Another Tornado Record's in Sight for U.S. as Thunderstorms Boom
23 March, 2017.  Another wave of tornado-spawning thunderstorms is set to rip across the Great Plains and South this week, putting the U.S. within reach of a record year for life-threatening twisters.
Severe storms will drench a swath of the country from Texas to Mississippi over the next five days, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center. Through Thursday, 369 tornadoes have been reported across the country, the most in five years and more than double the normal number of sightings.

An active jet stream and unusually balmy weather are to blame for the burst of deadly tornado activity, the storm prediction center said. Strong winds have dragged storms into the warm, humid air that’s blanketed the eastern half of the nation, creating conditions ripe for a weather phenomenon that leads to at least $400 million in damage a year in the U.S.

“We have a severe threat starting today and continuing for each of the next five days through at least Monday,” said Patrick Marsh, warning coordination meteorologist at the storm prediction center in Norman, Oklahoma. “Through mid-March, we are on a record or near-record pace.”
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Tornado “outbreaks,” or storm systems that spin out multiple funnels in a limited time and area, are becoming more frequent in the U.S., according to study published in the journal Science in December. Still, the trend isn’t consistent from what some models predicted would result from global warming, the study found.
This could mean climate change isn’t having an impact on tornado numbers, or it may be because scientists just haven’t figured out what effect it’s having, lead author Michael Tippett, a senior research scientist at Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society in Palisades, New York, said in the report.
Rising Costs
One thing’s for certain: Costs associated with tornado damages are rising as the number of people living in the path of twister-producing storms rises. “Since 1980, losses due to severe thunderstorm events in the U.S., which includes tornadoes, hail and straight-line winds, have increased dramatically largely due to socioeconomic effects,” Mark Bove, a senior research meteorologist for Munich Reinsurance America Inc, said in an email.
The system pushing into the central U.S. may create more severe weather as it pushes east, said Bob Oravec, senior branch forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
“It definitely is going to have the potential for a multi-day event,” Oravec said.
And it could just be the first of several such systems, he said. Long-range models show the potential for a train of storms through the central U.S. for the next few week. Source:Source: bloomberg.com

Severe weather - Damaging wind events are on the rise in US? ZetaTalk Rights Again?

Severe weather data - Damaging wind data: NOAA/NWS Storm prediction center

• What are damaging winds?

Damaging winds are often called “straight-line” winds to differentiate the damage they cause from tornado damage. Strong thunderstorm winds can come from a number of different processes. Most thunderstorm winds that cause damage at the ground are a result of outflow generated by a thunderstorm downdraft. Damaging winds are classified as those exceeding 50-60 mph.

• Are damaging winds really a big deal?

Damage from severe thunderstorm winds account for half of all severe reports in the lower 48 states and is more common than damage from tornadoes. Wind speeds can reach up to 100 mph and can produce a damage path extending for hundreds of miles.

• Who is at risk from damaging winds?

Since most thunderstorms produce some straight-line winds as a result of outflow generated by the thunderstorm downdraft, anyone living in thunderstorm-prone areas of the world is at risk for experiencing this hazard.

People living in mobile homes are especially at risk for injury and death. Even anchored mobile homes can be seriously damaged when winds gust over 80 mph.

Source: nssl.noaa.gov

I created these maps using QGIS and D3.js

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/04/04/newfoundland-blizzard_n_158...

Newfoundland Blizzard Brings In Record Amounts Of Snow

The first day of spring was two weeks ago, but winter is far from over in Newfoundland.

A powerful storm swept across the province this week, and another 75 centimetres of snow is expected by Tuesday evening. Over 97 centimetres was dumped on Gander over the weekend. To put that number in context, Toronto saw 81 centimetres of snow over the entire winter, according to The Weather Network.

Gander broke the snowfall record for March with a total of 200 centimetres, and is on track to break April's previous record of 97 centimetres, VOCM reported.

People trying to get to work have faced some unique challenges.

Flights have been cancelled at the St. John's airport, and many highways are nearly impassible. In Gander, a snow plow and ambulance got stuck in the snow, CBC News reported.

Those travelling by boat didn't fare any better.

For first time in 33 years, March was colder than February in Washington
3 April, 2017. Washingtonians will remember March for a rare, weird and confusing reversal in the usual progression of the seasons: It was colder and more winter-like than it was in February.

Following February’s record-shattering warmth, many believed winter was over. Flowers were in the bloom, and days in the 70s outnumbered those in the 40s.

A record high of 80 degrees on March’s first day only reinforced the notion that winter had caved to spring. Washington’s famed cherry blossoms were on track for their earliest bloom in recorded history.

But the warmth of February and to begin March typified what scientists have called a “false spring,” because — more often than not — the true character of the season eventually reveals itself.

In March’s second week, a sneaky and strong cold snap roared into town, and winter was back in full force. Temperatures plummeted, a cement-like mass of snow and ice poured down, and about half the cherry blossoms perished.

The cold eased in the month’s final third, the cherry blossoms showed off a muted peak, and finally spring was here to stay.

The month closed a full half degree colder than February, marking the first time the months have been reversed since 1984. Since records have been maintained in Washington, dating back to 1872, March has averaged as cold or colder than February just eight times.

What makes this situation even stranger is March’s average temperature was still 0.4 degrees warmer than normal. But February was so mild, 8.7 degrees above normal, that even average temperatures in March would’ve matched it.

March’s average temperature of 47.2 marked the 10th warmer-than-normal month in a row in Washington.

Precipitation (rain and melted snow) totaled 3.19 inches, .29 inches below normal, but represented the wettest single month since last June. The total matches 2007 and is the eighth-driest of the 2000s.

The two inches of mid-month snow amounted to 0.7 inches above normal and marked our snowiest month since February 2016. Baltimore picked up slightly more at 2.3 inches, and Dulles tallied 5.7 inches.

Here is a listing of the March extremes in Washington:

It’s funny to see our warmest day in March being on the first of the month, with the coldest weather being within a week of the start of spring instead. The 0.96 inches of rain we logged on Friday (March 31) marked the single wettest day since Dec. 6. Six “daily” records were broken at our three airports during the month.

March records

• March 1: Record high of 80 (tying old record 80 in 1976)

Dulles International Airport

• March 14: Daily record snowfall of 4.1 inches (old record 4 inches in 1999)
• March 15: Record low maximum temperature of 31 (old record 32 in 1993)
• March 25: Record high temperature of 78 (old record 76 in 2003)
• March 31: Daily record rainfall of 1.46 inches (old record 0.95 inches in 1976)

BWI

• March 15: Record low maximum temperature of 31 (old record 31 in 1993)

Source: washingtonpost.com

California snowpack is one of the biggest ever recorded, and now poses a flooding risk

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30 March, 2017. He plodded across the white mounds, plunged his metallic pole into the powder beneath him, pulled it out and made his proclamation: 94 inches deep.

The 2016-17 winter created one of the largest snowpacks in California’s recorded history and it’s loaded with enough water to keep reservoirs and rivers swollen for months to come.

“For recreation, there’s a lot of pent-up demand for spring touring,” Gehrke told reporters and viewers watching on a social media live stream. “Clearly this is going to be a good year for it. People have to be aware that conditions are different and they can’t expect the same conditions they had a couple years ago.”

With reservoirs and rivers already full from months of rain, the addition of melting snow will likely push water over the banks in some communities and cause flooding, said David Rizzardo, chief of snow survey and water supply forecasting for the state Department of Water Resources.
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This year’s snowpack is the seventh-deepest since 1950 and biggest since 2011, said state hydrologist Mike Anderson.

When Gehrke stood at that same spot in Phillips in 2015, it was a bare field of dirt, grass and weeds.

“The difference is visually stunning, but it’s the pattern of West Coast weather,” Gehrke said. “The winter weather in California is feast or famine. We have very dry years followed by extremely wet years.”
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The governor declared a state of emergency and instituted strict water use restrictions that remain in place for some people today.

But with all of that snow piled in the Sierra this year — it equates to more than 46 inches of rain when it melts — many water agencies up and down the state argue that it’s time to declare the drought over and lift those restrictions. California has been inundated with more than 30 atmospheric river events — warm, Pacific-based storms that drop massive amounts of rain — since October and is on track for one of its rainiest water years (measured from Oct. 1 — Sept. 30) in history.
<..> Source: latimes.com

March madness: Last month was colder and snowier than usual (Nova Scotia, US)

3 April, 2017. 98.8 centimetres of snow fell at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport last month

March turns messy with snow, ice and freezing rain on the way
Messy March nor'easter to bring snow, slush and rain Tuesday
Have the impression that this past March was colder and featured more of the white stuff than usual? You'd be right!

Most weather observation stations finished the month with mean daily temperatures well below climate normals and snowfall amounts well above. Source: cbc.ca

Reality of the worst drought since 1945 peaking in parts of Africa

17 March, 2017. Millions of people in over a dozen countries in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa are facing the peak effect of severe drought that hit the regions resulting in famine.

Worst among the countries are Somalia, South Sudan, and Nigeria in West Africa who are part of the more than 20 million people estimated by the United Nations to be facing severe famine and starvation in the world.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that Somalia is at risk of its third famine in 25 years after the previous crisis in 2011 that killed about 260,000 people.

