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Primary Sites:
* Dancing with Einstein *
The year 2005 will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Albert Einstein and the 100th anniversary of what is often called his annus mirabilis. That is, the year when a 26-year-old patent clerk published three of his four greatest works, including the theory of relativity with its iconic E=MC(squared) equation. [More]

* Environment Canada UV Index 2004 *
Find out about UV rays -- and what the forecast is for today... [More]

321 Weather *****
Here's a handy site that offers weather info across the USA. [More]

A few scientists of note *
In science, respect is sometimes measured by how much other people talk about you. Well, maybe not talk, but "cite" -- as in include a reference to your work in a footnote. [More]

Accurate weather forecasts? We'd be on cloud nine *
How do you measure something you can see but can't touch? [More]

Antarctic 'ozone hole' reaches record size *
The ozone hole over the Antarctic this year has reached the record size of 28 million square kilometres set three years ago, the United Nations' weather organization said Wednesday. [More]

Areas of Washington still in dark *
43,000 households remain without power a week after Isabel stormed through. [More]

Atlantic Canada triple storm a rarity *
The three snow storms that hit Atlantic Canada with a wallop over the past eight days are a weather rarity, a senior climatologist at Environment Canada says. [More]

B.C. evacuations continue *
Another seven houses were ordered evacuated in North Vancouver over the weekend, bringing to 37 the number abandoned there since Wednesday when rain triggered a fatal slide that buried two houses, killing one woman and critically injuring her husband. [More]

B.C. fires top Canadian list of weather-related disasters *
From salmon suffocating in warm British Columbia streams to a Newfoundland town entombed in ice, this year's bizarre weather leaves little doubt that climate change has the country in its grip, Environment Canada says. [More]

Canada's Mr. Weather *
David Phillips has fans, best-selling books and a popular calendar. STEPHEN STRAUSS interviews the incarnation of the collective Canadian psyche, the guy the media go to when they want a quote about the climate [More]

Charley boosts orange juice *
Orange juice prices rose the most in three years after hurricane Charley destroyed parts of the orange crop in Florida, the world's second-largest grower after Brazil. [More]

City of Vancouver offers free de-icing salt for sidewalks *
The City of Vancouver will offer free salt to Vancouver residents due to a current shortage of salt at retailers. The salt can be used to clear sidewalks of snow and ice around residential premises during cold weather. [More]

Climate change may bring 'supercanes,' experts say *
Hurricanes are one of nature's most powerful and frightening storms, but some experts worry that they could become even more fearsome in the decades ahead because of global warming. [More]

Cold shoulder from Canada's senior climatologist as East chills out *
Canadians who are cursing the wind, snow and bone-chilling temperatures that have been hammering the East should “buck up and get used to the fact that we live in a cold country,” Environment Canada's senior climatologist says. [More]

Did you see the moon last night, Hung like a Chinese ball? *
Last night, it looked like the moon rising in Joe versus the Volcano. Here it is, glorified in a song of the '70s. . . [More]

Dying from the heat *
A month-long heat wave has taken the lives of as many as 5,000 elderly people in France, despite an enviable health system and a social safety net that is the pride of the country. What went wrong? The answer can be summed up in a word: indifference. [More]

Early frost rattles Prairie farmers *
One of the earliest frosts on record had farmers across much of southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba wringing their hands Friday as they hoped to salvage a once-promising crop. [More]

First days of spring bring huge snowfall to the slopes of Whistler *
The calendar says spring, but a fresh dump of snow -- 86 centimetres (3 feet) of new snow over the past seven days -- in Whistler has brought some of the best winter conditions of the season. [More]

First snow hits Vancouver, Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island & Pacific Northwest *
. . .And more to come: Commuters face traffic slowdowns on the Lower Mainland on Tuesday morning following an overnight snowfall that dumped as much as five centimetres in some of the suburbs. [More]

Flurry of hurricanes forecast for East Coast *
Atlantic Canadians might be battening down the hatches more often this fall because nearly twice the usual number of hurricanes are expected to rip along the coast, driven by higher ocean temperatures. [More]

Forecast gives hope for Kelowna *
Good weather conditions Tuesday provided the first real ray of hope — both for firefighters battling the Kelowna-area fire and for the thousands of citizens waiting to return to their homes after fleeing last week. [More]

France's health minister predicts heat toll will rise *
France's health minister said in an interview to be published Sunday that people have not stopped dying from the August heat wave that seared France and he predicted the death toll will climb toward 12,000. [More]

Frances loses strength, slows down *
The outer bands of Hurricane Frances whipped Florida's coast with 144 kilometre an hour winds early Saturday as the storm crawled across the Atlantic, bringing the potential for more than a foot of rain and heavy flooding as tens of thousands fled the area. [More]

Glaciers melt as Europe sizzles *
Britain sweltered through its hottest day on record Sunday and Alpine glaciers melted as the heat wave that has baked much of Europe for days sizzled on relentlessly. [More]

Globally chilly July begets summer of our discontent *
Excuse me, but what about Western Canada, where it has been hotter than STINK all summer? Oh right. I forgot that Toronto is the centre of the known universe. [More]

