Storms
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Windsock

Snow and ice set to hit UK after chaos caused by Storm Ciara


Sky News
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 04:31 UTC
Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, in the wake of Storm Ciara
© Sky NewsFlooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, in the wake of Storm Ciara
Parts of the UK could see blizzards and up to 20cm of snow after the weekend chaos of Storm Ciara.

More than 20,000 homes are without power after Sunday brought flooding, evacuations and travel disruption as winds reached 97mph and some areas saw a month and a half's rainfall in just 24 hours.

UK Power Networks said more than 18,500 households across the east and southeast of England are still without electricity, while Western Power Distribution reported more than 2,800 households remain without power.

The Environment Agency has issued 164 flood warnings across England, meaning immediate action is required. Another 267 flood alerts are also in place.

Monday brings the threat of further disruption, with a number of yellow weather warnings from the Met Office.
  • A warning for strong winds in southern England between 10am and 7pm
  • A warning for snow and ice in the north of England between 3pm and midnight
  • A warning for wind and snow across Scotland all day

Comment: Storm Ciara's hurricane-force winds batter UK transport

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Snowflake

Winter storm brings over 50 inches of snowfall in 24 hours to Rabbits Ear Pass, Colorado


Sky-Hi News
Sat, 08 Feb 2020 21:04 UTC
Winter Park Resort's snow stake maxed out during Friday's heavy storm.
© Winter Park ResortWinter Park Resort's snow stake maxed out during Friday's heavy storm.
Heavy snow closed roads across the county Friday, with some parts of Grand seeing more than 30 inches of accumulation.

The National Weather Service recorded 32.5 inches of snow at Berthoud Pass in the last 24 hours. Winter Park saw 30 inches and Grand Lake got 18 inches.

Rabbits Ear Pass has accumulated over 50 inches in the past day.

Meteorologist Joel Gratz of OpenSnow.com is reporting 30 inches at Winter Park Resort from the storm. He predicted a dry day Saturday, with another storm coming in Saturday night through Monday.


Comment: Also in the region: 'This is a truly historic storm' - 3 feet of snow falls on Vail Mountain, Colorado

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Snowflake

'This is a truly historic storm' - 3 feet of snow falls on Vail Mountain, Colorado

Danika Worthington
Denver Post
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:46 UTC
ski lift
No friends on powder days, they say. But there are plenty of strangers.

As of 5 a.m. Friday, Vail Mountain had seen 17 inches in 24 hours. By the end of the day, that number was up to 31 inches, according to Greg Johnson, vice president of mountain operations at Vail Mountain. Some parts of the mountain saw up to 36 inches.

"This is a truly historic storm," Johnson said. "The snow hasn't let up all day, so we're expecting great conditions throughout the weekend and into next week."


Comment: Also in Colorado, Steamboat Resort received 18 inches of snow in 24 hours on the same day.



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Cloud Lightning

Two people killed after being struck by lightning in South Africa

Sikho Ntshoban
Dispatch Live
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:33 UTC
lightning
Two people from Qweqwe village outside Mthatha were killed after being struck by lightning while three others from Mhlontlo municipal area were rushed to hospital after a house collapsed on them after a thunderstorm swept through villages in the OR Tambo district last weekend.

District municipal spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane said the number of people left homeless by the strong rains accompanied by gale force winds had risen to 48, according to the latest information from their disaster management unit.

"Two people were struck and killed by lightning at Qweqwe village in ward 31 of KSD on Sunday," she said."
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Snowflake

60 inches of snow in 4 days at Apex Mountain, British Columbia - Most snow in 40-plus years

Chelsea Powrie
Castanet
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:18 UTC
Apex Mountain Resort sees most snow in 40-plus years.
© Apex Mountain Resort InstagramApex Mountain Resort sees most snow in 40-plus years.
James Shalman likens the conditions at Apex Mountain Resort to skiing on clouds.

"You're skiing in this kind of weightless powder zone, the snow is blowing up over your shoulders, it truly is what you live for as a skier or snowboarder," Shalman, Apex general manager, said from the top of the hill Friday.

Apex Mountain has smashed through snowfall records this week, seeing over 150 centimetres in the last four days, and it's still coming down.

"We just happen to be in this little storm cell, and it just hit us, in a great way," Shalman said.

He has been at Apex for 20 years and can't recall a bigger, longer-lasting dump of snow, and he's been talking to locals in the lift lines whose memories stretch even further.

