Weather Reports
January 2005

NOAA Reports Record Number of Tornadoes in 2004
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2359.htm
‘The total number of tornadoes reported in the United States reached a record high during the year 2004, surpassing the previous record by almost 300 - 1,717 tornado reports in the US.’

We had a Tornado warning [Jan 8] for the northern part of Hawaii, Kauai to be exact. Highly unusual warning to make. I've been living here over 11 years, and many of my friends have lived here their whole life. All found tonights news a bit bizarre. No warning - just came in out of the blue and gone just as quickly.

We´re 11 inches over normal rainfall already here [Jan 7] in South California. Tornados touched down in 5 locations. Long Beach, Inglewood, Costa Mesa, Ladera Heights and Whitier.

String of storms gives parts of Sierra most snowfall in nearly 90 years [Jan 9]
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050109-1556-nv-sierrastorm.html
‘The storm was the latest in a string of powerful systems that has dumped as much as 19 feet of snow in the Sierra and 6½ feet in the Reno area since Dec. 28. Forecasters called the series of storms the snowiest in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area since 1916. ‘

Seven killed, ferry runs aground as storm pounds northern Europe [Jan 8]
‘Seven people were killed, more than 1,000 homes were flooded and 330,000 others left without power as violent storms swept through northern Europe, bringing hurricane force winds and heavy rain. Denmark, southern Sweden and the British Isles bore the brunt of the conditions.’

Hurricane Kills Seven in Southern Sweden [Jan 9]
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=823&date=20050109
‘The most violent storm to strike Sweden since 1969 swept across the southern half of the country on Saturday evening, killing seven people and leaving 359,000 households without electricity.’

Strongest storm in 40 years lashes Russia and northern Europe [Jan 10]
http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/97/385/14792_storm.html
‘The storm warning has been in effect for two days in St.Petersburg. The city in the north-west of Russia has been flooded; the water level in the Neva River is rising very fast because of the strong wind and unusually warm weather. The current thaw in Moscow may hit the absolute record for the first winter month. According to meteorological observations, the storm in Latvia was the strongest in 40 years.’

Moscow Melts [Jan 13]
http://www.stevequayle.com/News.alert/05_Cosmic/050114.Moscow.melts.html
‘Moscow is enjoying the warmest January in recorded history. This winter is so warm that a bear in St. Petersburg Zoo has woken from her hibernation two months early, while another has not gone to sleep at all, Interfax reported Wednesday. A major hockey match was postponed in St. Petersburg on Tuesday because the rink melted, Sovietsky Sport reported.’

Jan 16 Report: In the south of Brasil last week we had 2 major tornados in the state of Santa Catarina! That something new for us, just like the hurricane last year in the same area.