The Horn of Africa is facing its third consecutive year of drought causing thirst and hunger, decimating livestock, destroying livelihoods, spreading disease and triggering large scale population movements.

Somalia’s neighbour Kenya is also facing drought in half of the country – 23 of its 47 counties nationwide.

United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien described the crisis to the Security Council as the largest since the second world war in 1945, and an amount of $4.4 billion is needed “to avert a catastrophe” in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula.

For the other drought-ridden countries including Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched an appeal last year for emergency aid estimated at 109 million dollars to cover 23 million people.

Source of the Crisis

The U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien clearly stated after a visit that the famine in South Sudan is man-made due to the three-year civil war in the world’s newest country which is facing a worse situation.

Like South Sudan, the famine in northeastern Nigeria is as a result of the seven-year insurgency of the Islamist sect Boko Haram killing over 20,000 people and with at least 2.6 million people displaced and 5.8 million in dire need of humanitarian aid.

The Horn of Africa countries are facing their third consecutive year of drought.

Ethiopia is experiencing below average rains in the southern and eastern parts of the country caused by the negative Indian Ocean dipole and La Niña leading to drought.

This is a repeat of last year when drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon left 10.2 million people hungry and several hundred thousand of animals killed.

Somalia is also facing the brunt of the climate change coupled with the Islamist group al-Shabaab insurgency which is battling the UN-backed government for over a decade.

According to the U.N., 6.2 million people in Somalia need humanitarian assistance and protection, including 2.9 million who are at risk of famine and require immediate help.

During the previous famine in 2011, humanitarian response was slow and nearly 260,000 people died before the famine was officially declared in July.

For Kenya, the climate change is causing drought which is affecting 23 of its 47 counties in the country.

The ten southern Africa countries (Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are also facing the brunt of the El Niño climate phenomenon. Source: africanews.com

Droughts in East Africa becoming more frequent, more devastating

Somalia declared a famine in 2011 and is facing severe warnings again. Credit: Photo/Stuart Price.

17 March, 2017. If the current drought in the East Africa brings a sense of déjà vu, it’s because we’ve been here before – several times.

This is a region where the global forces of climate change, forced migration, and volatile food supply converge, resulting in severe hunger and, at worst, famine. However, while drought is not new, it has become increasingly frequent.

As the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development notes: “From 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016 and now 2017, datelines change but the stories of unimaginable hardship, death and depravation remain largely the same.”

As with the frequency, the severity has also intensified. The 2011 East African drought was reportedly the region’s worst for 60 years. But while that crisis affected over 12 million people, today’s has already left an estimated 12.8 million severely food insecure. And things are expected to worsen in the coming months with low rainfall forecast from March to May.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), today’s situation is so widespread because three consecutive years of diminished food production has exhausted people’s capacity to cope with another shock, while access constraints, rising refugee numbers and outbreaks of communicable diseases in the greater region add to the pressures.

Conflict is another key factor as both a driver and result of the drought. It is no coincidence that it is in South Sudan and Somalia – where conflict has led to millions of displacements, made it harder to cultivate land and hampered humanitarian access – that people are in most danger.

This February, South Sudan, which has been at war since 2013, became the first country in six years to declare a famine. UN agencies say 100,000 people there are on the verge of starvation and almost 5 million – more than 40% of the country’s population – are in need of urgent assistance. In Somalia, where 258,000 people died in the world’s previous famine in 2011, further starvation looks like a distinct possibility again.

At the same time, drought has also aggravated existing tensions in places such as the Rift Valley in Kenya where increasingly scarce resources has led to growing violence between pastoralists and farmers. Source: africanarguments.org

'I've never seen anything like it': Astonishing footage shows truck drivers passing through NSW floodwaters as abandoned cars and caravans float past

• Footage has emerged of trucks dodging vehicles abandoned in floodwater
• The convoy of trucks were travelling through the Tweed River, New South Wales
• Incredible vision posted to Facebook has been viewed more than 300,000 times

In almost every flood there's a handful of motorists who push their luck too far.

And a number of truck drivers braving a raging river have come up nice and close to some cars left abandoned by their seemingly overeager owners.

The 'truckies', who took on the overflowing Tweed River in New South Wales, were forced to dodge a number of waterlogged cars and caravans left floating in the floodwater.

Video of the vehicles taking on the river was posted to popular Facebook page Dash Cam Owners Australia.

Taken last Friday, when the flooded roads were open to large trucks, the drivers were forced to manoeuvre around other vehicles which hadn't fared so well in the water.

Following each other in convoy, the 'truckies' can be heard remarking about the cars which have been abandoned.

'I've never seen anything like this,' one driver said as he passed two vehicles.

Vision has emerged of truck drivers dodging cars and caravans abandoned in the Tweed River, in New South Wales, after it flooded last week

'I've never seen anything like this,' one truck driver said as he passed two abandoned vehicles

Showing how dangerous the floodwaters are, even a large caravan was no match for the rising Tweed River.

Laying alongside it is a small white car, which has seemingly been turned around by the power of the floods.

In the distance another smaller truck also appears to have been washed away into a field by the force of the floods.

The incredible vision of the trucks taking on the floodwater has been viewed close to 328,000 times on Facebook.

Showing how dangerous the floodwaters are, even a large caravan was no match for the river

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4384966/Trucks-dodge-abando...

Wild weather across the country has caused flooding, slips and evacuations, especially in Edgecumbe, Bay of Plenty. Here are the developments: NEW ZEALAND

April 6 2017

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/police-patrol-edgecumbe...

Bay of Plenty township of Edgecumbe evacuated, forcing 600 residents to leave - NZ STUFF

5 APRIL 2017. The entire township of Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty is being evacuated due to rising water on the Rangitaiki River. Ross Boreham of the Whakatane District Council said around 600 homes were being evacuated. Around 2000 people are being told to leave. It is said to be a one-in-500-year event, RNZ are reporting.

IMAGE: Edgecumbe residents are being evacuated to Whakatane. GOOGLE MAPS.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/91262924/bay-of-plenty-township-of-ed...

More than 400 icebergs have drifted into the North Atlantic shipping lanes over the past week in an unusually large swarm for this early in the season, forcing vessels to slow to a crawl or take detours of hundreds of kilometres. Experts are attributing it to uncommonly strong counter-clockwise winds that are drawing the icebergs south, and perhaps also global warming, which is accelerating the process by which chunks of the Greenland ice sheet break off and float away. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/06/huge-fleet-iceb...

http://strangesounds.org/2017/04/400-meters-of-road-collapse-as-flo...

One of the most important cities of Patagonia in terms of population, Comodoro Rivadavia, is being literally destroyed by flooding and strong winds since beginning of April 2017.

The worst rainfall in 40 years – the bad weather isn’t finished yet – has triggered 1 dead, thousands of evacuations, 2000 homeless, tens of injured, large material losses such as the collapse of a 400-meter road, isolating residents from the rest of the world.

In the above video, the road collapse in a neighborhood of the city of Comodoro Rivadavia has isolated lots of families from the rest of the world. But other avenues were also washed away by the torrential rains and mudslide:

Comodoro Rivadavia is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina.

Authorities estimate that it has experienced a “80% destruction” after it suffered a week of historic torrential rains and strong winds.

Within just a few days the city experienced more rain that it usually receives in 12 months.

Floods and mudslides swept away bridges and parts of roads and major highways after heavy rains started on March 29 and continued without a break for several days.

Thousands have been evacuated and at least 2 000 made homeless. Here a few pictures of the apocalyptical situations in Argentina:

Is the number of tornadoes increasing in Europe?

To be objective it is necessary to make some remarks:

Data source: ESWD: European Severe Weather Database. I made this graph using D3.js

Distribution and statistics on tornadoes in Argentina

23 January, 2013. Google translate. Undoubtedly, one of the people with the greatest knowledge, ability to analyze and trajectory in research on tornados in Argentina is Dr. María Luisa Altinger. Researcher at CONICET, a consultant for both state and private agencies, was responsible for the analysis of the tracks of the tornadoes of April 4, 2012 in Greater Buenos Aires.

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Has the frequency of tornadoes increased today?

A question that probably remains without a definitive answer, but historical information seems to indicate yes. In the chart we have the number of days per season of tornadoes (that is, from October / November of one year to March / April of the next) in which severe convection events occur with and without associated tornadoes.

Clearly, from 2000 onwards, there is a significant increase in the occurrence of severe weather and seasonal events. Thus, it could indicate an increase in the number of days with severe events, perhaps as a consequence of climate change (but the influence of the increase in population, and therefore a greater number of records).

Now, it should be noted that the chart does not show an increase in the number of tornadoes since the measure is per day. That is, in 1993 300 tornados occurred in one night, but the graph takes as a measure that it was "1 night" and not that it was "300 tornados".

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As a summary, let's review some interesting facts that help us to better understand the reality regarding the level and intensity of storms that we have in our country:

- The world's strongest storms occur in Argentina, specifically east of the Andes, according to NASA. He reached this conclusion through studies based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM).

