Shipping conditions in the Mississippi River are in danger of stopping. Ice on the northern Mississippi River is reducing the flow to the middle part of the river, which is already at the lowest level in decades due to drought Officials with two trade groups -- the American Waterways Operators and Waterways Council Inc.? warned that river commerce could essentially come to a halt as early as the first week in January in an area south of St. Louis. The Coast Guard remains confident that the nation's largest waterway will remain open. However, the long-range forecast from the National Weather Service calls for the river to keep falling, to a depth of only 2 feet in some areas by Jan. 23.

Experts say that if barges stop moving, the potential impact on shipments of essentials such as corn, grain, coal and petroleum could reach into the billions of dollars. The problem could be averted if the Army Corps of Engineers moves to increase the flow of water from the equally drought-stricken Missouri River to the Mississippi, but at the moment that appears very unlikely.

It may be dry in the US but conditions are very different across the Atlantic. The United Kingdom started 2012 with a drought and heat wave in March, but since April they have experienced record-breaking rains and floods. At press time, there were 88 warnings and about 225 alerts in force in England and Wales, with 21 alerts and warnings in Scotland. Experts say that it is probable that 2012 will be the wettest year in the UK since records began in 1910. Current estimates are that the insurance losses from flooding for the year could reach £1.33 billion ($US2.15).

The timing of the floods have been awkward, coming in the wake of the government's 2010 cuts to flood protection. Additionally the Government and the UK insurance industry are re-negotiating a deal to provide affordable insurance to flood prone homes. The current subsidy is due to expire in 2013.

The hurricane season is over in the Atlantic, but typhoons and cyclones are still active in other portions of the world. More than 20 serious tropical storms hit the Philippines every year, but on December 4, it was hit by an unusually late storm, Typhoon Bopha. The storm took an unusual path, striking remote inland communities not accustomed to such strong storms. The residents ignored storm warnings, since they had never been hit by a typhoon in living memory. The result was catastrophic. Widespread floods and landslides wiped out entire villages.

At least 890 people are missing while 714 were confirmed killed and more 1900 were injured. More than 5.4 million people were affected by the typhoon. Bopha damaged infrastructure and agriculture worth more than 7.11 billion pesos (about $172 million), including more than 70,000 homes. Areas in the path of the typhoon that heeded the warnings moved to high ground and not a single life was lost.

David Fuller's view There is plenty of interesting information in this report and the graphics are superb. It is very good at helping us understand what has caused our weather. However, I am not sure that it makes the weather any easier to forecast over the medium to longer term, because no one can predict the future on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, the instant communication of extreme weather events, including their impact on a global population which is still rising, increases perceptions that we live in a less stable climatic environment.