An El Nino weather pattern warming the Pacific Ocean and linked to drought in South Asia is likely to continue through the first quarter of 2010, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Tuesday.
The phenomenon, which began in June and intensified in October, has "implications for many climate patterns around the world over the next several months", the WMO said.
But a second year of El Nino conditions or rapid transition to a La Nina pattern -- its counterpart in which waters cool -- are considered "unlikely", according to the United Nations agency.
An El Nino, which means "little boy" in Spanish, is driven by an abnormal warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Earth Changes
© VOA Image
When Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila this year, the crowded city's planners were stunned at the amount of rain that poured down in a short time. Houses here sit close to the ground, even though the land is lower than a lake nearby.
"The most concerned extreme events in Southeast Asia is probably storm - typhoon and tropical storm," said climate scientist Anond Snidvongs.
Dr. Anond Snidvongs, who has studied climate change for more than a decade, has analyzed storm data over the past 60 years. Storm frequency, he says, comes in cycles of 30 years. But, he warns, warmer global temperatures could bring more, and bigger, storms.
© DE-World
A cold snap brought transport chaos to Europe.
A cold snap brought transport chaos to Europe.
Four Eurostar trains carrying more than 2,000 people were stranded between England and France as services ground to a halt in freezing conditions.
Up to 1,300 passengers from two of the trains had to be evacuated on a vehicle shuttle as winter brought transport chaos to Europe. The remaining passengers waited for carriages to be pushed out of the tunnel by a rescue train.
A difference in temperatures between cold air inside the tunnel and outside had forced the breakdown, according to train operator Eurostar.
The situation affecting the world's longest undersea rail connection was described as "unprecedented" by the company.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
© Paul Martinka
School maintenance crew clears snow from Public School 230 on 12th Avenue & Dahill Road in Kensington, Brooklyn. 8 to 12 inches are expected.
School maintenance crew clears snow from Public School 230 on 12th Avenue & Dahill Road in Kensington, Brooklyn. 8 to 12 inches are expected.
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.