Groundhog Day 2005 *
Groundhog Day approaches, and so do reruns of the movie, always a welcome treat. [More]

Halifax cleans up after biggest storm in decades *
Haligonians are cleaning up Monday after the city was hammered by Hurricane Juan overnight. [More]

Halifax shudders as Hurricane Juan crashes ashore *
Coastal waters churn in advance of hurricane. [More]

Heat blamed for dozens of deaths across Europe *
Head of French emergency doctors cites weather for toll in Paris region; glaciers melting in Alps [More]

Heat brings changes to Europe *
Some French vintners started their earliest harvests ever on Tuesday and a fire near a railroad station in Germany delayed trains — some of the latest difficulties Europe faces as a deadly heat wave scorches the continent. [More]

Hurricane a 'pussy cat' by the time it hit Ontario *
Trees and branches were blown down across the province, more than 40,000 people lost their power, but still hurricane Isabel left most in Ontario feeling somewhat disappointed. [More]

Hurricane Isabel blamed in 17 deaths *
Isabel raced from Virginia to the Canadian border Friday, delivering far less rain than expected but leaving millions without power, smashing homes and causing tidal surges that trapped even some city dwellers in their homes. [More]

Hurricane Isabel gallops north *
Still-fearsome storm lashes the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and heads for Canada [More]

Hurricane Isabel roars ashore *
Conditions deteriorated quickly on the eastern coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Isabel sharply picked up its pace before striking land with full force. [More]

Hurricane Isabel roars ashore (2) *
Hurricane Isabel plowed into North Carolina's Outer Banks with 160 kilometre winds and pushed its way Thursday up the Eastern Seaboard, weakening to a tropical storm by evening but not before swamping roads and knocking out power to more than 2.5 million people. [More]

Hurricane Ivan slams Grand Cayman *
Hurricane Ivan pummelled the Cayman Islands with fierce winds that ripped off roofs and floodwaters that swamped homes, then strengthened to an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm as it headed for western Cuba. [More]

Isabel losing strength en route to Canada *
By midday tomorrow, when hurricane Isabel hits Canada, she'll be pooped. [More]

Isabel to drench Ontario, Quebec *
The weakened remnants of Hurricane Isabel will still cause very heavy rain and extremely high winds when they strike Canada, weather experts said Wednesday. [More]

Isabel's wake *
A look at the effects of Hurricane Isabel as it came ashore Thursday... [More]

It's a Hard Wind that's Gonna Blow *
With apologies to Bob Dylan: Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and parts of the Pacific Northwest endure big winds. The verdict in many places? Stay indoors! [More]

It’s Spring! *
Okay, it's official. Today is the first day of Spring. [More]

Ivan aims at Cayman Islands *
Hurricane Ivan skirted Grand Cayman with winds near 250 kilometres an hour on Sunday, uprooting trees, bursting the banks of canals and flooding some homes on the island as it churned toward Cuba. [More]

Juan begins assault on Halifax *
Hundreds of residents were evacuated in low-lying areas in the Halifax region as hurricane Juan hit the province Sunday, bringing 130 kilometre an hour winds and torrential rains. [More]

Lightning sparks more B.C. fires *
Lightning lit up B.C.'s forests overnight, sparking fires so intense crews can't get near many of them. [More]

Mid-summer Br-r-r *
A mid-winter swim by the Australian Antarctic Division... [More]

Moon could turn red Thursday night *
Note: On the West Coast, if you are high up when the moon rises, you will have a better chance of seeing it on the horizon; it will not only be red, it will also be HUGE! [More]

More snow in Vancouver and Lower Mainland *
More surprises from Mother Nature. . . [More]

North Vancouver residents remain on evacuation standby *
Raining in Vancouver. This is NEWS??? However, North Van residents are already on evacuation standby. [More]

Optimism cold comfort for chills, study says *
Not worrying may help you be happy, but optimism won't help you endure that nastiness known as the Canadian winter. [More]

Predictions of El Nino's return heating up *
Scientists point to ocean pimples, big waves. . . [More]

Record storms continue to batter our region *
Even more bad weather is expected throughout the Lower Mainland and Northwest Washington State. [More]

Records snap as deep freeze chills Prairies *
Never mind calling it nippy, brisk or frosty: 'It's hard to breathe when it's that cold' [More]

Snow Day *
While Eastern Canadians basked in the sun yesterday with roller-bladers wearing shorts in Toronto, Vancouver was blanketed by snow. [More]

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Monday, June 21, 2004 *
A DAILY MISCELLANY OF INFORMATION BY MICHAEL KESTERTON [More]

Social Studies with Michael Kesterton: Colder winters ahead? *
A Daily Miscellany of Information by Michael Kesterton
Monday, March 31, 2003 - Globe & Mail, Page A16 [More]

Storm puts Nova Scotia, PEI in state of emergency *
Heavy snow, high winds cause zero visibility across the province. [More]

This is major-league stuff: Snow and wind lash shivering Ontario *
Residents across Southern Ontario will face a treacherous commute today as the region is expected to get its largest snowfall since 1999 -- when former mayor Mel Lastman called in the army to help clear Toronto's sidewalks and streets. [More]

