Tropical Storm hits the Philippines

A tropical storm has hit the southern Philippines, triggering flash floods that
officials say have killed more than 430 people and left many missing.
Follow the story on the BBC at this link.
And watch it live on the Philippines Typhoon watch.

Hurricane hits the Caribbean

Hurricane Paloma has strengthened to a Category Three storm and is lashing the Cayman Islands with winds of up to 185km/h (115mph.

For more information click this link to the BBC news page. To track Hurricane Paloma click this link to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

Norbert strikes land

Hurricane Norbert has struck Mexico's Baja California Sur peninsula with heavy rains and 103mph (165km/h) winds.
The storm made landfall near the city of La Paz, blowing down roofs and uprooting trees. Thousands of residents have fled to shelters.
Forecasters say Norbert will cross the Gulf of California, before making a second landfall on Mexico's north-western mainland.
It is expected to hit the agricultural states of Sonora and Sinaloa later.
Nearly 3,000 people were evacuated to temporary shelters on Mexico's Pacific coast as the storm came ashore, bringing with it 13ft (4m) waves.

It's nearly all over!

Back to school on Tuesday for all you pupils (the staff are in tomorrow!) and its official: the dullest August on record!

It could be worse we could be going to the Caribbean on holiday over the next few weeks - just as Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna get up a head of steam.

Keep an eye on their progress and any other hurricane developments by going to the National Hurricane Centre website: click on the link on the Geog Links below.

Further devestation on the way?

With already 100000 people dead and another 1.5 million people destitute Burma is facing a possible hit from another Tropical Cyclone. This information has come from the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

Other sites where you can follow the predicted path of Tropical storms (Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Cyclones or Willy Willies) are as follows:

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami

The Japan Meteorological Agency

Indian Meteorological Department

For more information about how Tropical Cyclones form, why and how they are named then look at our own Met office website.

In the beginning.

Unfortunately, it has taken the deaths of over 160000 people to trigger us into the modern era, but now we have arrived. The events of the last two weeks have been devestating for the people of southern Burma and south western China but for a geographer the tropical cyclone and earthquake are ideal case-studies for these natural hazards.

So for you lot in Year 9, 11, 12 and 13 take a look at the USGS website and BBC News site for information on the causes, effects and possible solutions to these forces of Mother Nature.