Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Wild Weather, the Wobble Effect
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Weather: |
Tides and Whirlpools:
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"We warned at the start of ZetaTalk, in 1995, that unpredictable weather extremes, switching about from drought to deluge, would occur and increase on a lineal basis up until the pole shift. Where this occurred steadily, it has only recently become undeniable. ZetaTalk, and only ZetaTalk, warned of these weather changes, at that early date. Our early warnings spoke to the issue of global heating from the core outward, hardly Global Warming, a surface or atmospheric issue, but caused by consternation in the core. Affected by the approach of Planet X, which was by then starting to zoom rapidly toward the inner solar system for its periodic passage, the core was churning, melting the permafrost and glaciers and riling up volcanoes. When the passage did not occur as expected in 2003 because Planet X had stalled in the inner solar system, we explained the increasing weather irregularities in the context of the global wobble that had ensued - weather wobbles where the Earth is suddenly forced under air masses, churning them. This evolved by 2005 into a looping jet stream, loops breaking away and turning like a tornado to affect the air masses underneath. Meanwhile, on Planet Earth, droughts had become more intractable and deluges positively frightening, temperature swings bringing snow in summer in the tropics and searing heat in Artic regions, with the violence of storms increasing in number and ferocity."
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for February 4, 2012:
The wobble seems to have changed, as the temperature in Europe suddenly plunged after being like an early Spring, Alaska has its coldest temps ever while the US and much of Canada is having an extremely mild winter. India went from fatal cold spell to balmy again. Has the Earth changed position vs a vs Planet X to cause this? [and from another] Bitter cold records broken in Alaska - all time coldest record nearly broken, but Murphy's Law intervenes [Jan 30] http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/30/bitter-cold-records-broken-in-alaska Jim River, AK closed in on the all time record coldest temperature of -80°F set in 1971, which is not only the Alaska all-time record, but the record for the entire United States. Unfortunately, it seems the battery died in the weather station just at the critical moment. While the continental USA has a mild winter and has set a number of high temperature records in the last week and pundits ponder whether they will be blaming the dreaded "global warming" for those temperatures, Alaska and Canada have been suffering through some of the coldest temperatures on record during the last week.
There has been no change in the wobble pattern, the wobble has merely become more severe. Nancy noted a Figure 8 format when the Earth wobble first became noticeable, in early 2005, after Planet X moved into the inner solar system at the end of 2003. The Figure 8 shifted along to the east a bit on the globe between 2005 and 2009, (the last time Nancy took its measure) as Planet X came closer to the Earth, encountering the magnetic N Pole with a violent push earlier in the day. But the pattern of the Figure 8 remained essentially the same. So what changed recently that the weather patterns became noticeably different in late January, 2012?
The N Pole is pushed away when it comes over the horizon, when the noon Sun is centered over the Pacific. This regularly puts Alaska under colder air, with less sunlight, and thus the historically low temps there this January, 2012 as the wobble has gotten stronger. But by the time the Sun is positioned over India, the N Pole has swung during the Figure 8 so the globe tilts, and this tilt is visible in the weather maps from Asia. The tilt has forced the globe under the hot air closer to the Equator, warming the land along a discernable tilt demarcation line.
The next loop of the Figure 8 swings the globe so that the N Pole moves in the other direction, putting the globe again at a tilt but this time in the other direction. This tilt is discernable in weather maps of Europe, again along a diagonal line. Depending upon air pressure and temperature differences, the weather on either side of this diagonal line may be suddenly warm or suddenly cold. The tilt and diagonal line lingers to affect much of the US and Canada, but the Figure 8 changes at this point to be an up and down motion, pulling the geographic N Pole south so the US is experiencing a warmer than expected winter under a stronger Sun. Then the cycle repeats, with the magnetic N Pole of Earth pushed violently away again as the Sun is positioned over the Pacific.
From the ZetaTalk Chat Q&A for April 6, 2013:
Would the Zetas be able to let us know what is causing the early break-up of the Arctic Ice, the ice seems to have taken on a swirling pattern at the same time, would this be wobble related? [and from another] http://www.vancouversun.com/news/national/Canada+Arctic+cracks+spectacular+event/8185609/story.html The ice in Canada’s western Arctic ripped open in a massive “fracturing event” this spring that spread like a wave across 1,000 kilometres of the Beaufort Sea. Huge leads of water – some more than 500 kilometres long and as much as 70 kilometres across – opened up from Alaska to Canada’s Arctic islands as the massive ice sheet cracked as it was pushed around by strong winds and currents. It took just seven days for the fractures to progress across the entire area from west to east. [and from another] http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=80752&src=iotdrss A high-pressure weather system was parked over the region, producing warmer temperatures and winds that flowed in a southwesterly direction. That fueled the Beaufort Gyre, a wind-driven ocean current that flows clockwise. The gyre was the key force pulling pieces of ice west past Point Barrow, the northern nub of Alaska that protrudes into the Beaufort Sea.
The Figure 8 formed by the N Pole during the daily Earth wobble has shifted somewhat to the East, due to Planet X positioned more to the right of the Earth during its approach. This was anticipated, and well described in ZetaTalk, the Earth crowding to the left in the cup to escape the approach of Planet X, so the angle between these two planets would change slightly. This shift of the Figure 8 to the East is due to the push against the Earth’s magnetic N Pole occurring sooner each day than prior. Thus instead of occurring when the Sun is high over the Pacific, over New Zealand, it is now occurring when the Sun is high over Alaska. All the wobble points have shifted eastward accordingly.
This has brought a lingering Winter to the western US, and a changed sloshing pattern to the Arctic waters. Instead of Pacific waters being pushed through the Bering Straits into the Arctic when the polar push occurs, the wobble is swinging the Arctic to the right, and then later to the left, creating a circular motion in the waters trapped in the Arctic. Since the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the motion also takes this path. This is yet another piece of evidence that the establishment is hard pressed to explain. They are attempting to ascribe this to high pressure and wind, all of which are not new to the Arctic, but this circular early breakup of ice in the Arctic is new.
Scott
"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
Dec 27, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/rotating-ice-circle-brainerd-minne...
Rotating ice circle surprises residents of Brainerd, Minnesota
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.
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 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.
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.
Dec 28, 2015
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2015/12/us-strange-weather-warmest-christm...
The US is experiencing some very strange weather
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.
Anyway, this was the warmest Christmas Eve ever for much of the country…
Dec 28, 2015
KM
Deaths and mass evacuations in South American floods
ASUNCION — Storms and floods battering South America claimed a sixth victim in Paraguay on Monday as river levels threatened to rise further after torrents drove tens of thousands from their homes.
The death of a technician who was electrocuted while trying to restore power to a Paraguayan village brought the toll across three countries to at least 12 overall.
Over recent days the storms blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon have killed four people in Brazil and two in Argentina. Officials say rainfall has driven at least 160,000 people from their homes in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
The director of Paraguay’s weather service, Julian Baez, told reporters the level of the Paraguay River had risen to nearly 8m.
If rains continue as forecasters expect, the flood levels could tie or pass their record of 9m in 1983, when the capital’s busy port area was under water, Mr Baez warned.
The National Emergency Secretariat warned that a dike near the village of Alberdi risked giving way if the Paraguay River kept rising.
