http://www.india.com/news/world/earthquake-of-6-9-magnitude-strikes...

Earthquake of 6.9 magnitude strikes Indonesia’s Ambon islands, Tsunami threat issued

Bali, Dec 9: Earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck Ambon islands located at 174 km away from the South-Eastern coast of mainland Indonesia. The tremors were first reported at 10:21 hours according to Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The United States Geological Survey has also issued a Tsunami threat in the region.

Heavy tremors were felt in Ambon islands, whereas, the parts of Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Mendan and Jabung also felt the impact of quake. However, major loss to life or property is not reported since the quake struck 75 km below the surface of the Earth. But the major threat is posed to people residing in the coastal regions of the island country since the USGC has issued a Tsunami alert.

Due to tremors, and its impact on the tectonic plates, the chances of Tsunami exist.

On Monday, earthquake struck parts of Hindukush region with its impact in major parts of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and northern India. This marks the third instance of earthquake in the past one week.

http://www.trust.org/item/20151208175721-x64gf/

Floods in Congo capital kill at least 31 in three weeks

10 million people facing food shortages as drought grips Ethiopia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/drought-and-food-shortages-in...

Drought still grips much of the productive agricultural land across eastern Australia thanks to the El Nino, but the same weather system is affecting millions of people around the world and it could have deadly ramifications, especially in Africa.

The purpose of this article is not to take away from Australians doing it tough, especially in western and northern parts of Queensland, where some of my family live.

Rather, it is to highlight the fact that drought affects people in many different ways.

The Ethiopian government is not particularly fond of pointing out flaws inside its own borders, so it is a big step for the country to admit that more than 10 million people will require food in the coming months.

That is 10 per cent of the population.

As always in slow burn natural disasters like this one. Women and children will be worst affected.

The charity Save the Children estimates that 5.75 million children will face critical food shortages.

"People are becoming very dependent on assistance from the government and humanitarian agencies," said Charlie Mason, humanitarian director for Save the Children in Ethiopia.

"The government has been extremely proactive and forward thinking in trying to future roof the food pipeline — but there is only so much food that can be procured on the international market and brought in — so aid agencies are also rushing to try to fill that gap."

The 'worst drought' in Ethiopia for 50 years

The famine that gripped Ethiopia during the mid-1980s is well known.

It is thought about 400,000 people lost their lives either through direct starvation, or abuses that occurred because of the country's then insurgency.

While the government is far better equipped to deal with the disaster now, there are warning signs that the current climatic situation is even worse.

"The worst drought in Ethiopia for 50 years is happening right now," said Save the Children's country director in Ethiopia, John Graham.

"The overall emergency response is estimated to cost $1.4 billion, so the world leaders meeting at the Paris climate talks this week must take the opportunity to wake up and act before it's too late."

Other agencies like the World Food Program are working to feed people as well.

It should be remembered that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees in Ethiopia, many from neighbouring South Sudan, where conflict has torn apart the youngest nation on earth.

Others come from Somalia and Eritrea, also neighbours and respectively home to and Islamist terrorists and an authoritarian government.

More than 125 million will need assistance to survive 2016: UN

Right across southern and eastern Africa, El Nino is responsible for a series of droughts.

For many, there are two rainy seasons a year and neither have delivered.

In South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and Somalia not enough rain has fallen to sustain the herds of cattle and goats that sustain so many people.

If people are forced to flee in an effort to find enough to eat the world will learn about food refugees.

"El Nino has led to central America's worst ever recorded drought and Ethiopia's worst drought in 30 years," said the United Nations under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien.

"Natural disasters are also expected to worsen next year, linked to the El Nino climatic event which is estimated to be the strongest on record."

The United Nations estimates that across the globe more than 125 million people will need humanitarian assistance to survive 2016 — about 8 per cent are Ethiopians.

The government has asked for $US1.4 billion to feed its population, but the global figure is much higher.

"We need $US20.1 billion to do so," Mr O'Brien said.

"This amount is five times the level of funding we needed a decade ago and this is the largest appeal we have ever launched."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353561/Torment-goes-victim...

Dramatic moment residents in flooded town form a HUMAN CHAIN to rescue people trapped in the local shop as burst river swamped community

• Residents of Cumbrian village Glenridding are facing further torment after flooding hit the region for a second time
• As homeowners began huge clean-up operation from weekends' floods, the village's defenses were toppled again
• Police warning residents to stay indoors amid fears floods could 'endanger lives' and homes remain without power
•  George Osborne has announced additional £51million to support households and businesses affected by flooding
• The Mail has launched an appeal to help those affected by the floods. Click here to donate or see information below

Displaying bravery and fortitude to save their own, villagers in a tiny Cumbrian community have told of the dramatic moment they formed a human chain to rescue several people trapped by rapidly rising floodwater.

Glenridding's 500 residents are used to a sleepy, laid-back existence, but the community was again forced to take drastic action last night after being hit by a second wave of destruction when a nearby river burst its banks.

It sent raging torrents filled with trees, rocks and other debris racing through the village - the sheer speed of which caught some people unawares.

Several villagers were trapped in the local shop, sparking a desperate rescue attempt by their neighbours.

Mark Hook, 57, who was himself saved on Saturday from the guest house he owns in the village, told MailOnline how residents immediately sprang into action.

He said: 'There were people [trapped] in the mini-mart so locals got together with the emergency services to help them out. At one point there was a human chain – it was quite dramatic. They wouldn’t have got out of there without help. 

This picture was taken seconds after residents in Glenridding formed a human chain to rescue several people trapped by rapidly rising floodwater. Emergency rescuers arrived to help and after installing a rope were able to guide the rest of those stuck in the shop to safety

Earth movers attempt to stem the tide of flood water this morning as Glenridding is swamped by flash floods for the second time in a week

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3352321/Northwest-pumme...

2 deaths, many rescues in Pacific Northwest storms

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Torrential rains pummeled parts of the Pacific Northwest early Wednesday causing mudslides and flooding roads, leaving two women dead in Oregon and sweeping seven people into a Washington river, where they were rescued.

A large Douglas fir tree crashed into a Portland home early Wednesday, killing a 60-year-old woman who was in bed.

The tree, roughly 30 inches in diameter, was uprooted and sliced through the house, pinning the woman underneath.

A large fir tree fell on a house overnight and killed an 60-year-old woman in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, as the Pacific Northwest was soaked by another night of heavy rain. More than 5 inches of rain have fallen on Portland since Sunday, and strong winds have uprooted trees from the saturated ground. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)

Next door neighbor Sam Choumxay said he watched in horror as the tree fell onto his neighbor's house with a thud. The tree top slammed into two cars in Choumxay's driveway.

Choumxay said he ran outside, made it around the tree, and raced to his neighbors' front door.

"Is anybody hurt? Is anybody hurt? I just kept calling to them," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a woman drowned after her car became submerged on a flooded road about 60 miles northwest of Portland in Clatskanie, Oregon, The Oregonian reported.

Firefighters rescued a man they found standing on top of a car in knee-to-waist deep water. They said the man drove himself and the woman into high water where the road was closed near U.S. Highway 30 and Lost Creek Road. The car then sank.

Responders found the woman dead at the scene.

More than 5 inches of rain have fallen on Portland since Sunday, and strong winds have uprooted trees from the saturated ground. At Sea-Tac Airport, where the official weather for Seattle is recorded, the weather service says 2.13 inches of rain fell Tuesday. That beats the previous Dec. 8 record of 1.61 inches.

In western Washington, seven people were swept into the Puyallup River from a riverbank homeless camp Wednesday morning.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/downpour-causes-flash-floods-a...

Flash floods hit parts of S’pore for second day in a row

 

Flash flood along Thomson Road, opposite Thomson Medical Centre on Dec...

 

Flash flood along Thomson Road, opposite Thomson Medical Centre on Dec...

 

https://www.rt.com/usa/325682-oregon-storms-state-emergency/

Oregon declares state of emergency in 13 counties due to winter storms

Summer's back! Record-breaking temperatures soar THIRTY degrees above normal... and it's not over yet!

