Scientists raise odds of El Niño this year to at least 70%
By Andrew Freedman From Mashable There is a greater than 70% chance that an El Niño event will kick off in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean during the next four months, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said in a…
Sharks may hold key to hurricane forecasts
By Ken Kaye, From Sun Sentinel They’re called ocean weathermen. More than 750 sharks, tarpon, tuna and billfish, fitted with satellite-linked tags, are providing scientists with data on temperature and salinity at various depths in the Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean….
UK storms: Man dies amid ‘almost unparalleled natural crisis
From BBC A man has died apparently trying to clear a fallen tree as hurricane-force winds batter parts of the UK. The dead man, believed to be in his 70s, was killed after the tree brought down power cables in…
UPDATED UK Floods – Government ‘made a mistake’ by not dredging
From BBC Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says the government “made a mistake” and should have dredged the flood-hit Somerset Levels. He said it may have relied too much on Environment Agency advice. There are now 16 severe flood warnings –…
Gender counts in the aftermath of Caribbean natural disasters
By Jewel Fraser Caribbean360 A report prepared for the United Nations Development Programme noted that men often lacked coping skills in the aftermath of a hurricane and were prone to alcohol abuse, stress, and anger. (Credit iwnsvg.com/YouTube) Jewel Fraser PORT-OF-SPAIN,…
Suriname experiences first “freak” hail storm in decades
By Marvin Hokstam From Caribbean360 National disaster officials Friday reported little or no damage was reported. There were also no reports of personal injuries even as citizens recounted stories of their cars and houses “being pelted with stones”. PARAMARIBO, Suriname,…
Here’s why extreme cold is disastrous for air travel
By Alex Davies From Business Insider Extreme cold in the Midwest and Northeast has led airlines to cancel more than 6,000 U.S. flights over the past two days, Commercial planes are no strangers to extreme cold. Above 37,000 feet, the…
UK storms: Giant waves hit amid fresh flooding fears
From BBC Huge waves have battered the southern coast of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding. Waves of up to 27ft (8m) were recorded off Land’s End, Cornwall. The environment secretary said…
Eastern Caribbean Flood Disaster Relief
The call is still out for relief supplies needed in rain and flood-damaged St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and St. Lucia. “We are appealing to CACCI members from the corporate and small business communities to join in the recovery…
N America weather: Polar vortex brings record temperatures
From BBC US officials have issued ‘deadly’ cold weather warnings Parts of the US and Canada are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a “polar vortex” weather pattern blasts North America. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of…