The waterway, which forms a border between Paraguay and Argentina, rose by an additional 2cm on Monday.
"It is a situation of nature that we have to live with," said Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, while visiting Alberdi on Monday.
Elsewhere, driving rains in the Sao Paulo area in southern Brazil triggered a mudslide that killed four people, state officials said on Sunday.
In Uruguay, between Argentina and Brazil on the South Atlantic, more than 16,300 people had fled their homes because of the floods, the National Emergency System said on Monday.
In northeastern Argentina, two people were killed and about 20,000 were evacuated from their homes by the flooding of the Uruguay River.
"The situation has stabilised. There are still 20,000 people evacuated," Argentinian Interior Minister Rogelio Frigerio told a news conference.
Most of those were in the eastern city of Concordia.
"If it starts raining again like it did last week, we are going to have difficulties," said Gustavo Bordet, the governor of the surrounding province of Entre Rios.
International environmental group Greenpeace said in a statement that the flooding devastation was due to a combination of increased rain and deforestation, which destroys woodland that otherwise absorbs rainwater.
El Nino is associated with a sustained period of warming in the central and eastern tropical Pacific.
Last month the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation warned that the current El Nino was the worst in more than 15 years, and one of the strongest since 1950.
Dec 29, 2015
KM
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
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.
Dec 30, 2015
jorge namour
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
Dec 30, 2015
Scott
"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...
Dec 30, 2015
Mark
Freakish Weather Runs from the Top of the World to the Bottom
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/freakish-wea...
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....
Dec 31, 2015
KM
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
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.
Dec 31, 2015
KM
http://iceagenow.info/heavy-snowfall-in-peru-in-the-summer/
Heavy snowfall in Peru – In the summer
29 Dec 2015 – Huancavelica, Peru – Heavy snowfall of about 10 centimeters thick covered Chonta population centers today and Astobamba Pucapampa district of Santa Ana, in the province of Castrovirreyna, Huancavelica region, surprising its inhabitants.
The COER and Regional Government urge the Huancavelica population to take precautions, keep warm and avoid sudden changes in temperature, especially in populations in situations of high vulnerability either by their social status (poverty and extreme poverty), children under 5 years and older adults.
“Heavy snowfall in Peru, south of the equator, where it is summer now. Could this mean that cold air from the North Pole has crossed the equator?” asks Argiris.
Dec 31, 2015
KM
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;
Fast forward to December 29th;
Jan 1, 2016
KM
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.
"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.
Jan 2, 2016
Mark
UK: December 2015 was wettest month ever recorded and warmest ever December
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/05/december-2015-wa...
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.
Jan 5, 2016
KM
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
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.
Jan 6, 2016
KM
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
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
Jan 7, 2016
KM
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.
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.
Jan 8, 2016
Scott
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."
Jan 8, 2016
jorge namour
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.
Jan 8, 2016
KM
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.
Jan 9, 2016
KM
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.
Jan 11, 2016
KM
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 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.
Scroll down for video
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.
Jan 11, 2016
KM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30821256
Mozambique and Malawi floods cause havoc
A major highway in Mozambique has split after two bridges collapsed as a result of heavy flooding that has killed 25 people and displaces tens of thousands in the country, officials say.
Parts of the country are also without electricity after torrential rains knocked down 10 pylons, reports say.
Heavy rains have also devastated neighbouring Malawi, where 48 have been killed about 70,000 have been homeless.
The southern African states have been hit by late summer storms.
The bad weather is expected to continue for several days.
'Stranded in buses'
On Monday, Malawi's President Peter Mutharika declared a third of the country a disaster zone and urgently appealed for foreign aid.
In Mozambique, overland travel from the north to the centre and south has become impossible after two bridges collapsed on the EN1 highway, reports the BBC's Jose Tembe from the capital, Maputo.
There is growing concern for bus passengers stranded on either side of the bridges, he says.
They have been forced to sleep for two nights on the buses and are running out of food, our reporter adds.
The Licungo River is flowing so rapidly that it is impossible to reach them, even by boat, he says.
These are the worst floods on the Licungo since 1971, our correspondent says.
The Zambezi River has also risen beyond flood alert level on its middle and lower stretches, making some roads in the Zambezi basin impassable.
Mozambique's electricity utility EDM said it would take a week to restore power supply in the north.
Most of the north has been without electricity since Monday when 10 pylons were knocked down, according to Mozambique's independent television station STV.
The pylons are on the transmission lines carrying power from the Cahora Bassa dam to various parts of Mozambique.
Jan 14, 2016
Scott
profile of Hurricane Alex, following on Recall 15's post
"A rare January hurricane formed far out in the Atlantic on Thursday, and U.S. officials said it was the first hurricane to form in the month of January since 1938.
...The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in a Facebook post that there hasn't been a hurricane present during the month of January since 1955, when Alice formed in late December 1954 and carried over into the next month.
...Alex formed only days after a rare event in the Pacific. An El Nino-related tropical storm formed southwest of Hawaii last week. Tropical Storm Pali, only the third such system to develop in January in over 40 years, had weakened to a depression by Thursday and was expected to dissipate in the next day or so. It never made landfall and was no threat to land.
However, Alex's formation has nothing to do with El Nino, according to NOAA Climate Prediction Center deputy director Mike Halpert. NOAA researcher Jim Kossin said the water Alex formed in was about 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal, still barely warm enough for a storm to form."
It is only the second hurricane on record in ANY month to form in the area north of 30 degrees N latitude and east of 30 degrees west according to a Tweet by NOAA Hurricane Expert Eric Blake who also provide the information in the figure provided by Alex Lamars.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2016/01/14/exploring-t...
Jan 14, 2016
KM
http://strangesounds.org/2016/01/apocalyptical-sandstorm-hoopstad-s...
Apocalyptical sandstorm engulfs Hoopstad in South Africa (pictures and videos)
The following dramatic photos and videos were shot on January 13, 2016, from Hoopstad as a massive and violent sandstorm swept across the Freestate in South Africa.
Hoopstad (Tswelopele) lies between Bloemfontein and the North West Province.
And after the sandstorm there was the much-welcomed rain.
Although sandstorms are renowned in the area, South Africa has been experiencing radical and dramatic weather recently with a heatwave in several parts of the country.
Jan 15, 2016
KM
http://iceagenow.info/snow-on-the-road-to-mecca/#more-17654
Snow on the road to Mecca – Video
Al Jazeera confirms snow in Saudi Arabia. January 15, 2016
Video .. snow coats the migration route.
(One part of the Al Jazeera story says snow, a different part says hail. I’m guessing hail, but it still must have been a real shock to the drivers.)
Hailstones falling heavily between Mecca and Medina covered various parts of the region, which has taken on in white.
A researcher at the weather, climate and member of the Committee naming distinctive climatic conditions said “snow seen on the migration route between Medina and Mecca formed as a result provide good moisture for the layers of the upper atmosphere led to the emergence of Cumulus huge,
Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for these links
“This news item is only in Arabic and cannot be found on the English spoken website of Al Jazeeera,” says Argiris.
Jan 16, 2016
KM
http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/14/severe-drought-threatens-food-...
Severe drought threatens food security in South Africa
South Africa’s national weather service has announced that the country is experiencing the lowest rainfall and driest summer in more than 110 years.Adding that the country suffered its driest year on record in 2015, threatening food security.
