Hottest July day ever recorded in UK

The UK has seen the hottest July day on record, with temperatures hitting 36.7C (98F).

The Met Office said the reading had been registered at Heathrow – breaking the previous record set in 2006.

A level 3 “heatwave action” heat-health alert has been declared for all parts of England.

But in Scotland, forecasters warned of thunderstorms, torrential downpours and hail stones up to 1cm in size.

Lightning was also spotted in the north-east of England, with a storm breaking out near Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North statue.

Hot weather may have been a “contributing factor” to a large fire which consumed about 30 acres of Thetford Forest.

Motorists on the M1 in Derbyshire faced delays after a lorry carrying batteries burst into flames, causing the motorway to be temporarily closed in both directions.

Meanwhile, five people were taken to hospital from the Royal Norfolk Show as temperatures rose to 31C (88F) in Norwich.

In Staffordshire, 80 people were stranded on the monorail at Alton Towers when two trains broke down.

Wimbledon spectators – who had been covering their heads with umbrellas, newspapers and towels – were advised to wear hats.

London was hotter than Rome and Athens, according to figures collated by the Met Office, but other parts of Europe saw temperatures rise above 40C (104F).

Courtesy of BBC News

http://goo.gl/i4SJFG

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Cyclone alert has been issued for Karachi, Pakistan

The Meteorological department has issued a cyclone alert after spotting development of a low pressure in Arabian Sea.

 

The Met office on Thursday said the low air pressure is forming 1600 kilometer south of Karachi, and an advisory might be issued during the next 24 hours in case it grow into a cyclone.

 

“Cyclone Warning Centre (Karachi) of Pakistan Meteorological Department is monitoring the local and regional meteorological conditions regularly,” said a statement issued by the Met office.

 

It said the low pressure system would be named “Ashobaa” if it develops into a cyclone. The Met office said Karachi was not likely to receive rain tonight.

 

The higher the low-pressure in the system, the greater are the chances of its growing into a tropical cyclone, it said.

Courtesy of geo.tv

http://goo.gl/6Q5ned

100mph storm to strike Scotland tomorrow

SCOTLAND’S first storm of 2015 will be fiercer and come sooner than previously forecast, with winds of 100mph or more blasting the north from tomorrow night, the Met Office warned today.

It came as an additional alert for heavy rain and possible flooding across the western half of the country until 8pm today was issued by the agency.

 

Forecasters upgraded their severe weather warning from yellow to amber – “be prepared” – for 10pm tomorrow until noon on Friday.

 

It covers the Highlands and Islands north from Mull, apart from Shetland.

 

The rest of the country north of the southern edge remains on yellow alert – “be aware” – for that period, with wind gusts of up to 70mph.

 

Northern Scotland is expected to get a second battering on Saturday, with winds gusting up to 90mph.

 

The Met Office said its current yellow warning for midnight to 6pm on Saturday may also be upgraded to amber.

 

The Met Office said “significant impacts” were likely from tomorrow night’s storm.

 

Its spokesman said: “The public should be prepared for the potential for disruption to transport as well as power supplies and the possibility of structural damage.

 

“Very large waves may also lead to dangerous conditions along some coasts.”

 

The storm, which had been forecast to arrive at noon on Friday, is being caused by very cold air over the United States combining with 250mph jet stream winds at high altitude – compared to the usual 150mph at this time of year.

 

The Met Office said: “A vigorous depression is expected to run rapidly east, passing northern Scotland on Thursday night and Friday morning.

 

“Winds will begin to increase late on Thursday to give a period of very strong westerly winds across the Western Isles, the north and north west of the Scottish mainland and Orkney.

 

“Gusts of 80 to 90mph are likely quite widely, with a risk of gusts of over 100mph in places.”

 

The Met Office said the heaviest rain today would be in western and central Scotland, with up to 30mm (1in) falling, and 40mm (1.5in) in hilly areas.

 

Its spokesman said: “Outbreaks of rain will continue to be heavy at times on Wednesday afternoon and into the early evening.

 

“There will be a good deal of surface water and spray on roads, with the chance of localised surface water flooding in prone spots.

 

“The public should be aware of the risk of difficult driving conditions.

 

“In addition, there is the possibility of minor river flooding in parts of the western Borders.”

 

The Forth Road Bridge was closed to high vehicles, trailers and motorbikes because of the winds, which reached 47mph by lunchtime.

 

A further yellow warning – for ice – has been issued for northern Scotland between 1am and noon tomorrow.

 

Several centimetres of snow may fall on higher-level roads, with slight falls at lower levels.

 

The Met Office said: “Showers will turn increasingly wintry on high ground overnight and on Thursday morning.

 

“Clear spells between the showers will allow icy stretches to form.

 

“The public should be aware of the risk of some difficult driving conditions due to ice, and on some higher routes, local snow cover.”

