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Despite near-freezing temperatures, wildfire rages in Hot Springs, Arkansas


kait8.com
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 08:48 UTC
Image
© Mandie Gober
The U.S. Forest Service is battling a 50-acre wildfire northwest of Lake Ouachita State Park near Hot Springs.

Forest Service officials say the blaze began about noon Friday and has closed all trails within the Little Blakely Trail System. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire is located in a remote location and away from private lands or structures. Officials say it is expected to burn over the next several days.

Officials are managing the wildfire using a strategy that will allow it to burn to existing barriers such as roads or creeks, resulting in less damage to natural resources.

They say managing the fire that way will also reduce the chance that current wind conditions move heavy smoke through the Hot Springs area.

Source: Associated Press

Comment: The daytime high temperature is currently 3C/37F in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

What is UP with these winter wildfires?!

'Unprecedented' for January: Wildfire breaks out in middle of the night in cold mountains of California

More winter wildfire weirdness as forest fires break out in Oregon

Winter wildfire weirdness continues as warnings spread to chilly Arkansas

      Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Storm leaves 13 dead in Argentina


DNA India
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:53 UTC
Image
© Aajkikhabar.com
The storm that hit the western Argentine province of Catamarca late last week killed at least 13 people and left 12 others missing, the official Telam news agency reported Sunday.

The number of people missing in the storm, which hit the area Thursday and Friday, was reduced from an earlier estimate of 25, Telam said, citing government figures.

A mudslide hit the towns of El Rodeo and Sijan Thursday night.

Extensive damage was reported in the region and hundreds of people have been evacuated, and emergency services personnel have not ruled out the possibility that the death toll could climb as the search for the missing continues.

"This was a disaster, but we are going to rebuild all the affected areas," Catamarca Governor Lucia Corpacci said.

Corpacci visited the towns affected by the mudslide Saturday.

A cold wave followed by strong thunderstorms, heavy rains, powerful winds and hail hit much of Argentina Thursday.
      Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Major U.S. winter storm to bring snow, ice to Gulf Coast, Georgia and Carolinas

Nick Wiltgen
The Weather Channel
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:41 UTC
Image
© Weather Channel
Winter Storm Alerts
We are watching for a potentially major winter storm to affect a long swath of the Deep South this week - including places better known for their beaches, balmy breezes and hurricanes. This will include some of the areas affected by Winter Storm Kronos just last week - but it includes millions of people farther east as well.

The threat stems from the combination of a bitterly cold arctic air mass plunging southward behind a sharp cold front, while moisture streams northward from the Gulf Coast. As the moisture crosses into the cold air behind the front, a swath of frozen and freezing precipitation is likely to break out.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches, warnings and advisories from southeast Texas eastward along the Gulf Coast through Georgia, the southern half of South Carolina, eastern North Carolina and far southeast Virginia. For Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, Ga., it's the first winter storm watch issued for those two cities since Feb. 11, 2010. For Houston, it's the second time with a winter storm watch in just five days.

Let's step through the forecast and get into the details and uncertainties.

Image
© Weather Channel
Tuesday Forecast
Long Stretch of Ice and Snow

The latest blast of arctic air, already bursting south into the Midwest, will reach the Deep South Monday night. Temperatures should be at or below freezing by Tuesday morning along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Pensacola, Fla., as well as portions of the Carolina coast.

As Tuesday wears on, a broad zone of rising air will develop across the entire Gulf Coast (except for southwest Florida) and the Atlantic Coast of the Southeast, along and behind the arctic cold front. This will allow an elongated area of precipitation to develop from South Texas all the way to the Carolinas.
      Read More...
Snowflake

U.S. Winter storm watch expanded to include most of metro Atlanta

Mike Morris
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 06:11 UTC
Image
© WSBTV
The winter storm watch posted for Tuesday for the southern suburbs southward through middle Georgia has been expanded northward to include almost all of metro Atlanta, with forecasters warning that a "significant" winter storm is likely.

The watch, which goes into effect Tuesday morning and continues into early Wednesday, was initially issued Sunday for Clayton, Coweta, Fayette and Henry counties southward. But early Monday, the National Weather Service added Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Paulding, Douglas, Carroll, Haralson, Barrow, Jackson and Madison counties to the watch area.

The Weather Service said snow accumulations of a half inch to 2 inches are possible in those new counties, while south of there, accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible.

"The potential exists for significant impacts from this storm system" the Weather Service said at daybreak Monday. "Confidence is increasing in this event occurring."

The snow is expected to begin early Tuesday in the far south and continue through early Wednesday, with the heaviest precipitation expected Tuesday night. In metro Atlanta, the snow is expected to begin as early as mid-morning Tuesday.

Overall, the winter storm watch extends from the Gulf coast of Texas to coastal Virginia.

"You've got nothing to worry about today," Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said before daybreak Monday. "Tomorrow is when we'll start dealing with it."

Minton said "very cold air is going to come diving in here starting this evening, and those temperatures will drop fairly quickly."
      Read More...
Cloud Lightning

'Storm of the century' batters London with more violent weather expected

Amanda Nunn
London Evening Standard
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 00:26 UTC
Image
© London Evening Standard
Onslaught: the video shows people nearly swept off their feet in central London.
This is the dramatic moment Londoners were nearly thrown off their feet by violent storms battering the capital.

