“A new El Niño is brewing in the tropical Pacific, threatening an uptick in global temperatures and extreme weather.
“Scientists around the world have been tracking the looming El Niño — the warm phase of a normal three to five year global weather cycle — since at least May, watching the warming waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean for telltale signs that a large-scale shift in winds and weather patterns has set in.
“On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that water temperatures have now crossed El Niño thresholds, and a full-scale El Niño is likely to start sometime in December. U.S. forecasters place a 90 percent chance of El Niño to form by January.
“The last El Niño, peaking in late 2015, was the strongest ever recorded. Rainfall patterns shifted worldwide, causing enormous fires in Indonesia, spurring the largest coral bleaching episode in history, and impacting more than 60 million people worldwide. The coming El Niño isn’t expected to be as severe as 2015’s, but will likely have serious consequences nonetheless…
“There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests global warming is pushing the Pacific towards more extreme El Niños, with amplified effects around the world like 2015’s massive wildfires — another example of a vicious feedback cycle in a changing climate. Not only is El Niño making weather worse; it’s doing it at an ever-faster rate.”
https://grist.org/article/another-el-nino-is-nearly-upon-us-what-does-that-mean/
“Changes to the uppermost layer of Earth’s oceans due to rising temperatures are likely causing an increase in intense Pacific Ocean typhoons, suggesting strong typhoons may occur more frequently than scientists project in the coming decades, according to new research.”
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-pacific-ocean-typhoons-previously.html
I’m guessing Vietnam could really do without another 300mm (11 inches) rain at this point.
“In the next 12 to 24 hours, the typhoon will move west west north at 15km per hour and then gain strength… In another development, international weather stations said due to the impacts of the typhoon, the rainfall will reach at 200 to 300mm in the coastal provinces of the south central and east southern region.”
“The current dust storm was caused by strong winds ahead of a low pressure system that picked up masses of loose dust particles, the result of prolonged drought in the state, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. Australia is suffering from one of the worst droughts in living memory resulting in water shortages and failed crops. Farmer’s livelihoods have been devastated as grazing fields have turned into dry, barren land.”
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/australia-dust-storm-intl/index.html
Heatwaves, drought and storms for SA this summer:
“Tuesday’s storm wreaked havoc in parts of Msunduzi [South Africa] with strong winds blowing down multiple trees, blocking roads and in some instances damaging houses and cars. The storm, accompanied by gusting winds and heavy rain, struck just before 3 pm.”
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/storm-wreaks-havoc-in-the-city-20181120
“Tropical peatlands may contain as much carbon as the amount consumed in nearly a decade of global fossil fuel use, and raging peat fires in Indonesia alone have been estimated in some years to contribute 10 to 40 percent as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as all the world’s fossil fuel burning. According to Harvey and Kai, there has been a rapid change in land use over the past few decades, creating extreme vulnerability to anthropogenic fire.”
http://news.mit.edu/2018/mit-researchers-peat-burning-sumatra-causes-severe-haze-singapore-1121
“A record drought in Afghanistan is forcing families from their homes, and worse, resorting to even more extreme measures: selling their children.”
Video report:
“Unprecedented heavy rains which recently lashed Kuwait unearthed dozens of land mines planted by Iraqi troops during their 1990-91 occupation, disrupting the emirate’s popular desert camping season, officials said Wednesday.
“Authorities have closed 18 desert sites and have so far removed at least 48 mines after receiving complaints from the campers, they said.”
https://www.france24.com/en/20181121-heavy-rains-unearth-iraqi-mines-kuwaiti-desert
“A slow-moving storm system will bring another round of heavy rain and thunderstorms to much of the Middle East from Friday into Sunday. The entire region has endured stretches of stormy weather in recent weeks, and multiple days of rain and thunderstorms will once again bring the risk for flooding… the rain has been more frequent and heavier than normal across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran so far this month.”
“The warning to tourists comes after monster 40ft waves demolished balconies in Tenerife and the Costa Blanca was hit by severe flooding in just the past few days. Italy, Majorca and expat enclaves in the south of France were also devastated by killer flash floods after record rainfall last month. Today a climate change expert said this type of extreme weather will only get worse in future as global temperatures rise.”
https://www.thesun.ie/news/3418821/megastorms-irish-holiday-majorca-tenerife/
“Poland’s corn production in 2018-19 is forecast to fall 20% compared to the previous year due to drought conditions in key growing areas, according to a Nov. 20 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA projects the country’s corn output at 3.2 million tonnes, down from 4.0 million tonnes in 2017-18.”
https://www.world-grain.com/articles/11271-polands-corn-production-plunges
“Scientists have discovered that Iceland’s Sólheimajökull glacier, which covers the active volcano, Katla, is releasing up to 41 tons of methane every day through its meltwater during the summer months…
“…equal to the methane produced by more than 136,000 belching cows.”
“Record breaking snowfall, record setting low temperatures, -50 wind chills, impossible driving conditions amid freezing rain and ice. Sounds like the heart of the winter season doesn’t it?
“In reality, All of these harsh winter conditions have plagued different parts of Canada this fall, leaving little to no areas untouched.”
“Donald Trump has once again confused the weather with climate change after suggesting chilly weather headed towards the US means global warming is not real.
““Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS – Whatever happened to Global Warming?” Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday evening.”
“Searchers in areas devastated by the deadliest wildfire in California found two more bodies Wednesday, bringing the number of known dead to 83…
“Searchers will not take the day off for Thanksgiving on Thursday, but some crews could be held back if mudslides threaten the burn area, where rain was falling Wednesday night, Butte County Sheriff-Coroner Kory L. Honea said.”
“The photos of Trinidad & Tobago’s catastrophic flooding and its aftermath were a waking nightmare the morning after. We were able to come together as a country and as communities to help those most severely affected but it will take a long time for families to rebuild their lives and recover from the trauma.
“As a result of climate change, we may not have as much time as we think.”
https://newsday.co.tt/2018/11/22/reality-of-climate-change/
“Greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere reached a record not seen since sea levels were 10 meters to 20 meters (33 feet to 66 feet) higher than they are now, the World Meteorological Organization said in a report.
“Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other Earth-warming gases rose last year and are 41 percent higher than in 1990, driving a long-term increase in the global temperature, the United Nations organization said in its annual assessment of the trend.”
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