According to the weather service, average rainfall was 403 mm, about a third less than the 608 mm annual average and the driest since records began in 1904.
The agricultural sector is being hammered by weeks of heat waves that have scorched grazing land, forcing livestock owners to kill or sell animals.
The rural farming town last saw rain on December 15 and has had a severe water shortage for the past three months, with residents having to queue for water. Large parts of the country are facing their worst drought and highest temperatures in decades.
Africa’s most advanced economy, a maize exporter, may need to import as much as 5 million tonnes this year, roughly half of its requirements.
A farmer in the maize-producing town of Hoopstad,Chris Skoenwinkle said they are two months late in planting.
Agricultural analysts said the cost of maize imports to make up for lack of crops will be a big burden.
“We’ve got to import about, in the vicinity of about four million tonnes of maize if it doesn’t rain and the rain just stays away. That means we will have to import about 12 billion rands worth of maize,” said agricultural economist Ernst Janovsky.
However, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said the natural disasters are hampering efforts to eradicate hunger.
South Africa’s five provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, have been declared disaster areas following a persisting drought.
Maize is a staple food in southern Africa and a key source of high calorie intake for lower income households.
Analysts predict consumers will have to tighten their belts and spend more wisely to counter the effects of the weakening rand and unfavorable weather conditions.
Jan 16, 2016
KM
Severe situation in northern Bulgaria because of snow, strong winds
http://sofiaglobe.com/2016/01/18/severe-situation-in-northern-bulga...
Strong winds in northern Bulgaria, causing blizzards and snow drifts, hampered traffic in northern Bulgaria on January 18, with many roads closed.
Heavy snowfall and rains in several parts of Bulgaria at the weekend led to declarations of states of emergency in some municipalities, as serious winter weather conditions also hit Bulgaria’s neighbouring countries Turkey, Greece, Romania and Serbia.
The state of emergency that had been declared at the weekend in Bulgaria’s Smolyan municipality was lifted on the morning of January 18 but partial emergencies remained in place in the municipalities of Rudozem, Devin and Dospat.
The head of Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency, Lazar Lazarov, said on the morning of January 18 that roads in western Bulgaria were passable provided that vehicles were prepared for wintry conditions but traffic in north-eastern Bulgaria still had difficulties.
In parts of northern Bulgaria, visibility was down to zero as strong winds drove blizzards and snow drifts.
The roads between the Danubian city of Rousse and the town of Shoumen, and between Silistra and Shoumen, were closed. On the stretch of Hemus Motorway between Shoumen and Varna, there was a ban on the movement of heavy vehicles.
Flooding at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint led to traffic being diverted to the Lesovo checkpoint, Lazarov said.
Several dozen villages in the municipalities of Mezdra and Roman remained without electricity.
In the municipality of Lovech, several villages also had no power, and electricity distribution company teams had worked through the night to restore supply, local media said.
The port of Varna was closed because of strong winds.
In various municipalities in Bulgaria, schools were closed on Monday although classes in most major cities were proceeding as normal.
In Sofia, the head of the capital city’s municipal inspectorate, Veska Georgieva, issued a reminder that those who failed to clean the snow from in front of their residences and offices could face fines ranging from 50 to 500 leva for individuals and from 700 to 2000 leva for juristic persons.
According to Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandukova, snowfall through the night had resulted in snow cover in places in the city of 40cm, in some places up to 50cm.
Sofia’s Pirogov emergency hospital said that about 250 people had sought medical treatment at the weekend for fractures of the wrist, shoulder, ankle or hip, causing by falling in the icy conditions.
Elsewhere in South Eastern Europe, heavy snowfall and strong wind prompted Turkish Airlines to cancel 246 domestic and international flights from Atatürk Airport, including to Bulgaria, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. In Romania, schools in Bucharest were closed on January 18. In Greece, a 47-year-old man was found dead by rescuers after his car was swept away by a flash flood in Serres, with the country having been hit by severe heavy rain at the weekend
Jan 19, 2016
KM
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/18/national/tokyo-gets-bla...
Snowfall causes transport chaos in eastern, northern Japan; 250 people hurt
Heavy snow in eastern and northeastern Japan wreaked havoc with transportation systems and injured about 250 people Monday as central Tokyo was blanketed with 6 cm.
At least 40 people were sent to hospitals in Tokyo alone, and another 30 were reported injured in Saitama Prefecture, police and fire departments across the region said.
Over the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Tuesday, up to 100 cm of snow is forecast to fall in Hokkaido and the Hokuriku region, 70 cm in the Tohoku and Tokai areas, 50 cm in the Chugoku region, and 40 cm in the Kanto and Koshin regions, according to the Meteorological Agency.
The low-pressure system responsible for the snow was predicted to remain through Tuesday, especially along the Sea of Japan coast.
The land ministry urged people to prepare for heavy snow in the affected areas and refrain from going out unless necessary. Snow tires and chains for cars were also recommended.
The snow temporarily brought services on the Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen lines to a crawl, affecting approximately 30,000 passengers, while a slowdown of services on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line inconvenienced around 11,000 people.
Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. cancelled 197 domestic flights in total, affecting more than 16,000 people.
The Chuo Expressway was closed in some areas of Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures.
East Japan Railway Co. also canceled some express and local trains on the Chuo and Oume lines.
In Suginami Ward, Tokyo, a minivehicle overturned and the driver, a man in his 60s, suffered a broken right arm. In Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, a 22-year-old man injured his head after his car slipped and collided with an oncoming truck, police said.
Unaccustomed to the snow and ice, many people in urban areas suffered minor injuries in falls. Thousands of morning rush-hour commuters were stuck on crowded station platforms or aboard trains as the weather disrupted the rail network.
Brimming with passengers waiting to board trains, people were seen unable to pass through ticket gates at Shinjuku, Shibuya and other major stations.
Jan 19, 2016
KM
http://akipress.com/news:571502/
Mongolia experiencing very low temperatures, heavy snowfall
Bishkek (AKIpress) -
Mongolia is experiencing very low temperatures and heavy snowfall since early-November 2015, locally named dzud (or jute, mass deaths of livestock in winter). According to the National Emergency Management Authority, snow has covered 90 percent of the total territory with conditions getting more severe,ReliefWeb reports.
Based on the latest assessment report released from the Mongolian government in early-January 2016, 50 districts in 16 provinces are currently categorized as experiencing dzud, while 120 districts in 20 provinces are on the edge of entering dzud condition.
Some local level governments have already declared dzud in their respective districts as part of the early warning and preparedness measures.
The Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment has indicated that based on the weather forecast, continuous snowfall, snowstorms and temperatures are expected to persist on average of below -25 degrees Celsius (-13°F) during daytime and -38 degrees (-36°F) during night in the coming weeks. These will further affect more than 965,000 people, especially vulnerable herders living in the affected districts.
Jan 22, 2016
SongStar101
So cold your EYEBROWS could freeze: Chinese residents embrace coldest winter in 30 years as temperatures drop to as low as -47.8C
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3410277/So-col...
China is bracing itself for a week-long cold wave that has seen temperatures drop well below freezing and in some cases as low as -47.8 degrees Celsius.
Schools in several cities in north China have been suspended and emergency services are preparing themselves for the worst, the People's Daily Online reports.
