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Weird Weather

And now, the weather...

Worst drought since 1956 threatens world food crisis
America's worst drought in more than half a century is threatening the world with a fresh food crisis.
By Richard Blackden, New York
10:46PM BST 19 Jul 2012

A month of scorching temperatures across the country's midwest has sent corn and soybean prices to record highs, while wheat prices have reached levels not seen since the last food crisis in 2008.

The severest drought since 1956 in America's agricultural heartland has dashed the hopes that were alive just a couple of months ago of a bumper harvest. Traders and economists warned that the effect will ripple out from the US because it is the world's biggest producer of corn and a major supplier of soybeans and wheat.

"This year we have a rally in prices that is driven by the fundamentals," said Shawn McCambridge, an analyst at Jefferies Bache. "I really do anticipate these prices staying strong and producers will have to try to pass the cost onto consumers."

The dizzying gain in prices has shocked many in the industry. Corn prices have surged 51pc over the last month, wheat is up 40pc and soybeans have gained almost 20pc. The prospect of another bout of food inflation will alarm governments in developing countries where the run-up in prices in 2008 caused widespread hunger and revolts. It also presents a new headwind for western countries trying to kickstart economic recoveries.

For now - at least - all eyes are on the weather forecast for those US states that have been hardest hit, including Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. While light rain fell in some parts [to]day, there is little more forecast over the next two weeks.

The drought forced the US government last week to cut its forecast for corn production this year to 12.9bn bushels from a prediction of 14.8bn it made last month. "I get on my knees every day and I'm saying an extra prayer right now," Tom Vilsack, the US agricultural secretary, said today. "If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it."

Dan Basse, president of AgResources in Chicago, said that the government's prediction will prove too optimistic if the dry weather persists. "We've been traipsing through the fields of southern Illinois and it is worse than the government says," explained Mr Basse.

A sharp difference with 2008 is that speculative money is playing a far smaller role this time, said Mr McCambridge. Although rapid, analysts say the sharp increases over the last month are an appropriate response to the pullback in production and uncertainty over the eventual size of the corn, wheat and soyabean crops. Corn futures hit a record $8.16 a bushel on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange today, while soybeans touched $17.49 a bushel. If there is some good news, it is that rice - a staple for many of the world's poorest - has escaped the increases.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... risis.html
 
Now we're getting wall-to-wall sunshine in Britain, the rain's gone off to play elsewhere:

China rainfall: Beijing hit by deadly deluge

The heaviest rainfall to hit China's capital Beijing in 60 years has left 10 people dead and stranded thousands at the main airport.
The deluge struck on Saturday afternoon and continued into the night, flooding major roads, state media said.

Roof collapses, lightning strikes and electrocution from downed power lines were among the causes of the deaths.
More than 500 flights were cancelled at the main airport, the Beijing News reported.

State media said flooding and landslides also killed four people in northern Shanxi province and six in south-western Sichuan province.

State news agency Xinhua said 460mm (18.1 in) fell in the capital's Fangshan district, with the capital as a whole averaging 170mm.
It said 14,500 people, mostly in outlying districts, had to be evacuated.

"There could be further large-scale storms or extreme weather," the Beijing city government's website said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18942984

In pictures: Beijing's deadly deluge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18943003
 
Spent some a while in Beijing in the mid 1990's... It was rainy enough at the best of times, bu that IS extreme...
I can imagine all those back country dirt roads on the Loess Plateau (North of Beijing) turning to mudslides and/or unnavigable sludge - Poor them !
 
I just checked my local forecast - more wall-to-wall sunshine for days to come! :D
But it's not just Cornwall:

London 2012 Olympics: UK to swelter in hotter weather than Hawaii
Britain is set to swelter in the hottest temperatures of the year on the eve of the London 2012 Olympics, forecasters have said, with the country due to be hotter than Hawaii.
Photo: GETTY
By Andrew Hough
3:30PM BST 23 Jul 2012

But the Met Office predicted that Friday’s opening ceremony might be hit with heavy showers after several days of dry conditions.
After the wettest ever June, swathes of the south will bask in glorious weather on Tuesday with temperatures expected to hit 86F (30C) for the first time this summer.