• Dozens of cities broke or threatened daily temperature records on Sunday with balmy weather in eastern US 
• Highs in the 60s and 70s seen in the Northeast, with readings expected to be 30 degrees above normal on Monday
• Weather system currently bringing feet of snow to the interior West expected to cool off winter warmth
• Strange weather caused by El Niño, unusually high temperatures in Pacific that have effects around the world 

By DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 19:15 EST, 13 December 2015 | UPDATED: 20:33 EST, 13 December 2015

Those looking to get in to the holiday spirit are receiving no help from Mother Nature, with temperatures in the eastern United States fitting better with April and Easter than Christmas.

Highs in the 70s were seen as far north as New Jersey, with other Northeastern and Midwestern cities breaking records on consecutive days with unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s.

Dozens of cities east of the Mississippi broke or threatened daily temperatures records on Sunday, with more record highs expected as warm air continues to move eastward during the beginning of the week.

Scroll down for video 

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Temperatures in the 70s were seen as far north as New Jersey as unseasonably warm weather continued across much of the eastern US

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The warmth is expected to continue for much of the East Coast on Monday, though it will be accompanied by rain heading eastwards from the northern Midwest

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A snowstorm is beginning to bring winter precipitation to the interior West in states such as Utah and Colorado, which will eventually cause above average temperatures to sink slightly

Temperatures in New York City reached 67 degrees on Sunday, above the previous record of 64 set in 1923.

It was 23 degrees above the average for December 13, 44, which was also the temperature exactly one year ago.

Toledo, Ohio, Milwaukee and Cedar Rapids, Iowa had also all broken records by noon.

More than 70 of 235 weather-monitoring locations in the Lower 48 states were expected to threaten highs, according to Weather.com, with more than 40 thought to do so on Monday despite rain heading towards the East Coast.

The beginning of the week will also see much the East Coast experience temperatures roughly 30 degrees higher than normal.

New York, Detroit, Cleveland and Trenton, New Jersey, set records on Saturday, continuing a run that had seen previous marks beaten everywhere from Oregon to Ontario in the past week.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information said that 2.6 percent of the daily high temperature reports it received for the first 10 days of December have broken records for warmth. 

Buffalo, New York, normally sees more than a foot of snow by mid December, but broke a record for lack of snow earlier this month after failing to record at least a tenth of an inch for the longest time in 116 years.

Last year the city saw five feet of snow as early as November, with the precipitation helped on by the lake effect from Lake Erie causing at least 14 deaths.

No snow is expected for at least another week, according to CNN.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358624/Temperature-records... 

Christmas Forecast: climate unrecognizable, it seems Easter Monday with sun and warm [MAPS] - ITALY

14 December 2015

Christmas Forecast: farewell from the authentic atmosphere of the winter holiday season, the weather will remain mild and sunny throughout much of Italy

http://www.meteoweb.eu/2015/12/previsioni-meteo-natale-2/554131/

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...

ou know the typical Christmas atmosphere, the hushed in white snow, wrapped in the freezing winter cold and decked with lights, colors and festoons in tune with typical scenarios of Alaska or Lapland? Well, forget quickly about all this because this year, for the umpteenth time (now more and more often) throughout Italy and in much of Europe will be a Christmas from spring weather, with lots of sunshine and temperatures far higher than the average for the period. It seems almost Easter Monday, with ideal weather conditions for all types of outdoor activities.

The anomalous anticyclone that by the end of October (with the exception of the brief period of the end of November) occupies the Euro-Mediterranean region will persist at least until Christmas, and probably beyond, as we can see in the images accompanying the article.

but the temperatures are far superior compared to the average of the period and even though for some there may be a feeling that cold face, in fact the climate is insanely warmer than normal for the season, as evidenced by the maps and data on thermal anomalies.

he most worrying aspect is that in Russia and in Siberia are really monstrous act positive anomalies (see map opposite), and it is from there that should - in theory - get the cold at this time. It 'impossible to say even now that winter is compromise: there is January, February and also in March when we will have numerous cold waves and snow, but for the moment the situation is exactly the opposite of the winter season and there' It is not even a shadow.

The anticyclone will insist for a long time resulting in high temperatures: the scenery of the Alps is bleak, there is no snow in places.

The images that come from Livigno are scandalous, with a little 'of artificial snow to allow skiers to practice winter sports, but in the coming days the temperature will rise further and probably also the artificial snow will melt and will not spararne other

An economic drama, tourism

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2015/12/14/floods-still-affecting-...

Floods still affecting Ireland as river levels rise again

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3358273/Winter-tornadoes-to...

Winter tornadoes touch down in East Texas damaging 50 homes and injuring two

• The unexpected tornadoes touched down Saturday afternoon in Lindale, with no warning 
• At least 50 homes, around 90 miles southeast of Dallas, were damaged
• The mayor declared a city-wide emergency and 'declaration of disaster' 
• One witness said: 'On the movie Twister where they had the two tunnels come through, they twirled around each other, that's what it looked like'
• No one has yet been reported to have been killed 

Rare December tornadoes surprised East Texas on Saturday afternoon, damaging 50 homes, destroying a bridge and injuring two people.

At least one tornado, probably two, touched down around 4pm in Lindale, about 90 miles southeast of Dallas, according to KETK. 

The mayor has issued a declaration of disaster for the city. 

'We saw these clouds and these little tornadoes that were shooting down and then one hit the ground. We saw it hit the ground, witness Melissa Malone told the outlet. 'From there we called 911 and immediately alerted them and the sirens started going off.'

Residents of Lindale, Texas took cell phone video of a tornado touching down on Saturday afternoon - above, Ryan Alexander posted a video to Facebook of the freak winter storm 

Eyewitness Autum Green spotted the twisters forming on Iron Mountain Road in Lindale and captured them with her cell phone. 

'It was kind of cool watching it build up, but I was really scared,' Green said, adding that she normally gets weather alerts, but none came with the tornado. 

'On the movie Twister where they had the two tunnels come through, they twirled around each other, that's what it looked like,' she said.

The National Weather Service did not send out warnings and people in Lindale were caught completely unawares, reports the outlet. 

A tornado, or possibly two, touched down unexpectedly in East Texas on Saturday afternoon

Alaska Storm Among Strongest Non-Tropical Cyclones on Record (Dec 13)

A very intense storm that battered Alaska's Aleutian Islands this weekend had an estimated atmospheric pressure among the lowest on record for the northern Pacific. Given its extreme intensity, the area of low pressure made for an extraordinary sight on satellite imagery as illustrated above.

The lowest barometric pressure in the storm was estimated to be 924 millibars at 9 p.m. Alaska time on Saturday night, or 1 a.m. EDT Sunday, according to an analysis done by NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center. That ties a Bering Sea storm in November of last year that also had a lowest estimated pressure of 924 millibars.

Interestingly, last year's storm formed partially from the remnants of Super Typhoon Nuri, while the storm this weekend did not develop from a former typhoon or tropical storm.

Those pressure readings were estimated based on surface observations and buoys in the area, so the official record lowest pressure for the north Pacific remains 925 millibars. That was measured in a similar storm on October 25, 1977 on a ship docked at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Two other storms have produced directly-measured pressures lower than 929.8 millibars over the extratropical North Pacific.

In this storm, the lowest pressure directly observed at a fixed airport-based observation site was 27.73 inches, or 938.9 millibars. This measurement came from the Adak Airport on Adak Island in the western Aleutians at 6:16 p.m. local time Saturday.

In general, a lower atmospheric pressure correlates with a more intense low pressure system. For reference, the lowest central pressure of Hurricane Andrew (1992) was 922 millibars. Despite the potential of a similar pressure at its peak, wind speeds in non-tropical cyclones such as the Bering Sea storm are much lower than hurricanes, because the pressure gradient is spread out over a much larger area than in a hurricane.

Late Saturday night and early Sunday, the storm produced some ferocious winds in the Aleutian Islands. At Adak, sustained winds reached 94 mph with gusts topping out at 122 mph. Those winds occurred within a 3-hour, 40-minute period of uninterrupted hurricane-force sustained winds of 74 mph or greater between 8:16 p.m. and 11:56 p.m. Saturday.

Wave heights of up to 40 feet were measured at one buoy in the Bering Sea as a result of the powerful winds.

