*Archive:*Weather around the World 5

[highcliffe2]

08/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Disaster strikes just hours from the finish line

Ex-hurricane Alex has wrecked the dreams of four Britons attempting to set a new Atlantic world rowing record.

Early on Sunday morning - 39 days after the Pink Lady and her crew left Canada - fierce storms split the boat in two, with only 300 miles (480 km) to go before the finish.

The storms were the product of ex-hurricane Alex joining forces with another low pressure system out in the Atlantic. The oarsmen had been prepared for the bad weather and had managed to row most of it out.

Skipper Mark Stubbs, Peter Bray, Jonathan Gornall and John Wills had decided to rest in their cabins overnight with the boat on sea anchor, as it was impossible to row in the stormy conditions of 60-foot waves and gale-force winds.

Unfortunately, it is thought a series of rogue waves caused the catastrophic damage to the vessel. The first the men knew about it was when they woke up underwater and had to escape from the wreckage.

The boat's distress beacon was activated at just after 0230 BST, and the four men climbed into their life raft wearing survival suits to await rescue. They remained in regular contact with Falmouth Coastguard by hand-held satellite phone.

A passing ship, the Scandinavian Reefer, picked up the men, which was no mean feat in the dangerous weather conditions. All the men are safe, although one is suffering from hypothermia and another has slight concussion after taking a knock to the head.

Only ten of the 29 attempts to row the Atlantic from east to west have been successful, and six men have died in the attempt.

Related Links: Pink Lady

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

09/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Summer nights and summer games

If you had trouble sleeping last night you weren't alone. It was one of the warmest nights on record in eastern parts of the UK, if not the warmest ever. In Aviemore, for example, the temperature didn't drop below 19.5 C (67.1 F) all night, 2 degrees higher than the previous record. More information on last night's temperatures will be available in today's review of the day.

Things are set to stay warm by night and by day over the next few days as tropical air and tropical downpours continue to sweep across the UK. The warm, moist air marks the remains of ex-hurricane Alex, which scuppered the Pink Lady rowing boat yesterday.

This week sees the start of the Olympic Games, and although Greece's hot and sunny climate is great for spectators, it's not so good for the athletes. In August, the temperatures can reach 36 C (97 F) for days on end, some days hitting the 40s. The heat is relentless, and it isn't much cooler overnight.

But it isn't just the Greek sun god that the athletes will be facing. Olympic organisers are dreading the arrival of Apollo's cousin, Aeolos, the god of wind.

Aeolos is responsible for the Meltemi wind, a northeasterly gale that often blows down from the mountains of the Balkans in the summer. The Meltemi winds are part and parcel of life in Greece and have been known of since Aristotle. The summer breezes help to cool the fierce heat and create a more temperature climate. Without them, it is believed that ancient Greece would never have got off the ground.

The winds may take the edge off the blistering heat but they could also cause problems for the athletes. Last year, Aeolos, the god of wind, unleashed a powerful Meltemi that wrought havoc with a rowing test event. The event descended into a farce as some of the rowers ended up swimming to the finish line.

It's not just the rowers who will be affected by the Meltemi, as sailors, cyclists, marathoners and archers all face a battle with the elements. Sailors in the Saronic Gulf will be most affected by the random shifts and sudden surges of the wind.

The good news is that, for the moment, Greek meteorological organisations are predicting that the Meltemi will be mild-mannered when the Games begin on 13 August, keeping things cooler without blowing a gale.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[i luv snow]

thanks highcliffe

[highcliffe2]

Thank you David

10/8/2004

By Susan Powell

Rain

As with most types of weather - it's all about it being in the right place at the right time.

Certainly the recent lashings of the wet stuff across the UK are doing nothing to bolster the spirits of those on their summer holidays looking for a few rays of sunshine and a chance to spark up the barbie.

For the UK though the soggy state of weather affairs is mostly a matter of inconvenience and despite moans and groans, nothing that will have a long term impact.

Cast your eye further round the globe though and it's a very different story - especially for Asia. When your rains are largely seasonal, at times seemingly never ending or may not arrive at all, they become a matter of life and death.

