Earth ChangesS


Better Earth

China's delaying tactics threaten climate deal

Chris Green
The Independent
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:55 UTC
China is attempting to scupper chances of a comprehenive agreement at the Copenhagen climate summit by using delaying tactics, sources inside the negotiations have told The Independent.

At an emergency meeting convened at the Bella Center this morning, Barack Obama and Gordon Brown assembled 26 heads of state in an attempt to revive a deal. But China's Premier Wen Jiabao did not attend and was replaced by vice foreign minister He Yafei.

This afternoon, the US president and his secretary of state Hillary Clinton called another meeting with China, but were snubbed again when only three low-level Chinese delegates arrived.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

US: Florida Heat and Floods Make Way for Cold

Julie Brown
Miami Herald
Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:30 UTC
Wicked weather this week -- heat, wind, storms, floods...and now cold -- puts the region through the wringer

We were sweating buckets on Monday, pumping out flood water on Friday and we'll be pulling on our warm slippers on Sunday.

Blame it on the tides, El Niño, poor street drainage, global warming.

South Florida's weather gods sure have us spinning on a pre-winter roller coaster.

This week, record-breaking heat gave way to torrential rain, which gave way to flooding and tornadoes. There will be a peek of warm sunshine Saturday and Sunday before dropping into the low 40s by the end of the weekend.

Meteorologists scrambled to get a handle on the punishing storms on Thursday and Friday that caught most of the region by surprise -- including the weather forecasters.

A chain of brutal thunderstorms barreled across South Florida late Thursday, pounding the coastal areas -- but leaving some western towns and cities relatively unscathed.
Read More...
Magnify

US: December 19 - Today in Denver Weather History

Tony Hake
Examiner
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:56 UTC
Looking back at today in Denver weather history we see how cold weather can turn deadly. In fact, it was 11 years ago this week that a cold spell hospitalized many for hypothermia and killed five people.

From the National Weather Service:

From the 17th to the 24th:

In 1924...a prolonged cold spell occurred after mild temperatures during the first half of the month. Most low temperatures dipped below zero with the coldest reading of 15 degrees below zero occurring on the 24th. The high temperature of only 5 degrees on the 18th was a record low maximum for the date.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Freezing Weather Claims 15 Lives in Poland


IOL.co.za
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:41 UTC
Polish police say 15 people froze to death in the country overnight as temperatures fell as low as minus 20 Celsius in some places.

Police also appealed Sunday to Poles to alert police if they come across homeless or drunk people lying outdoors in an attempt to lower the number of people who die each winter from the bitter cold.

Police say 47 people have already frozen to death countrywide since the beginning of December.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

UK: All Flights Resume At Manchester Airport

David Williams
Sky News
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:16 UTC
Manchester Airport has resumed full service after all of its planes were grounded because of the severe weather.

Flights in and out of the airport have been given the green light after snow and ice was cleared off runway one - the only runway being used over the Christmas period.

Meanwhile, five Easyjet flights have been cancelled at Bristol Airport.

A spokesperson confirmed all other flights were going ahead.

Earlier, the travel plans of thousands in the North of England were disrupted after Manchester Airport cancelled services for an hour and a half amid heavy snow.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

US: Winter Weather Delays Travel

Shannon Mulaire
MyFOX
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:56 UTC
Across the country, thousands of flights were canceled and delayed as winter weather walloped the Northeast.

Keith Lane-Richardson and his wife Sheila had a long evening ahead of them at Tampa International Airport.

"We've been here about an hour and we've got another six hours to do," said Lane-Richardson.

Weather has delayed their flight home. For Keith, it's Christmas come early: a built-in excuse to kick up his feet and relax.

"I love being at airports. I can endure four or five hours no problem, but my wife was very upset," added Lane-Richardson.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

US: Winter Weather Socking New York City


New York Post
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:32 UTC
Image
© Paul MartinkaSchool maintenance crew clears snow from Public School 230 on 12th Avenue & Dahill Road in Kensington, Brooklyn. 8 to 12 inches are expected.
New York City and its suburbs are preparing to get walloped by the snowstorm that has crippled travel and caused power outages across the East Coast.

Stores closed early and driving became treacherous as snow began sticking to the roads. There were minor delays at the area's three major airports.

National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Maloit says that the storm will drop about 8 to 10 inches of snow on the city. A blizzard was expected to hit the Long Island suburbs, with 12 to 18 inches forecast. Snow was dropping steadily by about 6:30 p.m.

Maloit says the area will get hit with the brunt of the storm in the next hour or two as a band of heavy snow moves northward.

Five deaths appeared to have been caused by the storm system, which stretched from the Carolinas north to New England and also spread into some Midwestern states. The 14 inches of snow that fell at Reagan National Airport outside Washington was the most ever recorded for a single December day, while about 9 inches had fallen in Philadelphia.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Serie A: All Italian Matches Hit by Bad Weather


ESPN: Europe
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:30 UTC
Image
© AP PhotoWorkers shovel snow from the pitch of the Bologna Dall'Ara stadium
AC Milan's hopes of clawing some ground back on Serie A leaders Inter before the end of the year were hit by the postponement of their match at Fiorentina.

Milan are five points behind their city rivals following a run of four wins in five matches, with this weekend's programme the final round of fixtures before the league breaks up for Christmas.

Leonardo's men had been hoping to further close that gap and also ensure they would head into the winter break in second place, but heavy snow at the Stadio Artemio Franchi saw the fixture in Florence called off this evening.

Juventus will have the chance to climb above Milan when they play host to Catania on Sunday.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Five Dead as Snowstorm Engulfs U.S. East Coast


BBC News
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:02 UTC
Image
© AP PhotoSnow was being cleared from the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore ahead of an NFL game on Sunday
A winter storm is gripping the eastern US, dumping more than 1ft (30cm) of snow in some areas, snarling up travel and cutting power supplies.

Storm-related incidents claimed five lives and forecasters warned of 40mph (64km/h) winds in what may be the worst snowstorm in a decade.

Snowfall is due to reach 22in overnight in the Baltimore-Washington DC area, the heaviest since 2003.

The storm system is moving north toward New York and Boston.

Forecasters say the cities could be in for more than 14in of snow.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Major earthquake strikes Taiwan; buildings rattled in capital of Taipei


Associated Press
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:45 UTC
A large earthquake struck Taiwan on Saturday, rattling buildings in the capital of Taipei.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.4-magnitude quake was centered off the eastern coast of Taiwan, about 16 miles (25 kilometers) from Hua-lien. It struck at a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue any warning.
Read More...