The weather

[saxy_jag]

Whenever there's a major earthquake on the other side of the world, we seem to experience high winds in the UK a few days afterwards. Is this coincidental, my imagination, or can earthquakes really affect the weather, thinking on the 'butterfly's wing' theory?

[fo3nix]

There will be some chaotic effect, but I'd suggest it's more humans trying to see patterns that aren't really there, than anything else.

[heathfield]

Strong winds in the UK often originate in tropical depressions in West Africa. These cross the Atlantic, travel up through the Caribbean, gaining strength, then along the US eastern seaboard before re-crossing the Atlantic and arriving here. The process takes around a couple of weeks from start to finish. So if these winds arrive a few days after a major earthquake, it can only be down to co-incidence, since they would already be well on their way to us when the quake occurred.