Courtesy of the Scotsman

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Coldest New Year on the way since 1988 in Malta

Weathermen are forecasting New Year’s Eve will be the coldest December day in Malta in 26 years.

 

The Meteorological Office is predicting temperatures to dip to a minimum of 4˚C tomorrow night because of a spell of cold weather heading towards the Mediterranean from Scandinavia and Russia.

The Maltese Islands got a taste of what may be in store with a hailstorm overnight as well as heavy rain and thunder. (See pictures above and below)

The last time temperatures went below 4˚C in December was in 1988 when it dropped to 3.7˚C. 

 

On the continent, cold snaps combined with showers usually result in snow.  B/times of malta[/attachut a Met Office spokesman brushed off the idea of that happening in Malta.

 

“The temperature needs to get close to 0˚C for snow, and that is something which has never happened since 1922 when meteorological records started being kept.”

 

He explained it was next to impossible to see snow in Malta since the island is too far south and surrounded by sea. At 18˚C, the sea is still warm and not predicted to go below 15˚C.

 

However data produced by Nadur weather station last night shows that the temperature actually did slip below zero for a brief moment at -0.6c. See screen shots below. Second picture shows temperature conditions early in the morning.(courtesy Andrea Muscat)

Courtesy of The Times Of Malta

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Tornado leaves path of destruction with windows shattered and trees uprooted in Leicestershire, UK

Local resident said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’.

After basking in freak 24C heat during the hottest Halloween on record – the UK has today been hit by heavy showers, plummeting temperatures and a tornado – prompting the Met Office to declare it is ‘back to business as usual’.

 

The tornado wrought havoc in Coalville, Leicestershire, this morning reaching the the town centre at around 7am.

 

Roof tiles came crashing down into the street, damaging cars, and bins were sent flying through the air.

Streets were strewn with debris, trees uprooted and part of the roof of a store at the Belvoir Shopping Centre was ripped off while other images – forcing the shopping precinct to close.

 

Several buildings had their windows shattered and teams of council workmen have been sent in to aid in the clean-up job. It is believed no-one was injured.

Commenting on the freak weather, A Met Office spokesman said: ‘The set up was conducive to tornadic activity and we have had some reliable reports today.’

 

Resident Vincent Bates, 64, said: ‘I woke up with a start and heard this loud rumbling followed by a bang.

‘At first I thought it was a huge lorry but when I opened my curtains and looked out of my window I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a wheelie bin flying past and down the street, about ten feet up in the air. 

 

‘There were roof tiles crashing down into the street and landing on cars and debris flying everywhere. 

 

‘It felt like a tornado. The whole thing can’t have lasted more than two minutes before everything went dead quiet. 

 

‘I had a wander around the town and there is debris lying across a square mile area. A house across the road from me has half its roof missing. It was incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it.’

http://tinyurl.com/l3oo5cy

Severe flooding hits many homes in Canvey, Basildon And Tilbury, UK

Essex’s fire service says it has had to pump water out of properties hit by flooding in Canvey, Tilbury and Basildon

Crews have been called out to dozens of incidents this morning with Letzden Road in Canvey, Christchurch in Tilbury and Merricks Lane in Basildon particularly affected.

 

It comes as the Met Office has issued a ‘yellow weather warning’ for the East of England, with up to 40mm of rain expected and winds of up to 45 mph in some coastal areas.

 

Essex Police have also advised motorists to take extra care on the roads today. The force has said: “Emergency services are dealing with a number of fallen trees and reports of localised flooding. Deep surface water is also affecting a number of major routes and local roads.

 

“Drivers are advised to check travel websites and listen to local radio reports for the latest news of any travel disruption. Take care and slow down when using any sections of road which may have been affected by the surface water and avoid driving through deep water.”

UPDATE 1137

The second highest FLOOD WARNING has been issued for the River Wid from Ingatestone up to and including Writtle. The EA says:

 

“We are seeing high river levels on the River Wid due to last night’s rain. The peak of the river is now near Wardropers. River levels are likely to continue to rise. Over the next 6 hours the forecast is for light rain. Flooding is expected for Stock Lane, Ingatestone is at risk and properties at Hylands Mill and around Writtle Bridge. We will continue to monitor levels closely and update this message as necessary.”

http://tinyurl.com/pp7mnkx

Tornadoes, floods and gales batter Britain as drivers are stranded in roads swamped with water with more on the way

Stormy weather led to huge waves crashing into the harbour in Porthcawl, South Wales

Tornadoes, floods and gales of up to 75mph are continuing to batter Britain, with drivers becoming stranded on roads swamped with water.

Forecasters have warned there is no end in sight to the ferocious weather which has been wreaking havoc across the UK for the past 48 hours, with gusty winds and torrential rain expected to continue.

