-
Earliest Snow in Wales in 17 years - 20 Nov 07 - Parts of
Wales
woke up to blocked roads and closed schools yesterday during the
earliest
snow in 17 years, said forecasters. Up to five inches fell on high
ground in
south Powys, bringing down branches, trees and power lines.
"Records show that falling or lying snow is much less likely
in November
compared with December, January, and February. "Typically for
eastern
areas of Powys, on average lying snow can be expected on around
four
days in January but on less than one day in November.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/11/20/snow-hits-wales-in-
too-early-cold-snap-91466-20133162/
Thanks to Christopher Miller for this link
-
Bangladesh death tally passes 3,100 - Toll may hit 10,000
19 Nov 07 - The official death toll from Tropical Cyclone Sidr
– the
worst cyclone to strike Bangladesh in a decade - rose to more
than
3,100 on Monday, according to the Disaster Management
Ministry.
However, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society warned the toll
could hit 10,000 once rescuers reach outlying islands.
International aid organizations promised initial packages of $25
million
during a meeting with Bangladesh agencies Monday. But relief
items
such as tents, rice and water have been slow to reach many.
Government
officials defended the relief efforts and expressed confidence
that
authorities are up to the task.
"We have enough food and water," said Shahidul Islam,
the top official
in Bagerhat, a battered district near the town of Barguna.
"We are going
to overcome the problem."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21862417/
-
Unexpected Snow in the U.K.
19 Nov 07 - Snow fell across most of central England
with Derbyshire's Peak District the worst affected.
See Unexpected Snow in the UK
-
Earliest severe winter weather in decades across Europe
5,000 cars stranded by heavy snow - 18 Nov 07
See Earliest
severe winter weather in decades
-
More than 1700 killed in Bangladesh storm
Tens of thousands
of homes destroyed
17 Nov 07 - A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast with
winds up
to 155 mph has killed at least1700, with hundreds more
unaccounted for, including
1,000 fishermen, officials and news
reports said Friday. The fishermen were
aboard some 150 fishing
boats out at sea when the storm moved in. Storm
surges nearly 4 feet high inundated low-lying areas and
some offshore islands.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12784349/
-
Storm brings snow to parts of Canada and New York - 17 Nov
07 - A
storm slammed into New England and parts of Canada on Friday
giving many
residents a taste of winter. Forecasters expect heavy
snow to continue falling
across eastern Quebec, with as much as
15-30 cm (6-12 inches) forecast
along a narrow band of land.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/17112007news.shtml
-
Lowest November temps in Buenos Aires in 90
years
16 Nov 07 - Residents of Argentina and Brazil wonder if
this winter will ever end.
See Lowest
temperatures in Buenos Aires in 90 years
-
Record snowfall paralyzes much of Austria - 12 Nov 07 -
Record snowfall of up
to one-and-a-half meters paralyzed much of
central and western Austria over the weekend.
Even Vienna and Burgenland received several centimetres of snow on
Sunday morning,
although most of it melted during the day. Ski resorts Lech and Zurs
in Vorarlberg were
isolated for several hours, with highways leading to the towns
closed because of heavy
snowfall. The last time that happened in November was in 1974. The
danger of avalanches
remains high above 1,800 meters.
The Austrian weather bureau has said that such heavy snowfall in
November occurs only
once every 30-to-50 years. At the same time, a wind storm caused by
a low-pressure
system wreaked havoc in parts of Upper and Lower Austria Sunday. The
outlook is for
more snow throughout the week at higher elevations.
http://www.austria-today.at/cgi-bin/at_art.pl?id=59530
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
-
Record early onset of winter in Austria – Five feet of
snow in two days
12 Nov 07 - Langem am Arlberg had 112cm (44inches) of snow over
48hrs with
wind gusts over 100mph (160km/h). The Tirol area of
Austria received 40cm
(15.75 inches) of new snow while Salzburg had
up to 70cm (28inches). Some
places reported as much as 150cm
(59inches).
The onset of severe weather prompted the closure of many roads,
including access
to the elite ski resorts of Lech and Zurs in
Arlberg. The previous time that Lech was
cut off so early in the
winter was 1974.
Meteorologists described the weather as being the kind of conditions
only
experienced in the Alps every 30 to 50 years. The winter
weather is expected to
last for the rest of the week.
See entire article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/12112007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link
-
More than three feet of snow expected
- 7 Nov 07 - Predicted snowfall
in
Europe on the Ski Club of GB website - note predictions of around a metre
in
parts of Austria (Tirol) and Switzerland (east). This is quite unusual for the
second
week Predicted snowfall in Europe of November (La Nina?). This is
consistent
with the weather charts at www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world
for the next five days.
Iif it happens, the dire predictions of imminent death of the skiing industry
in
Austria may be postponed for at least 12 months. High pressure centered
over
UK/France, allowing fronts to come in to the Eastern Alps on frigid northerly
winds
........note the widespread frosts across western Russia predicted
also........
Expected snowfall ranges from 95 cm at Austria’s Obergurgl ski area to
105 cm at
Klosters in Switzerland to 20 cm at France’s Avoriaz 40 cm at Canada’s
Whistler ski area
See ski area predictions at:
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/weather/default.asp
Thanks to Rhys Jaggar in Leeds UK for this info
-
Historic floods in southern Mexico - 100 percent of crops lost
2 Nov 07 - The worst floods ever recorded in Mexico's state of Tabasco have
left 80 percent of the southern state the size of Belgium underwater,
officials said.
"Of the 2.1 million Tabasquenos, more than half are suffering from this
serious
problem that has not been experienced in the history of Tabasco," Granier
told
reporters late Thursday.
Tabasco "is devastated," said state Governor Andres Granier.
"One-hundred
percent of crops are lost." Granier warned that the flooding could get
even worse..
Many Tabasquenos "have lost their homes, their belongings, their
crops, and the
means to maintain their children," said President Felipe Calderon.
"Others remain
in their homes but with no access to food, water or medicine."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071102/wl_afp/mexicoflood_071102113425
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
Pictures of the Tabasco floods
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7072725.stm
-
Bogotá hailstorm buries dozens of cars - 4 Nov 07 - An unusually
strong hail
storm whipped through Colombia’s capital, on Saturday, causing severe
flooding
and burying dozens of vehicles under the ice. Authorities say it is the
strongest ever
hailstorm seen in Bogotá, blanketing several roads in ice.
.
In Bogotá, more than 30 cars became stuck when a meter and a half (59
inches)
of water and ice accumulated at the bottom of an intersection.
Colombians have only just recovered from heavy rain which lashed across
the
country at the beginning of October. The rain killed more than 90 people and
left
more than 800,000 homeless.
See entire article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/04112007news.shtml
Thanks also to Aram Paquin and Hans Schreuder for
this link
And here's a video link from John Brown, Ardrossan, Scotland
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7070000/newsid_7077400/7077456.stm?
bw=bb&mp=wm
&asb=1&news=1
- Severe flooding in southern Mexico leaves half a million homeless
Vast areas of banana plantations now under water
1 Nov 07 - Heavy rain during the last five days has left nearly half a
million
homeless in Mexico’s southeastern state of Tabasco. Several rivers burst
their
banks Wednesday inundating homes and washing away crops and roads.
Much of Tabasco is low-lying land and is Mexico’s main banana and oil
producing state. Vast areas of banana plantations are now under water.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/01112007news.shtml
- Record lows in the Virgin Islands - 29 Oct 07 - One of my readers
found this
yesterday on a weather board talking about Tropical Storm Noel.
"The sun is out in STT finally.....though over the weekend, we set two
new low temperature r
ecords of 66 degrees on Saturday and Sunday....it was funny watching the
Weather Channel
yesterday as the temperature was warmer at 10:00pm than at 3:00pm in the
afternoon....
I don't know our rainfall amounts, I'm just glad to see the sun....our
thoughts are with
everyone in the DR and Haiti....stay safe"
http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=98799&start=140
(under BatzVI)
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this info
- Floods cut off Indian road link to Myanmar - 19 Oct 07 - The sole road
link
between India and Myanmar has been cut off by floods which have left two
people
dead and displaced 25,000, officials said Friday.
"National Highway 39 remained submerged for the second straight day
Friday,
disrupting normal traffic," Manipur flood control minister N. Biren Singh
said by
telephone from the state capital Imphal. A five-kilometre (three-mile) stretch
of
the highway was under water, he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071019/sc_afp/indianortheastmyanmarfloods_071019174541;
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
- Nine inches of rain overnight in southern Bangladesh - 16 Oct 07 - A
powerful
storm has swept through southern Bangladesh, lashing parts of the
country with heavy
rain and strong winds. A number of southern districts were inundated by the
rain, with
nearly 225mm (9 inches) falling overnight in Chittagong Port City.
In the Bay of Bengal more than 100 fishermen are still reported missing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/17102007news.shtml
- Four inches of rain in one hour - 13 Oct 07 - Violent thunderstorms
wreak
havoc across eastern Spain - At least two people have been killed by
violent
storms in eastern Spain over the last two days.
The city of Valencia, which received 100mm (4 inches) of rain in just an
hour,
was worst hit, with roads, homes and businesses flooded. Some areas
reported
more than 200mm (8inches) of rain in a short space of time.
In the town of El Vergel, some 200 helicopter rescues took place to
rescue
residents from their roof tops.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/13102007news.shtml
- Vietnam suffers worst flooding in 45 years - 9 Oct 07 - The worst
affected areas
were northern and central provinces where in one district over a third of the
population,
some 55,000 people were evacuated. More than 60 people died as a result of the
floods,
which destroyed over 100,000 homes..
With more than 100,000 homes still inundated by the floodwaters, and many
people
unable to be reached by the aid workers; the clean up operation remains far
from over.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/09102007news.shtml
- Scottish Mountain Snow Arrives One Month Early - 24 Sep 07 - Britain's
highest
mountain (Ben Nevis ~ 4400 Feet, Nr Fort William) received its first snow fall
one month
early. "This I think is quite surprising," says reader Andrew Servo,
"because the mountain
lies on the West Coast of Scotland where the gulf stream is well renowned for
bringing mild
rainy conditions to the West Coast and thus snow is usually short lived in
this area. Snow
conditions usually persist longer, and come earlier, to the central highlands
of Scotland
(Grampian mountains). I think there are some reports of snowfall there
already."
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/feed/tm_method=full%26objectID=19797463%26siteID=64736-na
me_page.html
Thanks to Andrew Servo for this link
- Worst floods in Uganda in 35 years - 26 Sep 07 - The heaviest rain that
the
country has seen in 35 years over the last few weeks has affected a large part
of
the central belt of Africa, with northern and eastern parts of Uganda amongst
the
worst affected areas. The ensuing floods reached a critical level last week
forcing
the Ugandan president to declare a state of emergency across the country,
the
first time in his two-decade rule that he has had to declare a state of
emergency.
Unusual heavy rains have been affecting parts of Africa since early August,
with
well over a million flood victims now suffering across a large swathe from
Ghana
in the west to Ethiopia in the east.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/26092007news.shtml
- Significant snowfall in the Alps - 28 Sep 07 - There's already been two
significant
snowfalls in the Alps in September, says reader Rhys Jaggar, and the BBC
charts are
predicting significantly more in Eastern Switzerland/Western Austria/Germany
this week.
Certainly down as low as 1700m and possibly lower in places.
