Derelict buildings are scary. I know this from experience.

The world's leading meteorological authority suggests that many of last year's weather extremes are likely to have been heavily influenced by rising global temperatures.

Hopes are dwindling of finding any survivors among the 174 people missing after a mudslide buried part of a small Washington state town under 6m of sludge and debris.

People in coastal regions of Asia, particularly those living in cities, could face some of the worst effects of global warming, climate experts will warn this week.

Former cyclone Lusi proved to be more of a wind bag than a raging beast - to the delight of beach-bound thrillseekers.

In some areas, the number of people who have died from illnesses related to the quake and tsunami is higher than those who died directly from the disasters.

The ongoing impacts of the Canterbury earthquakes are disproportionately impacting children from low-income families, with health problems and family violence on the rise, a new report says.

PM John Key has today seen firsthand the damage wrought by the bad weather that has hammered Christchurch, telling flooded business owners to "hang in there".

Nick Walls knows the slow pace of recovery better than anyone.

February 22 is Bonnie Singh's mother's birthday. But for the past three years there has been no celebration.

Mick Dummer got a nasty shock when he arrived at work.

Homes "exploded" as a massive grassfire that started on Melbourne's northern fringe burned through regional areas, residents say.

Australia was burning again last night, with homes lost and flames licking at the outskirts of Melbourne as much of South Australia.

Tired, panicking and gulping sea water, a grandfather struggled to hold on to his 8-year-old granddaughter in strong currents at an East Auckland beach yesterday.

Flooding has forced thousands to evacuate Indonesia's capital city once again, as monsoon rains wreaked havoc on Jakarta.

Hundreds of quake damage claims have been lodged as a result of the severe magnitude 6.2 tremor that damaged homes and cut power.

Damage claims from yesterday's 6.2 quake are starting to be lodged with EQC, as more than 300 aftershocks hit the lower North Island - and a couple of biggies are expected.

Yesterday's 6.2 magnitude earthquake caused an agricultural chemical spill on a Palmerston North farm, resulting in one man being sent to hospital.

Tropical Cyclone Ian has cleared Tonga leaving in its wake the death of at least one person and the destruction of infrastructure.

At least one person has been killed in a cyclone that has ravaged parts of Tonga, as organisations rushed to get supplies to thousands of people affected.

Some of Britain's wealthiest homeowners were unable to keep floodwater from their doors in the west London area known as the celebrity riviera, the Telegraph reported.