“If you tossed and turned this summer because of the oppressive heat, here’s why: “This summer’s nighttime temperature, when averaged nationwide for June, July and August, was the hottest ever, recorded at 60.9 degrees, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.
“In fact, every state had an above-average summer minimum temperature.
“Climate scientists define summer as the three months from June 1 through Aug. 31. U.S. climate records go back to 1895.
“The inability of the atmosphere to cool off at night is a sign of global warming, driven by man-made climate change, NOAA said.
“”In general, since records began in 1895, summer overnight low temperatures are warming at a rate nearly twice as fast as afternoon high temperatures for the U.S.,” NOAA said in a statement.”
“New Jersey just suffered through its second hottest August on record, and the Garden State is now stuck in an early September heat wave. Yes, more intense heat and more oppressive humidity are hitting us, with air temperatures forecast to rise into the low to mid-90s Thursday afternoon and the humidity making it feel as hot as 100 to 104 degrees.”
https://www.nj.com/weather/index.ssf/2018/09/nj_weather_big_temperature_drop_2nd_hottest_august.html
“Toronto just wrapped up one of the hottest summers it had ever seen. Record-breaking heat sweltered Ontarians from the end of June leading all the way into the beginning of September. Well, it finally looks like we’re going to get the fall weather a lot of us have been waiting for. With remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon sneaking its way up to Canada, temperatures are set to drop dramatically this weekend.”
“With hurricane season in full swing, another tropical wave is behind Florence — Helene — potentially becoming the next storm. The new storms formed just as tropical depression Gordon left flooding and rain behind for the Gulf Coast. Parts of Florida saw almost 10 inches of rain.”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/remnants-gordon-lead-flooding-florence-threatens-bermuda/story?id=57640800
“An intense wildfire roared unchecked for a second day on Thursday through drought-desiccated timber in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest, threatening scores of homes and forcing the closure of an interstate highway after motorists had to flee their vehicles… The blaze has raged with the same extreme intensity seen in several devastating wildfires in recent months. Fueled by drought-ravaged pine forests thick with dead and dying timber, flames spread quickly, torching entire trees and leaping from tree-top to tree-top while hurling showers of embers into more dried-out vegetation.”
“One year ago, Hurricane Harvey shattered the U.S. record for most rain to come down in a single storm. Last month, another hurricane dropped record rains, this time on Hawaii. Named Lane, its measured tally would seem to be the highest ever for this island state, and second nationally only to what Harvey unleashed on Texas… Both Harvey- and Lane-like downpours could become more common in the future. The reason: climate change… Warmer air can hold more water.”
“Hurricane Olivia has begun to weaken but remains a major hurricane at Category 3 strength and may have a close encounter with Hawaii next week, just weeks after Hurricane Lane’s flooding rainfall.”
https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2018-09-06-hurricane-tropical-storm-olivia-hawaii-forecast
“The National Weather Service held a heavy weather briefing at Civil Defense this afternoon. The NWS announced that Guam is looking at a possible Category 3 or Category 4 Typhoon should it pass over Guam on Tuesday, September 11th… NWS’ Landon Aydlett says we could be dealing with a potentially bad situation for Guam and the entire Mariana Islands. He adds that this could be the worst hit in a decade.”
http://www.kuam.com/story/39044236/2018/09/Friday/typhoon-could-hit-guam-tuesday
A summer of record heat, historic storms and flooding, and now an earthquake for Japan with more rain to hinder rescue operations:
“Residents of Hokkaido awoke to powerful shaking early Thursday morning as the quake caused numerous landslides and homes to collapse. Dry weather will yield to rain in the next 24 hours which may hinder and delay some rescue and recovery efforts.”
“Severe flooding in North Korea has killed at least 76 people with nearly the same number missing and thousands left homeless by the destruction, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Thursday.”
“The number of dead continues to climb as updated reports come in from remote areas of Laos hit by flooding and landslides in recent weeks, Lao sources say. In Houaphanh province in eastern Laos, heavy rains last week poured down a mountain into a valley, flooding a small river and slamming into villages nearby, an official of the province’s Labor and Social Welfare Department told RFA’s Lao Service on Thursday.”
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/toll-09062018165436.html
“Nearly five million people in 11 provinces in Indonesia have been suffering water shortage as a drought has been affecting the areas since late July. To date, the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) has allocated Rp50 billion (RM13 million) to supply clean water to the people in the areas.”
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/09/07/drought-indonesia-affects-nearly-five-million-people
“Sydney has been thrown into transport chaos as wild weather and accidents across the city grinds travel to a halt… Lightening strikes are causing delays to train services and flights at Sydney Airport are being cancelled. “Greatest storm I’ve ever seen at Sydney airport at the moment!” wrote one Twitter user. “Don’t like the chances of getting out of here tonight!” …People have filmed hail resembling snow on the roads between Sydney and Wollongong.”
You may recall that New Zealand has just had its warmest summer on record:
“A hungry horde of rodents and insects has been breeding a pest army – and they’re about to be unleashed. New Zealand has just had an abnormally warm winter – usually a time where weak pests get killed off.”
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/09/new-zealand-pest-plague-inbound-for-spring.html
“A region of West Antarctica is behaving differently from most of the continent’s ice: A large patch of ice there is thickening, unlike other parts of West Antarctica that are losing ice… A study led by the University of Washington has discovered a new clue to this region’s behavior: A volcano under the ice sheet has left an almost 6,000-year record of the glacier’s motion. The track hidden in the middle of the ice sheet suggests that the current thickening is just a short-term feature…”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906100451.htm
“The Czech capital Prague has experienced its hottest summer since records started in 1775, the weather institute said on Thursday… The hot spell brought a drought that has affected 94 percent of the central European country, causing crop damage estimated at up to 11 billion koruna (427 million euros, $500 million), according to the Agrarian Chamber.”
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/czech-republics-prague-records-hottest-summer-since-1775-1912594
“A particularly violent cloudburst hit Barcelona… on Friday morning bringing thunder, lightning and 75mm of rain… Photographer Pol Turrents described the storm as “the biggest I have seen in my life” as the streets of the Catalan capital became torrents of rainwater… Also on Thursday a violent hailstorm in the province of Teruel saw people running for shelter as the hail resembled rocks more than stones.”
https://murciatoday.com/spectacular-storm-causes-flooding-in-barcelona_634851-a.html
Read yesterday’s ‘Climate’ thread here.
And have a good weekend!