The storm was weakening on Monday morning while spinning over the Bering Sea. However, its pressure was still very low. NOAA estimated its central pressure at 950 millibars as of 3 a.m. Alaska time.

Source

http://www.weather.com/news/weather/news/aleutian-storm-alaska-beri...

UK weather: Britain facing hottest Christmas on record

Southern England will be hotter than parts of Australia over the next few days thanks to sub-tropical air

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-britain-facing-hott...

Bookies have slashed the odds on Christmas Day being the warmest on record as the freak December mild spell continues.

Temperatures in southern England will be hotter than parts of Australia over the next few days thanks to sub-tropical air.

And forecasters say the balmy weather is here to stay - with Christmas Day predicted to be exceptionally warm.

Ladbrokes cut the odds of temperatures breaking the December 25 record of 15.6C from 10/1 to 3/1.
Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: "It looks like sunglasses rather than snowmen on Christmas Day."

The forecast is bad news for snow lovers - with only parts of the Scottish Highlands expected to see the white stuff.

https://www.rt.com/news/326071-australia-storm-tornado-sydney/

Freak storm rips though Sydney with tornadoes, flooding, hail, 200kph winds 

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/must-see-5-unearthly...

Must See: 5 unearthly shots of massive outback dust storm

 A “larger than normal” dust storm billowed through the Australian outback town of Boulia Tuesday, creating an otherworldly spectacle.

Local photographers jumped at the opportunity to capture the Martian-like moment, where visibility was reportedly limited to just a few metres.

Although dust storms are common in the area, lifestyle photographer Ann Britton told the Brisbane Times that Tuesday’s happening was substantially larger than usual.

The outback is known for being Australia’s vast, mostly uninhabited desert region, where temperatures can soar to 50 C in the summer, while dipping to – 10 C in the winter.

http://sputniknews.com/videoclub/20151217/1031908390/california-bea...

http://www.thebigwobble.org/2015/12/the-weather-has-gone-mad-warm.html

The weather has gone mad! warm temperatures being broken in the UK, Europe and US as Daffodils bloom in December! December set to be warmest on record along with 2015 set to be warmest year on record!

December set to be the warmest on record across the UK and many parts of Europe as the jet-stream is stuck above the UK and it is sucking warm air from northern Africa bringing balmy temperatures more accustomed to early May than December.
Yesterday here in Holland, just north of Amsterdam, I enjoyed temperatures hovering around 18C, or around 65F in old money, uncanny when you realise the average temperature here for this time of the year is 5C or 41F.
Daffodils are blooming across the  UK and parts of Europe during unseasonal December weather
Flowers usually more associated with Easter than Christmas seen around the country in a week of above-average seasonal temperatures.

Daffodils in December!
Incredibly, the forcast for today is set to be even warmer than yesterday and tomorrow will be the warmest day of all, so records are sure to be broken.
December will probably be the warmest on record along with November 2015 which was the warmest November on record, with 2015 will be the warmest year on record, maybe Al Gore was right after all?
It's not all good news though for the UK.
A series of storms will accompany the mild weather across the United Kingdom into Christmas, threatening to causing more floods and disruptions to travel for millions before and after the holiday. 
Also asthmatics in Britain are preparing for a Saharan dust cloud to hit the country.
Forecasters said Saharan dust picked up by winds and carried in the atmosphere could fall in the South East, leaving a yellow or brown film on cars.
The phenomenon is often dubbed ‘blood rain’, but this reddish precipitation is only officially seen in countries with much higher red dust concentrations.

Across the pond it's the same story with, no sign of the polar vortex which devastated the US just one year ago when parts of America was colder than Mars, temperatures along the north east and Midwest have been in the 70's, around 23C, warm enough for shorts and t-shirt.
But just like the UK a series of storms more typical of spring will bring rounds of drenching rain to much of the eastern third of the nation during the week of Christmas.

Advent, Advent,
Europe is burning!

► winter too warm ► Even in Scandinavia Plus Grade
► the polar bear melt away the clods
A December on record course: In Germany, the last month of the year so far with an average of 6.2 degrees is much too warm - namely whopping 5.5 degrees!
► The US Forecast Centres (National Centers for Environmental Prediction; short NCEP) forecast for the coming days temperatures that differ significantly from the winter average.
While we can expect more with four to five degrees in Germany, Eastern Europe lays in the calculations eight to ten degrees!
The whole of Europe is sweating. December is in Europe too mild. As with us there will be for example in France most likely the warmest December since records began.
The expert: "The Atlantic and the Mediterranean have still partially up to 20 degrees warm water. This is completely unusual. "
... and so similar in Norway, England, Austria, Moscow.

http://www.bild.de/news/inland/wetter/temperaturen-auf-rekordkurs-h...

Softness record: the real reasons

News - Updated Monday, December 21, 2015 by The Weather Channel- LA CHAINE METEO

The exceptional softness affects almost the entire northern hemisphere. What are the reasons for the persistent discrepancy?

The record Softness that remains relates much of the northern hemisphere.

Softness to Eastern America and EUROPE . anticyclone mediterranean. . jet stream makes ripples that make up the heat on the east coast of the United States but also to the west of EUROPE.

While the cold is contained and condensed at the North Pole and Greenland.

Since autumn 2015 COLD is intense at high latitudes on the Arctic Greenland, temperature MINUS 50 degrees.

POLARF VORTEX

the polar vortex does not happens TO FALL ELAPSE this is why there is no cold wave on the American continent and europe.

POLAR VORTX seen above the North Pole
belt around the pole and this vortex keeps the cold at ArcticS.SO prevents the cold to elapse to fall
to Russia, `North America and Europe .

SO IT contributes to Softness generalized except at the pole.

http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2015-12-21-05h41...

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...

http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/sandstorm-boulia-queensland-austra...

An unusually powerful sandstorm swept through the central-western part of the Australian state of Queensland on Decmber 16, 2015.

And it turned the day into night at Boulia, where a strong wind was blowing during a few hours, cars were forced to stop.

And suddenly a wall of sand appeared at horizon. By Ann Britton
The storm swept through Boulia in Queensland. By Ann Britton
And turned the day into night. 

Watch a hundred-meter-high wall of sand engulfing a city… It’s insane.

http://nypost.com/2015/12/20/submerged-secrets-are-revealed-as-silv...

Submerged secrets are revealed as Silver Lake dries up

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3372474/Paraguay-Floods...

Paraguay: Floods force evacuation of more than 70,000

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Flooding caused by heavy rains has forced the evacuation of more than 70,000 people in Paraguay.

Authorities say the Paraguay River rose to nearly 24 feet (7.2 meters) Wednesday after weeks of torrential rains. That's near its highest level of 1983, when it reached 25.3 feet (7.72 meters).

Paraguay's National Emergency Secretariat says about 72,000 people have been forced out of their homes in the Paraguayan capital.

Victor Ferreira, who is displaced by flooding, rows his boat through the streets of his Jukyty neighborhood in Asuncion, Paraguay, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. The Paraguay River is at its highest level since 1984 and threatening the poor districts that surround the capital, forcing about 100,000 people to shelters. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

But many more are expected to be affected nationwide by the swelling of the Parana and other rivers.

Communities living in low-lying slums are especially at risk.

Most are seeking shelter in camps on higher ground, where they're sleeping in improvised tents.

Congress issued a state of emergency last week and authorized the government to spend $4 million to assist flood-hit families.

http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/devastating-wildfire-victoria-aust...

http://www.thebigwobble.org/2015/12/a-heatwave-in-decemberwarm-reco...

A heatwave in December....Warm records smahed as New York hits 74F (23C): Records smashed in Washington, Boston and Philadelphia

New York City temperatures soared to 71 degrees Fahrenheit in Central Park by 10 a.m. yesterday, and a high of 74 was expected for the day, shattering the record high of 63 degrees back in 1996. Those with holiday shopping to do are still surely doing it, but retailers on the Eastern part of the country specializing in cold-weather gear continue to suffer from the absence of sweater weather. Record highs were already hit today in other cities, including Charlotte, N.C., Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Providence, R.I., and hundreds more were expected to join them.