High pressure and hot air from the tropics, will see the South enjoying more sunshine with predictions of the mercury rising even higher in parts.
The Met Office said Wednesday should see the thermometer climbing even higher to 87.8F (31C) somewhere in the south east of England with the recent heavy rains a distant memory.

Other forecasters, meanwhile, suggested the mercury could climb as high as 89.6F (32C). Northern areas in Britain are expected to be about seven degrees cooler.

Britain is expected to be hotter than a Honolulu, the Hawaiian capital, which will experience showers and highs of 80.6F (27C) highs on Tuesday and Wednesday.

So far this year the highest temperature has been 84.7F (29.3C), at Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands. That was in late May, technically springtime.
The intervening period has rarely seen temperatures exceed 77F (25C) with early summer proving exceptionally wet.

On Thursday and Friday, the Met said that temperatures would “drop” to about 80.6F (27C), in time for the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

While Danny Boyle's ambitious plans for the £27 million opening ceremony include clouds that will rain down over the stadium in Stratford, east London, there are hopes the much-anticipated event would otherwise stay dry.
But forecasters warned that while the day would be mainly dry and “very warm” there was a chance of showers in the evening and potentially “evening thunderstorms”.

Dan Williams, a Met Office spokesman, last night predicted a “typical British summer” for the weekend and into next week with periods of “unsettled” conditions.
“We have got some nice weather this week in the southern parts of the country where temperatures are going to get quite warm,” he said.
“For Friday, it is still looking reasonably warm but at the same time there is a slight chance of a shower in the South but these showers should be few and far between.”

The fresh wave of heat will bring further misery to Britain's 16 million hay fever sufferers, with pollen levels due to be twice as high as the highest readings last summer.
"This will be the worst week of the year for high pollen levels on successive days,” said Prof Ray Kennedy, director of the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, at the University of Worcester.
"Grass pollen is at a peak, weed pollens including nettles are affecting people now … and will probably lead to a prolonged pollen season."

The Met Office said there was a risk of mix of showers, which may turn “heavy and prolonged” in places, and dry patches into next week.

A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that across the Northern Hemisphere June was the warmest since records began.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... awaii.html
 
Good weather is bad for you! :shock:

London 2012: pollution alert as hot sunny weather brings asthma risk
London is facing high levels of air pollution ahead of the start of the Olympics, following several days of hot sunny weather, the Government said today.
5:02PM BST 25 Jul 2012

The latest UK update from the Environment Department said levels of air pollution would be high over the next 24 hours in some areas across the capital and the South East as the current weather conditions continue.

Many other parts of England and Wales will experience ''moderate'' air pollution, the forecast warned.

The main concern is ground level ozone, which forms from traffic fumes in warm, still and sunny weather, can cause breathing difficulties.
The Environment Department (Defra) said most people would not be affected by the short term peaks in ozone levels, but those with heart or lung problems, such as asthmatics, may experience increased symptoms and should take precautions.

Adults and children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems are being advised to reduce any strenuous physical activities, particularly outside.

People with asthma may need to use their inhalers more often, while older people should also reduce the amount of physical activity they do.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... -risk.html
 
Judging by the amount of black dust I have to clear from my lungs after I come home from work on an average day at work in London I can well believe it.
 
Must be global warming...oh no wait it's climate change now isn't it. :)
 
'Tornado' causes damage to Bolton farm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-19280220

The farm owner said no people or animals had been hurt in the storm

A farm and riding school in Greater Manchester was damaged when it was hit by a suspected tornado.

The storm struck at about 16:00 BST on Wednesday, lifting roofs from buildings and blowing over heavy machinery at the farm in Darcy Lever, Bolton.

Farm owner Michael Lomax said it had been "a howling gale" which had caused farm items to "fly in all directions".

The strong winds also caused damage to trees and property elsewhere in the town.

'Squall line'
Mr Lomax said no people or animals on his farm had been hurt in the storm.


Mr Lomax said the wind had moved a heavy muck spreader across the farm
"It was horrendous, there were lots of people in the yard who had just come out of the all-weather [area] so we were very lucky that no-one had been injured," he said.

