World weather news

World weather news, January 1999

1st

Six people were killed when an avalanche swept down onto a remote village in northeastern Canada during a New Year celebration. The wall of snow crashed into a gymnasium in the Inuit village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, at Ungava Bay, Quebec province. Several hundred people had gathered at the village, about 950 miles north of Montreal to celebrate the New Year.

2nd

A massive winter storm arcing from Gulf Coast states to the upper Midwest grounded scores of New Year's flights, knocked out power to thousands and threatened to dump more than a foot of snow across the northern half of the region. About a half-foot of snow covered St. Louis by Friday night, along with areas of central and southeastern Illinois and central Iowa. Several inches fell on the Dakotas.

2nd

A violent wind storm, described by rescue workers as a "mini-tornado," ripped across Tours (France), severely damaging a school and inflicting other property damage but leaving only three people slightly injured. The two-minute phenomenon damaged roofs, chimneys and cars and uprooted trees, the emergency services said, adding they had received 200 calls for help.

2nd

The blizzard that hit this weekend appears to have earned a place in the annals of Chicago weather history. The National Weather Service said at least 17 inches of snow had fallen as of 5 p.m. at Chicago's Midway Airport, making the snowfall the third-largest since 1960, behind the two-day blizzards of 1967 and 1979. The snow was still falling at last measure, so the final tally could be even higher. The worst blizzard on record immobilized Chicago during Jan. 26-27, 1967, when 23 inches of snow fell. The No. 2 storm of Jan. 13-14, 1979, dumped 18.8 inches on the city. A huge snowstorm blew across the Midwest on Saturday with whiteout conditions and drifts up to 8 feet high, cancelling hundreds of airline flights, forcing motorists off roads and keeping mail deliverers from their appointed rounds.

3rd

A strong line of thunderstorms, part of the same winter storm system that howled through the north this weekend, spawned high winds and tornadoes that damaged homes, trees, and power lines in Florida.

3rd

While Chicago dug out from nearly 22 inches of snow, near-blizzard conditions continued in parts of Wisconsin and northern Michigan. The National Weather Service says 21.6 inches of snow fell in Chicago between Friday and early today, making it the second largest storm in the city's recorded history.

4th

Some 39 people died in the weekend blizzard that ripped through the Midwest and Eastern United States, CNN reported early Monday. Most of the storm victims were killed in vehicle accidents, although some died in house fires, according to news reports. Several cities tied or approached coldest ever recordings in the aftermath of this snowstorm. The cooperative observer in Congerville, Illinois recorded a low temperature on the 5th of -36F, the lowest ever recorded in the state of Illinois.

4th

Weekend storms across Florida have sent damage estimates (Monday) into the millions of dollars and left at least seven people injured.

5th

France basked in spring-like temperatures that delighted tourists and sidewalk cafe owners but raised concern among farmers fearing for crops, and left ski resort owners praying for snow. The temperature in the capital reached an all-time record of 16C. In southern France, the temperature climbed to 23C in some regions. In the Netherlands, an all-time record of 16.2C was noted in the south, near the border with Belgium. In Berlin, the mercury climbed to 14C, the highest in 50 years.

5th

Southern Ontario is still ploughing snow off city streets, but planes are now taking off more frequently from Toronto's Pearson International Airport on the third day after the worst blizzard in three decades. In a minor mishap in the aftermath of the snowstorm, an American Airlines plane on a flight from New York slid off a taxi-way into a snowbank shortly after landing today, but no one was hurt. Toronto, Canada's largest city, did not have enough snowplows to clear its streets fast enough to get traffic back to normal and snow melters have been pressed into service to clear the streets.

6th

The Swiss Alps basked in summer heat, recording the highest temperatures since records began 62 years ago. At Jungfraujoch, the highest Swiss weather station at 3,580 metres, the temperature hit 3.3C, or 3degC above the previous record set in January 1982.

6th

In Freiburg, the maximum temperature of 18.2C fell just 0.6C short of the all time January record set in 1991. The warmth also extended right across to the north-east of Germany where 15.9C was recorded in the Cottbus region and Berlin's 14.6C was the capital's second highest reading of the century.

6th

15.7C at the rooftop site of London Weather Centre was the highest January reading in London since at least 1841.

8th

Fresh snow blanketed Chicago (USA) to end the worst week for Windy City commuters in decades. Chicago school officials warned parents Friday would be the last day children would be able to claim excused absences because of the snow, saying that normalcy needs to return to classes. Absences have been running at 50 percent since schools opened on Wednesday. Budget officials estimate it has cost Chicago $31.5 million so far in this snowy spell for snow removal.

11th

Heavy snowfalls and icy winds Monday played havoc with road, rail and air travel in eastern and southern France and left tens of thousands of homes without electricity. In the Rhone-Alpes region around Lyon, police reported traffic jams several kilometres long on the A7 motorway south of Montelimar, while trains between Lyon and Paris were delayed between one and three hours after snow damaged electric power lines.

11th

More snow and below-zero temperatures hit Chicago (USA) as travel returned to near-normal for the first time in more than a week. Transit officials said most commuter trains were on time today for the first time since the New Year's holiday weekend storm that dumped 21.6 inches of snow at O'Hare International Airport, causing lengthy transit delays. Another foot of snow accumulated in Buffalo, N.Y., during the weekend, leaving three feet on the ground since the first of the year. Lake-effect snow fell at a rate of three inches an hour in some areas and created whiteout conditions Sunday night.

12th

Heavy snowfall in northern France left almost 200 kilometres of traffic jams around the capital, with many flights cancelled and thousands of homes plunged into darkness as power failed. Up to five centimetres (two inches) of snow fell in less than two hours as offices and shops closed and workers headed home, causing delays in Paris and its suburbs.

13th

At least 10 people died as temperatures in Hong Kong plunged to their lowest level this winter. Many of the victims were elderly suffering from chronic illnesses and died as a result of complications caused by the sharp temperature drop since Monday. From Monday's 17C, the temperatures dropped on Tuesday to 12C in urban areas, while in rural areas it registered a low of 7C.

13th

Thousands of people left homeless by devastating floods across China last year now face a battle against snow and freezing temperatures. Major snowfalls hit the central province of Hunan on Monday and Tuesday. The province was one of the worst hit by the floods. "Thick tents" had been distributed to refugees who were still in "emergency evacuation centres."

13th

Nine people were killed and 32 injured in road accidents after thick fog covered the Cairo (Egypt) area like a shroud. Cairo airport was shut down for six hours until the fog dissipated. Six incoming planes were re-directed to the airports of Luxor, Hurghada and Alexandria and to the Cypriot airport of Larnaca. Eight other aircraft had to wait two to eight hours before receiving permission to take off from Cairo.

13th

A storm has erupted among weathermen in Hungary over the reliability of their forecasts. The National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) says some radio and TV stations' weather reports cannot be trusted. "Viewers have complained that the truth factor of the forecasts is very low," it said in a statement. Private broadcasters hit back, saying their forecasts were better than the OMSZ's. Commercial radio and TV has flourished in Hungary since the sector was deregulated in the mid-1990. "Our forecasts come from the Dutch MeteoConsult company, the most reliable in Europe," said RTL Klub, a leading private TV channel. "The OMSZ is only 12th," it noted. The OMSZ responded by publishing a list of radio and television channels for whose forecasts they take responsibility.

13th

Detroit (USA) Schools Supt. Eddie Green has closed all public schools until further notice because mountains of snow clog city streets and sidewalks, and more snow is on the way. Green also says today he wants the district's 183,000 students and their parents to volunteer in a 'massive effort' to dig out areas around schools. The shovelling is scheduled to start Thursday. Since Jan. 2, a series of storms have buried Detroit under more than 2 feet of snow. Another 3 inches or more could fall by Thursday night. The January snow record is 29.6 inches set in 1978.

13th

Heavy snowfall in southern Ontario (Canada) has disrupted Toronto's transit system, and the city's mayor says he will call on the Canadian army to help if there is any more snow over the next 24 hours. Southern Ontario received 6 inches (15 cm) of snow overnight in the third snowstorm in less than two weeks. There was already 8 inches (20 cm) of snow on the ground from a weekend storm.

14th

The temperature dropped to -55F in Allagash in northern Maine (USA) during the night, a record low for the state and possibly New England. The National Weather Service today described the low temperature as 'incredible' and said it easily broke the previous low of 48 degrees below, recorded on Jan. 19, 1925, in Van Buren.

14th

Thermometers have frozen and people walking outdoors were risking frostbite as deadly temperatures, colder than even the North Pole, tightened around eastern Canada Thursday. Quebec was shaking under temperatures between -30C and -45C, not including the wind chill factor. Along the St. Lawrence, thermometers froze when temperatures hit -38C. Temperatures in the North Pole were at a comparatively balmy minus -22C. After several days of crippling cold, meteorologists were giving out weather reports with warning labels: anybody going outside, even briefly, was at risk of frostbite if any part of the body were not covered and protected.

15th

A snowstorm dropped up to 18 inches of snow in New England, USA. Boston's Logan International Airport was forced to close because of icing conditions. Ice coated the northeastern United States, due to frozen rain caused by moisture forced on top of Arctic air.

15th

Heavy snow and frigid temperatures continued to grip Eastern and Central Canada Friday, forcing authorities to close schools and offices and call out the military. More than 26 cm of snow fell on Toronto since Tuesday and 111.2 cm fell since the beginning of the month. That accumulation beat historic records for the city dating back to 1871.

17th

Adventurer Peter Hillary narrowly escaped death in a snap blizzard, the ice trekkers across Antarctica said. Australian Eric Philips described the panic felt by himself and fellow trekker Jon Muir when Hillary, who had fallen a short distance behind, "just disappeared." The trekkers are attempting to retrace the exploits of Robert Falcon Scott in 1912. "We were hit by this horrendous ground blizzard," Philips said. "The wind blew up to about 50 knots, we had less than 10 metres visibility." The extreme conditions faced by the trekkers on the polar plateau above the Shackleton Glacier included temperatures ranging down to -50C.

17th

Heavy fog and black ice are blamed for dozens of accidents that closed a stretch of Interstate 94 southwest of Detroit, USA. Michigan State Police say about 50 cars were involved in the early morning pile-up near Oakwood Blvd., in the city of Allen Park, Mich.

17th

At least 11 people were killed and 20 were injured in four road accidents caused by foggy weather in Syria.

18th

Up to ten tornadoes ripped through the state of Tennessee Sunday night, killing nine people and injuring 60. About 30 homes were damaged or destroyed in Henderson County.

19th

Driven by powerful winds, snow and rain pounded the Midwest and Northeast (USA) , knocking out power to thousands of people and causing accidents from Illinois to New England. U.S. Coast Guard officials were trying to determine if bad weather played a role in the apparent sinking of a 74-foot fishing boat off the waters of Barnegat Light, about 35 miles north of Atlantic City. Farther west, blowing snow caused whiteout conditions in Minnesota and Illinois. The storms knocked out power to at least 23,500 customers in Pennsylvania 24,000 in Connecticut and 18,000 in New Jersey.

19th

The densely populated regions of North America and Europe could face the threat of increased ultraviolet radiation if ozone loss over the Arctic, such as occurred in 1996 and 1997, resumes. This threatens to 'allow the penetration of enhanced UV radiation at northern mid-high latitudes,' warn researchers in the latest issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research, published by the American Geophysical Union. Georg Hansen of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research in Tromso, Norway, and Martyn P. Chipperfield of Cambridge University studied the northern ozone layer.

19th

At least 21 people were killed and 309 injured in the tornado that ripped through the rural areas around the small town of Mount Ayliff in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

19th

Rainstorms packing gusts of more than 100 km/h disrupted air traffic at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. The first showers of winter came to Israel only this week in what is so far the driest winter here in 58 years.

21st

Severe fog in central Europe has disrupted air traffic at major airports in Germany, Poland and Italy for a second day. The fog, caused by a sharp change in temperature, produced unexpected problems at Germany's Frankfurt airport Wednesday night, when an Air India Boeing-747 miscalculated its landing and smashed into runway equipment. Meanwhile, the blanket of fog over Poland closed Warsaw's Okecie international airport for three days, causing chaos and forcing Delta Air Lines to divert a New York-Warsaw flight to northern Germany after an attempt to land in Warsaw was aborted.

22nd

Seven people have been confirmed killed in a series of tornadoes that raked Arkansas and Tennessee (USA) overnight. At least 20 tornadoes were reported in Arkansas.

23rd

The bodies of an Indiana woman and her child have been found, one day after the woman's car was swept into a rain-swollen branch of the Whitewater River (USA). A number of the state's major rivers, including portions of the White, Wabash, Tippecanoe and Mississinewa, swelled to flood-stage levels.

23rd

One man was drowned and another is missing after rescuing two youngsters from a flood-swollen river as tropical storms sweep the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Two tropical storms, Olinda and Pete, have brought heavy rains to the islands, which Sunday remained on cyclone alert.

24th

Very low temperatures are in the northern part of Europe and Russia. In the north-west of the Russian Federation and in Lapland - Russian Federation: Pecora -49.4C, Chosedachard -48.5C, Kojnas -47.5C, Ust-Cilma -46.9C, Sura -46.7C, Narjan-Mar -45.7C and Ust-Usa -45.4C. Lapland: Ivalo, Finland -45.5C, Karasjok, Norway -44.2C.

25th

Ivalo, in northern Finland, they had a reading last night of -48C, about 3degC above the national low record for January.

26th

Bad weather has caused a second day of commuter nightmares in Northern and Southern California as heavy snow and rain continued to affect the state. The winter storm also brought snowflakes for the first time in nearly 25 years to Bakersfield, which is about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.

26th

Later in the day a line of heavy (in places thundery) rain crossed the south of England, with reports of ball lightning near Winchester around 1630 GMT and heavy hail in Reading during the passage of an active cold front. Gusts reached 60kn at Shoreham. It is also reported that something 'just like a tornado' removed the roof from a house near Petersfield with trees and power lines being brought down, while sleet fell around Birmingham.

27th

0600 GMT SYNOP minimum temperatures showed at least ten stations with below -40C. In Norway, Kautokeino had -50.3C and Karasjok -50.0C. In Sweden, Karesuando, a willage situated on the border with Finland, -49.0C was reported. The official record low for Sweden is -52.6C at Arjeplog in February 1966.

27th

The lowest lowest temperature of the century in Finland was registered in a village in northern Finland called Kittila: -51C.

28th

There was a new Finnish national low record temperature overnight of -51.5C in Kittila.

28th

Some of Russia's Arctic regions have been gripped this week by the coldest temperatures this century, the Russian Weather Service said. The deep chill is also unusually long. 'It's one thing to cope for a day when it's minus 50 outside, but it's a different thing altogether to spend several days in a row like that,' a meteorologist said. In some parts of the Kola Peninsula near Russia's border with Norway, such as the Khanty-Mansiisk area, the thermometer fell at night to almost -56C in one village this week - the lowest for more than 100 years. In the Komi region it reached -53C in some places, the lowest since 1936.(28th) The temperature there was about 23degC below the average for the last 10 days of January.

World weather news, February 1999

1st

Sicily has had its first snow since 1981 - Palermo had six inches of snow. Mt Etna looked like a 'wedding cake'. Snow also fell in northern cities on the Algerian coast. In Bizerte snow was heavy at times with visibilities down to 200 m. Locally temperatures during daylight time didn't exceed 2 or 3C - very low indeed for this area. In Tamanrasset in the south, near the Sahara, temperatures hardly reached 19C.

2nd

Spring will come early this year in Pennsylvania (USA) - or so it is believed, since groundhog Phil from Punxsutawney failed to see his shadow when he was yanked from his winter slumber. The furry forecaster, whose shadow is believed to herald another six weeks of winter, woke up before 8 this morning for his annual weather prediction. If the groundhog had seen his shadow, legend has it, winter would last another six weeks. Since he didn't see his shadow, spring will be early this year.

3rd

Wind gusts as powerful as 125 mph howled through the Colorado foothills, knocking out power, downing trees and sending debris flying every which way. Two airplanes parked at the Jefferson County Airport south of Boulder were overturned and buildings under construction at the facility suffered some $100,000 in damages. Two schools were closed for the day.

4th

The New Zealand radiation laboratory informed the country that this summer has seen the highest ultra violet readings on record. Index levels have been up to 14 over the whole North Island while levels of 13 have occurred well down into Southland. 10 is regarded as dangerous. Levels this year were/are 5% greater than last year. It is interesting that high priority has been given in NZ to research on the effects of UV on grass and clover growth in particular. In particular wintersweet and magnolias suffered severely from leafburn (following summer pruning) this year with almost complete defoliation following sudden exposure.

4th

In Moscow, three people died of hypothermia Wednesday night as temperatures plunged below -28C, bringing the death toll from cold in the capital to 93 this winter. The arctic weather has broken century-old records in many northern Russian towns and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from one settlement where heating pipes burst.

5th

Seven people died in flooding in Durban, South Africa. The flooding started Thursday evening when some 200 mm of rain fell in Durban and surrounding areas in just over three hours.

6th

Heavy snow triggered traffic accidents and disrupted air and rail travel Wednesday in central and western Japan. At least 106 bullet trains linking Tokyo and western Japan were delayed for up to an hour, holding up 85,000 passengers. In Hiroshima 20 motorists were injured in collisions on icy highways. Sections of eight major highways in central and western Japan were closed because of poor visibility and snowfall.

7th

Eleven people have died and two others were missing after flood waters caused by torrential rains swamped 46 towns in the southern Philippines. Continuing heavy rains since Friday caused a river connecting the southern provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur to overflow, flooding low-lying areas.

7th

In Europe this year for the first time temperatures over 25C have been reported. In Valencia (Spain) 25.8 was measured under an almost clear and sunny sky.

8th

Holland is under the spell of snow and snowshowers. In the North and North-East 7 - 10 cm of snow fell during Sunday and Mondaynight. In the central part locally 5 - 7 cm has been reported, 2 - 3 cm in the North-West.

8th

Rivers rose today in Northern California as the latest in a series of soaking, windy storms pounded the region, and heavy snow piled up on the already buried Sierra Nevada peaks. School were closed because of heavy snow in several southern Oregon cities. About 8 feet of snow had fallen in parts of the Sierra Nevada since the series of storms began Saturday.

9th

A cold snap and heavy snowfalls hit Europe early Tuesday disrupting air, rail and road traffic in Switzerland and causing one death in Scotland. Heavy snow in Switzerland almost paralyzed the country's main airport at Zurich-Kloten, where only four aircraft were able to take off. Conditions had stabilized in the Netherlands, where on Monday snow and ice caused record traffic jams stretching some 975 km.