In fact, specialty retailers have lost at least $421 million in revenues this year because of a warming trend, according to Planalytics statistics cited by Fortune.
In New York City, temperatures are 12 degrees Fahrenheit above the normal average in December. That means that people tend not to buy new coats, scarves and gloves, all of which are popular gift choices in normal years.
In fact, Berwyn, Pa.-based Planalytics data shows that outerwear sales are down 10 percent while sweater sales slipped 6 percent.
For retailers, this means bloated inventory and deep discounts in January to help them move it. Retailers such as Gap and Abercrombie and Fitch get hit hard by such weather fluctuations, an analyst told Fortune.
One possible bright spot comes for restaurants, which benefit from warmer weather, as do big-box retailers such as Target, because people don't mind driving to the stores.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374506/Met-Office-issues-R...

Met Office issues TWO red alerts for deadly weather in the same day for the first time ever as five inches of rain is forecast and 300 flood warnings are issued across Britain 

The Met Office has issued two red alerts for potentially deadly rain in the same day for the first time ever, as severe weather is battering parts of Britain.

Red alerts are the highest possible warnings, meaning there is 'a danger to life'. It is extremely rare for the weather agency to issue them, with the two previous ones coming a year apart.

The alert, which advises people to 'take action', expect disruption to travel and be prepared to evacuate their homes, is in place for Lancashire and Yorkshire & Humber. 

Around five inches of rain is expected to fall today, almost as much as the average December rainfall in the UK, sparking more than 300 flood alerts.

Rescue teams have been sent out to help people evacuate their flooded homes, as Boxing Day football matches and racing events were cancelled.

Emergency services rescue residents from flooded homes on King Street in Whalley, Lancashire, as the rain batters down

A caravan park inundated by flood water after the River Nidd burst its banks in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire

A Audi car driver takes the risk of driving through flood water in the village of Ribchester on the River Ribble, Lancashire

A police car struggles to make its away through the village of Ribchester, Lancashire, where the River Ribble has burst its banks

The Met Office has issued two red alerts for rain, which is deemed to be potentially deadly, as severe weather is battering parts of Britain today

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe...

Freak Christmas Day tornado rips across Alabama while the death toll hits 15 from deadly storms earlier this week

Deadly weather: Lightning illuminates a house after a tornado touched down in Alabama damaging several houses on Christmas.  Unseasonably warm weather starting on Wednesday helped spawn torrential rain and deadly storms that left at least 15 people in three states dead and dozens of families homeless

Injured: Emergency officials transport James Simmons by boat because water over Byler Road prevented them from reaching him in Alabama on Friday. They carried him by boat before loading him into an ambulance

Damage: irmingham firefighters work a scene after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County, damaging several houses. A Christmastime wave of severe weather continued on  Friday. Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said trees were down and people were trapped inside damaged houses

Community: Birmingham firefighters work a scene after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County. Good Samaritan Ruthie Green went door-to-door in a coat and a bicycle helmet to check on neighbors after the storm and swept debris from her front porch as more emergency responders arrived in the neighborhood

Understaffed: Search teams combed damaged homes and businesses for people still missing, a hunt made complicated because many had left for the holidays

Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said trees were down and people were trapped inside damaged houses. Several people were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries. It wasn't clear if anyone was killed.

Ruthie Green went door-to-door in a coat and a bicycle helmet to check on neighbors after the storm and swept debris from her front porch as more emergency responders arrived in the neighborhood.

The day Britain went under: UK hit by worst floods in decades after a MONTH of rain falls in 24 hours... and more is on the way

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374917/The-day-Britain-wen...

• Towns and cities - including Leeds and Rochdale - flooded with up to six feet of water when rivers burst their banks

• A 200-year-old former pub has been destroyed by the pressure of the water at Summerseat in Great Manchester

• 20ft sinkhole has opened up on the M62 near Rochdale, forcing the road to be shut between junctions 19 and 20

Britain was overwhelmed by the most widespread flooding for decades yesterday as the dire weather left a trail of chaos stretching hundreds of miles and affecting 2,000 homes.
Huge swathes of the North of England, including parts of Manchester and Leeds and their satellite towns, were under up to 6ft of water after a month's rain fell in a single day.
Thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes and in some cases whole towns were cut off as the misery of flooding spread across Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, as well as parts of Scotland and North Wales.
And for the first time since the waters started rising a month ago, densely populated urban areas were engulfed.

Flood waters were predicted to keep rising last night and police were going door-to-door in Salford, Greater Manchester, urging people to evacuate their homes with just what they could carry.
Ominously, a severe flood warning was also issued for Leeds city centre, due to the immediate 'risk to life in the area', and overnight flood pictures show rising waters engulfing homes and vehicles in major streets.
It came after a day of extraordinary scenes when rivers and waterways broke their banks and continued downpours caused flooding on already saturated ground.
The army and specialist emergency flood units were called in to rescue elderly residents from a care home in Croston, Lancashire, which was left under water after the River Yarrow burst its banks.
The Duke of Lancaster Regiment rescued people form the Croston Park Care Home, and more residents of the village were also evacuated from their homes as the water continued to rise.
Two streets in Leeds city centre turned into 'canals' after the River Aire reached its highest ever level and burst its banks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe...

Eight dead in Texas tornado: The South is battered by severe weather for another day as Christmas storm death toll reaches 26

• Five dead are reported in Garland, Texas when a large tornado hit a busy highway
• Two people died in Copeville and one in Blue Ridge in Collin County 
• About 50,000 people are without power across the Dallas-Fort Worth area 
• Unseasonably warm weather starting on Wednesday helped spawn torrential rain and deadly storms that left at least 26 people in three states dead and dozens of families homeless by Christmas Eve
• Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman, said trees were down and people were trapped inside damaged houses. Several people were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries
• Among the dead from several days of rough weather were eight people from Mississippi, including a 7-year-old boy who died while riding in a car that was swept up and tossed by storm winds
• Six people were killed in Tennessee, including three found in a car submerged in a creek, according to the Columbia Police Department
• One person died in Arkansas, and dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed
• The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles are bracing for what NWService forecasters are calling a 'historic blizzard,' but the areas under threat are lightly populated

Eight people were killed in Texas the day after Christmas when raging storms and tornadoes blew through the area, according to reports.

Five people died near I-30 in Garland, northeast of Dallas, when a large tornado moved through the area, according to Fox4News. All victims were believed to be in their cars, which were likely blown right off the highway.

'It looks like a war zone,' Zach Thompson, Dallas County Health and Human Services Director, told the outlet of Garland.

The tornado struck at 6:45pm according to the National Weather Service. 

Meanwhile, two people died in Copeville and one person in Blue Ridge, an unincorporated town in Collin County, next to Lake Levon.

This brings the death toll to 26 across Texas and three other states starting Christmas Eve.

About 50,000 people are without power across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, mainly in the eastern cities, according to the outlet.

At least two tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down south and east of Dallas beginning at around 6 p.m. local time (7 p.m. E.T.), according to the National Weather Service.

Four people were killed in Garland, Texas, after fierce storms and tornadoes swept through the region Saturday (above)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374548/Christmas-storm-woe... 
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374851/California-wildfire...

Out-of-control wildfire is threatening dozens of homes north of Los Angeles and closes down 15-mile stretch of coastal highway

• Fire forced evacuation of dozens of homes northwest of Los Angeles and closed part of Pacific Coast Highway and 15-mile stretch of Highway 101
• Highway closed in both directions from state Highway 150 to Highway 33 
• Wind-whipped brush fire started outside city of Ventura late on Friday night
• The blaze spread to 1,200 acres after winds reached 50 mph in the dry area
• More than 500 firefighters were at scene or going to battle blaze Saturday
• Ventura County Fire spokesman said fire was about ten per cent contained

A wildfire in Southern California that is threatening dozens of homes has led to evacuations, burned more than 1,000 acres of land and forced the closure of parts of two major highways on Saturday. 

The out-of-control brush fire forced the evacuation of dozens of homes northwest of Los Angeles and closed a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway after starting outside the city of Ventura late Friday.

Highway 101 - which runs north to south - was closed in both directions for roughly 15 miles from state Highway 150 to state Highway 33, forcing holiday travelers to take narrow, backcountry roads.

