“A record 45 million people in Southern Africa, mostly women and children, face severe food insecurity caused by drought, flooding, and economic disarray, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday.
“This hunger crisis is on a scale we’ve not seen before and the evidence shows it’s going to get worse,” said Lola Castro, WFP regional director for Southern Africa, in a statement.”
“Heavy rainfall in recent days has led to flash floods in Zambia, mainly in the Southern Province, with Gwembe and Siavonga Districts hardest-hit.
“The flooding has destroyed crops, including maize… Last year, the districts recorded a 98 per cent reduction in maize production, compared to 2018 and the five-year average [due to drought].”
https://reliefweb.int/report/zambia/zambia-floods-flash-update-no-1-16-january-2020
“Poaching is hitting Botswana rhinos harder and harder. Authorities estimate that the species could become extinct in the country within a year if poaching is not stopped.”
https://www.afrik21.africa/en/botswana-rhinos-in-the-country-could-be-extinct-in-a-year-or-two/
“Climate change is massively threatening to the lives of Pakistan’s population, and as a matter of fact, people in different parts of our country are already getting adversely affected by it.
“Not only is it causing immense heatwaves, but also melting glaciers which further brings a major threat on its own.”
https://dailytimes.com.pk/541041/is-climate-change-bringing-us-to-the-verge-of-apocalypse/
“”This extreme weather has played havoc with the lives of people living in high altitude mountains,” Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s top administrative official, Mathar Niaz Rana, said.
“”We are trying our best to alleviate their sufferings,” he told Reuters as two helicopters were being loaded with relief supplies…”
“Lucknow [Uttar Pradesh, India] rains have shattered all-time high record this January, with the state capital recording a total of 98 mm of rains in first 17 days it self.
“Prior to this, the record stood at 93.8 mm of rains recorded in January, 1996. Not only this, the record figure could even go further higher…”
“Officials in Thailand have announced a second case of the new Chinese coronavirus that has killed two people.
“Japan reported its first case of the infection on Thursday – a man who returned from visiting Wuhan, a city home to 11million people.”
“Since January 2019, rations of [North Korea’s] Public Distribution System (PDS) were reduced to 300 grams per person per day (g/pp/day), compared to 380 grams during the same period in 2018.
“It was expected that rations may decline further during the July to September period, when PDS rations are typically lower compared to other months of the year.”
“Authorities are warning people to take care as severe to extreme heatwave conditions are expected to affect parts of North West Queensland [Australia] over the coming days.
“Mount Isa is expecting maximum temperatures of 44 degrees [111f] this weekend and health authorities are strongly urging community members to look after their own health and safety…”
https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/6585996/be-prepared-for-extreme-heat-in-coming-days/
“At least 80% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area and more than 50% of the Gondwana world heritage rainforests have burned in Australia’s ongoing bushfire crisis.
“The scale of the disaster is such that it could affect the diversity of eucalypts for which the Blue Mountains world heritage area is recognised…”
“Kangaroo Island in South Australia has been likened to a Noah’s Ark for its unique ecology.
“But after fierce bushfires tore through the island this week, there are fears it may never fully recover.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-51102658
“Japanese companies have contingency plans for the floods that increasingly drench this island nation, but most have done little to fortify facilities, relying instead on insurance and securing alternative supply sources, a Reuters poll found…
“Japan has increasingly been lashed by floods described as the worst in decades, and last year likely saw the fifth straight year of growing flood damage.”
“The Fijian government has called for strong action on the climate crisis as the country is hit by its second cyclone in three weeks.
“Fiji opened evacuation centres, closed schools and urged businesses to close early as cyclone Tino barrelled towards Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu, on Friday.”
“If you think you have felt high temperatures in recent days, you should know that this weekend and the rest of the fortnight of January is even more intense.
“A heat wave in the central area of our country [Chile] estimates to reach even 40 ° [104f], according to an agroclimatologist at the University of Talca, Patricio González.”
“A night-time “tornado” caused a trail of destruction when it struck coastal villages in Hampshire [UK].
“People in Barton-on-Sea and Ashley reported being woken by howling winds and lashing rain in the early hours of Friday.”
“Huge waves smashed the windows of a moving train carriage yesterday, injuring a passenger on the coastal mainline service.
“The incident happened on a Great Western Railway (GWR) train travelling along the exposed line at Dawlish, south Devon, and caused long delays.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/train-windows-shattered-by-stormy-waves-at-dawlish-ljjvcgwh3
“The intense rain that has fallen on Barbanza [Galicia, Spain] has brought harsh consequences.
“In addition to the numerous floods throughout the territory of the region, the biggest problem occurs in the Riberanse parish of Arts, because the Arles river overflowed.”
“…Penguin Island [Antarctica]… has seen its chinstrap population plunge by 75 percent over the past four decades.
“The numbers have dropped across the region as average temperatures have soared by more than five degrees over 50 years. That increase is about five-times the global average.”
“…the chances of a major ESAS methane eruption have sharply escalated over only the past 15 years with the loss of ice due to global warming.
“Yet, it is one of the least understood and least researched climate systems in the world. As mentioned previously, the IPCC gives it no consideration and most scientists downplay the risks.”
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/01/17/the-rumbling-methane-enigma/
“As the climate crisis intensifies and as the wide-ranging economic impacts are felt up and down supply chains across continents, business leaders and governments cannot ignore the mounting economic risks, a report from McKinsey said Thursday.”
“Climate change has dug in its claws so thoroughly into the planet that its marks can be seen in any single day of global weather since 2012.
“A 6-year-old child, therefore, has never lived a day without feeling climate change’s influence.”
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