- From 1930 to 2009, in Argentina, there were 1194 severe storms, 507 tornadoes and possible tornadoes and 117 storms with severe hail damage. Due to the low radar coverage (even today) the actual figures are likely to be much higher.

- Only in Buenos Aires, at least one village per year is affected directly by tornadoes.

- Tornadoes are recorded between 10 and 15 days per annual season.

- 50% of tornadoes in Argentina are EF1, while 30% are of EF2 scale. Source: pronosticoextendido.ne

20 November, 2015. Meteorologist Luisa Altinger is a pioneer in the study of tornadoes in Argentina. Its records date back to 1971. According to its database, tornadoes have been detected all over the country except Patagonia. Source: lavoz.com.ar

Cuba Faced With Worst Drought in 115 Years

Two people filling containers with water at a neighbor's house, in the province of Ciego de Avila, Cuba on Apr. 3, 2017. EFE/Alejandro Ernesto. Source: aldianews.com

12 March, 2017. Cuba is undergoing not only animal and human water consumption but is now directly affecting food security.

Cuba is facing its worst drought in 115 years. An abrupt intensification of the phenomenon since the 1960s and predictions of prolonged dry periods going forward, demand a change of vision in dealing with the problem.

According to the World Food Program (WFP) and UNDP (UNDP) officials, it is a sensitive area such as animal and human water consumption and agriculture, with a consequent negative impact on food security. Experts are pessimistic about the overall global scenario, but in the case of Cuba, the situation is even more challenging because of its location in a region negatively affected by ever more frequent violent natural phenomena.

In order to reduce the negative effects of drought, international organizations such as the UNDP and WFP are helping the country develop effective relationships between information obtained from monitoring and forecasting services and responses.

According to the UNDP, sustainable and inclusive human development is essential to combat climate change. It is necessary to assess environmental sustainability and the rational use of resources to address the drought and food security issues in Cuba.

Water shortages currently affect 70 percent of the national territory (more than one million people are affected) and negatively impact on agriculture.

<...> Source: plenglish.com

Sri Lanka's worst drought in 40 years will leave lasting impact

14 March, 2017. Sri Lanka is in the midst of its worst drought in decades. Rain shortages since October have created a humanitarian and economic crisis that is now affecting more than 1.2 million people. More than 900,000 people are in “urgent need of food assistance,” while 80,000 of them may need “urgent life-saving support,” according to a March 7 draft assessment acquired by IRIN.

The drought has affected all but two of the country’s 25 districts in all nine provinces, as well as all aspects of life. It highlights the reverberating consequences of disasters, but the biggest issue at the moment is the shortage of Sri Lanka’s water-intensive staple crop – rice.

“The biggest harvest of the year has just finished, and it’s been a massive failure for most farmers living in areas crippled by the drought,” Chris McIvor, country director for Save the Children in Sri Lanka, said in a press release.

In fact, the harvest was the worst in 40 years, down 63 percent from the average. The drought had damaged land so badly, according to the World Food Program, that by November farmers had cultivated only 35 percent of the country’s rice paddies.

“The nation’s food supply has taken a huge hit, which in turn has caused prices to rise,” McIvor said. “As a result, many of the poorest families are struggling to feed their children, often choosing to eat fewer and smaller meals, and cut down on nutritious foods like meat and vegetables.” Source: humanosphere.org

The worst drought in a century (Kerala, India)

13 March, 2017. Repeat failure of the monsoons may have heralded the worst-ever drought in in Kerala in over 100 years. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharantold the State Assembly on Wednesday that vast tracts of farmland have been decimated.

The crop loss estimated is to be ₹225 crore, over 30,353.06 hectares. Paddy farmers are the worst hit, staring at damage worth ₹106 crore over an area of 26,499.42 hectares.

Other crops, including coconut, banana, vegetables and cash crops have not been spared. The State government anticipated a significant drop in agricultural output, with grave implications for the economy and practically every sphere of activity. Source: thehindubusinessline.com

With the monsoons failing the region last year, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu (India) are facing their worst drought in recent history.

4 March, 2017. South India is staring at an acute drinking water crisis.

After the failure of both the south-west and the retreating north-east monsoons, three southern states are in the midst what officials are calling the “second-worst drought” in history, after the dry spells of the 1960s.

Across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, reservoirs are so dry that even drinking water is hard to come by in several regions. Source: scroll.in

Violent Dust Devil Engulfs Soccer Match in Mexico (Apr 3)

An intense dust devil ripped through a soccer match in Tlatlauqui, Mexico, earlier this month.

The mini-cyclone was powerful, pulling dust and debris in from across the field.

The players had to crouch down and cover their faces to prevent dust and sand from getting in their eyes, noses and mouths.

A month prior, a soccer game was interrupted by a large dust devil in Guatemala.

Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/04...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4292620/Footballers-kickabo...

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/412608/Death-toll-rises-to-35-in-Ir...

TEHRAN — Severe flood and landslide in western and northwestern parts of Iran have so far claimed 35 lives and left 8 missing.

Heavy rain which started on Friday morning caused flood in the afternoon and unfortunately the northwestern cities of Azarshahr and Ajabshir hit the hardest by the flood, ISNA quoted Ismail Najjar, head of the Crisis Management Organization as saying on Saturday.

Seven cars have gone missing in Azarshahr, he regretted, adding, despite the warnings some people were reluctant to leave the area.

According to East Azarbaijan crisis management organization up to now, 14 have died and at least 3 gone missing in Azarshahr and some 4 individuals are missing and 15 are dead n Ajabshir.

“Some bridges are reportedly damaged in West Azarbaijan province and sadly a 12-year-old boy is taken away by the flood while biking,” he explained.

Moreover, 4 died in a landslide triggered by the flood in Saqqez, Kordestan province, and one passed away in Baneh, he said.

So far, some 1,100 have received relief services, 77 provided with emergency accommodation, and 6 transferred to hospitals in 32 cities and villages, Najjar noted, adding, water was pumped out of 48 houses as well.

http://strangesounds.org/2017/04/dimmitt-tornado-texas-video.html

On Friday April 14, 2017, an enormous tornado swept across Texas Panhandle.

The monster EF3 twister was as wide as 1.7 kilometers as it almost swallowed Dimmitt, Castro County during a 7,2 km touchdown with speeds reaching 225 km / h. Now watch this tornado as captured b plenty of storm hunters:

Luckily, the tornado didn’t touch a region where lots of residents live. Many managed to escape before the storm. Here a few pictures of the consequences of the tornado:

Always be ready!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/lloydminster-slammed-snow-s...

A serious snowfall blanketed central and northern Saskatchewan with snow this weekend.

A serious winter storm over the weekend covered central and northern Saskatchewan with a thick blanket of snow.

Over four days, Lloydminster was hit with 42 centimetres of snow. Buffalo Narrows and La Ronge received around 20 centimetres, while Flin Flon received 28 centimetres.

The snow created icy road conditions and poor visibility.

• Substantial snow and rain in West Central and Northern Sask.

Despite warm temperatures, Environment Canada believes the snow will be around for the next several days.

"We can still see the band of snow on satellite imagery," said weather specialist Mark Melsness. "There's still a bright band of white left on the ground."

The province's Water Security Agency is monitoring the situation. For now, the agency said it is not concerned about flooding caused by the sudden snow dump.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/flooding-continues-in-parts-...

Hillary Porter pulls her dogs along in a boat in the town of Rigaud, Que., west of Montreal, on Thursday, following flooding in the area. (Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

Authorities are on alert for additional flooding as heavy rains continue to batter parts of Quebec.

The town of Rigaud, Que., is hardest hit, with 343 homes either flooded or surrounded by water. Provincial police are still patrolling the municipality, which declared a state of emergency on Thursday afternoon.

Some 53 municipalities have experienced enough flooding this week to qualify for provincial aid, according to a news release issued by the Quebec government.

That's in addition to another 19 municipalities already eligible for financial assistance after being hit by flooding earlier this spring.

State of emergency

On Thursday, the town of Rigaud, Que., told some of its residents to leave their homes as roads and houses began to flood.

Around 7,500 people live in the municipality, which is located 25 kilometres west of the island of Montreal. 

Police attach a boat to their vehicle while dealing with flooding in Rigaud, Que.

Rigaud Mayor, Hans Gruenwald Jr., says with more rain falling on Friday, he can't guarantee emergency services to those who refuse to leave their homes.

Residents were advised to head to the local library if they needed a safe place to stay. Family pets aren't being allowed in the library, but a number of local kennels have offered discounted rates.

​If anyone needs to reach the municipality in the event of an emergency, they can call 450-451-0869, extension 235.

In Montreal, the city is keeping its website updated with the latest flood information.

In the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, minor flooding has been reported, but the situation is under control according to city officials. In the L'île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève borough, sandbags have been distributed to residents. Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue are listed as "high-risk", but no flooding has been reported.

The Rivières des Prairies area is also considered a high risk for flooding. In Laval, Que., volunteers are going door-to-door to inform residents in certain areas of Sainte-Dorothée and Laval-sur-le-Lac about the risks of local flooding.

