“Germany’s spring showers haven’t materialized this year, and that’s drying out the country’s most important river, prompting concerns that key industrial goods might have trouble making it to their destination.
“Typically one of the wettest months, Europe’s biggest economy has received just 5% of its normal April rainfall so far, according to Germany’s federal weather service. It’s on course to be the driest month since records began in 1881.
“In addition to yellowing vegetation that’s usually a lush green in this season, the dry spell has depressed water levels on the Rhine River, a conduit for barges delivering everything from steel to oil and coal to Germany’s factories.”
“Thousands of blue tits have been found sick or dead in Germany, prompting an investigation by conservation groups and scientists.
“More than 11,000 cases of dead and sick birds, mostly blue tits, have been reported to the German conservation group NABU in the past fortnight. Most of these are reported from the west of Germany.”
“Germany’s forests, covering a third of its territory and as much a part of its cultural landscape as its physical one, are in danger…
“The last two exceptionally hot and dry summers have weakened millions of trees, undermining their defences against the bark beetle, which can be fatal to ancient woodlands.”
“More than 1,000 firefighters were working on Sunday to contain wildfires in the radiation-contaminated Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine.
“Sunday marks the 34-year anniversary of Chernobyl nuclear disaster.”
https://www.dw.com/en/chernobyl-fires-still-burning-on-anniversary-of-accident/a-53253968
“The long Siberian winter this year has stopped well in advance, the temperatures are not only higher than normal but they are registering real records. Since the beginning of April, anomalous values have been detected in the city of Tomsk… On April 23, 2020 the absolute record was recorded for the month of April (30.1 ° C)…
“An anomalous heat also in southern Asia between Myanmar and especially Thailand where between 21 and 23 April they reached 43 ° C with many records broken…”
“The worst plague of locusts in 70 years has already affected East Africa millions of locust have now invaded in Pakistan…
“…farmers are facing the worst locust infestation which has declared a national emergency since these have already ravaged cotton , wheat , maize and other crops which are the leading agricultural crop for Pakistan…”
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/04/26/locust-attack/
“Initial reports indicate that more than 100,000 people across Yemen have been impacted by torrential rains and flooding since mid-April…
““Countless families have lost everything,” said Ms. Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen.”
“Rice worth Sh.800 million at Ahero and West Kano irrigation schemes [Kenya] has been destroyed after River Nyando broke its banks and swept through the farms.
“The raging floods experienced over the last three days have also extensively damaged the National Irrigation Board (NIB) infrastructure at the two schemes.”
https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/agony-as-ahero-floods-destroy-sh-800-million-rice-displace-villagers/
“Three people were killed and three others were injured on Friday following heavy rains that have hit several parts of Rwanda, the Ministry of Emergency Management said…
“This is the latest incident in which the heavy rains have resulted in death and destruction.”
https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/04/26/three-killed-three-injured-following-heavy-rains-in-rwanda/
“A heatwave in Western Australia’s Pilbara region has broken national records for late season maximum temperatures.
“Temperatures above 40C have been recorded for several days straight due to a hot air mass over central and northern Western Australia.”
“More than 400 plants and nearly 200 invertebrates need urgent attention after the bushfire crisis, new analysis for the federal environment department has found…
“The most severely affected species have had at least 30% of their range burned, and in some cases the figure was much higher.”
“Severe floods and landslides in northern Vietnam caused by torrential rains resulted in the deaths of five people over three days…
“…25 were injured and a few others went missing, local media reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.”
“The eastern Pacific Ocean made history on Saturday with the formation of Tropical Depression One-E, the earliest tropical system ever recorded in the ocean basin.
“The premature depression developed about 900 miles off the southwestern coast of Mexico.”
“Widespread warmth this week will grip much of the West [USA], where it will likely set more record-high temperatures.
“For most of April, a high-pressure system has been situated over the Gulf of Alaska, but it will move into the western Lower 48 this week.”
https://weather.com/forecast/national/news/2020-04-20-record-heat-warmth-west-northwest-spring
“Three days after a deadly tornado tore through the East Texas town of Onalaska and nearby areas, the scope of the devastation is becoming heartbreakingly clear.
“306 homes damaged. 173 completely destroyed. Three people dead. Four critically injured.”
https://weather.com/news/news/2020-04-25-onalaska-tornado-damage-homes-destroyed-texas
“Strong heat wave hits Nicaragua – let’s take precautionary measures to avoid heat stroke…
“Agustín Moreira, Agrometeorologist at the Humboldt Center, warned that videos circulating on social networks of people fading away may be a sign that the heat wave is hitting the Nicaraguan population with coronary heart disease.”
“Since Bolsonaro took office, deforestation has progressed at a startling rate, with 51% more area deforested between January and March 2020 than in the same period last year.
“In this increasingly permissive environment, illegal loggers, miners and even missionary groups have intensified their activities in the Amazon. Now, they could be spreading the coronavirus to vulnerable indigenous communities.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/experts-isolated-indigenous-tribes-risk-extinction-virus-n1188586
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Coronavirus or no coronavirus, humans’ destruction of our ecosystem continues relentlessly. Good job, Homo sapiens!