- African deluge brings misery to 1.5m people - Heaviest rains in memory
20 Sep 07 - Mile upon mile of low-lying pasture land submerged, tens of
thousands of acres of staple crops like cassava, millet and groundnuts
waterlogged.
There are impassable roads, overflowing rivers, stranded cattle and
devastated
bridges. Villages are cut off and mud houses and roads have been swept away.
But this is a fraction of the devastation caused by some of the heaviest
rains in
memory to have hit a great swath of Africa from the Sahel to the horn.
"We believe at least 650,000 homes have been destroyed, 1.5 million
people
affected and nearly 200 people so far drowned," said Elisabeth Brys, at
the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) in Geneva.
"This is
harvest time for many countries and there are already food shortages."
The rains, linked to unusually cold ocean temperatures, have caught
governments
off guard. Many areas are cut off and thousands of subsistence farmers have
lost
their crops. "There's no food here, " said Stephen Ojola, governor
of Soroti district.
"People are hungry. This is harvest time for peanuts, millet and cassava,
but it has
all rotted in the ground. Some areas are unreachable. We cannot get food
in."
Meteorologists this week said the floods were likely to worsen in Uganda
over the
next two to three months.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2172943,00.html
Thanks to Hans for this link
- Seventeen inches of rain in two days in India - 25 Sep 07 - Hardest hit
was the
east Indian state of West Bengal. Rain amounting to more than 17 inches within
little
more than two days inundated Kolkata (Calcutta), easily topping September's
normal
monthly rainfall of 11 to 12 inches. Recent rainfall was more than 13 inches
at Baleshwar
in neighboring Orissa state. A neighboring state, Jharkhand, saw more than 8
inches of rain.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Forecaster Jim Andrews
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=
worldnews&mont
h=09&year=2007&date=2007-09-25_1416
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this info.
- Unseasonably early snow in Scotland - 28 Sep 07 - Scotland's ski
resorts believe
they could be in for a bumper year after the first snow flakes began to fall
on their slopes.
The unseasonable flurries in the Cairngorms could be an indication that a big
freeze is
on its way this winter.
Colin Kirkwood, of CairnGorm Mountain, said "It [the snow] is
unseasonably early
this year. It is usually October before we get to see any kind of
covering."
A Met Office spokesman said: "We expect it to be noticeably colder
than last year."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7018182.stm
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan Scotland for this info
- Early Hints of Winter - 26 Sep 07 - Across the Arctic, hints of winter
are to be found.
Canada`s Arctic Archipelago hosted early cold and snow. At Eureka, Ellesmere
Island,
the low temperature early Tuesday was 1 degrees above zero, with 2 inches of
snow already
on the ground. Isachsen, Ellef Ringnes Island, observed temperature as low as
6 degrees
early in the week, with a light mantle of snow. Resolute, Cornwallis Island,
registered
10 degrees early Wednesday while entering a fifth-straight day of light snow
cover. And
snow early Wednesday whitened Coral Harbor, Southhampton Island, at the
northern end
of Hudson`s Bay. Meanwhile, northern Greenland shared in the early fall chill
with Kroyers
Holme, in the far northeast, dipping to at least 2 degree above zero
Wednesday. Across the
North Pole, Russia`s Siberia cold spot, Oymyakon, set a low of 11 degrees atop
its first
inch of snow since spring.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Forecaster Jim Andrews
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link
- 7½ inches of rain in India in one day - 23 Sep 07 - More than 60 have
been
killed over the past two days in India by monsoon rains, which triggered
floods and landslides.
One of the hardest hit areas was the state of Orissa, with just over 190mm
(7.5inches)
of rain in Chandbali in 24 hours. Thousands of hectares of farmland have been
destroyed
across India, with more than 40 villages in the southern state of Andhra
Pradesh alone
inundated by rising flood waters.
The United Nations deems the floods, ‘‘the worst in living memory.’’
More rain is expected
over the next few days.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/23092007news.shtml
- Hail as big as tennis balls in Andalucía - 22 Sep 07 - Autumn truly
arrived
across Andalucía, Spain, this week.
Violent downpours brought travel chaos across the region, triggering flash
floods.
In some cases hailstones as big as tennis balls are reported to have fallen.
The
Marbella area was said to have been the worst affected by the
hailstorms,
shattering hundreds of car windscreens and leaving 18 people injured.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/22092007news.shtml
- Worst floods in living memory in Africa - Hundreds of thousands affected
14 Sep 07 - Several of Africa's poorest countries are in dire need of
assistance
due to severe floods that have killed more than 200 people and affected a
million
in recent weeks, officials warned Friday.
The latest victims were reported in Rwanda, where officials from the
northern
region said floods killed 15 people and destroyed more than 500 homes since
Wednesday.
In Sudan, the worst floods in living memory have left 64 people dead and
displaced
and affected several hundred thousand, mainly in the troubled south, according
to
the United Nations.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070914/wl_africa_afp/africaweatherfloods_070914203923
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
- Nearly 3 million displaced by floods in India - 11 Sep 07 - Overnight,
the army
helped move 800,000 more people in the Assam region as continued heavy
rain
caused the Brahmaputra river to break its banks, inundating thousands of
villages.
The floodwaters swept away bridges, stretches of roads and rail track in the
region,
hampering rescue missions. More rain is forecast over the next few days.
Around
2,530 people have lost their lives since the Indian monsoon began in June.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/11092007news.shtml
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
- New floods hit Bangladesh - 9 Sep 07 - More than 100,000
Bangladeshis
have been displaced or marooned, some for the second time in as many
months,
after heavy rains brought fresh floods to the country, officials said Sunday.
Thousands of villages in the north of the delta nation were inundated at
the
weekend, many of them after being hit by the devastating floods of late
July
and early August, officials said. At least 10.5 million people have been
displaced or marooned by the floods.
The agriculture ministry estimated that 290 million dollars' worth of
crops
had been damaged in the initial flooding.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070909/sc_afp/bangladeshweatherfloods_070909101807
Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link
- Winter Arrives Early - More than 4 feet of snow in the Alps - 7 Sep 07
This week's weather was
decidedly winterlike in the high Alps of central Europe,
with very heavy snow on some
areas.
The greatest snowfall hit southernmost Germany. At Zugspitze, at least 55
inches
(more than four feet) of snow (140 cm) fell from late Monday to Friday morning,
Portions of Austria also got buried by heavy snow. Sonnblick Mountain, at
10,200 feet
(3110 m) above sea level, received 28 inches of snow from late Monday to early
Friday.
http://www.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler
=0®ion=worldnews&date=2007-09-07_15:20
Thanks to Mark Kennedy for this link
- Fresh floods hit Bangladesh and parts of northern India - 9 Sep
07
A month after heavier-than-usual monsoon rains brought record flooding
to
the country, waters have still not subsided in many areas and thousands
remain
homeless. With further heavy rain forecast this week, Bangladeshis were
told
to brace themselves for potentially devastating new floods. More than 30,
000
people were evacuated from more vulnerable areas. The floods so far have
led to the deaths of more than eight hundred people.
See entire article by Steph Ball
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/09092007news.shtml
- Worst floods in Eastern Europe in a century - 8 Sep 07 - Authorities
issued severe
flood warnings across northern and western Austria on Friday after the Danube
and other
smaller rivers burst their banks. The Kleine Ybbs river reached its highest
level in a century.
At least seven people lost their lives and many others are missing as
floods inundate parts
of eastern Romania. More than 1000 homes were after days of torrential rain
affecting 47
villages and towns. The villages of Vrancea, Vaslui and Bacau were
particularly badly hit
with many roads and homes washed away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/08092007news.shtml
- 65 inches of rain in August! Normal is 19"
1 Sep 07 - The Indian monsoon usually peaks in July, but August proved to
be quite wet
throughout the nation's western Ghats. The city of Ratnagiri received more
than 2 feet of
rainfall in the last six days of the month, bringing the total for the month
to an incredible
65 inches of rain. Normal rainfall in the city is just 19 inches in August,
and the normal
rainfall from May through August is 84 inches. The city has received 61 inches
more rain
than it would during a normal monsoon.
The story was similar farther north into the Gujarat region, where Veraval
received
42.68 inches of rain, a massive 750 percent of normal August rainfall. The
city received
more than 250 percent of normal rains from May through August. Karachi,
Pakistan,
saw more than a foot and a half of rainfall in the past four months.
By AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Bob Tarr
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link
- British summer wettest on record - 30 Aug 07 - Britain had its wettest
summer
since rainfall records began, according to provisional figures released by the
Meteorological
Office on Friday.
According to the figures up and until August 28, Britain as a whole had
358.5 mm
(14.1 inches) of rain since the beginning of the summer, narrowly beating out
the
previous record of 358.4 mm, set in 1956.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070830/sc_afp/britainweatherfloods_070830231456
Thanks to Jimmy Walter and Peter Pesola for this link
- Cold and miserable in Peru - 30 Aug 07 - "There is a belief, among
a large
numbers of Peruvians I know, that earthquakes are caused by a change in
the
weather. It has been so cold and miserable here in Peru this winter (which
runs
from June to August) that I have taken to wearing my bobble hat in the
house
and it is so cloudy that it is easy to forget Lima has a mountain
backdrop."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2007/08/30/experu.xml
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link
- Henriette dumps four inches of rain on Acapulco - 2 Sep 07
Recently formed in the Pacific Ocean, Tropical storm Henriette yesterday
dumped around 100mm (4 inches) of rain on Acapulco, on Mexico’s
western
coast, flooding homes and triggering a small landslide that killed 4 people.
The
storm also created waves of up to 1.5m (5 feet) in the surrounding
waters,
forcing many ports to close.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/02092007news.shtml
- Tropical storm Felix develops in the Caribbean - 1 Sep 07 - A
tropical
depression in the mid Atlantic has now developed into tropical storm Felix.
Felix, the sixth named storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, has
a
maximum sustained wind speed of around 40mph (64 km/h). The storm is
located nearly 30 miles (48km) northwest of Grenada and is moving
westwards at approximately 18mph (29 km/h).
The US National Hurricane Center has warned that Felix could strengthen into
a hurricane over the next few days, whipping up winds of over 74 mph
(119 km/h)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/01092007news.shtml
- Record wildfires in Greece - 30 Aug 07 - Huge and devastating blazes
have
claimed the lives of at least 64 people and incinerated and estimated
six-and-a-half
million acres of farmland with countless acres of pine forests and olive
groves
reduced to ash. 110 villages were also destroyed by the blazes.
Much of Arcadia –– a prime tourist attraction in the central Peloponnese
has been
reduced to cinders with thousands of rural Greeks facing financial ruin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/30082007news.shtml
- Queensland flood – Three times monthly rainfall – in one day - 24
Aug 07
More than 300mm of rain and high winds have lashed Australia’s Sunshine
Coast
and Wide Bay regions since yesterday. And with 713mm in 24 hours,
Rainbow
Beach, near Gympie, set a new rainfall record.
Weather bureau climate records meteorologist Claire Webb said the
"amazing"
rainfall was more than three times the previous total of 216mm for the whole
month
of August set in 1998.
Tewantin, near Noosa, received 310mm of rain - more than four times the
previous
record daily total of 72.2mm set on August 19, 1989. Wivenhoe received
27mm,
North Pine dam saw 36mm, and more than 100mm fell in the Stanley River, which
flows into Somerset dam.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22301613-5005961,00.html
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link
- Record Flooding in China - 24 Aug 07 - Around 600,000 people have been
forced to evacuate China’’s Hunan province as the remnants of
tropical storm
Sepat affect parts of the country.