10th

The Austrian army launched an airlift to fly vital supplies to 25,000 tourists trapped in ski resorts for five days, as heavy snowfalls in Europe continued to cause widespread disruption. While the death toll in a French avalanche reached 10, traffic and other snow-related problems were reported from Spain to the Netherlands and Switzerland to Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. In Austria, many tourists have been trapped since last Friday in the west of the country, where more than 40 cm of snow fell in 24 hours, on top of over two metres (over six feet six inches) recorded in the Arlberg region. In Zagreb, Croatian officials banned trucks and buses from key roads near the capital and many roads in the northwest of Croatia were blocked, while international train services were also disrupted. In neighbouring Slovenia, 50 centimetres of snow fell overnight. In Spain heavy snowfalls disrupted roads in the north of the country, notably in Cantabria, where five mountain passes were closed.

10th

Heavy snowfall in British Columbia (Canada) has caused major delays to people trying to get into Vancouver, reducing traffic to a crawl on city streets and highways. Heavy snowfall is unusual in southern British Columbia, which is known for its mild winters.

10th

Bitterly cold weather forced organisers of the world biathlon championships in Kontiolahti (finland) to delay the start for the fifth successive day on Wednesday. The prolonged cold snap in the town 438 km north-east of Helsinki has raised fears that some events may be scrapped.

11th

A cyclone hit the northeastern Australian tourist resort of Port Douglas late on Thursday night. The eye of Cyclone Rona passed over Port Douglas. Emergency officials in the area urged people to take shelter and braced for major floods as Rona dumped heavy rain on the area. Tropical Queensland, which bills itself as Australia's Sunshine State, is just recovering from floods that have claimed five lives near the state's southern coast since Tuesday. Torrential rains since the weekend in southern Queensland have sent raging waters down creeks and swelled the Mary River to a peak of nearly 22m at the town of Gympie on Wednesday, the highest level in a century.

11th-12th

Parts of northwestern British Columbia (Canada) have been buried in a record snowfall and there's more to come. About 110 cm of snow fell Thursday, edging in on the Canadian, one-day record of 118 cm, which fell at Lakelse Lake in the same region in 1974. The weather office was expecting another 40 cm by Friday morning.

12th

Heavy snow killed at least one person and continued to grip several central European countries as the cold front moved eastwards across the continent on Friday. Severe disruption was reported in parts of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, at the end of a week which saw severe white-outs across Europe. The Hungarian army deployed 300 men to rescue drivers trapped in vehicles in the northeast of the country, while three pregnant women were flown by helicopters to hospitals to give birth. Snowfalls in the Carpathian mountains exceeded the monthly average in just three days, reaching a depth of three metres. In eastern Austria a rash of accidents was reported and traffic was severely disrupted, as the snow which swamped the west of the country earlier in the week arrived. Europe's recent snow chaos was most deadly in France, where at least 11 people died in an avalanche Tuesday.

13th

Heavy snow overnight blocked roads across central Europe, disrupting traffic and cutting off towns and villages. Hungarian police said 18 people had died in the cold snap sweeping central Europe since Wednesday. Further south in Bulgaria, the snow also disrupted traffic and cut electricity to around 166 towns and villages.

14th

After deaths last week near Chamonix, France, a French alpine police ban against off-trail skiing and snowboarding was imposed Saturday across the entire the Haute-Savoie region of the Alps.

16th

Dry hot weather over South Africa's farmlands could weigh heavily on what has promised to be a record sunflower seed harvest, the National Oil and Protein Seed Producers' Organisation said. 'In South Africa a huge crop was expected, but with the heatwave now nobody knows what to expect. Where everybody thought there would be a surplus, perhaps we will end up with up to 600,000 tonnes,' said the organisation's Nico Vermaak.

17th

Freezing weather claimed two more lives in Poland overnight, bringing the death toll to 208 this winter. Thick snow blanketed Poland amid the harshest winter in recent memory. Four times as many people have died of the cold this year as last.

17th

Hungarian radio says at least 20 people froze to death in Hungary in a record cold snap over the weekend as massive snowdrifts blocked roads throughout central and eastern Europe and trapped people in remote areas. Almost 100 villages in northeastern Hungary remain cut off from the rest of the world after 27 inches of snow fell on Sunday, adding to the

18th

El Nino is now being blamed for outbreaks of a deadly horse disease. English scientists have found evidence tying El Nino to African Horse Sickness in South Africa. The findings were reported in today's issue of the journal Nature. After reviewing horse breeding records dating to 1803, researchers found that 13 of the 14 major outbreaks in South Africa occurred during the warm-phase El Nino/Southern Oscillation. The 14th outbreak, in 1996, wasn't during an El Nino year but unfolded during similar weather - a drought followed by heavy rains.

18th

Two people were missing and two hurt after a snowslide in France's Jura mountains near the Swiss border. Some 30 rescuers using sniffer dogs were on the scene at Metabief, near Pontarlier, after a sheet of snow some 40 metres long and 20 metres wide slid down the mountain to the ski resort.

18th

Springlike weather patterns produced a record 163 tornadoes over the United States in January, the most ever for the first month of the year. The total is more than three times the previous record for January - 52 - set in 1975. The January tornadoes were caused by an unusual weather pattern for the month, said Harold Brooks, meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma. He said the storms were caused by a southerly flow of wind from the Gulf of Mexico, which brought in moisture at low levels, and then combined with a strong upper air pressure, which causes wind at about 30,000 feet. A one-day January record of 87 twisters was set Jan. 21, according to the National Weather Service.

19th

South African maize futures dropped on Friday on expectations of rain over key growing areas and ahead of Monday's first crop estimate, traders said. Traders said the biggest market mover was a weather bureau forecast of an 80 percent chance of rain over the weekend. Scattered rains had fallen over the past week, but producers said widespread rains were needed to save a crop that had been hard hit by dry, hot weather over the Free State and North West provinces, where the majority of maize is grown.

20th

Avalanches closed roads in the French Alps near Grenoble, burying several cars but causing no serious casualties.

20th

In Belgium, heavy rain and thawing snow threatened flooding, with the area around Liege in the northeast on flood alert.

21st

Thousands of holiday-makers were trapped in ski resorts in Austria, relying on military airlifts of food, as heavy snow and rain caused disruptions and threatened flooding across Europe. Some 13,000 tourists were blocked by the risk of avalanches in the Paznaun Valley in Austria's Vorarlberg area, with food being flown in to hotels in military helicopters. The country's major east-west railway was still closed amid avalanche warnings. In Italy, Alpine resorts warned skiers not to venture off-piste as higher temperatures threatened avalanches. Melting snow and heavy rain also led to sections of the swollen Rhine river being closed to shipping in Switzerland and France. In Sarajevo a nine-year-old girl was left in a coma after being hit by a block of ice which slid off the roof of her house.

22nd

Five or six chalets were hit by simultaneous avalanches which struck the villages of Villa and Le Sage near Sion, southern Switzerland. Five were missing and one injured as a result. Security official Charly Wuilloud said that some 50 avalanches were recorded on Sunday in the canton of Valais. One just missed a village, stopping five metres from a school.

22nd

Seven people drowned and six others are missing and presumed dead in flooding which hit the southern Philippines town of Kauswagan. Floodwaters swamped five districts, destroyed two bridges and swept away several houses made of light material on Sunday afternoon, the regional disaster council here said.

22nd

Cyclone Frank missed the capital Noumea and was moving south away from New Caledonia which had been braced for a major impact. Much of the territory had been on maximum cyclone alert Saturday as Frank approached, packing winds up to 180 km an hour, but by early Sunday the warning had been lifted across much of the French Pacific territory. Frank hit the extreme north of the territory late Friday night, injuring one person slightly but leaving a trail of damage.

22nd

Floods are reported in the East of France. The river Seine, running through Paris, is rising quickly and is threatening the French capital. In Germany (mainly the southern and central part) flooding is becoming a serious problem.

22nd

Chinese weather official Zou Jingmeng, a former head of the World Meteorological Organisation, has been killed in a robbery. Zou, who held the minister-level post of director of China's State Meteorological Bureau from 1982-1996, was slain on Monday in Beijing. Zou, born in 1929, was president of the World Meteorological Organization from 1987 to 1995 and was an alternate member of the Communist Party central committee from 1982 to 1992.

23rd

Omaha (Nebraska) got 5 inches of new snow as of late Monday night, while 6 inches was reported in Nebraska's midsection. Up to 8 inches of snow fell in southwestern Iowa, while northern Missouri received about 2 inches. Snow emergencies were declared in Omaha and in nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa, to limit street parking so snow ploughs could get through. Some school closures were expected.

23rd

One woman was killed and three people injured in an avalanche in Italy's northwestern Val d'Aoste. Road links were also affected.

23rd

Fifty-five people were buried when an avalanche ploughed into the centre of a ski resort village in western Austria, destroying three or four buildings. The snowslide, described as "massive," came down on the village of Galtuer, in the Vorarlberg region a few km from the Swiss border. A 35-year-old German woman was killed when a snowslide ploughed into a chalet in Sportgastein near Salzburg, while several people were buried. Maximum avalanche warnings have been issued for the last few days in the Vorarlberg and Tirol regions, where some 10,000 have been blocked in ski resorts due to heavy snowfalls. In neighbouring Switzerland rescuers were still searching for eight people missing since nine chalets were swept away by simultaneous avalanches late on Sunday, killing two people.

24th

The body of an eighth person killed by avalanches in southern Switzerland was found today, rescuers said. The search continued for two others still missing, feared dead.

24th

Officials at the Nordic skiing world championships at Ramsau (Austria) called off events on Wednesday as the heaviest snowfall in decades caused chaos and devastation in the Alps. Local avalanche expert Heribert Eisl told the Austrian news agency APA there had been a huge avalanche just above Ramsau on Wednesday morning at 0500 GMT.

25th

A fresh avalanche thundered into a Swiss spa town (Leukerbad) as officials across the Alps in Austria said 31 bodies had now been found after a series of massive snow slides earlier in the week. Three French skiers were plucked to safety after being trapped for nine days in a makeshift igloo 3,000 m up in the Alps in the freak weather conditions that have caused more than 50 deaths across Europe this month. The heaviest snowfall in decades has also stranded an estimated 100,000 people. In Austria, Tyrol provincial governor Wendelin Weingartner told reporters that 27 bodies had now been recovered in Galtuer. Some 30 cm of fresh snow blanketed the Berner Oberland, which has several popular skiing areas, overnight. Roads to the resorts of Grindelwald and Adelboden remained closed.

25th

Rescue teams were on alert for new avalanches in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania and Ukraine, where four people have died in bad weather and floods. Officials said blizzards had prevented rescuers from recovering the bodies of two Czech tourists swept away by an avalanche in Romania's southern Carpathians last weekend. Large contingents of Ukrainian Interior Ministry troops remained in action in mountain areas, trying to clear the sole mountain route still blocked after heavy snows. Residents were warned that new avalanches were possible.

26th

After two massive avalanches rescue helicopters continued to evacuate thousands of shocked tourists from an Austrian valley as the death toll rose to 37, with only one victim still buried. Experts put the avalanche risk at 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. A category 5 avalanche has a mass of at least 100.000 tons of snow, pushing with a pressure of 1000 kPa.

26th

Mountains of snow in Switzerland began thawing Friday as some roads and rail lines opened, allowing access to cut-off villages and hotels, local officials said. The resorts of Davos and Klosters in eastern Switzerland were reachable by road and rail after being inaccessible for most of the week. Zermatt in the southern canton of Valais will be open for business-as-usual Saturday when overland routes re-open, but local authorities stress that all ski lifts are functioning and ski conditions are "excellent."

27th

A major cooling in the Pacific Ocean, the flip side of last year's El Nino, has caused a shift in the jet stream blamed for everything from bitterly cold weather in Alaska to drought conditions in the U.S. Southwest. Since Nov. 1 more than 32.8 inches of rain have been measured at SeaTac (Seattle) Airport, making this the rainiest winter since record-keeping began in 1891. Measurable rain has fallen on 89 of the past 119 days, also a record. British Columbia also has sloshed through an unusually wet winter, especially on Vancouver Island where Port Alberni has received close to 20 inches of precipitation and Tofino nearly 30 inches in February alone - double what the coastal communities normally get in the month. The Mount Baker ski area touts itself as the nation's snowiest but has been overwhelmed by 68.6 feet of snowfall since the season opened on Nov. 22, including 33 inches in one 24-hour period. Normally the area gets 51 feet in an entire season.

28th

An avalanche occurred Sunday on a skislope at the small Swiss resort of Ovronnaz in the Valais region, which has suffered a number of snowslides in the past week. One skier was able to dig himself out rapidly from under the snow. He was alone at the time of the snowslide, which crossed a section adjoining one of the three pistes. Nobody had been reported missing.

World weather news, March 1999

2nd

About 1,300 people are temporarily homeless after flooding struck the southern Philippine city of Gingoog. Heavy rain began falling Monday and by Tuesday morning five city districts and 10 surrounding villages were under water. The floodwaters destroyed a bridge and damaged several hundred houses, forcing about 1,300 people to leave their homes. The southern island of Mindanao has been receiving rainfall which is way above normal this year. Thirty-nine people were killed in flooding around the Mindanao cities of Iligan and Butuan last month.

3rd

Tanzania's cotton production will slump by over 50 percent in the 1998/99 crop year (November/October), commodity analysts said on Wednesday. Tanzania's cotton production in 1998/99 will reach just 160,000 bales from 300,000 the previous year. The fall was blamed on heavy rains in late 1997 and early 1998 linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon and an attack by pests. In many growing areas much of the cotton crop, normally planted in November and December, was washed away by the rains. Some was submerged under water and in some areas planting was simply not possible.

3rd

A strong weather system that spawned four tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana uprooted a tree that killed a man in an Alabama mobile home park.

4th

Severe drought in NZ is now confined to areas in South Canterbury,North and Central Otago and inland Southland. The drought is not broken in other eastern areas of the South Island but a significant rainfall during the last days of February brought relief. Rainfall of over 100mm in the foothills replenished river flows to allow irrigation to re-commence and on the plains 30-50mm allowed autumn sowing of fodder/grass seeds and some re- growth of grass. The decaying tropical origin cyclone that gave the rain relief to Canterbury last weekend brought severe gales to Central Otago.This caused arching of power cables which started the biggest grass fires in history. The area has experienced its hottest Jan/Feb period on record with maximum temperatures at 37C.

5th

A fierce snowstorm has blanketed Russia's Pacific coast. An emergency has been declared in the region as strong winds buffet buildings and temperatures have dropped to -20C to -50C. The storm has hit the Kamchatka peninsula especially hard. Snow covered 750 km of roads, paralysing food deliveries. Strong winds in the northeastern Magadan region have disrupted electricity service while water pipes have frozen, leaving 420 people in a small town in the Gorkovo Yagodinskogo region without water.

9th

Almost 900 people have been evacuated from their homes due to heavy floods in northern Hungary. Water from melting snow covered almost 350,000 hectares (875,000 acres) of land, threatening 200 villages with 7,500 homes. So far, more than 30 homes have collapsed and several roads have been closed.

9th

South Africa's maize crop remained under pressure as hot and dry conditions persisted across the country with no relief in sight. Traders said the market was waiting expectantly for Wednesday's release of estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture on the size of South Africa's maize crop - estimates made using satellite technology.

12th

For the second year running, scientists have been flying through violent winter weather over the North Pacific to improve the accuracy and timeliness of storm forecasts on the North American mainland. Now, they are assessing the results from what may become a regular program to measure storms while they are thousands of miles away at sea. 'From a scientific point of view, we were trying to measure the butterfly effect,' says Craig Bishop, an assistant professor of meteorology at Penn State University in College Park. During the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Winter Storm Reconnaissance Program, which ran from mid-January to mid-February, National Weather Service forecasters were asked to look at their four- to five-day outlooks and identify regions of the country that concerned them. Then modellers worked back to identify the Pacific weather system that was most likely to affect these areas. Air Force Reserve C-130s and NOAA aircraft then flew to the areas from bases in Hawaii and Alaska, dropping instrument packages to gather data.

13th

Floods which forced over 1,000 Hungarians to flee their homes in the last week have begun to recede. Nearly 30,000 homes are still on alert in the northeast of the country, where water from melting snow has flooded 360,000 ha of land in 300 settlements.

13th

More than 130 villages in mountainous southwestern Iran have been cut off by heavy snowfall that was still affecting the region today. Roads have been closed in the Bazaft and Kuhrang regions of Charmahal-Bakhtiari province where some 45 cm of snow have accumulated.

16th

About 36,000 people including army units worked to strengthen dykes in northeastern Hungary on Tuesday after the swollen Tisza river reached record levels, prompting fears of new floods. At the town of Tokaj, about 70 km from the Ukrainian border, the river crested at 8.92 metres on Monday night, 12 cm higher than its previous record. About 40 kilometres downstream at Tiszapalkonya, it crested at 7.74 metres, 41 centimetres above its previous record. Officials said that people had been mobilised to strengthen dykes and pump out water-logged land along the river, the largest in Hungary after the Danube.

18th

A tornado tore through a harbour in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, sinking 71 fishing vessels and damaging 164 others. Accompanied by torrential rains, the waterspout struck Maoming city in the early hours. A few people suffered injuries, but no one was killed, as the fishermen who work the boats have onshore homes and had received meteorological warnings.

21st

Thousands of residents in Australia's northwest were being evacuated Sunday as a severe tropical cyclone packing winds up to 290 km/hour bore down on them. Early on Sunday, the Bureau of Meteorology upgraded the intensity of Cyclone Vance to a severe category five, on an intensity scale of one to five, which is classed as "extremely dangerous with widespread destruction". It is one of the most powerful cyclones to threaten Australia and stronger than Cyclone Tracy which devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974.

21st

Two snowmobilers were killed and three others were injured when an avalanche crashed down an Alaska mountainside over the weekend. Two avalanches reportedly occurred 20 minutes apart and extended about a half-mile across the face of a mountain high in Turnagain Pass, a popular recreation area in the Chugach National Forest. Officials had warned snowmobilers and back-country skiers that avalanche danger was high due to a recent heavy snowfall, but witnesses said dozens of snowmobilers ignored the warnings.

19th

For this spring, floods are more likely to occur in Oregon and parts of Washington state, Montana and North Dakota (USA). The National Weather Service predicts those areas have a higher than average potential for flooding, while it forecasts drier than average conditions in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, western Texas and Hawaii that 'may result in water concerns.' As part of its annual spring flooding outlook issued today, the weather service predicts typical rainfall for the rest of the nation.

