WEEK 10: UNDER THE WEATHER WITH THE WEATHER

• Find out on the Internet 2 pieces of news about weather issues, and highlight the vocabulary related to the weather. Upload this to your blog.

South Central US: Severe storms, flooding rain may close out February

Some of the same communities cleaning up from severe weather this past weekend may face more violent thunderstorms and flooding as February comes to a close.

Much-needed dry weather will return to much of the corridor from northeastern Texas to western Tennessee through Monday.

Residents will be able to take advantage of the dry weather for storm cleanup, while flooded streams and smaller rivers will have an opportunity to recede.

Larger rivers, such as the White, Ouachita and Mississippi, are expected to continue to rise as the flood waters drain downstream.

The dry spell will only last a couple of days, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts.

"While a damp day is expected for Tuesday, heavy rain and potentially severe storms could sweep through the area starting on Wednesday," she said.

The next storm emerging from the Southwest, after delivering some much-needed rain and mountain snow to Southern California, is expected to cause the downpours and thunderstorms to ramp up once again.

The exact arrival time and track of the storm will determine which areas will face flooding rain and/or severe thunderstorms.

At this point, residents from central Texas to Arkansas and northern Mississippi are being put on alert for potential dangers.

This includes those living in Dallas and Tyler, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Little Rock; Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Greenville, Mississippi.

If the storm tracks farther to the north, the threat zone may expand to the mid-Mississippi Valley.

Flooding rain may become more of an issue than severe thunderstorms around Arkansas if the storm tracks farther south than currently expected. More of Louisiana and southeastern Texas may face severe weather if this solution pans out.

While the severe weather danger is projected to unfold on Wednesday, the violent thunderstorms may be delayed until Thursday if the storm from the Southwest is slower to arrive.

"Any thunderstorms could produce hail and damaging winds," Eherts said. "The formation of a few tornadoes is not out of the question."

Due to the saturated ground, trees may be more susceptible to be blown over by any strong thunderstorm winds. Trees, power poles, roofs or siding weakened by the severe weather on Saturday can also be damaged more readily at midweek.

"Downpours in these storms will reintroduce the threat of flash flooding and contribute to existing river flooding," Eherts said. "It will be important for motorists to respect closed roads and to avoid driving through flooded areas."

Even in the absence of flooding, any downpours will create hazards for motorists by dramatically reducing visibility and heightening the risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds.

Airline passengers may encounter delays or cancellations.

On the heels of this severe weather event, a change in the weather pattern should prevent yet another from quickly following.

"An extended period of dry weather is then expected to settle in, allowing plenty of time for waters to recede and flood clean-up to continue," Eherts said.

From: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/south-central-us-severe-storms-flooding-rain-may-close-out-february/70004253 

UK: Warmth to last for 2018 London Marathon, St. George's Day festivities

Whilst Thursday was the warmest day so far this year across the United Kingdom, the mild air will hang on for this weekend's London Marathon and St. George's Day festivities.

Saturday will bring another day of temperatures soaring well above normal across the U.K.

Highs will generally range from 14-17 C (57-62 F) in Northern Ireland and Scotland and 17-22 C (64-71 F) across most of Wales and England. Coastal communities may be cooler.

London and surrounding areas are expected to turn even warmer with temperatures approaching or cracking 24 C (75 F). Residents will not have to worry about wrapping up to attend the Feast of St. George at Trafalgar Square at 12 p.m. BST.

Thundery showers are expected to rattle Wales and England on Saturday, mainly in the afternoon.

The showers will precede a cold front, which is expected to sweep the mild air out of the northern and western U.K. by Sunday.

The warmth will linger across South-East England for the second half of the weekend. As a result, this year’s London Marathon will rival the warmest on record.

A high temperature of 21 C (70 F) is forecast for Sunday in London with a temperature near 17 C (62 F) at the start of the day’s events. The all-time record for the marathon 23 C (73 F) from 1996, according to the Met Office.

While spectators may enjoy the warmth, racers would rather have more seasonable temperatures for the event. The normal high in London on April 22 is 14 C (57 F).

Extra water, ice, showers and medical stations are being provided to the runners,according to the Associated Press.

Runners are also discouraged from dressing up in “fancy costumes.”

Light-colored clothing is ideal to combat warmth as dark colors absorb more sunlight. With sunny spells in the forecast, spectators should join runners in applying sunscreen.

The same applies to those heading to Sunday’s St. George’s Festival at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

As the cold front approaches South East England, odd thundery showers are expected to develop on Sunday afternoon. The showers are expected to impact only a fraction of the region, but may cause issues for runners and anyone else outdoors if one targets the London area.

"Any shower or thunderstorm could create a slick running surface," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

As soon as thunder is heard, the threat of being struck by lightning is present and shelter should be sought immediately.

The passage of the front will bring an end to the warm spell across England by Monday. Highs to start the new week will be trimmed to 16-17 C (lower 60s F) in London.

From: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/uk-warmth-to-last-for-2018-london-marathon-st-georges-day-festivities/70004747 

• Upload 2 graphs or tables about the same issue and try to interpret and compare the info found in them.

This graph shows us the climate of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The highest temperature recorded in this country was in March reaching the 40 °C  and the lowest was in December reaching the 35 °C. The precipitation reached its highest in August with more than 40mm and its lowest was in January. Regarding the daylenght, the highest was in June and July and the lowest in December. 

• Tell us what you've done this week to improve your English.

In order to improve my English, this week I have been reading some articles about different topics and watched some videos in English. 

Nassira Dahmani