Storms
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Snowflake

UK: Snow, rain and floods make bank holiday travels a trial


BBC News
Mon, 02 Apr 2018 20:50 UTC
snow, cars
Drivers in Nenthead, Cumbria faced treacherous conditions as up to 4in (10cm) of snow fell in the north of the UK.
Travellers returning from bank holiday trips faced delays as heavy rain and snow closed roads.

Up to 4in (10cm) of snow covered parts of Scotland, northern England and north Wales, while torrential rain fell in southern England.

Flood warnings and alerts are in force in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings as the AA warns that motorists faced one of the busiest bank holidays on the roads in recent years.

As of 21:00 BST the Environment Agency had issued 41 flood warnings and 217 flood alerts in England, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued one flood warning for people in Scotland.

Natural Resources Wales had one flood warning and 19 flood alerts in place for Wales.

Comment: Ice age on the way: Gulf Stream is slowing down faster than ever, scientists say

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Ice Cube

America's North East continues to be battered by storms - with 'Spring snow' to follow

ANIEL MANZO
ABC News
Sun, 01 Apr 2018 18:43 UTC
A storm is developing in the central Plains Sunday and rapidly moving off to the east.
© ABCA storm is developing in the central Plains Sunday and rapidly moving off to the east.
The first storm of the holiday weekend moved through the upper Midwest on Saturday bringing as much as a foot of snow in northern Minnesota. Now another storm is developing in the central Plains Sunday and rapidly moving to the east -- with snow likely from Nebraska to Ohio on Easter Sunday.

Snow will reach Missouri and Illinois by the early evening hours, and then move into Indiana and Ohio by Sunday night. Occasional heavy bursts of snow are likely, which will reduce visibility. Although the snow will have some difficulty sticking to roadways, slick and treacherous spots will develop in the region Sunday evening, and travel will be impacted.

Comment: This will be perhaps the fifth Nor'Easter after a string of other storms to hit the US in just under two months: Fourth Nor'easter this month to bring snow and on the first day of Spring - and we can expect more to come

And it's not just the US experiencing unusual cold:

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Cloud Precipitation

Police retrieve 4 bodies following major flooding in Fiji


RNZ
Sun, 01 Apr 2018 14:40 UTC
FLOOD
Fiji police are still searching for a 19 year-old man who was washed away by flood waters in Sabeto, Nadi.

Heavy rain and strong winds associated with Tropical Cyclone Josie, a category one, has caused major flooding in parts of the country.

Police have confirmed that five people have been washed away by flood waters and Police have retrieved four bodies.

A woman was found in Vatulaulau in Ba, a 55 year-old man was found in Lautoka and two people have been found in Uciwai in Nadi.

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Attention

Study: Super typhoon may flood a third of Tokyo


The Straits Times
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 22:52 UTC
Tokyo, Japan
© BLOOMBERGA Tokyo Metropolitan Government report says 99 percent of Sumida Ward, where Tokyo Skytree is located, will be flooded if a supertyphoon hits the capital.
One-third of central Tokyo could be left under water and nearly four million people affected if a super typhoon were to strike Japan's capital, causing storm surges, a new study has warned.

The Tokyo metropolitan government unveiled on Friday its first estimate of the capital city's vulnerability to damage from typhoon-related high tidal waves, as risks of storm damage continue to rise globally.

According to the report, 212 sq km, or one third of Tokyo's central area, could be inundated to a maximum depth of 10m if a super typhoon creates high tidal waves.

A severe event of this type would be estimated to affect as many as 3.95 million people in the city, flooding business and entertainment districts as well as major railway stations, the local government said.

Tokyo has a population of 13.7 million people.
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Windsock

Jelawat rapidly intensified into the first super typhoon of 2018

Jonathan Erdman
The Weather Channel
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 06:36 UTC
Super Typhoon Jelawat
© NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP/VIIRSSuper Typhoon Jelawat on March 30, 2018.
Typhoon Jelawat not only became the first typhoon of 2018, but then exploded into a Category 4 super typhoon, a relative rarity this early in the calendar.

Jelawat was first categorized as a tropical depression last Saturday, then strengthened to become the year's first typhoon Thursday afternoon, U.S. time.

Over the western Pacific Ocean north of the equator and west of the International Dateline, tropical cyclones are called typhoons when they strengthen to the equivalent of a hurricane.

But Jelawat, named for a Malaysian word for a freshwater fish, wasn't content to merely slide across the typhoon threshold.

