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.

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.

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 facing a cold snap this week with the northern part seeing figures as low as -47.8 in Inner Mongolia
• Pictures show residents wrapping up warm, walking on frozen oceans and throwing freezing water into the air
• State-run media are saying that this is the coldest weather the country has faced in the past three decades
• Sub-tropical Hong Kong is also feeling the chill with forecasters predicting the city will see frost and ice
  

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.  

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...

• More than 2,500 flights around the country have been canceled on Friday and at least 2,300 on Saturday 
• Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and D.C. have all declared a state of emergency to prepare for the storm 
• Two feet of snow to hit Northeast - with 60mph winds expected to shut off power on coast from VA to NY 
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser made unusual move of apologizing for underestimating early onset of snow and ice after gridlock traffic paralyzed the city last night 
• The city's subway - the second busiest in the nation - is set to be shut down over the weekend as a result 
  

The mid-Atlantic states are bracing for a historic winter storm and travel chaos that could bring large parts of the Eastern seaboard to a standstill. 

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.

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...

• Severe weather affecting 80 million people to continue through Sunday
• 19 deaths reported amid flooding, snow and hurricane-strength winds

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.

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)

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...

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”.

Flash floods in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, January 2016. Photo: VICSES

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:

“If you can’t seen the road, you can’t guarantee that it is safe. Never drive through floodwater”.

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”.

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.

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

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.

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...

http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/polar-air-mass-over-much-of-mexico/

Polar air mass over much of Mexico

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 

• One person was killed after a tree fell on three parked cars and a fourth car that was passing by during the storm 
• Power outages affecting about 140,000 utility customers were reported across the Los Angeles and San Diego area 
• Gusts along Interstate 5 knocked down trees and power lines, and a flash flood watch was issued 
• Some areas may experience mudslides and strong winds may cause flight delays at Los Angeles International Airport, officials warned
• Heavy rain brought traffic to a near-standstill on LA freeways and forecasters said tornadoes were possible 

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... 

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!

Wettest November, December and January on record in Isle of Man

The Isle of Man has experienced only one dry day since November 2.  That was on December 11.

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.

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

• Warm blast on West Coast has smashed temperatures two days in a row
• It is expected to continue all week with wildfire warnings across california
• Meanwhile Midwest and North East will see worst chills of all winter
• Subzero winds will blast New England, NYC and Philadelphia on Sunday
• But weather experts say the rest of the winter will be warm as of Monday

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... 

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 section of the River Thames from Greenwich to Putney, west London
• Thames Barrier was closed for the first time this winter amid fears 'astronomically' high tides could cause flooding
• The river has burst its banks in areas such as Greenwich and Greenhithe, Kent, with a playground seen underwater

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. 

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

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 (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

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.

THE WILD CENTER

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.”

THE WILD CENTER

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.

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

• The black, oily substance first appeared on at least six driveways in Harrison Township, Michigan, on Sunday 
• The mystery substance was seen on resident's roofs, cars and porches
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials collected samples of the substance on Wednesday 
• Residents originally believed that the substance could have come from the nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Base
• The airbase released a statement saying it was not coming from their area
• It could be at least a week before the city discovers what the substance is

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'. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivZghJyiLe8

Snow in Guatemala, February 10th, 2016

Irazu Volcano National Park in Costa Rica received several inches of hail/snow on Feb 13, 2016. This is the second time within three years that this type of event has taken place. Interestingly, in 2013, the same peak experienced its FIRST EVER recorded hail accumulations. Guatemala also received snowfall that year of six inches. Snow fell in Guatemala on February 10th: 

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/20/cyclone-winst...

Cyclone Winston: strongest ever southern hemisphere storm hits Fiji

 

A 19 February Nasa satellite image of Cyclone Winston in the Pacific. 

A state of emergency has been declared in Fiji as tropical Cyclone Winston made landfall on the country’s main island, with estimated wind gusts of up to 195mph (315km/h).

The Category Five storm is thought to be the strongest ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, and is the strongest Fiji has ever experienced.

The cyclone began to make landfall on the main island of Vitu Levu after a national curfew took effect at 6pm local time. It had earlier sunk boats and caused flash flooding on the nation’s outer islands, including Vanua Levu.

It is carrying average winds of 220km/h, with gusts of up to 315km/h recorded, according to Fiji’s Meteorological Service.

The Fijian government issued a list of 758 evacuation centres across the nation of just under 900,000 people. The country’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, said on Saturday that the island’s evacuation centres were operational and the government was prepared to deal with a potential crisis.

“As a nation we are facing an ordeal of the most grievous kind,” he wrote on Facebook. “We must stick together as a people and look after each other.”

In a later statement, Bainimarama said that the nation was “facing an ordeal of the most grievous kind”. He added: “We must stick together as a people and look after each other. Be alert and be prepared.”

ABC also quoted the prime minister expressing concerns that some people in urban areas did not appear to have heeded the warnings about the seriousness of the threat.

