Weather News

Moscow - A weatherman on Russian state television surprised viewers on Monday by weaving comments on Ukraine's political crisis into his weather forecast and warning of a "wind of change" in the country's troubled east.

Cooktown - Thousands of homes were without power and residents of worst-hit Cooktown were warned clean water was about to run out as cyclone Ita rolled along Australia's Barrier Reef coast Sunday.

Sydney - A tropical cyclone battered Australia's Barrier Reef coast Saturday, knocking out power and phone lines for thousands of people and threatening floods, despite weakening as it headed south towards major tourist resorts.

Sydney - Australia's Barrier Reef coast was Saturday taking a battering from a tropical cyclone which knocked out power and phones, but no deaths or major devastation had been reported.

Sydney - A cyclone packing winds of up to 275 kilometres (170 miles) an hour swept towards Australia's Great Barrier Reef coast Friday, forcing thousands of people to hunker down as authorities warned of potential devastation.

Honiara - The flood-ravaged Solomon Islands was facing a new threat Monday as the first signs of disease emerged in camps sheltering thousands of displaced residents in the capital Honiara, aid workers said.

Augusta - Severe storms halted practice for the 78th Masters on Monday and forced spectators to be cleared from Augusta National as a safety precaution.

Honiara - The confirmed death toll from flash floods in the Solomon Islands rose to nine Saturday and was expected to continue climbing, authorities said, as reports emerged of children swept away in swollen rivers.

Benicia - The US National Weather Service in Sacramento is seeking volunteers to join its teams of storm-watchers in Northern California.

Tokyo - Spring in Japan brings explosions of pink and white cherry blossoms that provide a beautiful backdrop for picnics across this nature-loving country.