Latest fromNatural Disasters

Tsunami in the Solomon Islands
Photos of the damage left after earthquakes near the Solomon Islands caused a tsunami and landslides.

Lives in Solomons saved because of locals' quick thinking
Landslides and a tsunami destroyed the homes of about one-third of the population on a Solomon Island but lives were likely spared as residents with memories of previous disasters fled quickly to higher ground, officials said Tuesday.

One big one gives the year a shake-up
Largest earthquake since Napier was the only major rattle in 12 months of stability underfoot, says GNS Science.

Eruption menaces endangered chimps' Congo home
Lava flowing from a volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening a population of endangered chimpanzees.

From fires to floods, to threat of cyclone
Extreme weather brings hope of end to decade-long drought.

Top weather stories of 2009
It's been another year of wild weather across New Zealand with snow, hail storms and waterspouts all putting in appearances.

Sydney fringe on fire alert
A lethal combination of soaring temperatures and high winds gave the New South Wales bushfire season a vicious jolt with more than 80 fires raging across the state.

Sri Lanka: Tsunami victim who came back from the dead
There are a million questions one could ask the woman sitting on a Sri Lankan hospital bed, but for now only one matters: is she Padma Wawlanbokke?

Fiji counts cost of 'vicious' cyclone
Fiji will today start cleaning up and counting the cost after Cyclone Mick swept across the Pacific nation yesterday.

The extreme global warming debate
Was it just me or did the lady who was crying about her island going under water because of global warming seem fake?

Cumbria fears more rain to come
Police and army experts say they're urgently checking the safety of about 1,800 bridges in northern England amid some of the worst storms ever recorded in Britain.