International flights to and from Fiji have been cancelled. As the country’s weather service warned people in the east to “expect very destructive hurricane-force winds”, Suva resident Alice Clements said the power had failed just after 5pm and she expected water supplies to be hit next.

“I have palm trees flying all around me at the moment,” Clements, an official with a UN agency, told Reuters.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Winston was following a path that might spare Suva the full force of its winds. Category five is the highest ranking on the hurricane wind scale.

“The cyclone has tracked further north than expected over the past 24 hours,” the UN agency said.

The Fiji Times newspaper reported some damage, including a roof being blown off one home, from some of the nation’s smaller islands to the east as the cyclone began to strike there. It said there had been a run on supermarkets and stores as people stocked up on essential supplies.

Many people were hoping the cyclone’s path would remain as forecast and thread between the islands of Vanua Levu to the north and Vitu Levu to the south, which is home to the capital Suva, so that both islands would avoid a direct hit. 

Airlines operating in the region including Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Qantas and Fiji Airways all reported cancelled flights or altered timetables, with passengers told to consult their carrier for information.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-16/snow-surprise-for-tasmanians-...

Snow surprise for Tasmanians after a summer of weather extremes

Fires, flood and now snow: Tasmania has had a summer of weather extremes.

After weeks of warm and dry weather, there has been a sprinkling of snow in Tasmania's Great Lakes district and on Hobart's Mount Wellington.

The temperature dipped to zero at Liawenee in the Central Highlands overnight, with light rain turning to snow early this morning.

Kaylee Hattinger at the Great Lakes Hotel said it started snowing there about 6:00am, but it quickly melted away.

"It covered the cars, it was enough to go 'oh, snow!'," she said.

"But it's very fine, but more than hail, and fluttering down.

"I get really excited with snow, even in winter. But in summer it's even more special, I think."

Mrs Hattinger said snow had been forecast down to 1,100 metres so it wasn't a complete surprise.

"I had been keeping an ear out for it," she said.

"How we know is it gets really quiet, so at about 5:40 this morning it got really quiet and I stuck my nose out and it was snowing."

She said many guests at the hotel missed the wintery display with the snow melting as the sun came up.

"I did feel like going and knocking at the door saying 'oh look, snow!'," she said.

The Great Lakes District bore the brunt of snowfall during one of Tasmania's coldest winters in decades in 2015.

The snow has been spurred by a cold front moving across the state.

While it is not uncommon to see summer snow in parts of Tasmania the Bureau of Meteorology is not expecting any further flutters.

"We've seen the cold front move well away to the east now over the Tasman sea," forecaster Debbie Tabor told 936 ABC Hobart.

"We're left with this south-westerly air stream for the rest of today and tomorrow, easing right off late tomorrow and into Thursday.

"We'll see a cold day in the south today and cool in the north — a little bit different, flushing out that heat and humidity."

US Navy goes back to celestial navigation. Preparing for GPS failure.

http://www.npr.org/2016/02/22/467210492/u-s-navy-brings-back-naviga...

The Navy stopped training its service members to navigate by the stars about a decade ago, focusing instead on electronic navigational systems. But fears about the security of the Global Positioning System and a desire to return to the basics of naval training are pushing the fleet back toward this ancient method of finding a course across open water.

So, why return now to the old ways? The Navy and other branches of the U.S. military are becoming increasingly concerned, in part, that they may be overly reliant on GPS.

https://www.rt.com/news/333340-fiji-cyclone-dozens-dead/

Dozens killed after powerful cyclone ravages Fiji, looming Zika & Dengue threats (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

A remote Fijian village is photographed from the air during a surveillance flight conducted by the New Zealand Defence Force on February 21, 2016 © NZ Defence Force / ReutersDozens of people have been killed by the powerful cyclone Winston, which has been ravaging Fiji in recent days. Experts warn that the island country can suffer possible outbreaks of the Zika and Dengue viruses.

Severe Weather Europe
February 24 at 6:30am

Arctics

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

Extremely positive temperature anomaly across the Arctics resulting in record breaking and lowest sea ice extent this winter.

Source: NSDC

From the link: https://www.facebook.com/severeweatherEU

February 19 2016 VIDEO

VERY close call! A video pretty much in the spirit of exceptionally high temperatures over the Arctic in January: ice calving on a glacier terminus - and a close call.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/eastern-mediterraneans-drought-is-w...

For January 2012, brown shades show the decrease in water storage from the 2002-2015 average in the Mediterranean region. Units in centimeters. The data is from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, satellites, a joint mission of NASA and the German space agency.

Parched Californians think they have it bad. But people in the eastern’s Mediterranean Levant region — which includes Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Israel and the West Bank and the Gaza Strip areas governed by the Palestinian Authority — have been enduring a drought that began back in 1998.

Now, a new study by NASA, Columbia University and University of Arizona researchers confirms that the drought most likely is the worst that the Mediterranean Levant has suffered in the past nine centuries.

The scientists studied tree rings and historical documents in an effort to reconstruct the region’s water history. They found that the most recent drought is not only longer but about 50 percent drier than the worst period in the past 500 years, and 10 to 20 percent drier than any drought since the 1100s A.D.