Major tributaries of the Xiangjiang River in Hunan have reached record
high
levels after five days of torrential rain. One of the worst hit counties in
Hunan
was Yongxing, which received 196mm (7.7 inches) since the typhoon
remnants
struck the province on Tuesday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/24082007news.shtml
- The Brits are pissed
"The Brits are pissed that their meteorologists can't do
long-range
predictions of their weather properly," says reader Ruth O’Donnell.
I received a note from Hans
in the UK, who asked if this
headline was missing a word. It
seems that in the UK, when
you say someone is pissed it means
they're drunk, whereas
in the states it means they're
angry. So for you Brits out
there, please add the word
"off" to the above headline.
Pisses? Or pissed off? Either way, you
probably won't feel
so great in the morning.
26 Aug 07 - There is growing anger that seasonal forecasts by the Met
Office at the start of the year failed to predict the appalling conditions and
instead boasted of warmer than average temperatures.
Experts have been stunned by the extreme weather and number of floods
around the world this year - some of the most turbulent weather this
century.
The devastation has, however, provided scientists with an unprecedented
insight into how the world's weather is altered by the La Nina effect
and
should assist them in predicting future disasters. Meteorologists
believe
that a sudden switch from a warm El Nino to a cold La Nina in February
is behind the monsoons that ravaged Asia and brought droughts to
southern Europe and torrential rain to the UK. It may also have
helped
fuel powerful hurricanes in the Caribbean.
La Nina, little sister of the El Nino phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean,
is
capable of affecting the UK's weather in ways that are only now being
understood.
Officials at the government-funded weather service admitted that they
got
this year's predictions wrong.
"The Met Office in April were forecasting a warm summer that could
be
very warm and would not be particularly wet," said Piers Corbyn,
from
forecast consultants Weatheraction. "In fact, the opposite has
happened."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/26/nweather126.xml
Thanks for this link, Ruth. And Amen to your
words. They can't predict the weather two
months in advance, and they think they know what will happen a hundred years
from now?
- Floods could return, warn experts - 21 Aug 07 - Further flooding is
expected
to return to Britain after a summer which left thousands of homes across
the
country under water, experts have warned. The Environment Agency has
issued
"enhanced flood warnings" across England and Wales.
Terry Marsh, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Wallingford in
Oxfordshire,
said the risk of flooding could persist into 2008.
He added: "Soils have been the wettest since records began in 1961.
The rainfall that
flooded Tewkesbury was exceptional - you would expect to see that sort of
thing maybe
once every thousand years."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6957455.stm
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link
- Record rain in France - 24 Aug 07 - Rainfall in northwestern France
reached
record levels, with cities like Le Havre registering 21 days of rain in July,
beating
the previous record of 16 in 1980.
In the northern city of Caen in Normandy, the weather service registered
592 hours
of sunshine from May 1st to August 21, well below the average of 809 hours.
Temperatures on the Atlantic coast have been on average two or three
degrees
Celsius below seasonal averages, said Jean-Marc Le Gallic from Meteo France.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070824/sc_afp/franceweather_070824182019
Thanks to Jimmy Wat for this link
- North Korea says 437,000 affected by floods - 24 Aug 07 - Floods in
North
Korea in recent weeks have affected 437,000 people and damaged more than
one-fifth of the country's rice crop, the UN's food relief agency said Friday.
"According to figures from the North Korean agriculture ministry,
223,381 hectares
of rice, corn, and soja (soybean) have been damaged, or more than 20 percent
of rice
crops, and 15 percent of corn fields," said World Food Programme
spokeswoman
Christiane Berthiaume.
The floods left 300,000 homeless and 11 percent of the grain harvest --
equivalent
to 450,000 tons -- lost.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070824/wl_asia_afp/nkoreaweatherfloods_070824204051
Thanks to Jimmy Wat for this link
- Historic Rainfall in Australia - 28.1 inches of rain in one
day
24 Aug 07 - A freakishly strong storm inundated southeastern parts
of
Australia's state of Queensland with staggering, record-breaking amounts
of rain this week. The cloudbursts unloaded 1-3 feet of rain north of
Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast and areas immediately inland.
Rainbow Beach got 33.8 inches of rain from 9 a.m. Wednesday morning
to 3 p.m. Friday afternoon; 28.1 inches fell from 9 a.m. Thursday to 9
a.m.
Friday (just one day).
During the same 24-hour period, Coops Corner was flooded by 27.8
inches
of rain, while Mount Bilewilam received 27.1 inches. Other rainy
standouts
included Tewantin with 20.9 inches of rain and Toolara with 15.6 inches
of
rain; both tallied from Wednesday morning to Friday night. The last
comparable cyclone occurred in the 1880s.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Donn Washburn
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link
Just think. If that 28.1 inches of rain had fallen as
snow, they'd
have been
smothered under 281 inches – 23.4 feet! - 7.1 meters!
- of snow in one
day. That
would have buried almost every
warehouse and
two-story house in town, and every truck on
the
freeway.
- "The worst disaster that's hit southeast Minnesota in a lifetime"
20 Aug 07 - Rescue workers resumed their search Monday morning for a man
reported missing after heavy flooding that killed at least thirteen people and
caused
mass evacuations in southeastern Minnesota. Steady rain continued overnight
as
National Guard soldiers guarded the small towns that cleared out after
the
devastating flooding early Sunday.
"This is the worst disaster that's hit southeast Minnesota in a
lifetime," state
Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes said.
The governor declared a state of emergency in six counties -- Winona,
Wabasha, Fillmore, Houston, Steele and Olmsted.
The same storm hammered southwestern Wisconsin. National Weather
Service Meteorologist Tod Rieck in La Crosse, Wis., said a storm system
that parked over southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin
dumped 6 to 8 inches of rain on Saturday, with some areas receiving as
much as a foot.
He said the Kickapoo river in Wisconsin was at a record crest on Sunday,
and the Root River in Minnesota was at or near a record crest.
The weather service warned of more heavy rain across the southern third
of
the state on Monday, including thunderstorms in the southwest corner of the
state.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_231080417.html
Thanks to Russ Wood for this link
- At least 337 die in strong Peru quake - 16 Aug 07 - The death toll rose
to at
least 337 Thursday, a day after the magnitude-7.9 temblor rocked Peru's
coast,
toppled buildings and shattered roads, officials said. Large areas of Chincha
were
leveled. Dozens of homes, most of them built with adobe bricks, collapsed.
"The dead are scattered by the dozens on the streets," Mayor Juan
Mendoza told
Lima radio station CPN. "We don't have lights, water, communications.
Most houses
have fallen, churches, stores, hotels, everything is destroyed," he
said, sobbing.
Another church collapsed Wednesday evening in the city of Ica, 165 miles
south
of Lima, killing 17, according to cable news station Canal N.
The quake shook Lima furiously for more than two minutes. "This is the
strongest
earthquake I've ever felt," said Maria Pilar Mena, 47, a sandwich vendor
in Lima.
"When the quake struck, I thought it would never end."
Thursday's earthquake, like most earthquakes in the area, occurred when one
plate
dove under the other quickly, according to Amy Vaughan, a USGS geophysicist at
the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo.
See entire article by Monte Hayes and Mauricio Munoz:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/peru_quake
Thanks to Travis J. Hill for this link
- 800 buildings and 540 bridges swept away in North Korea - 14 Aug 07
Heavy rain during the past week instigated deadly and destructive flooding
in
many parts of North Korea. Hundreds of people were killed or missing,
according
to Reuters, and at least 800 buildings and more than 540 bridges were swept
away.
Vast quantities of farmland were also damaged. Some of the heaviest rainfall
tallies
were registered in the southwest. Haeju was soaked by 10.08 inches of rain
from
Sunday morning to Tuesday evening. Sariwan got 8.73 inches of rain and
Pyongyang,
the capital, was doused by 8.03 inches.
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to Ken Lund for this link
- Heaviest rain in Switzerland in 100 years - 13 Aug 07 - Two days
of torrential rain have left large parts of north-west Switzerland under
water,
causing an estimated 20 million pounds worth of damage to buildings and
infrastructure. Zurich reported its largest daily rainfall in 100 years.
With
mass evacuations across the country, residents are being told to empty
their cellars and move their vehicles to higher ground.
Many tourist attractions have closed across Italy as a result of the
storm,
while part of the Rhine in southern Germany has been closed following a
sharp rise in water levels.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/10082007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link
- Snow in Santiago - 12 Aug 07 - Chile's capital Santiago received
snow
for the first time in eight years on Wednesday, Bloomberg reports on August
9th.
Parts of the city lost power and schools were closed, while local
meteorologists
predict that the cold weather is likely to continue.
The city's eastern suburbs are expected to see temperatures fall to five
degrees
below zero Celsius, the news provider reports.
Snowfall also led to closure of the Liberatadores Mountain Pass,
connecting
Chile with Argentina, reports Reuters.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/impacts/200708/18241720.html
Thanks to Robert Niewiadowski for this link
- First snowfall in Chilean wine region in half a century - 8 Aug
07
Snow coated the fields of Chile's normally temperate central valley wine
and farm region for the first time in half a century on Wednesday,
causing
officials to declare an emergency to avoid traffic accidents
The Maule region, located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of
the
capital Santiago, where snow fell for four hours, was the most affected.
Television images showed snow covering fields that typically get
nothing
more than a constant drizzle of rain during the winter season.
Meteorologists said the snowfall could extend later in the day to Santiago.
In addition to snow, Chile is facing its coldest winter in 30 years.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070808/sc_nm/chile_snow_dc_1
Thanks to Ruth O'Donnell for this link
- 2007: Year Without a Summer in UK - "My research indicates the
last time this
great a swing occurred was at the start of The Little Ice Age," says
reader Charles
Patrick (about the following article.) "Now we'll see how cold it gets in
Greenland,
Iceland, the UK and Nordic states this winter."
Autumn comes early to England - and somehow it's caused by global
warming
7 Aug 07 - Holly berries are appearing in the hedgerows, conkers and
apples are falling
from the trees and mushrooms are springing up in the fields. Blackberries are
ripe in
Devon and the nation’s orchards are preparing for an early harvest.
All the signs are that the briefest of brief English summers is coming to
an end and
autumn is already upon us - bypassing summer altogether.
Adrian Barlow, of English Apples and Pears, said early apple varieties were
already
being harvested. "Autumn has definitely come earlier this year," he
said. "We expect
varieties like Discovery to be in the shops as soon as next week.
The early onset of autumn can be explained in part by record high
temperatures in
spring, when average temperatures of 48F (9C) – the highest since records
began in
1914 – led to plants and trees like the Hawthorn flowering early.
The soaring spring temperatures were followed by the wettest summer in more
than
200 years. The recent downpours and relatively cool weather tricked some
plants
into thinking winter was on its way.
(Do
you suppose the "relatively cool weather" might have
something to
do with it?)
A spokesman for the Met Office’s Hadley Centre for Climate Change said it
was
too early to say whether this year’s conditions were evidence of global
warming and
they could be dismissed as an irregularity.
"We have just had the wettest summer since 1766 so it is unsurprising
that this has
affected crops," he said.