Rainfall double the normal amount

Montreal had five millimetres of rain Thursday night and will see another five millimetres Friday, according to Environment Canada forecaster Denis Thibodeau. In places like the Laurentians, the Eastern Townships and Beauce, Que., can expect heavier precipitation on Friday.

Those areas will see anywhere from 10 to 15 millimetres of rain.

The Quebec City area could see between 15 and 20 millimetres over the next 24 hours.

Thibodeau said Montreal has received double the average rainfall so far in April. The average for this month is 67.7 millimetres, but even before the precipitation accumulated over the last 24 hours, there had already been 130 millimetres of rain this month.

"We're well over the normal," said Thibodeau.

Some residents of Rigaud, Que. have been asked to leave their properties as water levels continue to rise. 

California: From one of worst drought in history to one of wettest-ever year

I created this graph using D3.js. Data source: United States Drought Monitor. 

Source: cdec.water.ca.gov

ZetaTalk: Weather Extremes

written July 29, 2005
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. 

ZetaTalk: Weather Extremes

California sets new all-time record for northern Sierra rainfall

Source of image: mercurynews.com

May, P. (13 April, 2017.) "With another storm Thursday, the Golden State has its wettest-ever year <...>

With one more soaking-wet storm front dumping its stuff special-delivery over Wednesday night, California woke up on Thursday to a new all-time record for rainfall, as measured in the all-important “Northern Sierra eight-station index,” a catchment area that pretty much defines the Golden State’s water-level health. <...>"

Source: May, P. (2017, April 13). California sets new all-time record for northern Sierra rainfall. Retrieved April 16, 2017, from mercurynews.com

From extreme drought to record rain: Why California's drought-to-deluge cycle is getting worse

20 April, 2017. "California’s climate has long been dominated by cycles of intense dry conditions followed by heavy rain and snow. But never before in recorded history has the state seen such an extreme drought-to-deluge swing. <...>"

Source: "From extreme drought to record rain: Why California's drought-to-deluge cycle is getting worse." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. latimes.com

California storms: This rainy season now ranks 2nd all time in 122 years of record

Gomez, M. (2017, April 07). "<...> After relatively modest rainfall in March, this season now ranks as the second wettest in 122 years of record-keeping, according to data released Thursday by federal scientists.

Between October 2016 and March 2017, California averaged 30.75 inches of precipitation, the second-highest average since such records began being kept in 1895, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. <...> "

Gomez, M. (2017, April 07). California storms: This rainy season now ranks 2nd all time in 122 years of records. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from mercurynews.com

St. John's, Newfoundland, Receives Record-Breaking 60 Consecutive Hours of Freezing Rain, Turning It into a Winter Wonderland

Winter made a vicious return to Newfoundland in recent days, where freezing rain fell for a record two and a half days in one spot.

The record was broken at St. John's International Airport in southeastern Newfoundland, where local meteorologists said freezing rain was reported for 60 consecutive hours from Thursday through Sunday, according to the Weather Network. This event broke the previous record of 37 hours reported March 2-4, 1998, local meteorologist Rodney Barney tweeted.

"Newfoundland was under a cold high-pressure system located to its north during the weekend," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "A narrow band of light precipitation from an offshore low-pressure system interacted with the cold air, resulting in a lengthy period of freezing rain."

It wasn't just St. John's – the nearby town of Paradise was also hit hard by the ice storm. Still, no power outages were reported in the area Monday morning, although some schools opened late, CBC News said.

Source and some great pictures:    https://www.wunderground.com/news/newfoundland-freezing-rain-ice-st...     

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4443274/Fire-rips-Russian-n...

Fire rips through Russian 'nuclear town' built to supply weapons-grade plutonium

• Wildfires have hit Zheleznogorsk, a closed town in south-central Siberia
• The town retains nuclear facilities for storage although the production of weapons-grade plutonium was reported as having stopped in 2010
• It is believed, however, that there is no immediate threat to the nuclear facilities
• Fire brigades had to make more than 30 trips to the area to stop the flames 
• The cause of the wildfire is believed to have been grass which ignited after a period of dry weather following the melting of the winter snow.

Residents of a Siberian town have complained of choking from the smoke of wildfires as fumes spread inside flats and houses.

Photos of Zheleznogorsk, a town of 84,800 people that is closed to outsiders, show flames close to residential buildings.

The town, 39 miles from major city Krasnoyarsk, retains nuclear facilities for storage although the production of weapons-grade plutonium was reported as having stopped in 2010.

Wildfires have hit Siberia's Zheleznogorsk, which retains nuclear facilities for storage although the production of weapons-grade plutonium was reported as having stopped in 2010

Photos of Zheleznogorsk, a town of 84,800 people that is closed to outsiders, show flames close to residential buildings

Residents of the south-central Siberian town have complained of 'choking' due to smoke from the fires

It is believed, however, that there is no immediate threat to the nuclear facilities, which are built within caverns excavated in the granite mountain on the northern edge of the city.

Local journalists said they could not get details of the fire from the local emergencies ministry, because they town's administration is run from Moscow, 2,100 miles and five time zones to the west, according to the Siberian Times.

http://strangesounds.org/2017/04/superstorm-us-new-york-texas-panha...

This is what a superstorm looks like!

A VERY large, powerful storm system is forming over the United States stretching from New York all the way back to the Texas Panhandle.

It looks like an anomalous “energy rush” of some sort. And the ‘deadly’ superstorm continues to grow. You will/may get downpours, floods, snow, tornado, hail, winds through the weekend from New York to Texas!

This superstorm is growing and already coering more than half of the United States from New York to Texas. via Youtube Video

This system, based off of these satellite images has the potential to create some very intense storms.

NBC DFWLike Page
3 hrs
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Texas Sky Rangers shows the damage to a car dealership along I-20 in Canton.

APRIL 30 2017

http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Canton-Car-Dealership-Takes-D...

A Canton car dealership took a direct hit when a twister roared through town Saturday evening.

Interstate 20 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton received widespread damage to a new showroom and maintenance facility. CONTINUE...

APRIL 30 2017

Winter Storm Ursa Was a Crippling Blizzard in the High Plains; One of Their Heaviest Late-Spring Snowstorms of Record

https://weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-ursa-rockies-hi...

Winter Storm Ursa brought a crippling, destructive blizzard from the Texas panhandle to Nebraska in the final weekend of April 2017. Ursa caused vehicles to be stranded, downed trees and power lines and whipped up snow drifts up to 8 feet in one of the strongest snowstorms to slam the High Plains so late in the spring.

www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/2-more-deaths-blamed-on-floodi...

2 more deaths blamed on flooding in Missouri

© The Associated Press A bobcat moves a pile of sandbags to be stacked on South Central Avenue in Eureka, Mo., to protect businesses from the rising floodwater of the Meramec River on Monday, May 1, 2017. Torrential rain caused Missouri…

ST. LOUIS — Two more people were confirmed dead Tuesday after their vehicles were swept away by floodwaters in Missouri, bringing the death toll from sudden spring flooding in the state to at least five.

The latest deaths occurred in an area of southeast Missouri where heavy rains pushed rivers to record levels. The flood fight also continued near St. Louis, where sunny skies belied an ominous forecast: More rain that could send the bulging Meramec River to record heights and potentially into hundreds of homes.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a 60-year-old man was found dead late Monday inside a pickup in a ditch along Highway 53, where authorities believe water from the flooded Black River swept the truck off the road. A 69-year-old woman from Harviell was found dead Tuesday on Butler County Road 153, still inside her vehicle that was apparently swept away by water from a flooding creek.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said motorists sometimes don't realize how dangerous even a small amount of water on the road can be.

"It seems like we go through this every year, and it's just heartbreaking," he said.

The Meramec River already is nearing all-time highs in towns such as Pacific, Eureka and Valley Park, potentially threatening 1,700 homes. As much as 2 inches of rain is forecast Wednesday through Thursday. The National Weather Service predicted that the crest at Eureka will top the record set in December 2015, and Valley Park will tie the mark set that same year.

Much of Missouri was inundated with up to 12 inches of rain over the weekend. More than 270 roads remain closed, including a 57-mile stretch of Interstate 44 from central to southern Missouri, and a 23-mile stretch in suburban St. Louis. The Missouri Department of Transportation said a portion of Interstate 55 in St. Louis County will close before daybreak Wednesday, due to flooding on the Meramec.

About 200 homes have already been damaged by Meramec River floodwater, and another 1,500 are threatened, said St. Louis County emergency management director Mark Diedrich.

The new round of flooding comes just 16 months after a rare December flood swamped the same Meramec River towns, damaging hundreds of homes and badly damaging two sanitary treatment plants.

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar urged residents behind Meramec River levees to get out if they haven't already. Even if the levees hold, he said, there are dangers.

"The water is filthy," Belmar said at a news conference. "There are all sorts of health issues down there. We strongly urge them to evacuate until we can get this under control."

The Mississippi is a few feet above flood stage north of St. Louis, but major flooding is forecast by the end of the week in towns below where the Meramec spills into the Mississippi, including Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and Scott City.

Major flooding is now predicted on parts of the Missouri River in eastern Missouri, but because of buyouts in recent years, damage is expected to be minimal.

Amtrak also suspended rail service across Missouri because of flooding. A spokeswoman said the tracks could reopen Saturday.

