“As temperatures rise in the Arctic, permafrost, or frozen ground, is thawing. As it does, greenhouse gases trapped within it are being released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane, leading to previously underestimated problems with ocean acidification and potential mercury poisoning.
“About one quarter of the region is covered in permafrost, which is soil, sediment or rock that has been frozen for at least two years. With its retreat, the carbon that is released could contribute significantly to global warming.
“”We call it the sleeping giant of the global carbon cycle,” said Professor Örjan Gustafsson, an environmental scientist at Stockholm University in Sweden. “It’s not really accounted for in climate models.””
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-arctic-permafrost-giant-world-carbon.html
“Another round of heavy rain, combined with melting snow, might trigger flash flooding and additional river flooding Friday in parts of the Southeast, adding another chapter to one of the wettest years on record for some… Over the first weekend of December, up to 11 inches of rain triggered major flooding in parts of North Florida and South Georgia. Flooding reached the doors of homes in Waycross, Georgia… The end result: most of the South and Southeast can’t absorb additional heavy rain.”
“No, we don’t need anymore rain, but it’s coming anyway. “For right now, from late Thursday night through Sunday morning, you’re looking at maybe around a little over an inch for the Asheville area,” said Sandy LaCorte, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“That will have the Asheville area flirting with the all-time record for annual precipitation… We’ve already secured the 2 spot.”
“On average, winters in the Albany area have been getting warmer over the last century (plus).
“And not by a little — the average December-March temperature here has been trending up by .4 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.*”
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2018/12/12/albany-ny-winters-getting-warmer
“A day of torrential rain sparked localized flooding across Metro Vancouver on Tuesday, causing no end of headaches for drivers. Catherine Urquhart reports.
“Another big rain storm is bearing down on the South Coast, according to Global News meteorologist Mark Madryga.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/4753999/bc-coast-storm-warning/
“Nearly 20 years of drought conditions combined with increased usage in those states have shrunk reservoirs and generally depleted the water supply to the point where drastic—and, very likely, painful—collective action has become immediate and vital…
“The water associated with the Colorado River supports 40 million people and irrigates millions of acres of prime agricultural land, and, right now, today, all of that is in desperate shape, and there is no time remaining for dilatory measures.”
“Extreme weather has cost insurers over $220 million this year – the second highest payout on record since 1969. The staggering cost comes with a warning that New Zealand needs to be better prepared to cope with the increasing frequency and intensity of storms. It’s one thing to hear about climate change, but it’s another thing to see it. In 2018 New Zealand has seen climate change in action – with tornados, cyclones, heavy rain and gale force winds pummelling all corners of the country.”
“A severe cyclone expected to hit Queensland on Friday could also spark flooding and landslides in other parts of the state. Queensland is still recovering from its recent bushfire crisis but is once again on emergency footing as Cyclone Owen builds in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The category three storm is expected to grow into a destructive category four before it crosses the Queensland coast on Friday.”
“Seventeen people have been rescued by helicopter and 100 people are stranded in their cars on a flooded Hume Highway in northeast Victoria.
“With more than a month’s worth of rain already fallen across parts of northeast Victoria as wild weather rages across the state, authorities say some people have not heeded warnings about driving into floodwaters.”
“Adelaide has shivered through its coldest December day since 1968, with the mercury barely climbing above 16C. From a high of 35C on Wednesday, the maximum temperature at the West Tce weather station came crashing down to a chilly 16.4C at 9am, and from there, it only got colder across the state.”
“Gauteng residents must brace for yet another scorching day on Thursday as temperatures could reach 34°C in Johannesburg, 35°C in Vereeniging, while Pretoria could reach a maximum of 37°C, the South African Weather Service said.
“The province has been in the grip of a heatwave since the beginning of the Spring/Summer season in South Africa.”
“Torrential rain brought flooding and damaged several bridges in Padang Pariaman Regency in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province on Monday, December 10, Antara news agency reported.
“The bridge collapse in Kayu Tanam effectively paralysed the primary transport route between the two main cities of West Sumatra province.”
“Tamil Nadu is set to hit by another cyclonic storm, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned. This would be the second storm to hit the southern state of India within a period of 30 days.
“Last month, around 12 districts of Tamil Nadu were severely hit by cyclone Gaja that claimed lives of as many as 46 people apart from causing widespread damage to property and livestock.”
“This year due to poor rains, nine districts of Rajasthan and 5,555 villages are reeling under drought.”
“The United Nations formally recognized climate migration for the first time this week and laid out a plan to manage the impending crisis.
“More than 160 nations agreed on the United Nations’ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at a meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco.”
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2018-12-12-un-global-compact-climate-migration
“Snowy mountain winters are being “squeezed” by climate change, according to scientists in California.
“Researchers who studied the winter snowfall in the mountains there revealed that rising temperatures are reducing the period during which snow is on the ground in the mountains – snow that millions rely on for their fresh water.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46547064
“Heavy rainfall events, with severe flooding, are occurring more often in the central and Eastern United States, Northern Europe and northern Asia.
“The number of months with record-high rainfall increased in the central and Eastern United States by more than 25 percent between 1980 and 2013.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/climate/climate-change-floods-droughts.html
“Mental-health researchers around the world are taking notice of what people feel when the world they’ve always known changes gradually or suddenly from climate change.
“Some call it environmental grief, some call it solastalgia — a word coined for a feeling of homesickness when home changes around you.”
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