Strong winds whipped up water from the Thames lashing shoppers and forcing pedestrians to flee for cover in the face of the 55mph onslaught.

Virginia Elizabeth, visiting the capital from Canada, posted dramatic footage of the storms on Instagram.

She said: "A friend and I were casually strolling home along London bridge and bumped into the storm of the century."

Despite looking like a tornado, the Met office said it did not quite qualify with the swirling winds not being quite strong enough.

The capital is braced for further thunderstorms and possible flooding after numerous alerts were issued for London and the south east.
      Read More...
Better Earth

Catastrophic fire danger warning issued as states brace for another heatwave in Australia

Helen Davidson
The Guardian
Mon, 27 Jan 2014 01:45 UTC
Australia heatwave
© Earth Observatory/AAP
Satellite data showing the extent of the last heatwave.
A catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued as parts of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales face another heatwave with temperatures set to hit 45 degrees in some areas.

By Tuesday, the area around the Victoria-NSW border will be experiencing a "severe" heatwave, according the the Bureau of Meteorology's new pilot program tracking the progress of heatwaves.

That area will expand across much of the inland border area and to inland Western Australia by Friday.

Forecasted strong winds in parts of South Australia have prompted the country fire service to issue a catastrophic fire danger warning on Tuesday for the lower south-east.
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Wild winter weather: Series of tornadoes hit England... in January!


BBC/ITV
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 17:16 UTC
Image
A "mini-tornado" brought down trees, damaged property and even lifted cats in the air, an eyewitness has said. People living in Chobham in Surrey said the wind hit the area at about 17:00 GMT on Saturday. The storm is also reported to have swept through Kent and Sussex. One person said it was "like something out of a Steven Spielberg film". Continue reading the main story

Retford fire crews dealt with severe structural damage to around 15 Ordsall homes following yesterday's sudden 'tornado' storm. Notts Fire and Rescue sent two appliances to the Ordsall area at around 3:15pm yesterday afternoon, where roof damage, loose tiles, and fallen aerials and chimney pots were all reported. The worst affected streets were Westhill Road and Greenway - both home to many elderly residents.Continue reading the main story

Storm damage after mini-tornadoes sweep south England video
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Tornado hits Kapiti, New Zealand

Michael Forbes
Stuff.co.nz
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 17:11 UTC
Image
Emergency services have responded to reports of a mini tornado on the Kapiti Coast today. A Fire Communications spokeswoman said fire fighters were called to two houses in Raumati South, just south of Paraparaumu, after their roofs were lifted off by high winds just after 5pm.

One of the houses was in Dale St and the other was just around the corner in Tiromoana Rd. No-one was hurt at either address. ''There were reports of a mini-tornado in the area, but we're not sure about that at the moment,'' the spokeswoman said.

''I would've thought that if there was a tornado then there would be more than two reports.'' Wellington and surrounding areas experienced an intense period of rain late this afternoon. The NZ Transport Agency was warning motorists to take extra care on the Rimutaka Hill road between Upper Hutt and Featherston tonight due to strong winds.

The Fire Service was also called to clear a flooded drain in Tawa, north of Wellington, this evening.

via Fairfax NZ News
      Read More...
Bizarro Earth

USGS: Earthquake Magnitude 6.1 - 3km S of Lixourion, Greece


US Geological Survey
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 12:31 UTC
Lixourion Quake_270114
© USGS
Event Time
2014-01-26 13:55:42 UTC
2014-01-26 15:55:42 UTC+02:00 at epicenter

Location
38.169°N 20.431°E depth=12.3km (7.7mi)

Nearby Cities
3km (2mi) S of Lixourion, Greece
58km (36mi) NW of Zakynthos, Greece
90km (56mi) WNW of Amalias, Greece
90km (56mi) WSW of Mesolongi, Greece
289km (180mi) W of Athens, Greece

Technical Details
      Read More...
Cloud Lightning

Winter electrical storm batters half of UK with horizontal lightning and giant hailstones

Anna Edwards and Lucy Crossley and Jonathan Petre
The Daily Mail, UK
Sat, 25 Jan 2014 08:46 UTC
Image

Lightning strikes: This dramatic picture shows the moment a bolt of lightning struck a building in Birmingham as fierce storms battered Britain
  • Heavy rain soaks much of the country as fierce thunderstorms hit London
  • Electrical storms also struck across the Midlands and East Anglia
  • Huge hailstones batter Leicester while lightning strikes in Birmingham
  • Flood warnings as between 25 and 40mm of rain is expected quite widely
  • Potential of gusts reaching 80mph in the extreme north west regions
Heavy rain and strong wind has battered much of Britain, with fierce thunderstorms hitting London as the Met Office issued severe weather warnings.

Shoppers were left drenched in fierce downpours across the south, while sports fans at football, rugby and horse racing meetings were hit by torrential rain.

London was struck by a fierce electrical storm in later afternoon, with lightning strikes cracking across the sky, pouring rain and hailstones pelting the city.

The thunderstorms also struck across the Midlands and into East Anglia, with winds of more than 50mph reported yesterday afternoon.
      Read More...
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