“In the midst of the state’s most destructive wildfire season, California shattered temperature records in August, September and October.
“All three months were the state’s warmest on record, according to a new report by UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.
“In August, a ferocious heat wave saw temperatures in Death Valley reach a blistering 130 degrees — thought to be the highest temperature on Earth in nearly a century, if not ever.
“Temperatures in September and October, too, skyrocketed to new heights. Over Labor Day weekend, Woodland Hills clocked the hottest official temperature on record in Los Angeles County, 121 degrees.”
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-07/california-shatters-fall-temperature-records
“As the seasons start to change, offering cooler temperatures in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix is continuing to play “catch up” after record-breaking heat caused extra drying, furthering the drought that has been years in the making…
“According to phoenix. gov, Arizona has been in drought conditions for 15 years, and has “surpassed the worst drought in more than 110 years of official record-keeping.””
https://azbigmedia.com/business/phoenix-remains-in-drought-after-record-breaking-summer-heat/
“A forecasted high of 75 degrees Monday [Chicago] would not only break the old record of 74 degrees set back on November 9, 1999, but also establish a new record of six consecutive 70-degree days in November…
“At this point, a record high of 72 degrees is also in the forecast for Tuesday…”
“Toronto is experiencing its warmest November weather on record. Friday’s high of 20.8 C broke the record of 20.5 C set in 2015, Environment Canada reported…
“…it’s nothing but sun in the Toronto forecast all weekend and through Tuesday.”
https://www.toronto.com/news-story/10241371-toronto-breaking-november-weather-records/
“A strengthening Tropical Storm Eta made landfall on Florida’s Lower Matecumbe Key on Sunday night…
“Florida officials closed beaches, ports and Covid testing sites, shut down public transportation and urged residents to stay off the streets. Some districts shut down in-person schooling on Monday.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/08/tropical-storm-eta-florida-hurricane-weather
“Up to 150 people are feared to have been killed in a landslide in Guatemala after Storm Eta lashed central America with torrential downpours.
“Many of those who lost their lives in the remote mountain village of Queja in the country’s central region of Alta Verapaz were buried in their homes under mud, according to the authorities.”
“Scientists in northern Russia have discovered a huge walrus haulout on the shores of the Kara Sea where their habitat is under threat from shrinking ice and human activity…
“Walrus haulouts have traditionally been located on drifting sea ice or on Arctic islands, scientists say.
“But warmer climate cycles mean sea ice is shrinking and habitats are under threat from oil and gas exploration and more Arctic shipping.”
“Finland’s November high temperature record has been broken for the second time in four days as a measuring station at Mariehamn airport in Åland recorded a measurement of 16.6 degrees Celsius on Friday.
“This beats the previous record of 14.7, which was set at Pori airport on Finland’s west coast on Tuesday.”
“Britain will ward off winter for a few weeks yet as a weather anomaly is set to bring 10 days of warm sunshine as temperatures soar…
“Saturday saw the mercury rocket up to 19C in parts of England, where people are once again confined to their homes for lockdown.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-forecast-britain-ward-22979233
“Coastal beauty spots [UK] are being used as “open sewers” with untreated waste routinely discharged into the sea, environmental campaigners have found.
“Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) cited almost 3,000 examples of raw sewage pollution incidents in English and Welsh waters over 12 months.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-54853217
“A wildfire has killed two people west of the Algerian capital, the emergency services said Saturday… More than 50 additional firefighters were dispatched from Algiers to help tackle the blaze which broke out on Friday night.
“Over the past 24 hours, fires have been reported in northern Algeria in 10 of the country’s 58 provinces.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1759591/middle-east
“Torrential floods wash away cars in Bayda, Libya November 7th 2020.”
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okmO1q7q3PQ&t=252s
“As Sudan faced the worst floods in a century, we travelled to Khartoum to meet some of those most affected: Record levels of rainfall have caused the worst flooding on the Nile River for 100 years.
“As the floods swept away livestock and crops, it led to the Nile – the lifeblood of Sudan’s rich agricultural production – becoming a relentless enemy.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/talk-to-al-jazeera/2020/11/7/sudan-floods-a-devastating-aftermath/
“Air quality in India’s capital New Delhi remained in the “severe” category for a third straight day on Saturday due to increased stubble fires and vehicle emissions, the country’s main environment monitoring agency said…
“The air quality has worsened due to the unusually high fire emissions, and no quick recovery is expected…”
“Mauritius oil spill: fears for island’s marine life after initial tests fail to resolve fuel mystery:
“Calls for transparency grow as scientists say substance is ‘unlike anything we’ve seen spilled before’.”
“Hong Kong experienced its warmest ever start to winter on Saturday, but dangerously high levels of pollution forced the city’s environmental watchdog to warn [the vulnerable] to stay indoors…
“…the 30.2 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature recorded on Saturday afternoon was the warmest for the time of year since records began in 1884.”
“Left with nothing’: In a flash, floods upend lives of thousands [Vietnam].”
“On October 28, Storm Molave, the most powerful to have hit Vietnam in two decades, made landfall in the central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. The central region had already suffered torrential rains and widespread flooding in the preceding weeks…”
“U.N. assessments to gauge the needs of hundreds of thousands of people affected by Super Typhoon Goni, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever to hit the Philippines, reveal a catastrophic trail of devastation and destruction.
“A preliminary assessment shows at least 2 million people have been affected by the destructive force of Goni.”
https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/survivors-super-typhoon-goni-face-humanitarian-crisis
“Incredible footage shows how flooding has submerged Napier [North Island, NZ] streets…
“Napier City Council is asking residents to avoid all but non-essential travel, flush toilets only when necessary and limit all water use as flash flooding overwhelms the roads and wastewater system.” Video:
“Heatwaves in Southland [NZ] are expected to double in the next 20 years. The key climate change points for the south include sea level rising effecting ecology and settlements.”
“Researchers have… hypothesized that climate change could have played a role in the extinction of Homo species.
“In a new study, published in the journal One Earth, a multidisciplinary team of scientists from Italy, the United Kingdom, and Brazil make the case that this factor was the major driver in the extinction of other hominins.”
“Climate change poses a direct threat to human health, and growing evidence suggests pregnant people are especially vulnerable to hotter-than-normal summers.
“A new analysis of 70 studies from around the world has found higher temperatures during pregnancy are linked to a small increase in preterm births and stillbirths, especially in low- and middle-income countries.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here and visit my Patreon page here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