India has certainly seen the full range of fates this monsoon season. Through June and July the rains for large parts of the country were either largely deficient or in excess.

Despite the erratic start to the season the monsoon is now in full force in most parts of the country and is forecast to remain active in the next two months.

Such is the revival in the rains that the Agriculture Secretary, Radha Singh, has issued a statement alleviating all drought concerns across the country for the coming year.

This is excellent news for the 60% of India's billion-plus population which is dependant on agriculture for a living.

However, the resurgence in the monsoon is not without concern for many too. Flooding has been a major issue throughout this season, claiming over 2,000 lives across South Asia.

Northeastern India, scene of some of the worst flooding has watched flood waters recede recently but concern now has shifted further north to the state Himachal Pradesh. Authorities are currently monitoring a lake in neighbouring China's Tibet region that is threatening to burst it's banks and inundate a number of villages along the Sutlej valley. Any additional rainfall here will certainly be far from welcome.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

11/08/2004

By Elizabeth Saary

Tropical weather brings risk of floods

The weather continues to make the headlines in the UK with the risk of further heavy rain and potential for flooding over the next few days. Further afield there are many other parts of the world where the weather, especially rainfall, can be a matter of life or death.

This topic was touched upon by Susan Powell in Tuesday’s weather news with an update on the flooding situation caused by the southwest monsoon over South Asia. Today I will have a look at some of the typhoons and tropical storms currently threatening parts of the globe. The amount of rain produced by these often brings a risk of flooding and landslides, and the high seas whipped up by the strong winds often bring storm surge flooding to coastal areas too.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins on 1st June, got going fairly late this year with hurricane Alex only developing in late July. However, things have livened up a bit now with ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Charley’ currently whirling away in the Caribbean.

There is the potential for either of these storms to develop into actual hurricanes, although it is Charley that is currently gaining the most strength. Bonnie is heading towards the Florida panhandle, whilst Charley is threatening Jamaica and the Cayman islands along with parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Across the globe, the population of Taiwan is preparing for a similar battering as Typhoon Rananim moves closer. The eye of the storm is expected to pass just to the north of the island but they are still very much at risk from heavy rain, high seas and stormy winds. The island is still recovering after a direct hit from Typhoon Mindulle which killed 29 people last month.

Not too far away, a bit of rain would be welcome in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The electricity grid has been put under enormous pressure recently due to extra demand as the city struggles to cope with a heatwave. Some rain would bring a bit of a respite from the heat, and in the absence of any naturally occurring rain, artificial methods involving cloud seeding have been attempted. These have unfortunately failed so far, but with any luck the remnants of ‘Rananim’ will bring some relief as it is expected to move into eastern China later this week.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

12/08/2004

By Tori Good

Guess what? It's raining... again!

Have you heard enough about rain yet? Once again, torrential downpours seem to be dominating the weather stories of the day, and here in the UK is no exception!

First of all, let’s have a quick recap of the storm situation. Bonnie and Charley (ah, now I would have named that one Clyde, obviously) are still dominating the scene in central America. Bonnie, a tropical storm, is moving through the Gulf of Mexico towards the Florida ‘pan-handle’, and hurricane Charley is moving from Jamaica directly towards Cayman, at a rate of knots. 14 knots, in fact, although the winds around the hurricane are gusting to 90 knots at the time of writing (that’s about 105 mph).

There’s also the typhoon Rananim in the northwest Pacific, about to strike northern Taiwan, and a fourth storm, Malakas, has also formed in the vicinity, although this system is much further out to sea and, at present, does not threaten land.

Phew. But even with these tropical systems aside, there’s plenty of wet weather elsewhere too. Turkey has had a deluge of thunderstorms during the last day or so, with 64mm of rain being recorded in Golcuk in just 12 hours. This is more than double the amount usually seen here during the whole month of August.

Northwest Spain hasn’t escaped, and neither have many areas of France. In fact, many western European countries had a few inches of rain from the weather fronts that are now plaguing the UK.

