Monday 8 December 2014

One day's extreme weather across the globe


Typhoon Hagupit threatens major flooding of Manila

Residents walk past high waves brought about by strong winds as it pound the seawall, hours before Typhoon Hagupit passes near the city of Legazpi.
Residents walk past high waves brought about by strong winds as it pound the seawall, hours before Typhoon Hagupit passes near the city of Legazpi. Photo: AFP

8 December, 2014

Slow-moving Typhoon Hagupit has weakened as it churns across the central Philippines islands, easing fears of widespread mass destruction, but officials warn the storm could still bring severe flooding to the low-lying capital Manila.

Since slamming into the island of Samar on Friday night, Hagupit has killed at least three people while flattening houses, toppling  trees and knocking out power lines.

But the storm with a 600-kilometre front has not wreaked destruction of the same scale as Super Typhoon Haiyan that hit the country last year, leaving 7300 dead and displacing 4.1 million others.'

Typhoon Hagupit hits the Philippines.
Typhoon Hagupit hits the Philippines. Photo: AFP

One million people fled to the safety of 1500 schools, civic centres, churches and other makeshift evacuation centres ahead Hagupit, the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year.


Weather forecasters say that as Hagupit grinds west-northwest across the Philippines, the danger will gradually transition from wind damage and storm surges to heavy rainfall.

Its centre is expected to move agonisingly slow in the general direction of Metro Manila, taking 48 to 72 hours to move from the eastern Philippines to the capital.
Forecasters say that while Hagupit's winds will continue to weaken as it approaches Manila, it will remain strong enough to bring down trees and cause power outages.

Visiting the Philippines, Greenpeace global chief Kumi Naidoo blamed climate change for increasingly violent storms hitting the country.

"Nature does not discriminate. We actually have to wake up and smell the coffee. We need to understand we are running out of time," he said, in a warning to negotiators meeting in Lima, Peru, to hammer out the broad outlines of a new world pact on global warning.

Mr Naidoo said the typhoon passing over the Philippines was an example of the massive damage poorer countries would experience if climate change worsens.
He said the storms hitting the South-East Asia archipelago were getting stronger and stronger, showing the urgency for world governments to act.

The Philippines endures an average of 20 typhoons a year.

Millions of people remain in the path of Hagupit, which is called Ruby locally.
After making landfall with wind gusts up to 220 kilometres per hour the storm's punch weakened on Sunday and early Monday to gusts of 170 kilometres per our.

In Manila, a city of 12 million people, authorities have closed schools and tens of thousands of slum dwellers have been evacuated from coastal shanty homes vulnerable to heavy flooding.

The storm is expected to dump intense rain across the country before exiting into the South China Sea on Tuesday.



UK weather: 'Horrendous' conditions of snow and ice expected as weather warnings issued for much of the UK

7 December, 2014

The Met Office has issued weather warnings over "horrendous" conditions that are set to hit part of the UK as temperatures plummet bringing snow and ice.

Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and Northern Ireland have all been handed a "be aware" warning that will be in place until Monday morning.

The BBC reported that emergency services are dealing with a number of road accidents on the A9 in Scotland after snow, ice and strong winds hit the country this weekend.
View image on Twitter
Wrong day to start cycle training for Etap Loch Ness. 25km in the cold & snow. Now can't walk.. Good start

The Met office said that the UK will see “an unsettled, cold and often windy” theme this week, with the snow and ice warning across Scotland and northwest England, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland will be in place until the middle of Monday.
Across these areas people can expect a mixture of hail, snow, sleet and heavy showers, while icy patches will appear overnight and Monday morning.
The worst effected region will be Scotland, where “across the tops of the Scottish mountains it will be pretty horrendous,” a spokesperson told the Evening Standard.
Areas in south west Wales and the tops of the moors will see more “wintry” weather on Monday night with possible sleet and snow in areas extending to the Cotswolds, while south eastern England will see a north westerly breeze overnight.
During the day on Monday there will be “large areas of fine spells of winter sunshine,” though it will feel cold, with “corridors of good, dry, bright weather,” up and down the country, a spokesperson for the Met Office said.
The cold, snowy and sleety weather this week is due to a rapidly deepening low pressure system in the north Atlantic, which is pushing associated bands of cloud and rain across the country as it tracks north eastwards.

View image on Twitter
My first snow encounter of the season on the top of Benbradagh today! http://www.nightskyhunter.com 
Monday night is expected to be the coldest night this week, but some western peripheries in Scotland will stay above freezing due to the heat from clouds and strong winds.
A band of cold rain is then expected to sweep south eastwards from Scotland throughout Tuesday, with wet and windy spells through many parts of the country.
Wednesday carries a yellow warning for wind across Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north western parts of Wales. Many will see gusty gale force winds, while the exposed north western parts of Scotland could see winds of up to 70 or 80 miles an hour.
Rain is then expected to push through from Thursday into Friday, with slight uncertainties continuing on a windy theme,” the spokesperson added.


