Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

No current tropical storms.

Newsbytes:

Thailand, Update - Thirty-six people are confirmed dead and one is still missing in the floods that have hit 12 southern provinces since Jan 1, with devastated communities in many areas struggling to repair damage so they can resume their lives. The floods have taken their toll on 1.2 million people of 403,478 households in 5,244 villages in 119 districts of the 12 provinces, causing damage to 17 government installations and 592 roads, 106 bridges, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Chatchai Promlert said on Thursday. The situation has eased in four provinces: Yala, Ranong, Pattani and Narathiwat. Flooding lingers in Phatthalung, Songkhla, Trang, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, Krabi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Tornado Outbreaks

Large-scale tornado outbreaks that last one to three days with six or more twisters in close succession have nearly doubled in occurrence over the past 50 years, according to a new report.

Computer models had suggested that a warming climate would create such an increase in severe storms.

But researchers, led by Joel E. Cohen at the University of Chicago, found that amplification of vertical wind shear within storms, not yet predicted to increase due to climate change, is creating the extreme outbreaks.

“Either the recent increases are not due to a warming climate, or a warming climate has implications for tornado activity that we don’t understand,” said researcher Michael K. Tippett.