“In the tropical waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, conditions appear to be primed for the development of an El Niño event, with potentially far-reaching consequences.
“…If an El Niño does develop, even a weak one, it could… provide a natural boost to global average surface temperatures, nudging 2018 and possibly 2019 further up the ladder of the hottest years on record.”
https://www.axios.com/el-nino-is-coming-back-forecasters-say-43f8159c-72c7-4bb2-9e5f-d369653f3bcb.html
“Water temperatures at San Diego beaches have been above average for weeks. Not only are the ocean temperatures warmer than they have ever been, but it is also the longest stretch of time the temperatures have stayed well above average without dipping below.”
“Bad news for the West: Even after firefighters have already battled 101 large blazes this year, the remainder of wildfire season is expected to be hotter and drier than normal, virtually assuring there will be more destruction ahead, scientists for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.”
https://www.kansas.com/news/nation-world/national/article216804745.html
“The Colorado River is so strained amid population growth and a climate shift to hotter, drier conditions that federal water managers may declare an unprecedented “shortage” and cut releases from reservoirs. The feds are imploring Western states to do more now to cut water use.”
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/16/colorado-river-basin-reservoirs-low-levels/
Video of flash-flooding in NY state:
“Locals in a city on the coast of Colombia have been told to stop having sex to ensure they stay cool during a scorching 40C (104F) heatwave.”
https://news.sky.com/story/colombians-told-no-sex-is-best-heatwave-relief-11474369
“That global warming leads to more heat extremes is not rocket science and has been confirmed by global data analysis. We’re seeing five times more monthly heat records — such as “hottest July on record in California” — now than we would in a stable climate… [but] there is growing evidence that the dynamics of weather itself are changing.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/climate-change-gobal-warming-freak-weather-explained/
“How bizarre was the scorching heat this summer [in the UK]? There have been lots of comparisons with the summer of 1976, but Simon Lee at the University of Reading discovered a fascinating difference. He tweeted: “June 1976: the UK was one of the warmest places relative to normal across the globe, with most areas cooler than average. June 2018: the UK was just another warm blob in a mostly warmer than normal world.””
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scorching-summer-was-unlike-any-before-it-2dwz6vx9r
“[UK] Farmers are pushing for a big rise in egg prices after a warning that higher feed costs have left many of them on the brink of collapse. The high cost of chicken feed and plunging farm-gate prices have left many free-range producers ‘desperate’ for retail price rises. The summer drought has left farmers paying up to 50 per cent more for feed than a year ago, says Robert Gooch, head of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association.”
“A heatwave in Switzerland has uncovered a Second World War plane that was frozen inside a glacier for the last 72 years.”
Video of flooding in Spain:
https://www.rtnnewspaper.com/2018/08/watch-heavy-rain-causes-flood-chaos-on-the-costa-blanca/
“The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says he is increasingly concerned about the current outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).”
Drought causing misery in Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state:
Meanwhile historic flooding continues in Kerala:
“Two major dams in Kanchanaburi [Thailand] were almost full Thursday evening, especially Vajiralongkorn dam where more than three times as much water is flowing in as is being discharged, according to the director… The critical water situation was revealed at a time when most parts of the country are preparing to cope with the impact of Tropical Storm Bebinca, which was forecast to bring torrential rain to parts of Thailand.”
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1523086/storm-bebinca-an-ill-omen-as-dams-close-to-bursting
“Vietnam put thousands of soldiers on standby, readied evacuation plans and ordered vessels to stay in port on Thursday as flood-prone northern provinces braced for a tropical storm due to make landfall on Friday. Tropical storm Bebinca… is expected to dump up to 450 millimetres (17.7 inches) of rain in Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh provinces, threatening floods and landslides.”
“Typhoon Rumbia made landfall in the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai early on Friday morning, bringing strong winds and rain, state news agency Xinhua said. Shanghai had evacuated 53,000 people in preparation for the typhoon, the state news agency reported. The storm, the 18th typhoon to affect China this year, landed just after 4 a.m…”
“At some point on Sunday or Monday, though, a trough of low pressure in the mid-levels will build southward over eastern China and the Korean peninsula that will tug Soulik northwestward toward southwestern Japan.”
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2018-08-16-typhoon-soulik-japan-korea
“Starving kangaroos have been looting rubbish tips and even resorted to eating cardboard… Severe drought conditions have forced kangaroos into Canberra’s suburbs in a desperate search for food and water amid one of the driest winters on record. With 99 per cent of New South Wales and just under 60 per cent of Queensland officially in drought, some farmers have even been feeding the kangaroos alongside their own livestock.”
“Climate change is affecting freshwater supply across the Arctic, which is seeing less rain and more evaporation due to warming temperatures.”
