Rachelle's Weather Blog

While weather forecasting is typically not a hilarious endeavor, this weekend weather forecast in Oak Park, Illinois shows residents that they have a slight chance of nothing for Friday and Saturday night! Find more funny weather forecasts in the Top 10 Funny Weather Videos.

NOAA is looking for public feedback on a new hurricane research project. The Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP) is a multi-agency project designed to coordinate national hurricane research and forecasts. The goals of the HFIP are:

• to improve the accuracy and reliability of hurricane forecasts
• extend lead time for hurricane forecasts with increased certainty
• to increase confidence in hurricane forecasts

Details of the process for public comment can be found in the HFIP Federal Register Notice. Submit your comments on the project to noaa.review.hfip_plan@noaa.gov.

With another round of tornadoes over the weekend, many are wondering if 2008 will set any new weather records. The answer may be yes according to Aware - An NOAA emergency management newsletter. This year is already causing alarm among individuals in the weather and emergency response communities. According to the Aware newsletter, in just three months, the tornado count is already over half the 3 year average of 1159. Even more alarming, the number of fatalities has already exceeded the 3 year average of 62. Get more tornado statistics for 2008.

It is turning out to be an active tornado season so far. At least 22 have been killed in a series of severe storms across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Georgia...read more

More than an estimated 100,000 people will NOT be voting in the upcoming constitutional change in Myanmar...They are dead. While this is a tough statement, the military rule of Myanmar is scheduling a vote even in the wake of the massive flooding and destruction following Cyclone Nargis. While voting in cyclone affected areas is postponed... read more at CNN.com.

Also, an update on the refusal of the Junta to accept aid is available at msnbc.com.

The death toll in Myanmar is continuing to rise. I am continually updating a series of articles on this storm. Get the details on the Nargis Cyclone. You will find answers to questions such as What is a Storm Surge?, Where is Myanmar?, What are the Names of Indian Ocean Storms?, and more

According to an msnbc.com report today, President Bush has been urging the military rulers of Myanmar to allow the US to aid in disaster relief efforts. So far, residents in the area are cut off from outside help due to lack of roadways, no communication, no electricity, and debris after the storm surges from Cyclone Nargis. French and US offers of help have so far been turned down by the Junta rulers. Read the full story from msnbc.com on the military and aid efforts for Myanmar.

The American Red Cross is prepared to release funds and supplies, estimated at $100,000, to help the people of Myanmar who were affected by Cyclone Nargis, a deadly storm that made landfall on May 2, 2008. Government and media reports estimate up to 25,000 deaths (so far) and catastrophic damage, causing widespread power and telecommunications outages. Initial reports also indicate the storm compromised water and fuel supplies, wiped out vital crops and, in some areas, destroyed 95 percent of the homes, leaving more than a million families without shelter. You can also aid the victims by donating through through the Red Cross, Mercy Corps, or CARE. More reports on the deadly storm to come as the news roles in. Stay tuned.

A new website has been unveiled reaching out to those of us who like to see the news “as it happens”. Live News Cameras has a simple concept - Let people watch news as it happens anywhere in the world…raw, unedited at work or home.

The site began on Super Tuesday with just a couple of feeds focusing on the Republican and Democratic candidates and has grown to 150 streams around the world. Now, with the new weather page, you can get amazing coverage from people on the ground as a storm happens. This is one of the reasons I love this page…No one can be everywhere at once. Several storm chasers are also streaming live video to the site. Site administrators are also reporting of some weather experts who are using Live News Cameras to see the storms approaching their area but are out of range of their own radar and cameras. It also has a value to those who want to see other weather teams across the country…you can see newscasts and forecasts live. Check out the page for yourself. Got an opinion? Leave a message!