The fourth category cyclone covered the northern part of Fiji, causing considerable damage to buildings on the coast, thousands of people evacuated. This was stated by representatives of local authorities. 

According to rescue services in Fiji, about 5 thousand people were evacuated deep into northern islands. The greatest damage was done to the second largest island Vanua Levu, where to cut off electricity. The authorities of the country reported a loss of connection between the small islands in the eye of the hurricane. 

Fiji Meteorological Service assigned a hurricane "Thomas" fourth category on a scale Saffir-Simpson. Wind speed reached 175 km / h, the Meteorologists expect increasing cyclone toward the evening of Monday and Tuesday, with the wind speed reaching 200 km / h. 

And to the northern coast of Australia is approaching tropical cyclone Ului. He already assigned to the fifth category of danger. 

According to the National Meteorological Service, the brunt of the disaster is expected in northern Queensland. The speed of wind gusts exceed the mark of 290 km / h. 

Cyclone formed in the Coral Sea, coming from the Solomon Islands, is gaining momentum and bringing with it heavy rains. According to forecasts, there is a real threat of flooding. 

Over the past few days Météofrance warned of strong winds, Valentina Akordon wrote in an article published in the newspaper La Repubblica. 

Cyclone Xynthia, which yesterday made destruction in much of France, came as no surprise to the weather service of France: Météofrance warned about the threat of powerful winds and flooding at the end of last week. The author notes that the French meteorological service after cyclone Lothar and Martin, who in recent days in December 1999 with a speed of 200 km / h sped across Central Europe caused the death of nine dozen people, significantly improved their work and a notification system for bad weather. 

Xynthia, Lothar and Martin, the newspaper writes, is nothing but a deep "extratropical cyclones", formed over the ocean and shifts eastward. In the area of their actions were the countries situated on the Atlantic coast, and then the countries of Central Europe. In the past 10 years, such cyclones become more frequent. The question is not whether to think about the storms under global warming. No fear of that, because hurricanes are formed over the oceans, and the temperature of European seas, including the Mediterranean Sea, is too low to allow a tropical cyclone to form type, the author writes. 

In future cyclones type Xynthia may to become more frequent to the north of the Alps. However, 10 years - too short a period to be able to draw conclusions climatic character. In conclusion, the author writes, to some extent, trying to reassure the reader that there is no connection between meteorological phenomena and earthquakes in recent months

In Moscow, set a new record for snow depth - this morning in the north-east of the capital has reached 63 cm previous record of 62 cm was installed in 1966. And the average rainfall in the capital, close to 50 cm, ITAR-TASS.

Snow in Moscow goes fourth day in a row, on Monday snowfall continues.

Snow in the capital cleaned around the clock. From the city in recent days to take out more than 400 thousand cubic meters per day. Since the beginning of winter disposed of about 18 million cubic meters

Record frost in the United States have destroyed coral reefs in the usually warm waters off the Florida Keys archipelago. 

In January and February in Miami, the thermometer regularly fell below 1.6 degrees Celsius, which has not been since 1970. According to employees of the University of Miami, because of the cold weather the temperature of water in south Florida fell below 15 degrees, and in such circumstances, corals can not develop. 

A sudden cold snap has also led to "bleaching" of corals - they have lost their pigmentation and eventually died. 

Scientists say that the destruction of coral has a negative impact on the sensitive tropical ecosystems of the region. For example, macroalgae, corals living in the body, forced to change the habitat due to lack of food resources. Most other species have suffered from cold-water corals mozgoviki and star-shaped corals, which may take several hundred years to grow in an underwater colony. 

In addition, the cold had a negative impact on tropical animals. For example, cold-blooded iguana, for which the norm is 23-35 "overboard" degrees Celsius, are immobile, if the temperature drops below 15 degrees. And when it drops to 5 ° C or below, and blood flow in iguanas almost stops, the animal falls into suspended animation and falls from the trees, which often leads to death.