19th

Sixteen people have died so far this year and four remain missing as a result of unseasonably heavy rainfall on the Ecuadoran coast. Rainfall on coastal cities has been up to 50 percent higher than predicted. The downpours have caused rivers to break their banks, flooding and damage to roads just as repair work was being carried out following damage inflicted by El Nino last year.

23rd

Rains in Ivory Coast cocoa and coffee growing areas in the second ten days of March were slightly below the long-term average but adequate for the time of year, industry sources said. The national weather service reported that 10 monitored stations received a total of 250.9 mm of rain in the period between March 11 and 20, compared to a long-term average for the period of 310 mm. Rainfall in the preceding 10 days was 180.6 mm.

24th

At least 1000 villagers in northeastern Bolivia were made homeless by severe flooding linked to the weather phenomenon known as La Nina, officials said. Floods submerged houses in five villages along the border with Brazil when the Beni river overflowed late last week. Heavy rains caused the most severe damage in Rurrenabaque and San Buenaventura, destroying some 120 homes.

24th

British scientists have found bumps deep under layers of Antarctic ice that will provide new clues about the planet's past climate. Much like the annual rings of a tree, the Raymond Bumps in the ice crests of Antarctica hold secrets about the age of the ice and the atmospheric and climate conditions that formed it. 'Glaciologists have searched for Raymond Bumps since 1983 when Charlie Raymond theorised that we should find distortions, bumps in the internal layers beneath the crests of some ice caps,' said Dr David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey. In a report in the science journal Nature on Wednesday, Vaughan described how he and Steve White used ground penetrating radar to end a 16-year search to find the elusive ice bumps.

25th

A U.S. judge has ruled that weather forecasts are predictions and broadcasters should not be blamed if they are wrong, dismissing a $10 million lawsuit filed by relatives of a Florida fisherman who died in a storm. The lawsuit said the Weather Channel, an Atlanta-based cable channel, contributed to the death of Charles Cobb, 58, by failing to update a forecast of good weather when it learned a storm front was on the way. But U.S. District Judge James Paine ruled on March 18 that Cobb's family sought a 'novel and unprecedented expansion of the scope of tort law' and called a weather forecast a 'prediction of indeterminate reliability.' Cobb watched the Weather Channel and heard a forecast of good weather that morning before setting out.

25th

Major disasters around the world caused a massive $65.5 billion worth of damage in 1998, up almost 130 percent from 1997, as extreme weather and earthquakes took their toll, a Swiss reinsurance group reported. Natural catastrophes accounted for nearly all of the overall losses from major disasters in 1998, the review said.

25th

The Mauritian rupee is under downward pressure as a result of drought and a cyclone in the last month, foreign currency analysts said. They said the crucial textiles and sugar sectors - two of the four pillars of the economy in the Indian Ocean island - were being battered by cyclone Davina and drought.

25th

Northern Europe's recent mild but stormy winters may be the result of changes in the surface temperature of the North Atlantic. Like El Nino, the weather phenomenon that caused havoc around the globe, the less powerful North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), determines Europe's weather. 'The North Atlantic Oscillation has influences over North America, the whole of Europe and even extends into Siberia and the eastern side of the U.S.,' Mark Rodwell, of the UK Meteorological Office, told Reuters. 'In a sense it's like a cousin or brother of El Nino but it's in a different geographical location.' Writing in the science journal Nature, the meteorologists showed that much of the variation in the NAO - the difference in sea-level pressure between Iceland and the Azores - over the last 50 years can be reconstructed from the records of Atlantic sea-surface temperatures.

31st

The National Weather Service says last month was the driest March in southeast Florida in some 20 years. At Miami International Airport, only 0.25 inches of rain were recorded during the month, making it the driest March since 1976 when 0.23 inches fell. Meteorologists say the 0.55 inches of rain at Palm Beach International Airport made for the driest March since 1977, when 0.53 inches fell during the month. Also, records indicate last month was Fort Lauderdale's driest March since 1979, and the driest seen in Miami Beach in 20 years.

World weather news, April 1999

3rd

Search operations have resumed after an overloaded passenger ferry boat sank late Thursday in a tropical storm about 70 miles off the coast of Nigeria. Rescue officials said that five more bodies were recovered today bringing the total to 20 and 25 survivors were brought to shore in Port Harcourt.

3rd

A tornado struck at about 4 p.m. in a rural residential area just north of Shreveport in northwestern Lousiana, USA. Rescue workers were still assessing the injuries of some people two hours later before sending them to local hospitals, Broome said. Buses took residents whose homes were destroyed to a shelter in Bossier City. A tornado also took off the roof of an apartment building in the nearby town of Blanchard, possibly injuring some tenants, according to a report on KSLA-TV. The television station also reported that a tornado destroyed the First United Methodist Church in Logansport, a town southwest of Shreveport near the Texas border. Six people died and 75 were injured.

3rd

An eighth illegal immigrant has been found dead in the area where a surprise snowstorm stranded dozens who tried to enter the United States, an official with Mexico's consulate said Saturday. Officials from the U.S. Border Control and other agencies rescued more than 50 immigrants in and around the Cleveland National Forest, about 40 miles east of San Diego, late Thursday and Friday.

8th

Powerful wind gusts reaching 100 miles per hour are lashing parts of Colorado, USA, flipping over tractor trailer trucks and forcing the shutdown of highways.

9th

At least three people were killed, hundreds of homes reduced to rubble and scores of people injured in the wake of what's believed to have been one or more pre-dawn tornados that struck Cincinnati's (USA) northeastern suburbs.

11th

A total of 26 people have been killed by flooding and landslides after torrential rains swept through Colombia. Torrential rains hitting the north, center and southeast regions of Colombia in the last two weeks have caused 26 deaths and thousands of dollars in damage. Eight of Colombia's 32 departments have been struck by the heavy rains which have flooded the country's main rivers. In the village of Inza in the department of Cauca, 14 people were killed and more than 200 were displaced on Friday when the Oyuco river flooded surrounding areas.

13th

State emergency officials say an apparent tornado touched down today at a shopping center in Conroe in southeast Texas (USA), damaging three stores. Another apparent tornado hit in the Midland area Tuesday night, destroying about 20 homes and damaging 80 more in the Cotton Flat area southeast of the West Texas city. Four minor injuries were reported.

14th

Kenya's 1999 tea production will decline by 25-30 percent from 294 million kg last year, undermined by bad weather. 'The weather has not been very good. It was very, very dry in December, January and February. That has drastically affected the tea crop,' Eustace Karanja, managing director of the smallholder Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA), told a news conference. 'Yes, overall production could be down 25 to 30 percent.'

15th

A rapidly developing storm pelted parts of Sydney (Australia) with hail stones reported as large as rock melons, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Roofs caved in on hundreds of houses and businesses and thousands of cars were damaged when the freak storm hit about 7:30 p.m. the city's southern suburbs and slowly moved north. Hail stones reportedly covered the ground up to 20 inches deep, closing as section of road in the Royal National Park. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that dozens of people have been treated for cuts from broken windows and skylights. The newspaper received reports of hail stones as large as 'golf balls, lemons, cricket balls and rock melons.' Wednesday's storm is being compared to a 1991 storm that caused about $300 million in damage.

15th

After one of the mildest winters in decades, Colorado (USA) was broadsided by a snowstorm that created blizzard conditions and subzero wind chill readings. The spring snowstorm brings much-needed moisture to Colorado. Mild winter weather left terrain so dry that fire officials began wildfire precautions several weeks early.

15th

Several villages in southeastern Belgium were without electricity or telephone services after unusually heavy falls of snow, the emergency services said. Firemen were working to clear roads which had been blocked by snow or by falling trees. The region most seriously affected was between Dinant and Bastogne, near the border with Luxembourg.

15th

Fourteen people were injured and more than 130 homes, including 80 used for public housing, were destroyed when a tornado swept through central Georgia (USA).

16th

Rescue workers have pulled the bodies of 30 people from a huge mass of mud that fell from a mountaintop after heavy rains in Argelia, Colombia.

16th

Portions of the South and Midwest (USA) are being strangled by a spotty but tenacious drought that has been gripping parts of the nation for several months. In Texas, Gov. George W. Bush has declared a state of emergency in 170 of the state's 254 counties. His order comes nine months after a 1998 drought cost his state $10.4 billion in agriculture losses alone. In Florida, gusty winds fanned flames across 6,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,000 residents. The southern half of the country generally is drier than normal, especially Arizona and New Mexico - no wildflowers this year. But to forecasters' consternation, Texas and Florida remain dangerously dry again despite the switch to La Nina. Circumstances north of I-80 couldn't be more different. In Washington, Mount Baker is poised to break the all-time North American snowfall record of 1,122 inches, or 93.5 feet of cumulative snow, that fell at Mount Rainier during the winter of 1971-72. In central Nebraska's sandhills, the second-largest wildfire in state history consumed 78,000 acres of prairie on March 19-20, killing one firefighter and hundreds of cattle. The town of Thedford was evacuated as the fire licked residents' doorsteps.

19th

Four people were killed overnight when a 'mini-hurricane' tore through Russia's second city and the Saint Petersburg region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, rescue services said. The island military base of Kronstadt which faces Saint Petersburg across the Gulf of Finland lost power supplies when a pylon collapsed.

19th

Raging surf, whipped up unseasonably early by the La Nina weather phenomenon, ripped through Rio de Janeiro's (Brazil) celebrated beaches over the weekend, strewing them with garbage. Powerful waves crashed across the expanse of sand on Rio's Ipanema beach on Sunday, punching a crater in the boardwalk and tearing down one of the signature lifeguard posts that are favourite landmarks along the popular tourist destination.

22nd

United Airlines today announced that it has cancelled a large portion of flights because of severe springtime weather affecting its operations. United has cancelled 30 percent of all flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport through the end of the day. In Denver, where a heavy spring snowstorm is blanketing the airport, United has cancelled nearly 50 percent of all flights. Chicago and Denver are, respectively, United's largest and second-largest hub airports.

22nd

At least 11 people have died in a landslide in the Davao region in the southern island of Mindanao (Philippines). Heavy rains caused the landslide down Diwalwal Mountain, an area where small-scale and mostly illegal gold mining is rampant. A rush of mud crashed into huts and houses on the mountainside, burying people in the process.

23rd

At least five people were killed and dozens injured when a tornado struck Dongting Lake in China's central province of Hunan. The tornado caused considerable damage in the area.

25th

Global warming may melt the ice caps but it will not sink the U.S. insurance industry. Politicians and other activists have been trying to turn up the heat on insurers, warning that the industry faces devastating losses if it does not take more steps to reduce the global warming threat. But fears about the threat to the U.S. insurance industry are overblown, according to David Unnewehr, senior research manager for the American Insurance Association, a trade group that represents more than 375 property-casualty insurers. That is because only about 20 percent of the industry's nearly $300 billion in annual business is affected by weather, Unnewehr said in a report released last week. For insurers, the biggest weather threat comes from hurricanes, which have the potential to cause tens of billions of dollars in losses. Meanwhile, global warming could help to lessen the losses from winter storms and freezing, he said.

27th

A group of wine growers in southwestern France said they planned to sue the national weather service for failing to predict violent hail storms that devastated thousands of hectare of vines. Had they been properly warned by Meteo France, the growers would have been able to take steps to protect the young vines, said Jean Aymeric, the leader of a regional farmers union, in announcing the lawsuit. Officials at Meteo France denied the allegations, saying that day's forecasts had rated the risk of storms at a level of 'B' on a scale of A to C. Growers said the storms had partially or totally devastated 5,000 hectares of vines and 2,000 hectares of fruit trees.

28th

The La Nina weather phenomenon may bring more big floods to northern China this year. La Nina was expected to cause up to 29 typhoons this year in the Pacific, with seven or nine landing in China, Xinhua quoted Zhou Wenzhi, vice-minister of water resources, as saying. Typhoons would swamp China's northern coast instead of the southestern coast where they usually land, Zhou said. La Nina could also move the rain belt northward this year, causing big floods in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, along the Huai River and the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River in the summer, he said.

30th

The Sirocco ( a hot wind from Sahara desert) has caused very warm weather in some places in Greece. In just a few days temperatures rose rapidly above 25 degrees Celsius giving a 'real summer feeling' right in the end of April. Today the high temperatures came inland even slightly above the 30-mark, something which is pretty unusual for this time of year. (including 30.5C at Lamia (Central Creece - Sterea Ellada).

30th

Five people were killed and 200 were injured in a hail storm and heatwave in drought-hit Bangladesh, reportes said Saturday. Three people, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed when the storm hit 20 villages in northern Kurigram district. The storm left 15,000 people homeless. Fahrenheit).

World weather news, May 1999

1st

More than 90 people have died as temperatures have soar to nearly 49C while officials in India are having trouble keeping up with the demand for clean water. Hundreds of people others have fallen sick due to the scorching heat that is continuing unabated with several parts of the country facing acute water and electricity shortages. Officials are considering closing schools in eastern states of Orrisa and Bihar where the temperature reached 48C.

1st

Heavy rains have triggered flooding in parts of Colorado (USA). At least three creekside mobile home parks have been evacuated and a Weld County bridge was washed out while numerous other bridges were closed and face collapse. The National Weather Service reported Friday more than 8 inches of rainfall at Colorado Springs since Wednesday night while 10 inches of snow fell in Woodland Park.

3rd

An unusually late snowfall in Moscow and a sharp drop in temperature to around 0C ruined the traditional three-day May Day holiday for millions of Muscovites who had planned to spend the time sunbathing or planting vegetables in the countryside. The Moscow Weather Center has warned that temperatures would drop below freezing in some areas during the night, killing off the early flowers, after a day of intermittent snow and hail. Arctic conditions have returned to areas north and northeast of Moscow, in the Komi region, with daytime temperatures there reportedly plunging well below freezing. Moscow has known freak snowstorms as late as June.

3rd-4th

Tornadoes tore through Oklahoma and Kansas on Monday night, wiping out whole neighborhoods, killing at least 45 people and injuring hundreds. At least 1,000 homes were destroyed in Oklahoma City alone, police said. Power lines popped, debris flew and sirens blared as the twister moved from Chickasha to the heavily populated suburbs of Oklahoma City, 50 miles to the northeast. The tornado was part of a storm system that moved north into neighboring Kansas.

4th

Meteorologist Dave Imy of the Storms Predictions Center said today the storm system produced a total of 76 tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota between about 5 p.m. CDT Monday and 1 a.m. Tuesday. Imy said 45 were tracked in Oklahoma, 14 in Kansas, 12 in Nebraska, two in South Dakota, and three in Texas. The severe storms expert said the devastating storm that struck the Oklahoma City area began about 60 miles southwest of the city and followed a northeasterly path through the city and several suburbs. There is a 'strong possibility' that the devastating storm was an F5 tornado, the most powerful on the Fujita scale, used to measure the power of twisters with winds of more than 260 mph. The rampage was the most deadly tornado event in Oklahoma City history. The previous record was 35 killed and 70 homes damaged June 12, 1942. It ranks as the fifth worst tornado event in the history of Oklahoma in terms of lives lost. The previous record was 97 killed at Snyder, Okla., May 10, 1905.

5th

The death toll in an Indian heatwave rose to 103 as 14 more people were reported dead in blistering weather conditions that paralysed a large swathe of the country. The mercury soared to 47C in Agra, Banda and Jhansi towns of Uttar Pradesh, while most of the heatwave-hit areas including Delhi saw temperatures ranging between 42 and 44 degrees Celsius.

6th

At least one man died in the latest spate of tornadoes in Tennessee, a series of storms that was accompanied by torrential rains. The National Weather Service says as many as 14 tornadoes were recorded across the state between 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday while more than 4 inches of rain fell at the Memphis airport.

6th

Morning commuters in Atlanta were pelted (Georgia, USA) with chunks of hail as large as baseballs from a storm that uprooted trees, downed power lines and caused several traffic accidents. The storm was part of a weather system that killed four people during the night in Tennessee and dozens of people Monday in Oklahoma and Kansas. No injuries were reported in the Atlanta area, where police reported more than a dozen traffic accidents related to the storm. It also downed power lines to about 13,000 people in Atlanta's Virginia Highlands and Chamblee neighborhoods.

6th

Drought will impact on winter cereal harvests in the key southern region of Andalusia, but there is still time for spring rains to save crops in the rest of Spain, farmers and grain merchants said.

8th

Poor weather conditions have hampered attempts to find as many as 300 people missing after a ferry sank in a tropical storm in southern Bangladesh. The ferry, believed to have been carrying about 400 passengers, went down on Saturday 'in a whirlpool' in the Meghna river near Lakhsmipur, 110 miles from Dhaka.

8th

A tornado that struck a small town east of Havana (Cuba) here left two people dead and some 30 people injured. The tornado - which was accompanied by hail and lightning - battered the town of Pedroso, in the province of Matanzas, damaging about 100 homes.

10th

A 700-foot container ship broke free from its moorings in the Houston Ship Channel (Texas, USA) during thunderstorms that rolled through the Houston area downing trees and knocking out power to thousands. The severe weather struck during the morning rush hour, knocking out power to homes, businesses and schools across the city. Tornadoes were spotted near Livingston and Alvin, but no serious damage was reported.

10th

Ten people were killed and 10 others were injured in a landslide caused by heavy rains in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The landslide occurred in Compostela Valley. Heavy rains also damaged a concrete bridge in the town of Tiboli and washed out seven houses, injuring 10 people. At least one person was reported missing in the area. Several deaths from landslides caused by heavy rains have been reported in Mindanao in the last two months. Southern Philippines has been receiving higher than average rainfall in the past few months.

12th

The Russian spring sowing campaign is gaining momentum even though unusually cold weather in some regions has damaged plantings. The area sown to all spring crops so far is 22.1 million ha, up from 16.5 million ha last year. But low temperatures, reaching 1 to 8 degC below zero, damaged around 400,000 hectares of spring plantings in European Russia. Such cold weather in May after an early spring had been registered only once this century, in 1918.

12th

New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture warned farmers on Monday that they may be in line for a third summer of drought - with associated flow on effects to the national economy. The ministry released a summary of a climate report that said that global weather patterns that brought drought to parts of the South Island and dry weather to much of the rest of the country appeared likely to continue through winter and spring. Combined with dry conditions in prime dairy areas the ministry has previously put the cost of of each of the last two dry summers at NZ$500 million in lost production to the farming industry.

14th

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on Friday re-elected its veteran Nigerian secretary-general Godwin Obasi, who has already headed the United Nations weather agency for 16 years. Obasi, 65, won a fifth four-year term by securing more than the required two-thirds majority in a secret ballot. Obasi, who was educated at McGill University in Montreal and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has held the post since 1984. His current term expires at the end of this year.