Worst hailstorm in 30 years hits Thailand's Nakhon Phanom province

What is described as the worst hailstorm in 30 years hit NE Thailand's Renoo Nakhon district of Nakhon Phanom province on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. The storm brought heavy rain and ping-pong sized hail for several hours, forcing residents to run for cover.

Authorities said the storm hit several villages in the district late afternoon, May 3, knocking down power poles and damaging dozens of houses, at least two heavily. However, more damage is expected as they reach other areas of the district.

The storm dropped heavy rain accompanied by ping-pong ball sized hail which lasted for several hours. Residents said they haven't experienced such storm in the past 30 years and described it as worst in memory.

Source: https://watchers.news/2017/05/04/record-hailstorm-in-30-years-hits-... 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1...

Tropical Cyclone Donna becomes Category 5 storm, worst May storm on record in South Pacific

Cyclone Donna covers Vanuatu's vast archipelago.

Cyclone Donna is now the worst-ever tropical storm to hit the South Pacific in May after reaching Category 5 this morning. 

Weatherwatch.co.nz said according to CNN's Severe Weather Team Donna now had sustained winds of 215km/h gusting up to a ferocious 260km/h, making it the strongest May cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. 

It eclipses Tropical Cyclone Nadu which struck in 1986. 

New Caledonia is next in Donna's firing line as the vicious storm heads south but it's still not clear if it will bring havoc to our shores. 

The Fiji MetService is yet to officially confirm any change in storm category. New Zealand's MetService says the Fijian weather agency is responsible for the cyclone and there is no expectation the storm will be upgraded in the its next update due around 1pm. 

As Donna ramps up, forecasters are closely watching its projected path across the Pacific. 

While it's expected to weaken as it moves down towards New Zealand both MetService and Weatherwatch.co.nz say it's unlikely there will be a direct hit. 

But there was an outside chance of it colliding with a spell of bad weather from Australia due to hit the country late on Thursday. 

Even if it passed by it was also likely to cause big swells and bring rain to parts of the country. 

Forecasters say it won't be until midweek that they'll have the best idea of when, or if, Donna will pose any major problems. 

Donna is currently buffeting Vanuatu where entire villages in the northern Torres group have sought shelter in caves. Elsewhere parts of Vanuatu's capital Port Vila have been submerged after heavy rain flooded low-lying areas. 

Roofs have been lifted and buildings destroyed as Donna carves a trail of destruction across islands in the Torba province. Authorities are warning residents across central Vanuatu islands to get ready to go to shelter. 

Floodwaters have left homes in ruins carving large chunks of land from properties in Port Vila. 

Weatherwatch.co.nz said after a "bouncy" tracking at the end of last week the tropical cyclone had finally turned south after waiting for the fine weather parked over New Zealand to leave. 

Donna is expected to track past Noumea early Wednesday morning. 

The cyclone would likely weaken once it left New Caledonia but could link up with a low crossing the country and bring incredibly heavy downpours. 

There was also a chance the remnants of Donna could develop into a new low pressure system east of the North Island and deepen further. 

MetService says Donna poses no immediate risk to New Zealand. 

The next major weather feature coming our way was a complex trough currently south of Adelaide and expected to cross New Zealand later this week bringing widespread rain and strong winds. 

https://www.rt.com/news/387384-south-korea-forest-fire-dust/

Raging forest fire forces hundreds from their homes in South Korea 

https://www.rt.com/news/387552-montreal-flooding-state-emergency/

Montreal declares state of emergency as Canada floods continue to rage (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

People row a boat in a flooded residential area in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, 

Several streets and bridges in the Montreal region have been closed due to flooding. More than a dozen schools were told to remain closed on Monday, Montreal Gazette reported.

Nearly 1,900 homes in 126 Quebec municipalities have been flooded, with more than 1,000 residents leaving the affected areas, the Canadian Press reported, adding that some 1,200 troops were deployed to help evacuate local residents.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said some 220 people in the city had been evacuated from their homes, warning that authorities would be forced to remove people if they refused to comply with evacuation orders.

“I understand that morally or psychologically, physically, mentally, people are very, very tired. We’re talking 24 hours in a row of people helping each other,” Coderre told reporters on Sunday, as cited by the Canadian Press.

“But sometimes we need to protect people from themselves,” he added.

The state of emergency, which was declared after three dikes gave way in Montreal's Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, will remain in place for 48 hours. On Tuesday, city officials will decide whether emergency should be prolonged for five more days, Montreal Gazette reported.

Quebec Environment Minister David Heurtel warned on Friday that the rain was forecast to reach unprecedented levels, “beyond the worst scenarios that have occurred in the last 55 years.”

Federal and provincial buildings in Gatineau, a city in western Quebec, located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, closed on Monday, CBC News reported.

Gatineau resident Thomas Little spent days piling sandbags around his property, saying local authorities should have seen the flood coming.

“The Ottawa Valley watershed is controlled by dams. People should have known that the water was coming and was rising,” Little told CBC News.

Little said he decided to stay on his house’s upper floors, his basement filled with water, for fear of looting. 

“I don't even want to estimate what it's going to cost to fix the structure. It's going to be very expensive.

“I've been here 20 years, I've seen nothing like this.”

A small town of Rigaud, west of Montreal, issued a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday. Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr. said firefighters would be going door to door to make sure people moved out.

“This is not a request, this is an order. People have to leave,” he said, as cited by Global News. 

“If there is any resistance, provincial police will intervene if need be,” the mayor noted.

“People are not in a position to decide their own future anymore.”

Severe and dangerous Tropical Cyclone Donna to threaten life and property in New Caledonia into midweek

NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Donna and Ella "Bookend" Fiji The island of Fiji appears to be "bookended" by tropical cyclones in imagery from the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite.
Tropical Cyclone Donna is west of Fiji and newly developed Tropical Cyclone Ella has developed east of the island.

The very dangerous tropical cyclone Donna is now bearing down on New Caledonia, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the islands
AccuWeather reports; Donna has weakened to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, or the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins, but threats continue across New Caledonia. Torrential rain and destructive winds will impact New Caledonia with the Loyalty Islands at greatest risk as the cyclone passes through the area on Wednesday.
Massive seas in excess of 8 meters (26 feet) have built over the eastern Coral Sea around Donna, posing extreme dangers to those with shipping interests.

Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2017/05/severe-and-dangerous-tropical-c...

http://floodlist.com/africa/kenya-mombasa-may-2017

Kenya – Deadly Floods in Mombasa After 235 mm of Rain, Thousands Displaced in Taveta

In a statement on 09 May, Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said that 5 people had died in various parts of the county. He also said that at least 1,500 families have been displaced by the floods. Bridges and roads have suffered damage and livestock have been lost.

Meanwhile in Mombasa, the number of fatalities caused by the heavy rain and floods has risen to 9. Six people were killed when a wall collapsed in Kizingo, Mombasa town on Monday following heavy rains.

Further reports from Mombasa say that 2 people died in a landslide late on Monday in Mikindani, Mombasa. The body of an unidentified man, believed to be a flood victim, was found in Bamburi on Tuesday morning.

Original report, 10 May 2017:

Torrential rain has caused deadly flooding and landslides in southern and eastern parts of Kenya. According to WMO, 235 mm of rain fell in Mombasa in a 24 hour period between 08 and 09 May, 2017.

At least 6 people have died in Mombasa as a result of the heavy rain. Mombasa Governor H.E Hassan Ali Joho, said via Social Media, “I am deeply saddened by the death of six people who were crushed by a perimeter wall which collapsed near Mbaraki Primary due to heavy rains.”

He added, “Let’s all exercise great caution at this time. There have been higher than expected rains and this poses unusual stress on our infrastructure.”

Local media report that over 5000 people in Taveta, Taita Taveta County near the Kenya coast have been displaced by flooding and heavy rain. Local Red Cross said that over 900 families were affected.

Several rivers have overflowed in other areas, including in in Kwale County where bridges and communication routes have been damaged in Lunga-Lunga and Maji Ya Chumvi .

Elsewhere, flooding has also impacted parts of Garrissa County, including Dadaab, the location of UN refugees camps, according to Kenya Red Cross.

The flooding Mbadi River. Photo: Kenya Red Cross

The heat index or "init factor" approaches 50C (122F) as dangerous Heat Wave impacts the Philippines

Photo newsinfo.inquirer.net
The heat index or "init factor" may not be a measure of actual temperature, but it can make for very scorching days.
This was especially true this past week, as PAGASA noted heat indexes in the high forties at several monitoring stations across the country.
On Thursday, May 11, the heat index in Sangley Point, Cavite, hit 47.5°C.
In San Jose City, Occidental Mindoro, and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, the heat index was up to 48.1°C and 47.5°C, respectively, according to PAGASA data shared with GMA News' 24 Oras.
But Dagupan posted the highest heat index record to date this year, at a blistering 53.6°C last May 8. Dagupan also holds the distinction of having the highest heat index on record, at 55.8°C on May 6, 2016.
The heat index is an indication of apparent heat, based on actual temperature and humidity.
A heat index of just 41°C is already considered dangerous as it poses potential health risks.

Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2017/05/the-heat-index-or-init-factor.h...

http://floodlist.com/america/chile-floods-atacama-coquimbo-may-2017

Chile – Deaths and Evacuations After Floods in Atacama and Coquimbo

Disaster management authorities in Chile say that flooding in the regions of Atacama, and Coquimbo since Friday 12 May has left 2 people dead and forced almost 3,000 to evacuate their homes. Some heavy rain has also been reported in Antofagasta and O'Higgins regions. 

National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior And Public Security (ONEMI) said that 2 people died in an area near Monte Patria, Limarí Province, after being dragged in their vehicle by flood water. 

Over 1,500 people evacuated their homes near Ovalle. ONEMI said people had to move to higher ground as levels of the Limarí River increased dramatically. A nearby reservoir also threatened to overflow. 

ONEMI added that 20 homes have been severely damaged and 1 completely destroyed. Over 50,000 people were left without drinking water as of 13 May. 

Flooding has damaged or blocked roads in areas around Andacollo, to the north of Ovalle, leaving over 11,000 people isolated. 

Atacama region 

In Atacama evacuations have been carried out in Chañaral, Diego de Almagro and Freirina. 

The Minister of the Interior, Mahmud Aleuy, said the Government has declared Chañaral Province a catastrophe zone to help aid recovery. 

As of 13 May, over 1,300 people in affected areas of the region had left their homes to stay in temporary accommodation. Around 3,000 homes have been damaged. Thousands of homes have been left without power. 

Flooding has left some communities cut off and ONEMI says around 1,248 people are isolated. 

Previous floods 

Parts of northern Chile suffered devastating flooding in April 2015. Twenty-six people died, 2,000 homes were destroyed and a further 6,000 damaged during that time. 

Deadly floods struck parts of northern and central Chile in February this year. At least 3 people died and thousands were left without drinking water in Metropolitan region including the country's capital, Santiago. 

Rainfall 

The Meteorological Direction of Chile said that the heavy rain has been the result of an area of low pressure, which is thought to have since moved away from the country and into Argentina. 

Minister of the Interior said that La Serena, capital of the Coquimbo region and situated on the coast, recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall in under 8 hours. The city would normally see 2.8 mm for the whole of May. 

Agencia Informaciones de Chile said via Social Media that over 20 locations recorded more than 100 mm of rain during the period of severe weather, and 2 locations saw more than 200 mm.

Jamaica Battered! Heavy rains destroy roads, bridges; flood communities

This is what is left of the Guy's Hill main road after flood waters converted it into a river yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) 

The Government says it is too early to give an estimate, but the cost to the country from relentless rains over the past three days could be staggering, considering that the damage from showers just a few weeks ago was preliminarily put at close to $500 million.It was only on Monday that the local government ministry allocated $175 million in emergency funds to six parishes to help restore access to communities which were cut off as a result of those rains.

And now, three days of heavy rains associated with a trough across the central Caribbean have again wreaked havoc on the island's infrastructure, dumping up to a month's volume of rainfall on some areas, washing away bridges, tearing up roads, forcing rivers to burst their banks, and leaving a number of Jamaicans marooned.

While there were no reports of deaths up to yesterday evening, more than 30 people have so far had to be rescued by the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says the community of Aenon Town in Clarendon — the hardest hit parish — was inundated by up to 17 feet of raging waters.

Flood waters also converted the Guy's Hill main road in St Catherine into a river.

Yesterday, at a Jamaica House press conference, Acting Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang said St Thomas, Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine, Manchester, parts of Westmoreland, St Mary, Portland, and sections of northern St Ann were also severely impacted.

“The volume of rainfall over the last 24 hours (between Monday and Tuesday), in particular, has caused severe infrastructural and agricultural damage, dislocation, and major inconvenience, especially for students who are sitting secondary exit exams. The reports have been coming in fast from Westmoreland to St Thomas and Trelawny to Portland of inundated roads and farmlands, lost crops, flooded communities, breakaways and landslides, and citizens who have been marooned or were in distress,” Dr Chang stated.

In the meantime, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said the parishes of St James, Trelawny, and Hanover were the only ones spared the wrath of the relentless rains.

The National Works Agency (NWA) reported extensive flooding in southern Clarendon in areas such as Sedge Pond, Water Lane, Foga Road, McGilchrist Pen, and Four Paths. Also, the Green River Bridge, which gives access to Frankfield, as well as the Dam Head Bridge, have been washed away, the authorities reported. Major landslides have occurred in communities in the parish, blocking roads, such as that which joins Danks to Croft's Hill. A long list of other roads have all been impacted by landslides.

With the Bog Walk Gorge flooded, the NWA has asked that motorists either go through Sligoville or use the North-South link of Highway 2000, as the other alternative route, through Barry, was impassable.

In rural St Andrew, there were two massive landslides, at Flamstead and Milepost 16 in Newcastle, while in Mammee Bay, St Ann, and parts of Mandeville, Manchester, there were reports of flooding. Westmoreland, though not as severely impacted, has also experienced flooding in Little London and a number of other communities.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/front-page/battered-heavy-rains-dest...   

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/lameque-power-outages-s...

Power poles were knocked down during a huge thunderstorm in the Acadian Peninsula Thursday night.

More than 4,000 NB Power customers are still without power this morning after a violent thunderstorm ripped through the Acadian Peninsula on Thursday night.

At its peak, close to 7,000 NB Power customers in some regions of the province were without power. 

• Huge thunderstorm rips through Acadian Peninsula

Heavy winds split power poles in half and tore large roofing tiles off a store in downtown Caraquet, one of the areas that saw the most impact. Lamèque and Shippagan were also hit hard by the storm. 

Robert Duguay, spokesperson with New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization [NBEMO], said a bridge between the town of Shippagan to Lamèque Island has been closed after several electric poles fell onto the bridge. He said the Canadian Coast Guard also had to rescue a boat that was stranded in the water during the storm.

Duguay said Lamèque, located in the northern part of the province, is currently cut off from the mainland and will be without power for the next several hours.

Repair work to be complex

"We're talking about electric poles that are located in very awkward situations, very difficult locations on the bridge, so that could require more time," he said. "That bridge is directly to the wind and got hit very hard."

The road was secured by NB Power crews on Thursday night, but the bridge will remain closed to traffic and pedestrians. The only access will be for emergency vehicles. The bridge is expected to open again by Saturday morning.

Duguay said the repair work will be complex, as both transmission and distribution lines have been damaged. 

"All the poles fell down and fell directly in the middle of the road, which made the road very dangerous last night," he said.   

Duguay said Thursday night's storm was a replica of the January ice storm that hit the area earlier this year, but the impact is limited to a very small area and the storm was brief.

"The situation is now stable," he said. "It was a very quick … major storm that hit very hard on the Acadian Peninsula." 

'It was a very sudden and intense thunder and lightning storm.'- Marie Andrée Bolduc

He said there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities and that NBEMO has activated its Regional Operation Emergency Centre within the Peninsula.

Air patrol will also be used Friday morning to help with damage assessment, as crews work to restore power and replace poles and equipment as necessary.

Marie Andrée Bolduc, spokesperson with NB Power, said up to 20 poles fell following Thursday night's thunderstorm.

"It was a very sudden and intense thunder and lightning storm," said Bolduc.

She said NB Power will assess what needs to be done in the area on Friday morning and that additional crews from across the province will be helping restore power lines, as well as providing replacement equipment, such as more poles. 

"All hands are on deck, but the assessment and repairs will continue throughout the day," she said. 

Estimated restoration times will be posted on the NB Power website as they become available.

Residents are also advised to stay clear of downed lines, trees and equipment for safety reasons. Residents are asked to drive slowly in affected areas and watch for crews working to restore power near the roads.

Massive flooding hits Russia's Tyumen region

May 18, 2017

https://watchers.news/2017/05/18/massive-flooding-hits-ishim-tyumen...

A massive flooding is affecting Russia's Tyumen region in Siberia since May 11, 2017, after a large discharge of water from the reservoir in Kazakhstan. Tyumen governor said the actual release was much higher than Kazakstan officials claim. A state of emergency is in place in the city of Ishim and three municipalities of the Tyumen region.

The governor said preparations in Tyumen began in March due to expected snowmelt, but the floods that hit the region this year have a different source. "It is the water that came from the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where there was a release or a large volume of water from Sergeevskoye reservoir," he said. He noted that they were informed about the planned release, but the information proved to be unreliable.

River Ishim, which runs through the city of Ishim, received a huge volume of water within three days and city's levees broke.

