Weatherwatch: why the December freeze killed so many shrubs and trees
Guardian Unlimited | 27 Mar 2011
A large number of shrubs and trees, some large and mature, appear to have died this winter. These losses are far greater than are usually seen even in Britain's coldest weather and will be a surprise to many gardeners. It seems the December cold snap is responsible. Research during the last century...
 United Kingdom | Biodiversity | Environmental Awareness | Education | and Public Participation

Catastrophe drill to test emergency services
Guardian Unlimited | 07 Mar 2011
Exercise Watermark will involve 10,000 people from police to prison officers in testing emergency flood response. Flash floods will drown London and Yorkshire, a major reservoir will blow out in Derbyshire, rivers will burst their banks from the Thames valley to Wales and a tidal surge will swamp the east coast in the armageddon scenario underpinning Britain's biggest ever civil emergency exercise.
 England | Extreme Weather | Floods

Greenhouse gases linked to floods
Yahoo! News | 16 Feb 2011
Man-made greenhouse gases have increased the risk of flooding in the UK a groundbreaking report has claimed.
 United Kingdom | Climate Change | Climate Change Impacts | Extreme Weather | Floods

Signs of spring delayed by freeze
Guardian Unlimited | 16 Feb 2011
Harsh winter in the UK means early signs of spring such as snowdrops and frogspawn are appearing later than normal. The harsh winter has delayed early signs of spring, from snowdrops to frogspawn, according to sightings by the UK public. But experts said the early hold-up caused by the bitterly cold December meant the rest of spring was likely to be "thundering" through in a rush in the coming months.
 England | United Kingdom | Biodiversity | Extreme Weather

Special report: Extreme weather batters the insurance industry
Reuters | 09 Feb 2011
In Chester County, South Carolina, off a dirt road in the middle of a field, insurance companies are literally unleashing a storm.
 Climate Change | Extreme Weather

Weatherwatch: 'War winter' took it's toll on Britain's birds
Guardian Unlimited | 03 Feb 2011
Until the big freezes of 1946-47 and 1962-63, the coldest winter of the 20th century was the "war winter" of 1939-40. Unlike those other cold winters, though, the freeze relatively brief - a bitterly cold January was followed by a milder February and March. But the cold was still severe and widespread enough to have a devastating effect on Britain's birds. As in other cold winters, many birds migrated west and south to escape the effects of the ice and snow.
 England | Biodiversity | Climate Variability | Environmental Impacts | Extreme Weather

Snow and 90mh winds set to batter Scotland as winter bites back
Daily Record | 02 Feb 2011
Heavy snow showers and gales of up to 90mph are set to hit Scotland tomorrow.
 Scotland | Extreme Weather

Public belief in climate change weathers storm
Guardian Unlimited | 31 Jan 2011
The public's belief in global warming as a man-made danger has weathered the storm of climate controversies and cold weather intact, according to a Guardian/ICM opinion poll published today. Asked if climate change was a current or imminent threat, 83% of Britons agreed, with just 14% saying global warming poses no threat.
 United Kingdom | Climate Change | Climate Change Impacts | Environmental Awareness | Education | and Public Participation

Cost of natural disasters $109 billion in 2010: U.N.
Reuters | 24 Jan 2011
Natural disasters caused $109 billion in economic damage last year, three times more than in 2009, with Chile and China bearing most of the cost, the United Nations said Monday.
 Climate Change | Climate Change Impacts | Economy | Extreme Weather

Winter chaos hit more than a third of Scottish train services - report
Daily Record | 20 Jan 2011
More than a third of train services on Scotland's two key rail links to the south were late last month, according to official figures.
 Scotland | Extreme Weather | Public Transport | Transport