"I've never seen anything like it, it just came out of nowhere.

"It was a mini tornado, it went as black as night and then a howling gale caused things to fly in all directions.

"It moved a caravan 20 yards and a heavy muck spreader with it, which left them all mixed up into a great pile."

He said there had been "quite a lot" of damage to stable and barn roofs and a wall had been knocked down.

He added there had also been "a bit of panic in the fields and a few fences broken as the horses galloped away".

A spokeswoman for the Met Office said there had been no reports of tornadoes in Bolton, but that the area had been hit by a "squall line" on Wednesday afternoon.

"It can create similar conditions to a tornado, as intense rain combines with extremely strong gusts of wind," she said.
Click to expand...
 
World's hottest rainfall, 46 Celsius.
http://www.examiner.com/article/wor...all-at-115-degrees-set-california-desert-town

An isolated storm in the midst of an intense heat wave earlier over the past week reportedly set a new world record in one California Mojave Desert town.

After the temperature tied a daily record high of 118 degrees in Needles on Aug. 13, a small storm rolled into the area, dropping rain with a temperature that had only cooled to 115 degrees at 3:56 p.m. PDT Monday.

According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, that's the hottest rain ever recorded, Dr. Jeff Masters, co-founder of the website Weather Underground, reported.

The previous record for hottest rain was a rain shower at 109 degrees earlier this year in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 5 and in Marrakech, Morocco on July 10, 2010, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

"Associated weather conditions were perfect for such an event, as maximum diurnal surface heating during a record-level low desert heat wave combined with the arrival of residual raindrops from a dissipating upwind thunderstorm," said Dr. Warren Blier of the NWS Monterey, Calif. office.

Satellite imagery over California and Arizona taken at 1:25 p.m. PDT Monday, captured the developing thunderstorms around the town of Needles.

That wasn't the only record shattered with the unusual precipitation.

The rain fell within a very dry air mass at just 11 percent humidity, setting another world record for the lowest humidity that rain has ever occurred.

As a result of the dry air, only a small amount of the super-hot rain droplets actually made it to the surface.

Rain gauges in the area only recorded a trace of precipitation.
 
It's a cloaked spaceship.
 
Right now it's flat calm here, very unusual for Britain. I can see several trees and bushes from my window, but I can't see any leaves trembling - it's like looking at a picture! Even at the tops of the trees there is no movement!

I don't suppose it'll last long!

I just saw some movement! But as it was very localised, I suspect it was a bird landing on a branch.
 
Foam swept in as gales hit Scotland
[Video: Storms have been battering parts of Scotland causing flooding, road closures and closing some schools]

It is an incredible image that people have been quick to share on social networking sites.
The high winds sweeping the country forced foam from the North Sea onto land at Aberdeen's Footdee area at the beach on Tuesday morning.
The spume left cars, streets and houses looking as if they had been hit by a sudden snow storm.

BBC Scotland's Steven Duff, who filmed the scene for Reporting Scotland, said: "It was quite an amazing phenomenon."

Local resident Lindsay Gordon said: "I have lived in Footdee since just before 2000, you get storms of course.
"You could tell by the sounds this was a serious storm, the windows were rattling.
"I looked out of the window and the North Sea was advancing toward us. Luckily it was just foam."
While it left many with a messy clean-up operation, Bailey the dog was filmed enjoying frolicking in the foam.

"The sea is acting like a washing machine," said Prof Christopher Todd, marine ecologist at the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews.
He said the easterly gales battering the Aberdeenshire coast had led to an "incredible amount of wave action".

Prof Todd said that the air had "piled into the water" and mixed up with organic material.
He said: "It is likely there are phytoplankton cells and they produce a lot of mucus which when whipped up can form this foam."
Most phytoplankton are too small to be seen but they can form an algal bloom in the spring and, to a lesser extent, in the autumn.
The sea foam - or spume - can be quite "stable" when formed and can last a significant period of time, Prof Todd said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-n ... d-19716141
 
Weather: worst September storm in 30 years continues to batter Britain
The torrential rain and high winds which have lashed Britain since the weekend were caused by the worst September storm in more than 30 years, forecasters said today.
By Sam Marsden, Andrew Hough and Tom Kennedy
7:39AM BST 26 Sep 2012

• More than 300 properties flooded across UK since Sunday

• Hundreds evacuated from their homes spend the night in temporary accommodation

• Met Office figures show it has been Britain’s worst September storm since 1981

• Disruption continues on railways and roads

• Forecasters say the bad weather will ease off as it moves south

Hundreds of people were forced to stay in temporary accommodation overnight after two days of heavy downpours caused flooding in North-East England and Yorkshire and brought travel chaos.

