Current Weather Situation latest forecast cyclone reports, and hurricane,flood images.

At least six people were killed and many were injured by tornados at Oklahoma and Kansas City that began last Tuesday which forced offices and schools to close early. Residents should take tornado warnings and reports very seriously said Mary Fallin Governor of Oklahoma. NWS warned during the storm that it’s an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.

The citizens of Oklahoma City knew that the tornadoes were coming. About 1,200 people were packed in a shelter in Newcastle, a community near Oklahoma City, during the storm, said Oklahoma City Manager Nick Nazar. The city has been struck by more tornadoes than any other city in the United States. People were expecting for the worst to happen after the disastrous twister outbreak in the South that had a death toll of more than 300 people and last Sunday’s storm that left 122 people dead in Joplin.

The Oklahoma tornadoes were weaker than the other tornadoes but up-to-the-minute reporting of the developing weather system kept the people informed of the danger. Television networks had their helicopters broadcast live footages when the storm approached the city with a population of 1.2 million.

Weather Services Forecasters issued their forecast for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season which begins June 1, leaving an expectation of 15 tropical storms, with eight evolving into hurricanes. Of those, four are expected to strengthen into major hurricane of Category 3 or above on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which mean the storm packs sustained winds of 111-130 mph and is expected to cause serious damage.

Each of the forecasts exceeds what is considered the historical average hurricane season, although what is defined as “average” varies somewhat according to the source. Predictions for 2011 do fall within the level of activity that has occurred during an active tropical period that began in 1995, says Crawford. Since 1995 the season has averaged 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes. The 2010 season, one of the most active in recent decades, brought 19 tropical storms. Twelve of those became hurricanes and five grew into major hurricanes.

The reports said atleast 12 people were killed when tornadoes struck the south-western states of Oklahoma and Arkansas overnight Wednesday. Several tornadoes struck during rush hour on Tuesday, killing at least eight people in Oklahoma, two in Kansas and three more in Arkansas.

The National Weather Service said that the tornado 'destroyed the full town' of Denning, Arkansas, which has a population of 270 and is about 160 miles south of Joplin. Rescue crews began the frantic search for the missing on Wednesday, which included a three-year-old boy, after a tornado destroyed his home in Piedmont, northwest of Oklahoma City, injuring his mother and siblings.

The high-powered storms arrived just two days after a massive tornado tore through the southwest Missouri town of Joplin and killed 122 people. The other fatalities were reported in the neighboring state of Arkansas. The newest deaths came as meanwhile the death toll from the massive killer tornado in Joplin, Missouri rose to 125, according to the television news network CNN. Hundreds of people in the city were still missing.

The recent unexpected showers last week provided relief to the residents in the city, bringing down the temperature. A pool of rain water was seen in different areas of the city and heavy shower had brought smiles to Chennai people. The smiles got wider when the weatherman forecast more rain for the city, but now it seems not to be.

Other than seasonal rain, it is very hard to predict summer showers. The factors that conclude rains now are very lively. But now, we cannot anticipate any rain, reports by an official of the Meteorological Department. If so, Chennai may have to lay up with this hot weather till at least June. The westerly winds now raise the temperature on land, whereas the southerly winds bring in moisture from the ocean and also have a cooling effect. Only an unstable atmosphere with high moisture content will lead to formation of thunder clouds which will in turn cause rain. But that doesn't seem to be happening, said Meteorological officials.

The maximum temperature at Meenambakkam is expected to be 39.4 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will be around 27 degrees. The Maximum temperature at Nungambakkam is expected to be 38.6 degrees Celsius and minimum 27.7 degrees. The local forecast: Partly cloudy sky with a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius with the relative humidity of around 80%.

A heavy rain with scattered thunderstorms is streamlining off of the Atlantic Ocean and gradually moves towards northward into northern New Jersey. Isolated thunderstorms are also expected Friday and Saturday yet Sunday promises to be sunny with only a 10 percent chance of rain and a high of almost 80 degrees. A chance remains over the next few days for some locally heavy downpours to initiate some flash flooding of roadways and streams.

The threat of showers and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoons, will remain and high temps will reach near and exceed 70º. A few breaks of sunshine will become more possible as well especially on Friday. Saturday will definitely see a return to at least partial sunshine, however, there is still probably going to be afternoon scattered showers/T-storms developing with highs in the mid-upper 70s. Hopefully by Sunday we can eliminate the threat of afternoon showers/storms. I'm calling for mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid-upper 70s at this moment.

In the debris of the northeast, one small village named fudai stands as tall as ever after the tsunami. No homes were swept away. In fact, they barely got wet. Fudai survived thanks to a huge wall once deemed a mayor's expensive folly and now justified as the community's salvation.

The 3,000 residents living between mountains behind a cove owe their lives to a late leader who saw the devastation of an earlier tsunami and made it the priority of his four-decade tenure to defend his people from the next one.The 15.5m floodgate between mountainsides took a dozen years to build and meant spending more than 2.4 billion in today's yen but without it, Fudai would have disappeared.

The gate project was criticized as wasteful in the 1970s. But the gate and an equally high seawall behind the community's adjacent fishing port protected Fudai from the waves that obliterated so many other towns. Two months after the disaster, more than 25,000 are missing or dead in the Tohoku region. However you look at it, the effectiveness of the floodgate and seawall was truly impressive.