Thunderstorms: More severe weather on the way for New South Wales and Queensland


8 December, 2014

THUNDERSTORMS caused havoc in Sydney last night with flights and special events cancelled - and the wild weather is not over yet.

There was huge disruption at Sydney Airport last night with many flights cancelled or delayed causing headaches for hundreds of people trying to return home.

Many were forced to sleep at the airport while some took five hours to get home on flights between Melbourne and Sydney.
Film fans were also impacted with the popular Tropfest short film festival delayed after Centennial Park was evacuated.
Storms: The worst not over yet
Photo of the storm in Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Cedric Tourasse Photography, Source: Supplied
Storms: The worst not over yet
A storm cell passes over Sydney’s northern beaches at Dee Why on Sunday afternoon. Picture: John Grainger Source:News Corp Australia
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Amazing pic from Jeremy Piper of a yacht braving waters off Sydney's coast in yesterday's storms
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A bit of as we are asked to evacuate metal structures for a few min @cent_parklands @tropfest in 2 1/2 hrs
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Well that was refreshing!!! "don't shelter under trees" not as easy as it sounds in Centennial Park
Bureau of Meterology duty forecaster Rob Taggart told news.com.au this morning that the stormy conditions were expected to continue throughout the week, especially in the northeast third of NSW, including in Sydney.

We’ve already had storms move through Sydney this morning ... it wasn’t severe and there weren’t many lightning strikes ... but we’re expecting thunderstorm activity again in the afternoon and early evening.”
Conditions should ease on Tuesday but more wild weather is expected to hit on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Calm before the storm: Beautiful rainbow in Sydney on Monday morning. Photo: Cedric Toura
Calm before the storm: Beautiful rainbow in Sydney on Monday morning. Photo: Cedric Tourasse Photography Source:Supplied
Stuck at Sydney airport @VirginAustralia flight cancelled and next flight in 13 hours - overnight- no accommodation provided. Great.
Thunderstorms are causing disruptions @SydneyAirport this afternoon. Passengers advised to check with their airline for further information.

Thunderstorms are causing disruptions @SydneyAirport this afternoon. Passengers advised to check with their airline for further information.

Meanwhile Brisbane residents were warned not to pack away the brolly just yet, with remnants of the storms that battered the city on Saturday expected to strike again.

The storms were generating a lot of attention on social media, with many shocked yet unsurprised by yet more storms.


View image on Twitter
Loving these Sydney storms! Getting a bit damp now though @Australia
In New South Wales, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning saying damaging winds, flash flooding and large hailstones were likely. There were reports of power shortages in Hornsby as well as flooding the beachside suburb of Manly.

The SES warned people to stay inside, move their car away from under trees and secure loose items and furniture around their homes. It also advised people to unplug computers and appliances and avoid using phones during the storm.
The warning follows days of unpredictable weather across the state, with lightning strikes, high winds and thunderclaps setting in around 6pm each evening.
View image on Twitter
Another big storm front approaching Sydney tonight, what a week it's been. http://bit.ly/1u2utcj 
View image on Twitter
Some guy in bondi thought it would be funny to take up two car spaces instead of one. Didn't pan out.

The SES says it received more than 400 calls for help in Sydney since the onset of Saturday’s stormy weather, mostly related to leaking roofs and localised flash flooding.

We’ve had almost a week of unsettled conditions almost right across NSW,” BOM forecaster Rebecca Kamitakahara said.
The cause of it broadly has been quite a slow-moving low pressure trough over inland NSW.” She added that this has increased the humidity, leading to the tropical storms.
Brace yourself for another battering
Photographer Roland Taylor captured Sydney’s lightning strikes on Thursday last week in a montage. Picture: Roland Taylor. Source: Supplied
The sunshine state is also bracing for another drenching a week after a ‘supercell’ caused an estimated $1 billion worth of damage according to Brisbane’s Lord Mayor.

Bureau of Meteorology spokesman David Bernard said there was a “reasonable” possibility more thunderstorms would form on Sunday.

We will likely see them gradually build over parts of Brisbane this afternoon,” he said. “They are expected in a fairly wide area up to places as far as Charleville and Roma.

In Brisbane, if they form, it will most likely be on the ranges northwest of city.”
Earlier, waterspouts were spotted in Hervey Bay, while Higgins Storm Chasingposted this video of a funnel cloud to Facebook.

Pictures of a storm on Friday taken from Forte Denison. Picture: Jessica Lingotti
Pictures of a storm on Friday taken from Forte Denison. Picture: Jessica Lingotti Source: Supplied
Rain rolls in over an industrial area in Rosehill.
Rain rolls in over an industrial area in Rosehill. Source: News Corp Australia
Rebecca Kamitakahara said more unsettled weather was forecast for next week, but won’t be as “intense” as in recent days.

The seven day forecast for Brisbane and Sydney shows possible thunderstorms through to Thursday next week.





A storm in Boljevac, Serbia


A storm approaches Dubrovnik, Croatia



Ice Storm in Petrohan Pass, Bulgaria 2014.12.06


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