See entire article by Patrick Phelvin
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/01/eautumn101.xml
Thanks to both Tim Rian and Martin Hoer for this link
- "Unprecedented rainfall" strands 25 million in India, Bangladesh
- 5 Aug 07
Monsoon rain-driven floods swept across northeastern India, Bangladesh and
Nepal,
leaving millions stranded.
Estimates of those left homeless varied, with Agence-France Presse
reporting 25 million
people across the region were forced to flee and more than 1,400 dead.
"The rainfall is unprecedented and the extent of the damage is
high,"' Manoj Srivastava,
disaster management chief for Bihar, India's second-most populous state and
one of the
hardest hit, said today in a telephone interview.
It is "the worst flooding in living memory," Unicef said.
"The sheer size and scale of the
flooding and the massive numbers of people affected pose an unprecedented
challenge
to the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance."
In Uttar Pradesh, some districts got more rainfall in a week than they
usually receive
in a year.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aRONk4h5.DPs&refer=home
Thanks to skier Ken for this link
- Fish die of record cold in Queensland dams - 27 Jul 07 -
Low temperatures and falling dam levels have killed about 5,000 fish
in dams in south-east Queensland, Australia.
SEQWater, which administers the Wivenhoe, North Pine and
Somerset dams, said water temperatures had dropped to a record
low of 13.5 degrees celsius over the past two weeks.
"What we have seen over the past couple of weeks is a
significant
drop in water temperature brought on by the colder nights which appear
to have effectively given fish a fatal shock," he said. "We have
also
noticed that the fish we are retrieving are down in body weight."
The dead fish have been removed and buried at six different
locations around the dams.
Earlier this week, major fish kills were reported in Lake Moondarra
at Mt Isa in northwest Queensland, as a result of low water
temperatures.
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=403681
Thanks to Phil Wilkinson in Sydney for this link
- Rainfall the worst in 200 years - 27 Jul 07 - The torrential
downpours
that left swathes of England and Wales under water last week were
officially
the worst in more than 200 years.
Rainfall was more than double the seasonal average, with the months
May
to July witnessing 382.4mm (15.06 inches) of rain, topping the previous
record
of 349.1mm in 1789, officials said. Deluges in 32 counties, covering
thousands
of square miles stretching from Devon to Yorkshire, broke records dating
back
to 1914 by more than 25mm, the meteorologists added. Some 20mm more rain
are possible across parts of the south-west.
In the past three months, Gloucestershire and neighbouring areas
experienced
more than 320% more rainfall than the average for the previous three decades.
Met Office officials gave government and emergency services two days
warning that intense rainfall was likely.
Peter Stott, a senior climate scientist at the Met Office said downpours of
such
magnitude are set to become more frequent, as climate change drives up
the
temperature of the atmosphere.
"These one in 200 year events are very likely to become more common.
When
it rains, it can rain much harder, because the atmosphere can hold more
water
in a warmer world," he said.
What bunk! It’s because
we’re headed into an ice age, Dr. Stott!
See entire article by Ian Sample
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/jul/27/1
Thanks to W.T. Sellers for this link
- Cold snap kills 70 children in Peru - 25 Jul 07 - The children, all
under five
years old, reportedly died of pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses over
the
past three months. They lived in rural areas at high altitude in the Andean
regions
of Peru, where temperatures in some cases plummeted to -20C (-4F). Many
adults have also died during the harsh winter, and thousands are suffering
from
pneumonia and other respiratory infections.
Even low-lying jungle regions face unusually cold weather, with
temperatures
dropping to 10C (50F).
Forecasters in Peru predict the cold spell will continue until
September.
This is the
second article this month (scroll down to July 12) that
talks in emotional
terms instead of meteorological terms about
how the cold affects
"the children," and how it could lead to a
humanitarian disaster
in Peru. I somehow feel a con job coming
on. I wonder how many
billions of dollars this one will cost us.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6916717.stm
Thanksto Alan Caruba, Tom the Viking, and John from
Scotland for this link
-
Floods threaten power substation - 24 Jul 07 - Emergency crews
worked
through the night in one of the areas worst hit by flooding to protect a
power
substation amid fears 250,000 people would lose power and water if
Gloucester's
Walham station was lost.
Flooding in central and western England has left at least 350,000 homes
without
running water and 50,000 without power.
The Association of British Insurers has said the total bill for the June
and July floods
could reach at least ££2bn.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6912650.stm
Thanks to Andrew In Scotland
-
Deluge leaves French wine harvest at risk of ruin from mildew attack
24 Jul 07 - Sixty days and nights of almost incessant rain threaten to
ruin large
parts of the French wine harvest this year, especially in Bordeaux.
Some small vineyards have already lost their entire crop to a form of
mildew, a
fungal parasite which thrives in damp and warm conditions.
Other forms of mildew, including the dreaded potato blight, are threatening
to
destroy other crops in France, ranging from tomatoes to cherries.
Bordeaux, where the rain has hardly paused since early May, is the worst
afflicted
region. Problems have also been reported in Champagne, Beaujolais, the
Loire
and the Rhôône valley.
See entire article by John Lichfield in Paris
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2753380.ece
Thanks to Wanda for this link
-
Record low temps in Australia - 19 Jul 07 - Southeast Queenslanders
awoke to a record-breaking cold morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures fell to a record low at
Brisbane
Airport shortly after sunrise, with a temperature of -0.1C.
The previous record for the airport was 0.6 degrees, recorded in 1971 and
1994.
Elsewhere in the region, Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane, recorded a low of
-4.8
degrees, just 0.1 degree short of the lowest temperature recorded there, in
1995.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Record-low-temps-in-southeast-Qld/2007/07/19/1184559907627.html
Thanks to Phil Wilkinson for this link
-
Seven inches of rain in three hours in China - 19 Jul 07 - Severe
storms have
lashed central and eastern parts of China this week killing scores of people
and
disrupting transport across a wide area. Torrential rains have given rise to
mud
flows and landslides which left around 32 people dead, while several
people
were killed by lightning strikes.
Around 18 cm (7.09 inches) of rain fell in three hours in Jinan, the capital
of the
eastern Shandong province flash flooding roads and cutting off electricity and
water
supplies. Thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed as a result of the
flooding.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/19072007news.shtml
-
Worst floods in Sudan in living memory - 20 Jul 07 - While the UK
prepares
for yet more flooding the Sudan is experiencing what some are describing as
the
worst floods in living memory.
More than 50 people have been killed and 20 injured, while over 18,000
houses
have been destroyed across the country in the past few weeks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/20072007news.shtml
-
Record-breaking cold in Peru - 12 Jul 07 - For the past 6 weeks Peru
has been
in the grip of record-breaking cold with temperatures ranging between -22º
and -15º C.
The Government of Peru has declared a National Emergency in 14 of the
24
Peruvian provinces and has begun moving large supplies of warm clothing,
blankets
and materials to the affected areas.
In January this year, an unexpected cold spell hit the high Andean
community of
Peru and destroyed around 60% of the crops. The severe weather was then
followed
by the onset of Winter in June and now this second spell of extreme cold has
wiped
out the remainder of the crops. The worst hit areas are in the provinces of
Puno,
Apurimac, Ancash, Cajamarca and Cusco.
With ten weeks of Winter left, forecasters predict temperatures will drop
further.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/506707/118425375486.htm
Thanks to Charles Patrick for this link
-
Coldest in Australia in 21 years - 18 Jul 07 - New South Wales woke
to
another chilly day on Wednesday. Helped by fresh to strong winds,
temperatures
in Sydney are forecast to reach just 13C, making it the coldest day of the
year so far.
However, Wednesday morning wasn't as cold as Tuesday, when city
temperatures
dropped to a 21-year low.
Further inland there was snow as well as ice.
The Great Western Highway closed on Wednesday morning on a 50km
stretch
between Wallerawang, near Lithgow, and Raglan, near Bathurst, because of icy
conditions.
The Mid-Western Highway between Bathurst and Blayney was closed because of
snow
and ice, and in the Oberon area, half a dozen roads closed for the same
reason, including
the route from Oberon to the Kanangra Walls National Park.
No relief from the cold weather can be expected in the next few days, with
Sydney
temperatures forecast to rise no higher than 14 degrees until Sunday.
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=401003
-
Record rains destroy 15,000 homes in Sudan - 12 Jul 07 - Four days of
heavy rain
and strong winds across parts of Sudan have led to floods that have destroyed
around
15,000 homes and left 30 people dead. More than 4500 homes in the country’s
capital,
Khartoum have been devastated by the rising flood waters, as seasonal rains
reach a
record level.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/12072007news.shtml
-
Record low temperatures across almost a third of Australia - 12 Jul 07
-
Found this 'buried' on the internet today from the Australian Government
Bureau
of Meteorology. The biasedmedia didn’t even report it.
"Record low daily maximum temperatures were widespread through the
tropics.
The areas that were spared included the Cape York Peninsula, the Pilbara and
the
Queensland coast north of Townsville. In total, more than 31 per cent of
the land
area of Australia recorded lowest maximum temperatures for June.
"Maximum temperatures below 10ºC were widespread on 20 June to an
extent
never previously seen in tropical Austrailia."
Here’s how cold it was:
Since records began there have only been 12 instances where reporting
stations in
tropical Australia failed to reach 10ºC and never two on any single day.
On June 20th, 2007 Fourteen different stations failed to reach 10ºC!! That
statistic
was more than doubled in only one day!!!
Northernmost instance of a maximum under 10ºº also occurred at Tennant
Creek
(19ºS) - 8ºC (46ºF)
To put this in perspective the southern Yucatan Peninsula is its northern
hemisphere
latitudinal equivalent.
Here a few more records that were broken. Keep in mind that these are all-time
records.
Boulia - New record: 9.0ºC - Old record: 11.1ºC
Tambo - New record: 7.3ºC - Old record: 11.3ºC
Barcaldine - New record: 7.8ºC - Old record: 13.8ºC
(Broke all-time coldest day by 9ºF!!)
http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/ho/20070629.shtml
Read the whole report
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs13.pdf
Thanks to Kate Salvati for this synopsis and link
-
Thousands flee Indonesian volcano as top alert declared - 10 Jul 07 -
Some 8,500
people have fled the slopes of an Indonesian volcano after it spewed ash,
smoke and debris.
The volcanology office said volcanic activity at Mount Gamkonora, about 2,700
km
(1,600 miles) northeast of Jakarta, prompted it to raise its warning level to
"alert" which
means an eruption is imminent.
Spot fires were visible and the crater spewed burning material up to 15
metres (yards)
from the crater, the office said. People nearby heard two thunderous booms and
the
column of smoke rising from the crater reached up to 2,500 metres, the office
said on its website.
Gamkonora has erupted 12 times since records have been kept.
The volcano typically spews heat clouds, or pyroclastic flows, along with
lava streams
toward villages in the west and northwest of Halmahera island, rather than
exploding,
the volcanology website said.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070710101611.olbq64ft&show_article=1
Thanks to Larry Cook for this link
-
Historic snow in Buenos Aires - First snowfall since 1918!!!!
And record winter in South America.
Bariloche breaks cold record with MINUS 22ºC smashing previous record of
-15ºC!!!
"Despite all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen in snow
in Buenos Aires," said Juana
Benitez, an 82-year-old who joined children celebrating in the streets.
The snow followed a bitter cold snap in late May that saw subfreezing
temperatures, the
coldest in 40 years in Buenos Aires. That cold wave contributed to an energy
crisis and
23 deaths from exposure.