The country was braced for further rain, strong winds and floods today as the weather system moved south, but meteorologists said the bad conditions would gradually ease off throughout the day.

The Met Office said an area of low pressure measuring 973 millibars was recorded near the coast of north-east England at about 9am yesterday, the lowest figure for the month since 1981. This makes it Britain’s worst September storm in 31 years.

More than 300 properties have flooded across the country since Sunday, including in Morpeth, Durham, Chester-le-Street and Stockton on Tees, the Environment Agency said.
The Environment Agency still had 78 flood warnings and 128 less serious flood alerts in place this morning,

Rail operators said heavy rain and flooding was continuing to cause disruption, with cancellations and severe delays on a series of services in northern England and north Wales.

etc.. [pics and videos]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weath ... itain.html
 
Severe weather in Tyne and Wear
[Dramatic video: The foundations of the block of flats were almost washed away in the floods]

Engineers are hoping to assess flats in Newcastle which were left "extremely unstable" after severe weather caused flooding.
The foundations of the flats in Newburn were badly damaged in the floods.

Heavy rain meant hundreds of homes in Morpeth, Gateshead, Newburn, Rothbury, County Durham, Dudley and Sunderland were evacuated on Tuesday.
A clean-up operation has started after what the Met Office called the most intense September storm for 30 years.

Newcastle City Council Technical Director Mick Murphy said the flats at Spencer Court were "extremely unstable" and they were waiting for a break in the weather so the damage could be assessed.
He said concrete piles beneath the foundations had been exposed.
Residents from the flats and nearby Mill Vale were evacuated and a cordon set up.

Paula Davison was one of those affected and said it was the fourth time her home had been flooded.
She described feeling a loud vibration, the house tremble and seeing a large amount of water heading towards her house.
Ms Davison said everything had happened very quickly and they had lost a lot of belongings.
"We are just numb. It's a horrible nightmare. We can't believe this could happen for a fourth time", she said.

BBC Newcastle's Steph Finnon said the river level in Morpeth had fallen significantly and the only sign of floods was the mud left behind and sandbags in doorways.

Chairman of Morpeth Flood Action Group Alan Bell said the flooding "wasn't as bad" as when the town was affected in 2008 when nearly 1,000 properties were flooded.
He said: "It was about 3ft less, the flood levels, but it doesn't keep away the trauma of the likelihood of flooding and yes it was less water but any water is bad."
Mr Bell said about 30 or 40 properties in the High Stanners and Mitford Road areas of the town had been affected for a second time.
"It's terrible for them to be flooded twice in four years," he said.

It was announced in February that funding for a £21m flood defence scheme for the town had been approved. The government will contribute £10.6m with £12m coming from Northumberland County Council.

Wansbeck Labour MP Ian Lavery said: "The situation has moved on greatly since 2008 but these flood defences should have been in place by now, there isn't any doubt about that."
He said the scheme had been delayed after the coalition government made cuts to flood defence schemes. He said the funding was now in place and it was hoped work would start soon.
The MP added: "It's just a shame that the rain came down the way it did yesterday at a time when the planning process was taking place to prevent this from happening in the future."

Mr Lavery said he would be meeting floods minister Richard Benyon to talk about the need for people to have access to low-risk flood insurance.

...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19725952
 
The rain in Spain..

Spain floods: Seven die in Malaga, Murcia and Almeria

At least seven people have died after heavy rains triggered flash floods in southern Spain, officials have said.
Among the dead were two children who drowned in a car in the town of Puerto Lumbreras, AP reports.