Tyumen GU Ministry of Emergency Situations said that more than 4 000 houses were flooded in Ishim and Ishimsky district. The government opened 13 evacuation centers for about 2 000 people.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xMdvrlSjc

Tyumen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyumen

Deadly heatwave in India claims 161 lives as temperatures approach 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit ) with no end in sight

Photo reuters.com
Telangana had been burning over 40 degree Celsius for some days.
According to MeT department the situation will prevail for at least one more week.
At least 161 people in Telangana have died due to heat stroke during this summer.
Meanwhile the weather department has issued fresh warning predicting heatwave conditions at isolated places in all the districts of Telangana for next 5 days.
Bhadrachalam, Ramagundam and Nalgonda were the hottest places in the state with each recording maximum temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, while the maximum number of deaths were reported from Khammam and Karimanagr districts of the state.
On Friday the highest temperature recorded at Nalgonda was 46 degrees, while Ramagudem recorded 45.8, Khammam 45.2, Bhadrachalam 45.4, Nizamabad 44.4, Nizamabad 44.9, Adilabad 44.8, Hanamkonda 44.5.
Hyderabad too recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius. Government of Telangana has formed a three-member committee in all mandals consisting the local Sub Inspector, a civil surgeon and tahsilda to determine and verify the sunstroke death.
Government of Telangana is providing Rs 50,000 as compensation to the victims' families under its Apathbandu scheme.
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is also witnessing abnormal hike in temperature.
Yesterday Bapatla of Guntur recorded a maximum temperature of 46.2 degrees, while Nandigama, Ongole, Janagamaheshwarapuram recorded temperature over 45.
IMD has issued a 5 day heatwave warning for districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayaleseema region of the state.
Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh govternment has asked people to remain indoors till evenings after getting the heatwave alerts.

Source: http://www.thebigwobble.org/2017/05/deadly-heatwave-in-india-claims...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/92809604/oh-buoy-southern-hemisp...

Oh buoy! Southern Hemisphere's largest wave recorded by Kiwi scientists

 

A Kiwi buoy recorded the largest ever wave in the Southern Hemisphere on Saturday. (file photo)

A giant wave south of New Zealand earlier this weekend was the biggest ever recorded by a buoy in the Southern Hemisphere - and scientists expect even higher waves to follow over winter.

The 19.4-metre wave - higher than a five-storey building - was captured by a newly-deployed buoy in the Southern Ocean on Saturday morning.

Waves in the area are among the biggest in the world, and researchers say this one "isn't as big as it gets".

The data will help the NZDF better understand conditions in the Southern Ocean to design its future vessels.

"There's a possibility we'll get something even bigger, and we are starting to get towards the biggest waves ever measured anywhere," says David Johnson, the technical director of MetOcean, which partnered with the New Zealand Defence Force to deploy the buoy in February.

"The main excitement is, basically, we're measuring something in a place that's never really been measured before, and we're capturing some quite exceptionally large waves."

Source: METOCEAN

Saturday's wave was some way off the world's highest individual wave: in 2013, British scientists one about 27 metres high in waters northwest of Scotland.

The New Zealand buoy is the southernmost that's ever been deployed, and if one went further south, it would likely capture even bigger waves, Johnson says.

Before the buoy, Kiwi scientists relied on satellite data for estimates of "significant wave height" - a rather technical average across several waves, on which "biggest wave" records are usually based.

The buoy offers a greater level of accuracy of data about individual waves, and helps build a sharper picture of conditions in the Southern Ocean.

Its primary purpose is to collect information that helps NZDF design its future vessels with a greater understanding of conditions in the Southern Ocean.

"At the moment, when they're designing these vessels, there's very little understanding of the sea states they're going ot have to deal with. Obviously for safety of personnel and what-not, that's extremely important," Johnson said.

It also provides for scientists modelling and measuring waves, both in New Zealand and around the world.

The buoy runs on solar power, and a lack of sunlight in the Southern Ocean over winter may thwart its ability to record wave heights, but there's "an outside chance" that it may do, Johnson says.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/19/arctic-strongho...

It was designed as an impregnable deep-freeze to protect the world’s most precious seeds from any global disaster and ensure humanity’s food supply forever. But the Global Seed Vault, buried in a mountain deep inside the Arctic circle, has been breached after global warming produced extraordinary temperatures over the winter, sending meltwater gushing into the entrance tunnel.

The vault is on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen and contains almost a million packets of seeds, each a variety of an important food crop. When it was opened in 2008, the deep permafrost through which the vault was sunk was expected to provide “failsafe” protection against “the challenge of natural or man-made disasters”.

But soaring temperatures in the Arctic at the end of the world’s hottest ever recorded year led to melting and heavy rain, when light snow should have been falling. “It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that,” said Hege Njaa Aschim, from the Norwegian government, which owns the vault.

“A lot of water went into the start of the tunnel and then it froze to ice, so it was like a glacier when you went in,” she told the Guardian. Fortunately, the meltwater did not reach the vault itself, the ice has been hacked out, and the precious seeds remain safe for now at the required storage temperature of -18C.

But the breach has questioned the ability of the vault to survive as a lifeline for humanity if catastrophe strikes. “It was supposed to [operate] without the help of humans, but now we are watching the seed vault 24 hours a day,” Aschim said. “We must see what we can do to minimise all the risks and make sure the seed bank can take care of itself.”

The vault’s managers are now waiting to see if the extreme heat of this winter was a one-off or will be repeated or even exceeded as climate change heats the planet. The end of 2016 saw average temperatures over 7C above normal on Spitsbergen, pushing the permafrost above melting point.

“The question is whether this is just happening now, or will it escalate?” said Aschim. The Svalbard archipelago, of which Spitsbergen is part, has warmed rapidly in recent decades, according to Ketil Isaksen, from Norway’s Meteorological Institute.

“The Arctic and especially Svalbard warms up faster than the rest of the world. The climate is changing dramatically and we are all amazed at how quickly it is going,” Isaksen told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

http://strangesounds.org/2017/05/tornado-nuevo-laredo-mexico-us-bor...

A destructive tornado hit Nuevo Laredo, a city in Mexico, on the border with Texas (US) on May 21, 2017.

The Mexico-US border has been closed indefinitely.

And here from inside the damaging twister:

The unexpected tornado destroyed many buildings, among others the custom facilities of International Bridge 3 “Las Americas” thus closing it indefinitely until complete rehabilitation.

Border between USA and Mexico closed after tornado destroys custom facilities in Nuevo Laredo (Mexico).
The unexpected tornado also damaged trucks and electricity poles at the border between Texas and Mexico. 
All custom facilities have been destroyed within minutes in Nuevo Laredo.

Moreover, the heavy traffic has been suspended as the wind overturned trucks, damaged communication antennas and electric power poles cutting power in hundreds of households and companies.

Targeted tornadoes? A new way to limit immigration in the US? 
Even the biggest trucks didn’t resist the strong tornado in Nuevo Laredo. 
Electricity poles and power supply were caught off after the tornado in Nuevo Laredo. 

Costs and time for reparation have not been communicated, but emergency troops are on site to estimate damages.

Are targeted tornadoes a new way to limit illegal immigration in the US?

http://infotel.ca/newsitem/flood-watch-2017-last-nights-winds-were-...

KELOWNA - The high winds produced by last night's storm that blew through the Interior left serious damage behind in the Central Okanagan.

Environment Canada predicted the northeasterly wind could reach 70 km/h overnight, and with the lake level already well above full pool, waves were expected to crest most docks. The forecasters were not far off. The top wind gust recorded in Kelowna was 74 km/h.

It was enough to down branches, break up docks and knock out power to hundreds of Southern Interior residents.

"High winds on overfilled lakes last night caused localized flooding for residences in low lying areas on Central Okanagan lakes," Central Okanagan Emergency Operations officials from say in a media release. "Emergency crews are out today clearing windfall from streams, inspecting and assessing flood protection measures and infrastructure to determine the top priorities for further action. Residents should be aware of the risk of falling trees within saturated ground conditions near lakes and creeks."

It also brought tonnes of sand on shore, creating beaches where they didn't exist before.

Branches in City Park in Kelowna were knocked down during the wind storm last night.

Okanagan Lake rose 4.5 centimetres overnight to a level of 342.95 metres, only five centimetres below the highest level of 343 metres recorded in 1948.

"A break in the weather today offers residents a chance to fortify flood protection," emergency officials say. "With lakes approaching historic volumes, the high water levels are expected to remain well into July. Residents are urged to keep protection in place for the foreseeable future."

In Penticton today, city crews are assessing the damage public lake... The North Okanagan and Shuswap weren't spared, with trees uprooted and damaging wave action on area lakes.

In the wake of the cold front that produced the stormy weather, freezing levels have dropped on mountain pass highways in the Inter...

The forecast is for warmer weather to return later this week, which could accelerate the snow melt and further boost creek flows into Okanagan Lake. 

Sandbagging stations are stocked and replenished daily at locations throughout the Central Okanagan. A map is available at the CORD website.

A dock at a West Kelowna mobile home park was completely destroyed during the wind storm last night, Tuesday, May 23, 217.

Rotary Beach is getting more sand to help prevent damage to the shore.

Lake water has saturated a large portion of Kinsmen Park, in Kelowna.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

http://strangesounds.org/2017/05/wildfire-rages-through-hundreds-of...

Three people have been killed and hundred of homes burned down as Russia declares a state of emergency in the Krasnoyarsk region after an apocalyptical inferno engulfed Siberia on May 24, 2017.

More than 340 people are now homeless, among others 47 children. State of emergency has been declared.

3 people died and more than 170 houses burned down as an apocalyptical dry grass fires swept across several hundreds of hectares of prairies in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia.

Mainly two cities have been severely affected: Lesosibirsk and Kansk.

