Weather Wise

More weather stories from around the world.

Canada: The ice storms in Canada have claimed at least 15 lives, including deaths from hypothermia and those poisoned by carbon monoxide from makeshift heating devices. More than a million people are without power in Montreal and police and soldiers have been making door-to-door calls, in some cases forcing residents to move from freezing homes to warm shelters.

China: Increased plant disease, forest fires and insect pests are all predicted as China experiences its 12th consecutive warmer-than-average winter. This is the longest spell of warm winters this century.

Mexico: The mayor of Acapulco has submitted his resignation over his administration's lack or preparation for Hurricane Pauline, which killed at least 240 residents on 9 October. Officials were criticised for failing to prepare the city for flash floods, and for letting people build houses in dry riverbeds that came back to life.

Britain: In the mild January weather, birds have been seen nesting much earlier than usual, and hedgehogs have been coming out of hibernation. An RSPB spokesman said he didn't think it was anything to be concerned about yet, and a spokesman for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society said it was not unusual.