The strength of the waters overturned cars, closed roads, damaged homes and forced hundreds to leave their properties.
The hardest hit areas were the provinces of Malaga and Almeria, and Murcia region.
At least 600 people had to be evacuated from their homes in Andalucia region, which contains Malaga and Almeria, officials said.

Spain's weather agency said that up to 245 litres (65 gallons) of water per square metre had fallen on Friday morning alone.

An elderly woman died when a river broke its banks and floodwaters flowed past her home in Alora, north of Malaga, AFP reports.
A man was also reported to have been found dead in the south-eastern town of Vera Playa, cut off by the floods.

"In Malaga province there are 800 staff working to return things to normal as quickly as possible. The rains are decreasing and seem to be shifting towards Granada and Almeria," a regional government spokesperson told AFP.
However, torrential rain and violent thunderstorms are predicted to continue in the south of the country during the weekend.

The heavy rains in parts of the south follow months of drought and high temperatures across Spain which triggered dozens of wildfires. :roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19767627
 
Wet weather set to hit UK food prices

Food prices look set to rise after poor UK harvests due to recent wet weather.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said wheat yields in England were down by almost 15% on the five-year average, with productivity down to 1980s levels.

The British Retail Consortium said food prices were already being driven up after a rise in grain costs following the worst drought in 50 years in the US and a heatwave in Russia.
Poor UK harvests also mean smaller fruit and vegetables than normal.

This summer was the second wettest in the UK since records began, Met Office figures indicated. The only summer - defined as June, July and August - which was wetter since national records began was in 1912.

A drought across much of England during the spring followed by record-breaking wet weather has meant a poor wheat harvest for many farmers, the NFU said.
NFU figures suggested wheat yields were down by 14.1% - but some farmers in the wet western half of England were reporting even lower yields, it said.

Meanwhile, the global price of wheat has risen by some 30% over the past 12 months, adding to fears over rises in food prices.
Richard Dodd, of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Whilst retailers are certainly doing all they can to protect customers from the full impact of that, of course some of that inevitably will impact on shop prices."

etc...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19890250
 
Farmers pulling a fast one. If it rains they want a grant; if it doesn't rain they want a grant.
 
The fields of wheat I've driven past looked just fine (and I drive a lot).
There may be an element of truth in what Ramon says - I don't know...
 
Mythopoeika said:
The fields of wheat I've driven past looked just fine
Click to expand...
The European Union is the world's third-largest grain grower but harvests this year are expected to be 5-10% less than last year due to summer heat and drought damage. France and Germany, Europe's top growers, have had a good year but not enough to offset declines in Britain, Spain and Italy. The wheat harvest is expected to be the lowest in five years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ests-world
Click to expand...
(As for anything Ramon says about farmers, take it with a large pinch of salt! ;) )
 
rynner2 said:
Mythopoeika said:
The fields of wheat I've driven past looked just fine
Click to expand...
The European Union is the world's third-largest grain grower but harvests this year are expected to be 5-10% less than last year due to summer heat and drought damage. France and Germany, Europe's top growers, have had a good year but not enough to offset declines in Britain, Spain and Italy. The wheat harvest is expected to be the lowest in five years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ests-world
Click to expand...
(As for anything Ramon says about farmers, take it with a large pinch of salt! ;) )
Click to expand...

Farmers take all of us for a large ride.
 
Knowing what the weather has been like this so called summer, there's no way there could have been a good harvest.
 
Two points

1. I notice that the chestnuts in my local park are either shrivelled up or immature. Which, in my inexperienced opinion, I blame on the lack of rain over the summer.

2. Now that the rain has returned, the standard seems to be ' a months worth of rain'. Every weather report uses that when talking about expected rain. One day last week in London, we were warned to expect a months worth of rain. In the end it rained lightly for ten minutes.
 
Lack of rain over the summer?? Are you living in an alternate universe? This summer has been one of the wettest I remember. (and I am 4,000 years old!)
 
BlackPeter said:
Lack of rain over the summer?? Are you living in an alternate universe? This summer has been one of the wettest I remember. (and I am 4,000 years old!)
Click to expand...

Indeed. Farmers went around using death rays on the chestnuts.
 
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