Temperatures in Moscow, Russia, on April 13 surged to levels not seen on that day for at least 140 years. People were enjoying the unusually warm conditions amid several days of summerlike temperatures. On Tuesday, April 13, the high temperature in Moscow, Russia’s capital and largest city, surged to 22.6 C (73 F), making it the highest temperature on that day in at least 140 years of observations, reported Reuters. On Wednesday, another record was set as the temperature rose to 22 C (72 F). This broke the previous record of 20.8 (69.4 F) last reached in 1962, according to the … Continue reading Russian city breaks 140 year old record during surge of summer-like warmth

At least 113 people have died after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and East Timor on Sunday. Torrential rain sparked widespread destruction in the South East Asian neighbours, with water from overflowing dams submerging thousands of homes. The affected area stretches from Flores island in eastern Indonesia to East Timor. In Indonesia alone, 86 people have died with dozens still missing, officials warn the toll could still rise. “The mud and the extreme weather have become a serious challenge and the debris piling up has hampered the search and rescue team,” Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Raditya Djati told … Continue reading Floods and landslides in Indonesia and East Timor kill more than 100

More than 5,000 people have fled to temporary shelters in the southern Philippines as tropical storm Dujuan brought heavy rains, submerging dozens of villages, the country’s disaster risk reduction and management agency said. Two regions were hit by the storm, including the country’s nickel mining hub of Caraga, with floods damaging some houses and bridges in the province of Surigao del Sur, according to the agency’s initial report. Dujuan was packing maximum winds of up to 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 80km/h (50mph) as it moved northwest over the southern Philippines, the … Continue reading Thousands flee homes as storm Dujuan hits southern Philippines

A winter storm in the US has brought deadly freezing winds, ice and snow to many regions that rarely see such frigid conditions. In Texas, a surge in demand for electricity has led to widespread power cuts. The state is bracing for another icy storm later on Tuesday. The National Weather Service (NWS) said more than 150 million Americans were now under winter storm warnings, at least 11 deaths have been blamed on the widespread storm. Deaths have been reported in Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana, in North Carolina, a tornado spawned by the same storm left three dead and … Continue reading Deadly winter storm sweeps Texas and US southern states

A 68-year-old Canadian woman in British Columbia was found dead on Sunday outside her home after walking back from her neighbor’s house in the extreme cold. The temperature that evening was -43.6 degrees Fahrenheit. “Investigation determined that the deceased; a female (68 years old), had been visiting her friend and next-door neighbor the night before at which she consumed alcohol. She departed the friend’s home around 1:00am, however; tragically, did not make it back inside her own home,” Sgt. Damon Werrell said in a press release. The statement adds, “She was discovered by her friend the next morning, and it was at this … Continue reading Canadian Woman, 68, Dies from Extreme Cold During Walk Home from Next Door Neighbor’s House

The Netherlands has been hit by its first major snowstorm in a decade, forecasters say, as cold weather pushes through much of northern Europe. Dutch authorities have closed all coronavirus testing centres because of the extreme weather. Transport has been disrupted and rail connections with Germany, where northern areas have also been blanketed by snow, have been suspended. The cold snap is a result of Storm Darcy, which has also affected parts of the UK. A “Code Red” weather warning was declared in the Netherlands for all of Sunday, meaning winds of up to 90km/h (55mph) and “bitter cold” were … Continue reading Netherlands hit by ‘first major snowstorm in decade’

A bushfire raging outside the Western Australian city of Perth has forced nearby residents to evacuate as the city remains in a coronavirus lockdown. Authorities said they believed at least 30 homes have been destroyed in the blaze north of the city, which has so far scorched over 7,000 hectares. Stronger winds and a run of hot days have fuelled the fire, Perth is enduring 35C (95F) temperatures, western Australia’s Premier said the state was facing dual emergencies. “Right now WA is battling two different kinds of emergencies – a dangerous fire emergency and a Covid-19 lockdown emergency,” said Mark … Continue reading Bushfire threatens locked-down Australian city

A massive winter storm has pummelled the US east coast, grounding flights, shuttering vaccination sites and bringing New York City to a standstill. By Monday afternoon as much as 19in (48cm) of snow had already fallen in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and 17in (43cm) in New York City. New York City and New Jersey have both declared a state of emergency, the US National Weather Service said the storm will move up to New England, before tapering off on Tuesday. Wind gusts of up to 50mph (80km/h) are also forecast for several days creating a blinding, blowing snow … Continue reading Huge snowstorm hits US east coast

Cylone Ana caused severe flooding across the Pacific island nation, forcing around 10,000 people to evacuate. The country’s leader blamed climate change for the storm, the second to hit Fiji in as many months. Tropical Cyclone Ana has caused extensive damage to the South Pacific island nation A 49-year-old man drowned and five are missing after Cyclone Ana struck Fiji, the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said Monday. Authorities said more than 10,000 people were sheltering at 300 evacuation centers. The cyclone, a Category 2 storm, made landfall on the Pacific archipelago on Sunday with wind speeds of up to 140 kilometers an … Continue reading Deadly cyclone batters Fiji, sparks flooding

A heatwave sweeping south-east Australia has sent temperatures soaring in the nation’s biggest cities and escalated the threat of bushfires. A large blaze brought an emergency warning to Adelaide in South Australia on Monday, while neighbouring Victoria faced its worst fire risk in a year. Victoria’s capital Melbourne reached 30C by 07.30 local time (20.30 Sunday GMYT) ahead of an expected 40C maximum, temperatures in Sydney were also forecast to exceed 30C for a third day. Health officials have urged people to stay inside and to avoid physical activity, and for those near bushfires to avoid inhaling smoke. The blaze … Continue reading Heatwave sweeps Australian cities and raises bushfire danger

Spain is in a race against time to clear roads covered by heavy snow, and get Covid-19 vaccines and food supplies to areas affected by Storm Filomena. As much as 50cm (20 inches) of snow fell on Madrid, one of the worst hit areas, between Friday night and Saturday, at least four people died and thousands of travellers were left stranded. Forecasters have warned temperatures could plunge overnight on Sunday, turning the snow to perilous ice. The Spanish government said it had taken extra steps – including police-escorted convoys – to ensure its expected shipment of some 300,000 coronavirus vaccines … Continue reading Update on storm Filomena: Spain races to clear snow before temperatures drop

Europe saw its warmest ever year in 2020, 0.4°C warmer than the previous record in 2019, according to the EU’s climate monitoring service. The latest data released from Copernicus also showed that, worldwide, 2020 was on par with the warmest year ever recorded – 2016 – marking the end of the warmest decade on record. The agency also reported that CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have continued to rise globally. In Europe, seasonal data for winter 2019/20 and autumn 2020 showed they were also the warmest ever recorded. Winter (December 2019 to February 2020) exceeded the previous warmest of 2016 … Continue reading Last year was Europe’s warmest ever, 0.4°C hotter than the previous record in 2019