored to the Northeast Corridor.

The storm surge also caused massive damage all along the shore in southwestern Nova Scotia Saturday. Some of that damage near Cape Sable Island is shown here.

Sources

http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=5411

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/02/09/ns-coast...

Early February Blizzard Buries Northeastern U.S. Earth Observatory; 9 Feb 2013]

A remarkably powerful blizzard brought heavy snow and strong winds to the northeastern portion of the United States on February 9, 2013. A collision of cold air from Canada with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico brought snowfalls that extended from northern New Jersey through Maine. The storm system was a typical winter storm system pattern known as a “nor‘easter”, but the weather conditions were far from typical, with snowfall totals not seen since a record blizzard in 1978. Some of the heaviest snowfalls were recorded in southern Connecticut where totals over 30 inches (90 cm) were reported in several cities, including nearly one meter (38 inches) in Milford, according to the National Weather Service.

The Suomi NPP satellite observed the storm system at around 2:17 pm local time (17:17 UTC) on February 9 as the storm system was sweeping out to sea off Cape Cod, leaving a wake of snow on the ground behind it. The classical spiral pattern in the clouds was centered well off to shore, but storm clouds extended up the entire northeastern coast, while clearing skies over northern New Jersey and southern New York revealed a snow-covered landscape.

Reference

Recent Snowfall and Snow Depth Maps. NOAA/National Weather Service maps. Accessed February 9, 2013.

* Snow in New England [Earth Observatory; 10 Feb 2013]

A powerful winter storm left New Englanders digging out from heavy snow in early February 2013. According to unofficial totals released by the National Weather Service, snowfall totaled up to 33.5 inches (85 centimeters) in Connecticut, 31.0 inches (79 centimeters) in Massachusetts, and 30.4 inches (77 centimeters) in New Hampshire.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on February 10, 2013. Through a partial veil of thin clouds, MODIS could detect snow cover stretching from the East Coast westward past Lake Ontario.

In addition to heavy snowfall, the storm also brought strong winds. Unofficial spotter reports from the National Weather Service listed gusts up to 83 miles (134 kilometers) per hour along the Massachusetts coast.

* Snow across the Northeastern United States [Earth Observatory; 9 Feb 2013]

A nor’easter struck the northeastern United States on February 8–9, 2013, depositing snow across multiple states. After the clouds cleared on February 9, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image. Snow blanketed the ground from the East Coast westward past the Great Lakes, and a band of snow stretched southward into West Virginia.

The powerful storm brought not only heavy snow but also strong winds, downing trees and power lines along the U.S. East Coast. Some of the heaviest snowfall occurred in New England, with some areas receiving nearly 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, according to unofficial totals released by the National Weather Service.