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Bermuda's hurricanes are twice as strong as they were six decades ago

Harry Baker
LiveScience
Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:00 UTC
Hurricane Florence
© ShutterstockHurricane Florence off US Coast in 2018
Ocean warming is fueling stronger hurricanes.

Hurricanes are blasting Bermuda with wind speeds that have more than doubled in strength over the last 66 years, due to rising ocean temperatures in the region as a result of climate change, according to a new study.

Within a 62-mile (100 kilometers) radius of Bermuda, the average maximum wind speed of hurricanes increased from 35 to 73 mph (56 to 117 km/h) between 1955 and 2019, the researchers found. This is the equivalent of a 6 mph (10 km/h) increase every decade.

During this time, sea-surface temperatures in the region also increased by up to two degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius), according to the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS), a long-running dataset collected by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

Scientists already knew that higher sea surface temperatures fuel stronger tropical cyclones. But the new findings show that temperatures below the sea surface also play a key role in how these storms form.

Comment: See also:

Bad news: Study claims hurricanes' translational speed is slowing down, potentially increasing damage

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Cloud Precipitation

'Pineapple Express' atmospheric river is headed for the rain-soaked US Northwest

Alison Chinchar
The Mercury News
Sun, 21 Feb 2021 18:53 UTC
atmospheric river
© CNNAn atmospheric river event known as the Pineapple Express is forecast to bring a prolonged period of wet weather and the potential for avalanches to Washington and Oregon beginning Sunday.
An atmospheric river event known as the "Pineapple Express" is forecast to bring a prolonged period of wet weather and the potential for avalanches to Washington and Oregon beginning Sunday.

The effects from rain and considerable mountain snow will be felt through early this week. With the ground already saturated from previous storms, flooding is possible even from the few inches of rain the storm is forecast to produce.

Avalanche warnings have been issued for much of the Cascades across Washington ahead of this heavy snow. A "high" avalanche danger warning (level 4 out of 5) has been issued for Sunday by the Northwest Avalanche Center. Large natural avalanches are possible even at lower elevations.

Avalanches have killed 30 people across the United States this winter season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

"This will mark the beginning of a wet period across Western Washington, as the southern periphery of the Atmospheric River will affect the region before it shifts southward over the area Monday," the National Weather Service office in Seattle warned Saturday.

Comment: Study reveals atmospheric rivers to double in size

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Cloud Precipitation

Philippines evacuates thousands in southern areas as storm approaches


Bangkok Post
Sun, 21 Feb 2021 18:55 UTC
Tropical Storm Auring Dujuan Philippines flooding
© Gov. Ayec PimentelAn aerial photo shows the extent of flooding in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021 after a river overflowed its banks due to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Auring (international name: Dujuan).
Philippine authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people in the south of the country on Sunday as tropical storm Dujuan approaches.

About 51,400 people have been moved to 331 evacuation centres in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Butuan City, the disaster risk reduction and management agency said.
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Snowflake Cold

6,601 US cold records from Feb 7 to Feb16

Robert W. Felix
Ice Age Now
Sat, 20 Feb 2021 14:01 UTC
texas
A full thirty percent of all U.S. reporting stations set record daily cold highs and 20% set record daily cold lows from Feb. 14-16, according to NOAA. From Feb. 7th to the 16th, 6,601 daily cold records (for a particular day) were tied or set.

There were 944 daily-record-cold highs on Feb. 14, alone. (Happy Valentines day everyone.)

Another 567 daily-record-cold lows were set on the following day, Feb. 15.

As impressive as those numbers are, dozens of locations set records, not just for a particular day, but for any day in their history.
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Boat

Deluge: Areas of south Wales slammed by month's worth of rain in 24 hours


BBC
Sat, 20 Feb 2021 19:28 UTC
Parts of the Tywi Valley, near Capel Dewi in Carmarthenshire, were flooded
Parts of the Tywi Valley, near Capel Dewi in Carmarthenshire, were flooded
Roads have been flooded and train lines blocked because of heavy rain across Wales.