Images have emerged online depicting the country's current freeze including pictures of people's eyebrows collecting frost in the bitter cold as several cities issued a blue alert for extreme weather.
The National Meteorological Center has predicted that temperatures will drop by 10 degrees Celsius across much of the country over the next four days.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency say that temperatures are expected to drop below freezing in 90 per cent of the country this week.
Today in Genhe, Inner Mongolia, the temperature dropped to -47.8 degrees Celsius.
There are concerns that the extreme weather will affect fruit and vegetable crops and local agricultural authorities have warned farmers to add organic fertilizers to their crops to reduce damage control.
One farmer Zhu Dazhi spoke to the People's Daily warning: 'The temperature will stay below zero for several days. Only ten percent of the vegetables will survive'.
Electricity companies say they have made preparations for the extreme weather.
In Hangzhou, there have been scenes of locals rushing to the supermarket to stock up on necessary items including vegetables and bread.
While other people have been getting out into the snow, testing out the arctic-like temperatures by throwing boiling water into the air which freezes turning the water into a cloud of crystals.
Zhejiang province is currently on a yellow alert, the second highest alert for cold weather.
While Hong Kong which is usually sub-tropical, will see temperatures plunge to around seven degrees Celsius. In the New Territories forecasters have predicted ice and frost for the area. There have only been four instances of this since records began in Hong Kong.
In 2008, China was affected by a series of winter storms in which some 129 people died.
During this time, it even snowed in the Tacklamakan desert where it snowed for 11 consecutive days and killed livestock.
Jan 22, 2016
SongStar101
More than 75MILLION people brace themselves for the wrath of Jonas - the monster East Coast snowstorm - as FIVE THOUSAND flights are canceled and panic buyers clear the shelves
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3409806/From-Appalachians-P...
Emergencies have been declared in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C., as the East Coast and 75 million people prepare for one of the most brutal snowstorms in a century - Storm Jonas - and it is set to last until Sunday.
More than 5,000 flights have already been canceled around the country from Friday until Saturday night and more than 2,100 flights have been delayed as of Friday morning as airports get ready for the severe weather.
It came after Washington, D.C., had already ground to a halt under just an inch of snowfall, with highways around the capital gridlocked. There is set to be more travel chaos over the weekend with the subway in the capital - the second busiest in the nation - set to close until Sunday.
Schools and government offices have been closed pre-emptively, food and supplies disappeared from grocery and hardware stores. College basketball games and concerts would have to wait.
The National Weather Service warned this is just the tip of the iceberg as the agency issued a blizzard alert for the region. The storm is set to dump two feet of snow between Mississippi and Boston, hitting Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. the worst.
Winds of around 60mph are expected to shut off power in hundreds of thousands of homes on the coastal region from Virginia Beach to Long Island.
Tornadoes have even been predicted in parts of Mississippi.
All schools in Washington, D.C., will be closed on Friday with road restrictions in place as of 9.30am.
Washington's metro system will close at 11:00 pm Friday and will not reopen until Monday morning. Trains will be stored in the tunnels to protect them from the elements. It is the first time in its 40-year history it will be closing.
Bus service will end even earlier, with the last buses leaving depots at 5:00 pm Friday, and service to resume Monday.
'The actions we are taking today are all in the interest of our customers' and employees' safety, and will help us return to service once the storm passes and the snow is cleared,' said the metro system's general manager Paul Wiedefeld.
Schools in Baltimore will also be closed before a snowflake is seen falling.
The National Weather Service said in a statement Wednesday that 12 to 16 inches of snow could come down between Friday night and Sunday morning around the Interstate 95 corridor.
As much as a foot of snow is possible for Philadelphia's northern suburbs.
With 20 inches set to blanket the capital, this storm - dubbed Storm Jonas by the Weather Channel - could rival the biggest snowstorms in the history of the United States.
Chicago's biggest ever snowstorm brought 23 inches of snow to the city, while St Louis' and Columbus's each saw 20.4 inches settle.
Mitchell Gaines of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said people should be prepared for strong winds, heavy, wet snow and power outages.
The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center warns of heavy, 'perhaps crippling' snow across the northern mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia, probably beginning Friday.
In the District of Columbia, Mayor Muriel Bowser requested Humvees from the National Guard to reach isolated people and places if necessary.
'If this is a blizzard and we have sustained winds and people lose power, that would be my biggest concern,' Bowser said at a news conference. 'We can move the snow. We will move the snow.'
Bowser took the unusual step of apologizing for her administration's response to the minor storm. She said crews should have been out earlier with more resources.
Arlington County officials said the region 'underestimated' the storm and it was a 'scary and frustrating night' for residents.
Jan 22, 2016
SongStar101
East coast brought to standstill as blizzard delivers near-record US snowfall
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/24/us-snow-east-coast-s...
A blizzard with hurricane-force winds has brought much of the US East coast to a standstill, dumping as much as 3ft (90cm) of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travellers and shutting down Washington and New York City.
An estimated 80 million people across 20 states are facing a second day of being effectively trapped inside due to heavy snow and dangerous conditions, which are expected to last until Sunday.
Blizzard buries eastern US as New York bans travel – as it happened
After days of weather warnings, most people in the storm’s path heeded requests to stay home and off the roads, which were largely deserted. Yet at least 19 deaths were blamed on the weather, resulting from car crashes, shovelling snow and hypothermia. And there is more snow to come, forecasters warned.
“This is going to be one of those generational events, where your parents talk about how bad it was,” Ryan Maue, a meteorologist for WeatherBell Analytics, said from Tallahassee, Florida, which also got some flakes.
The weather system was mammoth, dropping snow from the Gulf Coast to the northeastern New England states. By afternoon, areas near Washington had surpassed 30in of snow. The heaviest unofficial report was in a rural area of West Virginia, not far from Harper’s Ferry, with 40in.
“It seems the weather forecasters got it right this time,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said at a morning press conference. “There is a blizzard.”
Like officials all around the east coast, he warned people to stay off the roads: “I don’t care how superb a driver, how big a four-wheel drive vehicle you have, the roads are barely passable.”
“The roads are technically open,” Cuomo said. “But if you really do not need to leave your house, I can’t stress enough you should not leave your house.”
Cuomo said he was particularly concerned about flooding conditions – “what I consider the worst of Mother Nature’s wrath” – in New York City and along Long Island. Swells rivaled those of hurricane Sandy in some areas, though officials insisted the storm did not rival the 2012 disaster.
Airlines cancelled nearly 7,000 weekend flights and started to cut Monday service.
As the storm picked up, forecasters increased their snow predictions for New York and points north and warned areas nearly as far north as Boston to expect heavy snow.
“This is kind of a Top 10 snowstorm,” said weather service winter storm expert Paul Kocin, who co-wrote a two-volume textbook on blizzards.
It was the third biggest snowstorm in New York City’s history, where more than 25in of snow had fallen as of 7pm on Saturday, close to the record, 26.9in, set in February 2006.
Three people died while shoveling snow. The normally bustling streets around Rockefeller Center, Penn Station and other landmarks were mostly empty and Broadway shows were cancelled. Those who did venture out walked down the middle of snow-covered streets to avoid even deeper drifts on the sidewalks.
Officials imposed a travel ban in the city, ordering all non-emergency vehicles off the roads. Commuter rails and above-ground segments of the nation’s biggest subway system shut down, too, along with buses.