The main frontal band of rain moved its way northwards through England and Wales last night, giving over 46mm of rain in south Wales by morning. Although it then headed into Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland, there have also been plenty of hefty showers developing behind it. Torrential downpours prompted the Met Office to issue Flash Warnings of Severe Weather due to the intensity of some of these showers.

Summer storms are one thing, but these storms are so intense, they seem more tropical in nature. Having said that, with the humidity levels remaining fairly high, it does feel rather tropical out there at times! Of course, our showers pale into insignificance when compared to the true tropical systems mentioned earlier, but nonetheless can still cause massive disruption to daily life while they last.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

13/08/2004

By Tori Good

Some sunshine for a change....

Right, let’s leave the rain alone for a wee while, shall we? I think we’ve had enough of that for the last few days, so just to start this article off on a more cheery note, this weekend is looking rather pleasant here in the UK – yay! Well, there won’t be a LOT of rain, some showers perhaps, but there will also be a lot of dry weather and some sunshine, and it will feel rather warm in the sunnier spots. A vast improvement is on the cards for most of us.

Let’s see what’s hot around the world. Many parts of Europe are still tormented by very warm, humid conditions, and much of Scandanavia has had temperatures approximately 10 Celsius above the norm for a little while now. It’s also been muggy by night, and in Ferder, Norway, the overnight temperatures stayed above 20 Celsius! It usually drops to around 13 degrees or so overnight, a far cry from average.

Reykyavik in Iceland has also been rather sultry. In fact, the afternoon temperature here reached a record breaking 25 Celsius, compared to the usual August high of a mere 14 degrees. The previous record was set in 1976, and the temperatures have since been soaring back into the twenties once more. With it now being four to five days of this comparative heat, the city is now considered to be in the throes of a heatwave, which isn’t over just yet.

But, as much as I’d like to, I can’t ignore the rain for good. There’s just too much of it around the world at the moment! To start with, even in the UK (as you may be more than well aware) the torrential downpours of yesterday caused enough havoc. Pembrey Sands in Wales was one of the worst affected places, with 50mm falling in just 12 hours by yesterday morning, and plenty more still tipped onto many parts of northern England and southern Scotland in particular during yesterday, as well as all those thunderstorms over the southern half of England and Wales.

However, that does still seem rather a weak affair compared to the current situation in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Charley is still a huge threat, as it is (at the time of writing) a category 2, or major, hurricane. The storm managed to miss Jamaica, and passed very close to Cayman, forcing the island to close its airport. It is now heading towards Florida, where several hurricane warnings have been issued. The winds have been blowing up to 110 mph, with higher gusts, and the sea swell is around 4 feet. Thunderstorms are flashing frequently as the storm approaches.

Storm surge flooding of up to 13 feet is expected where the hurricane crosses land later., along with around 8 inches of rain. This magnitude of torrential rain can easily lead to life-threatening flash flooding. So, here’s hoping the hatches have been well and truly battened…

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

14/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Charley is nobody's darling

Friday the 13th lived up to its reputation as Hurricane Charley slammed into the coast of Florida, ravaging oceanfront homes and trailer parks, before moving inland to assault Orlando and Daytona Beach.

Charley had rapidly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico after crossing Cuba and swinging round the Florida Keys as a Category 2 storm on Friday morning.

By the afternoon, it had reached Category 4 status – the second most severe on the five-level Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale – and was stronger than expected when its eye reached Charlotte Harbor on the mainland, with winds reaching 145 mph and a tidal surge of up to 15 feet (4.5 m).

At least three people died during the storm and dozens were injured. More than a million customers were left without power across Florida, as President Bush declared the region a federal disaster area.

The storm forced many theme parks in Orlando to close, including Disney World. The only previous time the parks have closed for a hurricane was in 1999 for Floyd.

At the time of writing the centre of the storm was in the Atlantic Ocean, about 115 miles south-southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, and moving north-northeast at 25 mph. Forecasters are expecting Charley to approach the South Carolina coast today before running up the Eastern Seaboard.

American meteorologists say Charley, the third storm of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, could be the worst storm to hit the US since 1992 when Hurricane Andrew – a Category 5 storm – caused billions of dollars worth of damage in Miami.