9 Jul 07- Rare snow spread away from the Andes and into the Pampas as a
cold wave
gripped much of Argentina. On Sunday, snow whitened the western city of
Mendoza, the
biggest storm in decades. Snow also streaked eastward to the Pampas, the
fertile plains
stretching over the nation's middle. Along the western edge of the Pampas, 8
inches
blanketed Rio Cuarto as of mid morning. The Andes saw was unusual snow
northward
to the Bolivian city of La Paz. In the satellite city of El Alto, site of the
La Paz airport,
snow lay 8 inches deep. Story by AccuWeather.come Senior Forecaster Jim
Andrews.
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to skier Ken for this link
Here’s another link:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ARGENTINA_HISTORIC_SNOW?SITE=CODER&SECTION=
INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-07-09-19-21-00
Una histórica nevada cae sobre la ciudad de Buenos Aires y sus
alrededores
http://www.infobae.com/contenidos/325742-100884-0-Nieva-Buenos-Aires
http://www.clarin.com/
Thanks to Guifré Martínez Carrió for these Spanish links
-
Hailstorm whites-out south London - 3 Jul 07 - On Tuesday, evening
commuters across
parts of London were greeted by a scene resembling winter more than summer as
severe
thunderstorms left a blanket of hail across roads. Commuters had to tread
carefully along
pavements left icy by the build up of hailstones.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/04072007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link
See more photos:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23402862-details/All hail the British summer: Freak weather batters the UK/article.do
Thanks to Frederick Morgan for this link
See more photos:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6267038.stm
Thanks to both Hans and Larry Cook for this link
.
-
Floods force thousands from homes - 26 Jun 07 - Hundreds of families
in
Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Shropshire have been
moved
to safety.
About 900 people are using emergency shelters in Sheffield, and about
700
have left villages near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, amid fears the nearby
Ulley
dam could collapse.
q Police have closed the M1 northbound between junctions 32 to 34,
and southbound
between junctions 34 and 32, because of the risk the Ulley dam poses
· Rail companies including Virgin Trains, Midland Mainline and Arriva
Trains Wales
have announced cancellations and amendments to their services
q About 20 houses have been evacuated in Ludlow, Shropshire, after
the main
bridge into the town collapsed, bursting a gas main. A 40-foot section
of a main
road leading into Ludlow was washed away by the River Corve
· A block of 120 flats in Lincoln was evacuated by dinghy because the
River
Witham has begun seeping through its banks at Stamp End in the city
q People have also been evacuated from Worksop in Nottinghamshire,
Lincoln,
Louth and Wainfleet in Lincolnshire and Chesterfield in Derbyshire
The Environment Agency labelled current weather conditions
"phenomenal".
The agency's flood expert, Phil Rothwell, said: "We've had a sixth of
the
annual rainfall in 12 hours.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6239828.stm
Thanks to Frederick.Morgan for this link
-
Two Year’s Worth of Rain in One Week - 28 Jun 07 - The deserts of
Baluchistan (between Pakistan and Iran) include some of the driest in Asia.
Yet this week,
Baluchistan was visited by a rare tropical storm, or cyclone,
which rolled inland from the Makran
Coast to the Makran Ranges of
southwestern Pakistan. The rains even penetrated inland desert
basins
that rarely see any rain.
At Nok Kundi, rainfall was about 3 inches, nearly twice what normally
falls
in a whole year. And at Dalbandin, rainfall was about 3.6 inches,
or comparable to the whole year`s rainfall. Sibi, of easternmost Baluchistan
and site of 125-degree heat this spring,
collected more than 5 inches of rain
this week. Thus, rainfall at Sibi was, within a few days,
nearly equal to that
of a whole year.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Forecaster Jim Andrews
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to skier Ken for this link
-
Worst floods in almost 40 years hit Victoria, Australia - 30 Jun 07 -
Stormy weather
has brought widespread flooding across drought-parched southeast Australia.
The storm is
the fourth to hit the eastern coast of Australia this month and has caused the
worst flooding
in Victoria in almost 40 years.
Indeed, the Bureau of Meteorology has reported June 2007 to be the wettest on
record
across the Australian "tropics".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/30062007news.shtml
-
Record cold in Australia - 25 Jun 07 - Griffith residents were forced
to stoke up
the fires as the city recorded its chilliest June day on record.
The mercury plummeted to -4 degrees Friday morning, improving only slightly
to a
low of -3 on Saturday and hovering just below -2 yesterday morning.
The previous coldest June day since records began in 1958 was -3.4 degrees
on
June 27, 1983.Friday’s low temperature was a massive 8 degrees below the
average
June minimum for Griffith of 4.5 degrees.
http://www.riverinamediagroup.com.au/Home/news.asp?publication=The%20Area%20
News&articletype=Local&ArticleID=18663
Thanks to Peter Pesola for this link
-
Four inches of snow in Johannesburg, First Since 1981 - 27 June 07 -
Johannesburg
recorded its first confirmed snowfall in almost 26 years as temperatures
dropped below freezing
in South Africa's largest city, grounding flights at its main airport.
The heaviest falls were over the southern suburb of The Hill, where four
inches of snow fell.
Snow last blanketed Johannesburg for a single day on Sept. 11, 1981.
Light snow was also recorded in Pretoria, the capital, which last had snow
on June 11, 1968.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=awNaI9yDGOnc
Thanks to Foy Holland for this link
-
Record cold in Australia - 21 Jun 07 - Bone-chilling winds of up to
75km/h blasted through
southeast Queensland, bringing down trees, power lines and even a brick wall.
Brisbane recorded its lowest June temperature on record with a maximum of
13.1C , but the
wind-chill factor dragged this down to only 5.6C.
The previous June record was 13.9C in 1958 and the coldest overall was
10.6C in August
1954. The cold snap pushed southeast Queensland electricity usage to its
highest this winter.
Toowoomba was worse off, recording a wind chill temperature of -9.3C
overnight, with parts
of the Darling Downs reporting a blast of early morning sleet and snow.
All of the Downs and Granite Belt reported extremely cold conditions: 1C in
Warwick and
1.2C in Applethorpe.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21940683-952,00.html
Thanks to Mike Cantwell for this link
-
Snow in Australia - 21 Jun 07 - Snow fell across large areas of the
Blue Mountains
west of Sydney, and more rain fell in the city itself, which is already
recording its wettest
June on record. Heavy snow also fell around Oberon and Bathurst in
central-western NSW.
Winter also arrived in South Island, New Zealand. Snow is causing major
disruption in
central Otago, with the airport closed and a number of car crashes blamed on
icy roads.
The snow is expected to worsen on Thursday night
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/21062007news.shtml
-
One inch of rain every 15 minutes - 19 Jun 07 - Torrential rain in
northern Texas over
the past two days has left 5 people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes. The
towns
of Sherman and Gainesville, near the Oklahoma border, were amongst the worst
hit by
the storm. Sherman experienced its worst flooding in 25 years.
In Gainesville, officials at the US National Weather Service said that the
rain was coming
down at a rate of 25mm (about one inch) every 15 minutes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/19062007news.shtml
-
Snow Plows clear Hail in Germany- 17 Jun 07 - In Bavaria State, high
winds ripped
roofs off 10 houses and toppled trees, blocking a local railway line.
Emergency Services
in Munich, called for snow ploughs to clear hail, which was so heavy that
Autobahn 8,
one of the main freeways near Munich, was closed because it was too slippery.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/17062007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link
-
Snow falling in central Sweden - 14 Jun 07 - It might be only one week
to Midsummer,
but nobody seems to have told mother nature. Up to five centimeters of snow
has fallen in
the mountainous Härjedalen area of northern Dalarna. A meteorologist from
weather service
SMHI told Svenska Dagbladet that snow was unusual at this time of year,
usually falling
roughly once every ten years.
http://www.thelocal.se/7602/20070614/
Thanks to both Steven Woodcock and Robert Branch for this link
-
Flooding in England - 16 Jun 07 - One of the wettest places in the
country was
Edgbaston, Birmingham, where 86mm (3.4 inches) of rain fell in 24 hours,
while
71mm (2.8 inches) fell on Bingley, West Yorkshire.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/16062007news.shtml
-
Six thousands trucks stranded by snow-blocked Andes tunnel - 13 Jun
07
Heavy snow and wind have forced closure of a key mountain highway and
tunnel
connecting Argentina with Chile leaving an estimated 6.000 fully loaded trucks
stranded.
Argentine transit officials predicted the Cristo Redentor tunnel , 1,300
kilometers from
Buenos Aires, would remain impassable for another 72 hours because of
snowstorms
and winds, reported the Argentine news
agency Telam.
The Andes crossing which links Mendoza with Santiago de Chile is crucial for
Mercosur
land transport.
http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=10722&formato=HTML
Thanks to Wanda for this link
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-argentina-chile-snow,0,5909116.story
?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines
Thanks to Jeffry Reed for this link
-
Storms and floods in Australia - 11 Jun 07 - Up to 300mm (12 inches) of
rain has
fallen in parts of the Hunter region since Thursday, and 200mm (8 inches) in
the Central
Coast and Sydney. Some 105,000 homes remain without power in Hunter
Valley,
Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/11062007news.shtml
-
More Incredible Rainfall for Taiwan - 9 Jun 07 – Taiwan’s capital
city of Taipei
averages around 11.4 inches of rain for the entire month of June. Rainfall was
getting
close to this average on Thursday, but more than 8.2 inches of rain fell
Friday, and
nearly 2 inches has already fallen Saturday, bringing the monthly rainfall
total to more
than 20 inches. Taichung received more than 11 inches of rain since Thursday.
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to skier Ken for this link
-
Unprecedented snowfall in Brazil - 5 Jun 07 - In the town of Monte
Hermoso in Buenos
Aires Province, authorities described the snowfall as unprecedented in recent
history.
Snow also fell in the city of Cordoba, the first snow in the month of May
since 1971.
In southern Brazil, frost was widespread. In the capital of the state of
Rio Grande do Sul,
Porto Alegre, the high temperature of 10C was the lowest ever observed in May
since records
began in 1910.
http://newsbusters.org/node/13234
-
Severe storms hit New South Wales - 9 Jun 07 - Severe storms have been
battering
Australia’s east coast over the last few days, in particular New South
Wales, smashing
boats, flooding roads and cutting power to hundreds of thousands. Five people
have so
far been confirmed dead with several still missing.
A massive coal freighter ran aground further north near Newcastle. There are
fears that
the freighter could break up and cause an environmental disaster.
The Bureau of Meteorology (Australia’s national weather service) said that
the storms
dumped an incredible 300mm (12 inches) of rain in places.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/09062007news.shtml
-
One of the coldest winter starts ever observed in South America - 5 Jun
07
May 2007 will go down in history as one of the coldest starts to winter ever
in South America.
A brutal cold wave brought record low temperatures, widespread frost, snow and
major energy
disruption. The death toll for the 10-day cold wave was the highest for any
single weather event
in Argentina in recent history.
Millions of residents fired up space heaters, straining Buenos Aires’
electrical grid for three
nights and forcing authorities to slash power supply nationwide and briefly
cut domestic natural
gas provisions and exports to Chile. Many factories went idle when
distributors shut off or
reduced gas supplies to give priority to homes. Government regulators also
ordered an 800-
megawatt electricity cut nationwide for four hours, which led to sporadic
blackouts in the
capital Buenos Aires. The shortages also had a ripple effect in neighboring
Chile, where
authorities scrambled to provide energy after Argentina slashed natural gas
exports.