Three out of 4 groundhogs agree: More winter to come *
It's a groundhog consensus — three of four of North America's most famed woodchucks have seen their shadows, signalling six more weeks of winter according to folklore. [More]

Toll in French summer heat passes 14,000 *
The death toll in France from August's blistering heat wave was nearly 15,000, according to a government report released Thursday that exceeded previous estimates by 3,000. [More]

Toronto stinks, literally: Smog alert expected to stay in effect today *
Provincial power demands spiked yesterday as residents of Southwestern Ontario suffered through their third smog alert of the year. [More]

Twister touches down in Brandon *
A tornado classified as weak by Environment Canada uprooted trees, sucked potatoes out of the ground, and tore shingles from roofs on Tuesday. [More]

U.S. Northeast digs out -- Travel warnings in effect *
Boston's airport partially reopened Monday, but schools and courthouses were closed in many areas of the northeastern United States where people struggled to recover from the weekend's blizzard. [More]

U.S. storm hits Ontario, Quebec *
A major storm from Oklahoma has brought dangerous winter conditions to millions of people living in southwestern Ontario, with forecasters predicting that the situation will get substantially worse before it starts to improve. [More]

U.S. storm poised to hammer Ontario *
The precursor to a major storm from Oklahoma has brought dangerous winter conditions to millions of people living in southwestern Ontario, with forecasters predicting that the situation will get substantially worse before it starts to improve. [More]

Vancouver mountains get new snow *
For all those who had given up hope of skiing Grouse (or other mountains) this season, there's good news. . . [More]

Venezuelans name planet after rain god *
Huya, the rain god in Venezuelan Wayuu Indian culture, has been granted a place beside his counterparts Jupiter, Mars and Venus. [More]

Weird weather strikes the Great White North -- and everywhere else *
It rained. It poured. The old man snored. Weird weather is everywhere. [More]

Winter finally arrives in Eastern Canada *
Amusingly enough, Canada's so-called "National newspaper" does not seem to have noticed that it has been winter in Western Canada since November. As always in the national media -- it's all about Toronto, n'est-ce pas? [More]

Winter storm pounds Vancouver region (and beyond) *
Winds gusting to almost 100 kilometres an hour hit Vancouver mid-afternoon Tuesday and a 6.0 earthquake struck in the northern part of the province. [More]

Winter's icy grip wreaks havoc *
Almost all of Eastern Canada has been plunged into a deep freeze that shattered electricity-consumption records Wednesday as people cranked up heaters to stay warm and severe wind-chill warnings were issued across a huge swath of the country. [More]

Secondary Sites:
15,000 believed to have died in French heat wave *
An estimated 15,000 people died in France's scorching heat wave this August, the country's largest undertaker said Tuesday, surpassing the official government estimate of 11,435. [More]

170,000 Lower Mainland homes literally powerless against the forces of nature *
Thousands upon thousands of residents across a wide swath of BC's south coast -- including Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland -- were still without power this morning after a brutal windstorm battered the area over the holiday weekend, felling trees across highways, disrupting road, ferry and air traffic, and cutting telephone lines. [More]

B.C. communities begin flood recovery *
With water levels beginning to drop in southern British Columbia on Wednesday, emergency services and work crews focused their efforts on cleaning up after the flash floods that forced at least 800 people to flee their homes. [More]

Canada, U.S. float air quality projects *
On the first smog-alert day of 2003 for southern Ontario, federal Environment Minister David Anderson announced several pilot projects aimed at improving air quality. [More]

Ernesto hits Cuba, tracking toward Florida *
Tropical storm Ernesto hit Cuba west of the U.S. naval air base at Guantanamo on Monday after killing one person in Haiti as it stayed on track toward Florida, where forecasters expect it to strengthen into a hurricane. [More]

Experts awed by record downpour *
Freak B.C. rainfall a 'one in 100- or a one in 200-year event,' meteorologist says [More]

Following flooding, B.C. hit with more heavy rain *
Heavy rains fell on southern British Columbia on Monday adding to the floodwaters that forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes over the weekend. Regional Vancouver weather is available from Environment Canada (click here). [More]

Haitian storm toll hits 573 *
The death toll from a tropical storm that devastated parts of Haiti rose to 573 late Monday as search crews recovered dozens of bodies carried away by raging weekend floods or buried by mud or the ruins of their homes, officials said. [More]

More winds in store for Kelowna *
Thousands of Kelowna, B.C., residents who were forced from their homes overnight when the Okanagan Mountain Park fire flared closer to their neighbourhoods most likely will not be returning Thursday, officials say. [More]

Vernal Equinox 2008 *
The Vernal Equinox is one of the four great seasonal changes every year. [More]

Weather little help to B.C. fire situation *
Fire-threatened communities in southern British Columbia got a slight reprieve Monday but the province's stretched firefighting resources weren't getting a break from the weather. [More]

Whistler's mountains receive 40 centimetres (16 inches) of NEW SNOW *
Whistler, BC (November 17, 2003) -- Whistler residents awoke Monday morning to more than 40 centimetres (16 inches) of new snow on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. [More]