The fourth named storm of the season, Danielle, formed on Friday but posed no immediate concern to land. Forecasters say that the fifth may form this weekend and threaten islands in the southeastern Caribbean Sea.

Charley isn’t the only troublemaker around. The remains of typhoon Rananim, the most powerful typhoon to hit China in seven years, continue to make the headlines.

The typhoon made landfall on Thursday night in Zhejiang province, just south of Shanghai, with winds of more than 100 mph. At least 115 people were killed along the coast and thousands were injured before Rananim headed inland and weakened to a tropical storm.

After crossing into the landlocked Jiangxi province, Rananim deluged China’s central lakes region with more rain falling in 12 hours than would be expected during the entire month.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[Thunder]

14/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Charley is nobody's darling

<CUT>

Yes i am.. you all love me :lol:

[highcliffe2]

15/08/2004

By John Hammond

Olympic rowers blown off course

If you’ve been watching the Olympic Games you will have noticed the sunny skies and soaring temperatures. No surprises there.

However, some of us may not have expected disruption due to strong winds. In particular the rowers and yachtsmen have been subjected to the full force of some extremely gusty winds. Indeed Monday’s rowing has already been cancelled as conditions are set to deteriorate in the short-term.

We shouldn’t be too surprised though. These winds have a history. Indeed back in 1896 the Athens Olympic sailing event had to be cancelled because of strong winds.

So is it always windy here or is this some kind of freak occurrence which blights Athens only during the two weeks of the Olympics?

Well neither is the case. Although the winds in Greece are often very light, particularly gusty conditions can occur periodically in the summer. The phenomenon tends to happen when winds funnel down from the north through the hills and valleys of the Greek mainland. These are called ‘Meltemi’ winds. As the ‘Meltemi’ comes face-to-face with the incoming sea-breezes from the south, the result is severe turbulence around the coasts and islands.

Indeed localised gusts of up to 40-50mph can occur - enough to create truly ‘choppy’ conditions on the water.

So what of the outlook? Will they ever get on the water again?

Thankfully they will. The charts for later in the week show the ‘Meltemi’ wind subsiding. Relative calm will return and the watersports should safely proceed.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

16/08/2004

By Jo Farrow

Storms, storms everywhere

After last week’s chaos from Typhoon ‘Rananim’ in eastern China and the destruction caused by Hurricane ‘Charley’ in Florida, there are more cyclones to watch this week.

In the Philippine Sea is newly formed Tropical Depression ‘18W’. The path of this storm is towards eastern China again, following a similar path to ‘Rananim’. Zhejiang province is still suffering, as the torrential rain from Rananim has now led to mudslides. Two schools were hit and electricity lines broken with roads blocked. ‘18W’ is not such an intense storm, which is good news, but it should be near to China by the end of the week.

In the Atlantic, the remnants of Hurricane ‘Charley’ are now lurking off the coast of Maine and Nova Scotia. Hurricane ‘Danielle’ is in the mid-Atlantic and already curving northwards, so this storm shouldn’t trouble the Americas. However, as it turns into an extra tropical depression and moves into the north Atlantic its remains could trouble the UK, meaning more wet and windy weather. Does the weather not know it suppose to be summer!

The fifth storm of the Atlantic season is ‘Earl’. Tropical Storm ‘Earl’ is close to the Lesser Antilles. This is forecast to move westwards through the Caribbean Sea, tracking towards Belize and northern Honduras. By midweek it could be at hurricane strength ready to hit Central America.

Related Links: National Hurricane Centre, Miami

Jiont Typhoon Warning Centre

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

17/08/2004

By Jo Farrow

Boscastle floods

The headlines have been full of the flooding in southwest England, which hit Boscastle in north Cornwall on Monday. With the astonishing footage being beamed over the news channels it seems quite shocking that something like this could happen here in the UK and during the summertime.

So what happened? Well it rained a lot –obviously. However, as always with disasters this event was a combination of smaller factors which led to one big trauma.