Jan 24, 2016
KM
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/rare-cold-snap-hits-east-asia-blamed-fo...
Rare cold snap hits east Asia, blamed for more than 65 deaths
Snow sits on the Chinese god statues at the Pinglin temple in the high mountain area of New Taipei City, Taiwan, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. (AP / Wally Santana)
Published Monday, January 25, 2016 6:21AM EST
Last Updated Monday, January 25, 2016 7:36AM EST
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Unusually cold weather in eastern Asia has been blamed for more than 65 deaths, disrupted transportation and brought the first snow to a subtropical city in southern China in almost 50 years. Here is a look at the worst cold weather to hit the region in years:
TAIWAN
Temperatures in Taiwan's capital of Taipei plunged to a 16-year low of 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit), killing 57 mostly elderly people, according to government officials. The semi-official Focus Taiwan news website reported that 85 people had died because of the cold.
Most homes in subtropical Taiwan lack central heating, and the cold caused heart trouble and breathing problems for many of the victims, a city official said. Normally, temperatures in Taipei hover around 16 degrees C (60 degrees F) in January, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau.
The cold snap was blamed in the deaths of 40 people in the capital, Taipei, and 17 in neighbouring New Taipei City. The cold front also left 9 centimetres (3.5 inches) of snow on Taipei's highest peak.
JAPAN
Heavy snow in western and central Japan left five people dead over the weekend and possibly a sixth on Monday.
Kyodo News service said the victims included a woman who fell from a roof while removing snow, a man in a weather-related traffic accident, another man found under a snowplow and a couple that fell into an irrigation channel, apparently while removing snow.
An 88-year-old woman in western Japan's Tottori prefecture died after a landslide hit her house before dawn on Monday, Kyodo and other media reported.
The heavy snow stranded motorists, delayed bullet train service and caused flight cancellations.
MAINLAND CHINA
Most parts of mainland China experienced their coldest weather in decades over the weekend. The southern city of Guangzhou, which has a humid subtropical climate, saw snow for the first time since 1967 on Sunday.
The cold led to at least four deaths -- strawberry farmers who died of carbon monoxide poisoning when they turned up the heat in a greenhouse, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The cold spell coincided with the beginning of the 40-day travel rush for the Lunar New Year, which is on Feb. 8 this year, disrupting cars, flights and trains. More than 11,000 passengers were stranded at Kunming airport in southern Yunnan province.
Temperatures fell 8 to 16 degrees Celsius from Thursday to Sunday in parts of north China, and temperatures in central and eastern China were 6 to 8 degrees lower than average, Xinhua said.
The National Meteorological Bureau forecast that temperatures in southern China would drop another 3-8 degrees on Monday.
SOUTH KOREA
Temperatures in the capital, Seoul, fell to minus 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the lowest since 2001. On Saturday, Jeju Island received 12 centimetres (4.7 inches) of snow, the heaviest since 1984, and its airport was closed from Saturday until Monday.
The shutdown stranded about 86,000 people, mostly tourists, on the island and forced the cancellations of about 1,100 flights, according to Transport Ministry and airport officials.
Jan 25, 2016
Scott
California's Record Hailstones Look Like Spiky Grenades (1/26/16)
...The ones that fell Saturday during a severe thunderstorm in Tehama County, California, about 150 miles north of San Francisco, are a bit different. ...
...The starfish-stones, which almost seem composed of grafted icicles, tied the record for largest hail in California set in 1960 in San Diego County. Their diameter was a whopping three inches from spike tip to spike tip, as shown in a photo by Jeff Boyce recently shared by the National Weather Service.
Boyce tweets the stones dropped during violent weather that also featured a funnel cloud, and that their unusual shapes were “exactly how I found them! Had soft landing on grass & didn’t break up like most.” Interestingly enough, other hail through the region had similar spiky growths, though on a smaller scale.
http://www.citylab.com/weather/2016/01/california-record-hail-teham...
Jan 26, 2016
KM
http://floodlist.com/australia/flash-floods-geelong-victoria
Australia – 2 Months of Rain in 1 Hour Causes Flash Floods in Geelong, Victoria
A storm in Geelong, Victoria, Australia on 27 January 2016 dumped more than double the January monthly average rain on parts of the city in just 1 hour.
Avalon, a suburb of the city, recorded 72 mm of rain between 16:00 to 17:00 local time on 27 January. Geelong Racecourse recorded over 40 mm of rain between 15:00 and 17:00.
The rain caused severe flash flooding throughout the city and suburbs. Emergency services responded to over 500 requests and had to carry out 15 flood rescues.
The City of Greater Geelong said that “Yesterday’s storm was considered a 1 in 100 year event with double the January monthly average rain falling in just 1 hour”.
Stefan Delatovic, Manager of Emergency Management Communications for Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) said:
“This dramatic storm has been characterised as a “once in a century event”, but it’s important to say that this is a measure of magnitude, as in ‘a storm this severe has a one-in-100 chance of occurring in any given year’. It doesn’t mean another storm like this isn’t expected for another 50 years. More rain is forecast for today, another storm like this could pop up anywhere in Victoria with little warning”.
7 People Trapped in Cars
Victoria State Emergency Service personnel were praised for their efforts during the storm by Geelong’s mayor.
Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) responded to over 520 requests. Amongst these calls for help were 15 people rescued from floodwater, including seven people who were trapped in cars.
Stefan Delatovic, said that “volunteers from around Victoria flooded in to help their Geelong peers to clear these incidents overnight. We’re indebted to their service”.
Stay Away from Floodwater
Throughout the storm and in the aftermath, VICSES stressed the importance of staying away from flood water, especially for those in vehicles. Via social media they said:
The photos below were taken in North Geelong on 28 January, after the floodwater had receded. Photo credit: VICSES
In a statement earlier today, Mr Delatovic said:
“If you only do one thing, make it an easy one: commit to never entering floodwater. Floodwater moves quickly, picking up dirt and debris as it goes. Television news coverage of Geelong’s storms shows vehicles being swept away. Imagine if you were in them and how scary that would be. Our volunteers will try to save you if you’re trapped in a vehicle being tossed around by floods at obvious risks to themselves, but don’t put their lives in danger by entering it willingly.
TV coverage of last night’s storm included footage of people driving through floodwater, with many neglecting to warn of the severe risk.. Of chief concern to emergency managers is footage of a man surfing on floodwater which often cropped up as a light-hearted end to bulletins, characterised as a bit of fun. Obviously the man in question was having fun, and it’s not the media’s job to do anything more than accurately depict what is occurring, but flood stories including images of “locals enjoying the water” are common, and they normalise this activity.
Floodwater can include fast-moving sheets of corrugated iron, or a concealed storm drain creating an inescapable current. If you cut yourself, you’re prone to infection because the water is filthy. Current images of the receding floodwater in Geelong demonstrate how damaged roads can become. If you can’t see the road, you can’t guarantee that it’s safe.
The media shouldn’t stop broadcasting images of people playing in floodwater, or driving through it, but we all need a reminder of how dangerous it is.
Floods, storms and fires are unpredictable and they will inflict tragedy upon us. Let’s not give them any help”.
Jan 28, 2016
Starr DiGiacomo
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/01/28/cleanup-underway-after-tornado...