Deadly wildfires swept across Siberia burning down 200 homes in villages on May 24 2017. 
A house burning during apocalyptical wildfires in Siberia on May 24 2017.

The uncontrollable fire killed two people in Kansk and more than 40 houses burned down.

180 houses burned down in Siberia villages in May 2017. 
Officials are investigating the source of the furious fire. 

Another one died in one of the horticultural cooperatives in the city of Bratsk.

Desolation after a complete part of a city has disappeard, burned down by an apocalyptical fire in Siberia. 
Een churches didn’t resist the Siberian inferno. 

In Lesosibirsk, more than 40 homes burned down and the threat of the spread of fire is maintained.

Luckily onl 3 people died in the blaze. 
A cow in the Siberian city destroyed by the flames. 

State of emergency has been declared in both cities.

About 400 people are looking for another home after the destruction of their homes in Siberia.
Happy to be ae at home! Have a prayer for them! 

In overall more than 171 houses have burned down during this intense blaze. Have a prayer for them!

Moscow, Russia 29 may 2017

The devastating storm that swept in Moscow last night , with wind speed to 140 miles per hour.

https://www.facebook.com/Khneisser.weather/videos/1095354580564777/...

Severe Weather Europe

Severe winds on a downburst in Moscow, Russia today: fatalities reported,

Over 200 Killed In Sri Lanka's Worst Flood Since 2003

A house is submerged under floodwater at a village in Matara, Sri Lanka. (Reuters Photo). Source: news.sky.com

At least 202 have died in Sri Lanka's flood while 94 people are missing in the island nation's worst torrential rains since 2003 that displaced nearly half-a-million people. The Disaster Management Centre or DMC said at least over six lakh people are affected. The DMC said 1,505 houses were fully damaged and 7,617 houses were partially damaged due to floods and landslides.

Over 77,000 people have been displaced. "There was good news on the receding water levels in rivers during the past 24 hours due to low rainfall that ended at 3.30 pm," the Irrigation Department said.

Hydrology Director P Hettiarachchi said water level in Kalu Ganga and Gin Ganga was falling. Indian Navy divers and medical teams have joined rescue efforts in Sri Lanka's flood-hit regions. 

India, P. T. (2017, May 31). Over 200 Killed In Sri Lanka's Worst Flood Since 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/over-200-killed-in-sri-lankas-worst-...

WIND KILLER STILL THIS TIME IN MEXICO. WHAT IS HAPPENING ???

JUNE 1, 2017

What's happening on the planet? Sudden winds from the power of a hurricane suddenly spin dragging everything as it happened in Russia
A few days ago. A similar event seems to have happened in Mexico where inflatables have been literally scorched by a wind blow, seriously injuring some children.

https://web.facebook.com/alertaperiodismoalternativo/videos/1931833...

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

-----------------------------------------------
Tornado em Riva Palacio, Chihuahua-México

MAY 30 2017

https://web.facebook.com/SuperCelula/videos/1375905992489569/?pnref...

FROM MEXICAN TELEVISION Meteorologist

This tornado was formed by the shock of three air masses:

- A cold air mass in Chihuahua-México region

- A hot air mass from Gulf of Mexico

- an air mass from North West of the country.

https://watchers.news/2017/06/02/taiwan-flood-nuclear-plant-shut-do...

Deadly 600 mm (23.6 in) of rain within 11 hours floods Taiwan, shuts down nuclear plant

Posted by TW on June 02, 2017 in categories Earth changes, Featured articles, Floods, Nuclear events, Severe storms

Brutal amounts of rainfall hit northern Taiwan today, June 2, 2017, killing at least 1 person, leaving 2 missing and injuring more than 20. Heavy rain toppled electricity pylon near New Taipei's Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in the automatic shutdown of the plant. The rains have since moved toward the center and south of the island and are expected to continue through the weekend.

Some areas of the affected region saw water surging into cars, homes and businesses after more than 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rain fell in under 11 hours. Channel News Asia reported the body of a female motorcyclist was found after being washed into a ditch in New Taipei City, one of the worst hit areas.

According to the National Fire Agency, two people, one from New Taipei City and the other from the city of Keelung are missing after being swept off, while a road bridge in the area was smashed in half by a swollen river. At least 20 people were hurt in the deluge, including a driver injured when his truck overturned and another man hurt after being buried in a mudslide.

Around 15 hikers were also stranded on a mountain in central Miaoli because of a surging river, but were thought to be unharmed and with sufficient supplies. At a kindergarten in Taipei, 53 children had to be evacuated as floodwater poured in, local media said. More than 300 flights were delayed at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport.

Taipower said the 345-kV tower fell at 10:31 local time, resulting in the automatic shutdown of the New Taipei's Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant reactor No. 2 - a safety mechanism activated whenever a reactor cannot transmit power, The China Post reported. Local media sources indicated that neither the reactor nor the generator was damaged during the incident. However, for safety reasons, the restarted reactor will remain running at 75% capacity - the level at which it was running when the shutdown occurred - until it runs out of fuel, which is estimated to be June 10 or 11.

The rain started late Thursday, June 1, and was easing up in Taipei by Friday afternoon (local time). However, huge amounts of rain that fell within just 11 hours caused major flooding. Friday's record holder is Sanzhi District in New Taipei City whose Sanzhi station registered staggering 645.5 mm (25.4 inches). Nantianchi station in Taoyuan District of Kaohsiung City received 638 mm (25.1 inches).

72 hours of rainfall accumulation by 12:00 UTC (20:00 local time) on June 2, 2017.

Rainfall accumulation by station for June 2, 2017 - Taiwan. Source: Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau

Total accumulated precipitation - Taiwan, June 2, 2017. Credit: Central Weather Bureau

According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty, moisture from what was once Tropical Cyclone "Mora" moved along the Mei-yu front across southeastern China and Taiwan, leading to the very heavy rainfall. 

"The Mei-yu front is a semi-stationary boundary that forms during the late spring and summer across southeastern Asia," he said.

Douty added that this front is notorious for triggering torrential rainfall and that he expects additional rounds of rainfall along the front to exacerbate the flood risk into this weekend.

The heaviest downpours are likely to focus on southern Taiwan on Saturday before spreading back to the north on Sunday.

Featured image: Extreme amounts of rainfall flood northern Taiwan on June 2, 2017. Credit: NOWnews

June snow in Moscow – just as Trump pulls US out of Paris climate deal (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

© Grigory Sysoev / Sputnik

Source: https://www.rt.com/viral/390647-moscow-snow-climate-change/

Summer Snow in Lapland Prompts Ski Resort to Reopen (Jun 5)

The skiing season ended in Northern Lapland in mid-May, but the weather there is still so cold and snowfall so frequent that the Saariselkä resort will reopen its slopes, which are currently up to a metre deep in snow.

May 2017 will go down as one of the coldest spring months on record in Finland, and in Lapland the beginning of summer has been the second-snowiest in the Meteorological Institute's recorded history.

The situation has lead the Saariselkä ski resort in Inari to reopen its skiing slopes, weeks after the official season ended.

"We're all set in terms of snow, more will even fall this week," says ski centre manager Jarmo Katajamaa. "We are glad to offer our customers this unique post-season possibility."

Early June has been unusually snowy even for Lapland, and at Saariselkä the drifts are 50-100 cm deep.

Local hotels have taken the reopening into consideration by offering bargain packages in June.

The winter skiing season officially ended on May 14th at Saariselkä this year.

Source

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/summer_surprise_snow_in_lapland_...

Water, Water Everywhere - US Drought Conditions Hit Record Low

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-11/water-water-everywhere-us-...

After reaching record drought conditions just a few short years ago (with over 60% of the nation more than abnormally dry), the USDA's Drought Monitor site shows that the second-wettest April on record has shrunk the area of the U.S. suffering from drought to a new low of less than 5%.

As Bloomberg reports, the milestone was mentioned in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly report Wednesday on American farm production and may bode well for crop yields.

According to the gauge, there’s an “extreme drought” in south-central Florida and it’s “abnormally dry” in parts of the Southwest.

The map also shows the grain and soybean belt from Iowa to Ohio looks to have plenty of soil moisture -- maybe even too much in flooded areas -- as the growing season moves into full swing.

--------------------

Previous Years:

Here is the relationship between the Jet Stream and the STORM cells

2 June 2017 -

Bad weather: the profile of today's afternoon thunderstorms is given by Jet Stream

http://www.meteoweb.eu/2017/06/ecco-la-relazione-tra-le-jet-stream-...

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

We have repeatedly noticed that currents at 7000 meters (Jet Stream) can determine the weather conditions on the ground. We have an example today.

Just look at the image of the afternoon at 15.50 pm in which Italy is seen a lot of thunderstorms. Storm cells, especially those formed on Sardinia but not only, are all very elongated, synonymous with their particular intensity.

To observe the elongation direction well, it coincides exactly with those of the arrows on the radar image, the arrows that indicate the Jet Stream.

Here's how you can notice how bad weather lies exactly in the direction expressed by currents at altitude.

Moreover, the same Jet Streams are of high intensity, the stiffer stretches of the cells are stronger and therefore the level of their intensity is even more marked.