15th

A tornado ripped through a southern Chinese village killing 13 people, injuring 51 others and destroying 178 houses. The twister struck Qinge village in Suixi county, Guangdong province, on Saturday afternoon, dumping heavy rain for about 15 to 20 minutes. Nine villagers were killed instantly when the houses collapsed, while another four died in hospital, said the report. Tornadoes also hit the villages of Wenshan and Benlixu, damaging 161 houses and a lot of crops, but not causing any casualties.

17th

Residents along rivers and streams in Northeast Iowa (USA) are hoping for the best but bracing for the worst. The National Weather Service estimates between three and eight inches of rain fell in a 12-county area on Sunday causing flash flooding. Many of those same areas remained under a flood warning today as water continued to rise along Beaver Creek and the Cedar, Shell Rock, Turkey and Wapsipini rivers.

17th

Wave after wave of strong thunderstorms crossed Northern Illinois (USA), leaving thousands of ComEd customers without power for much of the day. About 27,000 ComEd customers were blacked Monday afternoon out after another line of heavy thunderstorms pounded the region. Winds clocked at 50 miles per hour snapped tree limbs causing damage in Joliet. The worst damage occurred about 1:55 a.m. in the village of Wauconda, Ill., northwest of Chicago, where 70 mph winds damaged the Woodland and Harmony Village trailer parks.

18th

Rain is expected to fall on Southeast Asia even during the June-August dry season thanks to the La Nina weather phenomenon, a Singapore meteorologist said. La Nina, which has brought much-needed showers to the region since last July, is now forecast to extend its stay to possibly the end of this year, said Wong Teo Suan, deputy director of Singapore's meteorological service. 'It is still strong in the Pacific, there is no sign of it weakening. For us, overall there would be showers even during the period of dry weather from June to August,' he told Reuters.

20th

Kandla, India's busiest port, remained closed on Thursday due to rough weather caused by a cyclone that brushed the Indian coast before hitting Pakistan, a port official said. The weather department has forecast heavy rainfall and high speed winds although the cyclone had veered away from India's western state of Gujarat, one official said.

20th

Repairs of hail damage on the space shuttle Discovery were completed Wednesday and a launch date was set for May 27, NASA said, a day after warning that bad weather could push it back. The space agency said a long-range forecast calling for stormy weather might still delay the launch. But officials said they were pressing forward with a schedule developed after hail pitted the foam insulation of the shuttle's external fuel tank and forced a postponement of the original May 20 liftoff date.

20th

A monster cyclone near Mars' north pole is the latest sign of Earth-like weather on the Red Planet, scientists working with the Hubble Space Telescope said. The orbiting telescope captured images of the huge but fleeting Martian storm on April 27. Another look six hours after the first pictures were taken showed the cyclone dissipating and later snapshots failed to turn it up. But while it lasted, it put on quite a show. The doughnutut-shaped cyclonic storm showed icy clouds stretching 1,100 miles east to west, and 900 miles north to south, with a central eye nearly 200 miles across. The fact that it was composed of water ice, rather than the dust that typically makes up storms on Mars, was further evidence of a Martian water supply. Astronomers have long searched for traces of water on Mars, because water in liquid form is seen as a precondition for Earth-type life.

20th

Tropical cyclone '2A' died down after hitting the coastal areas of Pakistan's southern Sindh province. 'The cyclone died down at 12 noon (0700 GMT) after crossing the Sindh border areas,' said Akhtar Siddiqui, director of the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics in Karachi.

20th

Bad weather and a lack of funds will prevent Belarus gathering the 7.3 million tonne grain harvest planned for this year, the agriculture ministry said. 'To our regret, we hope for 6.3 million tonnes of grain, not 7.3 million tonnes as planned at the start of the year,' Agriculture Minister Yuri Moroz told Reuters.

20th

Nonstop spring rain on Canada's agricultural Prairie provinces has severely slowed seeding in most areas and left farmers praying for the precipitation to stop. The rains, including a deluge last week that brought four inches of precipitation to some areas, has centered on a vast expanse of land running along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border - as far east as Lake Manitoba and west to Indian Head. Figures from April 1 to May 19, showed some areas had precipitation up to 200 percent above normal.

21st

The duration of unseasonably warm weather in northern South Australia (SA) and around the SA/Northern Territory border is quite unusual. For 8 consecutive days now, the maxima in this area have been 8 to 12C above the May average. Daily maximum temperatures have been as high as 33.5C (at Kulgara on the 18th and 19th, 11degC above average).

21st

Mexico has declared five northern states disaster areas due to a drought that has wiped out corn and other crops. The states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, Durango and Sinaloa will be eligible for federal relief funds under the decree. Reservoirs in northern Mexico are at an average 79% below capacity and the rainfall from January through April was 93% below the average for that period.

22nd

Heavy rain in the Bavarian Alps sent streams over their banks, cutting off villages, roads and electricity to several towns. At least three people died. Bavarian police said the worst flooding was reported around the village of Eschenlohe on the Loisach river, about halfway between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Murnau, where military trucks that had driven in to deliver sand sacks were trapped. Other towns hit by the flooding included Oberstdorf, Immenstadt, Sonthofen and the Walser Valley region, where electricity was shut off after a transformer station was inundated with water. 24hrs-totals of more than 100 mm were reported e.g. Reutte/Austria measured 168 mm. Zugspitze in southern Germany recorded 580 cm total snow and 110 cm fresh snow.

22nd

A cold front associated with a developing Low near Kangaroo Island brought thunderstorms with heavy downpours to Adelaide and nearby areas this evening. The Bureau of Meteorology's Regional Forecasting Centre in Kent Town, Adelaide, recorded the top rainfall of 41mm in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday. This is the highest daily rainfall recorded in May since the Bureau relocated to this site in 1977.

24th

A Low, which developed last Thursday evening in the Coral Sea about 500km NW of New Caledonia, brought gales to the Tasman Sea, torrential rain on Lord Howe Island, and heavy seas along the south Queensland and northern New South Wales coasts today. Heavy rain preceded the Low. Lord Howe Island Airport recorded 189.6mm in the 24 hours between 8pm EST yesterday and 8pm today.

25th

India's weather forecasters Tuesday forecast a eleventh consecutive normal monsoon, raising the prospects of another bumper food crop. 'In 1999, the rainfall over the country as a whole for the entire southwest monsoon season (June-September) is likely to be normal, thus making the year 1999 the eleventh normal monsoon year in succession,' the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. A normal monsoon is rainfall within plus or minus 10 percent of its long-period average. For the last 11 years - except 1998, when rainfall was excessive - India has had a normal southwest monsoon season.

27th

Hurricane forecaster Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University has predicted 14 tropical storms, 10 hurricanes and four intense hurrcanes during the season that runs until November 30. Gray's predictions came after noting the persistence of La Nina as it swells cold water in the eastern Pacific Ocean, combined with stratospheric westerly winds. He also sees warm water temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean, and projects barometric pressures in the Caribbean Basin and western Atlantic will be below average - conditions ripe for the development of storms.

28th

Forest fires, which have been erupting in several places across northern Canada over the past four weeks, continue to threaten isolated communities. Latest to be threatened are two towns in the Prairies provinces, including Cross Lake in Manitoba and La Ronge, in Saskatchewan.

30th

A severe thunderstorm around Antwerp, accompanied by 'enormous hailstones' brought traffic to a stop on the ring road. Roads and cellars were flooded in some suburbs of Antwerp. There were many calls to police and fire brigade in Leuven near Brussels, and Tienen to the east, because of flooding.

30th

A freak hail and rain storm battered the Paris area, killing a 12-year-old girl and injuring at least 12 people. Winds gusting to 70 mph toppled a crane at a construction site in the northeastern suburb of Aubervilliers, sending it crashing into a parked car where the girl was sheltering. Fire services received emergency calls at the rate of 1,000 per hour compared to a normal rate of 4,500 a day. The Alma-Marceau metro station was under 30 centimeters (one foot) of water, and several road tunnels in the capital were unpassable.

World weather news, June 1999

1st

Five people were killed and 11 injured in severe storms that swept through the two regions east and northeast of Moscow on Monday night. Russian television and the Itar-Tass news agency say hurricane-force winds hit 31 districts, tearing off roofs, uprooting hundreds of trees, pulling down power lines and even destroying an above-ground gas pipeline in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

1st

A truck driver was killed when an apparent tornado tore through a rest area along Interstate 55 south of Springfield (Illinois, USA), knocking over several tractor-trailer rigs. Numerous storm cells passed over Illinois, affecting much of the state. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were reported. The National Weather Service reported tornadoes in Macoupin County, northeast of St. Louis, and in Fayette County, in south-central Illinois. The agency said railroad cars were blown off the tracks near Carlinville, while the Fayette County twister damaged several homes. Funnel clouds were spotted in Jackson and McDonough counties. In Chicago, thunderstorms prompted flight delays at O'Hare International Airport.

4th

An American Airlines jet that crash-landed in Arkansas, killing nine people, touched down head on into the most severe class of thunderstorm, federal safety investigators said today. Amid questions about why the cockpit crew of Flight 1420 decided to land in worsening conditions late Tuesday, investigators said air traffic controllers at Little Rock National Airport provided a steady stream of weather updates.

4th

Normally balmy Los Angeles is enduring a spell of unusually cool and cloudy weather. The cloudy weather has been the second or third item on the evening TV news for days and the staple talk of radio talk shows. Temperatures have averaged 2-5 degC cooler than normal. Southern Californians are familiar with 'June Gloom' - the low clouds and morning fog that can keep the coast chilly, especially in the morning. The fog usually lifts and weather gets warm by afternoon. And the fog disappears by July. Dave Danielson, a spokesman for the National Weather Service, said the 'Summer of Gloom' can be blamed on La Nina, which cools the water temperature off California's coast. That, in turn, cools the air temperature over the water, creating an 'inversion layer' beneath the warm air of the upper atmosphere. As a result the clouds and fog on the coast are trapped.

6th

Typhoon Maggie scraped the eastern section of the Philippines, killing at least two people and stranding thousands of ferry passengers. The typhoon, packing winds of up to 121 mph, triggered landslides that buried two people and injured two others near the town of Santo Domingo in the Bicol region, and halted ferry services linking the main island of Luzon with Samar and Catanduanes.

7th

Strong winds and rain prompted businesses and schools to close and caused traffic delays in Hong Kong Monday as a weakened typhoon Maggie skirted the territory.

8th

A blast of hot, humid weather from the Midwest to New England (USA) pushed electricity demand to the limit, prompting a scramble for spot power, warnings of shortages, and cuts to some industrial users. The unseasonably hot weather set new highs for June 8th throughout the Northeast: in Newark, N.J.; Portland, Maine; Boston; and Burlington, Vt. Temperatures in New York City Monday fell 2 degrees short of matching the all-time high of 96 degrees set in 1925. A pollution alert in the Washington area prompted the public transit system to suspend bus fares on some routes to encourage commuters to leave their cars in the driveways.

12th

The first tropical depression of the 1999 hurricane season is meandering over the open Atlantic Ocean southeast of Bermuda.

13th

Tropical storm Arlene, the first such storm of the hurricane season, is moving northwest across the Atlantic with winds of nearly 60 mph. At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 430 miles east-southeast of Bermuda, near latitude 29.2 north and longitude 58.4 west.

13th

Heavy rains this spring have robbed Iowa (USA) farmers of billions of tons of precious topsoil. The Des Moines Register today says the worst erosion is in northeast Iowa, where mid-May showers hit before newly sown corn plants could emerge and help stabilize the soil. The ill-timed storms arrived before most soybeans were planted, but many Iowa bean fields had already been tilled, leaving the soil loose. Some 10 inches of rain fell May 16, washing soil down to tributaries that flow into the Mississippi River. Conservationists say area farmers can expect to safely lose about 5 tons of soil per acre each year, a volume that works out to a layer roughly the thickness of a dime.

14th

Heavy rainfall at the onset of this year's monsoon has killed three people and damaged property across Nepal, after two days of continuous rain.

15th

More than 100 southeast Wisconsin (USA) residents are waiting for some of the worst flooding in years to dissipate so they can return to their homes. Emergency services workers ordered about 75 families living near the Fox River to evacuate their homes on Monday. Torrential rains dropped as much as 4 inches of water on southeastern Wisconsin on Sunday, triggering the flooding. Across the Illinois border, residents of McHenry County, which received 6 inches of rain, were cleaning up from Sunday's flooding.

15th

Russia has successfully completed its spring sowing campaign and the agriculture ministry sees no reason to change its crop forecast despite hot weather in some regions. The unusual heat with daytime temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius was expected to remain for the next few days, while soil moisture in these regions was on the verge of exhaustion.

15th

Flash floods caused by a severe summer storm trapped scores of people in cars and flooded houses and roads in Cyprus. Heavy rain and hail, driven by strong winds, lashed the normally sun-drenched Mediterranean island, felling trees and transforming roads into torrents. The British High Commission was struck by lightning, knocking out computers and telephones for two hours. Sunburnt tourists in open-topped vehicles fled for cover as the deluge reduced visibility to nil for about half an hour. 'The hail was the size of pebbles'. Cyprus has been affected by unusual weather for the past five days. On Monday storms and strong winds destroyed fruit crops in the mountainous Troodos region northwest of Nicosia.

16th

Canada's prized durum crop, the specialty wheat used to make pasta, will be sharply reduced this year by heavy rains which hit key parts of the Prairies, market analysts said. The eastern end of the province of Saskatchewan, which predominates in Canada's growing of spring and durum wheats, was hard hit by the heavy spring rains that slowed or stopped seeding in many areas this year.

17th

Spain has recorded its lowest rainfall in 50 years, devastating arable, sugar beet and livestock farming. A chart by the Spanish Environment Ministry showed that average rainfall in Spain in the period from October 1 1998 to May 31 this year stood at just 370 mm, the lowest level since 1949. The figure a year agao was about 650 mm. 'In most of mainland Spain, the year may be considered dry or very dry, especially the regions of Andalusia (south), Castilla-La Mancha (central-south) and Extremadura (west), where accumulated rainfall is below half of normal levels,'.

18th

More than 200 people have been evacuated from their homes and several houses collapsed due to torrential rains in Hungary. No injuries were reported, but at least four houses collapsed and train traffic was disrupted at several locations due to mud washed on the track over the last two days. "These storms are much bigger than usual," meteorologist Szilard Aigner said. "One day's rainfall equalled the usual amount over a month," he said.

20th

Packing gusts of up to 116 mph, Hurricane Adrian churned near Mexico's Pacific coast and prompted officials to declare a state of alert. The powerful storm's proximity prompted six Mexican states - Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero and Chiapas - to be on alert.

20th

The Lubbock area (Texas, USA) is drying out after record rains Sunday and Monday. This year's rain total in Lubbock has already surpassed all the rain received in 1998. By late Monday, Lubbock's rain total was 13.13 inches for the year, compared with 13.06 inches in all of 1998. Only about an inch of rain had fallen on Lubbock by that time last year. The NWS says Littlefield received 5.10 inches Monday night, the heaviest rainfall in the area.

22nd

Early monsoon rains are expected to benefit India's crops, Food Minister Som Pal said on Tuesday. 'The rainfall so far has been more than satisfactory as 28 sub-divisions out of the 35...received normal to excess rainfall up to 21 June,' S.C. Goyal, director of the Indian Meteorological Department, told Reuters. Only the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, and Rajasthan in the west were yet to receive monsoon rains, but showers were expected. 'Maybe June 25 or one or two days later,' he said.

23rd

Nearly 40,000 people in a city in southeastern Bangladesh were marooned Wednesday after three days of non-stop rains, residents said. Officials said port activity in Chittagong city had come to a total halt and road links between the city and nearby Rangamati hill district were cut because of heavy rains that submerged part of the highway. More than 180 mm of rain fell on the city on Tuesday. "One of the rivers in the (southeastern) hill region rose nearly one-and-half meters overnight and if the rain continues for another day the situation may get worse," Sharif Rafiqul Islam, head of the state-run Flood Warning Centre, told AFP. Meteorologists said the monsoon season had set in earlier than it did last year when the worst floods to hit Bangladesh in a century were recorded.

23rd

Roads and railway lines remained closed in Hungary Wednesday after rainstorms and gales caused heavy damage throughout the country, emergency services said. Thousands of people have been evacuated and more than 100 houses collapsed as electricity services had to be shut down in the northeast over the last two days. Some 18,000 ha of arable land are waterlogged, while 80 mph winds tore out trees and ripped off boats from their anchors on Lake Balaton in the south. In the northern Kemence, some 20 people were evacuated by helicopters after the village was flooded, while firefighters evacuated 50 schoolchildren from a summer camp near Doemoes by boats.

23rd

Fifteen people died in rainstorms in Romania while severe weather also hit neighbouring Hungary and Slovakia. Seven villagers died overnight in the eastern Romanian province of Buzau after torrents from surrounding hills flooded their homes, while many others survived by climbing on to roofs. In Slovakia meanwhile some 500 people were evacuated from their homes in the town of of Sahy, near the Hungarian border, after a dyke broke just over the frontier.

24th

Lightning struck dead seven more people, mainly farmers working in open fields, in a wave of bad weather in eastern Europe. The latest incidents, in Romania and the neighboring former Soviet republic of Moldova, brought to at least 25 the number of deaths blamed on several days of rain and floods which followed a long hot spell. Romania's Conel electricity authority said 84 villages remained cut off from the power grid.

24th

A summer heatwave which has swept Russia for the second year in a row has caused the food and agriculture ministry to cut its official grain harvest forecast for this year. The ministry had earlier forecast this year's grain harvest at more than 70 million tonnes, compared with last year's disastrous harvest of 47.8 million tonnes. Hot, dry weather with temperatures of 26 to 33C has prevailed in European Russia since early June. Temperatures in the lower Volga region and the North Caucasus have reached as high as 34-37C.

28th

A large forest fire remains out of control near Badger, Newfoundland, despite light rain, and the provincial premier has called in water bombers to help. Local authorities declared a state of emergency in Badger, some 160 miles northwest of the provincial capital, St. John's, as the fire came to within 300 yards of the town's outskirts. The fire erupted after Newfoundland authorities issued warnings for several days that the brush had been turned to tinder following a dry spring. Similar conditions prevail in other parts of Atlantic Canada and some 44 forest fires raged out of control in New Brunswick on Monday.