Because of a west-to-east cocoon of lower wind shear, strong outflow winds aloft providing ventilation for thunderstorms, and some warmer than average ocean water, Jelawat rapidly intensified, gaining 70 knots (roughly 80 mph) of intensity in just 24 hours, becoming the equivalent of a Category 4 super typhoon by Friday morning, U.S. time.
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Tornado2

Amazed residents film tornado touch-down in Var, France

Chad Seabrook
Sott.net
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 18:27 UTC
tornado france var
© Bryan Frt/ Facebook
Life on our planet is clearly undergoing serious changes that can be seen in the shifting seasons and also in individual, unusual but increasingly common events.

January in France saw every major weather station record above average rainfall with 30 departments on alert for flooding, areas of Paris underwater as the Seine swelled to 6 metres, and mountain areas saw unexpectedly high snowfall. Then, in 24 hours in February, France saw a magnitude 4.8 earthquake and a fireball.

So in keeping with what is actually a worldwide trend, today 31st March, La Crau residents in the Var region in France, saw Spring's grey skies birth a tornado which touched down early afternoon, and thankfully the locals whipped out their recording devices to capture the phenomenon. An investigation is under way to determine the strength of the winds.

Comment: See Also:

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Cloud Precipitation

A taste of the future? Hailstorms damage crops in several districts of Bihar, India

Ayesha Hassan
The Times of India
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 13:26 UTC
crop damage
Crop damage
Hailstorm accompanied by moderate rain lashed several districts in north Bihar on Friday.

Certain blocks of Sitamarhi, Madhubani, East and West Champaran, Araria, Kishanganj and Darbhanga witnessed hailstorm along with thundershowers during the day. Thunder squalls occurred in some districts in north Bihar, such as Purnia and Motihari.

Satellite observations of Doppler Weather Radar on Friday morning showed severe thunderstorm, hailstorm, lightning accompanied with light to moderate rain and winds at a speed of 60-80km per hour lashing Bettiah, Motihari, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Katihar, Madhepura, Supaul, Araria and Saharsa from 10am to 1pm on Friday.

The snow pellets during the hailstorm caused damage to standing wheat, sugarcane and maize crops in many north Bihar districts. Litchi and mango blossoms also sustained damages.

Comment: Similar events in Asia have also occurred recently in Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning kills two, crops damaged by large hailstones in Rangpur, Bangladesh

Liakat Ali Badal and Mohammed Serajul Islam
Dhaka Tribune
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 11:37 UTC
A significant number of crops were devastated by the storm
© Ariful Islam/Dhaka TribuneAriful Islam/Dhaka Tribune
A huge storm and hailstones passed over Rangpur city and surrounding districts on Friday afternoon, resulting in at least two deaths and significant damage to crops. The most affected areas were different areas of Pirganj and Mithapukur upazila.

Meanwhile, one person was killed in Sylhet as a result of flying debris in the storm.

In Rangpur, at least two people have died, and about 50 others were injured, while significant damage was done to trees and households .The two deceased were Shamim of Badarganj and Nayan Miah of Taraganj, both day labourers who were struck by lightning.

Besides Rangpur city, the tornado hit several parts of Gangachhara, Pirganj, Mithapukur, and Taraganj upazilas.

Comment: On the same day in Pakistan a lighting bolt killed 3 farmers in Pabna while a man died after being hit on the 23rd of March in Netrakona. Elsewhere across the world an angler was fatally struck in Malayasia on the 24th and a woman died in India on the 22nd due to the same cause.

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Cloud Precipitation

Hailstorm damages crop and property in Bhutan


Kuensel
Fri, 30 Mar 2018 12:13 UTC
Stock photo
Hail and windstorm in several gewogs in Sarpang yesterday afternoon damaged crops and property.

No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.

Preliminary disaster assessment report found damage in three gewogs of Shompangkha, Dekiling and Gakidling. Shompangkha is the most affected gewog.

As of late evening yesterday, assessment could be carried out in just half of Darjaythang and Kencholing chiwogs. Roofs of six houses were blown away and over 10 poultry farms were damaged. The disaster left over 400 poultry birds, six goats, and a cow dead.
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Cloud Precipitation

Massive storm with hail the size of tennis balls damages crops, house roofs in Nepal

Prabhat Kumar Jha
The Himalayan Times
Fri, 30 Mar 2018 11:58 UTC
Piles of hailstones deposited in Matsari area of Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality, in Rautahat district, on Friday, March 30, 2018.
© Prabhat Kumar JhaPiles of hailstones deposited in Matsari area of Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality, in Rautahat district, on Friday, March 30, 2018.
A massive hailstorm has severely damaged crops and tiled roofs of more than 200 houses in around a score of villages in Rautahat today.

Most of the hailstones, as big as lawn tennis balls, weighing about 500 grammes hit the villages of the municipalities — Madhav Narayan, Devahi Gonahi, Gadhimai, Gajura, Rajdevi and Garuda — including Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality for 35 minutes since 8:00 am on Friday morning.
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