Extreme weather events reported in skies over Australia and Alaska SUPER STORM

November 10, 2011 – AUSTRALIA – Victoria’s State Emergency Service has responded to more than 1000 calls for help overnight after one of the wildest storms to lash the state this year. SES rescuers responded to cases of flash flooding, hail damage, people trapped in cars, unroofed homes and fallen trees. In one of the worst-hit areas, Frankston received 30 millimetres of rain in 20 minutes yesterday. Residents made more than 200 calls for help, including 150 about flooding and 40 about building damage. In Croydon several people had to be rescued from their vehicles after they became stuck in flood waters. There were another 150 reports of fallen trees, many in towns northwest of Melbourne including Castlemaine, Woodend and Maryborough. The northeast endured the worst of the storm, where 65mm of rain fell – the highest rainfall for the state. In Wodonga, several houses had their roofs ripped off. There were also reports of flooded backyards and falling trees. –News.com
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/golf-ball-hail-lashes-victoria/story-e6frfku0-1226190840519#ixzz1dHVd56rj

Record heat: Sydney residents have sweated through what could be the hottest November night on record. Temperatures climbed to a top of 28.4C and never dipped below 26.5C, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) duty forecaster Dmitriy Danchuk said. Previously, the hottest November night on record was in 1967, when the minimum temperature was 24.8C. The average minimum temperature for November is 15.6C. “So last night we had temperatures that were 10.9 degrees above average,” Mr Danchuk said. “That’s a pretty rare occasion. The last time we had high temperatures like this was on November 14, 1976. “This could be a record.” The highest temperature for November was recorded at 12.08am (AEDT) today, while the minimum temperature occurred at 6.01am (AEDT). Sydney’s western suburbs had a slightly cooler night, with highs of 27.4C and lows of 21.9C. The city is in for some cool relief today, with a southerly change expected about 3pm (AEDT). –News.com http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/sydney-swelters-with-record-night-temperature-highs/story-e6frfku0-1226190893122


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- One of the strongest storms to hit western Alaska in nearly 40 years battered coastal communities Wednesday with snow and hurricane-force winds, knocking out power, ripping up roofs and forcing some residents to board up their windows and seek higher ground.

The last time the communities saw something similar was in November 1974, when a storm created a sea surge that measured more than 13 feet. The surge pushed beach driftwood above the level of the previous storm of its type in 1913. Emergency managers said Wednesday afternoon that the winds were tapering off, with 85-mph gusts winding down to 55-mph gusts. The storm passed through more southern points of its path. But managers warned that many points farther north on Alaska's western coast between Norton Sound and Point Hope remained vulnerable to a possible surge of sea water that could bring varying degrees of flooding to villages already soaked, depending on how much shoreline protection they have or don't have.

"This is a storm of epic proportions," said meteorologist Jeff Osiensky with the National Weather Service. "We're not out of the woods with this." Wednesday's planned test of the National Emergency Alert System was cancelled in Alaska due largely to the weather, KSRM-radio reported.

read more at link http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BERING_SEA_STORM?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-09-17-55-38

November 9, 2011 – FRANCE – A tropical storm (possibly a subtropical hybrid) has formed in the Mediterranean Sea. No, this isn’t a typo. Take a look at the satellite imagery above from early Tuesday morning. Circled in white is the storm south of France and to the west of Italy. Although rare, this is not an unprecedented event. According to the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA, low-pressure systems resembling tropical storms and hurricanes have occurred in September 1947, September 1969, January 1982, September 1983 and January 1995. Due to their rarity, they have not been fully studied so there is some question as to whether these systems have the same structure as tropical storms found over the tropical waters in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The storm is forecast to weaken as it moves slowly near the southern coast of France and northwest Italy. This is the same region of Italy which has been hit hard by flooding in recent weeks, so any additional rain from this system would be a very unwelcome sight. –The Weather Channel

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/article/tropical-storm-mediterranean_2011-11-08