Storm St Jude batters the UK

The airmass RGB imagery shows a massive outbreak of cold air over the eastern Atlantic causing the strong development of a depression over western Europe, resulting in violent winds. In the imagery the white cold frontal cloud band of storm St Jude can be seen extending from south-western England across the Channel in to the Gulf of Biscay and beyond. The red colour in its rear marks a very strong intrusion of dry stratospheric air that gave rise to the heavy precipitation and winds where the cold front was passing.

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Source: EUMETSAT

Florida Gulf Coast Map

Map of Florida west coast.

 

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World GDP forecast, 2014

GDP forecasts for 2013 and 2014 by countries, according to IMF.

THE world economy will grow by 2.9% this year and 3.6% in 2014, according to the latest estimates from the IMF. (The Economist)

GDP % change in 2013 (click to enlarge)

GDP % change in 2014 (click to enlarge) 

Source: The Economist

What makes Britain's weather so distinctly variable?

According to BBC News Magazine, "Britain is under an area where five main air masses meet. An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties throughout.".

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