On Monday, Boscastle was nearing a spring tide (a periodic high tide occurring each lunar month). The heavy rain began around midday in north Cornwall, when low tide occurred. Over the next 7 hours Boscastle and the surrounding area was subjected to torrential downpours with an incoming tide.

The heavy showers continued to generate in the same place as the southwest breeze along the coast came up against the high ground. The air was forced up, resulting in further showers, and by late afternoon, colossal thunderstorms. The topography around Boscastle did not help. Several inches of rain collected in streams and rivers over the high ground around Boscastle. This rain funnelled down the easiest path down to the sea - via Boscastle.

As for amounts of rain, Slaughterbridge, not far from Boscastle recorded 60mm (over 2 inches) in two hours and 75mm in the day. Looking at the Met Office radar pictures over the seven hours of rainfall, these show the likelihood that the real total could be over 130mm of rain (over five inches).

So this flash flood resulted from a combination of torrential rain, Spring tides, local topography and all the river feeds near to Boscastle.

Spookily, on the same day, 16th August, but in 1952, Lynmouth in Devon also suffered from devastating flooding with 230mm of rain in one day.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

18/08/2004

By Jo Farrow

More flooding problems and the rain isn't finished yet.

There has been more rain over Cornwall during Tuesday and it has not stopped yet. There were also problems with flooding elsewhere in the UK. Londonderry had a very wet afternoon on Tuesday 17th. Thunderstorms over Northern Ireland brought torrential downpours and caused flash flooding. Londonderry sits on the River Foyle. There are not any rain gauges actually at Derry, but further inland, Lough Fea, recorded 19.4mm of rain in a couple of hours from the same thunderstorms. People were stranded in houses and in cars as the city became gridlocked.

Elsewhere, central New Zealand has been hit by a severe winter storm. After heavy snowfall earlier this week in the South Island, it was Wellington’s turn to be hit by gales and heavy rain. Part of the Wellington airport’s roof was ripped off in the strong winds.

Japan and South Korea are bracing themselves for the arrival of Typhoon ‘Megi’ this week. (‘Megi’ means ‘catfish’ in Korean.) On Tuesday the storm was still in the East China Sea, but cloud flooding ahead of the centre was already bringing heavy rain to southern Japan. 34mm of rain was recorded in one hour in Shikoku, the smallest of the four main Japanese islands. By the middle of the week 439mm of rain had fallen, about 17 inches. Rivers burst their banks and landslides killed at least four people. All this before the typhoon has actually come its closest to the mainland. The path of ‘Megi’ will take it through the Korean Strait on Wednesday night, passing near South Korea, Kyushu and western Honshu.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[highcliffe2]

19/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

Rain continues to dominate the weather news

Typhoon Megi swept across the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, ravaging the Tsushima Islands before moving onto the southwest tip of South Korea. In the process it brought heavy rain that lashed South Korea and Japan, causing landslides and floods that killed at least twelve.

In just 24 hours, 332 mm (over 13 inches) of rain fell on Wando in South Korea. That was twice as much as you would expect to fall here throughout the whole of August. The wet and windy weather also shut down seven airports and left thousands of people homeless. The strong winds also created high waves along the coast of southern Japan.

Megi, which means “catfish” in Korean, gathered force as it headed northeast across the Korean Peninsula towards the western part of the Sea of Japan at a speed of 34 mph with winds gusting up to 78 mph.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall in northern Japan on Friday, after which it will probably be downgraded to a tropical depression. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of more heavy rains, strong winds, rough seas and mudslides.

Typhoons are typical in South Korea in late summer and Megi is the 15th of the season. Last year, Typhoon Maemi, the most powerful ever to hit on record, killed at least 117 people.

Elsewhere, New Zealand is recovering from one of the most powerful storms in decades which finally eased on Thursday. Homes were damaged, transport and power links cut and at least one person was killed during the storms.

The southern end of the North Island was hammered by winds of up to 112mph and lashed by rain and snow. Waves up to 14 metres (46 feet) battered the coast, forcing ferry services to be cancelled. High winds also closed Wellington airport. Flooding has hit some low-lying areas in the region and meteorologists have forecast more rain and snow to come.

