• Epic lightning storm hits Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

    A thunderstorm that formed near the Sydney CBD late Thursday, December 8, 2016 created a spectacular lightshow, with thousands of bolts striking in many directions. After a hot and clear day of 31 °C (87.8 °F) temperatures, the skies suddenly turned black as…

  • Tropical Cylone “Vardah” eyeing north-central India

    Tropical Cyclone "Vardah" formed on December 7, 2016, in the southeastern Bay of Bengal. The, currently, slow-moving storm is eyeing the south-central India and is expected to make landfall on December 12. Heavy rainfalls, strong winds, and rough seas are…

  • Intense thunderstorm hits Sydney, New South Wales

    An intense thunderstorm hit Sydney, New South Wales, on December 5, 2016, producing over 5 000 lighting strikes. Power outages and traffic disrputions were reported across the affected areas. The severe weather system wreaked havoc across Sydney. The BOM…

  • Worst flooding in 30 years hits southern Spain

    Unprecedented amounts of rain have caused severe flash flooding in parts of southern Spain over the weekend, culminating on Sunday, December 4, 2016. At least two people have been killed. Meteorologists say a massive 200 liters of water per cubic meter fell in just…

  • Severe flooding hits central Vietnam, 10 000 homes flooded

    Central Vietnam has been hit by heavy rainfall since late November 2016, resulting in severe flooding which killed at least 13 people by Sunday, December 4, 2016. The region saw up to 300 mm (11.8) of rainfall in recent days and more is in the forecast. The worst…

  • Supercell thunderstorms hit Queensland, 37 000 without power

    Another severe storm pounded Queensland on December 3, 2016, producing large hail and major damage. Tens of thousands of homes reported power loss while numerous flights have been delayed. A system of supercells hit Brisbane on the afternoon of December 3 (local…

  • Destructive tornado hits Palos de la Frontera, Spain

    A destructive tornado swept through the Spanish town of Palos de la Frontera during the afternoon hours of December 1, 2016. The tornado caused substantial damage, but there were no reports of injuries. According to media reports, the tornado formed around 17:45…

  • Meteotsunamis, an underrated hazard in the Great Lakes

    A team of scientists led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that small, 30 cm (1 foot), meteotsunamis happen more than 100 times per year on the Great Lakes, while larger ones of nearly 90 cm (3 feet) occur once per year on average. The timing of most…

  • Severe floods and landslides ravage the Eastern Caribbean

    A slow-moving low pressure field brought heavy rainfall to the islands in the Eastern Caribbean since November 28, 2016. The rains triggered severe flooding and landslides across the affected regions. St Vincent and the Grenadines have suffered the worst severe…

  • Above-normal 2016 hurricane seasons

    The Atlantic, eastern Pacific and central Pacific 2016 hurricane season have officially ended on November 30, and NOAA scientists said all three regions saw above-normal seasons. For the Atlantic, this was the first above-normal season since 2012 with 15 named…