Storm

High winds have hit the South Aegean and heavy rain has fallen in Turkey, but Central Europe has felt summer heatGreece and Turkey have found themselves in the grip of a late-season cold spell this weekend. Conditions will persist over the next few days as an area of low pressure situated over Turkey is pulling in colder, moisture-laden air from the north-east via the Black Sea; this meteorological set up has suppressed temperatures well below where they should be for the time of year. Away from the Mediterranean coast, much of Turkey struggled to reach double figures, which is around 10C below the average, while Greece saw a similar chill. In Athens, temperatures only crept into the low teens Celsius, a far cry from the mid-20s typically expected in early May.But they haven’t just faced cold. Greece had gale force winds whipping through the islands in the South Aegean – gusting around 60mph on Sunday evening, and the unsettled weather has brought a surge of heavy rain to Turkey. The Central Anatolia region of Turkey would normally see about 50mm of rainfall across the entire month of May, but on Sunday had already seen many areas pick up half that total in just 24 hours. With colder air in place, higher elevations have even seen a return to winter, with up to 30cm of fresh snow forecast across the Anti-Taurus Mountains on Monday and Tuesday. In Ankara, temperatures on Monday 4th are expected to peak at just 7C – nearly 14C below average – before slowly edging back towards normal by the weekend. Continue reading...

Group broke through locked door in Manhattan, damaging property and injuring a staff member, church saysA group of youths forced their way into a Scientology church in New York on Saturday in the latest in a string of nationwide “speed running” incidents that have gone viral on social media in recent weeks.The group broke through a locked door to gain entry to the Church of Scientology on West 36th Street in Manhattan, throwing objects, damaging the property and injuring a staff member as worshippers and visitors attended a seminar, the church said in a statement to the Guardian. Continue reading...

Fred Beyer shocked NFL Draft fans after sneaking onto the stage and announcing a fake Pittsburgh Steelers pick. Using fake credentials, he entered a restricted area before security stopped him. The NFL later gave him an indefinite league-wide ban and warned he could be arrested if he attends future events.

• The St. Louis Battlehawks pulled off an upset victory against the San Antonio Storm in United Football League Week 5 competition. • The victory demonstrates the Battlehawks' competitive performance in the emerging professional football league. • The result was part of an active weekend of UFL games that shaped the standings.

• President Trump is attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner, colliding politics and media in a highly charged event. • Flashback highlights include Stephen Colbert roasting George W. Bush and Axios reporter Alex Thompson calling out colleagues. • The dinner underscores ongoing media-political tensions, especially post-executive orders and impeachment talks.

About 26 million people are under tornado watches from Wisconsin to Oklahoma, according to one reportA stretch of the midwestern states is at risk of severe weather, forecasters warned on Friday, as tornadoes battered towns across the central US region, leaving behind debris and destroyed property.According to the National Weather Service, severe thunderstorms may be seen in north-west Oklahoma through western Missouri during Friday afternoon and evening. Continue reading...

Thousands face power outages and a number of schools close across region as forecasters warn of hail and floodingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA day after severe storms damaged communities in the Plains and the midwest, forecasters warned that storms could bring giant hail, tornadoes and severe wind gusts to the regions again on Tuesday afternoon and evening.Authorities in Kansas reported several people with minor injuries after storms passed through on Monday. Three people were left with minor injuries in rural Franklin county, about 50 miles (80km) south-west of Kansas City, according to the sheriff’s office. In the town of Ottawa, officials said there was structural damage, but no deaths or injuries. A National Weather Service survey team will assess damage in the Ottawa area on Tuesday to determine whether a tornado passed through there, according to Chelsea Picha, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Topeka. Continue reading...