Extreme weather conditions around the world - 01/06/2018

I just heard ofver the news that Penrith, west of Sydney was 47.9 degree Centigrade today!!

Bushfires approaching Melbourne with heatwave melting highway's in Australia bringing to a close the most incredible start to a new year ever!

The Big Wobble,

6 January, 2017

Earthwindmap

It has undoubtebly been the most incredible start to 2018, record warm for Holland and Alaska, record cold for much of the eastern and mid-planes in the US.

Record snow fall for Erie in the US and Florida, the massive snow storm 'Bombogenesis' Grayson along with two massive named storms Eleanor and Dylan which both battered the UK and western Europe.

Throw in a rare heatwave to attack Kenya all this month and two volcano eruptions.

We now have a bushfire approaching a major city and a heatwave in Australia strong enough to melt roads, if this is a glance how the rest of the year will be then we are in for a rough ride!

Bushfires destroy buildings in Australia as heatwave melts highway surface

A heatwave has gripped parts of Australia with temperatures so strong roads and highways have begun to melt with bushfires raging out of control which has destroyed buildings and is threatening lives.

According to Reuters, the heat was strong enough to melt the bitumen on a 10-km (6-mile) stretch of freeway in Victoria, national broadcaster ABC News reported.

Emergency warnings were issued both in Victoria and in the nearby state of South Australia, where authorities advised residents of a rural area to seek shelter in buildings from an out-of-control fire.

Total fire bans took effect from midnight as Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania braced for dangerous fire conditions caused by temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104°F).

Kenya to experience one of the world's worst heat waves temperatures expected to hit more than 40 degrees Celsius (above 104 deg F) for the next month

For the first time in history, Kenya is expected to experience one of the world's worst heat waves, with temperatures expected to hit more than 40 degrees Celsius (above 104 deg F) during the day in northwestern and northeastern parts of the country.

A month-long weather forecast released by the Kenya Meteorological Department on Wednesday indicates that the looming heat wave will most likely be triggered by bursts of extreme heat that are expected to hit the two regions in the month of January.

According to Peter Ambenje, the Deputy Director at Kenya Meteorological Department, the heat wave is likely to worsen droughts and sandstorms in the two areas thus causing serious socio-economic problems.

"The expected high daytime temperatures of more than 40deg C in Northwestern and Northeastern parts of the country may give rise to heat waves that are a potential health risk," Ambenje was quoted by the Star. Being the first time that the country is experiencing this kind of extremely hot weather condition, the meteorological department has warned Kenyans to take caution as too much heat can easily cause death.

The abnormally hot and humid weather prevents a person's body from cooling itself through sweating, which eventually causes heat stroke.

Extreme heat at night also causes discomfort and can easily lead to serious health problems.

The meteorologist also warns that the unusual weather condition might affect water supply in many parts of the country due to dry water catchment areas.

Kenyans in these areas should, therefore, ready themselves for tough times head.

In a study published by Environmental Research Letters in 2016, scientists warned that frequent extreme heat waves are on the rise in Africa and that the extended hot weather conditions could negatively affect life expectancy and food production on the continent.

The study further cautioned that the heat waves currently classified as unusual could be a normal occurrence in the next 20 years, mainly due to the increasing average global temperature.

'Bombogenesis' Grayson causes Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station to be manually shut down after power lines became unavailable

During the height of Thursday's storm, operators manually shut down Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station after one of the two main 345-volt lines that provide offsite power to the plant "became unavailable," according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan.

"There have been no complications with the shutdown thus far," Sheehan wrote in an email.

The emergency generators were fired up to power cooling and other emergency systems functioning, even though the second 345-volt line, along with a smaller line, from offsite remained in service. Patrick O'Brien, a spokesman for Entergy Corp., Pilgrim's owner and operator, said plant managers decided to use the diesel generators for safety systems because of their reliability.....

Bombed! From Boston to Baltimore and beyond blizzard-stirred coastal flooding more frozen sharks airports closed 2ft snow expected in places

Photo necn/Locals in Portland, Maine, say this is the highest they’ve seen the water since the Patriots Day storm.

Massive flooding is wreaking havoc along New England's coast.

The blizzard-stirred coastal flooding in Boston could be the worst in history as reports of major flooding are pouring in from coastal Massachusetts communities on Thursday afternoon.

Parts of Causeway Street, Morrissey Boulevard and Seaport Boulevard in Boston are completely underwater, and the harbourside entrance at the MBTA's Aquarium Station is temporarily closed due to flooding.

More thresher sharks were found dead and frozen after becoming stranded along several beaches off the coast of Cape Cod.

Credit NOAA

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for New York City on Thursday as heavy snow and powerful winds battered the five boroughs.

The "bomb cyclone" snowstorm is expected to get more intense through the afternoon, Cuomo said at a news conference.

Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a winter weather emergency for the city, ordering workers to tow any cars that are blocking snow ploughs from clearing city streets.

"The situation will deteriorate through the day, and the afternoon and evening rush hour we expect will be worse," the governor said.

Blizzard-like conditions roiled public transit and grounded hundreds of flights out of the city on Thursday, officials said.

The snowstorm is expected to drop up to 10 inches on New York City and bring wind gusts as strong as 50 MPH.

Two thirds of all flights out of the region's three major airports have been canceled, said Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, at a news conference Thursday morning.

That includes 95 percent of all flights from LaGuardia Airport, 70 percent of flights from Newark Liberty Airport and 27 percent of flights from John F. Kennedy Airport, Cotton said. John F. Kennedy put a temporary suspension on all flights about 11 a.m. and LaGuardia flights were suspended around noon.

Arctic air is expected to follow the storm, bringing high temperatures in the teens and wind chills as cold as -20 degrees on Friday and Saturday.

Weather that cold makes salt less effective, so plows may not be able to clear roads completely until close to Monday, Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said.

Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday declared a state of emergency in four counties along the Jersey shore as a blizzard hit the state.

In a tweet, the governor said he had made the emergency designation for Cape May, Atlantic, Ocean and Monmouth counties.

"Please stay off the roads and stay sheltered and warm," he said.

The governor ordered all "non-essential" employees who are not involved in the response to the storm to stay home.

A state of emergency was in effect on parts of Maryland's Eastern Shore in response to the coastal winter storm.

Gov. Larry Hogan issued the declaration late Wednesday night for the Lower Shore, including Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Ankle deep snow and wind gusts approaching 50 mph (80 km/h) covered the Ocean City Boardwalk, which was under a blizzard warning Thursday.

Parts of Southern Maryland also reported significant snow accumulations.

Wind restrictions were put in place Thursday on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The Coast Guard restricted ships from entering the Port of Baltimore. Numerous school systems closed throughout the state, including in Baltimore City, where the teachers' union called for closures after reporting heating issues in numerous schools.

Meanwhile it is raining and 0 deg Celsius in Nuuk, Greenland!!

https://www.accuweather.com/en/gl/nuuk/186497/weather-forecast/186497