Some areas of south Wales have seen a month's worth of rain in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.

The forecaster has put an amber warning in place until 22:00 GMT on Saturday for 13 of Wales' 22 counties.

A landslide has closed the B4459 at Capel Dewi in Ceredigion and flooding has shut several roads, including the A483 in Builth Wells, Powys.

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Ice Cube

Record-breaking winter weather has millions of Americans trying to stay warm

Steve Almasy, Madeline Holcombe and Holly Yan
CNN
Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:15 UTC
texas snow storm power failure
Texans shivered as power grid failed in the face of the February snowstorm
While many Americans were dealing with how to stay warm Tuesday, some vaccine providers were dealing with the news that some shipments were running behind.

About 105 million Americans throughout the county remain under a winter storm warning or watch as many deal with frustrating power outages and stinging cold temperatures. "Significant snow, sleet, and freezing rain accumulations will spread across most of the Mid-South Wednesday and Thursday," the National Weather Service said.

Winter storm warnings are in effect in parts of Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and all of Arkansas. Watches are in place from Kentucky to New England.The weather has led to at least 26 deaths, including three people who died in carbon monoxide related incidents and one driver who hit a snowplow.

The frozen precipitation also was hampering coronavirus distribution.
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Snowflake Cold

Severe blizzard hits Kazakhstan


Kazinform
Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:01 UTC
snow
A storm alert was issued for the cities of Nur-Sultan and Kokshetau as well as six regions of Kazakhstan for today, February 18, Kazhydromet reports.

It is expected to snow and rain in the Kazakh capital today with fog, blizzard and ice-slick predicted locally. Mercury is forecast to drop sharply from +1+3 to -15-17 degrees Celsius and lower.

Snow and rain, ice-slick and blizzard are also expected to batter tonight Mangistau region. Wind gusting 15-18 m/s is to roll through the region.

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Snowflake Cold

Aerial views of a frozen downtown Chicago under snow during historic cold weather


VOA News
Fri, 19 Feb 2021 12:28 UTC
cold
Aerial views of downtown Chicago under a blanket of snow during an historic cold snap that has had the United States in its grip for several days, thanks to an Arctic blast that is causing temperatures to plummet.

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Cloud Precipitation

Woman dies in flash flood on Maui, Hawaii


Star-Advertiser
Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:08 UTC
floods
A swimmer at Waioka Pond, also known as Venus Pool, died after a flash flood swept multiple swimmers out to the ocean today, the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety announced.

Maui Fire Department personnel responded just before 10 a.m. to the swimmers being swept out to the ocean.

The department confirmed that two swimmers were able to climb to safety before being carried into the ocean. Two other swimmers ended up in the ocean, but one was able to swim back to shore.

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Snowflake

World Snow Wrap Feb 19 - Utah had 2 metres in 5 days - Japan's epic season continues

Reggae Elliss
Mountain Watch
Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:15 UTC
All hands on deck in Snowbird on Feb 16.
© Snowbird resortAll hands on deck in Snowbird on Feb 16.
The past two weeks have seen a bit of everything in the Northern Hemisphere with Japan having a couple of warm spells in between deep powder, Canada has been fine but freezing, it's all sunshine in Europe and there have been some ridiculously deep days in the Northern Rockies.

Japan

It has been a mixed couple of weeks in Japan with heavy snowfalls and good powder days last week followed by warm weather and rain earlier in the week. The rain turned to snow in Hokkaido on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday Lucy Morrell our reporter in Furano wrote that, "the mix of yesterday's warmth and rain plus snow meant this morning we're all barricaded in our houses behind freezing slush." Not to worry, it's been all about powder since.

In Niseko the rain also turned to snow on Tuesday night leaving 46cms of fresh snow and temps at -8 with good powder on offer. There was another 25cms yesterday and the storm should clear today. The forecast is for the chance of rain across Hokkaido tomorrow, but the Grasshopper's calling for a return to snow after dark night and continuing on Sunday.

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