“…in the factory town of Norilsk, Siberia, industrial pollution has become so brazen and mundane that it took a spill of 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel for the Kremlin to pay attention.
“On a rare trip to Norilsk, which is mostly off limits to foreigners, The Daily Telegraph documented three major sites where trees and vegetation have been annihilated by long-term dumping of industrial waste.
“Norilsk is rated the world’s single biggest emitter of sulfur dioxide… One out of 15 kilograms of global S02 emissions comes from Norilsk.”
“…as a result of climate change, peatlands are becoming hotter and drier, and thus more susceptible to the type of blazes we’re witnessing in Siberia.
“”We now know that peatlands around the world, from the Arctic all the way to the tropics, are indeed vulnerable to wildfire,” said Turetsky.”
“Ocean temperatures along the East Coast are near or above their warmest levels on record for this time of year, and they are not only drawing in unusual sea creatures but also helping to fuel the busiest Atlantic hurricane season on record to date.
“Now, Hurricane Isaias is poised to draw energy from these abnormally toasty waters as it rides up the East Coast…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/07/31/marine-heat-wave-hurricanes/
“Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to restrengthen as it continues its trek north, the National Hurricane Center said early Monday, with the Lehigh Valley expected to feel impacts from the storm starting tonight.
“Hurricane warnings have been issued from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Surf City, North Carolina for a landfall expected late Monday.”
http://www.mcall.com/news/weather/mc-nws-hurricane-jose-jersey-shore-20170918-story.html
“July – the hottest month on record in Portland – sold out air conditioners, sent Mainers and visitors flocking to the beaches, and sparked concern about residents with health conditions susceptible to heat.
“Portland averaged 73.7 degrees Fahrenheit during the month, 4.6 degrees above normal…”
“An out-of-control wildfire burning in Cherry Valley, California, east of Los Angeles, has grown to over 20,000 acres, forcing thousands of people to evacuate, according to the US Forest Service…
“As of Sunday, the Apple Fire has burned over 20,516 acres and has no containment, the Forest Service said.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/02/us/california-apple-fire/index.html
“The effects of global warming over the last five decades have been devastating to Caribbean agricultural production.
“Caricom countries, except for Belize and Guyana, are now net food importers.
“At least seven of the 14 countries import more than 80 per cent of the food they consume, resulting in the region’s annual food import bill estimated in 2019 at US$5 billion.”
“Amazon rainforest fires surge in July.
“Experts fear that a sharp drought and ongoing deforestation could trigger a repeat of the large fires of August 2019. Government efforts implemented in May to stop fires don’t appear to have been effective.”
https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-amazon-rainforest-fires-surge-in-july/a-54405259
“Taipei, Aug. 2 .The average temperature in Taiwan last month hit 30.2 degrees Celsius, the highest on record since the country began keeping climate records in 1947, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Saturday.
“Taiwan had already seen record high average temperatures for May and June…”
“Torrential rain pounded most of South Korea on Sunday, leaving six people dead and seven others missing, officials said.
“The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the heavy rainfall triggered landslides in dozens of places, flooded residential areas and roads, and damaged some riverside structures.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/torrential-rain-hammers-south-korea-leaving-6-dead-n1235594
“Rising temperatures as a result of climate change is accelerating the rate of glacial melt in Bhutan’s highlands.
“In the silence of the mountain, now, danger looms – a killer that could unleash at any moment.”
“Around a third of Bangladesh is underwater due to recent catastrophic flooding and the climate crisis has played a role in the devastation, according to experts.
“The widespread flooding, which has displaced millions of vulnerable people and caused more than 100 deaths, follows the deadly super-cyclone Amphan which hit the region in May.”
“Heavy rain in Nepal triggered landslides on Monday that killed eight labourers at a construction site and two members of a family, taking the toll in floods and landslides to 177 since late May.
“Elsewhere in South Asia, the annual rainy season brought more misery…”
“Flash flooding in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 16 people after heavy rains swept parts of a mountainous area, an Afghan official said Saturday…
“Heavy floods hit the Khewa district, said Attaullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor of Nangarharn province. He added that four others were wounded in the incident.”
“Hundreds of homes were destroyed or flooded this week as a dam burst after heavy rain in Sudan’s Blue Nile state, a local official said.
“The dam collapsed on Thursday in the district of Bout in the southeastern state, “destroying more than 600 homes and flooding others,” Nousseiba Farouk told AFP by phone. Residents successfully evacuated their homes, she said.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1713711/middle-east
“The death toll from floods in Nigeria has increased to 30, according to local media reports on Saturday. At least 15 people were killed in landslides and floods caused by heavy rains…
“Hundreds of people have been displaced and infrastructure as well as many houses were damaged.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-death-toll-from-floods-rises-to-30/1929242
“San Sebastian on Spain’s northern coast witnessed 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday—the hottest temperature there since records began in 1955, the national weather agency said.
“The city of Palma, on Spain’s Mediterranean island of Mallorca, set a local record of 40.6 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.”
“Spanish firefighters and military emergency personnel battled amid blistering heat on Monday to control a wildfire in the Madrid region that had burned through the night and forced the evacuation of several houses…
“Madrid emergency services said 16 crews as well as three aircraft were deployed to tame the blaze.”
https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKBN24Z0TP
“Arctic sea ice hit an all-time low for July against a backdrop of record-breaking temperatures and raging wildfires at the northern reaches of Earth.
“Then a cyclone began swirling over the thinning ice this week…”
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