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Windsock

Storm Ciara's hurricane-force winds batter UK transport

Ben Quinn
The Guardian
Sun, 09 Feb 2020 10:15 UTC
High winds from Storm Ciara whip up foam onto the road at Caswell Bay near Swansea
© Phil Rees/Rex/ShutterstockHigh winds from Storm Ciara whip up foam onto the road at Caswell Bay near Swansea.
Hurricane-force winds have rocked Britain's transport network, causing the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life from falling debris.

The arrival of the weather front known as Storm Ciara, along with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles per hour, also comes with a heightened risk of flooding.

Heathrow airport said it had agreed with airlines to "consolidate" the flight schedule in a bid to minimise the number of cancelled flights.

British Airways was offering rebooking options for customers on domestic and European flights flying to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City while Virgin Atlantic also posted a list of cancelled flights on its website.

At least 10 rail companies sent out "do not travel" warnings, and nearly 20 others have told passengers to expect delays as strong winds were expected to damage electrical wires and clutter train tracks with broken tree limbs and other debris.

Rail companies issuing warnings against travel included Gatwick Express, Great Northern, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, Grand Central Hull Trains and TransPennine Express.

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Cloud Lightning

Lighting kills 4 mountain gorillas in Uganda

Javira Ssebwami
PML Daily
Sat, 08 Feb 2020 13:32 UTC
Mgahinga national park
Four mountain gorillas from Volcanoes national park in Rwanda have been found dead inside Uganda's Mgahinga national park in southwestern Uganda, reports The Observer.

According to reports, the gorillas are suspected to have been killed by a lightning strike on February 3. The deceased gorillas include three adult females and a male infant.

The Hirwa family of 17 members crossed to Uganda's Mgahinga national park on August 28, 2019, from Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.
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Snowflake

Severe winter weather in central and eastern Europe - at least 3 killed

Travis Fedschun
Fox News
Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:28 UTC
A snowplow pulls a truck stranded along a snow-covered road in the village of Naklerov, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.
A snowplow pulls a truck stranded along a snow-covered road in the village of Naklerov, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.
A series of winter storms across central and eastern Europe claimed another life on Thursday after an elderly man was found dead in his snow-trapped car in Serbia.

The spate of blizzards and strong winds combined with heavy rain and snow have left at least three people dead across the region.

Serbian police said Thursday they found a man's body while rescuing around 20 people, including five children, from their blocked cars on a road the southwestern part of the country.


Comment: Reports from other countries in the region:








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Snowflake

Winter storm drops snow on Haleakala, Big Island summits, Hawaii

Ben Gutierrez
Hawaii News Now
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 12:08 UTC
Winter storm drops snow on Haleakala
Winter storm drops snow on Haleakala
A deep cold front dropped snow on the summits of Haleakala on Maui, and Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island, resulting in snowcaps on Hawaii's three tallest mountains.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu had those summits under a winter storm warning through noon Friday.

A dusting of snow fell on summit of Haleakala, which tops out at about 10,023 feet. The road to the summit was closed for much of the day Friday because of icy conditions.

Meanwhile, snow accumulations of up to 6 inches is in the forecast for the Big Island summits.

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Snowflake Cold

Snowfall, blizzard cause traffic disruptions across Romania


Romania Insider
Thu, 06 Feb 2020 10:12 UTC
BLIZZARD
Roads and railways have closed, trains have been canceled and schools have closed across the country after the recent snowfall and blizzard.

The A2 highway, linking Bucharest to Constanța, a city on the Romanian Black Sea coast, closed on the evening of February 5 because of the blizzard, G4media.ro reported.

In Buzău, Brăila, Ialomița and Tulcea counties, all national and county roads were closed between 22:00 and 08:00 for all vehicles, except the intervention ones.

In Harghita and Covasna counties segments of national roads were closed for traffic after trees fell onto the roads, while the blizzard closed national roads in Constanța county (DN 2A Hârșova - Ovidiu and DN22 Ovidiu - Tulcea). In Prahova county, the traffic was blocked on the national road DN1A Ploiești - Cheia because of the trees that had fallen down, while the DN 71 Sinaia - Moroieni was closed because of the blizzard. Similarly, roads were closed in Galati county (DN24 D Galați-Bârlad) and in Călărași county (DN 3 Călărași - Lehliu - Fundulea, DN3A Fetești - Lehliu, DN 31 Oltenița - Călărași, DN 21 Călărași - Slobozia and DN 3B Călărași- Borcea) because of the blizzard.

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