All posts tagged: rain

Hikers describe intense rain and wind before floodwaters ravage Grand Canyon

Hikers describe intense rain and wind before floodwaters ravage Grand Canyon

Published by Sam Flores

HIKERS HAD LITTLE TIME TO ACT Within minutes, torrential rains, gusting winds and even hail enveloped hikers along the creek. “We were concerned that there would be rocks and just flooding coming down from both sides of the canyon on top of us,” said Parth Desai, another physician who was with the group. As emergency room doctors do, they weighed their options and calculated the risks as conditions changed around them. “We saw basically the flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” Desai said. “And then we were concerned about a lightning strike.” They made another run for it, heading down the trail toward Phantom Ranch. They manoeuvred around cottonwood trees brought down by the first microburst when they saw more debris rushing toward them. They scrambled through cactus to reach higher ground. Floodwaters overtake what is usually a shady oasis  Up the creek at the Cottonwood Campground, Mike Sumaruk and his friend were relaxing after a nearly 7-mile (11-kilometre) hike down into the canyon. The wind started howling, and …

Country diary: The rain has come, and suddenly the land looks (and smells) different | Drought

Country diary: The rain has come, and suddenly the land looks (and smells) different | Drought

Published by Sam Flores

After an entire heat-baked summer without rain, the land looks strange and unlike itself. Fields, banks and grassy margins are the lurid yellow ochre of climate fiction – the mise en scène captured with eerie relevance in the recent BBC TV drama The Rapture. There are cracks so deep in Weaver’s Field that the farmer can push his arm in up to his elbow. Spots of bird’s-foot trefoil and sky-blue chicory (the latter on uncannily short stems) polka-dot the otherwise dead pasture. Sentinel field oaks seem unaffected, but shallow-rooted beech trees, familiar in giant caterpillar shapes on the downs, shed shrivelled brown leaves and a poor, early beechnut mast. Gnarly field maples are almost leafless, while sycamores bracket the green with their browning leaf-curl. Even in the keepered woods, laurel has wilted. Chicory growing on short stems in a parched hayfield. Photograph: Nicola Chester For a week, skeins of black smoke drift from the field fires at Enham Alamein, from the eastern end of Greenham Common, and from the New Forest further south. But over …

Scientists discover why rain drops can damage metal protective coatings

Scientists discover why rain drops can damage metal protective coatings

Published by Jenni Sidey

Water droplets can become electrically charged as they slide across surfaces, sometimes reaching electrical potentials of thousands of volts. Experiments found that charged droplets damaged protective coatings after 3,000 impacts, while otherwise identical neutral droplets left the coating unchanged. The electrical discharge can puncture insulating coatings, expose the metal underneath and begin a corrosion process that worsens with repeated contact. A garden fence that needs another coat of paint usually looks like a familiar case of weather taking its toll. Rain, moisture and years of exposure gradually weaken the barrier protecting the material underneath. The same basic problem affects much larger structures, where maintaining protective coatings can become an expensive and time-consuming job. Water may be doing more than simply wearing those coatings down or attacking them chemically. Droplets can pick up an electrical charge as they move across a surface, then release that charge when they reach coated metal. The resulting electrical breakdown can punch microscopic holes through the protective layer and expose the metal beneath to corrosion. Researchers led by Hans-Jürgen Butt at …

Up to 48% Off Rain Jackets and Cold Weather Gear

Up to 48% Off Rain Jackets and Cold Weather Gear

Published by Sam Flores

Fall is creeping up, which means it’s time to start thinking about swapping out your summer wardrobe for pieces that can handle wind, rain and dropping temps. The North Face is currently offering up to 48 percent off a range of outerwear, including rain jackets, fleeces and other cold-weather essentials. Keep reading to learn why you’ll want to stock up on quality gear before the season fully turns and prices shoot back up. Deal of the day The Antora Rain Hoodie keeps you dry from sidewalk to trail with waterproof, windproof fabric that is made from recycled materials. It features an adjustable three-piece hood, zippered hand pockets, and an adjustable hem to keep you warm. It is also lightweight and can be easily folded and stuffed into a backpack. This jacket is currently 30 percent off, bringing the price to less than $100. Chunky, high-pile fleece gives this jacket a stylish look, while the relaxed fit keeps it cozy and good for layering. It also has zippered hand and chest pockets to keep your items …