29th

Thirteen people were killed by landslides and collapsing houses during heavy rains outside Kathmandu in the past nine days. Torrential rainfalls between June 19 and 28 caused floods and mudslides and proved too great for many mud-walled houses, Floods also washed away paddy fields and some bridges.

30th

At least 23 people have died and more than a dozen others are missing following heavy rains that caused floods and mudslides across central and western Japan. Ten bodies were found this morning in Hiroshima Prefecture where landslides wrecked several buildings. Up to 8 inches of rain has fallen over the past two days at Toki in the central part of the country, disrupting train and air travel. Some 15,000 people were ordered form their homes near the swollen Shin-Minato River in Hyogo. Across the country about 1,600 buildings are flooded, and more than 200 landslides had been reported.

30th

At least two people have been killed and 100,000 trapped by rising floodwaters after days of heavy rain in central and southern China. Flood protection authorities along the Yangtze River were on full alert as forecasters predicted more rain and rising river levels and emergency teams repaired damage and rescued those cut off by the waters. More than 1,800 buildings collapsed in Xianning city in Hubei province as floods hit after a week-long deluge, causing losses of 400 million yuan. Landslides also hit the Xianning stretch of the railway linking Beijing with the southern city of Guangzhou, with some parts of the track under one metre (3.3 feet) of debris. The Yangtze at Wuhan had risen 1.34 metres in two days of heavy rain, and was likely to hit last year's flood warning level of 25 metres in the next two days. In the eastern financial hub of Shanghai, a continuous downpour since June 7 has brought rainfall to a record high of 61 centimetres.

World weather news, July 1999

1st

Fires sparked by the longest heatwave in more than a century have engulfed undeveloped patches surrounding Moscow, threatening to spread into the city's sprawling suburbs. The smoke and flames clouding highways on the outskirts of the city for weeks could move into populated areas should the summer's unrelenting heat continue, the daily Novye Izvestia reported. The June record heatwave, with temperatures remaining consistently above 33C has contributed to an outbreak of forest fires throughout the country, including in the Moscow and St. Petersburg regions. The record temperatures were last equalled in Moscow in 1895.

2nd

Forest fires raged on the outskirts of Moscow and in several other regions Friday as the death toll from Russia's biggest heatwave of the century rose to more than 140. In the Moscow region, some 126 fires engulfed 145 hectares. Fires were also reported in the Volga region of Nizhny-Novgorod; in the northern regions of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk; near Kamchatka and Sakhalin in the Far East; and near Chita and Yakutia in western Siberia, she said.

2nd-3rd

Myanmar's official news agency said on Saturday bad weather caused the crash of a chartered Myanma Airways Fokker in the west of the country. Aviation industry sources said up to nine people aboard the turboprop were killed in the crash near the town of Sittwe on Friday afternoon. Sittwe is about 560 km (350 miles) northwest of Yangon. The Myanmar News Agency said the Sittwe control tower lost contact with the plane due to abrupt weather changes.

4th-5th

Flooding and damage in parts of E. Belgium and S. Netherlands overnight 4th/5th following severe thunderstorms. Worst affected were the Belgian In Belgium some places thought to have had up to 80 mm of rain. Worst flooding was in Riemst, between Tongeren and Maastricht - up to 1.5 metres deep at one time. In Riemst, roads, garages, cellars and the ground floors of many houses were under water. Some cars floated away. About 150 houses flooded in the village of Vlijtingen near Riemst. Storms also in the Kempen - between Antwerp and the Dutch border - particularly in Turnhout. Vorselaar, Kasterlee, Willebroek, Malle and Boom also affected. In the Netherlands some places had 55-65 mm rain and wind gusts reached 100 km/hr. Here too, many streets and cellars flooded - more than 250 in Venlo and Roermond alone. Storms also affected the province of Drenthe where a farm was struck by lightning and burnt down. Total damage is estimated by insurers at 10 to 15 million guilders. In neighbouring areas of Germany, 4 people hurt by a tree blown down. Roads and railway tracks blocked by fallen trees. Several houses struck by lightning and burnt out.

5th

The oppressive heat that has gripped the East Coast (USA) continues, setting records, straining utilities and claiming lives. Records fell Monday as temperatures climbed in Central Park to 101 degrees, smashing the old record set back in 1955.

5th

Twenty more Muscovites drowned over the weekend, bringing to 171 the number of people who have died during a month-long heat wave. A total of 50 people have died in Moscow over the past week including two who drowned in their bathtubs. A record-breaking heatwave has gripped Moscow since early June with temperatures often rising above 33C. Cooler temperatures and light rain brought some reprieve from the heat over the weekend.

5th

A 9-year-old boy in Quebec (Canada) has been killed in a thunderstorm in the western part of the province. The boy died tonight when the thunderstorm uprooted a tree and one of its branches hit the tent in which he was sleeping while camping out near Sainte-Agathe. Some 200,000 homes in the Laurentians, and thousands of others elsewhere in the province, are without electricity because of damaged power lines. Meanwhile, temperatures soared to 104F in parts of southern Ontario today on the second day of a severe heat wave. High humidity made it feel even hotter, in what is being described in one of the severest heat waves in the province. In another weather-related development, maritime officials have reported no iceberg sightings this spring off the Newfoundland coast or in the Saint Lawrence estuary. In normal years, at least 500 icebergs are sighted in the region during spring.

6th

Fair weather foiled a trans-Atlantic sailing record bid by three hours on Tuesday. Franco-Swiss brothers Yvan and Laurent Bourgnon, plus American Cam Lewis, the co-skippers of the 60 foot spidery tri-maran Foncia, and their three crew, sat frustrated on a glassy ocean less than a hundred miles from the finish, and watched the clock tick away. After racing across most of the Atlantic Ocean at speeds in excess of 20 knots, much faster than was required to break the record, they ran into light winds off southern Ireland on Monday, and saw their chances evaporate as their clothing dried in the sun. They eventually crossed the finishing line, off the Lizard Point at the entrance to the English Channel, three hours outside the record of 6 days, 13 hours, 3 minutes and 32 seconds, for the 2888 mile journey from New York's Ambrose Light.

6th

Temperatures climbed to 100 steamy degrees in the East for the third day in a row Tuesday, triggering blackouts and making for an unpleasant return to work for people who spent the holiday weekend in shorts and T-shirts. At least eight deaths have been blamed on the heat in the Midwest and East. The heat also stalled commuter trains and subways in New York and forced summer schools to send children home early. High temperature records started falling before the sun even reached its peak, as Atlantic City, N.J., hit 98 before noon, with humidity of about 40 percent. The mercury hit record highs of 100 at Newark, N.J., and Harrisburg, Pa., and 101 in New York City and at Washington's Reagan National Airport.

6th

About 200 people have been forced out of their homes in Drummondville, Quebec, after a tornado touched down in the area, ripping up trees and damaging homes.

8th

Cooler temperatures Wednesday eased a suffocating heat wave in the eastern United States, but not before at least 44 people died from weather- related causes.

8th

Two people have been killed during a powerful storm in the Las Vegas Valley that touched off what the National Weather Service called the worst flooding in Southern Nevada in 15 years. Reports said that 4 to 6 inches of rain were falling per hour; a quarter-inch of rain per hour can cause flooding in the desert, where the ground doesn't absorb the water as quickly. Six to eight feet of water raced through low-lying residential neighborhoods. Pieces of mobile homes could be seen floating down inundated streets, and a the famed fountain at the entrance to Caesar's Palace was also under water. People jammed into casinos along the Strip, trying to get out of the driving storm.

11th

Storms have left at least two people dead and two others missing in Serbia and flooded large areas of the Yugoslav republic, as more than 5,000 homes were evacuated to escape rising waters, media reports said. One man was struck by lightning at Ub, 30 km west of Belgrade. Three other people were swept away by torrents of water that rushed through Jagodina, 10 kilometers south of Belgrade on the side of the Velika Morava river, and Badnjevac near Batocina. Further south, on the same river, about 20 villages in the Krusevac region were cut off and some were without electricity. In Krusevac town itself, a whole street was inundated. Several bridges over three rivers were destroyed in the Topola region, 70 kilometers south of Belgrade.

1th

Heavy rain flooded most streets in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Sunday, severely disrupting traffic and shutting down businesses. Weather officials said 128 mm of rain had fallen since Saturday evening in the heaviest showers since the monsoons started a couple of weeks ago.

11th

At least 15 people were killed and around 150 injured when a storm lashed northwest Pakistan. Winds with speeds of up to 95 miles per hour hit the region, downing electricity poles and trees and damaging houses in the provincial capital Peshawar and surrounding areas. The winds, which caused a power supply breakdown, were followed by rainfall. The Pakistani capital Islamabad, nearby Rawalpindi and several other parts of the country also received rains, breaking a hot spell. The country has been in the grip of a heatwave that has reportedly claimed dozens of lives in different parts of the country over several weeks.

12th

Nine people died and several were missing Monday in a landslide near a dam in southwestern Romania, hit by torrential rains since the weekend. Rescue teams and local officials were searching for survivors among a group of workers on the dam in the Hunedoara region. Heavy rains have pounded western Romania since Sunday.

13th

Troops and villagers battled floods in Bangladesh after swelling rivers smashed five embankments and forced thousands to flee for safety, officials said. Floodwaters have already inundated a tenth of the country, submerging whole villages and marooning thousands of people after embankments broke without warning under pressure from the torrent.

15th

Various regions of the western Canadian province Alberta, including the city of Calgary, were hit with a mix of rain and snow in the morning as temperatures dipped to around 1C, chilling the festivities at the famous Calgary Stampede rodeo and western festival. The average high temperature in the region that sits in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains for this time of year is 23C. Last week a snowfall north of scenic Banff National Park forced the closure of the highway to Jasper, another mountain resort to which tourists flock each summer. 'That was only the fourth time it snowed in July, and now it's happened twice this year already. I would think that's unprecedented,'. Nordegg, Alberta, still had traces of snow on the ground by mid-morning after up to 15 cm fell.

17th

More than 750 fires raged across large swatches of taiga, mobilising an army of 6,000 firefighters as Russia's worst heatwave this century showed no signs of abating. The unprecedented drought and heat that has blanketed the country since June has sparked some of the worst forest fires in recent history, with 230 new conflagrations detected in the last 24 hours. Temperatures reached 32C yesterday.

17th

An ice-skating rink in the Bahrain capital has been reduced to a pool of water because of the heat wave gripping the Gulf Arab island state. "The temperature was too high and the compressor broke down," a worker at the Fun Land rink said. Temperatures have hit 54C since Tuesday, while electricity authorities are warning that consumption has soared to almost full capacity and have appealed to home-owners to cut down.

20th

A central district of Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos is under threat of flood from exceptionally high tides predicted for the next few weeks. The water is now just three metres from breaching the sea wall in the Victoria Island district, which is home to dozens of banks, hotels, restaurants and residential quarters.

22nd

Residents of northeast Iowa (USA) braced for yet another wave of thunderstorms as flooding worsened along the Cedar, Shell Rock and other rivers. More than 2,000 people have been evacuated between Charles City and Waverly as the Cedar River turned streets into fast-running streams.

23rd

Overnight monsoon rains left several major avenues in the Philippine capital flooded, prompting officials to call off elementary and secondary-level classes. The rains, worsened by a tropical storm in the northern Philippines, left knee-deep water on several streets in Manila and its suburbs, rendering them impassable to small vehicles.

24th

Sanbagging continues in parts of eastern Iowa (USA) as the region's waterways strain to hold in raging floodwaters. The worst appeared to have passed today for towns like Cedar Falls, where the Cedar River crested 8.3 feet over flood stage. An unfinished dike managed to hold overnight, sparing the downtown area from another 2 feet of water. About 100 residents had been evacuated.

25th

More than 20 people drowned in central China when their river fishing boat capsized in three-metre high waves whipped up by high winds. All 30 fishermen on board the boat were tossed into the Dongjing river - a tributary of the Yangtze - as winds of more than 40 miles per hour hit the area around Wuhan city. The waves also damaged nine other vessels in the area, three of which sank, the report said. Telephone and power lines along the dykes around the Yangtze and Dongjing were also all blown down.

26th

Searing heat gripped Chicago (USA) for a sixth day as city officials worked to prevent the hot summer weather from killing hundreds, as happened four years ago. The hot weather baked a wide area, stretching from Kansas to the Atlantic Ocean and from Wisconsin south. The temperature reached a record-tying 99 degrees Sunday in Minneapolis. The heat also is having an impact on electronic and mechanical devices as well. In addition to cars overheating, drivers with electronic toll-paying devices in their cars are reporting battery failures.

26th

Flood waters crashed through northern Iran along the Caspian Sea, leaving at least 34 people dead, more than 200 injured and many others missing. Entire villages were swept aside and rescue teams were still searching for those missing late Monday as authorities issued an urgent appeal for relief supplies. Cars and livestock had been swept away and those residents who remained were perched on the roofs of their houses to avoid the raging waters. The flood was brought on by what authorities called the heaviest rains here in 100 years. The rains, which began late Sunday, came after a crippling nationwide drought that has ravaged crops and virtually obliterated the summer harvest.

26th

Abnormally warm conditions in the south and cool conditions in the north of Western Australia this morning produced a reversal of the normal north to south temperature variation. Broome Airport's minimum of 6.0C was 7.6C below average, while in the WA wheat belt Paynes Find and Morawa reported minima around 14C, 8 or 9C above average. In eastern Victoria, Orbost recorded its coldest temperature in 39 years of record with a reading of -3.2C, breaking the previous record of -3.1C set on 5 July 1957.

27th

A heat wave over much of the USA claimed more lives as forecasters predicted no immediate relief. Hardest-hit by the sweltering heat are the urban areas of the Midwest, where there have been 25 fatalities since last week. Weather officials say high levels of humidity can make 35C heat feel like 43C.

27th

21 people died while canyoning - an adventure sport which involves climbing down gorges and body surfing down mountain rapids and waterfalls without a raft - in the Saxeten Bach Gorge near the resort of Interlaken. The victims were part of a group of 45 tourists and eight guides hit by a sudden flood. A flash flood suddenly occurred, bringing down a hail of rocks from the sides of the creek. The waters rose several metres above their usual level, leaving most of the canyoners with little hope of escaping up the steep sides of the gorge.

28th

One person died and dozens of houses were damaged by floods which have hit Romania this week. Some 50 communities in the northwest of the country are without power, while nearly 500 hectares of arable land was flooded in eastern Romania, where several bridges were also damaged. The latest floods began Monday. At the start of July some 30 people were killed in Romania in severe weather which also caused widespread damage.

30th

A Serbian government minister blamed NATO's 11-week air bombardment of Yugoslavia for unseasonal spring and summer weather in the Balkan region. Ecology Minister Branislav Blazic was quoted by Beta news agency as saying an unprecedented amount of rain had fallen in the region, adding that the logical conclusion was that it was the result of NATO 'aggression.' Among data he used to back up his claim, he said the amount of airplane fuel burned by NATO jets had affected the upper atmosphere.

30th

The worst drought in a decade has seized the Northeast (USA), withering crops, feeding forest fires and sucking streams and lakes so dry that Baltimore has only a month's worth of drinking water in its reservoirs. On Thursday, Maryland declared the first drought emergency in its history, joining Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and scores of communities in urging people and businesses to curb water use.

30th

More than 250 homes were heavily damaged by floods in a mountainous region of eastern Tajikistan. Streams swollen from heavy overnight rains Friday also destroyed three electrical sub-stations and caused damage to routes in the Murgab region.

World weather news, August 1999

2nd

The blistering heat wave that gripped much of the United States the last two weeks claimed at least 190 lives. Hardest hit were the states of Illinois, with 80 dead since mid-July, followed by Missouri with 44 and Wisconsin with 13.

3rd

Typhoons, floods and heavy monsoon rains have battered Asia leaving hundreds dead and tens of thousands homeless while haze returned to parts of Indonesia, threatening a repeat of the region's two most serious recent environmental disasters. This year floods and landslides caused by rains have left few Asian countries unscathed and caused billions of dollars in damage. Worst hit have been China and India, but Vietnam, Bangladesh and Nepal have also been badly affected. This week has been the turn of the Korean peninsula and the Philippines. On Tuesday, Typhoon Olga slammed into South Korea, bringing further damage after five days of flooding. The toll for the dead and missing rose to 52 and officials forecast this would rise as flash floods hit. In Thailand six people were killed and three more missing in flash floods in the southeastern province of Chantaburi. Nearly 90,000 people were said to have been affected. In Vietnam, the toll for central and southern areas remained at 36 dead and three missing. Around 22,000 people were in "extreme need" without sufficient food or clean water. The death toll in India, where floods began late June, remained at more than 300, including 141 in the eastern state of Bihar. In Cambodia, torrential rains closed a key highway linking the capital Phnom Penh with the southern port town of Sihanoukville. Elsewhere, deaths tolls this year have reached up to 110 in Nepal, 31 in Bangladesh and two in Japan. In China, floodwaters on the main Yangtze River were reported to be receding. But authorities have warned the risk of flooding along the Yellow River, China's second largest, has greatly increased after heavy rainfall along its middle reaches. Meanwhile, in Indonesia smoke from forest and ground fires began to shroud skies over Sumatra and Borneo, prompting a fear of a return of the haze that covered the region in 1997. Satellite images showed 111 hotspots in Sumatra and 80 in Kalimantan. Visibility was just 500 metres in some areas. Winds have also spread the smoke to neighbouring Singapore.

6th

Typhoon Paul continues on track for the Korean peninsula, which was battered earlier in the week by Typhoon Olga, but the Joint Typhoon Warning Center at Pearl Harbor said today the storm was losing strength and would weaken further when it passes over Japan and hits the cold waters of the Korean Strait. Olga brought heavy rains and flooding to South Korea and North Korea, and the Seoul had put 150,000 military troops and emergency workers on alert for Paul's expected landfall Saturday. As many as 60 people were killed in the flooding caused by Olga and 20,000 others were forced from their homes. In North Korea, the death toll was pegged at 60 with 40,000 homeless. South Korean military authorities warned residents to beware of landmines and other munitions washed downstream away by the floods.

6th

Strong winds on France's western Mediterranean coast brought down a Ferris wheel at a fairground, injuring an employee. The giant wheel crashed down on the pay box, which still contained the cashier, and destroyed half-a-dozen roundabouts in the vicinity. The public had just been evacuated and the fairground, at Palavas-les-Flots, closed because of the storm. At Grau-du-Roi, further east, a circus tent collapsed, again only minutes after the public had left, as winds reached more than 86 km/h an hour.