Last night, a pair of motorists filmed the moment that a terrifying tornado swept across a motorway on the Wirral, causing a huge whirl of air to circulate over the M53, just metres in front of them.

Meanwhile, in Wolverhampton, a van driver managed to scramble out of a window to safety after his vehicle was swept against a footbridge in a flooded ford.

This is the moment a terrifying tornado swept across a motorway on the Wirral, as gusty winds and severe weather hit the UK

The van driver managed to scramble to safety after torrential rain caused the ford to rise 3ft in just one hour

Bolt from above: Lighting over the River Thames at Chiswick/Mortlake in west London this afternoon

Today, The Met Office issued further weather alerts for strong gusts in the south west of England and southern Wales, which it said would be compounded by heavy, thundery rain.

With the weather warning covering an area from Cornwall to Bournemouth and Cardiff to Swansea, it said the public should brace itself for further potential disruption.

The rare tornado was spotted yesterday evening by Matthew Hughes, who saw the freak event as he was driving through Bromborough with his friend Rob Tulley. Shocked at what was unfolding, Mr Hughes filmed the intimidating twister and posted the rare footage to YouTube.

A spokesperson from the Met Office later confirmed the dramatic footage showed a tornado, adding that it was rare to obtain footage of that nature.

The Met Office said: ‘Although it is unusual that we obtain footage of a tornado in the UK, it can occasionally occur, and this sighting is a tornado.’

The sighting came just hours after a tornado ripped through a small town in Derbyshire and amid warnings that more strong winds are set to sweep across the country today.

Huge, crashing waves at high tide caused the seawater to swamp the roads surrounding the harbour in Penzance

Rescue teams have been out in force for the past 24 hours, attempting to salvage the wreckage caused by the extreme conditions.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue services were called to Trescott Ford in Staffordshire after a driver had to clamber through a window after getting stuck in the swollen ford.

The torrent swept the man’s blue Citroen van against a footbridge after torrential rain caused the ford’s water level to rise to 3ft in just one hour.

Firefighters had to seal off the road leading to the ford while they helped the driver rescue tools from his van before towing out of the water.

Crew commander Wayne Dockerty, of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: ‘We made sure he was safe and then put the cordons up to stop any other drivers attempting to cross.

‘This served as a warning for motorists to take extra care in this kind of circumstance since the water can often be a lot deeper than it looks.’

Elsewhere, a man had to be rescued from a car that was caught in deep flood water on the A452 Chester Road near Walsall, West Midlands – a major dual carriageway – as torrential rain and thunderstorms swept across the Midlands. A family-of-three also became stranded in water in Walsall Wood on the same afternoon.

Pedestrians were caught in heavy rain in central London earlier today, as unexpected showers hammered down after a morning of sunshine

Yesterday, a tornado ripped through the small town of Alfreton, Derbyshire, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage and completely damaging the top floor of this building

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Red Alert Issued By Iceland Authorities Due To A surge In Seismic Activity At Bardarbunga Volcano

A surge in seismic activity has caused Iceland to raise the aviation alert for its Bardarbunga volcano from ORANGE to RED.

“There is an ongoing eruption beneath the glacial surface, probably a small eruption which has not been able to melt the ice cap,” Met Office official Theodor Hervasson said.

Code red indicates that eruptions are imminent or underway that could disperse clouds of ash and dust into the flight paths of jet aircraft, threatening safe air travel.

An eruption in 2010 of the Eyjafjallajokul volcano produced an ash cloud that caused international aviation chaos, with more than 100,000 flights cancelled.

Aviation regulators since have reformed policies about flying through ash, so a new eruption would be unlikely to cause that much disruption.

Thousands of mini earthquakes rattled the volcano deep beneath the Vatnajokull glacier over the past week, causing authorities to evacuate several hundred people from an area north of the glacier.

Met Office vulcanologist Melissa Pfeffer said scientists planned to fly over the glacier today to look for any changes to its surface.

Bjorn Malmquist from the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service said: “It’s too early to say if flights will be disrupted. 

“A small eruption started 40 minutes ago but we have yet to see how powerful it is. It will take a couple of hours for the eruption to work its way through 500m of glacial ice above. Until then there’s not much we can say about the air traffic.

“As long as there is water and magma interaction there will be a lot of ash and explosions in the eruption itself, but its probably not going to be of the same kind in 2010. This will probably be more a fissure eruption, a sub-glacial eruption.”

http://tinyurl.com/jw6svsq

Colder Weather Coupled With Met Office Warnings Set For Parts Of The UK

Parts of Britain are getting an unexpected dose of winter weather as gale force winds send temperatures plunging

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for northern England and Scotland, with Ireland also likely to be affected by gusts which “would not be unusual in the autumn and winter”.

