“Humanity has only recently become accustomed to a stable climate. For most of its history, long ice ages punctuated with hot spells alternated with short warm periods. Transitions from cold to warm climates were especially chaotic.
“Then, about 10,000 years ago, the Earth suddenly entered into a period of climate stability modern humans had never seen before. But thanks to ever accelerating emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, humanity is now bringing this period to an end.
“This loss of stability could be disastrous. If the coronavirus pandemic can teach us anything about the climate crisis it is this: our modern interconnected global economy is much more vulnerable than we thought…”
“The meteorological trend that has prevailed during the month of April will give way in the first days of May to very high temperatures and a dry environment.
“In some parts of the Spanish geography 37 ° C will be reached…”
https://www.murcia.com/nacional/noticias/2020/04/28-mayo-podria-empezar-con-calor-de-record.asp
“Wildfires have continued to spread through fields and forests in Siberia during a heatwave that has hit the entire region.”
Video:
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/russia-struggles-to-contain-wildfires
“India’s nationwide lockdown has seen forest fires in several locations with officials reporting more than 1,000 fire incidents in April alone…
“…even as the fire department has stepped up efforts to contain such incidents amid the Covid-19 crisis.”
“Last week, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation said the locust situation in East Africa was “extremely alarming”.
“Swarms are gathering and maturing in Ethiopia, Kenya and possibly Somalia, it said in an update. “This represents an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods because it coincides with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season.””
“Motorists have been put on notice that Rwambwa bridge on the Nzoia River might flood in the next few days following the ongoing heavy rains in the Western part of Kenya…
“The weatherman further predicts heavy rains in other parts of the Country, especially Eastern and Northern counties.”
https://www.kbc.co.ke/floods-update-move-to-higher-grounds-meteorological-department-warns/
Deadly flash floods in Puntland (Somalia).
(as there were last year)
“A cluster of rare and important macadamia trees that were already at risk of disappearing has been destroyed by bushfires in Queensland.
“Denise Bond and her team at the Macademia Conservation Trust watched nervously as fires edged closer to the Bulburin National Park last summer…”
https://7news.com.au/news/environment/rare-macadamia-trees-destroyed-in-bushfire-c-1004720
“Warnings of excessive heat have been issued for southern California, Southern Nevada and parts of Arizona.
“The beaches of Orange County in southern California were open last weekend, as long as social distancing was practised.”
“A crisis California didn’t foresee — the Covid-19 pandemic — is complicating preparations for one that arrives with a vengeance every year.
“With wildfire season on the horizon, state officials have ordered prevention efforts to proceed after rains have tapered off and before the heat of summer.”
https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/west/2020/04/28/296775.htm
“Forest fires in Yucatan have affected more than 1,767 hectares in recent days, forcing the National Forestry Commission, Civil Protection, the Fire Department and even municipal police from different municipalities to join forces.
“Forming brigade teams, they have worked in coordination to fight an always dangerous enemy that is very difficult to control, mainly in a period of intense heat in Yucatan.”
“A major outbreak of severe weather is forecast across the southern Plains into early Wednesday, with portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas at the greatest risk for the fierce storms.
“Massive hail, hurricane-force winds and a few tornadoes are all possible, forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center said, warning that a “damaging squall line is expected.””
“Parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans saw record-high temperatures last month. Meanwhile, the average ocean temperature worldwide came in just shy of the record set in 2016.
“On Saturday morning, a tropical depression formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean — the earliest tropical cyclone in that area since reliable record-keeping began in the early 1970s.”
https://grist.org/climate/dont-look-now-but-the-2020-atlantic-hurricane-season-could-break-records/
“…unfortunately, conservation and management measures have lagged resource exploitation for sharks and shark-like rays.
“Although considerable progress has been made in raising awareness throughout the general public of the threats these animals face and implementing management, it hasn’t been enough it seems.”
“Microplastics pollution is causing disruption and behavioural changes among hermit crab populations, researchers have claimed.
“Academics from Queen’s University Belfast and Liverpool John Moores University authored the paper, which focused on the impact on the crabs, which require shells from snails for protection and to reproduce.”
“From their experiments, the duo found that glaciers slide atop soft sediments at slower speeds, but once they reach a certain threshold speed, they begin to deform the underlying sediment – a process which then becomes the dominant slip mechanism.”
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