“Alaska’s summer of fire and no ice is smashing records.
“With the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, America’s “Last Frontier” feels like the first in line to see, smell and feel the unsettling signs of a climate in crisis.
“There are the smoky skies and dripping glaciers, dead salmon and hauled-out walrus but scientists also worry about the changes that are harder to see, from toxic algae blooms in the Bering Sea to insects from the Lower 48 bringing new diseases north…
“We’ve talked about these things occurring in decades or in centuries, but … it’s happening right now and it’s visible right now and it’s noticeable right now,” the University of Alaksa climatologist says.
“”The opportunity to do things about it is right now and not decades down the road.
“So, in one sense, it’s really bad, but people tend to kind of step up and do something about it when they feel a sense of urgency, and there really is a sense of urgency right now.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/09/weather/alaska-climate-crisis-summer-weir-wxc/index.html
“Scientists at NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California are tracking the Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave of 2019.
“They’ve measured sea surface temperatures as much as 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.”
“The Portland marine science lab that first told the world the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than almost any other part of the ocean is launching a virtual climate center that will focus on finding solutions to the challenges related to ocean warming.”
“After a weekend of bruising winds and torrential rain unleashed by Hurricane Dorian, emergency crews on Canada’s east cost have begun the task of restoring electricity to the region after more than 500,000 residents were left without power.
“Dorian was downgraded to a post-tropical storm as it made landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday evening, but wind speeds still reached 150km/h (93mph), similar in intensity to a category 2 hurricane.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/09/canada-hurricane-dorian-nova-scotia
“Phoenix, Arizona, is susceptible to a heat wave that could peak at a staggering 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Southern California could face a wildfire that burns 1.5 million acres of land. Tampa, Florida, could see 26 feet of storm surge flooding from a hurricane, just below the record-breaking 28-foot storm surge of Hurricane Katrina.”
“The danger persists elsewhere… Much of Norway has enjoyed record temperatures this summer, but western Norway has also experienced periods of intense rainfall.
“In July, a series of landslides in and around Jølster killed one person and caused significant damage to infrastructure in the remote region.”
“An entire [UK] town has been shut down due to flash floods as water levels reached up to waist-high.
“Emergency services have warned people to stay away from Ottery St Mary in Devon after heavy rain caused widespread disruption. Several roads in the town are impassable and it is feared some homes may also be flooded.”
“Authorities in Germany say about a dozen people have been injured after the plane they were in hit turbulence shortly before landing in Berlin. German news agency dpa quoted fire services saying Monday that five of the injured passengers required treatment or were hospitalized.”
https://www.660citynews.com/2019/09/09/germany-several-passengers-injured-during-turbulent-flight/
“The future of sea level rise may be written into the walls of coastal Spanish caves. Mineral “bathtub rings” deposited inside the limestone Artà Caves on the Balearic island of Mallorca show how high seas rose during the Pliocene Epoch — a time when Earth was about as warm as it’s expected to get by 2100.
“Those mineral deposits suggest the planet’s seas were around 16 meters higher on average than they are today…”
“In Wad Ramli, a village outside the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, Alsamani Fathalrahman and his neighbours travelled in blue speedboats through flooded streets trying to salvage their belongings…
““In just five hours, the area was completely flooded, with no prior notice, so people could only save themselves,” Fathalrahman said, as the 27-year-old engineer recovered bed frames and school books from abandoned homes.”
“Last week saw Mumbai getting submerged again as it received heavy rainfall. Thousands of people were stranded in vehicles, trains, at railway stations or their workplaces as rail transport was shut for hours and the traffic on the roads came to a near halt.
“This is the second time this monsoon that the city came to a standstill and lakhs of people suffered.”
“A new round of rainfall has hit the capital on Monday as peak temperatures in Beijing on Sunday broke a historical record for early September, reaching 35.9 degrees Celsius, according to the local meteorological department.
“Beijing Meteorological Service on Monday evening issued a blue alert for rainfall and strong winds. It is also expected that most areas in the capital will face gusts of wind.!
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2019-09/10/content_75190989.htm
“Provinces in northern and northeastern regions [of Thailand] already battling flooding can expect no respite, with more rain on the way to exacerbate their problems.
“The Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued warnings for both regions, that heavy rain could trigger flash floods and runoff in some areas from Wednesday to Sunday.”
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1746789/flooded-areas-warned-of-more-rain
“Perth [Australia] recorded its second hottest September day since records began and its warmest this early in the month, after it reached a top of 33.1C on Monday. It fell just short of the the 34.2C the city recorded on September 20, 2014.”
“The Arctic is on fire. Now, Antarctica is suddenly experiencing a heatwave.
“And that means a looming rainfall apocalypse for Australia. According to a recent report by senior researchers from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, we’re in for higher than normal spring temperatures. And less rain.”
“Wildfires in Bolivia have torched two million hectares (4.9 million acres) of forest and grassland since August, including some environmentally protected areas, officials said Monday…
“Environmentalists blame laws enacted under Morales, who has encouraged burning of forest and pasture land to expand agricultural production. The government attributes the blazes to dry weather and winds.”
“The world’s readiness for the inevitable effects of the climate crisis is “gravely insufficient”, according to a report from global leaders.
“This lack of preparedness will result in poverty, water shortages and levels of migration soaring, with an “irrefutable toll on human life”, the report warns.”
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