Twisters are not normally something we hear about outside of Tornado Alley in the US. However, last Wednesday, a tornado was on the ground for five minutes and cut a path of chaos through a densely populated area in the Indonesian province of East Java. A trail of destruction was left in the Sidoarjo area, near Surabaya, home to 2 million people. There were no recorded fatalities, but 35 were injured and more than 600 homes damaged. Tornadoes are considered rare in this part of the world and are usually far less powerful than those observed in the Great Plains of the US. However, due to the dense population of Indonesia, damage can often be significant with a large number of people affected even if the tornado is considered weak.
A record-breaking heatwave is continuing in southern Australia. Temperatures are soaring into the low 30s and Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, witnessed six consecutive days with maximum temperatures above 26C, breaking a 122-year record. An unusually stagnant weather pattern is prolonging the hot spell and there are fears that the electricity grid will not be able to keep up with demand as the public turn up the air conditioning over the coming week.
Snow in November comes as no surprise in Iceland, but an unusually snowy and stormy period has been affecting the island over the past week. The jet stream has developed a pronounced meander in the North Atlantic that has led to Iceland bearing the brunt of the frigid polar air pouring south. Heavy bands of snow and blizzard conditions associated with a deep area of low pressure spiralling in the Norwegian Sea have led to school closures and to rescue services being called to assist stranded motorists. Northern and eastern parts of Iceland have suffered the heaviest snowfall and strongest winds.