The results were accepted for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

The researchers also studied how drought in the region related to water conditions elsewhere. In most cases, for example, they found that droughts in the Levant corresponded to similarly dry conditions in Western Europe. Historically, that may have been a factor in international conflicts.

“Both for modern society and certainly ancient civilizations, it means that if one region was suffering the consequences of the drought, those conditions are likely to exist throughout the Mediterranean basin,” Kevin Anchukaitis, a co-author of the study and a climate scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, said in a press release.

“It’s not necessarily possible to rely on finding better climate conditions in one region than another, so you have the potential for large-scale disruption of food systems as well as potential conflict over water resources.”

Even if the drought eventually eases, a 2013 study by German scientists concluded that the region’s growing population and its water use may lead to chronic shortages.

Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian water officials recently met in London to discuss improving their cooperation in coping with the region’s water situation. As this 2015 New York Times article details, Israel for years has invested in desalination plants and recycling waste water, and more than 50 percent of Israeli water needs are now filled by those sources.

http://strangesounds.org/2016/03/atoyac-river-disappears-overnight-...

The Atoyac River, which crosses eight municipalities in the central mountainous area of ​​eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, disappeared overnight after a giant crack opened up.

Inhabitants of Rancho San Fermin reported hearing a bang and feeling the earth rumbled as the ground cracked down.

Before / After. Segments of the River Atoyac are completely dry.

On Monday, the water had disappeared… And they found this giant 30 meters by 20 meters fissure in the ground.

The hole in the ground crosses the riverbed of the Atoyac River. It appeared about three kilometers from the source of the river, which supplies with water more than 10,000 families and sugar industries in the region.

Almost completely dried up…

Due to the disappearance of the Atoyac River, the Cotaxtla River is already below its normal level.

Only God and nature know exactly why the river disappeared entirely. They have exploited the river and it is now charging them back.

Hopefully, we are not facing another tragedy for these thousands of families.

Crazy Wave Clouds Over Alabama (Mar 3)

The sky was full of undulatus, or "wavy," clouds above Alabama on Thursday.

Source

http://mashable.com/2016/03/03/rare-wave-clouds-alabama-undulatus/?...

Our Hemisphere’s Temperature Just Reached a Terrifying Milestone

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/03/01/february_2016_s_...

NASA’s global temperature data is measured from a 1951-1980 baseline, about 0.3 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels. That means February 2016 was the first month in history that global average temperatures passed the 1.5 degree Celsius mark. Also, since last month’s warmth was concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere (2.76 degrees Celsius warmer than the 1951-1980 baseline) and the Arctic (5.36 degrees Celsius warmer than the 1951-1980 baseline)

Alaska obliged to import snow

News - Published Friday, March 4, 2016 by The Weather Channel- LA CHAINE METEO

The city of Anchorage in Alaska lack of snow so she had to make import at the start of the famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, the next weekend.

http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2016-03-04-14h37...

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

Seven truckloads of snow blocks crossed the city of Anchorage for the Iditarod race, and this for the second straight year. The sled dog race that spans 1000 miles (1600 km) will kick off on Saturday after a particularly mild winter. Departure is 80 km from Anchorage, but 2015 was marked by a start pushed to 362 km from the city because of too little snow and unseasonably mild temperatures.

A race on concrete in 2016

Imported fresh snow was harvested in Fairbanks, but officials of the race state that it will not be enough: it will just disguise the start, but dogs should expect to run on the concrete paths ground over much of the circuit

In Anchorage , it is indeed barely dropped 55 cm of snow this winter then it falls on average 152 cm during the winter. Anticyclonic conditions prevail for a few weeks with particularly high temperatures for the season.

The annual average temperature increased 3 ° C since the mid-twentieth century.

http://strangesounds.org/2016/03/lagoon-blood-red-mexico-huatalco-m...

Red lagoon

This lagoon situated in Huatalco, Mexico has turned blood red within the last 10 days. 
The reddish water of 'La Salina' lagoon impacts residents' life and kills wildlife in the area. 
After the mysterious overnight disappearance of a river near Veracruz, Mexico, it's now a lagoon that has unexpectedly turned color from green to red. 
Scientists believe the color is a result of a red tide, a phenomenon in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column, which changes the color of the surface water. 

The production of natural toxins and depletion of dissolved oxygen could be responsible for wildlife mortalities of marine and coastal species of fish, birds, marine mammals, and other organisms around the lagoon. 

Although red tides appear to be natural in some locations, residents believe that this algae blloom is the result of increased nutrient loading from human activities and low precipitation. Indeed, the 'La Salina' lagoon is known for being highly polluted and the sewage plant is not working properly. 

And there is the biblical explanation... Is the apocalypse near?

Rare 'super bloom' brings life to Death Valley

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united...

Visitors to Death Valley in California, normally one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, have been treated to the rare sight of wildflowers thanks to unusally heavy rainfall.

