Monday 24 November 2014

Extreme weather update - 11/23/2014

New York snowstorm: New York on alert as flooding becomes new threat to residents
13 people have died since the storm hit but as temperatures rise and rain begins to fall snow is set to turn into into record flooding

23 November, 2014

As temperatures are forecast to rise, residents of Upstate New York are braced for another weather crisis as a year’s worth of snow begins to melt, which is expected to cause significant flooding.

The snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area in western New York State has been blamed for at least 13 deaths in the past week, where temperatures dropped below freezing and up to 7 ft of snow fell over three days.

Temperatures in the area rose on Saturday, and are expected to rise again on Sunday to around 15 degrees Celsius, but the change in weather will also bring rain, and the melting snow will bring floods.

The National Weather Service has now issued a flood warning to residents lasting until Wednesday due to the melting snow, while officials have warned that another major concern now is threat of roof collapses in the area. Reports suggest more than 30 roofs have already collapsed.

Warming will bring melting. Melting will bring water. Water will bring floods,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters.

Governor Cuomo said the state will be sending in pumps, boats, helicopters and high-axle vehicles that can operate in up to 5ft of water.

If we’re lucky we won’t need any of it,” he said, “but prepare for the worst and hope for the best”.


The National Weather Service expects flood-prone areas to be inundated, and warns there will be general flooding elsewhere.

We expect five to six feet of water in some areas in a short period of time,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.

Weather Service meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said there might be trouble with drainage as snow and the uncollected autumn leaves underneath it blocked catch basins.

Two Buffalo residents attempt to remove some of the snow on their roof Two Buffalo residents attempt to remove some of the snow on their roof “The biggest flood threat would be on Monday when temperatures are at their warmest,” he said, adding that “there could be general urban flooding”.

Officials have urged people to put off any non-essential travel so that snow removal efforts could progress, and dump trucks, military vehicles and front loaders have been seen rumbling through the streets of Buffalo as they strive to remove the walls of snow in the area.

On Saturday, the state Thruway, a 132-mile stretch of interstate highway, was reopened after the massive snowfall caused motorists to be stranded and the entire strip to be closed four days previously.

Floods in Buffalo, New York - Snow Melting (Flood Warning)



A boy stands on a snowbank in theA boy stands on a snowbank in the south Buffalo area on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Buffalo, N.Y. Western New York continues to dig out from the heavy snow dropped this week by lake-effect snowstorms. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) Photo Credit: AP / Mike Groll

Evacuation plans readied as Buffalo flooding looms



Updated November 23, 2014 12:25 PM

First came the big storm, then the big dig. Now comes the big melt.

"Err on the side of caution," Cuomo said at a news conference in Cheektowaga. "You prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and that's what we're doing."

Across the Buffalo region — where rising temperatures were expected to approach 60 degrees on Monday — people took that advice to heart.

In Hamburg, Pete Yeskoot bought a portable generator to make sure his sump pump will keep working once the roughly 80 inches of snow that fell on his property melts. Possessions are up on blocks in the basement and he has food for several days.

"Behind us is an 18-mile creek so everything in the village will come through us at some point, so we have to get ready for the possibility of flooding," he said. "And given all this snow, we have to expect that this is real.".....

In Britain ....
It's going to be a soggy Sunday for some! Britain on flood alert with 10 days' worth of rain to fall in 24 hours

  • A yellow flood warning has been issued for the South East on Sunday
  • An inch of rain is predicted to fall over the next 24 hours - 10 days' worth
  • Environment Agency said individual properties could be flooded
  • London, Surrey, Kent and West Sussex are expected to be badly hit
  • Monday morning will see a frosty start with temperatures dipping to -4C 



22 November, 2014

Britain is on flood alert with 10 days worth of rain set to fall in the next 24 hours before widespread frost and freezing fog threatens Monday's rush-hour.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the South East of England as 'persistent and locally heavy' rain is expected to cause surface water flooding and travel disruption.

London, Surrey and Kent are among the areas on high alert as up to an inch of rain - 10 days' worth - is predicted to fall over the next 24 hours.

A man uses his metal detectors on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, as heavy rainfall hit the region earlier today
A man uses his metal detectors on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, as heavy rainfall hit the region earlier today

The 'be aware' warning is from 3am to 9pm on Sunday and could also affect West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Medway and East Sussex.

'A waving front will lie across the area for much of the day, with more than 20 mm expected in places. Given the wetter than average weather of late, these totals bring the risk of surface water,' according to the Met OfficeE THIS

'Rain will be persistent and locally heavy through much of Sunday. Falling on saturated ground, it is likely to cause some surface water flooding in places before clearing eastwards. The public should be aware of this hazard.'

Met Office forecaster Calum MacColl said: 'It's looking like Sunday will be a dull, damp day and a pulse of rain will push up. There will be heavy rain overnight.'