Rescuers Search for Hundreds in Nepal Floods; More Rain Looms

Rescuers Search for Hundreds in Nepal Floods; More Rain Looms

Published by Sam Flores

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Will It Rain All Bank Holiday Weekend? What We Know So Far

Will It Rain All Bank Holiday Weekend? What We Know So Far

Published by Sam Flores

We’ve whittled down to our last few bank holidays of the year. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, there are only two left after the next summer bank holiday on 31 August. Scotland, meanwhile, has a November date that the rest of the UK doesn’t take off – St Andrew’s Day – but next Monday isn’t a bank holiday there. For the rest of the UK, however, the upcoming three-day stretch comes after a thundery week, with yellow weather storm warnings. This begs the question: what will the weather be like this bank holiday weekend? Well, so far, it’s not looking very sunny. Keep an eye on the sky. 🌤️🌩️ Heavy showers and thunderstorms will be rumbling across parts of the UK into this evening, while some areas stay dry and warm. Check the forecast before heading out and be prepared for sudden downpours. ☔🌡️ pic.twitter.com/G8VA6LcLs9 — Met Office (@metoffice) August 26, 2026 What will the weather be like for the August 31 bank holiday? The Met Office has predicted an “unsettled” bank holiday weekend. …

Met Office names two huge areas facing heavy rain on Tuesday | Weather | News

Met Office names two huge areas facing heavy rain on Tuesday | Weather | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Met Office has warned that heavy rain will sweep across the UK this week, with two huge areas being hit by the worst of the downpours. There is also a risk of thunderstorms and localised flooding as the weather takes a turn for the worse over the coming days. Britain has basked in several scorching heatwaves so far this summer, with temperatures occassionally soaring past 35C. The hot weather and extreme lack of rainfall has led to droughts being declared and hosepipe bans being imposed across several parts of the country. However over recent days, rain has started to fall and temperatures have cooled. Now, the Met Office is warning that a “change is on the way” with the weather this week. Met Office Meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said conditions are likely to turn more unsettled, with an area of low pressure from southern Europe pushing northwards, which will deepen as it gets closer to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday. This will spark the arrival of rain, which could turn heavy in western and …

Met Office warns of ‘heavy’ rain and thunderstorms across Midlands during ‘unsettled’ week

Met Office warns of ‘heavy’ rain and thunderstorms across Midlands during ‘unsettled’ week

Published by Sam Flores

The Met Office has warned there’s a risk of ‘heavy rain and thunderstorms’ across the Midlands next week. Although the weekend would end with ‘plenty of sunny spells’, the weather was expected to turn ‘unsettled by midweek’. Forecasters said it would be a ‘fresh start’ to Sunday, August 23, with any early mist and fog patches ‘quickly clearing’. It would feel ‘pleasant in the sunshine’ with highs of around 22C, although it was expected to drop into single figures overnight. READ MORE: Birmingham police officers on holiday accidentally find missing man ‘Little Mick’ in Spain Monday, August 24 was set to be ‘another dry, fine day with sunny spells and some cloud’ and highs of 23C. Showers were likely on Tuesday afternoon (August 25), following a dry start, with things becoming ‘unsettled’ from Wednesday, August 26, with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms – although it would be ‘warmed and more humid for a time’. The Met Office’s outlook for August 27 to September 5 stated: “A relatively unsettled start to this period, as …

Horror as dad ditches son, 7, halfway up Mount Fuji in rain and fog | World | News

Horror as dad ditches son, 7, halfway up Mount Fuji in rain and fog | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A dad has been admonished after ditching his seven-year-old son halfway up Mount Fuji so he could reach the summit. The 48-year-old set off with his two sons on Thursday, but when the youngest grew tired, the father left him at the sixth checkpoint on the Fujinomiya Trail, roughly 8,169ft above sea level, which is higher than Machu Picchu. The boy was told to “wait here” by his father who wanted to reach the 8,000ft summit in Japan, meaning the boy would have been alone in challenging conditions for hours, had a worker not saved him. According to the Mount Fuji climbing website, it takes more than five hours to reach the summit from this checkpoint, and two and a half hours to return. Thankfully, a mountain worker spotted the boy waiting on a bench at around 7.30am and alerted the police. Rain was falling and fog was beginning to come in, so the worker brought him inside a hut while waiting for authorities. It’s not clear exactly how long the boy was left alone …