Here is my list of the top International Weather Events of 2008.
10. Australian Heat: Parts of Australia were experienced their longest heat wave on record in March. Adelaide suffered through its fifteenth consecutive day of temperatures of at least 95F. The previous record was 8 days! On March 14th at Adelaide, the overnight low was 86.4F, which was the warmest night ever there. Trains had to have their speeds restricted for fears that the heat would buckle tracks.
9. Middle Eastern Snow: On January 11th snow fell for the first time in living memory as extremely cold temperatures enveloped the Middle East and Central Asia. Up to 22 inches of snow fell in Iran. On January 30th, Jerusalem picked up eight inches of snow. Amman, Jordan received a foot!
8. Tiny Tropical Cyclone: Perhaps the smallest tropical cyclone on record Atlantic, Tropical Storm Marco sprang to life in the Bay of Campeche on October 6th. Before it made landfall the next morning in Mexico, its radius of tropical storm force winds was less than 10 miles, making it perhaps the smallest Atlantic named storm on record.
7. Earliest London Snow: London experienced its first October snow in over 30 years on October 28th. 1.2 inches of snow fell in High Wycombe. Flights were cancelled in Luton. There were several accidents on motorways. Flights were canceled.
6. Venice Flooding: Venice experienced its worst flooding since 1872 as a strong low pressure system drove water levels to 5.1 feet above normal. Venice continues to slowly sink even as water levels continue to rise as we move further and further away from the last Ice Age. A barrier system is being constructed that will protect the city from ocean intrusions, but it will not be completed until 2012.
5. Philippines Ferry Sinking: On June 21st, a ferry capsized off Sibuyan Island in the Philippines during Typhoon Fengshen, killing over 800 people. It is the worst martime disaster in the Philippines since 1987.
4. World Record Wind: As Hurricane Gustav crossed Cuba on the afternoon of August 30th, a wind gust of 212 mph was measured at the Paso Real de San Diego weather observatory. The anemometer was blown down, so gusts were actually higher. It is the highest gust ever measured in a hurricane and the highest wind reading ever made at a non-mountainous location, second only to the world’s highest reading, 231 mph atop Mt. Washington in New Hampshire on April 12, 1934.
3. Intense Tropical Cyclone Ivan: Ivan struck Madagascar on February 17. It was one of the largest tropical cyclones ever to strike Madagascar. A total of 83 people died.
2. Busy and Destructive North Atlantic Hurricane Season: The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the third most costly on record. Total damage exceeded $45 billion. It was the sixth busiest season since 1851…with 16 named storms, 8 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. Cuba was hit by three major hurricanes. Six straight named storms made landfall in the U.S. Haiti had a terrible year, with four storms that brought torrential rains, floods and mudslides. Over 800 people died in Haiti.
1. Killer Cyclone: Tropical Cyclone Nargis became the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Asia since 1991 when it made landfall in Myanmar (Burma) on May 2nd. Peak winds were 115 knots or 130 mph. A 12 foot storm surge swept the Irrawaddy delta region and pummeled the country’s largest city, Yangon. The death toll was at least 146,000, but certainly was much greater because thousands were never found.
– Bill Murray
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