It is the first “super bloom” for 11 years, according to the US National Park Service, with yellow, white, pink and purple flowers now attracting tourists and photographers from far and wide.

These images were captured by Robyn Beck late last week. Death Valley is usually a dry, barren realm where just over a century ago, the highest temperature ever was recorded - a sizzling 56.7C (134F) in the aptly named Furnace Creek.

But it has been transformed into something of a Shangri-La, covered head-to-toe in the delicate flowers.

http://www.skymetweather.com/content/global-news/persistent-downpou...

PERSISTENT DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE MAJOR FLOODING IN LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY

- See more at: http://www.skymetweather.com/content/global-news/persistent-downpou...

Some UAE companies close early due to bad weather - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

March 9, 2016

Dubai: The bad weather conditions have in some ways disrupted business operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with a number of companies opting to close their offices early as a precautionary measure. Heavy rains also led to the suspension of stock trading at the capital.

http://gulfnews.com/business/companies/some-uae-companies-close-ear...

Employees working at some companies in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Outsource Zone and other parts of the emirate told Gulf News that they were sent home early after heavy rains broke out.

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange cancelled Wednesday's trading session following reports of power outage and disruption of communication lines for some brokerage firms operating in the market. CONTINUE...

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/weather/heavy-rain-hits-dubai-and-shar...

Heavy rain hits Dubai and Sharjah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EXt0VVX3YA

Cars stuck at a flooded street in Jebel Ali industrial area

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme supercell hailstorms surprise Saudia Arabia and Oman

Mar 9, 2016

http://strangesounds.org/2016/03/extreme-hailstorms-supercell-saudi...

And suddenly the sky started falling on their heads.

Watch these insane pictures and videos of the Tuesday, March 8, 2016 rare supercell storms wreaking havoc Muscat, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZA3s6WTn-k

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3480707/Is-po...

Is this a possessed pavement (or just a clever trick)? Spooky footage shows dockyard floor 'BREATHING'

• Footage shows the 'possessed' paved dockyard moving in Cadimare, Italy 
• Local media claims the motion is a result of waves beneath the pavement 
• Some people claim that the video is a result of 3D computer graphics

Unnerving footage of a pavement appearing to take a series of deep breaths has emerged online.

The clip shows the 'possessed' paved dockyard in Cadimare, Italy, rising and falling from the 'force of the tide', local media reports.

Despite claims that the movement is caused by waves beneath the pathway, some people remain unconvinced, claiming that the video was made courtesy of 3D computer graphics.

Bizarre 'breathing' pavement caught on camera in Italian dock

At the beginning of the footage, the affected dockway remains still with a barrier placed above it

After a few seconds, viewers can hear waves as the pavement begins to lurch upwards before resettling

At the beginning of the footage, which was uploaded to Viral Hog, the affected dockway remains still with a barrier placed above it.

Winter storm brings unusual snow to Mexico, high winds, cold.

740 fallen trees brought down by high winds in Mexico City
740 trees, 36 poles, 98 billboards, 48 tarps have been removed by Firemen (Between Tuesday 8, 5pm, and Thursday 10, 4pm, March 2016.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/metropoli/df/2016/03/10/suma...

Billboard crushes two cars in Metepec, State of Mexico; 5 injuries reported

At least five people were injured after a billboard fell on two vehicles circulating on the Toluca- Tenango road in the commercial area of ​​Metepec Galleries, in the State of Mexico.
Through social networks began circulating a video in which the exact time when the billboard could not resist the strong winds that were recorded in the area and finally fell on a couple of cars circulating in the place.
http://www.sinembargo.mx/09-03-2016/1633921
 
Winter storm his 25 (Mexican) entities.

The presence of two cold fronts and a winter storm originated strong winds, heavy rain, low termperatures, and in some states, snowfall.
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/estados/2016/03/10/tormentas...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3488753/Life-threatening-st...

'Life-threatening' storm hammers Gulf Coast as more than 23 inches of rain is expected flood rivers to historic levels in days ahead

• Three people have been killed in Louisiana and two other weather fatalities were reported in Oklahoma and Texas 
• More than 1,000 people have been forced from their homes and 3,500 houses face mandatory evacuation
• Rescuers fear that levees in Louisiana could fail as flood waters in some areas continue to rise dramatically 
• More than 750 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed to help police and firefighters
• Storm may trigger destructive flash flooding and may drive some rivers to historic levels in the days ahead
• Record flooding is already occurring in some parts of Louisiana and is expected to continue throughout next week 

A 'life-threatening' storm continues to hammer the Gulf Coast as more than 23 inches of rain is expected to trigger destructive flash flooding and drive some rivers to historic levels in the days ahead.  

Three people have been killed in Louisiana and more than 1,000 have been forced from their homes after record breaking floods swept through the state. 

Some 750 members of the National Guard have been deployed to assist in the rescue of families and animals stranded by the flood waters as roads are impassable and cars are submerged.  