Temperatures hit the freezing point or dipped below for three successive
nights in the
Argentinean capital. Such cold is rare for the southern-hemisphere autumn in
Buenos Aires,
which normally sees temperatures in the 40s and 50s F or higher this time of
year. According
to the Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (Argentina Weather Service), the low
temperature of
0.3ºC in Downtown Buenos Aires was the lowest for the month of May since
1962. The city
also suffered the lowest windchill value in May for the last 36 years. On May
28th, the
temperature at midday in Buenos Aires was only 3.7ºC, unprecedented in recent
history
See entire article by Eugenio Hackbart, Chief Meteorologist for MetSul
Weather Center
in Sao Leopoldo, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-blog/the_great_south_american_may_cold_spell/
-
11.8 inches of rain in three hours in China - 4 Jun 07 – Some 300mm
(11.8 inches)
of rain was recorded in Xiangtan City in just over three hours leading to the
collapse of over
800 houses. Jiangxi in eastern China was hit by mudslides as a result of the
heavy rain,
destroying more than 2000 homes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/04062007news.shtml
-
Europe shivers as Russia sizzles - 30 May 07 - Just one day short of
June,
snow, floods and high winds have spread misery across huge swathes of
Europe,
while Russia is in the grip of a heat wave.
In Germany, where May normally brings temperatures of 16-19c (61-66f),
snow
and flash flooding have brought chaos.
Bavaria has seen unseasonal snowfalls in alpine villages and flooding after
receiving
a week's worth of precipitation in 24 hours.
In France, temperatures dropped to 6c (43f) in the mountainous central
Cantal region,
where it snowed in some areas, and torrential rain caused floods across wide
areas of
central, northern and eastern France.
In Switzerland, the Gotthard Pass, at Motto Bartola above Airolo, had to be
closed
after heavy snowfalls.
A spokesman for the German Weather Service said: "It has gone mad across
Europe.
See entire article by Olinka Koster:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=458803&inpage_id=1811
Thanks to Charles Patrick for this link
-
UK Coldest since 1772 - 29 May 07 – "We had already suffered the
great washout
over the weekend. And yesterday - to complete the misery - came the big chill.
"Arctic
winds swept across the country at speeds of up to 50mph in one of the coldest
Whitsun
Bank Holidays since records began in 1772.
"Sleet lashed the Chilterns while hail battered cricket fans at
Headingley. Beaches were
deserted as rain continued to pour down across the country. The AA said
thousands cut
their long weekends short to battle appalling road conditions."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23398458-details/Bank%20holiday%20washout%20
was%20one%20of%20coldest%20on%20record/article.do
Thanks to Charles Patrick for this link
Dead Frozen Solid That Night
Here’s a great note that goes with the above article:
Robert: You do realize the year 1772 was at the last peak of the Little Ice
Age and heralded
the extreme winters of the American Revolution. Especially Valley Forge and
the Southern
Campaign under Nathanial Green of 1780-1781.
Of side note, my Grandfather 6 times removed, fought at the Battle of the
Cowpens in South
Carolina as a company commander of a Virginia Line Infantry regiment that
December of 1780.
The records say it was so cold the dead were frozen solid by that night.
CP
-
Freak snow, freezing temperatures and tropical storms across Europe -
29 May 07
In Spitzing in Germany, ten centimeters of snow brought out the snow plows for
the first time this year.
It was the same story in towns close to the Alps in Austria, Switzerland
and even northern Italy where
temperatures in May routinely climb into the 80s.
In one Swiss valley, 3,000 were trapped in hotels and guest houses because
trains could not reach
them in the snow. Further north in cities like Berlin, tropical storms have
brought four days of chaos,
dumping hailstones as big as golf balls, uprooting trees and causing
widespread flooding.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article
_id=458562&in_page_id=1811
Thanks to Dan Groseck for this link
-
Cold Wave Forces Gas Rationing in Argentina - 29 May 07 - Argentina
rationed
electricity to companies and severed natural gas supplies to Chile as a cold
wave prompted
record demand for electricity.
The temperature in many parts of Argentina fell below freezing yesterday,
pushing electricity
demand to a record 18,300 megawatts, according to the country's energy
regulator.
About 100 schools in Buenos Aires province are closed today for lack of
sufficient heating.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=latin_america&sid=av0tvGQPKLKU
Thanks to Benjamin Napier for this link
-
Freak Snow Storm Hits Nepal - 29 May 07 - Dozens of people were feared
killed in
remote parts of north-western Nepal after the areas were hit by a freak snow
storm and
blizzard, officials said Tuesday.
The casualties were reported in the remote north-western mountainous district
of Dolpa,
about 450 km northwest of the Nepalese capital, on Monday.
The snow storm is said to have hit a mountainous area where hundreds of people
had
gathered to collect an herb locally known as Yarshagumba, which is thought to
increase
sex drive. Other reports in the Nepalese capital said up to 1 500 people were
stranded
in heavy snows.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=126&art_id=nw20070529095234381C871116
Thanks to BenjaminNapier for this link
-
Wintry Chill in Southern South America - 29 May 07 - A cold outbreak
invaded
southern South America at the start of this week bringing with it local snow
as well as a
widespread frost and hard freeze. Snow dusted western Argentina in areas such
as
Mendoza. There was even a bit of snow northward along the Andean foothills to
near
the Bolivia-Argentina border. Rare snow also fell over the southern Pampas at
Tres
Arroyos. Monday`s high at Buenos Aires was only 42 degrees, 20 degrees below
normal.
Low temperatures included 17 degrees early Tuesday at Santa Rosa, but even
harsher
cold gripped northern Patagonia: Maquinchaco, Argentina, registered early
morning lows
of 1 and 3 degrees, respectively, Monday and Tuesday. Even southern Brazil
shivered
with Bom Jesus reading 24 degrees Tuesday morning.
Story by AccuWx.com Senior Forecaster Jim Andrews
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
Thanks to skier Ken for this link
-
Extreme weather hits Europe and Russia - 30 May 07 - Record breaking
heat continues
across western and central parts of Russia this month, with temperatures at
times around
12 degrees above normal.
In contrast, many parts of Europe have been affected by very unsettled and
cool weather.
Heavy storms, landslides, flash floods and lightning have killed at least 23
people across the
continent over the past few days
Heavy rain hit Germany over the last couple of days, bringing 106mm (just over
4 inches),
since Monday. This is well over the monthly average of 85mm (3.4 inches).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/30052007news.shtml
-
Second coldest May day on record in the UK - 29 May 07 - Temperatures
were unseasonably
cold across many parts of the UK. Highs ranged between 7 and 10C (45 – 50F).
Normal temperatures
would be nearer 17-18C (63–64F) at this time of year.
A high of 7.9C was recorded at Heathrow Airport making it the second coldest
May day on record.
Many outdoor events were canceled including one of the country’s biggest
carnivals in Luton, which
was expected to attract around 100,000 people.
The cold extended into Scotland where sleet and snow fell across the mountains
bringing a good few
centimeters to parts of the Cairngorms.
St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight received 80mm, (just over 3
inches) of rain over the weekend.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/29052007news.shtml
-
Spring snowfall sets Calgary record - 25 May 07 - Blustery winds and a
record 7 cm
of snow for this day in history took down trees and electrical and telephone
lines, causing
power outages and damaging cars and buildings around Calgary.
The wintry blast topped the previous snowfall mark of 5.1 cm for May 24,
set in 1911,
with communities on the city's northwestern edge among the hardest hit.
See entire article by Todd Saelhof in the Calgary Sun
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/05/25/4207137-sun.html
Thanks to Benjamin Napier for this link
(See more about this storm below.)
-
More snow for the U.K. - 28 May - Areas as far apart as northern
Scotland and
East Anglia could turn white today. Temperatures are due to fall to 10EC
(50EF),
with the Met Office issuing severe weather warnings for East Anglia and the
Highlands.
The Met Office’s Robin Downton said: "The air is so cold as Britain
is receiving
winds from the Arctic."
Beaches in Bournemouth, Dorset, packed this time last year, were deserted
as the
town got 50mm of rain — its average for the whole of May — in just a few
hours.
See http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007230784,00.html
Thanks to Benjamin Napier for this link.
-
Winter weather blankets southern Alberta - 24 May 07 - Mother Nature
made a rare
wicked May appearance today in southern Alberta. Heavy, wet snow amounting to
10 cm
and blustery winds took down trees and power lines, causing power outages for
more than
7,000 homes and damaging cars and buildings around Calgary.
Gordon Kennedy said the scene in Carstairs, about 50 km north of Calgary,
was worse than
what was being reported in the city. "It looks like a hurricane went
through," said Kennedy.
"Big trees that have been here forever are down, and they came down on
cars, houses and
buildings." In Red Deer, power outages plagued the city and schools
canceled classes.
See entire article by Todd Saelhof in the Calgary Sun
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2007/05/24/4205533.html
Thanks to Charles Patrick for this link
-
Winter weather kills at least 21 in South Africa - 27 May 07 - At least
21 people have
died this week in a cold snap in South Africa, marked by snow, hail and
widespread flooding.
The Drakensburg Mountains in northern KwaZulu Natal midlands are still
blanketed by snow,
and some parts of the country have seen the heaviest snowfall in more than 20
years.
The icy weather across South Africa has set 54 new weather records so far,
with Barkly
recording the lowest maximum temperature of 1.7C on Thursday, while many
regions have
seen up to 70mm of rain in one day.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/27052007news.shtml
-
First snow in Grahamstown, South Africa in 33 years - Grahamstown
residents
eagerly awaited the first snow to be seen on the city‘s surrounding hills in
33 years, while
hundreds of township dwellers sought shelter from the cold.
Grahamstown Area Distress Relief Association social worker Nosiphiwo Mani
visited
hard-hit township residents to hand out blankets.
In Eluxolweni squatter area on the high ground behind Makana‘‘s Kop
women and
children huddled to keep warm under inadequate covering.
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n13_23052007.htm
-
More rain in Spain today than has fallen all year - 25 May 07 -
Mainline train
services out of Madrid remained closed for a second day on Thursday, after
storms
sparked widespread flooding across central Spain.
Across Castilla-La Mancha the floods destroyed more than 250, 000 acres of
crops
(100, 000 hectares) at a cost of over 100 million pounds. In the town of
Alcazar de
San Juan, more rain fell in a few hours than had fallen all year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/25052007news.shtml
-
Record rainfall in Guam - 25 May 07 - "We had a 24 hour rainfall
in Guam of 2.26 inches
yesterday," says Guam resident Paul R. Stanko. "What makes this even
more remarkable, and
the reason it is a record, is that this is still dry season here!"
(Thanks for this info, Paul)
-
Massive snowstorm in China - 23 May 07 - Vehicles stranded in snow on a highway in
Hami, Northwest of Xinjiang, China. As a cold front rolled in from Siberia, the rain and snow
hit Hami on Tuesday, and the temperature dropped by 15 degrees Celsius. A provincial
road was closed for nearly five hours.
http://english.people.com.cn/200705/23/eng20070523_377080.html
-
Icy Weather Sets 54 New Records in South Africa - 23 May 07 - The South
African
Weather Service said 34 new records were set on Monday and another 20
yesterday..