Scroll down for video  

A wildfire in Southern California that started late on Friday night (seen) is threatening dozens of homes

The fire has led to mandatory and voluntary evacuations and has burned more than 1,000 acres of land

A burned Pacific Coast Highway sign was torched during the fire in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County

"The National Weather Service in Dallas-Fort Worth determined Sunday that the destruction left behind in hard-hit Garland was the work of an EF-4 tornado. That's the second most powerful tornado on the Fujita scale, with winds between 156 and 200 mph.

The agency also said the damage left behind in nearby Rowlett was from at least an EF-3 tornado with winds between 136 and 155 mph.

At least 11 people died in the severe weather that barreled through the region... and 600 structures were damaged."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/27/us/severe-weather/index.html

http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/rotating-ice-circle-brainerd-minne...

Rare and strange winter phenomena start appearing in the US.

Watch this rotating ice circle spin where the Nokasippi River flows into Upper South Long Lake near Brainerd, Minnesota.

The rotating ice disk at the outlet of the Nokasippi River as it flows into Upper South Long Lake south of Brainerd, Minnesota. Photo: Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls

A rare and unexpected spinning ice circle formed just where the Nokasippi River flows into Upper South Long Lake in Minnesota.

It looks like a big pancake of ice that is moving slowly around in a circle.

The spinning ice circle has been discovered on Saturday 26, 2015. Photo: Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls

The ice disc forms as flowing water creates an eddy where ice is forming. The water is more still in the middle of the eddy.

It’s really an amazing nature phenomenon.

Since then residents are amazed in front of this wonder of nature.

And rare, people living around since more than 60 years had never seen the phenomenon before.

That’s really a perfect ice circle swirl in the black water.

http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/us-strange-weather-warmest-christm...

The US is experiencing some very strange weather -Boston & NYC WARMER on Christmas Eve than on the 4th of July.

Yes, it was WARMER in Boston and New York than in LA on Christmas Eve…

First, let’s recap. January-June 2015 was the hottest on record. July was the hottest July on record. August was the hottest August on record. September was the hottest September on record. October was the hottest October on record. November was the hottest November on record. December is not over yet, but in all likelihood, it will be the hottest December on record.

Here’s a look at the meteorological surreality of the December 24 forecast.

The 2015 Christmas Eve was the warmest on record in the US history. Map:

Anyway, this was the warmest Christmas Eve ever for much of the country…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3378490/19-levees-Illinois-...

17 MILLION under flood warning: Levees burst and rivers rise to historic levels as officials warn of fatalities to come and call in the National Guard

• Severe storms are causing historic flooding in Missouri and Illinois
• Federal officials are monitoring 19 levees on the Mississippi River that are near overflowing
• Seventeen million people are under flood warnings with hundreds of homes threatened
• The governor of MIssouri has activated the National guard to divert traffic from submerged roads 
• At least 18 deaths over several days in the region have been blamed on flooding

Federal officials were monitoring 19 vulnerable levees on the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries, warning that hundreds of homes in Illinois and Missouri could be threatened by a rare winter flood that already forced the partial closure of interstate highways and widespread evacuations.

As the swollen rivers and streams pushed to virtually unheard-of heights Tuesday, an unknown number of inmates were transferred out of an Illinois state prison threatened by flooding and Missouri's governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic from submerged roads.

Record flooding was projected in some Mississippi River towns after several days of torrential rain that also caused sewage to flow unfiltered into waterways.

Mark Diehl, left, and Dale Atchley move items to higher ground at the Fenton Feed Mill on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Fenton, Missouri. Torrential rains over the past several days pushed already swollen rivers and streams to virtually unheard-of heights in parts of Missouri and Illinois

This photo shows a northern view of 1st Street where homes were flooded on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Pacific, Missouri

The Meramec River near St Louis was expected to get to more than three feet above the previous record by late this week.

At least 18 deaths over several days in Missouri and Illinois were blamed on flooding, mostly involving vehicles that drove onto swamped roadways.

The river on Tuesday spilled over the top of the levee at West Alton, Missouri, about 20 miles north of St Louis. Mayor William Richter ordered any of the town's approximate 520 residents who had not already evacuated to get out of harm's way.

Across the river, in Alton, Illinois, dozens of volunteers helped place sandbags ahead of where water is expected to rise. 

Submerged roads and houses are seen after several days of heavy rain led to flooding, in an aerial view over Union, Missouri December 29, 2015

A storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest pushed north on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice from Iowa to Massachusetts and another day of tangled air travel

Several homes are seen underwater in this aerial picture taken over Union, Missouri on December 29, 2015 

Mayor Brant Walker said in a statement that 'even with our best efforts of sandbagging and pumping,' flooding was expected at least in the basements of the downtown business district.

In another eastern Missouri town, Union, water from the normally docile Bourbeuse River reached the roofs of a McDonald's, QuikTrip and several other businesses. The river reached an all-time high Tuesday, nearly 20 feet above flood stage.

Interstate 44 was closed near the central Missouri town of Rolla, and a 10-mile section of Interstate 70 was shut down in southern Illinois before it was reopened late Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of smaller roads and highways were also closed across the two states, and flood warnings were in effect.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activated the National Guard to assist with security in evacuated areas and to help keep road closure sites clear.

In southern Illinois, the Department of Corrections transferred an unspecified number of inmates from a state prison to other locations because of flooding risks. The facility houses nearly 3,700 inmates.

Train traffic on this bridge has come to a halt. A storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest pushed north on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice from Iowa to Massachusetts and another day of tangled air travel

Submerged roads and houses are seen after several days of heavy rain led to flooding, in an aerial view over Valley Park, Missouri December 29, 2015

In St Louis, more than 500 volunteers turned out in blustery, cold conditions to fill sandbags where a flooded waterway threatened hundreds of homes.

The city later trucked 1,500 of the sandbags south to a nearby county to fortify a wastewater treatment plant threatened by the swollen Big River.

The Mississippi River is expected to reach nearly 15 feet above flood stage on Thursday at St Louis, which would be the second-worst flood on record, behind only the devastating 1993 flood.

Alderman Larry Arnowitz said up to 500 homes could be threatened if the River Des Peres - a man-made storm sewer channel that flows through south St Louis into the Mississippi River - rises much more than projected. But he was confident that with no rain in the forecast for the next several days, and with the help of the thousands of sandbags, everything would be OK. 

A Christmas decoration hangs on the door of a home surrounded by floodwater from the Bourbeuse River, Tuesday, December 29, 2015, in Union, Mo. Flooding across Missouri has forced the closure of hundreds of roads and threatened homes

'These are our neighbors, our friends,' said Muxo, who brought her teenage son and three of his friends to help sandbag. 'We need to help each other.'

The high water was blamed on the shutdown of a wastewater treatment plant on Monday just south of St Louis, causing sewage to go directly into nearby rivers and streams. The Metropolitan Sewer District of St Louis said the Fenton wastewater treatment plant, which is designed for 6.75 million gallons per day of flow, was treating nearly 24 million gallons per day at the time of the malfunction.

One of the two wastewater plants in Springfield, Missouri, also failed, allowing partially treated sewage to flow into a river.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed a 5-mile portion of the Mississippi River near St Louis due to flooding. Capt. Martin Malloy cited high water levels and fast currents in the river, which is a vital transportation hub for barges that carry agricultural products and other goods.

In central and southern Illinois, flood warnings were in effect two days after a winter storm brought sleet and icy rain. Major flooding was occurring along the Kankakee, Illinois, Sangamon and Vermilion rivers.

In Granite City, Illinois, about 30 residents of a flooded trailer park idled in a Red Cross emergency shelter in a church basement. The park's property manager told Shirley Clark, 56, and other displaced residents that it could be another 10 to 12 days before they're able to return to their homes.

'We need help over here,' said Clark, a diabetic who said she left behind her insulin supply. 'We're just holding on.'

The Midwest wasn't alone. Heavy rain continued in parts of the South, such as Georgia and eastern Alabama, which has in parts seen more than 14 inches of rain since December 21. 

https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402....