Cleanup Underway After Tornado Rips Through Broward
COCONUT CREEK (CBSMiami) — Another dreary, rainy day and crews in Coconut Creek are cleaning up the mess a tornado left behind after sweeping through Broward County Wednesday.
“It was pretty intense,” said Cindy Paz, who was affected by the damaging winds. “All the trees were blowing really, really hard. It leaves you pretty shaken for a little while.”
Neighborhoods in Coconut Creek are littered with debris. The wicked weather splintered trees, wrecked cars and damaged buildings.
“We are used to hurricanes. You have time to plan for a hurricane and this yard’s been through a few hurricanes and never had this kind of damage from a hurricane,” said Paz.
Frightening cellphone video even captured the tornado whirling across the Florida turnpike, picking up a truck like a toy and dropping it a few lanes over.
“I just braced myself. I thought I was gonna get tipped over but luckily my truck was heavy enough and I didn’t get tipped over,” said German Serena, the driver.
The tornado’s power managed to overturn several trucks. Violent gusts toppled a small bus and sent one car flying from the southbound side of the turnpike to the northbound lanes.
Minutes earlier, the tornado touched down on Broward College’s north campus.
“All of a sudden alarms going off, messages going to phones that there was a tornado warning,” said student Tiffany Permenter. “We saw trees being ripped apart and thrown. And so we opened classroom doors because students were still outside and we motioned them to get inside.”
Winds up to 100 mph tossed cars through the parking lot, even stacking some on top of others.
A day later in the Wynmoor retirement community, homes are being boarded up and workers have started repairs on ripped up roofs.
“Appeared as though (one roof) was actually peeled back from the damage and we did notice a lot of doors to the residences were blown in,” said Sgt. Kathryn Marklane.
One homeowner was bringing in her outdoor furniture when she heard a loud noise inside her home.
“Something had crashed through my window and glass was over my entire bedroom,” said Judy Katanya. “It’s a mess.”
The National Weather Service surveyed the damage and says severe weather season in south Florida is just getting started.
“This is the type of stuff we can expect over the next few months and is typical of an El Niño year,” said Pablo Santos of the National Weather Service.
Due to the risk of more severe weather, all outdoor activities at Broward County Public Schools have been cancelled.
Jan 28, 2016
jorge namour
Windstorm #Gertrude / #Thor is set to hit the SW coast of Norway
JANUARY 28 2016
https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU/photos/a.1423656947857402....
Severe Weather Europe
Windstorm #Gertrude / #Thor is set to hit the SW coast of Norway tomorrow with strong storm to hurricane force winds, gusting up to 150-180 km/h. Peak winds in the late afternoon and evening
Jan 29, 2016
KM
El Nino blamed for Durban's worst drought in living memory: Emergency steps to deliver water to it's 3 million residents
Authorities in Durban have started emergency steps to deliver water to the city's three million people as a record drought grips the country.
The city is setting up machines that will prepare four- liter (one gallon) bags of water for distribution among the neediest residents, its executive committee said Tuesday.
Durban is installing 80 water tanks and increasing the number of tankers driving around the city to serve households.
Local utility Umgeni Water said Tuesday the drought "is worsening and minimal rainfall is expected over the next four to six months."
Water levels in the three main dams supplying Durban and KwaZulu-Natal province capital Pietermaritzburg are at 35%, 38% and 47%, said Shami Harichunder, a spokesman.
An El Nino weather system has caused the lowest rainfall across South Africa for more than a century.
KwaZulu-Natal sugarcane farmers have lost as much as 70% of their crops in a drought they are describing as the worst in living memory, the province's agricultural union said in an e-mailed statement.
Water restrictions may soon be imposed in Pietermaritzburg for the first time in 33 years. Curbs were introduced in Durban last year.
Jan 29, 2016
Poli
Deadly cold snap - Nearly 8000 animals die in Vietnam
Normally the temperatures are in Vietnam this time of year about 15-25 degrees. A cold wave makes in recent days a temperature shock. Thousands of animals die.
At a cold snap in Vietnam nearly 8,000 animals froze to death. The temperatures dropped in the six northern provinces partly below freezing and thus as deeply as in 39 years no longer, reported the National Meteorological Service. The Vietnamese Argarbehörde reported, at least 7,800 cattle, goats, pigs and horses were found dead in the pastures. 11,000 hectares of rice and vegetable fields were damaged. Normally, temperatures in northern Vietnam not sink below ten degrees at this time.
The cold wave moved from China starting all over North and South East Asia. In Thailand earlier this week at least 14 people died. She suffered fatal respiratory disease at temperatures of less than five degrees. In the subtropical southern Japan the islanders Amami experienced on Sunday the first snowfall since 115 years.
(german source) http://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Fast-8000-Tiere-sterben-in-Vietnam-arti...
Jan 29, 2016
KM
http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/polar-air-mass-over-much-of-mexico/
Polar air mass over much of Mexico
Residents in many parts of Mexico might decide to remain in their homes for this long weekend as heavy rains, strong winds, some snow and cold temperatures are forecast for many regions.
In fact, the national Civil Protection office has declared an “extraordinary emergency” in 446 municipalities in 23 states, brought on by cold front No. 34 and the eighth winter storm of the season.
The declaration will make resources available for the emergency supply of food and blankets to an estimated half a million people from Chihuahua in the north to Chiapas in the south.
The cold front´s mass of polar air is covering much of the country, guaranteeing cold to very cold weather for the weekend. Sleet or wet snow are forecast for areas 3,500 meters above sea level in the State of México, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Hidalgo and Veracruz and winds gusting to 70 km/h in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Mountain regions of Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas and Nuevo León can expect temperatures to plunge lower than -5 C.
The weather in both Mexico and California has been having adverse effects on fresh produce supplies in the U.S. and Canada. The second-largest food retailer in Canada said last week there would be shortages for three weeks due in part to weather conditions.
Sobey´s said it is struggling to deal with the worst situation in 30 years.
One of the coldest places in Mexico this week was La Rosilla, a community in the Durango municipality of Guaneceví. The temperature dropped two days ago to -17 C.
In Nuevo León, meanwhile, the roofs of many homes in the community of Galeana, located in the south of the state, collapsed under the weight of the heaviest snowfall in 20 years.
Jan 31, 2016
Derrick Johnson
California is battered by winds as high as 115mph: At least one person is killed and thousands are left without electricity as powerful storm prompts warnings of flash floods and mudslides
A motorist was fatally struck by a tree that was knocked by powerful winds as a winter storm hits California, bringing downpours, wind and snow, authorities said Sunday.
The driver was passing by a residential street in Pacific Beach when a large oak tree fell across a roadway, blocking all four traffic lanes, San Diego Fire and Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said.
The tree, which measured eight feet in diameter, also crushed three parked cars that were not occupied, he said.
"To the people out here dealing with the rain: be careful, drive slowly and arrive alive," Amador said.
Strong winds downed dozens of trees and power poles and ripped off rooftops - and in one case, solar panels - across Southern California.
Power outages affecting about 140,000 utility customers were reported across the Los Angeles and San Diego area.
Wind gusts topped 50 mph in the San Diego area and 65 mph in Malibu, according to the National Weather Service. The highest reading of the day was at Whitaker Peak, north of Castaic, where a gust was recorded at 115 mph.