A 'life-threatening' storm continues to hammer the Gulf Coast as more than 23 inches of rain is expected to trigger destructive flash flooding and drive some rivers to historic levels in the days ahead 

Flood waters surround an apartment complex in Hammond, Louisiana  

A man pulls a boat full of people to dry land as they evacuate their homes in Independence, Louisiana, after heavy rains caused low areas to flood

Vehicles are submerged from the flowing water on Friday in Hammond, Louisiana, after four days of torrential rains pounded the state

http://www.latintimes.com/sao-paulo-flooding-leaves-21-dead-latin-a...

São Paulo Flooding Leaves 21 Dead, Latin America’s Largest City Paralyzed

Heavy rains paralyzed Latin America’s largest city and damaged other municipalities in the region. Above: firefighters and other first responders search for survivors at houses destroyed by landslides in in Mairipora, in the north of São Paulo state, Brazil, March 11, 2016. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

Thousands of Homes Damaged in Southern Floods; 6 Killed

https://weather.com/storms/severe/news/severe-flooding-south-impacts

Six have been confirmed dead after severe flooding swamped cities in the South over several days, with parts of the Mississippi Valley seeing historic water levels. All over the region, rivers quickly rose near record flood stages and homes were submerged. 

Emergency officials told the Associated Press that at least 4,958 homes in Louisiana were damaged by flooding, and more than 800 homes in Mississippi suffered flood damage. Those numbers are expected to climb as floodwaters recede in some areas.

In Louisiana, the National Guard said it had evacuated more than 3,295 people and hundreds of pets from flooded areas.

More than 24 inches of rain fell in the hardest-hit places, and the impacts are expected to continue for days or even weeks as rivers continue their rise. 

"Typically, it will come up and drain off," Bossier City, Louisiana, resident Michael Konnovich, Jr. told the AP. "But not this time. The water is just over my 5-foot chain link fence. I just don't know where this water is coming from."

Here's how each state has been affected.

Louisiana

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state and sent the National Guard to help with water rescues.

Louisiana National Guard spokesman Col. Pete Schneider called it the most widespread non-hurricane flooding the guard has ever dealt with, reports the AP. According to him, about 1,000 soldiers and air crews were at work in 25 of Louisiana's 64 parishes. 

As many as 200 people had to be rescued from the floodwaters in Hammond early Friday morning, according to local reports. More than 30 roads in Tangipahoa Parish were closed by flooding, WWL-TV said.

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said Friday that close to 50 roads were shut down due to floodwaters, report the AP. According to Edwards, there have been 300 to 400 evacuees in his parish alone, many in neighborhoods that have never had trouble with flooding before. 

According to a separate WWL-TV report, residents in Washington Parish were stranded on the roofs of their homes as floodwaters continued to rise Friday morning, and a Coast Guard helicopter was being sent to rescue them. In Bogalusa, a curfew was in place until at least 5 p.m. Friday in an attempt to keep people off the roads, the report added.

"I've never seen rain this bad in 30 years," Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper told WWL-TV.

The Washington Parish Fairgrounds were also flooded Friday morning, and a local reporter said at least one structure collapsed into the floodwaters. 

In Bienville Parish, a man drowned Wednesday afternoon while attempting to drive across a flooded highway before his vehicle was swept into the nearby Saline Creek, said Bienville Sheriff John Ballance. Driving with him was a female passenger who needed to be pulled to safety, as she was suffering from hypothermia. Her condition is unknown.

(MORE: The Lower 48 Just Had a Record-Breaking Winter)

One Natchitoches Parish man, identified as 78-year-old Harold Worsham, drowned in the severe flooding after his boat overturned while attempting to cross a flooded section of Highway 1226 near Clarence, the local sheriff department told the National Weather Service. The two other occupants traveling in the capsized vessel were rescued.

Two more deaths were reported Wednesday in Ouachita Parish, the AP reported. One was a 22-year-old man who drowned after his car was swept off the road by floodwaters, and the other victim was a 6-year-old girl who died after her mother lost control of the car, the report added.

The Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office and personnel with the Fort Polk air evacuation unit used a helicopter and watercraft to evacuate residents that were st... Thursday in the Hunter Town Road area in Burr Ferry, according to the sheriff's department.

Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations of 3,500 homes near the Red Chute Bayou in Bossier City due to concerns that the waters could top its levees and ravage the densely populated area, according to KTBS.com.

Mississippi

Emergency officials fear the Pearl River will continue to rise, leading to additional flooding.

The river along the Mississippi-Louisiana border could reach 21 feet, according to NWS forecasts, the height of the waterway during the 1983 flood, the AP said.

Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency Thursday to assist the areas of the state affected by flooding, which worsened in parts of western and northwestern Mississippi that morning, leaving some roads flooded.

In Hancock County, a sheriff's deputy was hospitalized after his patrol car skidded into a ditch Friday night, but is now recovering at home, Chief Deputy Don Bass told the Sun Herald.

"We had a lot of nasty weather Friday, so he probably hit a slick spot and lost control of the car in that curve," Bass said. "He's sore but he's at home. He kept going in and out of consciousness Friday night and it scared us. But he's hard-headed and he made it."

Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett declared a state of emergency Friday, estimating that at least 100 homes have been flooded after more than 10 inches of rain soaked the area, according to the AP.

Homes in Bolivar, Coahoma, Tunica and Washington counties were flooded and three dams have been breached in DeSoto County, according to a release from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Roads throughout the state were flooded, and some sustained damage due to floodwaters.

Oklahoma

In rural southeastern Oklahoma, officials confirmed a 30-year-old man drowned in his SUV Tuesday night after attempting to cross a bridge covered in floodwaters, the AP reported. The victim was identified as Michael Liles of Broken Bow. A passenger in the SUV was able to swim to safety, the report added.

Arkansas

Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued a disaster declaration Thursday for 11 counties that have been hit hardest by heavy rainfall, according to the AP. Emergency personnel reported multiple water rescues and prepared to evacuate several neighborhoods after more than 14 inches of rain fell. 

Roads had to be closed due to flooding and a roadway was washed out in a least one county. According to an Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department spokesman, a 20-foot span of Arkansas Highway 334 had been washed out by flood water flowing in a trough underneath the road.

Tennessee

Ten people had to be evacuated from four Shelby County homes that were surrounded by water overflowing from the nearby flooded Loosahatchie River Friday, according to the AP. Using an amphibious vehicle, rescuers maneuvered through the neighborhood's roads, which were swallowed by floodwater.

"The water had been rising all night to the point that they could not get out of their homes," Shelby County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mickey Keaton told AP. 

Three women had to be evacuated by the Jackson Fire Department from two homes near an overflowing creek Thursday, the AP also reports. According to Madison County emergency management director Marty Clements, officials were monitoring two subdivisions where high water was becoming an issue. 

Dozens of roads in Shelby, Tipton and Madison counties were shut down Thursday. Downed trees in Memphis blocked roads and a small mudslide partially closed a busy road running along the Mississippi River, the AP also reported. 

Streets were flooded in Memphis as heavy rain persisted Thursday, and in other parts of western Tennessee, some residents had to be rescued from floodwaters. In Union City, where at least 4 inches of rain fell Wednesday, crews had to rescue a driver who got stranded in flooding along Knox Daniel Road, according to NWS storm reports.

Texas

Nearly 10 inches of rain fell in parts of the Lone Star State, and in some areas, the impacts were even worse than the catastrophic flooding that occurred in Texas last May.

Newton County Judge Truman Dougharty ordered a mandatory evacuation of all residents living along the Sabine River..., reports 12 News. The evacuation went into effect at 7 a.m. Saturday. A midnight curfew will be implemented tomorrow for residents in flooded areas.

The Panola-Harrison Electric Co-Op said it would be suspending service to areas along Big Cypress Bayou to avoid short circuiting and power-line arcs that could cause fires, the AP reports.

(PHOTOS: Severe Storms, Flooding Hit the South)

In Bexar County, a school bus flipped after sliding off a slick road Wednesday morning, the AP also reported. The driver and another adult suffered minor injuries, but two special-needs children on board were not injured, Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesperson James Keith told the AP.

Severe storms caused big problems in North Texas earlier in the week. In Hood County, southwest of Fort Worth, a confirmed EF1 tornado left damage near Tolar, destroying six mobile homes and damaging several others, emergency manager Ray Wilson told The Weather Channel. Two people were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, he added.

Tuesday morning, straight-line winds caused damage in Stephenville, where a narrow EF1 tornado was also confirmed by the NWS.

During the height of the storm Tuesday, the awning of a gas station in Saginaw was blown off by strong winds, according to CBS DFW. Store clerk Tanya Jackson said two vehicles were parked at gas pumps underneath the awning and the drivers managed to escape just before it came down. Jackson was able to hit the emergency stop on the pumps before the awning collapsed, but some phone and cable lines were knocked down and trapped underneath. The store's driveway was left impassable. 

In the town of Denton, a school bus was trapped in floodwaters Tuesday morning, and crews had to pull six children and the driver to safety, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. There were no injuries, and the children were dropped off at Hodge Elementary School, the report added.

To the southeast, a man was injured Tuesday morning in Garland when strong winds tore the roof off a building and threw it into the van in which he was sitting, according to the Dallas Morning News. The man had serious injuries, and after emergency responders pulled him from the van, he was transported to a local hospital, Lt. Pedro Barineau told the Dallas Morning News.

Monday night, the NWS reported several structures and vehicles were damaged by a possible tornado in Cool near Highway 180. The Parker County Sheriff announced that as a result of the storm, an entrapped man was rescued but wasn't hurt, and one horse suffered a broken leg. No other injuries were reported.

Following a damage survey, the NWS confirmed a tornado hit the area and assigned it a rating of EF1. Cool is located about 45 miles west of Fort Worth.

In all, six tornadoes were confirmed in Texas from this round of severe weather.