Plettenberg Bay recorded a record low minimum temperature, 5.6EC,
yesterday. Tsitsikamma
saw a record low maximum on Monday, 12.1EC, and a
record low minimum yesterday, 6.3EC.
Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma both recorded their highest daily rainfall, at
68mm and 71.2mm
respectively, on Monday.
The lowest minimum temperature was -6EC in
Welkom, while the lowest maximum was a mere
1.7EC in Barkly East, both on Monday night.
Other areas recording record low temperatures included: Carolina (-5.5EC),
Vanwyksvlei (-4.3EC),
Ventersdorp (-3.9EC), Witbank (-3.7EC),
Gariep Dam (-3.7EC), Pofadder (-3.5EC),
Upington (-3.1EC),
Marken (-2.9EC), Taung (-2.5EC),
Oudestad (-1.7EC) and Nieuwoudtville (-0.1C).
Kuruman, Kathu and Gariep Dam all recorded record low maximum temperatures
on Monday and
record low minimums yesterday.
Kuruman went from a high of 9.2EC to a low of
-5.1EC, Kathu from 10.1EC
to -5.1EC, and Gariep
from 6.9EC to -3.7EC.
There was snow on all high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape, and on some of
the low-lying areas, said
Weather SA's regional manager for the province, Hugh van Niekerk.
Lootsberg pass on the N9 between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg and Penhoek
pass on the N6
between Queenstown and Aliwal North were closed due to heavy snowfalls.
Van Niekerk said there had been snow in "just about the whole of the
Eastern Cape" except the
coastal region - on the Bamboesberge, at Joubertina, on the Tsitsikamma and
Kouga mountains, at
Hogsback, on the Outeniqua and Winterberg mountains, in the Barkly East and
Molteno area, at
Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg.
http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3844594
Thanks to Benjamin Napier for this link
-
Snow arrives 19 days early in Australia - 22 May 07 - Despite being 19
days away
from the start of the official Australian winter ski season, parts of the
south-east have already
seen snow. The Victorian ski resorts of Mount Buller and Mount Hotham
experienced steady
snow flurries on Monday morning; predicted to be the precursor to heavier
snowfall.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/22052007news.shtml
-
Snow in South Africa - 20 May 07 - The South African weather service
has forecast
snow for the mountains of the western and Northern Cape..
The cold snap is expected to spread to Limpopo in the far north of the
country, and into
southern Mozambique. Many farmers have been advised to keep their animals
indoors.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/20052007news.shtml
-
Worst Flooding in Uruguay in 50 years - 11 May 07 - Uruguay has
declared a national
disaster after experiencing the worst flooding in 50 years. The floods have
affected more than
110,000 people, destroying crops and infrastructure amounting to millions of
dollars in damage.
The central city of Duranzo has been hardest hit, forcing evacuation of 20% of
the population
as the Yi River rose to 14 meters (45 feet!) above normal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/11052007news.shtml
-
B.C. Snowpack at Record or Near-record Levels - 7 May 07 -
And the snow is still accumulating!
With snowpacks in British Columbia’s northern and central Interior at record
or near-
record levels, including areas which feed major rivers such as the Peace and
the Fraser,
provincial emergency officials are praying for bad weather.
A cool, wet April has continued the snow season, and snow is still
accumulating in most
of the mountainous areas of the province. Minor flooding has started in the
Northern Interior
and provincial ministries and utilities are braced for the worst.
Farmers and ranchers have been given information on flood management,
including advice
on how to deal with livestock if waters begin to rise.
Local governments and emergency officials are holding meetings and setting
up training
sessions around the province.
Interesting how the media doesn’t like to acknowledge record
snowfall.
(This article was entitled "Flood Danger on the Rise.")
See entire article in the Vancouver Sun
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id
=1cd2ee9b-5ff2-4e51-b0f5-2f2e0cc7fcc3
-
Thirteen inches of rain in Burma in one day - 7 May 07 – At least
five people have died in
Myanmar’s largest city of Yangon yesterday after two days of torrential
rain.
Much of the capital was submerged under water on Saturday after receiving the
heaviest rainfall
in forty years. One northern suburb recorded 330mm (13 inches) of rain in just
24 hours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/07052007news.shtml
-
Three weeks worth of rain in Sydney in hours - 23 Apr 07 - Nearly 100mm
(3.9 inches)
of rain fell during the storm, which lasted only a few hours. This was almost
three quarters of
the total rainfall which is usually expected throughout the month of April.
The New South Wales Fire Brigade were inundated with calls as the storms moved
inland
from the east coast during Sunday evening.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/23042007news.shtml
-
"Extremely" Heavy Snowfall in Moscow - 8 Apr 07 - Extremely
heavy snowfall and
unusually low temperatures affected Russia yesterday, as Muscovites celebrated
the Easter period.
Meteorologists say that this is the heaviest Easter snowfall in Moscow for
many years. One
tourist said it was normally warm at this time of year ‘‘but now it is
very cold on the eve of Easter.’’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/08042007news.shtml
-
Hail causes major damage to Italian crops
Heavy snow in the Alps - 23 Mar 07 - Stormy weather has been lashing Italy
this week
bringing snow, rain, hail and strong winds. One particular severe hail storm
caused an estimated
50 million euros of damage to crops in the area near Salerno.
The storm dropped hail stones the size of nuts. Around 700 farms suffered
severe damage to their
vegetable and fruit crops as a half-a-meter-blanket of hail was left behind by
the storm – in ten minutes.
Elsewhere in Italy, storms gave some heavy snowfalls across the Alps.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/23032007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown of Scotland for this link
-
Three month’s rain in 36 hours - 29 Mar 07 - Cyclone Becky has
brought severe flooding
problems across New Zealand’s scenic Bay of Islands region with the
equivalent of three months
rain - up to 450mm (17.72 inches - in 36 hours. The Historic Places Trust
staff were battling to
save two of New Zealand’s oldest buildings, the Kerikeri Mission Station
which was built in
1822, plus the neighboring Stone Store. Flooding was experienced as far south
as New
Zealand’s largest city, Auckland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/29032007news.shtml
-
Snow in Africa - 22 Mar 07 –– A northerly wind from a storm over
the Mediterranean Sea
poured northern chill ashore in Algeria. Soaking rain and small hail (4 inches
of rain at Jijel) changed
to snow along the eastern Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa. Snow lay 6
inches deep at Jelfa,
where the 35-mph wind made it feel as cold as 10 degrees. The snow stood at
least two inches
deep in Constantine.
http://headlines.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=
0®ion=worldnews
-
Snow cuts off several villages in Spain - 21 Mar 07 - It’s the first
day of spring, but much
of Europe still struggles with wintry weather.
Most of the UK has had snow and strong winds over the past few days; In
Scotland heavy
snow has caused several road accidents.
And earlier this week 12 people were trapped in their cars in Las Canada del
Teide, Tenerife,
after heavy snow hit the area. On the Spanish mainland over 20cm of snow fell
on the Basque
region, cutting off road links to several villages.
In parts of Switzerland up to 37cm of snow fell in a matter of hours
Tuesday afternoon, while
parts of neighboring Austria received nearly half a meter of snow, cutting
power to around 40,000.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/21032007news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown of Androssan, Scotland for this link
-
Up to Three Feet of Snow Expected in Austria - Kärnten Austria – 19
Mar 07 -
Fresh snow between 30 and 50cm is possible, in the mountains up to 70cm (27.5
inches)
Steiermark , Austria - Fresh snow between 20 and 45 cm is possible. In the
valleys rain in
the beginning. In the mountains up to 90cm (35 inches).
From the European Extreme Weather website:
http://www.meteoalarm.eu
-
Winter rears its head - 16 Mar 07 - Stormy weather hit New Zealand
earlier this week,
bringing heavy rain and strong winds and some snow to the South Island. At
Nelson Lakes, l
ocals were amazed to see snow on the ground at St Arnaud village. Similarly it
will come as
a shock to the UK this weekend as winter rears its head. The Met Office issued
a snow
warning. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are expected to see the worst of
the weather.
On Thursday, Israel experienced a sudden return of winter when snow began
falling in
Jerusalem and the western Negev and blanketed Gush Etzion, the Golan Heights
and Hevron.
Up to 25cms ( 10inches ) were reported in the Mount Hermon area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/16032007news.shtml
-
Snow blankets much of Jordan - 15 Mar 07 - Snow blanketed much of
Jordan on
Thursday, briefly whiting out road signs in Jerusalem. In the Jordanian capital and northern
and western provinces, officials
closed schools as snow flurried around buildings and traffic
jams persisted after the usual
morning rush-hour.
Police spokesman Major Bashir Daajeh told state television that 93 road
accidents
occurred up to midday, causing minor injuries.
Thursday's snow was the first in March in Jerusalem since 1998 when a
surprise storm
also dumped snow in the West Bank.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070315124524.8sqf4je3&show_article=1
Thanks to Craig Adkins for this link
-
Unprecedented snowfall across northern India - 14 Mar 07 - The Kashmir
Valley has
been particularly hard hit, with heavy rain and snow since Sunday. Flights
were cancelled to
the valley as more than a metre of snow fell in the higher reaches.
In the capital, Srinagar, an unprecedented two feet of snow was recorded
Tuesday morning.
Downed power lines left the Kashmir Valley cut off from the rest of the
country.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/14032007news.shtml
-
Heavy snow in northern China - one week after the heaviest snowstorm in
almost 60 years
11 Mar 07 - A current of cold air from Siberia has brought snow to
northeast China’s Heilongjiang
province and many parts of neighbouring Liaoning and Jilin provinces. Heavy
snow hit the Heilongjiang
provincial capital of Harbin on Friday, forcing the closure of Harbin Taiping
International Airport.
The Harbin-Daqing Highway, with a visibility of less than 10 meters, was
closed because of heavy snow.
More heavy snow was forecast over the weekend.
Last weekend a low pressure system moved across northern China bringing the
area’s heaviest snow
storm in almost 60 years, according to the Shenyang Meteorological Station.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/11032007news.shtml
-
Strongest snowstorm in China in half century - 6 Mar 07 - The strongest
March snowstorm to hit
northeast China's Liaoning Province in 56 years has left at least one person
dead and seven injured
after the roof of an agricultural trade building collapsed under the weight of
the snow, local sources said.
Three arched ceilings of the Minglian Agricultural Trade Building in Huanggu
District, in the provincial
capital of Shenyang, collapsed at noon yesterday, burying about 20 stall
owners and customers, said a witness.
Snow piled up two meters high in some areas, the Shenyang Meteorological
Observatory reported.
In Erdos city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which saw a blizzard on
Saturday with a
maximum snowfall of up to 20 centimeters, about 40,000 passengers and 10,000
drivers were stranded.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=307881&type=National
Thanks to Lance Stinson for this link
-
Three feet of hail in Canberra, Australia - In the summer!
28 Feb 07 - One particular violent hailstorm left some parts of Canberra’s
central business
district under a meter-deep (three foot) layer of ice.
With Australia just coming to the end of its summer, residents compared the
blanket of ice
to the snow-bound cities currently in the US.