Severe Weather Europe Arctic

DECEMBER 30 2015

Another look at the exceptional intrusion of warm air high over the Arctic and all the way to the North Pole! Longyearbyen, Svalbard at 78 °N reported +8 °C tonight! Temperatures in the Arctic are about 30 °C above the long term average.

Map: Earthnull

"Some of this North American heat is a regular feature of every El Niño. ...But in the Arctic, this level of warmth is unprecedented. In order for this huge, hot storm to reach Iceland on Wednesday, it’s punching right through the Jet Stream, the atmospheric “river” that brings temperate weather to Europe. Yet El Niño should typically reinforce this current, explains the climate writer Robert Scribbler—for the Jet Stream to weaken is a sign that something else is going on."

The storm that will unfreeze the North Pole
http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/the-storm-that-will-unf...

Freakish Weather Runs from the Top of the World to the Bottom

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/freakish-wea...

From the top of the world to near the bottom, freakish and unprecedented weather has sent temperatures soaring across the Arctic, whipped the United Kingdom with hurricane-force winds and spawned massive flooding in South America.

The same storm that slammed the southern United States with deadly tornadoes and swamped the Midwest, causing even greater loss of life, continued on to the Arctic. Sub-tropical air pulled there is now sitting over Iceland, and at what should be a deeply sub-zero North Pole, temperatures on Wednesday appeared to reach the melting point — more than 50 degrees above normal. That was warmer than Chicago.

Only twice before has the Arctic been so warm in winter. Residents of Iceland are bracing for conditions to grow much worse as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded blasts through the North Atlantic. This rare “bomb cyclone” arrived with sudden winds of 70 miles per hour and waves that lashed the coast.

Thousands of miles south, in the center of Latin America, downpours fueled by the Pacific Ocean’s giant El Niño pattern have drenched regions of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

In what’s described as the worst flooding in a half-century, more than 160,000 people have fled their homes. The Paraguay River in that nation is within inches of topping its banks, and the Uruguay River in Argentina is 46 feet above normal, according to a BBC News report.

The dramatic storms are ending a year of record-setting weather globally, with July measured as the hottest month ever and 2015 set to be the warmest year.

Up and down the U.S. East Coast, this month will close as the hottest December ever. In much of the Northeast into Canada, temperatures on Christmas rose into the 70s — tricking bushes and trees into bloom in many locations. In the Washington area, forsythia, azaleas and even cherry blossoms were suddenly in full color.

“I see this as a double whammy,” Michael Mann, a professor of meteorology at Penn State University, said in an email. “El Niño . . . is one factor, human-caused climate change and global warming is another. You put the two together, and you get dramatic increases in certain types of extreme weather events.”

The impact is more and more devastating.

Read More....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3379988/Arctic-heatw...

Arctic 'heatwave' hits the North Pole: Storm Frank causes temperatures to soar by 60°F taking the icy region close to melting point

• Temperatures were expected to creep above freezing yesterday
• Unseasonable warmth is the result of weather system behind Storm Frank
• Ocean measurements showed 28.6°F in the Arctic on Wednesday

The North Pole is experiencing a heatwave as temperatures came close to melting point yesterday, making the Arctic region warmer than some major cities in Europe and the US.

According to ocean measurements from the North Pole Environmental Observatory, the mercury tipped -1.9°C (28.6°F) on Wednesday as the Arctic bathed in an unseasonably warm spell.

The hike in temperature is reportedly due to the same low pressure system which has brought flood chaos to England and Scotland, and made areas of the Arctic up to 35˚C (63°F) warmer than the seasonal average.

According to ocean measurements, the mercury tipped -1.9°C (28.6°F) on Wednesday as the Arctic bathed in an unseasonably warm spell. The hike in temperature is due to the same low pressure system that has brought flood chaos to England. This made areas of the Arctic 35°C (63°F) warmer than the seasonal average

Earlier this week, meteorologists tracking the path of a powerful North Atlantic storm over Iceland had forecast that the Arctic temperatures could peak above freezing, with the storm being one of the strongest on record and wind speeds of up to 230mph (370km/h).

Typically, the Arctic would be expected to be somewhere in the depths of up to -35°C (-31°F) in December, with 24 hour darkness.

ARCTIC HAS WARMEST YEAR IN HISTORY 

Earlier this month, the average air temperature over Arctic land reached 2.3°F (1.3°C) above average for the year ending in September.

That's the highest since observations began in 1900. 

The new mark was noted in the annual Arctic Report Card, released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Arctic centres on the North Pole and reaches into North America and Eurasia.

But while large fluctuations of up to 30°F in air temperature are fairly typical in the Arctic, this latest weather system was expected to push the variability to as high as 50 to 60°F.

Although no instruments for measuring temperature are operating on the North Pole to provide precise reading for the temperature spike, experts indicate that temperatures may have pushed past zero.

Data pulled from one ocean buoy in the Arctic reported a temperature spike of 0.7°C, but Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at US company Weather Bell said on Twitter these data may have a large range of uncertainty.

Meteorologist Bob Henson, from WeatherUnderground, added that the December temperatures at the North Pole have only reached or gone above freezing just three times since 1948, but none during between January and March.

http://iceagenow.info/heavy-snowfall-in-peru-in-the-summer/

Heavy snowfall in Peru – In the summer

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/12/31/montreal-record-busting-snow-...

Montreal Record Busting Snow Sours the Mild Winter Climate Narrative

Montreal, 2005

ON the 24th December this year, Montreal was a poster child for the “new normal” – mild weather, no snow in sight. All that came to an abrupt end on the 29th, when Montreal strayed off narrative with a record breaking snowfall.

From the 24th;

Montreal’s Christmas Eve record-breaking temperature matches Los Angeles

Dec. 24 high of 16 C matches cities synonymous with sunny, warm weather at this time of year

…

The balmy temperature was the last thing Anaum and Muhammed Sajanlal were expecting when the siblings arrived in Montreal from Kuwait recently.

They had big plans for winter fun.

“I was looking forward to building a snowman because we see in the movies and cartoons that they build lots of snowmen. We can’t do that in Kuwait,” said Anaum, 11, on CBC Montreal’s Daybreak.

Fast forward to December 29th;

Montreal saw a record snowfall for a Dec. 29 on Tuesday after 39.2 centimetres of snow blanketed the city and caused delays at the airport and left streets a mess for motorists and pedestrians.

Environment Canada confirmed the record, which eclipsed the 30.5 cm of snow that fell on Dec. 29 in 1954.

A few more centimetres were expected Wednesday, but no other major accumulations are in the forecast for the moment, Environment Canada told the Montreal Gazette.

City crews and contractors began the lengthy cleanup process at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, with all of the city’s boroughs getting to work by 7 p.m. to clear as much snow as possible before a pause for New Year’s Eve kicks in at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31.

Clearing operations are to resume Jan. 2 at 7 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

44 Votes

http://www.thebigwobble.org/2016/01/it-is-described-as-disaster-cyc...

It is described as a "disaster": Cyclone Ula with 200km/h winds set to smash Tonga today

Locals and tourists have been told to brace for "very destructive" winds and potential "flash flooding" as Cyclone Ula unleashes its fury on Tonga.
In its latest warning, the Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre says Vava'u, Tongatapu, Ha'apai and 'Eua are expected to feel the worst of the tropical cyclone.
That includes "heavy damaging sea swells", heavy rain and strong winds.
"Very destructive" east to south-east winds of up to 80/90km/h, gusting up to 120km/h, are expected to hit Vava'u and Ha'apai.
The warning for those areas includes the possibility of "seas flooding" in low-lying areas.
As the storm intensifies, international aide organisations are gearing up to help.
Oxfam New Zealand is ready to send emergency staff to Tonga to assess the situation on the ground and identify the most urgent needs.