The storm also dropped up to an inch of rain in some places by 4 p.m. Sunday, and forecasters said up to 2 inches of rain was expected in the valleys of Los Angeles County and as many as 3 inches possible for southwest-facing foothills and mountains.
A flash flood watch was issued for foothill neighborhoods underneath wildfire burn areas, triggering fears of possible mudslides and debris flows.
Blinding rain briefly brought traffic to a near-standstill on LA freeways. North of the city, a crash during a heavy downpour involving two trucks closed southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Grapevine. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The storm also churned up high surf along west and northwest-facing beaches. The rough seas prompted authorities to close the piers at Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach.
To the north, Interstate 80 near Truckee was closed for more than two hours after 29 vehicles got into a pileup amid snowy conditions, KCRA-TV reported.
Another rain storm was expected in the San Francisco Bay Area by Sunday evening. A wind advisory was issued warning of winds gusting up to 50 mph.
Strong winds are expected to cause flight problems at Los Angeles International Airport, and forecasters said waterspouts and weak tornadoes are possible.
'The winds may well turn out to be the defining feature of this system,' the National Weather Service said Sunday.
Firefighters rescued a man trapped by the fast-rising Los Angeles River as the system moved in and dumped up to 0.75 inches of rain by mid-morning.
The man was uninjured after being pulled to safety along the riverbank area east of downtown known for homeless encampments.
Up to two inches of rain was expected in the valleys of Los Angeles County and as many as three inches possible for southwest-facing foothills and mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
Another rain storm is expected in the San Francisco Bay Area by Sunday evening.
Storms usually develop far from California, but this one developed unusually close, just 500 miles west of Santa Barbara, according to Daniel Swain, a Stanford University climate scientist.
The relatively swift development of the system 'is somewhat unusual, though it tends to be more common during strong El Niño years when a strong jet stream resides over or just south of Southern California,' Swain wrote in a blog post.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3425406/Wet-winter-storm-mo...
Feb 1, 2016
SongStar101
Cold weather brings rare snowfalls to tropical Laos
Temperatures in the low single digits Celsius during the day and around zero degrees or below at night since Sunday were accompanied by snow across elevated areas of the country's northern provinces.
The cold snap led to a temporary three-day suspension of domestic flights by the national carrier Lao Airlines between the capital Vientiane and the airport servicing the province of Oudoumxay while flights to other affected provincial centres faced delays, state-run media Vientiane Times reported.
In the province of Phongsaly, three-day extended leave was provided to public servants except police and defence personnel until Wednesday to help minimise the risks to life from unnecessary travel.
Public schools across the country already closed for a week long break awaiting a decision on whether to reopen on schedule Monday depending on the weather.
The scope of the socio-economic impact of the cold snap upon the least developed country of some six and a half million remains as yet unknown, with livestock and poultry deaths in the affected areas continuing to be reported to the authorities.
Meanwhile, images of the rare sprinkling of white have been shared by locals and visitors alike on social media.
Snow was also recorded at popular tourist destination Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, a 4,229sqkm nature reserve incorporating parts of the provinces of Luang Prabang, Huaphan and Xiengkhouan boasting a peak elevation of 2,257m above sea level.
Images of white-dusted tropical foliage were shared on the website of the park and its award-winning Night Safari, an ethical tourism venture that provides visitors with views of the area's rare and endangered fauna while sustaining local employment. – Bernama, January 28, 2016.
Feb 2, 2016
jorge namour
Black Monday: A SWELL XXL IN APPROACH- French coast.
February 5, 2016,
http://www.2012un-nouveau-paradigme.com/2016/02/black-monday-un-swe...
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&...
There is already talk of a "Black Monday"! The strong storm (943 hPa) currently hollow in the North Atlantic will send the wrong time and gigantic waves on the French coast.
With an estimated 15 meters to swell, winds of 120 to 140 km / h gusts, large tidal coefficients (100/103 90/95 Monday and Tuesday) and a consequent period (18 seconds), the entire Atlantic coast is about to go on alert on Sunday submersion. The peak of the swell will be reached Monday. With a violent west wind, most large spots will be on shore and the "shippers" will probably fall back elsewhere.
More than 10 meters in Brittany
We recommend to all surfers as spectators, the greatest caution with the arrival of this phenomenon. Avoid walking by the sea!
Feb 7, 2016
Mark
Wettest November, December and January on record in Isle of Man
The unsettled spell which started in late October continued throughout January, meteorologists based at Ronaldsway say. Rainfall totalled 154.1mm last month, almost double the average ranking it the third wettest January on record, behind 2014 (170.8mm) and 1948 (237.1mm).
The wettest day at the airport was the 9th with 15.9mm but there were very large totals over the hills on a few days. Over the 21st and 22nd 110mm was measured on the Mountain Road, causing further flooding in Laxey.
Unsurprisingly there were only 36.2 hours of sunshine during the month, 33 per cent down, making it the dullest January since 2008. The brightest day was the 14th with 5.5 hours of sun.
Overall it was another mild month with the mean temperature measuring 7.3°C, compared to the long term mean of 6.1°C. The highest temperature of 12.3°C was recorded on the 25th. There were a few cold days during the month though with a ground temperature of minus 5°C on the 16th.
The mean wind speed for the month measured 18.6mph compared to the January mean of 18.1mph. The storm on the 26th with a gust of 65mph at Ronaldsway coincided with a large tide causing significant debris to be washed on to the usual coasts and promenades.
There were five days with hail, four with sleet or snow showers, one day with fog but no thunderstorms during the month. The combined rainfall total for the past three months was 509.2mm, making it by far the wettest November, December and January on record. The previous highest was in 2002/03 with 424.4mm. There were only 103 hours of sunshine, the dullest on record beating 1969 with 111.8 hours.
The mean temperature was another record breaker measuring 8.87°C, the mildest, beating 2007 with 8.70°C.
Feb 8, 2016
Derrick Johnson
Record-breaking heatwave sends temperatures into the 90s in Los Angeles... while arctic blast is set to thwart North East with subzero wind chills this Valentine's Day
A midwinter heat wave is smashing records in california- while the North East prepares for the worst wind chills of the winter this week.
Temperatures on the southern West Coast rocketed into the 90s for the second consecutive day on Tuesday even as the warming Santa Ana winds that came in on Saturday began to fade.
Forecasters said strong high pressure will continue through the week, keeping afternoon temperatures well above normal until at least Valentine's Day on Sunday.
On the other side of the country, the romantic occasion will be a freezing one as snow persists and temperatures plummet to their worst of the winter.
New York is set to see wind chills of -15 degrees on Sunday morning.
On a positive note for heat-seekers in the Midwest and North East, the worst of the winter cold is expected to subside as of Monday, according to the weather channel.
The site explains that the West Coast is currently enjoying a warm blast blowing up from the southern hemisphere, and the East Coast is getting hit by a cold blast coming down from Canada.
But by Monday afternoon, both jet streams will break down, the Weather Channel says.
As a result, winds around the North Pole will get stronger, containing the Arctic air - leading to a thaw on the East Coast for the rest of February.
Unseasonable warmth began building over the weekend as high pressure set into the Great Basin, sending air flowing toward Southern California.
The gusty, dry Santa Ana winds form as air descends through mountain passes and canyons, warming through compression and pushing out to sea.
