During the afternoon of Monday 7th May 2012, a tornado was reported in several areas of Oxfordshire, including Bicester, Eynsham, Kidlington and South Leigh. Trees, buildings, and vehicles in these areas were damaged by the storm which also produced large hail and lightning (BBC News). A number of eye-witnesses caught the tornado on film including […]

When I last wrote on the subject of drought, at the end of March 2012, conditions in Southern England were looking pretty grim: Accumulated rainfall was  200mm down on the climatological norm for the previous 12 months, the River Thames was running at 50% of normal, and the chalk aquifers to the north of Reading […]

By Ray Bell, It’s that time of year again, when sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are warming up in the northern hemisphere, which allows the tropics to become more conducive for tropical storm formation. Warm waters are needed to provide the storm’s with a source of energy. These tropical storms, if they make landfall, can become […]