The Mississippi River is flooding with increasing frequency. The mighty Mississippi River flows covers over 2,300 miles from Minnesota down into the Gulf of Mexico with 159 cities situated along its banks. The increased flooding along the Mississippi is due to climate change. This latest flooding of the Mississippi River, brought about by record April rainfall in the Ohio River Valley and very high levels in other states, killing at least 18 people, flooding millions of acres of farmland. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Morganza Spillway in an effort to prevent flood waters from effecting larger cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge by intentionally flooding surrounding areas. It is the first time the spillway has been opened in 40 years.
The fact is we had a tremendous amount of snow over the winter and all that started melting about the same time all this rain started falling a few weeks ago. To be plagued with too much rain will destroy property and lives. It swells the rivers and creeks. Large bodies of water at the ocean shores lines will be made to swell with unusually high waves, dumping billions of tons of water over the now seashore line.
Rain weakens and destroys railroads, truck line beds and bridges. Rain undermines foundations of all types of buildings. Rain makes the atmosphere too heavy with moisture causing sickness. Wind with rain can bring destruction to towns and cities, bringing various germs, causing sickness to the people. It produces unclean water by the swelling of streams and destroying reservoirs of pure drinking water used for the health of the people. Rain is a destructive army within itself. Hail stones are also a property and life destroyer. The weather calamities would increase, taking both a physical and economic toll on a country. Millions of acres of land andcity infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged.

Pacific storm system is expected to overspread northern California during this afternoon and unsettled weather will linger on through Tuesday. This system is expected to bringing higher rainfall. The most of the rainfall will affect San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties later Monday night into early Tuesday morning it seems.With steady rainfall across Ventura and Los Angeles counties on Tuesday. Further showers will be likely behind the main front on tomorrow’s night and in the early hours Wednesday. This storm system has the latent to be unseasonably wet in view of that we are well into the month of May. With local amounts up to 1-1/2 inches across southwest facing coastal slopes.

Snow levels are generally expected to range between 6000 and 7000 feet with any significant accumulations expected above 7000 feet. This storm system is also expected to bring gusty south to southwest winds to the region. The strongest winds are expected in the mountains and deserts where gusts between 40 and 50 mph can be expected. Residents of southwest California are urged to stay tuned to the latest National Weather Service forecasts and statements as this late season storm unfolds.

The most recent tally showed that Aere affected 71,267 families, 65 municipalities, five cities, and 12 provinces in six regions nationwide. A disaster official saying Tropical Storm Aere left northern Luzon on Wednesday, but not earlier battering the Bicol region and leaving at least 26 people dead.

Officer in charge of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council saying most of the newly listed victims came from central Philippines and Metro Manila which Aere drenched and hit with rough winds from Monday to Tuesday. Displaced were 13,721 families but only 2,913 families were placed in 86 government-run evacuation centres and the rest who are not affected by Aere are staying in relative’s house and 2,7,243 hectares of rice, corn, and livestock are also affected. Total loss in agricultural products rose to P117.8 million. According to the Philippine weather bureau the storm was heading towards Japanese waters but had weakened after hitting the Philippines. It was the second storm to hit the Philippines this summer. Hundreds of people die each year due to the storms, with many of the victims living in poor, coastal communities.

The Mississippi River, swollen with winter snow melt and heavy rain, has caused a chain of flooding in seven states is carrying near record flows slowly south to New Orleans where the crest may be at least two weeks away. The river surge is expected to peak at 48 feet, beating two previous flooding records set in 1927 and 1937. Officials have been urging residents in low lying areas along the river and its tributaries to leave their homes. Evacuation warnings have been issued to more than 1,300 residences in the Memphis area, and officials say they expect nearly 3,000 properties to suffer some impact from flooding. President Barack Obama has declared parts of Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee as disaster areas.

In a small respite for residents, the National Weather Service said it does not expect significant rain over the next several days that would exacerbate the flood projections. Downstream in the state of Mississippi, record crests are expected at Vicksburg on May 20 and at Natchez on May 22.U.S. officials, who expect to activate three floodways for the first time, blew a hole in a levee last week to open one floodway, inundating Missouri farmland to save Illinois and Kentucky towns.

Government engineers plan to open a second floodway, the Bonnet Carre Spillway 28 miles north of New Orleans, on Monday to divert some of the river’s flow to Lake Pontchartrain.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also has recommended opening the Morganza spillway farther north to divert water to the Gulf of Mexico west of New Orleans. Activating the Morganza, this has only been opened once, in 1973, since its construction in 1954 would force people and livestock to evacuate the Atchafalaya River Basin. Peak flows are not expected to reach the New Orleans area for more than two weeks

A tornado affects a largest city of New Zealand's city on Tuesday, at least one person was killed and 20 injured, a hospital official said. The swirling dark air and cloud cut a 3-mile path across the Auckland suburb of Albany at mid afternoon, flattening trees and tossing vehicles around. There are probably six or seven seriously damaged cars, and some of them saw cars flying off the ground about 30 meters in the air.

The tornado first touched down in Albany and then passed through neighboring Birkenhead. Most of the serious damage was in Albany, where a shopping mall, a large hardware store and a supermarket were hit. Radio New Zealand reported that the roof of the Mega Center mall in Albany collapsed. Tornadoes are not uncommon in New Zealand, particularly on the country's North Island, where Auckland lies. But they tend to be smaller than those seen in the U.S. Midwest. Auckland generally gets one or two tornadoes a year, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management. New Zealand has been hit by several disasters in recent months, including a Feb. 22 earthquake that devastated the South Island city of Christchurch and killed at least 169 people.