“Australia is in the midst of a scorching heat wave this week that has set all-time temperature records in what has been four of its most sweltering days in history.
“The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Australia said Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday ranked among the top 10 hottest days on record for the country as whole.
“Marble Bar in northwest Australia has experienced the hottest temperature since the weekend, topping out at 120.4 degrees Fahrenheit (49.1 degrees Celsius) on Sunday.
“Not far behind is Tarcoola in South Australia which hit 120.2 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday. That is the hottest temperature in its history dating to 1903.
“At least five other locations in southeast Australia set all-time record highs on Wednesday.”
https://weather.com/news/news/2019-01-16-australia-heat-wave-hottest-days-on-record
“Despite a forecast yesterday by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) that snow would fall on Yushan [Taiwan] on Wednesday (Jan. 16) evening or Thursday morning, only rime was spotted…
“…it appears the mountain will soon break the record for the latest snowfall in 66 years.”
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3619270
“Snow began to fall in Jerusalem and on the mountains of central Israel on Wednesday evening.
“The heavy snow will continue to fall in the capital throughout Wednesday night and is expected to stick on the ground, according to the Meteorological Service.”
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5448071,00.html
“There was significant snowfall across central and eastern parts of Europe last week, with record-breaking amounts of snow for January in some parts of the Alps. It has been reported that over 3.5 metres (11.5ft) fell in places.
“The hazardous wintry conditions led to several fatalities and widespread disruption. Many areas remain on high alert due to the risk of avalanches, with further heavy snow expected as a succession of fronts move through from the north-west.”
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/16/alps-on-avalanche-alert-after-record-breaking-snowfall
“Almost 6 inches of rain just fell in central California and the southern part of the state has seen more than 4 inches, resulting in flooding and rockslides reportedly hitting cars.
“Wind gusts of up to 98 mph also were reported in central California, and in the Bay Area trees were toppled, with some falling on cars. A second, stronger storm is continuing to batter the West Coast this morning…”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/flooding-california-east-braces-massive-winter-storms/story?id=60439907
“Glaciers are faithful indicators of climate change since they shrink and grow in response to changes in precipitation and temperature.
“The first comprehensive assessment of glacier mass loss for all regions in western North America (excluding Alaskan glaciers) suggests that ice masses throughout western North America are in significant decline: glaciers have been losing mass during the first two decades of the 21st century.”
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-significant-decline-glaciers-western-north.html
“According to Roshydromet, average temperatures in the Kara Sea have since 1998 increased with as much as 4,95 C degrees. Ice is retreating and the permafrost melting.
“Data from measuring points in the country’s European parts of the Arctic in 2017 showed an average shrinking of the permafrost layer by about 10 cm. In 2018, the average temperature increase in the polar parts of the country was between 2-4 degrees above normal, a recent sum-up from Roshydromet reads.”
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/node/4894
“A detailed study of climate change and the North suggests the impact on roads and other infrastructure will be even more severe than anticipated.
“John Pomeroy of the University of Saskatchewan says projections in the newly published paper are the most precise ever made. He says they show significant threats to crucial links such as the Dempster Highway, the only road from southern Canada to the Arctic coast.”
The oceans are facing a perfect storm of threats that will destroy marine life unless the government takes urgent action, a new report has warned.
“Plastic pollution, climate change, and overfishing are combining to put sea creatures under intolerable stress, according to MPs on the [UK’s] Environmental Audit Committee.”
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