Experts in atmospheric research from all regions are meeting this week, from 18 to 25 November 2009, in Incheon, Republic of Korea, for the WMO fifteenth quadrennial session of the Commission for Atmospheric Science. Participants will discuss future international research to improve air quality forecasts and assessments, and to develop carbon-tracking tools for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Air quality forecasts are issued by an increasing number of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, many of which also provide a wide variety of user-friendly air quality indices and advisories.  However, it remains a challenge to deliver quality services to local communities in a timely fashion. Air quality research and information delivery systems provided by WMO Members help enable people to protect their health.

A policeman died after being swept away by “biblical” floods in Britain’s scenic Lake District, shocked officials said.  Helicopters helped evacuate hundreds of stranded residents.

The policeman had been missing since Thursday in Workington in the tourist-friendly region of north-west England, hit by unprecedented rainfall which caused four bridges to collapse. The policeman who died was directing traffic on one of the bridges as it gave way under him

“I’m very sad to have to report we’ve recovered a body of an individual on the beach,” said Cumbria Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham, identifying the policeman as Bill Barker, 45.

In Cockermouth, the town the worst hit by the floodwaters, helicopters winched people to safety and rescue boats negotiated streets turned into canals after rivers burst their banks.

The last few days has seen heavy rain affecting all parts of north-west Britain. This was caused by an Atlantic weather front becoming almost stationary across Northern Ireland, Cumbria and south-west Scotland.

In Cumbria, there was 372.4 mm of rain at Seathwaite and 361.4 mm of rain at Honister between 0800 on Wednesday 18 November and 0400 on Friday 20 November.Provisionally, the 24-hour total at Seathwaite (ending 0045 on Friday 20 November) of 314.4 mm is a UK record for a single location in any given 24-hour period. UK records go back to 1914.

On Wednesday we had a break in the hot November weather when a surface trough over the SE interior brought unstable conditions to the Ranges. The result was an evening thunderstorm with a good display of lightening but very little rain. Just 2.6 mm in the MWS rain gauges. After this short spell of cooler weather, hot northerly winds returned, strong at times to increase an even greater risk of fire danger.

Please go to “Current Weather” &“This Month” pages for more data

The Bureau reports the tropical Pacific Ocean sea surface has continued to warm in central and eastern areas, with a typical El Niño pattern clearly present. The central Pacific has now warmed to a level that has not been observed since the 2002 El Niño.

The sub-surface water of the tropical Pacific has also continued to warm, with temperatures as much as 6°C above normal in some regions.

The latest approximate 30-day SOI value is −15; the monthly value for October was also −15. The SOI has recently stabilised after a rapid fall in value through October.

Following a sustained weakening of the trade winds during October, a pulse of average or stronger than average trade winds is developing in the western Pacific.

Cloudiness near the date-line has been slightly below average in recent weeks. However, cloudiness to the west of the date-line has been consistently above average, as also occurred during the 2006 El Niño and to a lesser extent in the 2002 event.

Most leading international computer models surveyed by the Bureau predict that El Niño conditions will persist throughout the southern hemisphere summer.