Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms

In the South Indian Ocean:

Tropical cyclone Fobane is located approximately 702 nm southeast of St. Denis, La Reunion.

NewsBytes:

Ireland - More than a quarter of a million homes and businesses in Ireland have been hit by power cuts as hurricane force winds swept in from the Atlantic. Roofs were blown off buildings and dozens of trees flattened cars up and down the country while a major emergency was declared in the heritage city of Kilkenny after more than two dozen weather-related incidents.

USA - A winter storm of "historical proportions" is bringing large quantities of snow to the US north-east, after gridlocking traffic and causing power cuts across the South. Storm affecting the US east coast as havoc persists in SouthTraffic in areas of North Carolina ground to a halt and many had to abandon their cars for the night. The huge winter storm is now affecting the densely populated US north-east. Across the typically mild South, more than half a million homes and businesses lack power, and thousands of flights have been cancelled. The mammoth storm has affected people in about 22 states from Texas to Maine and caused at least 12 deaths.

Great Lakes - One effect of the persistently cold winter of 2013-2014 is showing up on the world's largest group of freshwater lakes. According to an analysis by NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, ice covered 78.7 percent of the Great Lakes on February 6. Not since early 1996 has ice been so widespread on the Great Lakes. This is an abrupt turn around from the past four winters, during which the peak ice coverage remained around 40 percent or less. The 40-year average is just over 51 percent. Dating to 1973, the two years with the largest ice coverage were 1979 (94.7 percent peak) and 1994 (90.7 percent).