London, Surrey and Kent are among the areas on high alert as up to an inch of rain - 10 days worth - is predicted to fall over the next 24 hours 
London, Surrey and Kent are among the areas on high alert as up to an inch of rain - 10 days worth - is predicted to fall over the next 24 hours 

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the South East of England on Sunday as 'persistent and locally heavy' rain is expected
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the South East of England on Sunday as 'persistent and locally heavy' rain is expected


The Environment Agency said the heavy rainfall could cause localised flooding of land and roads, some disruption to travel, and perhaps flooding of individual properties.

Overnight from Sunday to Monday there will be widespread frost and fog patches developing which will be slow to clear.

The temperature could dip as low as -4C in areas including Oxfordshire and Exeter, according to the Met Office.

Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: 'Monday morning will be bit of a shock for southerners, with a widespread frost, a risk of freezing fog and temperatures between 0C and -2C widely, perhaps -3C or -4C in frost hollows.

'It may be quite icy for central and southern areas after the wet Sunday.'

The Environment Agency said the heavy rainfall could cause localised flooding of land and roads, some disruption to travel, and perhaps flooding of individual properties
The Environment Agency said the heavy rainfall could cause localised flooding of land and roads, some disruption to travel, and perhaps flooding of individual properties




A bird's eye view of devastating floods in Somerset





There have been floods reported in Lewisham in SE London

Actor Matthew Hartley tweeted this pic, with praise for Lewisham DLR station: Actor Matthew Hartley tweeted this pic, with praise for Lewisham DLR station: "Trusty DLR is still going, you little legend."

Rescuers Work to Save Hundreds of Baby Bats After Deadly Heatwave



21 November, 2014

A scorching heat wave in New South Wales, Australia, this past weekend has killed thousands of flying foxes and left rescuers working tirelessly to provide care for hundreds of pups who managed to survivо.

The Daily Telegraph reported temperatures reached a record 111 degrees Fahrenheit in the town of Casino on Saturday, which sparked the deaths of an estimated 5,000 flying foxes who began dropping to the ground. Making the problem worse is that many females have pups this time of year who are still nursing and many were left clinging to their mother.

While the local fire department came in to spray the area with water in an attempt to provide relief to survivors and authorities began clean up efforts, volunteers rallied and began a massive rescue of orphaned pups.

According to the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, Inc. (WIRES), which helped coordinate rescue efforts, ‘the extreme heat, low humidity and lack of shade’ too early in the season is what caused the deaths, but volunteers from every available wildlife care group have been working around-the-clock to keep about 400 surviving pups alive. The group wrote on Facebook:

Each of these orphans had to be assessed, hydrated and taken care of individually; you can imagine the enormous task of literally hundreds coming in at the same time.

The task is ongoing; carers are working round the clock and emotions are tested as carers do what they can to ensure each and every little flying fox is taken care of whilst dealing with the sight of thousands of adults and juveniles dead and dying.

flyingfoxesinbed
Credit: WIRES/Facebook

While some people are reportedly not bothered by the loss, conservationists counter that flying foxes are a protected species and are vital to keeping forests healthy by spreading seeds and pollinating flowering trees.

Scientists also believe flying foxes are good bioindicators of die-offs because they live in colonies – as opposed to solitary animals — that are easier to count and show just how bad the consequences of extreme weather can be for wildlife.

Sadly, this isn’t the first die-off. Earlier this year an estimated 45,500 flying foxes died in Queensland during an extreme heatwave, making it the largest on record, but it was followed by more. This one probably won’t be the last.

Worse for flying foxes, and other wildlife who can’t tolerate extreme weather, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2012 report predicted the frequency and magnitude of extreme heat events will continue to grow through this century, yet Australia seems to be behind on dealing with climate change.

Just last week, hundreds of protesters gathered and literally stuck their heads in the sand at Bondi Beach to protest Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s stance on climate change and his refusal to include it in the G20 summit held in Brisbane. 

Australia also now stands as the only country to have reversed action on climate change by repealing a tax on greenhouse gas emissions this past summer. Hopefully it won’t take more tragic events like this for serious action to be taken.



Amazing image of almost two thirds of Australia experiencing isolated to scattered storms 23/Nov 2014


PAST 7 DAYS OF EARTHQUAKES SHOWS GLOBAL UNREST UNDERWAY



22 November, 2014




1 comment:

  1. Energy is peaking and falling violently - we are going to see huge destruction by both unwinding and winding force of nature - It is time to awaken - I keep repeating it, unless we awaken to the “Principle and Design” by which Earth sustains her heat/temperature, we are domed for huge destructions from the forces of Mother Nature. We are not a match for her forces. She is stressing us to evolve to know her. We need to act to manage the energy of the environment http://www.scribd.com/doc/161586906/Energy-to-Matter-Ratio-A-New-Vision-to-Understand-Global-Climate-Change-and-to-deal-with-it
    http://www.thecanadiandaily.ca/2013/08/30/part-1-knowledge-that-can-save-humanity-from-climate-catastrophes/

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