Winds of up to 50mph were recorded early on Sunday and the conditions were expected to bring a risk of flooding for some areas.

Coastal areas have been put on alert for “large waves” and forecasters have warned transport links could be hit by disruption.

Met Office maps show severe weather warnings for Sunday and Monday

Sky News weather producer Rebecca Yussuf said: “It will be unseasonably windy for the rest of Sunday and into Monday, especially in northern parts of the UK and Ireland.

“We’re likely to see gale force gusts reaching 50mph, which could bring disruption to transport and outdoor activities.

“The winds will be accompanied by heavy showers that will bring a risk of localised flooding.” 

The wet and chilly conditions are expected to continue into the early part of the week, with yellow “be aware” warnings in place for Monday.

Strong winds will cause temperatures to fall to well below average for late summer.

Met office spokesman Calum Maccoll said there could even be frost in parts of Scotland as temperatures approach zero later in the week.

http://tinyurl.com/ncf5m5o

Ex-hurricane Bertha gives the heaviest rainfall and a Tornado in Cardiff City, Wales, UK

The city begins a clear-up as one church fears it will not be able to claim the flooding damage on insurance.

Cardiff experienced the UK’s heaviest rainfall today when the tail end of ex-hurricane Bertha lashed the capital.

Dozens of residents have been dealing with the drenching’s aftermath after the city endured the worst of the downpours, with a staggering 45.2mm falling in just 12 hours.

Bute Park recorded the highest rainfall in the UK within that time period.

And while the storm is expected to have left mainland Britain for the North Sea tomorrow, Met Office forecasters say strong winds and some blustery showers may still blight an otherwise sunny Monday. Rain and strong winds of up to 60mph brought disruption to Wales, especially across southern parts, with firefighters being called to several incidents of flash flooding.

Reports included:

• blocked drains causing floodwater to accumulate on Carisbrooke Way, Cyncoed;

• cars stuck in water under the railway bridge on Lowther Road, Cathays;

• a van stuck under a flooded bridge in South Park Road, Splott;

• a flooded house in Cranbrook Street, Cathays; and

• roads flooding at Waungron in Fairwater.

Still footage was also by taken of a mini-tornado at Stormy Down, near Porthcawl. The footage taken by Ceri Evans shows a thin funnel of cloud reaching down from the clouds.

And fire crews spent three hours pumping 3ft of water from the three-room basement of Cardiff’s historic Greek Orthodox Church in Butetown, church elders said.

“There was heavy rain which caused the problem,” said priest Father Iakovos.

“The church is OK but the insurance won’t cover the damage.”

Church chairman Anton Attard estimated that more than £1,000 worth of damage had been caused but said the rooms had been kept empty after previous floods.

“The church insurance policy will no longer pay out after previous floods, he said.

“If it rains it floods from the drains,” Mr Attard said.

“Fire crews were here for three hours. The floors and walls will need cleaning and it’ll cost at least £1,100. We can’t alter the building because it’s listed.

“The basement is three rooms, two of about 10ft by 10ft, another about 10ft by 8ft.

“We are not like the Church in Wales with money for repairs. We are a small congregation of about 3,000 mainly Russians, Greeks and Ukrainians.”

The church has been operating at its current premises since 1906 with a Greek Orthodox congregation in the city since 1873, he added.

The ex-tropical storm, previously known as Hurricane Bertha, hit the Caribbean last week but began tracking its way across the British Isles on Saturday night. Jeremy Parr, head of flood risk management at Natural Resources Wales, said: “As the forecast remains unsettled we are advising people to keep an eye on weather forecasts and check the latest flood alerts on our website.”

Ross MacLeod, RNLI coastal safety manager, said: “If you are planning a coastal activity our advice is to respect the water and watch the shore from a safe distance and assess the conditions – think about the risk before deciding if you need to go closer.”

The wet weather is expected to continue through the week, with westerly winds and heavy showers in South Wales and temperatures in the high teens.

Met Office forecaster, Helen Chivers said the ex-hurricane had behaved as anticipated, dropping the most of its rain over South Wales.

“There had been some uncertainty surrounding the path that ex-hurricane Bertha would take, but we knew there was potential for heavy rainfall, strong coastal winds and large waves on Sunday.

“Monday will be quite breezy – nothing like we saw on Sunday – and there will be some sunny spells.

“However there will still be one or two very fast moving blustery showers.

“It won’t feel particularly cold, with temperatures inland reaching around 18C but there will be a brisk southwesterly wind of around 35mph.

“That won’t feel to bad after the coastal winds of 50-60mph experienced on Sunday.

“We have winds blowing from the west throughout the rest of the week in Wales.

“That system will bring us a mixture of sunshine and showers but gradually as the week goes on we should finds things improve and by Friday we should see a fine day.”

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