7th

Three girls aged 12 and 13 were swept away by flood waters overnight at a scout camp in northern Italy. Some 30 scouts were resting in tents pitched on platforms near the Febbraro river when a storm triggered a flood which swept the three girls' tents away. In Switzerland, police said one man was killed and another reported missing after storms hit their boats on the Zurich lake.

7th

Governor George Pataki Saturday declared a drought emergency in eight counties of New York State, restricting water use throughout the affected area. The New York governor's actions came as much of the the eastern United States continued Saturday to suffer the driest summer in decades.

8th

A staggering increase in property losses in the 1990s might lead observers to think Mother Nature has been stirring up more storms than ever. But a University of Illinois researcher says the real reason for the higher losses is the steady migration of homeowners toward areas of high storm activity, such as the coasts. Stanley Changnon, a professor of geography and atmospheric sciences, showed in a recent paper that the number of thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes has not increased in recent years. He also cleared global warming of blame for increased storm damage.

10th

Record temperatures are burning up the Gulf emirate of Dubai with an all-time city high of 47.5 C set this week and expected to be broken in the coming days. The unprecedented midday shade temperature set on Monday beat the previous hottest day registered last year of 47.3C and equalled in June 1978. The overnight low on Monday was 31.9C. However the usually high humidity levels, which turn the northern Gulf coast into an open sauna, are currently low. Humidity on Monday was around 40 percent, while it often sits around 90 percent. The United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member, has suffered above normal mean temperatures for the past 15 months.

10th

All of New Jersey and 34 counties in New York have been declared agricultural disaster areas as the drought on the East Coast continues.

10th

Bears in the New York area searching for water and food amid the dry, barren land caused by one of the worst droughts on record are looking to neighboring houses for provisions. "Blackberry bushes have dried up (so) the bears have to look for another source for food," Bob Ericksen, supervisor for the New Jersey Division of Fish, Games, and Wildlife, said. Bears have invaded house backyards to seek leftover barbecue food or scavenge seed put out for the birds, residents from a town north of here told the New York Times.

10th

Two men and a boy were killed and 16 people injured in a series of violent thunderstorms that lashed the Cambodian capital. The storm destroyed at least 100 homes.

11th

A tornado ripped across downtown Salt Lake City killing at least four people and causing panic during a major convention. The tornado struck near a center where a large trade convention was taking place, and television images from the scene showed severe damage to buildings in the center of the city, uprooted trees and downed power lines.

11th

Rain over Indonesia's Sumatra island Wednesday cleared smog from fires in Riau province, allowing residents to see a clear, blue sky for the first time since last week, government officials said. 'The rain has washed away the smog. The sky is clear today,' said an official at state-run environmental impact assessment agency in the Riau provincial capital of Pekanbaru, about 560 miles northwest of Jakarta.

15th

Spanish authorities evacuated an old people's home and a campsite as strong winds and hot weather fanned the flames of a forest fire that has already destroyed 300 hectares. Firefighters have been tackling the blaze since late on Saturday when it broke out near the village of Denia, on the fringes of a national park on the coast around 80 km north of Alicante in southeastern Spain.

21st

Floods in northern Iran left 25 people dead after heavy rains on Thursday hit the northwestern province of Qazvin. The raging waters which tore through 17 villages, severely damaging the infrastructure, left the people in Alamut region without any electricity or telephone lines.

21st

Tropical storm Sam left two people dead and nine injured after sweeping through the northern Philippines this week. A man drowned in the northern province of La Union while a woman was swept away by an overflowing river near the northern resort town of Baguio amid heavy rains brought by the storm on Friday. Landslides damaged two major roads leading to Baguio and over 4,000 people across the country were temporarily displaced by rising waters.

21st

Hurricane Bret has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm, with winds maximum sustained winds of 135 mph (215 kph). At 11 p.m. EDT today, the first hurricane of the 1999 season was located at latitude 25.2 degrees north, longitude 95.1 west, or about 155 miles (245 km) east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas.

21st

Environment Canada has issued a warning to residents of the Atlantic Provinces to brace for four or five hurricane-type storms this year, or double the normal number. Martha McCulloch, who heads the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, issued the warning today at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually starts in mid-August and runs till early November.

22nd

Strong winds and driving rain lashed Hong Kong, uprooting trees and tearing down neon signs, as tropical cylcone Sam headed towards the south coast of China The Hong Kong Observatory raised the tropical cyclone warning from a number three to a number eight at 12:30 p.m. (0430GMT). As activities in town come to a halt, surfers took to the beaches to take advantage of the strong waves despite the government's warning to stay away from the water.

22nd

Hurricane Bret is pounding the South Texas coast with gale-force winds and torrential rains as it roars toward shore between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, with dangerous winds of 140 mph.

22nd

Hurricane Bret took its first victim in Colombia, where thousands of homes were destroyed and last one woman died in strong rains and wind created by the hurricane tail passed through the Caribbean. The woman was crushed when one wall of her house in the coastal city of Cartagena caved in. Heavy rains also have pounded northern Venezuela since Tuesday, leaving 8,000 people homeless. Most of the damage was caused when the Aragua and Querecual rivers burst out of their banks in the northeastern state of Anzoategui.

23rd

Typhoon Sam tore through the Pearl River Delta in China's southern Guangdong province Monday, killing at least five people and closing several airports. The typhoon, which made landfall in coastal areas around the city of Shenzhen late Sunday afternoon, also forced the closure of Shenzhen's Huangtian airport for an hour Monday, with 15 flights delayed.

23rd

Hurricane Bret has downgraded to a tropical storm as it lost speed early today, dumped heavy rains over southern Texas and northeast Mexico threatening to flood the area. The hurricane, a category four when it smashed into the Texas coast, lost strength as it moved inland over areas that had been mostly evacuated of residents. In Corpus Cristi 148 mm fell within 24 hours (22/1200-23/1200 utc). Forecasters also warned of possible tornadoes throughout the area. Some 15,000 people had been evacuated from coastal Texas.

27th

Cold weather continued to hamper tea growth in Kenya's main growing areas in the week to August 23, leading traders Africa Tea Brokers (ATB) said. ATB predicted crop levels would remain depressed while the cold weather continued to inhibit growth. 'Night and early morning temperatures remain cold, inhibiting growth, and crop levels are low,' ATB said.

27th

Heavy rains across northern Italy flooded roads, swelled rivers and forced commuters to wade through knee-high water in the financial capital Milan. Weather experts said more bad weather could be on the way. After a night of incessant rainfall, the Seveso River which runs under parts of Milan overflowed through gutters and cut off roads and motorways in the north of the city, leaving cars submerged. Police said no one had been injured but flooding could cause delays as millions of Italians return to Milan this weekend after the summer holidays. Forecasters said the wave of bad weather from northern Africa had moved down along the southern coast of Italy and high winds and heavy rains caused disruption to some ports just north of Rome.

30th

Unusually cold weather in the Russian Arctic is likely to lead to cancellations and disruptions to shipping on the key northern route by the second half of October, a senior shipping official said.

World weather news, September 1999

4th

A tornado packing winds up to 120 mph damaged an assisted living center in Hampton, Va, USA, a nursing home and five apartment complexes, injuring more than a dozen people and displacing as many as 1,000, authorities said. NWS forecaster Tim Armstrong said the tornadic winds were spawned by Tropical Storm Dennis, which had hovered off the North Carolina coast for a week before blowing shore late Saturday afternoon.

4th

A fierce hail storm on Sunday ravaged some 500 hectares of Saint-Emilion vineyards, one of the most prestigious of French Bordeaux wines. "The hailstones, which were as big as quail eggs, ravaged an area 400 m wide along a 1.5 km stretch leading to an almost total defoliation and destroying the grapes". Among the well-known wineries affected were Angelus, BeauSejour-Becot, Larmande, Dassault, Canon and Clos-Fourtet. The storm did not affect the neighboring vineyards of Pomerol and Fronsac.

6th

Twenty-four head of cattle died in a freak nocturnal thunderstorm when the tree under which they had taken shelter was hit by lightning at Chappelle-Baton, in the Vienne department of west-central France.

6th

A tornado has ripped through Shanghai's (China) seafront outskirts, destroying 35 houses and injuring a total of 41 people. Seven people suffered serious injuries in the twister, which struck during a thunderstorm early in the morning.

8th

Ten people died and hundreds more evacuated as Hurricane Greg approached Mexico's western shores Tuesday, causing heavy rains and flooding. Six people died as a result of heavy flooding in the southern state of Morelos, two more in Colima, one in Chiapas, and another in Michoacan. Most of Baja California was under a hurricane warning.

14th

Hurricane Floyd tore through the Bahamas, uprooting trees, shearing off roofs and hurling debris into buildings as frightened tourists and residents hunkered down in shelters or barricaded houses to wait out the monstrous storm. The 600-mile-wide Category 4 storm delivered punishing rains and winds in the central and northwestern parts of the archipelago. Storm surges up to 20 feet above normal tides caused severe flooding. The sustained winds of the storm had diminished slightly to near 140 mph by 8 p.m. EDT, when the storm's eye was located near the Abaco Islands. At least five people were injured in storm-related accidents in Nassau and another was hurt by flying debris. Three families were trapped in their homes by fallen trees, and 1,300 residents and tourists were forced into special shelters.

16th

Hurricane Floyd - which prompted the biggest-ever evacuation in the United States as it blasted in from the Bahamas - lost strength as it finally reached the US East Coast. More than 2.5 million people were evacuated from their homes from Florida to North Carolina as Floyd approached. Before making landfall, Floyd had driven frightened residents from the coast and spread torrential rains and howling winds over a huge swathe of the eastern United States. 10 people are reported to have been killed in incidents related to the storm, including one in the Bahamas. More than 300mm of rain fell in Wilmington overnight. South Carolina and Virginia also saw heavy rain overnight.

16th

Typhoon York scored a direct hit on Hong Kong, causing hurricane-strength winds and torrential rain. Officials say it is the most severe typhoon for 16 years. Many were hit by flying debris. Wind speeds reached up to 150kmph and torrential rain brought by the typhoon caused flooding throughout the territory. The number of injured has risen steadily. Many people were hurt by flying debris, including sheets of metal and the branches of trees. Some skyscrapers in urban areas had their windows blown out, sending shards of glass on to people below.

16th

Powerful Hurricane Gert was expected to veer northward over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding the U.S. mainland but possibly threatening Bermuda. Gert is the 1999 hurricane season's fourth Category Four storm. Its maximum sustained winds were holding steady at about 145 mph . According to the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale, Category Four storms can rip roofs off small buildings and cause beach erosion and massive flooding.

16th

Intense rains in northern Costa Rica have killed one man and caused more than 1,200 people to flee their flooded homes. More than a dozen towns were flooded in the province of Guanacaste, where several small rivers overflowed their banks, the National Commission on Emergencies said.

18th

Heavy frosts for September were experienced on the NSW (Australia) Northern Tablelandsthis morning. Tenterfield recorded an overnight minimum of -6.0C, 10.6C below normal.

20th

Warm northerlies ahead of an advancing trough gave Western Australia's central and southeastern districts an exceptionally warm day for September. Maximum temperatures were from 8 to 16C above the September norm, with Eyre recording a top of 36.4C, 15.9C above average.

20th

More rain expected tonight could worsen the North Carolina flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd that already is blamed for billions in damage. State officials today said 1,500 people remained stranded by the high water. Throughout the weekend, 1,000 or more others had been rescued from rooftops by helicopters and boats.

21st

Eight people were killed when two buildings collapsed following heavy rain and flooding in the northern Nigerian town of Katsina. Most parts of the town, including Kofar Marusa, Kofar Kaura and Kofar Durbi, were affected by the flooding. Local officials blamed the disaster on the lack of good drainage system in the area. Incidents of collapsing buildings occur regularly in Nigeria due to the use of substandard construction materials.

22nd

A series of storms which swept across Sydney (Australia) this evening produced reports of large (2.5cm diameter) hail, downed trees and cut power supplies in a band from around Parramatta to the northern beaches. Radar showed two significant storm cells develop within an hour of one another in the area west or south of Parramatta. The heaviest report of rain received was 30.4mm between 6 and 8pm at the Olympic Stadium AWS at Homebush.

23rd

Maximum temperatures in South Australia today were just two degrees below the all-time September record temperature for South Australia of 40.5C. Oodnadatta Airport today recorded a top of 38.4C, 12.3C above average.

24th

Typhoon Bart lashed Japan with driving rains and winds that shattered glass windows, downed power lines, knocked over cranes and killed at least 26 people. Also a tornado unrelated to the typhoon tore through a city in central Japan, slightly injuring 262 people, mostly schoolchildren hit by glass from shattered windows. The twister swept through Toyohashi, 140 miles west of Tokyo, for about 30 minutes Friday morning, destroying three homes and damaging dozens of others.

24th

State and federal authorities worked to recapture dozens of caskets disinterred by the floodwaters of Hurricane Floyd - many of them in the small community of Princeville. Officials have asked a federal Disaster Mortuary Recovery Team to help capture and reinter an estimated 100 caskets and vaults freed by the 20 inches of rain dumped by Hurricane Floyd last week. Many of the caskets had been torn from the ground in Princeville (North Carolina, USA). North Carolina's death toll from Floyd rose to 45.

25th

A blinding dust storm blowing across a desert stretch of Interstate 84 (Oregon, USA) set off three deadly collisions between semitrailers and cars that left six dead and injured at least a dozen more. Visibility was reduced to near zero.

27th

Reports of snakebite are on the rise in eastern North Carolina as the creatures have been forced to seek higher ground because of flooding from Hurricane Floyd. There are 34 snake species in eastern North Carolina, including six poisonous snakes, such as copperheads, cottonmouths, the eastern diamondback and the rare eastern coral snake. An estimated 500,000 pigs and 10 million poultry birds died in the floodwaters left by Hurricane Floyd.

27th

Maximum temperatures were up to 15C above normal while overnight minima were up to 12C above in much of South Australia and southeastern Western Australia. Eucla Airport's maximum of 36.0C was 15.0C above the station's September average. Meningie in South Australia's southeast recorded a top of 29.1C, nearly a degree higher than any September maximum at the station in 27 years of record.

27th

Rains that have sent rivers bursting over their banks and forced thousands into shelters poured onto Central America for a 15th day as the death toll from flooding rose to 29 in six countries due to the flooding - nine in Honduras, seven in Guatemala, six in El Salvador, two in Nicaragua, four in Costa Rica and one in Panama.

28th

Six inches of rain kicked off new flooding today in an area already devastated by Hurricane Floyd's inundation, washing out roads and a spillway. People were urged to evacuate two residential areas southeast of Goldsboro (North Carolina, USA).

30th

A heat wave sweeping Lebanon has ignited fires in various regions across the country, wounding at least three Civil Defence workers. As temperatures reached 35C, civil defense sources said some 20 new fires broke out in the mountains overlooking Beirut and in southern, northern and eastern Lebanon.

World weather news, October 1999

2nd

In South Australia a small upper area of cold air moved ENE across the Eyre Peninsula and into central northern parts during the afternoon and evening, spawning spectacular thunderstorms. Golfball-sized hail caused extensive damage to about 25 vineyards in the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide.

4th

In Austria 20cm of fresh snow fell above 1000m in parts of Vorarlberg and the Tirol.

4th

Twenty days of torrential rain across Central America have killed 68, displaced tens of thousands, and caused millions of dollars in damage, as forecasters predicted sustained rain in areas of the region. Huge swaths of corn, beans, rice, peanuts and sorghum crops were inundated and others have been battered so heavily by rains that the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Central America is facing a food crisis.

4th

Hundreds of dead fish are washing ashore in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (USA), and health department officials think red tide could be the cause. The microscopic algae, which may have been stirred up by Hurricane Floyd and other weather, emits an irritating toxin that kills fish and causes respiratory problems in humans. A health advisory has been in effect for about two weeks from Jacksonville Beach to just north of Marineland because of the problem.

5th

A tropical depression stalled off the east coast of Mexico, drenching the area with up to 15 inches of rain. At 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday, the center of the tropical depression was located near latitude 19.0 north, longitude 94.5 west, or about 110 miles east of Veracruz, Mexico. The storm has sustained winds of 35 mph.

5th

Typhoon Dan lashed the northern Philippines with hurricane-force winds but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, weathermen and disaster officials said. The typhoon, with maximum winds of 140km/h and gusts of up to 170km/h slammed the eastern coast of Cagayan province Tuesday morning.

6th

One man was missing and about a million others were left without electricity after Typhoon Dan whipped the northern Philippines with hurricane-force winds. The entire province of Cagayan, home to 947,000 people, was without power after strong winds toppled power pylons.

7th

Typhoon Dan has left nine people dead and displaced nearly 139,000 in the northern Philippines in the past two days, rescuers said.

7th

At least 19 people died and another 100,000 have lost their homes as a result of the torrential rains in Colombia in the past two months, authorities and media said Thursday. A river that burst its banks Monday left 15 people dead and another 39 injured and 2,500 were left homeless. In the northwest and southwest regions of Colombia at least another four people have died. On the Caribbean coast, around 43,800 families have lost their homes and crops with the flooding of rivers such as the Magdelana and Cauca - the country's largest.

7th

At least 120 people died and thousands are homeless because of mudslides and floods brought to eastern Mexico by torrential rains. Among the victims were some 70 people buried late Wednesday in a landslide that covered a school in Mixun. The region has been drenched by rains since last week when a weak tropical depression formed off Mexico's east coast. Before the depression dissipated it doused the area with more than two feet of rain. Six Mexican states have been declared disasters.

9th

The death toll from this week's devastating floods in Mexico climbed above 400 as rescue workers pressed on with the grim task of digging out people buried when a mudslide engulfed an entire village. The extent of what President Ernesto Zedillo called the 'tragedy of the decade' was becoming starkly clear as the rains eased and rescue workers were able to reach villages that had been cut off for days. At least 200,000 people lost their homes to flood waters that swept over nine of Mexico's 31 states. Flash floods turned hillsides into deadly rivers of mud that reached rooftop level and buried alive villagers who took refuge in homes and schools.

10th

Typhoon Dan left one dead after it pounded Taiwan's offshore islands. No casualties were reported in Taiwan but the typhoon brought downpours in the eastern and southeastern parts of the island as the typhoon stormed past the Taiwan Strait.

10th

Typhoon Dan which struck the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian over the weekend has left a total of 34 people dead and hundreds injured. The 14th typhoon to hit the region this year caused the deaths of 16 people in the city of Quanzhou, 10 in Zhangzhou and eight in Xiamen. The typhoon was the strongest to hit Xiamen since 1959.