In southeastern Texas, a man was killed Monday night when his kayak capsized as strong storms moved into the Houston area, the AP also reported. The body of 22-year-old Francisco Ruben Garza, of Hidalgo, was found in Dickinson Bayou, near Galveston Bay, after he and another man went kayaking, police spokesperson Tim Cromie said in a statement. The men were fishing as the storm moved in, but Garza was not wearing a life jacket, he also said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zicxfiSC-TY

Nearly two dozen killed as rains, floods hit SW Pakistan

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/03/12/455356/Pakistan-torrential-...

March 12, 2016

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/canada-tornado-201...

Environment Canada says the first tornado of 2016 was confirmed 7 km outside of Clifford, Ont., on Wednesday, though this image is of a past tornado.

Environment Canada has confirmed the first tornado of 2016 in Canada touched down Wednesday afternoon near Mount Forest, Ont., about 70 kilometres northwest of Guelph, leaving snapped trees and a damaged barn in its wake.

"There was a confirmed tornado that occurred that afternoon around 3:50 p.m. or so and it was confirmed as a high-end EF 1. The EF scale goes from zero through 5," said Mark Schuster, a severe-weather meteorologist with Environment Canada.

EF stands for Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is used to classify a tornado's strength based on wind speed. 

"From the damage caused, we estimate that the winds were about 170 kilometres an hour with the gusts, and so this is the first tornado confirmed for the 2016 season and it is also the earliest confirmed tornado in the province of Ontario," said Schuster. 

As far as Environment Canada knows, this is the earliest in the calendar year that a tornado has been reported. 

"There's never been a tornado in January or February before — that we know of, anyway, that's ever been reported — and none has ever been reported earlier in March than this one," Schuster said. "I think that part of the reason too is, if you go back 20 or 30 years ago or even farther back, it's possible that tornados, there may have been an earlier occurrence of one, it's just people didn't have their smartphones to take pictures."

Environment Canada said the tornado's path stretched over 3.5 kilometres and was 200 metres wide. 

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/pics-durban-deluge-and-flash...

Water surges down Che Guevara Road in Glenwood during heavy rains in Durban 

Durban - Residents of Durban dealt with a deluge on Wednesday night, with many areas reporting cases of flash flooding.

Roads across the city remain closed by downed trees and other debris that is obstructing thoroughfares.

eThekwini metro police spokesperson Sbonelo Mchunu said officers had had a busy night.

“We went to many accidents that were flood related and also had to deal with the closure of many roads because of the rising water levels. Even now [on Thursday morning] we are assisting personnel from the Durban Solid Waste Department as they clear debris from the roads. This has prompted widespread road closures,” he said.

KZN EMS spokesperson Robert McKenzie said that while many cases of flooding had been reported, there had been no recorded fatalities.

Crisis Medical spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said that paramedics “had their hands full”. 

“Excessive rains caused flash floods throughout the greater Durban area. One incident on the N2 near the M25 saw three people sustain minor to moderate injuries in a collision involving two light motor vehicles. They were attended to on scene before being taken to hospital for further care.

“Roads within the Durban North area were severely affected, with storm water manhole covers lifting, causing serious danger to motorists. Crisis Medical's scene safety crew hand their hands full in efforts to prevent potential motor vehicle collisions,” he said.

“We advise the public to please heed caution when travelling today as roads are still very wet, with reports of flooding in certain intersections. Traffic lights have also been affected by the rain in certain areas and we remind motorists to please treat these intersections as four way stops,” Van Reenen added.

Storm in Russia

News - Published Tuesday, March 22, 2016 by The Weather Channel - LA CHAINE METEO

A violent storm hit Russia last weekend. The damage was extensive with many roofs flew as well as urban infrastructure.

http://actualite.lachainemeteo.com/actualite-meteo/2016-03-22-12h50...

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtMAkQ4Z4E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esr7VNALXmw

Late last week, a broad low pressure system moved from Scandinavia to western Siberia. Several secondary depressions have followed from the Urals to the Yenisei and caused significant damage.

First damage in southern Russia

The first storm hit southern Russia between 18 and 19 March. Roofs were hurled into the air by the violent storms in the city of Labinsk. At this time, the depression was digging phase. She was only accompanied by an active rainy path tracking moderate snowfall.

The storm strengthens

Thereafter, the depression has widened rapidly to 975 hPa entering in phase with the jet stream. She took a full path north in the Arctic direction. There she proved the most dangerous and the cities of Norilsk and Dudinka to have been particularly affected with many roofs flew and extensive damage to roads.

After the passage of the cold front winds remained strong all day sometimes blowing passersby in the streets as in Khanty-Mansiysk.
Further east, the snow was continuous and caused accumulations of more than 1 meter with drifts exceeding 2 meters in Kamchatka.

Huge Dust Storms Like 'Deja Vu' in South Australia (Mar 17)

Rolling walls of dust have swept through the Barossa Valley and Mid North in recent months.

Charmaine Holland, of Nain in the Barossa Valley, said the red dust storm on March 17 was “the most impressive” she had seen. Her farmland was ravaged by the Pinery fire last November and yesterday’s winds stirred up loose topsoil from the damaged properties, causing low visibility in the area.