Although summer storms are not unusual in this part of Australia, the
Australian bureau of
Meteorology said that Canberra had already set a new record for the most
thunderstorms
in a single month - 15 in February. In one storm, 70mm of rain was reported in
one hour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/01032007news.shtml
-
"Almost unprecedented" snow in Norway
Snow spreads across Southern Scandinavia and Denmark - 25 Feb 07 -
"It all started
on Wednesday when a snow storm began to blanket parts of southern Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
"Across Norway, almost unprecedented amounts of snow and blizzard-like
conditions led to the closure
of the main road between Kristiansand and Grimstad as vehicles became stranded
by five feet high drifts."
As further snow fell on Saturday across Southern Scandinavia and Denmark,
temperatures plummeted,
airlines canceled flights, large shopping centers closed, and the sheer weight
of the snow downed power
lines and trees.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/25022007news.shtml
-
Snow strands motorists in Norway
22 Feb 07 - Heavy snows, high winds and bitterly cold temperatures halted
all traffic
on the E-18 highway between Kristiansand and Grimstad. Hundreds of cars and
trucks
lost control or were unable to drive because of snowdrifts or lack of
visibility or both.
Sudden snowstorms and a plunge in temperatures sparked chaos all over
southern
Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Some drivers were stuck in their vehicles overnight, and ran out of gas
while sitting still
and keeping their heaters running. Rescue crews were trying to get gasoline
and food in
to the drivers. Convoys were being arranged in both directions to get groups
of cars out.
Cars stranded in snowdrifts as high as a meter-and-a-half (nearly five
feet) blocked the
highway, making it impossible to clear the roads of snow until the cars could
be dug out
and moved.
It was still snowing Thursday morning.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1655505.ece
Thanks to Craig Adkins for this link
-
Kathmandu: First snow in 63 years - 17 Feb 07 - Snow fell on Nepal's
capital, Kathmandu,
for the first time in 63 years Wednesday. Though the Himalayan country is home
to Mount Everest,
Kathmandu, has not had snow since January 1944.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/14/nepal.snow.reut/index.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_nepal_snowfall
Thanks to both Sean Rickman and Tom Weatherby for these links.
-
New York State gets 'incredible' amounts of snow - 10 Feb 07 -
Incredible amounts of snow
have fallen this week on the east coast of Lake Ontario. Some areas have been
buried under 8 feet
(244cm), nearly 2 and a half metres of snow, up to the second floor of some
houses.
The Weather Service has forecast that snow could fall at a rate of around 3 to
4 inches an hour
and by Monday there could be another 2-4 feet (61-122cm), leaving some western
areas of Oswego
County with more than 11 feet (360cm) of snow.
More heavy snowfall is predicted for Wednesday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/10022007news.shtml
-
Temperatures far below normal across Indochina - 6 Feb 07 - Across
Cambodia, residents
have been engaging in a rare activity: turning off their air conditioners and
stilling their fans. Some of
Phnom Penh's moto drivers have even been seen zipping around the streets at
night in puffy parkas.
Some people were even wearing socks.
It has been cold here –– the coldest in 27 years of recorded history,
according to Seth Vannareth,
the director of meteorology at the Ministry of Water Resources and
Meteorology.
The cold snap began on Jan. 30, with low temperatures ranging from 7C to
15C (mid-40s to
mid-50s F.) in the northeast and mountainous areas, far below norms of 17C to
20C.
The same high-pressure front moving down from Siberia has cooled off
greater Indochina, including
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and parts of Thailand.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0206/p04s01-woap.html
Thanks to Craig Adkins for this link
-
Heavy Snow in Spain - 29 Jan 07 - The image most people will conjure up
when
you mention the south of Spain or the Costa del Sol is one of lying by the
pool with
the warm summer sun beating down. How different things have been over the
last
few days!
The Granada region received several inches of snow Friday night, while
residents of
the city of Murcia awoke Saturday morning to a thick blanket of snow - more
than
half a meter.
A low of 1C was reported at Malaga Saturday night while the northern town
of
Fuenterrabia shivered in temperatures as low as (-9C), very close to the
record low
of (-10C). The average minimum temperature for this area is around 6 to 7C.
The stormy weather also affected the Canary Islands, with the island of El
Herrio
worst hit by heavy rain. The president of the island called it the worst
natural disaster
in its history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/29012007news.shtml
-
28 Jan 07 - Here's an e-mail that I
received today from Lisbon, Portugal.
Hi Robert,
Just thought you would like to know that today it snowed AGAIN in
Lisbon,
almost exactly one year after last year's snow.
And before that there were 52 years with no snow!
It’s now noon and the temperature is 3,5ºC, about 10ºC less than the
January
maximum average……
Regards
Filipe Lucas
-
Snow and ice bring chaos to Spain and Germany
28 Jan 07 - On Friday morning the mercury fell to a shivering (-6C) [21F] at
Granada,
Andalucía, Spain, a place many people associate with baking summer holidays.
Even in
Malaga on the Costa Del Sol, temperatures dipped to a chilly 1C (34F) on
Saturday night.
Snow brought traffic to a standstill near Almeria and Puerto Lumbreras, and
more than
30,000 lost power in Andalucia after heavy snow and strong winds brought down
power
cables. The city of Murcia was blanketed in more than half a meter of snow,
while the
Granada area was also hit by heavy snow.
In Munich, temperatures fell to (-14C) 7F.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/28012007news.shtml
-
Two month’s rain in 36 hours in Mozambique
22 Jan 07 - A severe cloudburst dumped 17.6 inches of rain in 36 hours on
the
city of Quelimane, nearly in the middle of the long Mozambique coastline …
nearly twice the average rainfall for the entire month of January.
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=worldnews
&mont
h=01&year=2007&date=2007-01-22_1954
Thanks to skier Ken for this link.
-
Winter finally arrives in Europe
24 Jan 07 - Cold weather and blizzards have begun to descend on many
areas
of Europe, more noticeably the Alpine ski resorts. The Galacia area of
northwest
Spain was slammed on Monday with several inches of snow and bringing chaos to
travel.
Parts of southern Austria experienced heavy snowfall last night –– up to a
meter -
leaving nearly 300 lorries stuck on the roads overnight.
Heavy snow also fell in neighbouring Czech Republic, where snow closed the
main
highway between Prague and the eastern city of Brno. More heavy snow is
forecast
for the city today.
Blizzards also buffeted the Alps. The resort of Grand Saint Bernard in
Switzerland
reported nearly half a meter of snow in just 12 hours.
The UK has also been feeling an icy blast in the last few days with
snowfall well
above average in the resorts. The Cairngorms report 50cm on their upper
slopes
and 15cm on the lower.
Heavy snow is forecast for southeast England later today and tonight, with
Kent,
Sussex and Surrey likely to be worst hit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/24012007news.shtml
-
Europe surveys deadly billion-dollar storm
47 dead, more than two million lose power
21 Jan 07 - Wind gusts up to 112 mph knocked out electricity to more than
one million homes in the Czech Republic. One million households in Germany
and tens of thousands of homes in Poland and Austria also lost power.
Insured losses are estimated at $1.3 billion in Germany, at $207 million in
the
Netherlands, and hundreds of millions in Britain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16687660/
-
Worst Atlantic storm system in 17 years hits the UK
19 Jan 07 - The storm brought wind gusts in excess of 80mph to the
western
point of the Isle of Wight and to Aberdaron on the Lleyn Peninsula in
Wales.
The winds quickly strengthened across the rest of England and Wales
through
the morning, with wind gusts up to 99mph.
Although Scotland managed to escape the worst of the wind, it did see
heavy
snowfall. Almost half a meter (45 cm) of snow fell on the upper slopes of
the
Cairngorms in the east, while the Nevis Range in the west has 42cm on its
upper
slopes. Snow also settled in the Central belt of Scotland and across northern
England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/19012007news.shtml
-
Storm batters the UK
18 Jan 07 - A deep area of low pressure swept in from the Atlantic
early Thursday bringing chaos across the country. Many train operators
reduced their services, with GNER running a reduced service between
London and Edinburgh. Ferry crossings from Dover were cancelled
after wind speeds reached 60mph along the Kent coast.
Snow, wind and icy roads made the morning commute hazardous on
the M62, which crosses the Pennines in Yorkshire. Several inches of
snow also closed the A9 in the Highlands last night between Dalwhinnie
and Blair Atholl. More snow fell in the Highlands area this morning.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/18012007news.shtml
-
Snow hits central China affecting 878,000 people
More than 1,000 houses collapse under the weight
Xinhua – 16 Jan 06 - Heavy snow since Monday has crippled parts of central
China's
Hubei Province, disrupting the lives of 878,000 people and causing 1,002
houses to collapse,
according to the provincial civil affairs department.
The depth of the snow, which seriously affected 10 cities and counties in
southeast Hubei,
including Wuhan, the provincial capital, was five to ten centimeters. In some
mountainous
regions, the depth reached 30 cm (11.8 inches). (I’m guessing that the
houses weren’t
very sturdy.)
Another 2,424 houses were reportedly damaged in the snow and many roads cut
off,
communication networks were down and power supplies disrupted.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/16/content_5614762.htm
Thanks to Martin Hoer for this link
-
Coldest December on record in parts of New Zealand
13 Jan 07- Many places around the country, from Kaitaia to Kaikoura and
Arthurs Pass, had their coldest Decembers on record as mean temperatures
reached up to 3C below normal. The average temperature in Auckland was
16C, 2.1C lower than usual, and at12.7C Wellington endured the coldest
December in more than 70 years.
Christchurch was 2 times wetter than normal. Parts of Canterbury and Otago
also had above-average rainfall and Middlemarch had its wettest December
on record.
Pukekohe (4.4C), Christchurch airport (0.1C) and Manapouri, West Arm (-0.6)
all had record low temperatures. New Plymouth, Wanganui and Blenheim had their
coldest December in at least 60 years.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000B339E-906B-159B-84EA83027AF1010F
Thanks to Pat (Bluedog) in New Zealand for this link
-
Punjab temperatures drop to a record low
7 Jan 07 - Punjab froze Saturday as temperatures dropped below zero.
Adampur suffered the most,
with temperatures plummeting to minus 3.8C, six degrees below normal. Ludhiana
registered a low
of minus 1.4C, a record at seven degrees below normal, Amritsar dropped
to1.3C, five below normal,
Patiala plunged to 0.2C, seven below normal, and Chandigarh dropped to 0C,
seven below normal.
Many places in Haryana also saw biting cold. Ambala registered a low of 1.4
C, six below normal.
Karnal dropped to 2C, five below normal, and Narnaul dropped to 3C.
The MET Department in Chandigarh was at a loss to explain what was causing
the mercury to drop
over the past few days. (I have some thoughts.)
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200701070313.htm
-
Heavy snow in northern Japan - 8 Jan 07 - The Abashiri prefecture
reports around 50cm of snow
(half a meter), while the more mountainous areas report up to 155cm
(one-and-a-half meters plus).
Snow also left many towns and villages in Hokkaido buried under several inches
of snow. Winds
during the storm reached nearly 110mph tearing off roofs and bringing down
power lines, leaving
many thousands without power.
More than 170 flights in and out of Chubu airport in Aichi, near Nagoya, were
cancelled due to the
high winds along with many of the high speed ‘bullet’ trains, as snow
buried the tracks.
Many areas are still under strong wind and heavy snow warnings.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/08012007news.shtml
-
Winter chill kills 80 in northern India
7 Jan 07 -Cold weather across northern and eastern India has killed at
least
80 people in the past week, forcing authorities to close schools and
colleges
and deliver firewood to the homeless.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/07012007news.shtml
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