Carlos Calderon, Pacific humanitarian manager for Oxfam NZ, said there was a risk of high seas causing flooding in low-lying areas.
"We have emergency supplies in Tonga ready in place, so once the urgent needs are assessed we are ready to help co-ordinate the supply of clean water and sanitation for those affected by the disaster." Oxfam and its partner Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) operate virgin coconut oil and organics programmes throughout the country.
Oxfam is liaising with TNYC to prepare for a co-ordinated response.
In January 2014, tropical Cyclone Ian ripped through the Ha'apai islands, in Tonga, destroying buildings and homes.
Oxfam provided access to safe water, ensuring sanitation needs were met, and helped people recover their livelihoods so they could earn a living and support themselves and their families.
Tuvalu has already been hit by heavy rain and strong winds.
Cyclone Ula caused property damage on the low-lying island, ripping roofs off houses and destroying plant crops.
At its worst, Tuvalu was struck by heavy rain, thunderstorms and gale-force winds.
Winds of up to 200km/h are expected, as well as torrential rainfall.
Cyclone Ula is predicted to lose intensity as it heads away from Tonga towards Fiji's southern islands.
Fiji rugby Sevens coach Ben Ryan sent locals and tourists in the path of Cyclone Ula his best wishes, posting on Twitter:
"Cyclone Ula battering a lot of the Pacific right now -- stay safe everyone and prayers with you. #CycloneUla."Fiji's National Disaster Management Office issued a heavy rain and strong wind warning on Friday.
The weather system has caused numerous power outages in Fiji and locals living in flood-prone areas have been warned to prepare for possible flash flooding.

UK: December 2015 was wettest month ever recorded and warmest ever December

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/05/december-2015-wa...

December was the wettest month ever recorded in the UK, with almost double the rain falling than average, according to data released by the Met Office on Tuesday.
Last month saw widespread flooding which continued into the new year, with 21 flood alerts in England and Wales and four in Scotland in force on Tuesday morning.

The record for the warmest December in the UK was also smashed last month, with an average temperature of 7.9C, 4.1C higher than the long-term average.

Climate change has fundamentally changed the UK weather, said Prof Myles Allen, at the University of Oxford: “Normal weather, unchanged over generations, is a thing of the past. You are not meant to beat records by those margins and if you do so, just like in athletics, it is a sign something has changed.”

The Met Office records stretch back to 1910 and, while December saw a record downpour particularly affecting the north of England, Scotland and Wales, 2015 overall was only the sixth wettest year on record.

The high temperatures in December would normally be expected in April or May and there was an almost complete lack of air frost across much of England. The average from 1981-2010 was for 11 days of air frost in December, but last month there were just three days. Across 2015, the average UK temperature was lower than in 2014, though globally 2015 was the hottest year on record.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3385901/Huge-El-Nino-storm-...

Huge El Nino storm begins battering California as residents brace themselves for heavy rain, snow and flash floods as people are urged to evacuate and prepare for mudslides

• Forecasters have said the conditions heading towards Southern California are developing faster than expected
• Flash flood warnings have been issued in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties
• Residents in areas hit by recent forest fires have been urged to evacuate before the powerful storm hits 
• By Tuesday afternoon, the storm had already drenched the San Francisco Bay area and surrounding communities  

A huge El Nino storm has begun battering California, with the West Coast bracing itself for heavy rain, snow, flash floods and possible mudslides.

Forecasters have said the torrid conditions are developing faster than expected, with some places even bracing for snow - and they say Tuesday's torrid weather is just the beginning.

They believe storms lining up along the Pacific coast could continue to wreak havoc across the state for the next two weeks. 

Flash flood warnings on Tuesday were issued in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.

Streets have been lined with sandbags in a bid to control the surging water levels while and authorities have placed concrete barriers along the roads to protect homes. 

Rain causes puddles a few inches deep in Ventura, California. Forecasters say the conditions are the beginning of a huge El Nino storm 

Vehicles slow on Interstate 80 during a winter rain storm in San Leandro, California. Forecasters are predicting the worst is still to come 

Portions of the 101 freeway in Ventura, California, have been flooded as a result of the rain, causing the traffic to slow to almost a standstill

According to ABC 7, a winter storm warning has been issued for the Los Angeles County and Ventura County mountains until Thursday at 4 a.m. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said early Tuesday that rainfall could still be strong enough to trigger flash flooding and debris flows on fire-scarred hillsides.

Residents of the Silverado Canyon burn area in Orange County and the Solimar burn area in Ventura County have been told they may want to evacuate in advance of the storms, but have not been ordered to do so. 

A flash-flood watch for wildfire burn areas is in effect through late Wednesday.

The city of Malibu says rocks fell Tuesday on the road through Malibu Canyon, damaging four vehicles. The route through the steep Santa Monica Mountains is a heavily traveled commuter route, and the city says drivers should expect delays.

To the northwest, flooding has closed about a mile of beachside Harbor Boulevard in the city of Ventura. Police Cmdr. Tom Higgins says water is about a foot deep.

The storms are also whipping up large, long-period ocean swells that could generate hazardous breaking waves at west-facing harbors in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties. 

The stronger systems that were predicted starting Tuesday following light rain a day earlier are already drenching the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

At least two more storms are expected to follow on Wednesday and Thursday, possibly bringing as much as 3 inches of rain.

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch for Northern California communities affected by several destructive wildfires last summer and fall. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3386985/Darth-Nino-pummels-...

'Darth Nino' pummels California: Storm driven by worst El Nino ever causes chaos as drivers are left stranded in their cars, roads turn into rivers and a TORNADO hits

• Heavy rain and high winds caused widespread flooding, prompting chaos on the roads across the state 
• A tornado in Vernon ripped away parts of buildings during the storm that meteorologists say is the strongest ever
• A 4.5 magnitude earthquake also struck two miles north of Banning - a city 85 miles east of Los Angeles  
• Tuesday brought the most rain Los Angeles has seen in any single day in 2015 except for one — September 15 
• Some residents in the drought-stricken state have welcomed the weather, believing it will replenish water resources 
• However climatologists believe a steady wave of storms will be needed to turn around the four-year drought  
• Jeff Masters, Weather Underground's meteorology director said: 'DarthNino may finally have California in its sights' 

Californian streets have been turned to rivers after one of the biggest El Nino storms in decades pummeled parts of the state - but forecasters say the worst is still to come.

High winds and the most rain seen on a single day in four months caused widespread flooding, prompting chaos on the roads. Some drivers were forced to abandon their cars as the water levels left them stranded.

A tornado in Vernon ripped away parts of buildings and sent debris flying through the air during an El Nino storm that meteorologists say has tied 1997-1998 as the strongest ever recorded.

Parts of Southern California were also rattled by a 4.5 magnitude earthquake. It struck two miles north of Banning - a city 85 miles east of Los Angeles - but left no injuries. 

Mike Halpert, deputy director of the federal Climate Prediction Center, has said the torrid conditions are developing faster than expected, with some places even bracing for snow - and they say Tuesday's torrid weather is just the beginning. The next round of El Nino is set to hit California late on Wednesday morning. 

Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private Weather Underground, told ABC News: 'DarthNino may finally have California in its sights.'

However some residents in the drought-stricken state have welcomed the extreme weather, believing it may help replenish depleted water resources.  

A driver climbs out of a window of his car after driving onto a flooded road in Van Nuys, California, as an El Nino storm battered parts of the state - and forecasters say the conditions could get worse

Octavio Angulo jumps as Mike Patel (left) looks on as the two abandon their vehicle after a flooded road stalled their vehicles engine in San Diego, California 

http://floodlist.com/europe/albania-floods-january-2016-tirana-dibr...

Albania – 100s Evacuated After Floods in 5 Counties

Two days of heavy rain in Albania has caused flash floods, river overflow and landslides in several parts of the country, including the counties of Tirana, Durrës, Lezhë, Shkodër and Dibër.

Civil emergency teams, including police and military personnel, carried out around evacuations in Tirana, Dibër, Durrës and Lezhë.

Yesterday the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a warning that heavy rain and thunderstorms were expected in several areas including Tirana, Lezhë, Shkodër and Dibër. The ministry warned that people should keep travel to a minimum.

Between 05 and 07 January, 2016, around 700 people are thought to have been evacuated in total. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Niko Peleshi, described the response as timely and no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said major and regional roads have been temporarily blocked following landslides caused by the heavy rain.

In Dibër County yesterday, around 200 people were evacuated in the municipality Bulqizë of after the Drini river overflowed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said today that after efforts by civil emergency teams, the situation has since returned to normal.

In Tirana county, around 25 families were evacuated yesterday in the village of Babrru after the Tirana river overflowed. Local media also reported flooding in the Laprakë district of the Tirana city. Authorities say that around 4 families were affected by a landslide in Bërzhitë, although no casualties were reported.