11th

This summer's drought in the mid-Atlantic US region may have been bad news for farmers, but it could be a public relations gift for Chicago's new market-based trade in weather derivitives. Business in the first weather derivitives - which impacts agriculture, power companies and retailers - to be traded on a US exchange has been modest since it began on September 22 at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. But the heat wave which devastasted crops from West Virginia to Connectict, coming on top of two unexpectedly warm winters in the United States over the past two years, could be the impetus needed to galvanise the market, according to the CME. The CME weather market deals in futures and options on futures based on variations in temperature in Chicago, Cincinnati, Atlanta Contracts for Heating Degree Days (HDD) and Cooling Degree Days (CDD), much like the interest rate, equities and foreign exchange markets, protect businesses from decreased demand or increased costs due to weather. and New York.

13th

Tropical storm Irene has formed in the northwest Caribbean 330 miles (535 km) south-southwest of Havana, Cuba.

14th

Hurricane Irene, with winds of 75 mph, continued to drift south of Cuba on Thursday posing a threat of torrential, damaging rains to the island and southwest Florida this weekend.

14th

Around 100,000 people were evacuated Thursday, as Hurricane Irene battered southern Cuba - then switched direction to put Cuba's capital city at risk. The hurricane moved over Cuba near the small town of Batabano in Havana province, with storm damage prolonged by Irene's "dangerously" slow progress of around seven km per hour, according to the Cuban Meteorology Institute. This is the region's ninth hurricane this season, and number 51 in Cuban history. Three quarters of the island is under pressure from intense rains and 15-25 cm of rain has fallen in Isla de la Juventud municipality, and other major population centres like Matanzas and Cuba's principle beach resort Varadero.

15th

Hurricane Irene reformed a storm centre and was moving north over the lower Florida Keys where one gust of 103 mph was reported. Key West experienced power failures and extensive street flooding, but there were no reports of significant wind damage or any serious injuries. A tornado was reported in the middle keys, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Hurricane warnings were discontinued in Cuba, which saw 130,000 evacuated because of heavy rains and storm surge from Hurricane Irene. Coastal flooding was reported on the island after 10 inches of rain, and there was a report of one death due to the storm and two people are reported missing. 4 people died in the Bahamas due to flooding, and 2 died in Cuba.

16th

Hurricane Irene swept north over the Everglades with 80 mph winds, drenching the southeast Florida coast from the keys to Palm Beach with torrents of rain as it headed north-northeast. 5 died in Florida due to the storm. As much as eight inches of rain fell on parts of the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas, leaving standing water up to three feet deep on many streets.

16th

Several people have died from the extreme cold in Moscow during the last few days, when temperatures dropped suddenly, bringing the season's first snowfall on Monday. Weather services said the temperature fell below freezing on Saturday night and could have fallen as low as -8C Sunday night.

17th

Portsmouth, Virginia, USA: Irene established an alltime daily precipitation record of 7.82ins. Rainfall for the year now totals 72.23ins which is some 32ins above normal.

18th

Hurricane Irene is speeding out to sea after dumping almost a foot of rain in coastal regions of North Carolina, where about 700 people spent the night in shelters because of the new threat of flooding. At 11 a.m. EDT Monday, the National Hurricane Center said the center of Hurricane Irene was near latitude 37.8 north, longitude 69.9 west or about 240 miles south of Nantucket Island, Mass. The hurricane, which had winds of 105 mph, was headed to the northeast at 39 mph. Alligators were becoming a problem in several parts of south Florida. Trapper Todd Hardwick said: 'As waters recede, we're getting alligators where they normally wouldn't be found. We're also getting a flow from west to east and some of the alligators are riding the flow into urban areas.'

19th

Governments of several Caribbean islands posted hurricane warnings ahead of tropical storm Jose, which continued to strengthen early Tuesday. At 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday, tropical storm Jose's center was placed near latitude 13.8 north, longitude 57.5 west, or about 150 miles east- northeast of Barbados. The storm was moving west-northwest at 13 mph, a speed and direction predicted to continue through Tuesday.

19th

A severe cyclone hit coastal areas in India's eastern state of Orrisa, killing at least 56 people and injuring several others. Authorities have evacuated hundreds of thousands of people living in the coastal areas where 130-mph strong winds left a trail of destruction in Puri, Ganjam and Khurda districts. Winds uprooted trees and toppled houses as the cyclone coming from the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal districts. The cyclone also brought heavy rain before moving to the northwest.

20th

Hurricane Jose is battering Antigua with 100 mph winds, torrents of wind-driven rain and high tides Wednesday, as it roars into the Leeward Islands. At 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, the Category 2 hurricane was located at latitude 17.1 north, longitude 61.5 west, very close to Antigua, and moving northwest at 12 mph. A hurricane warning remains in effect for Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius, Saba, Dutch St. Maarten, Anguilla, British and U.S. Virgin islands, Puerto Rico, French St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Desirade.

20th

Hurricane Jose rolled through the northern Leeward Islands Wednesday with 100 mph winds and torrential rains, which could reach up to 10 inches.

20th

Hurricane Jose downed power lines, snapped trees and left roads covered with debris, but caused little other damage Thursday in the Virgin Islands. Jose was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning as it slowly churned toward Bermuda. The storm gave the French territory of Guadeloupe a glancing blow, dumping heavy rain that caused flooding on major roads. Jose hit Antigua head on late Wednesday, tearing down trees and flattening utility poles, according to reports.

22nd

Tropical storm Jose stalled 120 miles north of Puerto Rico with 65 mph winds, continuing to produce showers and occasional squalls over parts of the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico.

22nd

Three people have died of hypothermia in an early cold snap in Poland, where temperatures have dropped to -6C,

23rd

Officials in the northern Italian city of Genoa called for urgent assistance from neighboring regions after torrential rains left the Liguria region in a state of distress. Local officials called for Genoa to be declared a disaster area after more than 100 mm of rain fell within 12 hours causing serious flooding in many places and evacuations of residents. The Genoa-La Spezia motorway was closed to traffic on Saturday afternoon due to the rains and poor visibility. In Venice, the historic centre was flooded for the second day.

24th

Pibor River province in southeast Sudan faces evacuation after the worst floods for over 30 years caused devastation and brought life to a virtual standstill. Floods have submerged most of the province, wiping out cattle and wildlife and destroying schools and hospitals after a week of unseasonal heavy rains. The floods were the worst to hit Pibor River, in Jonglei state in war-torn southern Sudan, since 1964. Although the rainy season in Sudan usually ends in early October, heavy rains and floods continue to cause havoc in some parts of the country. Reports from Pibor River say the province is almost entirely under water.

24th

One man was killed and another was missing on Sunday after heavy rains flooded some streets in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Mohamad Shukr, 21, was electrocuted when he held onto a metal bar to stop himself being swept away by streaming rain waters.

25th

Flood waters were slowly rising in the Mexican state of Tabasco Sunday after weeks of torrential rain forced officials to open the gates of a dam that was filled to capacity. The Gulf of Mexico state, streaked with some of the country's most important rivers, has been hard hit by flooding from heavy rains earlier this month that killed some 400 people and drove some 300,000 others from their homes across central and southern Mexico.

26th

Ghana has appealed for emergency international assistance following a flood disaster that has killed at least 70 people and displaced more than 280,000 in three northern provinces. Unusually heavy rains in September, described by the Meteorological Service as the worst for 30 years, ravaged vast tracts of farmland in Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. Ghana's cocoa producing regions are in the southwest and southeast of the country, well away from the disaster area.

27th

A freak hail storm hit Kuwait Wednesday, plunging the emirate into darkness and paralysing motorway traffic, but causing no apparent structural damage. Such fierce storms are uncommon in this Gulf Arab state. The capital has not had sustained rainfall for almost a year, and the last bad storm occurred almost two years ago, blocking drains and causing serious structural damage but allowing young Kuwaitis to ride their jet skis down the motorways. Annual rainfall varies between 22 and 300 mm a year.

27th

Fresh floods triggered by heavy rain in the central province of Quang Binh (Vietnam) killed nine people and destroyed thousands of homes. 34,427 houses in Quang Binh have collapsed, while 12,000 acres of vegetable and sugarcane plantations have been damaged in the floods in the past few days.

28th

Warm weather in S Europe led to temperatures of 37.4 in Palermo (Sicily), following 38.6C in Catania yesterday.

28th

The southeast of Mexico is drenched by devastating rains, but the north has not seen a drop in months; temperatures plummet near Mexico City, while the northwest is baking hot. Freak weather conditions in Mexico are not symptoms of global warming but probably the result of the tail end of La Nina, the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, according to a meteorologist. 'The La Nina situation that we were in last year and are in again this year probably produces a little more in the way of severe conditions in Mexico,' Mike Palmerino, senior agricultural meteorologist at U.S.-based Weather Services Corp, told Reuters.

28th

Bangladesh's weather office issued a storm warning on Thursday and Mongla port suspended work from noon (0600 GMT). Meteorology officials said the hurricane-strength storm was heading towards the coast from the Bay of Bengal and was likely to make a landfall by Friday noon.

29th

A super-cyclone with winds of 160 mph battered 10 coastal districts in India's eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal, leaving some 15 million people homeless and killing an unknown number. Two people were killed when a wall collapsed in Orissa state. At least 30 people were injured in neighboring Midnapore district in West Bengal state when their homes collapsed, Press Trust of India news agency said. Many more were feared dead or injured, but little was known about many areas since most telephone lines were cut. At least 50,000 people were evacuated from coastal villages. The cyclone ripped into the port town of Paradwip and later hit Bhubaneswar, the state capital 55 miles from the coast, hammering the city with winds of 110 mph.

30th

The centre of tropical depression Katrina reformed over the Gulf of Honduras after spreading heavy rain across Nicaragua.

30th

At least 34 people have died and 79,000 others left homeless by flooding in eastern Ethiopia. Thousands of acres of crop land have also been destroyed after the Wabe-Shebelle river burst its banks following days of torrential rain.

World weather news, November 1999

1st

India's cyclone-hit eastern coast remained cut off from the rest of the country Monday, with relief material yet to reach millions of affected people. Officials say rail links to the affected districts have been restored, and telephone lines are being repaired. A few trains carrying medical supplies and navy ships loaded with food are heading toward the coast. Nearly a dozen cyclones hit India each year. The worst killed an estimated 11,000 people in 1977.

1st

Flooding on the NSW (Australia) western slopes eased today, though Graincorp has indicated that many wheat and barley growers in northern NSW will have to wait a week or so before they can begin to harvest sodden fields.

3rd

Torrential rains flooded the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and forced thousands of people from their homes on the outskirts of the city but there were no reports of casualties, government officials said. Schools were closed and deserted city markets were under several feet of water. City officials said the flooding was severe in the southwestern outskirts where some 10,000 people had been forced from their homes and more than 2,000 hectares of rice fields had been destroyed.

3rd

Panic gripped millions of people hit by the violent cyclone in eastern India on Wednesday as relief teams grappled with flood-marooned villages, dire shortages of food and drinking water and looming epidemics. Five days after the storm ravaged the coastal state of Orissa, rescue efforts were finally on a 'war footing,' with more than 5,000 army personnel frantically clearing roads and distributing emergency supplies. There was still no reliable estimate of the number killed by the most devastating cyclone to hit the poverty-stricken state since 1971, but officials said the death toll would run into thousands.

4th

Vietnamese troops took over rescue operations in flood-battered central coastal areas on Thursday as meteorologists forecast more heavy rains for the devastated region. The floods across six coastal provinces that stretch for some 500 km have killed at least 126 people. A weather bulletin read on national radio said the central region's rainfall in the past few days had been the highest ever recorded in Vietnam.

4th

Qatar's Islamic affairs ministry has urged the Gulf emirate's citizens to pray next week for rain after a scorching summer. The prayers, which are due to take place early on Monday, are in line with the traditions of Islam's prophet, Mohammed, the daily said. Qatar sweltered through its hottest summer since records began this year, with shade temperatures topping 45C at its peak.

4th

Intense rains plagueing Colombia since mid-year have caused 89 deaths and resulted in 4,000 people being displaced. "We are experiencing the worst winter conditions in four years," explained Luz Polido, director of the the government's contingency and disaster prevention office. The most critical situations are in central, north, northeast and northwestern Colombia, which have a number of deep rivers whose waters are continuing to rise.

5th

Floods following unusually heavy rain in the Central Africa Republic have made at least 6,000 homeless, state radio reported on Friday. Officials said that several rivers, including the Oubangui, had burst their banks and flooded nearby settlements.

7th

A massive avalanche thundered into a remote Andean village, burying alive at least 40 Peruvians as they scrambled to flee a flood of earth and boulders that obliterated their mud-brick homes. Apparently triggered by an underground buildup of water and gases, a hillside overlooking Sicsi exploded Sunday, sending a sulfur-smelling smoke cloud high into the air and a mudslide, roaring as it gathered up trees and debris, into the village.

8th

Emergency supplies trickled through to central Vietnam Monday where at least 475 people have been killed in the worst floods in 40 years, as relief workers warned hundreds of thousands of isolated villagers were threatened by hunger and disease.

8th

The landmark St Mark's Square and surrounding streets in Venice were under floodwater on Sunday after heavy rains caused what the authorities said was the third highest tide of the year. Temporary scaffold bridges were put up to help tourists get around the city after the tide of 116 cm Severe weather has disrupted transport in northern Italy throughout the weekend. The Bologna-Milan railway was cut for several hours because of trees felled by strong winds and flooding.

9th

Tropical storm Frankie raked across the central Philippines, killing one person and temporarily blacking out parts of the island of Leyte.

9th

Twenty-two people have died in a week in Moscow from the effects of the start of winter. Nine people died from hypothermia on Monday when temperatures fell to -14C.

9th

China, often ravaged by floods, will increase spending on flood control by 400 million yuan ($48.3 million).

9th

Heavy downpours of rain in southern Greece have killed two people, flooded hundreds of buildings and caused rivers to overflow. Dozens of trapped people were rescued by firefighters from their flooded homes, cars or businesses. Another elderly woman drowned in her home in the same region on Monday after it was engulfed by rain water. The rains have set off mudslides on main roads, stranding motorists for hours. Trains were halted as railway tracks were damaged from fallen trees and debris. Farmland was also buried under water and thousands of acres of crops were destroyed.

11th

World Cup Alpine ski races scheduled for Park City next week may be held elsewhere in North America due to warm temperatures and lack of snow in the Utah resort. Colorado ski venues were one option but there was not a lot of snow there either and weekend weather forecasts for Denver predicted near summer temperatures.

11th

State-owned Nigerian Sugar Company lost 6,000 hectares of sugar cane plantation estimated at 25,000 tonnes of sugar to flooding in the country's central region. The flood disaster in parts of northern and central Nigeria, which followed the heaviest rains in 30 years recorded this year, had deepened the company's problems.

12th

Almost 3,000 Hondurans have been evacuated and thousands more isolated by flooding as heavy rains continued along the country's Caribbean coast. The port city of La Ceiba, 185 km north of Tegucigalpa, and dozens of smaller communities, were cut off after bridges were downed by overflowing rivers. Rains and mudslides that began in mid-September have caused at least 35 deaths, flooded out more than 18,000 people from their homes, and damaged roads, bridges and agricultural land.

12th-14th

The French government has begun emergency rescue operations in a large section of southern France in the wake of heavy rains and floods that have claimed at least 27 lives. Torrential rain hit the eastern Pyrenees region at about noon Friday and continued across southern France without letup, causing rivers to overflow into many towns and villages. Weather forecasts for the region indicate continued rainfall through early Monday. French Environment Minister Dominique Voynet told French Radio RTL on Sunday that while such heavy rainfall and the likelihood of flooding could have been expected during this period, there should have been better planning and improved forestry and farming practices. She said: 'This kind of rain is common during this season, even if the amount is more than expected... But we should also look at the risk prevention plans, farming and forestry practices, the way we care for riverbeds as well as any reasons that can heighten severity of these floods.'

14th

Life is limping back to normalcy in India's cyclone-ravaged eastern state of Orissa, where the death toll from the huge storm has crossed the 10,000 mark. Hundreds of people have suffered burns from industrial chemicals that spilled into the floodwaters. Doctors are treating patients with boils, scars and red patches caused by toxic acids. Electricity and telephone connections have been restored in a majority of the ten coastal districts that were lashed by the fierce cyclone on Oct. 29. The devastating storm left more than 15 million people homeless. The cyclone is one of the worst in India's modern history. At least 10,000 people died in a 1977 storm and 9,665 were killed in a 1971 cyclone.

14th

Tropical storm Lenny became Hurricane Lenny late Sunday, threatening Jamaica with up to 10 inches of rain and possible flash flooding.

17th

Hundreds of people were evacuated and a state of emergency declared in tourist areas of New Zealand's South Island on Wednesday after torrential rain caused rivers and lakes in central Otago to flood. Up to 350 people were ordered out of around 200 low-lying properties along the Clutha River, including the towns of Alexandra and Roxburgh where a state of civil emergency was declared. Electricity traders reported inflows to the South Island lakes - a major source of New Zealand power - were 338 percent of average for the past week and this had depressed spot prices.

17th

Hurricane Lenny intensified into a Category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds Wednesday, hammering Puerto Rico with torrential rains as it roared toward the Virgin Islands. At 8 a.m. EST, Lenny was about 115 miles south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, centered at latitude 16.9 degrees north, 65.4 degrees west. The hurricane's winds reached 100 mph Monday morning, dipped to 85 mph late in the day, but strengthened to 135 mph Wednesday morning, making Lenny a major storm capable of inflicting damage.

17th

Forty-nine people have died from the cold since the start of winter in Moscow, the city's ambulance service reported Wednesday through the Interfax news agency. Severe cold kills dozens of people in Russia each year. There were 121 deaths recorded in 1998. Victims are often homeless or people who lose consciousness after drinking too much alcohol.

18th

Even though conditions have improved significantly along the East coast during September, drought conditions still persist over a large part of the USA. Moisture deficits have worsen in sections of Louisiana and the northern half of Texas. Many of these areas received only 20 percent to 60 percent of normal precipitation from late July through mid-November. Large sections of Texas and Louisiana are now in a severe drought, as are parts of western Georgia and northeastern Tennessee. Areas from Georgia northward to the central

19th

Deadly Hurricane Lenny on Friday swept its powerful winds and torrential rains through the fragile Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean. The unusual west-to-east moving storm left a path of death and destruction in the region, churning up waves that smashed boats, washed away roads, scattered debris, tore at hotels and slid coastal homes into the water. Its winds weakened, while it dumped 10 to 15 inches of rain, triggering flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas. Lenny weakened on Thursday to a strong Category Two on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, making it a moderate hurricane capable of damaging roofs, mobile homes and trees and flooding coastlines with storm surges up to eight feet. It had bordered on being a potentially catastrophic Category Five hurricane on Wednesday when it smacked directly into St. Croix, one of three islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands. Gov. Charles Turnbull said the other two islands, St. Thomas and St. Johns, were 'in relatively good shape.' Lenny struck very late in the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on Nov. 30. It is the fifth major hurricane of the season and the eighth hurricane overall.

