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Hailstones the size of golf balls killed around 300 flamingos in one of Spain's most important bird reserves as storms caused damage across Spain.An estimated 300 flamingos died and several dozen injured birds had to be rescued from Pétrola lake, in Albacete, southern Spain, after freak hail storms struck on Monday. While official figures have not yet been released, Ovidio García, from Albacete’s fire service, Sepei, said the number of dead flamingos numbered close to 300. The fire service was called out by environmental officers at around 10.30am on Monday to help with the recovery of the animals. García...

We just pummeled by hail, the worst I've ever seen. I am about 25 miles east of Raleigh. Anyone else experience this? Heavy rain, lots of lightening and lots of hail. Scared the bejeesus out of us.

Major hailstorm in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia covered the area with a 24-inch layer of icy snow affecting lives of around 900 people. More than 900 people have been affected by recent hailstorm in Fraguita, Antonio Nariño and Restrepo in the southern part of the city, El Espectador quoted Fire Department as saying. According to The Colombia Reporters, the excessive hail caused a number of emergencies across the city. Bogota Disaster Rick and Prevention unit confirmed that no victims were identified. However, several people were rescued from the collapsed roofs. Relief agencies have provided assistance such as hygiene...

The beach at Southern California's "Surf City" has been turned white by a dumping of hail from a fast-moving storm. The National Weather Service says at least an inch of icy pellets coated the sand at Huntington Beach after the system roared ashore Monday morning.

The storm lasted just 90 minutes, but afterwards parts of Asmara, capital of Eritrea, were completely blocked by ice, government-run newspaper Hadas Eritrea reports. A freak rain storm has dumped as much as 1m (3ft) of hail on Asmara, capital of Eritrea, in what appears to be the heaviest rainfall ever recorded there. This week's storm lasted just 90 minutes, but afterwards parts of the city were completely blocked by ice, government-run newspaper Hadas Eritrea reports. Footage on local television shows streets running with water, and vehicles buried under the hail. It is by far the heaviest rain ever recorded...

Abortion activists opposing the 20-week abortion ban bill in Texas have drawn national attention for chanting “Hail Satan” while pro-life advocates sang Amazing Grace. Now, a Twitter account run by actual Satanists is distancing itself from the pro-abortion activists. You know the abortion proponents have gone too far when even lovers of the Devil himself are disclaiming the comments.

It's been a very interesting day at the Texas State Capitol. Cahnman's Musings hasn't been following the hearing. Instead, we've been participating in the surrounding events. LetTexasSpeak has been doing a live broadcast from the rotunda where women have been sharing their abortion related testimonies. The pro-abortion crowd has responded with repeated chants of "hail Satan." It's taken us all day to get a video recording, but here it is.

Young women and men supporting late-term abortions shouted ‘Hail Satan’ throughout the day as the Texas House and Senate convened a special session to discuss timekeeping measures following Democrat Wendy Davis’ filibuster de-railing the vote to limit abortions to 20 weeks and establishing stricter safety standards for abortion clinics. On one occasion some young women shouted ‘Hail Satan’ as Christians gave personal testimony about  abortion and sang ‘Amazing Grace’.Breibart reports:‘It would be difficult to argue that the pro-abortion crowd wasn’t an “unruly mob” — last week protesters shut down proceedings by screaming from the gallery and used social media to debate...

It's been raining hard West of St. Augustine, just had a barrage of hail the size of golf balls.

The Obama Cell Phone woman describing hail in Brookshire Tx. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2gubQbcGlI

Video Linky Here

One person was confirmed dead and around 100 people were injured when a tent collapsed in St. Louis Saturday afternoon. Strong winds were a factor when the tent, located at Kilroy's Bar near Busch Stadium, fell down, critically injuring at least five people, according to local station KSDK.

That's a big one.

Southern California was bracing for another powerful storm front Tuesday evening as a sixth straight day of rain brought dramatic rescues, flooded freeways and concerns about mudslides. According to the National Weather Service, scattered showers Tuesday will give way to heavy rain at night. Officials said the rain will continue into Wednesday with a chance of hail, high winds and thunderstorms. The weather service said the wind will be so strong in some mountain communities Wednesday morning that it could uproot trees. Gusts in some areas could top 65 mph. The snow level is expected to drop to 4,500 feet....

Pictures of what may be US record hail that fell today.

Developing: Severe Oklahoma City Hail Storm: Assessements ongoing: 7 traumatic injuries due to hail with 5 people with lacerations...video and pics @ link.

A vigorous upper level storm system over northwest Oklahoma/south-central Kansas will continue to organize today. Below it, sits a surface low and extending from the low is a cold front that extends through extreme western Oklahoma southward through western Texas as of 9 AM, Saturday. Ahead of the front, conditions were still rather stable and surface moisture was limited with dewpoints in the low 40s across eastern Oklahoma into western Arkansas and only in the low to mid 50s across east Texas and much of Louisiana. The flow today will continue to be southerly so some advection of moister air...

Through much of the month of July a large upper level ridge held strong from Texas northwestward through much of the western U.S. providing for a hot month while a trough held tight bringing cooler and wetter than normal conditions to the East. A flip in the pattern will take place through this week into the start of next allowing the ridge to switch with the trough. This means it will cool off in the West and heat up in the East. 90s will be the rule again for much of the southeastern fourth of the nation with 100s building...

A few minutes ago, just after the House narrowly approved a massive new federal energy tax, there was a nasty hail storm over Washington, D.C. Could it be a sign from above that the cap and trade bill that just barely passed the House (219 to 212) is a terrible idea? Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity suggests the fact that the vote was so close is significant given the Democrats' overwhelming majority in the House:

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MIDWEST TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE IOWA ILLINOIS INDIANA MINNESOTA WISCONSIN ELSEWHERE...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND APPALACHIANS MOUNTAINS TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. A VERY ACTIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REGIME WILL CONTINUE TODAY OVER AN EXTENSIVE REGION FROM THE PLAINS...ACROSS THE...