December 28, 2015

During the Christmas weekend, weather patterns around the world produced a variety of extremes, from torrential rains and flooding in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia to fierce snowstorms in North America and raging wildfires in Australia.

Fire-damaged buildings are seen alongside a house that survived the Christmas Day bushfires at Separation Creek in the Otway Ranges south of Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 27, 2015. Credit: © Julian Smith, EPA/Landov

Heavy storms pounded the Midwestern and Southern United States with rain and snow. Tornadoes with winds of up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour tore through Texas, killing at least 11 people. Meanwhile, some areas of New Mexico received more than 1 foot (0.3 meter) of snow. At least 43 people died throughout the United States as a result of these storms and the flooding that followed. Meteorologists noted that higher-than-average temperatures contributed to the severity of the storms.

In Australia, a lightning strike in the southeastern state of Victoria on December 19 caused a series of wildfires known as bushfires. The fires grew in size and intensity and destroyed more than 100 homes on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, monsoon rains caused major flooding in the Northern Territory, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. At the same time, in South America, more than 100,000 people fled their homes in areas of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay to escape flooding caused by heavy rainfall. In northern England in the United Kingdom, downpours led to extensive flooding as dozens of rivers overflowed.

Authorities noted that El Niño conditions were to blame for much of the extreme weather. An El Niño is a part of the interaction between Earth’s atmosphere and the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. El Niños occur about every two to seven years, and can affect climate throughout the world. The term El Niño originally referred to a current of warm water that flows southward along the coast of Ecuador and Peru, in western South America, every winter. About every two to seven years, the warm current is abnormally strong, lasts for an unusually long time, and is accompanied by changes in the winds and precipitation across the entire tropical Pacific region. For this reason, El Niño came to refer to the entire interaction of the ocean and atmosphere during the period of the stronger-than-normal current. According to the World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations affiliate, this year’s El Niño is the strongest in more than 15 years.

Other World Book articles: 

• Christmas Eve Storms Hit United States (Dec. 25, 2015) – A Behind the Headlines article
• Meteorology
• Weather

February 8, 2013

The first snowflakes of what could be a massive winter storm began falling on New England this morning. The storm was expected to lash an area from New York City to Maine with wind gusts up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour and potential snowfalls of 3 feet (1 meter). Up to 8 million people could be affected. “This is going to be a dangerous winter storm,” said Alan Dunham, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts, told The Washington Post. “Wherever you need to get to, get there by Friday afternoon and don’t plan on leaving.”

(Credit: © Colin McPherson, Corbis)

As New Englanders scrambled to stock up on food, gasoline, and other supplies, airlines cut more than 3,700 flights and hundreds of schools canceled classes. Amtrak suspended service northboard out of Pennsylvania Station in New York City and southbound out of Boston. Officials in Boston, which could get 2 to 3 feet of snow, announced that the city’s mass transit system would cease operations at 3:30 this afternoon. Meteorolgists were forecasting 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) of snow for New York City and a threat of flooding in coastal areas battered by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The storm was expect to peak early Saturday morning, though the effects of the blizzard, including impassable streets and power failures, could linger.

Additional World Book articles:

• Snow
• The Forecast: Better Weather Prediction Ahead (a special report)