19th

A sudden snow storm snarled traffic on secondary roads across eastern France on the borders with Germany and Switzerland. Icy roads and snows caused several accidents overnight Thursday to Friday and ski resorts in the Vosges mountains announced they would open to skiers this weekend. Around 20 cm of snow were reported with snowfalls continuing, triggering the closure of some high passes.

19th

Gale-force winds, rainstorms and snow caused serious problems on roads in north and central Italy, leaving one person dead and several injured. In the central regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Marches, rivers burst their banks forcing a large number of families to flee their homes. Trees were uprooted and driving was made difficult because of heavy snowfall. In Umbria's main city, Perugia, authorities received 200 telephone calls from people seeking aid after trees were felled by strong winds and houses damaged. Containers housing survivors of a 1997 killer earthquake were overturned by a tornado. In Naples, where several people were injured by flying objects, ferries to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida remained at port because of choppy seas.

19th

Hurricane Lenny was downgraded to a tropical storm mid-Friday, but continued to dump heavy rain on the eastern Caribbean after leaving seven people dead and hundreds of homes destroyed in its wake. But floodwaters had already cut off parts of the Franco-Dutch St. Martin from the rest of the island, local officials said. More than 45 cm of rain fell on the island in the past 24 hours, the equivalent of the island's rainfall for six months. Lenny formed late in the hurricane season, which ends November 30, in the western Caribbean and has moved eastward. It was the first major hurricane this century to follow that path, according to the US National Hurricane Center. That unusual track has many calling the storm "Lefty Lenny," and put many harbours and ports that normally are sheltered right in its path.

19th

An area of high humidity and broad convergence that gave the Queensland (Australia) Central Coast thunderstorms last night was pushed north today by a strengthening ridge up the Queensland coast. Cardwell on the North Coast recorded 153mm, mostly from rain and showers, between 3am and 3pm.

20th

Up to 80 centimetres (30 inches) of snow meant that ski slopes in popular resorts in the eastern Haute-Savoie and Savoie departments could be opened this weekend.

20th-23rd

An unusually severe early spell of winter weather is affecting southern Germany. At the weekend, severe frost gripped many areas. The ski-resort of Oberstdorf reported an overnight minimum of -21.7C. Sunday's daytime maximum temperature was -4C in Munich, a rare value in November. Prolonged snowfall on 22nd-23rd, resulting in snow depths of over 25cm in the Munich area, the heaviest falls for 12 years, has resulted in chaotic travel conditions. Traffic jams of up to 40km in length have built up on the Munich-Salzburg motorway after lorries became stuck on steeper sections. Police reported that parts of the motorway had become iced over and unpassable. Emergency teams have been mobilised to provide hot drinks and blankets for thousands of stranded motorists there and elsewhere across upper Bavaria, where over half a metre of snow has fallen in places. Dozens of flights have been cancelled and long delays are reported at Munich airport.

21st

In Victoria (Australia), heavy rain was produced by a small low which developed in a trough as it moved through southeastern South Australia yesterday. Walpeup, just west of Ouyen in the Mallee district, reported 39.6mm, its highest November daily total in 60 years of record. Storms and rain areas on the Cape York Peninsula and the Queensland North Tropical Coast continue to push the areas rainfall totals well above November averages. Mean rainfall across the Peninsula for November ranges between 50 and 100mm, grading up to 150mm in the wetter parts of the North Coast south of Cairns. 24-hour totals included 137mm at Halifax and 124.8 at Ingham, and 146mm at Daintree Village north of Cairns.

23rd

French road traffic authorities Tuesday reopened the A7 motorway after a 48-hour closure forced by heavy snow. The A7, the main highway from the central city of Lyon to the south of France, was blocked in snowdrifts on Saturday, stranding up to 1,500 lorrries. The lorries were cleared on Monday, driving off in convoys behind a snow-plough. Meanwhile, several hundred homes remained without electricity in the Bouches-du-Rhone region around Marseille.

23rd

Ski resorts in the Colorado Rockies have finally received a pile of new snow, just in time for Thanksgiving. The snow snarled traffic in many areas and two people were killed Monday afternoon in a massive pileup on fog-shrouded Interstate 70 near Genesee, marring what was for many a welcome snowstorm. More than a foot of snow fell in the foothills and mountains west of Denver. United Airlines canceled 190 of its 600 flights from Denver International Airport during the storm and the snow was thick elsewhere. Colorado had been basking in record or near-record temperatures during most of November, an ominous sign for resorts after a poor season last year. Vail Golf Course even reopened last week.

23rd

Slow-moving thunderstorms and rain areas in tropical Queensland continued to produce some isolated heavy falls, even by tropical standards. Steady, heavy overnight rain gave Charters Towers in northern Queensland 115mm for the 12 hours, for a one-day total 126.8mm, over three times its monthly average. This is the city's highest November one-day total by far, eclipsing the previous record of 83.8mm in a record stretching back to 1882. In the Northern Territory, Borroloola again received a downpour, with 31.6mm in 10 minutes to 12.17pm and 69mm for the day. The settlement has now received 369mm in four major storms so far in November - average November rainfall is 43.6mm while the highest November monthly total in over 90 years of record is 219.2mm.

24th

Heavy snowfall and a cold snap throughout much of central and eastern Europe caused traffic chaos and claimed more lives Wednesday as conditions continued to deteriorate in many areas. In Poland, 37 people died of hypothermia or in weather-related accidents, as record snowfall closed parts of highways, stranding thousands of motorists. Krakow, in southern Poland, saw as much as 30cm of snow overnight, and some areas of southern Poland reported 60cm in 18 hrs. Across the border, the Czech Republic was also severely affected by snow, with roads and border checkpoints closed. Austria recorded its first avalanche this winter near Salzburg, with the Austrian Alps receiving heavy snowfall and more snow forecast. Further east, temperatures plunged in Moscow to -23C on Wednesday night, taking the death toll from hypothermia in the Russian capital past 60. In eastern Ukraine, a mixture of wet snow and freezing rain caused power and telephone lines to go down across large areas.

24th

The death toll from Hurricane Lenny rose to 13 after police in St. Kitts called off the search for a man missing at sea for more than a week.

30th

An unusual November tornado ripped apart homes, toppled trees and injured at least 10 people in eastern Pennsylvania. The injuries were minor. About 30 people had to be evacuated because of gas leaks, authorities said.

30th

the European Space Agency's ERS-2 remote sensing satellite detected abnormally low ozone levels over north western Europe. Above the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Scandinavia ozone levels were nearly as low as those normally found in the Antarctic. Individual point measurements made from the ground in the Netherlands confirm that local values were almost 2/3 of the normal level at this time of year.

World weather news, December 1999

4th

Fierce winter storms left at least 17 people dead and scores injured across northern Europe on Saturday, as well as causing millions of dollars of damage and severely disrupting power and transport. Emergency officials said a series of storms packing gale force winds and heavy rain or snow rolled eastward from Britain on Friday afternoon, causing devastation across Scandinavia, Germany, Poland and the Baltic states overnight. Denmark appeared hardest hit and officials there said six people were killed and many injured in the country's most powerful storm this century. Winds which the Danish Meteorological Institute said measured up to 180 km/h, toppled over dozens of lorries, closing highways. Thousands of fallen trees hampered traffic all over the country. Material damage was estimated at more than one billion crowns ($134.5 million). In Sweden, three people were killed and more than 125,000 households and businesses were left without power when the storm swept southern and central regions. In Latvia, officials at the port of Liepaja said they were hopeful that six men trapped under their capsized fishing vessel since before dawn could survive a another night of crashing waves and near freezing water. Lithuanian media reported a 13-year-old boy had been crushed to death after strong winds toppled the chimney of his house in the western region of Shilute. Strong winds, which reached up to 110 mph, ripped off roofs, and flooding raised the sea level 19 feet in Hamburg.

7th

Widespread floodwaters began to recede across central coastal Vietnam on Tuesday but huge numbers of luckless residents face tough times ahead. The death toll from the latest floods to hit blighted central Vietnam was still at 105, with 22 listed as missing. State media reported the toll was likely to rise, although relief workers said it would not come close to the nearly 600 people who died in similar floods last month because residents had been more prepared for the current disaster.

10th

At least 15 people were killed when a landslide triggered by torrential rains thundered down a hillside and into a residential area on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But the final death toll could be much higher as around 50 more people were believed still trapped in the mud and hopes of finding survivors among them was fading with each passing hour. Thursday's landslide occurred in a suburb of Padang, one of Sumatra's main cities, some 575 miles northwest of Jakarta. It followed days of torrential rains.

14th

Cyclone John powered towards Australia's northwest coast on Tuesday, forcing oil fields and iron-ore ports to shut down and the small town of Karratha to brace for destructive winds and flooding. At 1 p.m. Perth time (0500 GMT) Cyclone John was 245 km north-northeast of Karratha. The bureau rated the storm at the top of its category four cyclone range on Tuesday, which is defined as having wind speeds up to 280 km/h.

14th

U.S. government scientists on Tuesday released lists of the 15 top world and U.S. weather events in the 20th century. Dozens of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contributed to the listing of global and U.S. storms and climate events, which were noted for their atmospheric marvel or impact on human life. NOAA's top 15 global events, in no particular order:

• Yangtze River flood, China, 1931;
• North Vietnam flood, 1971;
• Great Iran flood, 1954;
• Bangladesh cyclone, 1970;
• Bangladesh cyclone, 1991;
• China typhoons, 1912 and 1922;
• Hurricane Mitch, Honduras and Nicaragua, 1998;
• Typhoon Vera, Japan, 1958;
• Typhoon Thelma, Philippines, 1991;
• Asian droughts, India 1900, 1907, 1965-67; China 1907, 1928-30, 1936, 1941-42; and Soviet Union 1921-22;
• Sahel drought, Africa, 1910-14, 1940-44 and 1970-85;
• Iran blizzard, 1972;
• Europe storm surge, 1953;
• Great Smog of London, 1952;
• El Nino, 1982-83.

The 15 top U.S. events, in no particular order:

• Galveston, Texas hurricane of 1900;
• Dust Bowl, 1930s;
• Super tornado outbreak, 1974;
• Hurricane Camille, 1969;
• The Great Midwest flood, 1993;
• El Nino episodes, 1982-83 and 1997-98;
• Hurricane Andrew, 1992;
• New England hurricane, 1938;
• Superstorm, 1993;
• Tri-state tornado, 1925;
• Oklahoma-Kansas tornado outbreak, 1999;
• The Great Okeechobee hurricane and flood, 1928;
• The Storm of the Century, 1950;
• Florida Keys hurricane, 1935;
• New England Blizzard, 1978.

16th

Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes in the former Montenegrin capital Cetinje as torrential rains caused floods in the lower parts of the town. There were no reports of victims in the floods, caused by heavy rains that have poured down on the tiny Yugoslav republic since Tuesday. The storms and heavy rains have already caused significant damage, with raging waters flooding basements and ground floors of buildings in the town center, situated on the slopes of the Lovcen mountain. Floods were reported in the area of the Boka Kotorska bay, on the Adriatic sea, where the water level on the streets has reached 1 metre and forced local officials to evacuate some 25 patients from a pensioners' home in the town of Risan.

16th

Heavy snow blocked Bosnia's road and air traffic on Thursday, while heavy rains in its southern part threatened to flood Mostar. The level of the Neretva river in Mostar was rising sharply due to heavy rain and water flooding in from a storage lake of a nearby hydro-electric power plant. Sarajevo and Banja Luka airports were closed due to the heavy snow, which spared only the south of the country.

16th

Several rain-swollen rivers broke their banks in Italy, causing mudslides and flooding that killed at least four people. The worst-hit town was Cervinara in Avellino province east of Naples, where three elderly people died while trying to escape floodwaters near their home. Flooding was also reported in several towns near Tivoli, east of Rome, where the Aniene River broke its banks. Fields were flooded in the central Umbria region, where the Nera River broke its banks in some areas.

17th

Torrential rains and mudslides have killed at least 137 people in Venezuela's capital Caracas and along its scenic Caribbean coastline in the country's worst natural disaster in 50 years. The downpours created raging rivers that swept through poor districts in the city of six million people, destroying hundreds of ramshackle homes and turning tourist beaches into fields of thick mud strewn with tree trunks and boulders. 'A tragedy of this magnitude has not occurred in Venezuela in 50 years,' President Hugo Chavez said as he toured the disaster area in Vargas, just north of Caracas. By the 20th the death-toll had risen to 10,000.

26th

In the ski resort of Crans Montana, a 13-year-old German boy and an 18-year-old Belgian girl were killed when a tree crashed into a cable and sent their ski gondola plunging to the ground. Swiss media reported at least eight other weather-related deaths, including an elderly man blown to his death south of Zurich while trying to repair his roof. In the central village of Kandergrund, locals told how freak winds left a trail of destruction, tearing off roofs, wrecking buildings and flattening forests. In southwestern Germany at least 12 people died, many of them in road accidents caused by fallen trees, including three occupants of a car hit by a tree in a village near Ettlingen. Some 1.5 million French homes were without electricity, French media reported. Half a dozen people were seriously injured in Paris by falling walls or collapsing roofs. Three huge cranes were blown over in separate areas of Paris. Nearly all commuter train services to and from the suburbs were shut down, along with seven of the city's 14 Metro lines. Police even barred cars and pedestrians from the Champs Elysees because of flying roof tiles. Incoming flights to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports were diverted to Brussels, Lyon and other West European cities. The airports partly reopened in the afternoon as the winds moved eastwards.

27th

Western Europe struggled to clear roads and railways and repair power lines on Monday after violent storms over the Christmas weekend killed more than 70 people. Stranded train and plane passengers resumed their journey and clean-up squads removed fallen trees and chimney rubble in northern and eastern France, where at least 33 were reported dead. Nearly a million homes were still without electricity. While the French were still recovering from Sunday's havoc, a fresh storm with gusts of up to 123 mph began tearing through France's southwest late on Monday, killing eight people, emergency workers said. In northern Spain five people were reported to have died as a result of strong winds. At the Versailles Chateau, due to reopen on Tuesday, windows were smashed, the roof damaged and up to 10,000 trees uprooted in the gardens and forest. 'It looks as if a dinosaur has trampled over it,' lamented Chief Gardener Joel Cottin. The Paris mayor's office said 40 percent of the 300,000 trees in the Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes were damaged by the winds. But a giant ferris wheel set up for the Millennium festivities in the Place de la Concorde was unharmed.

28th

Heavy rain and storms swept northwestern Turkey overnight, destroying some 100 tents housing scores of earthquake survivors. Electricity was cut off later as a precaution against fires breaking out.

28th

Temperatures in the United States will finish 1999 as the second-warmest on record since 1900, only topped by last year's all-time high mark, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. NOAA said its projections show Americans will have experienced an average for 1999 of 55.7 degrees Fahrenheit. This follows 1998's record high of 56.4 degrees. In addition to warmer temperatures, the agency said precipitation ebbed on average, dropping 1.05 inches below normal levels to a projected 30.60 inches despite heavy local rainfall in the Pacific Northwest due to the La Nina pattern. Record dryness was seen in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley as a result of last summer's drought. The April to July period was the driest or second driest ever in all states from West Virginia to Maine.

28th

Storms battered France, Spain and Switzerland killing at least 28 people in France and bringing deaths from gales and avalanches in western Europe since Christmas to more than 100. Geneva's Cointrin airport closed for 90 minutes as winds battered aircraft but there was no serious damage. The Federal Snow and Avalanche Research Institute warned skiers of dangerous conditions and some mountain passes were closed. In Austria, two skiers were killed and a third seriously injured by an avalanche near the Tyrolean resort of Vent while at least seven German skiers died in another avalanche in the Jam valley leading to Galtuer. Eight people died when rain, ice and gales hit Britain over the Christmas break, and strong winds and snow drifts prolonged misery in Switzerland where 13 died in Sunday's storms. High winds and driving rain lashed Italy Tuesday, causing damage to Rome's historic Campidoglio town hall, delaying flights and whipping up seas cutting off islands in the south. In Spain, six people died Monday in winds that raged up to 105 mph along the north coast. In France, winds of around 112 mph overturned trucks and sent trees crashing through roofs, forcing thousands of families in Charente-Maritime on the west coast to shelter in public buildings. Even stronger winds whipped up 24-foot waves off the Atlantic coast and swept ashore more oil from a sunken tanker. Some of the thick black sludge landed on beaches which had only just been cleaned after the first slicks arrived Monday.

29th

Freak storms and avalanches in Europe have claimed over 100 lives since Christmas as tropical south-east Asia shivered. In France, the worst storms to hit the region in decades killed at last 68 people and claimed other victims in Spain and Switzerland, while nine German skiers died in an avalanche in Austria that left one survivor, a woman. France bore the brunt of the storms which tore down pylons and cables and shut down a quarter of the state utility EdF's national power grid. EdF said repair teams from Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain would come to help fix felled lines. At one stage, 3.4 million French homes were without electricity. In Austria, the nine skiers were killed in an avalanche near the Tyrolean resort of Galtuer and one badly injured survivor, a woman, was airlifted to hospital from high up on the mountain, eyewitnesses said on Wednesday. Turkey has been lashed with violent storms and high winds over the last two days, leading to a Russian-flagged tanker ship splitting in two and sinking overnight in the Marmara Sea off the coast of Istanbul.

30th

France raised the death toll from its worst storms in decades to 83 as insurers feared the cost of repairs could run to billions of francs. As officials added 13 new deaths to Wednesday's headcount of 70, thousands of families were steeling for a cold, dark millennium night, many unable even to telephone. State power utility EdF, which has 15,000 staff battling to restore power across France, said 800,000 homes would still be without electricity Thursday evening. Two out of four nuclear reactors at Blayais in southwest France were still out of action as workers pumped the last dregs of flood water from the site, the Nuclear Safety Authority said.

30th

An Atlantic cyclone that killed dozens of people and wreaked havoc across western Europe has hit Ukraine, disrupting power supplies and road traffic but causing no deaths. Wind squalls up to 145 km/h swept the country on Wednesday and early Thursday, followed by snowstorms that covered the capital Kiev with 34 cm of snow and the western Trans-Carpathian region with 50 cm.