It was the second major storm to hit the region recently, although it was not as destructive as the one in February.

Lastly, here in Europe we’re having problems with Bonnie, a tropical storm whose remnants are bound up in a low pressure system that is bringing very unsettled weather.

In France nine people have died in violent storms that have swept the country over the past couple of days. Around a quarter of metropolitan France’s administrative districts were affected by the bad weather. Fears of falling trees forced Paris to close its parks and cemeteries, according to officials.

There have also been severe storms in parts of Belgium and Germany. The southern village of Muno in Belgium saw a “mini-tornado” that damaged some 25 roofs on Wednesday. Portugal has also had unseasonably heavy rains for the past week. Rescue services recorded five people having drowned or disappeared off Portuguese beaches on Wednesday alone.

After Monday’s floods at Boscombe in Cornwall, Wednesday saw floods across central Scotland after prolonged heavy rain. A huge clear-up operation got under way on Thursday after a torrent of mud blocked a main road, the A85 north of Stirling, trapping 50 people in their cars and isolating an entire town.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[kold weather]

Just a quick word to say thanks highcliffe2.

[i luv snow]

Just a quick word to say thanks highcliffe2.

or a spam message to work that post count upto 3000??

[kold weather]

That weren't the intention I luv snow,although now you mention it I ain't that far away from 3000.

[i luv snow]

and that was one more post nearer (as this is one post nearer to 1000 :roll: LOL )

[Adi F]

Just a quick word to say thanks highcliffe2.

or a spam message to work that post count upto 3000?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Kold How have you done 3000 you have only been a member a week longer than me :?: :shock: :shock:

Careful mate Thunder will be snapping at your heels soon.

Sorry for going of subject but I am in shock

[Thunder]

Just a quick word to say thanks highcliffe2.

or a spam message to work that post count upto 3000?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Kold How have you done 3000 you have only been a member a week longer than me :?: :shock: :shock:

Careful mate Thunder will be snapping at your heels soon.

Sorry for going of subject but I am in shock

SNAP SNAP SNAP :D And as for auto posting, i already can do that muahahahahahahaha

[highcliffe2]

20/08/2004

By Kirsty McCabe

It never rains but it pours

Tropical storm Megi swept over northern Japan on Friday, cutting off electricity to 123,000 homes and disrupting transport with its heavy rains.

The casualty toll from the ex-typhoon, which was downgraded late on Thursday, has now reached at least 18 dead or missing in Japan and South Korea.

Before leaving South Korean shores, Megi deposited 270mm (over 10 inches) of rain in just 36 hours on Tonghae, on the country’s east coast. That is just 2mm shy of the monthly average here.

Megi is also being blamed for Hong Kong’s skyline, or rather, the fact you can’t see it. The city was shrouded under a thick blanket of fog on Thursday as air pollution and extremely hot weather took its toll.

When a typhoon or tropical storm such as Megi lies between Taiwan and Japan, pollution from Guangdong and Hong Kong is trapped and cannot escape. This combined with days of hot weather has led to the smoggy conditions.

Ships collided in Hong Kong’s famous Victoria Harbour in the poor visibility on Thursday. The government has advised people with respiratory related conditions to stay indoors.

Most of the UK has endured exceptionally wet weather recently. The exception to this has been the Shetland Isles, where so little rain has fallen recently that authorities were having to tanker water around the islands and from the mainland.

That all changed on Thursday with the arrival of a month’s worth of rain in one go. Lerwick airport recorded 78mm in just 18 hours.

It looks like the UK will get even wetter after this weekend. Met Office forecasters have issued early warnings of severe weather as the remnants of Hurricane Danielle track in from the Atlantic through Sunday and Monday.

The active weather system will bring strong winds and sweep a band of heavy rain across the country, followed by some very heavy showers. Many parts will see 40mm of rain, with 70mm possible in the heavy showers, leading to possible flooding in places.

Winds will also be strong in places with gusts of 50mph likely across southwest England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[P.K.]

There are another two tropical storms heading towards Japan.