Travis O’Callaghan, of Travis Earth Wines in the Barossa Valley, said he spotted the dust storm as he was heading home, about 4.30pm.

“Two minutes after I took (a) photo, I could barely see 20m in front of me,” he said.

“We had so many dust storms here in the last few months it’s not funny,” Charmaine Holland said.

She said seeing the latest dust storm approach was “nerve-racking”.

“It was like deja vu,” she said. “Everything was going blood red.”

Source

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/storms-forecast-...

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/299765/flooding-hits-west-co...

Flooding hits West Coast, Nelson, Tasman

A local state of emergency has been declared on the West Coast after flooding forced the evacuation of nearly 200 people in Franz Josef.

Flooding has also hit Nelson and Tasman, and trees have brought down power lines in Auckland as wild weather lashes the country.

Douglas Drive at Franz Josef, just before daybreak today Photo: NZTA

The Waiho River breached its bank near Franz Josef about 11.50pm last night.

Glacier Country Helicopter pilot Gus Gordon, who surveyed the area this morning, said the main flow of the river was now going through the Mueller Scenic Hotel, north of Franz Josef.

What you need to know

He said the Franz Josef Glacier had uncovered a lot of gravel as it retreated, which had washed into the river and left nowhere for the water to go when in flood.

Flooding on a road near Franz Josef todayPhoto: NZTA

Mr Gordon said locals had known such a flood was likely.

"It's something that everybody's well aware of, it probably was just a matter of when and how much rainwater it would take to do it."

In recent weeks, he said, the council had been doing work on the river bank but had not reached the area where the breach occurred.

Glacier Country Tourism Group chair Rob Jewell said 80 of the evacuated tourists were staying in a welfare centre.

Ensuring the welfare of the town's guests was key, he said.

Authorities said 186 people were evacuated at different stages as the river first made its way to the hotel and then moved towards the Top Ten Holiday Park and the Westwood Lodge.

Westland Civil Defence public information manager Andy Thompson told Morning Report it was not a normal flooding, with the river potentially creating a new channel through the area.

Some cars in the hotel car park had been submerged and there was water flowing through the hotel and grounds, he said.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3515564/Deep-South-bracing-...

Trapped in the eye of the storm: Oklahoma is battered by multiple tornadoes while Arkansas is hit by 'life-threatening' flash floods as dangerous weather causes havoc across the South and Midwest 

• At least nine people were injured and authorities were evaluating the damage in northeastern Oklahoma
• A NWS meteorologist said a tornado touched down and lifted up numerous times as it swept through the northern Tulsa and Owasso areas
• Public Service Company of Oklahoma reports more than 5,800 customers without power in the area
• Nearly nine million people in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas were in an enhanced area of risk, the national Storm Prediction Center said
• The area of highest risk included the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area  

At least nine people were injured and authorities were evaluating the damage in northeastern Oklahoma after severe storms spawned multiple tornado touchdowns and flooding which is feared to be 'life threatening'.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski said a tornado touched down and lifted up numerous times as it swept through the northern Tulsa and Owasso areas. The service said the rapidly growing floods could be life threatening and people were warned to stay off the roads.

The City of Tulsa said in a statement that several roads were closed and police and fire crews were canvassing the city. The Streets and Water Departments are assisting with road barricades and debris removal.

Jankowski said the Weather Service received reports of lofted debris, trees down and some structural damage. NBC News reported that nine were injured in the storms. 

Tornado nearly touches down at airport

A tornado was caught on camera north of the Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma 

At least nine people were injured and authorities were evaluating the damage in northeastern Oklahoma after severe storms spawned multiple tornado touchdowns Wednesday night, authorities said

A tornadic storm passes over north Tulsa on Wednesday. The National Weather Service is confirming multiple tornado touchdowns in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area 

Little Rock Fire Capt. Steve Kotch, right, and an unidentified woman stumble and fall into the water as Kotch uses a cable safety line to rescue her from her flooded car in Boyle Park in Little Rock, Arkansas 

Lightning and heavy rains hit central Arkansas during the evening rush hour. Here the trapped woman is led to safety

http://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/weather/snow-falls...

Residents film the falling flakes on Thursday

No, it is not an April Fools Day joke, snowflakes actually fell in the neighbouring French island of Guadeloupe.

The event, which was described as ‘exceptional’ by a French meteorologist took place on Thursday, March 31 in the municipality of St. Claude.

Reports from French media indicate that a very fine snowfall blanketed the hills above the town.

French meteorologist, Alain Museleque, explained the extraordinary phenomenon on Guadeloupe Premiere TV.

“We had a mass of clouds that arrived over St. Claude,” he said in French and translated by McCathy Marie. “Accompanying this mass of clouds was some very cold air. In this very cold air, in the mass of clouds, we had the creation of some snowflakes which fell to the ground. This has never before been seen in Guadeloupe. This is an exceptional event that we will never forget.”

Two weeks ago in the same area, in a residential district which is just below La Soufriere Volcano overlooking the Town of Basse Terre, residents were surprised to see hailstones falling from the sky.