Red flag warnings for wildfire danger that were posted on Monday were not reissued Tuesday as the winds subsided.
Mountains and some inland valleys were expected to see a bit of relief on Wednesday, but not coastal areas.
Cloudiness will lower Saturday temperatures five to 10 degrees, but the high pressure ridge will quickly reform and make next week almost as warm, forecasters said.
While Northern California has received a steady series of winter storms that have built a substantial snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, Southern California has yet to see the kind of extended rains sometimes produced by the El Nino warming phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean.
Downtown Los Angeles has recorded only about half the 8.28 inches of rain normally received seasonally to date.
Across the country, snow dusted the Midwest and North East on Wednesday.
The arctic blast will set in on Friday when temperatures in the Midwest will plunge below zero and stay there until President's Day, according to forecasts.
On Saturday morning, the subzero chills will spread to Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Kansas.
By Sunday morning, subzero temperatures could hit southern New England, the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3439846/Records-fall-winter...
Feb 11, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3442768/Flood-alerts-issued...
Flood alerts are issued for huge stretch of London and Thames Barrier is closed for first time this winter after river burst its banks due to massive tides and heavy rain
Flood alerts have been issued for a huge stretch of London and the Thames Barrier has been shut for the first time this winter after the river burst its banks due to 'astronomical' tides and heavy rain.
The River Thames burst its banks and overflowed onto flood plains in Greenwich, south east London, today while dramatic photographs show river levels extremely high in areas such as Embankment.
Water levels were almost as high as the pavement in areas across central London, including in the Charing Cross area, with flood alerts in place from Greenwich all the way to Putney, west London.
Scroll down for video
The River Thames burst its banks and overflowed onto flood plains in Greenwich, south east London, today while dramatic photographs show river levels extremely high in areas such as Embankment (pictured) due to 'astronomically' high spring tides and recent heavy rain
Water levels were almost as high as the pavement in areas across central London today, including in the Charing Cross area, with flood alerts in place from Greenwich all the way to Putney, west London this evening amid fears the river could continue to rise at high tide
The Thames Barrier, which spans 520 metres across the river near Woolwich, was shut yesterday 'to protect London from the threat of flooding due to the high level of rain combined with high tides from the sea'.
The action was taken after Storm Imogen lashed the country with heavy downpours earlier this week.
The barrier, which is operated by the Environment Agency, has 10 steel gates that can be raised into position across the River Thames. When raised, the main gates stand as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge. Each main gate weighs 3,300 tonnes.
The barrier is meant to be closed under storm surge conditions to protect London from flooding from the sea, but yesterday was the first time it has been closed this winter and the 176th time in its 34-year history.
Steve East, engineering manager at the Thames Barrier, said: 'We are closing the barrier to protect London from the threat of flooding due to the high level of rain last week combined with high tides from the sea.'
The barrier has since reopened although river levels within central London remain very high.
Feb 12, 2016
KM
Cold records tumble on both sides of the Atlantic this weekend as the polar vortex blasts the Northeast of the US with coldest air in a decade
Records tumbled along the Northeast coast of the US at the weekend with New York with temperatures as low as -1 F (-18 C) on Sunday recording the lowest Valentine day temperature ever.
From New York and Boston to Providence, Rhode Island, and Hartford, Connecticut, temperatures on Sunday morning dipped to as low as minus 40 -(minus 40 C) on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
Boston reached minus 9 (minus 23C), breaking the record set in 1934 by 6 degrees.
It reached minus 16 (-27C) in Worcester, Massachusetts, breaking the 1979 record of 11 below zero. Providence hit minus 9 and Hartford minus 12, also breaking records from 1979.
In Montpelier, Vermont, the overnight temperature hit minus 19, tying a record set in 2003. And South Lincoln, Vermont, recorded 27 (-33 C) below zero reports AP
As temperatures dropped across the Northeast from the blast of a polar vortex, the wind chill at Whiteface, near Lake Placid, made it feel like a body- and mind-numbing minus 114 degrees (minus 81 C) late Saturday and into Sunday reports Daily News
The Arctic winds howled through the summit at about 45 mph, freezing almost everything in their path.
The mountain’s summit was actually colder than Antarctica on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Descending on Britain: The Arctic-driven cold snap (pictured from space) has tightened its grip on Britain and sent temperatures plunging
In the UK much of the country will be blanketed in snow today following temperatures as low as minus 14C (7F) over the weekend.
And sub-zero conditions will continue in the next few days, bringing wintry storms to much of the UK.
The coldest temperature for four years was recorded on Valentine's Day yesterday as the mercury plunged to minus 14.1C in the Scottish Highlands.
And the cold will continue with wintry showers, widespread frost and ice expected across much of the country over the next few days
Feb 15, 2016
KM
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/upstate-ny-mountain-hits-1...
Upstate New York mountain reaches minus 114 wind chill at its summit
While New York City had its coldest start to Valentine’s Day in 100 years on Sunday, it would seem balmy compared with the wicked wind chill at upstate Whiteface Mountain.
As temperatures dropped across the Northeast from the blast of a polar vortex, the wind chill at Whiteface, near Lake Placid, made it feel like a body- and mind-numbing minus 114 degrees late Saturday and into Sunday. Central Park could only muster a minus 1 degree.
The Wild Center, which works with the Atmospheric Science Research Center at SUNY Albany, recorded the frigid temperature from a research station at the mountain’s summit.
Winds at Whiteface Mountain's summit blasted at 45 mph on Saturday night going into Sunday morning.
“The extreme temperatures (Saturday) night on Whiteface have to do with its elevation, 4,865 feet and the wind speed,” Tracey Legat, the center’s communications manager at the center told the Daily News. “The mountains of the Adirondacks are often some of the coldest places in the lower 48 states during the year.”
On Sunday morning, the wind chill on Whiteface Mountain's summit was colder than the windchill in Antarctica.
The Arctic winds howled through the summit at about 45 mph, freezing almost everything in their path.
The center managed to capture a photo of a tree being turned into a popsicle as the winds formed “monstrous rime ice” around it.
The mountain’s summit was actually colder than Antarctica on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Feb 16, 2016
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3452202/Mysterious-tar-like...
Mystery black rain hits Michigan town: Tar-like substance falls from the sky and leaves residents bewildered as it covers cars, porches and driveways
A city in Michigan is perplexed after a a tar-like substance has rained down on their cars, porches and driveways this week.
The black, oily substance first appeared on at least six driveways in Harrison Township on Sunday, and days later, what the material is still remains a mystery.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials collected samples of the substance on Wednesday.
A black, oily substance first appeared on at least six driveways in Harrison Township, Michigan, on Sunday
The mysterious substance remained on outdoor surfaces through Wednesday, when Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials collected samples
The city's fire chief sad that it is not bird droppings and is not flammable, according to WXYZ.
Harrison Township resident Paul Schlutow, 73, said 'everybody's concerned' about the substance and the major concern is that the substance could potentially be harmful.
Residents originally believed that the substance could have come from the nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Base, but the base released a statement saying it was not coming from their location.
'There is no indication that the substance in question came from a military aircraft of any type,' the statement said.
The statement said the airbase has 'been in communication with the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality, which was sending a representative to the area in question to review the material'.
Feb 19, 2016
KM
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