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/real-tim...m/FCST-WP12.GIF

Forecasted to reach 85kts with gusts of 105kts in 72 hours.

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/real-tim...m/FCST-WP13.GIF

65kts in 72 hours, and up to 70kts in 96 hours.

[highcliffe2]

21/08/2004

By Matt Taylor

A feel good day...at last!

The sun was certainly shining on our Olympic athletes in Greece today, and for once it was also shining across the much of the UK. After a week of storms and instances of severe flooding, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in seeing the sunshine as a welcome sight.

The clearer skies began to push in from the north during the overnight period as an active, and thundery, weather front pushed across the southeast of England. As the rain pushed away there were still some torrential downpours, and we saw 15.9 mm (0.63 inches) of rain fall at Marham (Norfolk).

Under the clearer skies that followed, it was to be a very chilly night considering that it is mid-August. The temperature plummeted in rural areas of Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland. By the end of the night the air temperature at Katesbridge (County Down) had fallen to just 1 Celsius (34F). It may be Summer, but this sort of temperature is low enough for a grass frost to form. Shap (Cumbria) and Tulloch Bridge (Highland) were just two spots where a grass frost was actually recorded.

The morning dawned a chilly, but largely sunny one across a good portion of the country. There was a little cloud around, and that cloud bubbled up enough over parts of northeast Scotland, Northern Ireland, and eastern England to produce a few sharp showers. However, these were nowhere near as torrential as the showers earlier in the week. In between the showers, the sunshine returned fairly quickly.

On the Isle of Man the sunshine barely disappeared during the day. In all, 13.2 hours of glorious sunshine were recorded and in that sunshine it was still a little cool with the temperature reaching 17 Celsius (63F). It was a bit warmer on the mainland, and Torquay was the day’s warmest place with 22 Celsius (72F). On the other end of the scale, Fair Isle (Northern Isles) struggled at just 13 Celsius (55F).

Towards the end of the day, the cloud began to build in the west. Could this be the sign of a return to more turbulent weather again?

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website

[i luv snow]

thankz 4 that highcliffe- keep 'em coming :lol:

[highcliffe2]

Thank You David - much appreciated

22/08/2004

By Susan Powell

Wet or dry - either way it's stormy!

At first mention the word 'stormy' tends to bring to mind images of being whipped by the wind and lashed with rain - especially in a British Summer.

However, in far drier and sunnier climes storms of a different nature are causing problems for the locals - and are on the increase!

Dust clouds over the Sahara Desert have grown tenfold over the last fifty years! But the word on the street is don't blame the camels - infact blame the traffic on the 'street' is closer to the mark!

The increasing mumber of 4x4s speeding over the sand has become a major factor contributing to the problem according to the findings of expert Andrew Goudie from Oxford University.

Goudie, who has been investigating dust and deserts since the mid-70's said the problem began as far back as the expansion of 4x4 traffic in the desert after the Second World War. But is has worsened of late as wealth and car ownership have spread.

"People in areas like the Middle East were quite poor until the oil boom for example" said Goudie, who gave his findings at the International Geographical Congress in Scotland this week.

Increased drought due to climate changes, over-grazing and ploughing have also all played their part in increasing the amount of dust coming out of some parts of the Sahara since the late 1940's. The Sahel zone south of the Sahara also has acute problems.

The major problems with the vehicles is that in transit they break the surface crust on the desert (which would otherwise be relatively stable due to algae, lichens, clay or pebbles keeping it intact). This releases the dust which may then be carried 1000's of miles in the atmosphere.

Latest estimates of global dust emmisions are about 2 to 3 billion tonnes each year, with particles from Africa travelling as far as Greenland and the Caribbean!

And even as we speak a cloud of dust is on the move! A huge plume is currently being blown from the Sahara, across northern Africa and the Mediterranean, towards Italy. The storm is being monitored by the OrbView-2 satellite which is generating some amazing images.

The sandstorm is expected to to make it as far as Greece. However, Olympic organisers are hopeful it will blow out before reaching Athens!

Information thanks to the BBC Weather Website