In Fier County, the Shkumbin river has overflowed affecting several villages in the municipality of Divjakë.

In Durrës County around 80 families were evacuated from the municipalities of Shijak (50 families) and Sukth (30 families) after flooding caused by the overflowing Erzen river.

Lezha county was one of worst affected areas yesterday. Families were evacuated after floods in the village of Plana in Zejmen municipality as a result of the overflowing Mat river and nearby streams. Earlier today the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the situation has since returned to normal in the area, although there are still some problems on the roads which are still blocked after several minor landfalls.

Flood Mitigation Plans

The Deputy Prime Minister, Niko Peleshi visited the affected areas of Lezhë yesterday. There he set out plans for central and local governments to work together on numerous irrigation and drainage projects across the country in order to mitigate flooding. He said that 2016 will mark a qualitative development in terms of irrigation works and drainage in preventing similar flooding in the future. He also proposed to tackle issues such as uncontrolled forest exploitation and the illegal building in floodplains and riverbeds, which he said have exacerbated recent floods in the country.

Floods in Lezhë, Albania, January 2016. 

Kosovo

Local media are also reporting that the heavy rain, combined with snow melt, has caused some flooding in parts of Kosovo. Prizren district is said to be the worst hit, in particular the town of Mališevo. Some road and surface flooding was also reported in Pristina.

Rainfall

According to WMO figures, 198 mm of rain fell in Shkodër, Shkodër county, in 24 hours to 06 January. The next day Tirana saw 63 mm of rain and Kukës in Kukës County, saw 57 mm.

Neighboring Macedonia has also seen some heavy rainfall over the last 2 days. In Mavrovo
51.6 mm fell in the past 24 hours to 07 Jan 2016. Just over 60 mm fell in Lazaropole in the same period.

Pali Becomes Earliest Central Pacific Tropical Storm on Record

...Tropical Storm Pali was named Thursday afternoon, becoming the earliest central Pacific tropical storm on record.

This is on the heels of a historically active 2015 tropical season in the Pacific Ocean, including a Tropical Depression Nine-C, which formed near the end of the year and dissipated on Jan. 1, 2016.

...Dating back to 1949, only two tropical storms had formed in the central Pacific in the month of January prior to Pali. Tropical Storm Winona was the first on Jan. 13, 1989, and the second was Ekeka on Jan. 28, 1992. Ekeka reached Category 3 hurricane intensity amidst the moderate El Niño of 1991-92.

...Hurricane specialist Eric Blake said that Pali is also the "southernmost tropical storm to form in the central Pacific basin," forming at just 4.7 degrees north of the equator, likely also influenced by the warmer than average sea-surface temperatures associated with El Niño.

If this Pacific tropical storm wasn't strange enough, the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center's Serviço Meteorológico Marinho analyzed a tropical depression off the east coast of Brazil in the South Atlantic this week. There is also a low pressure system in the North Atlantic that could become a subtr... within the next week. Pali is just another rarity in what has been an odd last couple of weeks in the tropics.

The official 2015 hurricane season ended on November 30 in the central Pacific and does not begin in 2016 until June 1.

http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-depression-on...

According to the Tropical Depression Nine-C link above:

"As a general rule of thumb, tropical cyclones need to be at least 5 degrees of latitude away from the equator to get enough of a turn in wind direction from the Coriolis force to intensify. Without this turn in wind direction, air would simply converge into the low-pressure center and weaken it, instead of circulating around it."

Bad weather in the UK: the castle Abergeldie likely to be destroyed

January 4, 2016

The wave of bad weather that hit the United Kingdom does not seem to want to appease, so that seems to be at risk destroying the castle Abergeldie

http://www.meteoweb.eu/2016/01/maltempo-gran-bretagna-il-castello-a...

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=it&tl=en&js=y&...

In recent weeks and these days, the United Kingdom does not seem to find peace; victim of numerous floods and floods.

In Scotland, in 'Aberdeenshire, such was evacuated Castle Abergeldie, bordering Balmoral, the estate of the royal house where Queen Elizabeth II is used to spend his summer holidays.

Neighbors Elizabeth were forced to seek refuge.

The family headed by Baron Abergelidie, John Gordon had to abandon the historic estate, which could be destroyed. The estate is protected even from the Scottish to the historical and artistic heritage. The banks of the River Dee have moved several meters, mainly because of the fury of the river, which is swollen by rains in recent days.

To be in danger, not only the estate, but the whole country. In fact, the continuous weather warnings for possible floods and storms caused mainly by the strong winds.

For the Met Office, the national weather service, probably will fall to 150 millimeters of rain, thus beginning another month quite rainy. Although the record is held in December, which was the wettest month ever.

http://www.thebigwobble.org/2016/01/a-village-in-uk-endures-75-days...

A village in the UK endures 75 days’ rain record with more rain on the way...Sheep are developing wool rot!

This winter has been the wettest ever in the UK but spare a thought for one village in Wales.
The village name is Eglwyswrw – pronounced Eglis Oo Roo and is home to 700 Welshmen and it started raining there on October the 26th last year and it hasn't stopped since....
The unlucky people who live there have endured downpours for 75 days in a row and with more rain forecast it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon!
It is the longest spell of rain in Britain for 92 years.
Locals are becoming miserable with the constant grey skies and rain, the two pubs have been closed down and the local sheep farmers are worried because the animals are developing wool rot.
The longest rainy spell of at least 0.2mm every 24 hours was 89 days in 1923, at Eallabus, on Islay, off north-west Scotland.
Further north the relentless rain caused further flooding on the east coast of Scotland yesterday, Aberdeen was the latest city to be flooded in the UK this winter after the river Don bursts it's banks.
Once again water levels reached record highs in yet another disastrous winter for UK residents.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/california-flooding-ra...

PHOTOS: California flooding, mudslides wash over 101 Freeway, I-5

It has been a stormy week across California with several El Niño-enhanced storms slamming the state, resulting in widespread flooding and road closures.

Southern California has been one of the areas hit the hardest by the train of storms with inches of rain falling in the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Diego.

"Drainage systems have been unable to handle the deluge, forcing partial closures of roads and major interstates, including Interstate 5," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.

"Mudslides, evacuations, power outages and even a couple of weak, short-lived tornadoes have also been reported over the past few days," Duff added.

The weakened, scorched earth left behind after an active wildfire season in California has turned into a major issue across the state, making areas near the burn scars more susceptible to mudslides and debris flows.

The 101 Freeway in Ventura County was one of these areas as mud spewed across the highway from the burn scar left behind by last month's Solimar Fire.

The southbound lane is open for traffic, but for a period of time on Thursday, the northbound lanewas closed due the mud flow.

Rain and mud flowing across the 101 Freeway on Wednesday. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3393083/Tornado-touches-sou...

Thousands are left without power and dozens are forced to evacuate their homes after a tornado crashes down in Florida

• Authorities say an EF2 weekend tornado touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph
• Only a few minor injuries were reported 
• Nearly 10,000 people lost electricity but power is being restored

Authorities say an EF2 weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes, left thousands without power for a time, but caused no serious injuries or deaths.

Police say the tornado caused scattered damage over about 12 square miles in Cape Coral on Saturday evening. Only a few minor injuries were reported.

'We have numerous power lines down, we have numerous homes that have been damaged,' Cape Coral Police spokesman Dana Coston said shortly afterward. 

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Damage: Authorities say an EF2 weekend tornado that touched down in southwest Florida with winds up to 135 mph damaged several homes

Power lines down: Downed power lines off Beach Parkway left many without power on Saturday night into Sunday morning, after a tornado ripped through the neighborhood on Saturday evening

Path of the tornado: Police say the tornado caused scattered damage over about 12 square miles in Cape Coral on Saturday evening

A of 8:35 a.m. on Sunday there were no deaths or serious injuries reported, according to News-Press.com

There were three minor injuries reported due to cuts from broken glass, said Coston.

Due to the late hour of the tornado's touchdown a full report of possible deaths and injuries has not yet been completed, 

Coston says nearly 10,000 people lost electricity but power was being restored.