Storms
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Cloud Lightning

'Rare' tornado hits Washington city of Longview


The Daily News
Fri, 24 Oct 2014 16:34 UTC
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© AP Photo/The Daily News, John Markon
Workers bring roofing material to start temporary repairs on the roof of the Carl's Towing building, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 in Longview, Wash.
The southwest Washington city of Longview tallied the damage Friday from a rare tornado that tore off roofs, broke windows and uprooted trees, leaving residents and officials in disbelief. No one was injured in the Thursday afternoon wind blast, which covered 1.3 miles and unleashed winds as high as 110 mph, the National Weather Service said.

Police and fire crews responded quickly to the hardest-hit area, but Longview Fire Chief Phil Jurmu admitted his first reaction was puzzlement. "I kind of furrowed my brow, probably, and said, 'What?'" he told KATU-TV of Portland.

Tornadoes are rare in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, where the nearby Pacific Ocean generally prevents severe temperature changes. But another one hit southwest Washington in 1972 and caused damage in Vancouver, Washington, just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.
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Cloud Precipitation

UK and Germany experience storm surge flooding after Hurricane Gonzalo

Richard Davies
floodlist.com
Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:11 UTC
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Hurricane Gonzalo, or at least what is left of it, has caused storm surges and coastal flooding in parts of northern Europe over the last few days.

Gonzalo has left a trail of destruction behind from Bermuda to Canada and on to UK and other parts of northern Europe, including Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

On Monday 20 October, Gonzalo hit Ireland and the United Kingdom with winds of 159 kph (99 mph) was reported on the Isle of Wight, according to the BBC. Around 600,000 homes were left without power at one point. Three people have been killed in the storm (1 in UK and 2 in France), and several others left injured.

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Cloud Lightning

Buildings hit and trees toppled as hailstorm pummels Turf City, Singapore


Today (Singapore)
Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:10 UTC
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A heavy thunderstorm pelted Turf City with hailstones yesterday afternoon, felling trees and causing damage that could prove costly for some businesses there.

The owner of All Star Golf Range, Mr Tendy Tsai, told Channel NewsAsia that the severe thunderstorm happened at around 2.30pm and caused some structural damage to the facility, but no one was injured.

Mr Tsai said he was waiting for the surveyor to assess the damage.

"The golf range will be closed for approximately two to three months and we will incur a loss of about S$300,000," he added.

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Bizarro Earth

Hurricane Ana floods roadways putting Hawaii's Big Island under Flash Flood Warning


Hawaii 247
Sat, 18 Oct 2014 23:43 UTC
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Flash Flood Warning

The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a Flash Flood Warning for the Big Island until 12 noon Saturday (Oct 18). At 9 a.m. rain gages at Kulani Cone above Glenwood showed heavy rain falling at two inches per hour. This area of heavy rain was nearly stationary. The heavy rains will continue to stream into the Ka'u and Puna districts over the next two to three hours.

The Hawaii Police Department reports that Highway 11 between the 57 and 58 mile marks between Pahala and Naalehu is closed to all traffic due to flooding. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and to use alternate routes if possible.

Campers and hikers should avoid low lying flood prone areas. People should stay away from streams, drainage ditches and low lying areas prone to flooding. The rainfall and runoff will cause hazardous driving conditions due to ponding, reduced visibility and poor braking action.
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Windsock

80% of Bermuda without power as Hurricane Gonzalo hits


BBC News
Sat, 18 Oct 2014 20:18 UTC
Hurricane Gonzalo
© Nicola Muirhead/ReutersBermuda's south shore is battered by heavy winds from Hurricane Gonzalo, which pounded the British territory Friday evening.
Hurricane Gonzalo has hit Bermuda, cutting power to many residents.

The category 2 hurricane caused flooding, felled trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings, including the island's main hospital.

Wind speeds of up to 175km/h (110mph) were reported, making it the strongest storm to hit the British overseas territory in a decade.

However there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries and emergency services are now clearing the wreckage.
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Cloud Lightning

Tropical storm Trudy forms off Mexico's Pacific coast; flash floods and mudslides forecasted

Alex Alper
Reuters
Sat, 18 Oct 2014 07:11 UTC
rainfall tropical strorm trudy
Tropical storm Trudy formed off Mexico's Pacific coast late on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a statement forecasting life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in southern regions of the country.

The storm, which was headed north at about 5 miles (7 km) per hour, was about 85 miles (140 km) southeast of the beach resort of Acapulco on Friday evening and expected to make landfall in southern Mexico on Saturday.

