Pollyana

Yeah they are, mainly because they are of a similar origin - most UK storms come from the cold waters of the Arctic - like the storms that affect Victoria and Tassie usually originate in the cold of the Antarctic.

Pollyana

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/0...59008720110828

The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast a storm surge of up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) for Long Island and metropolitan New York. That could top the flood walls protecting the south end of Manhattan if it comes at high tide around 8 a.m. (noon GMT).

With winds of 8O miles per hour (130 km per hour), Irene was a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale. By 11 p.m. (0300 GMT), the center of the storm was 70 miles (115 km) south southwest of Ocean City, Maryland, and 255 miles (415 km) south southwest of New York City.

As it moved into New York, the hurricane center said it was expected to remain a hurricane and weaken only after making its second landfall in New England.

Alfresco

Looks pretty rough on TV, and there's always some numpty riding the waves.

MrJenkins

Hurricane Irene has been downgraded to a British summer

Alfresco

Pollyana

Aftermath of Irene, State by State

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/28/ire...ate/index.html

Pollyana

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/frigh...hotos?s=mobile

Scary pictures.....

Alfresco

Very scary indeed! The first one reminds me of the Toowoomba flash flood.

Pollyana

A lot of the pics are very similar to photos we gathered after the floods in Queensland. Very sobering to see such similar images from the other side of the world - and again from many areas that don't usually experience this kind of ferocious weather.

northernbird

My oldest friend is in Virginia Beach and she has no power and her property has mild flooding. She has lost a few roof shingles and a bit of siding from her house but on the whole she is quite happy with the outcome.