With sustained winds of nearly 40 mph (65 km/h), Trudy is expected to dump 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm) of rain on the southern states of Guerrero and Oaxaca over the next few days.

The storm could strengthen before making landfall, when it is expected to weaken.
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Cloud Precipitation

Hurricane Gonzalo pounds the Bermuda coast with high waves, driving rain and gusting winds- expected to be a 'dangerous hurricane'

Sam Strangeways
Reuters
Fri, 17 Oct 2014 22:26 UTC
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© REUTERS/NASA/Alexander GerstHurricane Gonzalo is seen over the Atlantic Ocean in this NASA image taken by astronaut Alexander Gerst from the International Space Station October 17, 2014.
Hurricane Gonzalo began pounding the Bermuda coast with high waves, driving rain and gusting winds on Friday as one of the strongest storms to hit the tiny Atlantic island chain, forecasters said.

Gonzalo was swirling about 100 miles (165 km) south-southwest of the British island chain and had weakened slightly, with sustained winds dropping to 125 miles per hour (205 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The eye of the Category 3 storm was forecast to pass within 30 miles of Bermuda on Friday evening, with hurricane force winds extending up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center.

By mid-afternoon streets were empty as the high winds reaching tropical storm force of 40 mph (64 kph) bent back palm trees on Harrington Sound in the middle of the islands, prompting the government to close a major causeway bridge linking the main island to the east end.
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Cloud Grey

U.S. study finds tornadoes coming in 'swarms' rather than isolated occurrences

Will Dunham
Reuters
Fri, 17 Oct 2014 22:12 UTC
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© Reuters/Gene BlevinsA severe thunderstorm wall cloud is seen over the area of Canton, Mississippi in this April 29, 2014 file photo.
Tornadoes in the United States are increasingly coming in swarms rather than as isolated twisters, according to a study by U.S. government meteorologists published on Thursday that illustrates another trend toward extreme weather emerging in recent years.

Looking at tornado activity over the past six decades, the study in the journal Science found the total number of tornadoes annually remaining rather steady, averaging 495. Since the 1970s, there have been fewer days with tornadoes but plenty more days with many of them, sometimes dozens or more.

On the list of the 10 single days with the most tornadoes since 1954, eight have occurred since 1999, including five since 2011. That year alone had days with 115, 73, 53 and 52 twisters.

The meteorologist who led the study, Harold Brooks of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, said emergency management agencies and insurers should be prepared to deal more often with days with lots of tornado damage.
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Snowflake

Update: Blizzard conditions kill 27 in Nepal with another 70 missing

Ted Thornhill
Daily Mail UK
Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:22 UTC
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Members of the army pulling dead bodies of trekkers from the Thorung La mountain pass on the Annapurna Circuit, near Muktinath, in Mustang district
Dozens of stranded foreign trekkers have been rescued and more bodies have been found following a blizzard and avalanches in northern Nepal, taking the death toll to 27. About 70 people are still missing along or near the popular Annapurna trail, according to the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, and the death toll is expected to rise.

The route, 100 miles north-west of the capital, Kathmandu, was filled with international hikers during the peak October trekking season, when the air is generally clear and cool. Government administrator Yama Bahadur Chokhyal said rescuers recovered 10 more bodies from the Thorong La pass area - which lies at over 17,000 feet - where they had been caught in a sudden blizzard on Tuesday.

The bodies were not yet identified. Rescuers recovered the bodies of four other hikers - two Poles, an Israeli and a Nepalese - from the area on Wednesday.

Additional images
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Cloud Precipitation

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie declares Emergency as state prepares for Tropical Storm Ana's approach

Sean Breslin
The Weather Channel
Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:25 UTC
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For the first time since 1992, Hawaiians are preparing for the possibility of two tropical systems making landfall in one season. First, it was Iselle, which made landfall on the Big Island back in August. Now, Tropical Storm Ana is approaching the state, threatening to become a hurricane and ready to cause disruptions for residents even if it remains a tropical storm.

"Tropical Storm Ana is currently moving to the west and is expected to turn toward the northwest by Friday, taking it in the direction of the Hawaiian Islands," said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam. "Ana is expected to gradually strengthen and could still become a hurricane. Bands of rain may reach the Big Island as soon as late Friday and large swells are expected to begin to reach Hawaii late Thursday."

As a result, Gov. Neil Abercrombie has declared an emergency for the state, according to the Associated Press. The proclamation will last through Oct. 24, allowing the state to access state and federal resources for preparation and recovery, if needed, the report adds.

Residents on the Big Island and Oahu have been urged to prepare for serious weather conditions that could be life-threatening if the proper precautions aren't taken, KITV.com reports.
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